Regina sat at her kitchen table with the two agents, Jones, and Kathryn early in the morning. She hadn't gotten any more sleep than what she'd had before Emma had woken her up because Jones had been lurking around the house and she was beyond exhausted. For the last several hours, she and the agents were discussing a plan of action while Jones snored loudly in the chair, sleeping off the alcohol he had drunk. Kathryn Midas was called in just after six in the morning when Regina told the agents that she was someone that they could trust to help them.
"We do this tonight," Chapman said as he thumped a fist down on the table. "After today, there is no telling when everything will fall apart on us. Gold has eyes and ears all over this town."
"Jones," Regina said and she rolled his eyes when he was unresponsive once again after falling back asleep sitting up in his chair. She kicked the chair and he fell to the floor with a thud. "Jones, are you paying attention?"
"We're doing it tonight," he muttered and he pulled himself up off the floor. "I can take Chapman in just before the shift change. Gold will be there. He's always there when the shift changes. Makes sure no one that doesn't belong there isn't there when that happens."
"What'll you tell him about Chapman?"
"New hire," Jones replied. "We've been looking to replace a couple of guys for a while."
"He'll believe you?" Regina questioned and Jones scoffed. "Right, he trusts you," she sighed and ran her fingers through her hair. "Jones, we need you to tell us what you know about the former sheriff's murder."
"We're not going to arrest you now," Chapman said quietly. "Although we'll have to after we take Gold out. You are an accessory to murder and you destroyed evidence."
"Before you take me away, Agent, can I at least see her one last time?"
"That will be discussed when the time comes, Jones," Chapman replied and he rapped his knuckles on the table and motioned to his partner to start writing down his testimony. "Tell me about the day the former sheriff of Storybrooke was murdered."
Regina watched Killian Jones carefully as he cleared his throat and ran his fingers over the back of his prosthetic hand. "I got a call that morning, just before nine and just before I was on my way out, headed down to do my shift at the cannery as I do most days. It was Gold and he had a different job for me to do that day. He already suspected that the sheriff was on to the operations down at the cannery and vowed that he would see to it that he was taken care of and the operation was protected by all costs. Of course I knew what that meant, I just had no idea who was going to be the one to pull the trigger. Knew it also meant we could be digging ourselves into a hole we couldn't climb out of this time.
"Gold told me to find someone unsuspecting to make a set-up call just after ten that morning. He was vague of his plans until afterwards," Jones said and he licked over his lips before continuing. "Drove out to the Nolan farm and spoke with the old man there, Bill I think his name was. He was nothing more than a drunk who slacked off and took advantage of the Nolan's and could be bought off easily with a pinch of rum."
"Was?" Regina asked, picking up on the past tense term immediately.
"Died a few days later. Alcohol poisoning. We didn't dirty our hands with that one," he replied with a scoff. "Got him to make a call to the station about livestock in the road not far from where Gold told me the sheriff would be hunting that day. Went down to the station after making sure he understood to make the call after ten that morning by all means necessary. You know, I always hated going down to the station when Bobby wasn't around, it makes me itch."
"Stay on track here, Jones," Chapman warned him with a glare.
"Right, of course. I had a thing with Ruby a while back, sweet thing she is, and I was told to distract her once I was at the station."
"When did you arrive?"
"About quarter after ten, after the call was made. Saw Bobby storming outta the front doors seeing red and let me tell you it doesn't take him much to get angry. Ain't never seen him quite like that and I've known him my whole life," he sighed and shook his head at Chapman's silent warning not to go off track once again. "I got there and started talking to Ruby, flirting and what not because she's easy to be like that with, if you know what I mean."
"Jones," Regina said in a tone that made him flinch. "That's my deputy you're talking about."
"Right," he laughed nervously. "I was told to distract her and I did it in the only way I knew how."
"And you tried to talk her into giving you a blow job in the storage room," Regina said with a sour taste in her mouth. "What about your love for Milah? Hmm? Does she know you're going around flirting with other woman and trying to persuade them into sucking you off?"
"Hey, I was there on orders to—"
"Distract the dispatcher," Chapman interrupted. "We got that part. Continue, Jones."
"She shot me down and was trying to get me to leave the station when Bobby came running in, covered in blood, the sheriff's blood. He was freaking out, panicking, screaming at Ruby to get him clean clothes as he stripped down right there in the middle of the station. She took off, muttering something about there being an old uniform somewhere in the storage room and Bobby continued freaking out. Again, something I ain't ever seen him do in all the time I've known him. Before I had a chance to talk some sense into him, to calm him down, Gold came in."
