13. Chapter 13 - A Tease at the Truth

Chapter 13 - A Tease at the Truth

Alexei

I walked into the Sheriff's Department, my mind heavy with thoughts. Evelyn was at her desk, flipping through some paperwork. Judging by the severe look on her face, she wasn't getting what she wanted. Which brings me back to the reason I am stopping by now. I cleared my throat, and she looked up, a small smile forming on her lips.

"Hey, Alexei. What brings you here?" she asked as soon as I got to her desk, and I smiled.

I leaned against her desk. "I've missed you and thought we could grab some lunch. Take a break from all this chaos, give your head a chance to clear?"

Her eyes sparkled with curiosity. "Lunch sounds good. I've missed you and our time together too. Let me just grab my jacket."

We walked out of the building, and I could feel the weight of the ongoing situation in Harmony Grove pressing down on me. I needed a moment away from everyone and the constant reminders of our challenges.

I gestured towards my car. "Hop in. I know the perfect spot for us."

Evelyn slid into the passenger seat, and I started driving. I pulled out of the parking lot and onto the road. Evelyn reached out for the stereo and pressed the play button. Beautiful music filled the car, and we both sat in silence with our own thoughts.

I still needed a softer way to tell her what I intended to do, so I glanced at her while driving. She was leaning against the backrest, nodding her head at intervals as she enjoyed the music playing, and I could see the stress of the investigation on her. Everyone was really going through it.

Evelyn glanced at me, her eyes filled with concern. "What's bothering you, Alexei?"

I sighed, my grip tightening on the steering wheel. "It's everything, Evelyn. Mark's death, the burial, the missing body, and the talisman. I feel terrible lying to the face of the werewolves like we have, if they were going to trust us at least, I need to give them a reason to. I think we should come clean about everything."

She furrowed her brow. "Come clean? About everything?" I could see the sheer surprise on her face, and I knew she wouldn't agree to that, but I hated how much the guilt was weighing me down.

I nodded. "Yes, Evelyn. They deserve to know the truth. The pack needs closure, and we can't keep hiding the reality from them. And letting them know, contributing their help to the search would even make your workload lighter."

Evelyn's expression shifted, a mix of surprise and disagreement. "Alexei, I get your point, but coming clean about Mark's death, the burial, and the missing body – it'll create chaos. It's exactly what the one who killed him wants. It'll throw the werewolf pack into turmoil and I just told them I would find him. Remember what kind of power the person holding on to the missing talisman wields now. Imagine if the other wolves try to get the talisman for themselves; it would set us back. It would cause upheaval amongst them, something that could have been prevented."

I gripped the steering wheel tighter, frustration churning within me. "Evelyn, we can't keep hiding the truth. It's only a matter of time before the werewolves find out, and it'll be worse if they learn we kept it from them. They would never trust me or the treaty again."

She sighed, her gaze fixed on the passing scenery. "I know it's hard, Alexei. But revealing everything now will make things get out of hand. The pack won't be controllable. Nobody will agree with your treaty anymore, and all the work you've put into it will go down the drain."

I took a deep breath, trying to calm the storm within me. "I just can't stand the idea of keeping them in the dark, Evelyn. We owe them the truth."

She placed a hand on my arm, her touch grounding. "I get it, Alexei. But we need to be strategic about this. We can't let the chaos consume everything."

I nodded, her words sinking in. "You're right, Evelyn. I just don't want to lose their trust."

"We won't, but we need to handle this carefully," she reassured.

I smiled at her before driving into my favorite food place. She leaned back into her seat, her eyes looking far away as if deep in thought.

"We are here, love," I called out, and she smiled before pushing the door open and getting out. We went inside, and the waiter by the door greeted us with a big smile.

Evelyn perused the menu, her eyes lighting up at various options. "Alexei, I hope you're not going to pull the 'safe choice' move again. We're here for an adventure!"

I grinned, leaning back comfortably. "Sheriff, you know me too well. But today, I'm feeling daring. Let's go for the chef's special."

She arched an eyebrow, a playful smile tugging at her lips. "Feeling adventurous, Mayor? I like it. Surprise me."

As we waited for food, the conversation turned toward the culinary realm. It was nice to be talking casually and pushing the crazy reality of our life to the back of or minds, at least for a while.

"So, Mayor, any secret chef talents I should know about? Do you whip up gourmet meals when no one's looking?"

I chuckled, shaking my head. "Not exactly, Sheriff. But I do have an inside scoop here. I've known the chef for ages. We go way back."

Evelyn smirked, raising an eyebrow. "Oh, really? And here I thought you were just a man of politics."

I leaned in, a conspiratorial glint in my eye. "Behind every successful Mayor is a secret connection to an amazing chef. It's a well-known fact."

She laughed, shaking her head. "You never fail to surprise me, Alexei. A mayor with culinary connections – who would've thought?"

As our plates arrived, the rich aromas tantalized our senses. We delved into the meal, savoring the exquisite flavors. The restaurant hummed with a lively atmosphere, our laughter mingling with the chatter of other patrons.

Evelyn took a bite, her eyes widening in delight. "Okay, Alexei, you and your chef friend have excellent taste. This is amazing."

I grinned, a sense of satisfaction washing over me. "Told you. The mayor knows how to pick a good place."

She rolled her eyes playfully. "Alright, Mayor Gourmet. I'll give you this one. This meal is fantastic."

As we finished our meal, Evelyn looked at me with determination. "We'll figure this out, Alexei. We'll find the talisman, unravel the mystery of Mark's death, and navigate through the challenges."

I nodded, grateful for her steady presence. "You're right, Evelyn. We'll face this together."

Our conversation was interrupted by the loud shrill of Evelyn's phone, and she took it out of her pocket. She looked at me before raising it up, and I nodded. The caller ID was Deputy Turner, and I wondered what might have happened.

"What the hell? We are on our way back right now." She said into the phone before she started jogging towards the car. I followed, wondering what the hell was happening at the Sheriff's Department and why they required our presence.

"There's an emergency at the office, we need to get there right now. They didn't say what emergency though, they just told me to get back as soon as possible." She filled me in as I got into the car, and I drove out of the restaurant as fast as I could.

As we entered the Sheriff's Department, the atmosphere seemed charged with urgency.

Evelyn and I exchanged glances, silently acknowledging the unspoken tension. How dire was this emergency?

Deputy Turner greeted us with a grave expression.

"We've got a situation, Sheriff, Mayor," he said, his voice laced with urgency.

Evelyn's brows furrowed. "What's going on, Turner?"

"You need to see for yourself." He replied curtly as he led to the table where a bulky envelope had been opened.