"What time was this?"
"Had to have been almost eleven," Jones replied and Chapman nodded. "He started yelling at him while he stood there in his goddamn briefs and there was a lot of back and forth, mostly Gold calling Bobby an imbecile and a weak fool for not remaining calm after he had taken care of their current problem. Told him to man up and write a report, to claim it as an accident in case the feds came sniffing around later. He got angrier when he realized that Ruby wasn't there and told me to go and find her and bring her out to him.
"Caught her eavesdropping and knew she knew what was going on. I knew what was coming next and we already had one dead sheriff and the last thing we needed was for the dispatcher to turn up dead too. It'd raise too many concerns with the fine people of Storybrooke."
Regina was listening to his account of that day carefully and so far it aligned with what Ruby had confessed about what had happened the day Sheriff Graham was killed. She swallowed, her mouth dry, because this was going to be the final nail in the coffin that would put Bobby Gold behind bars. At least the first nail into the coffin that would seal the Gold family's fate once and for all. Robert Gold was behind the murder and he would have that added to the lengthy list of charges she knew the federal agents were already building up against him.
"Gold was striking Bobby half to death with his cane and knocked him out cold before he turned his attention on Ruby. She claimed at first not to know what was going on, but it was clear to him and to myself that she was lying. The poor girl was terrified and on the verge of tears and Gold threatened he'd make sure she met the same fate as the sheriff if she so much as uttered a word of the truth to anyone."
"And her grandmother," Regina replied and Chapman shook his head at her. "Ruby confessed yesterday, Killian. She told me everything."
"Of course she did," he muttered and rolled his eyes. "He threatened her and her grandmother and forced her to start the report, telling her what to write down. She was shaking the whole time and Gold was furious for many reasons. Scared the shit out of me to be honest with you. Reminded me of when he found out about Milah and I and how he came after me and took my hand as a punishment for taking his wife from him."
"Final warning, Jones," Chapman bellowed. "Stick to the story."
"When Bobby came to, Gold instructed him to keep a keen eye on Ruby and finish the report she had started according to what they had discussed. I wasn't privy to that conversation so I can't tell you how in depth their plans truly were. Gold told me I was to drive him out to the woods to help him take care of things, to clean up the mess. We're all familiar with that location, Gold took us as young boys there to teach us how to hunt and to fish, Graham too. Knew on the ride out that I was going down with them both if the truth was ever found out and I got to admit, I had a bad feeling right from the start.
"Never saw a dead body before," he continued after taking a few deep breaths, his face paling as he swallowed hard. "You'd think working for a man like Gold I would've, but Graham was the first. The moment I saw him lying dead in that clearing and saw he was missing half his face, my breakfast came up and Gold smacked me in the back of the head and told me the same thing he told Bobby, to man up and help him gather the evidence. Gave me no choice because he used Milah against me yet again and since it's been quite some time since I've been able to see her and the very fact he knows where she is and I don't raised fear in me.
"He made me move the body myself, watching over the whole time with an odd look on his face, one I can't quite describe but also one that made me do as I was told. I fear for her life every single day just as I dream of the day I'll see her again."
"Cuff him," Chapman's otherwise silent partner barked and Jones held up both hands up in front of him.
"Hey hey, I'm sorry, sir, but you don't seem to understand—"
"We understand quite clearly that you cannot keep on topic. This is your fucking confession, boy, not a history of your fucking miserable love life with an older, married woman!"
"Hey, asshole," Jones shouted as he rose from his chair. "Fuck you! I never fucked her until she left that old bastard!"
Regina moved quickly to grab Jones just as Chapman grabbed a hold of his partner's shoulders and forced him to sit back down in his chair. Regina clenched her jaw and let go of Killian Jones, fighting the urge to smack that smug smirk from the son of a bitch's face when he turned to look back at her. She sat back down in her own chair, watching Chapman talk his partner down.
"We're getting a confession, Logan, now calm your old ass down," Chapman said lowly. "This is what we need, just another piece of the puzzle. This man, as much of a fucking pawn he is to Robert Gold, is going to be key to us in getting this case shut. That's what we do, don't we? Take on a case, open and shut it down, bada bing bada boom, and on to the next."
"Kathryn," Regina said as she turned to the woman on her left who sat there with a blank expression on her pale face. "Kat?"
"Hmm?"
"Can you get us some coffee?" Regina asked and she nodded as she rose from her chair. "Thank you. Killian? Would you like to continue?"
"Gladly," he snapped, glaring at Agent Logan as he relaxed in the chair.
"After you moved the body, what happened next?" Regina asked.
"Gathered all the evidence."
"What was the evidence that you gathered specifically?"
"All of Graham's hunting gear and the shell casings from Bobby's gun. Three of them if you must know. Once it was all bagged, Gold had me go back and mess around the site a little. There were obvious signs of a struggle."
"How obvious?" Regina asked because she hadn't seen any signs when she had gone to check it out for herself. "Killian?"
"Obvious enough to a cop like you," he muttered. "And them," he said with a nod towards the two federal agents. "Found a rake at the hunter's cabin nearby and did as I was told. Raked out the ground where they'd fought and returned to the car where Gold was waiting."
Killian paused as Kathryn carried over two mugs of hot coffee and placed one in front of Regina and the other in front of him. Agent Logan slammed a fist down on top of the table and rose to his feet once again.
"Fugitive is last to be served, woman," he growled and he turned to Chapman immediately. "What the hell is this skinny bitch doing here anyway? She is not relevant to this case and I'm thinking I smell a dirty mole on the premises."
"Calm down, Logan," Chapman said and he grabbed the mug in front of Killian before he could make a grab for it and slid it in front of the angered agent. "Jones? Continue. We haven't got all day here and one more detour off the subject and I will detain you."
"Without probable cause?"
"Without—Jones you are a fucking accessory to not only murder, but a long list of illegal activity that will land your one-handed ass in prison for two life sentences. Continue."
He sighed and waited until Kathryn returned with a coffee for him and took a sip despite it being far too hot to drink. He exhaled sharply and shook his head, reaching inside his inner jacket pocket that caused the two agents to draw their guns.
"Rum," he chuckled as he shook the small metal flask. "Keeps me clear headed in a manner of speaking." When nobody said a word, he poured some into the mug and placed the flask back inside his inner pocket. "Where was I?"
"You and Gold are in the car," Agent Chapman replied as calmly as he could muster.
"I drove back to the station. Gold talked about burning all the evidence, not wanting a shred of it left behind that could tie the murder to Bobby or himself. We got rid of it all, even the sheriff's clothes. Burned it all behind the station and funnily enough, nobody seemed to be around when that happened or questioned why there was a fire in the drum barrel behind the station. Gold had me move the body into the storage room and told me that they were planning on letting the sheriff turn up missing for a few days. All a part of his plan to make it look like nothing more than an unfortunate hunting accident.
"People around town started to talk a few days later, noticing the sheriff's absence, and it was Gold who masqueraded the search for him, making sure only his men searched the woods. I was out there keeping watch and it wasn't until Bobby came around that I knew it was done, it was over, the sheriff's body was down at the hospital morgue and Gold was preparing a speech to deliver to the town the next morning."
A knock sounded on the front door and Regina rose from her chair knowing exactly who was there. She excused herself and walked to the front of the house. She opened the door with a slight frown. "You're late."
"I needed to stop by Granny's and check on her, make sure she is safe," Ruby replied quietly and she entered the house and held up a small box. "I also brought some donuts. Did I—"
"You missed his confession," Regina said quietly. "It all adds up to what you told me. He isn't lying about anything and now I'm inclined to believe he is on our side."
"So you trust him?"
"Hardly," Regina replied with a soft voice. "Come on, there's a fresh pot of coffee. Get yourself a cup and we'll bring you up to speed, Deputy."
[X]
"Mama, where Gina?" Henry asked for the umpteenth time since they had woken up. "Gina come back?"
"She's at her house, just next door," Emma replied. It was the same answer each and every time he'd asked. "I'm sure we'll see her soon."
"Now?"
Emma sighed and sipped her coffee. She pulled a face, wondering why it never tasted the same as when Regina made it. "Soon doesn't mean now, Henry."
"Okay," he frowned and clutched on to his blanket tighter. "Miss Gina, Mama."
"Me too, baby, me too. Come on, let's go get dressed and I'll take you over to see Johanna, okay?"
For once Henry did as he was told without putting up a fuss. Emma let him pick out his clothes for the day and watched over him with a careful eye as he dressed himself, stepping in only to lend a hand to help him when he struggled with his long-sleeved shirt and the button on his jeans. She left him playing in his room so she could get dressed herself, her thoughts wandering back to Regina again and again.
Emma had no idea what she should do, whether she should stay home and wait for Regina to come back or if she should head down to the station to do her job as if it were just another normal day. As far as anyone else knew, it was another normal day in Storybrooke and when she slipped on her boots, she'd made her decision and hoped it was the right one.
It was a cool morning despite the heat that had lingered in the weeks since she had arrived in Storybrooke, but with the sun trying to poke its way through the clouds that hung overhead, it still made for a nice walk to Johanna's house and then the few blocks down to the station. Emma used the key that had been given to her to unlock the back door to the station. It was quiet and empty, the night dispatcher having been long gone.
She sat down at her desk and went over the call log the night dispatcher used if any calls came in and as per usual it was empty save for the round coffee stain near the bottom of the page. She frowned and turned in her chair to look at the empty coffee maker on the small table against the wall. She busied herself for a few minutes, preparing the coffee maker to brew a fresh pot. The CB radio squawked the very second she hit the power button and she rushed to her desk to answer the call.
"Dispatch," she said.
"Oh thank god," Regina said a moment later. "I came back and you were gone as was Henry. I feared that—I—I'm just relieved you answered."
"I didn't know whether to stay or come into the station. I wasn't sure what the plan was."
"You made the right choice," Regina replied, the relief evident in her voice. "I'll be there shortly."
Emma leaned back in her chair, the station falling into silence again aside from the steady drip coming from the coffee maker as the glass carafe filled slowly. Emma closed her eyes and she could hear the faint click of the clock as the seconds ticked by and by focusing on that sound and the smell of freshly brewed coffee, she was able to keep her mind from wandering yet again. She had no idea what was going on when it came to the Gold's and she didn't want to start thinking about it, fearing that if she did, her mind would jump to conclusions that weren't remotely true.
She didn't have to look at the clock when she heard the station door open from the front to know that only ten minutes had passed since Regina had called in over the radio. She blinked and rubbed at her eyes, sitting forward in her chair at the sound of two sets of footsteps resounded down the hallway. She turned the moment Regina entered the room and smiled, one that faded just as quickly as it had appeared when she saw the look on Regina's face.
It was the same look Ruby Lucas had on hers when she followed Regina just seconds later. Regina said not a word, she just motioned at Emma to come into her office while Ruby took a seat at her own desk and pulled out a file from the bottom drawer. Emma poured the freshly brewed coffee into two mugs, pouring a little milk into her own and some sugar in Regina's before making her way into the sheriff's office.
"Close the door," Regina said quietly.
Emma managed to shut the door with just her hip and placed Regina's mug of coffee in front of her with a small smile dancing over her lips. "I thought you might want some coffee."
"Yes," she sighed with a small nod of her head. "Thank you, dear."
Emma chewed her bottom lip, wanting to close the short distance between them and kiss her good morning like she'd grown so used to doing, but she could tell that Regina's mind was far from thinking of a kiss and she sat down in the chair across from her desk with a soft sigh.
Emma did nothing but listen when Regina finally chose to speak, bringing her up to speed on the case against the Gold's, specifically Robert Gold and their plans to infiltrate the cannery that night. She told her of Killian Jones' confession and how it had matched up to Ruby Lucas' confession of what happened the day the former sheriff had been murdered, and she told her that while she didn't trust Killian Jones in any way or form, he was working on their side for the time being. The whole thing had a heavy pit settling in Emma's stomach and one that left her with nothing but a feeling that something wasn't right.
Still she said nothing in regards to the plan that Regina told her about, of infiltrating the cannery to gather the evidence needed to arrest Robert Gold and place him in jail on charges not even he or any fancy city lawyer could get him out of anytime soon. Emma didn't have even a second to feel thrilled about the idea because she was worried about Bobby even though he was in the hospital recovering from having his leg amputated, but there was no telling what he would do or what he would get someone else loyal to him and his father to do to her or Regina if the plan the federal agents and Regina had come up with didn't work.
Emma knew that Regina hadn't told her the entire plan since there were some details that were most definitely and purposely left out and no doubt to protect her if anything happened to go wrong that night. She shifted her focus as best as she could, not wanting to think about what would happen if the plan failed and they were caught infiltrating the cannery in the middle of the night by Gold or one of his loyal men. Not even when Regina assured her that she would not be going to the cannery with Killian and Agent Chapman did her worries ease.
Regina grew silent and sat back in her chair, slowly sipping her coffee as she stared straight at Emma, waiting for her to speak, to ask questions, anything, but all she could do was sit there and let her mind absorb everything that Regina had just told her.
It was hard to believe how drastically different her life had become, not just in the time since she was forced to move to Storybrooke, but ever since Neal had been shipped off to fight in the war in Vietnam. She had never imagined a life different from the one she and Neal spent ten years living in their small apartment, she never even dreamt of a different life because her life had been enough even if there were many times where they could barely survive. Everything changed the day he'd left and she was left behind to fend for not only herself, but their son as well.
She knew somewhere along the line, perhaps even before Neal was killed in battle, she became nothing more than a shell of herself. That was starting to change yet again because being with Regina pulled something out inside of her she'd never felt before and that was strength, strength stronger than what she had once possessed before her world had come crashing down and ripped apart. While the strength wasn't immediate, she could feel it returning and growing into so much more, bit by bit, day by day, and she was damned if she was going to let her fear of the Gold's strip that away from her again.
Ruby's knock on the door ended the heavy silence that lingered in the sheriff's office. "Sorry if I'm interrupting, but a call just came in."
"What is the nature of the call, Deputy?"
"A 10-56 outside the Rabbit Hole."
"Leroy?" Regina asked.
"Wouldn't doubt it, but Claudia called it in. Do you want me to respond?"
"If you don't mind, Deputy," Regina replied easily. "I trust that you can handle him just fine."
"I'll call it in if any assistance is needed," Ruby said and with a nod shared between sheriff and deputy, she left, closing the office door behind her on the way out.
"You should return to your desk," Regina said quietly. "In case she calls in."
"She just left."
"Precisely and the Rabbit Hole isn't far. She'll arrive on the scene in a few minutes," Regina replied as she rose from her chair, indicating for Emma to do just that as well. "Emma?"
"Hmm?" Emma paused and looked at her, clutching her mug with both hands.
"Do you have any questions about what I told you?"
"Not really," Emma replied, shaking her head. "I guess it's probably best that the less I know the better, right? I'm just relieved that you aren't going tonight."
"I'll be waiting, sight unseen, by the cannery in case anything goes wrong."
"Oh."
"I'm the sheriff, Emma," she said quietly. "Don't worry, dear, Agent Logan will be in the car with me while we wait."
"That's it? No other backup?"
"Ruby will be stationed a block away," Regina replied quietly. "I know you're not too happy about this, Emma, but—"
"I'm worried," she cut her off. "I'm worried that something might happen to you."
Regina frowned and stepped towards her and raised a hand to gently cup her cheek. "I've already promise you that nothing is going to happen to me or to you, darling. I will keep that promise no matter what it takes, okay?"
Emma just nodded her head and closed her eyes the moment Regina's lips pressed against her own, kissing her softly and letting her lips linger only for a second before she pulled back slowly. Emma offered her a small, half-smile before she left her office and returned to her desk. Minutes after she'd sat down, Regina strolled out of her office and placed a small handgun on the desk in front of her.
"What's this?"
"For you," Regina said quietly. "Just in case."
"Just in case...what?" Emma blinked and Regina inhaled sharply.
"It's a safety net, Emma. More so for me than you since I'll be less inclined to worry about you knowing you have the means to protect yourself and Henry."
"But I don't know how to—"
"I know," Regina chuckled quietly, but it was not a sound of amusement. "When Ruby returns, I am going to take you out back and teach you how to fire the gun safely and properly."
Emma just stared down at the small gun and nodded, licking over her lips as her eyes met Regina's once more. "Okay."
[X]
They were alone in the station just after four that afternoon and Regina had Emma trapped between her body and her desk and they were kissing, slow yet deep. She had tried so very hard throughout the day not to kiss her lover, but as the hours wore on, the harder it was to resist the very urge to take exactly what she wanted. Kissing Emma Swan provided a perfect distraction from thinking of the events that would begin to unfold in a matter of hours and kissing Emma Swan was something she couldn't quite get enough of.
She could feel the tremor in Emma's hands as they rested comfortably on her hips and she ran her own hands up Emma's arms in a soothing manner just before she parted from her lips with a soft sigh that escaped past both of their kiss-swollen lips.
Regina had debated earlier that morning whether or not to tell Emma what was going on and in the end she decided that it was better if she knew, maybe not all the details of the plan, but most of it. Emma would need to be vigilant while they executed the plan and infiltrated the cannery that night because even she couldn't determine just what the outcome would be or what would happen if they were to be caught. While Emma expressed her worry about her safety, Regina was more worried about her and Henry than herself, but she hadn't told her that in as many words, but she knew that point was made when she gave Emma the small gun and taught her how to fire it out behind the station.
What had surprised her was the fact that Emma had a steady hand and a good aim for someone who had never fired a gun in her life. She had been impressed that she had hit the target every time without any assistance at all aside from Regina showing her how to click the safety off. After an hour of practice, Regina was more than convinced that Emma was capable of defending herself with the weapon if need be, and they retreated back into the station where Ruby had the radio blasting and was dancing around without a care in the world.
The afternoon had been uneventful, save for the impromptu dance party Ruby had pulled them both into for a brief amount of time and one that was interrupted by a call from Claudia at the Rabbit Hole for the second time that day, another 10-56 and definitely not Leroy that time since he was passed out in the cell, oblivious to their impromptu and unprofessional dance party.
Not long after Ruby returned with another man, one that got riled up at the sight of Leroy passed out in the cell next to him, Ruby clocked out early for the day to go home and get some sleep before they were to meet two blocks from the cannery just after midnight. It wasn't until after she had left and the man she'd brought in passed out on the cot, that she caught Emma Swan looking at her with lust-filled eyes and a pink tongue trailing suggestively across her lips. All it took was a coy smile and a beckon of her finger and they ended up in her office for close to an hour.
"I should go pick Henry up soon," Emma whispered, yet didn't move from the tight spot she found herself trapped in. "Soon as in...now..."
"Hmm?" Regina leaned in slowly, her lips ghosting over Emma's as her hands gripped on to Emma's hips, perfectly content in keeping her right where she was. "Can't you spare just a few minutes more, darling?"
"I can, but I'm afraid if I do, I'll never be able to stop kissing you."
"I wouldn't object to that."
"Of course you wouldn't."
Regina kissed her lightly, intent on deepening the kiss when a throat cleared from just beyond her closed door and a knock sounded seconds later. She sighed as she pushed herself away from Emma and walked over to her office door. She straightened out her slightly askew shirt and wiped at her wet lips before unlocking the door and pulling it open.
A small smile, one close to a smirk, curled over her lips when she saw Kathryn Midas standing on the other side of the door, her cheeks slightly flushed and her fingers clutching at the purse she carried in both hands.
"Ms. Midas," Regina said as she stepped out of her office. "What brings you down here?"
"I uh, I was actually looking for Deputy Lucas," she replied with a stammer. "I just missed her, didn't I?"
"By an hour, yes," Regina replied casually. "Can I help you with something, Kathryn?"
"Uh no, not really," she replied nervously and Regina crossed her arms over her chest while studying the blonde in front of her. "I suppose she just forgot we had made plans, much like you did a few weeks back when you stood me up on the offer to go for a drink."
"Deputy Lucas is working tonight, a drink is hardly acceptable, especially when—"
"Oh, we were going to meet up for coffee," Kathryn said in a rush as she held up a hand to stop Regina from continuing. "I got held up at the office. Mayor Gold had me stay late to file the monthly budget. I was hoping she might've—forgive me, Sheriff, I should know when to know that I've been stood up."
"She never mentioned anything to me," Regina said quietly. "But I do happen to know where she went. She went home to get in a few hours of sleep before tonight."
"Oh."
"I'm sure she didn't stand you up on purpose, Kathryn."
"Are you sure?"
Regina smiled, mostly to herself when she began to realize that there might be something more going on between Kathryn and Ruby than a friendly cup of coffee between acquaintances. "I cannot speak for Deputy Lucas, but I have a feeling she did not intentionally stand you up. There are more...pressing matters at hand after all."
Kathryn nodded and continued fidgeting with the purse she still held tightly with both hands. Regina's eye twitched as she caught sight of the clock on the wall and she was once again reminded that it had been an impossibly long day and it would be an even longer night.
"Of course," Kathryn nodded quickly and she made a small noise, one that surprised Regina, and she opened up her purse and fished out a set of keys. "As I promised this morning," she said and she held them out to Regina, dropping them once she had a hand extended towards her. "No matter what happens tonight, I will need those back before seven tomorrow morning."
"These are the keys to the town hall?"
"And his office," she replied in a hushed whisper. "They're my only set and—"
"I'll see to it that they are returned to you by the morning," Regina said with a nod. "Do you, by any chance, know where Gold is right now?"
"I imagine he's at home with his wife and sitting down to dinner right about now," Kathryn replied and she raised an eyebrow. "Oh no, Sheriff Mills, you can not go to his office now!"
"Why not?"
"May I remind you that he has eyes and ears all over town?" Kathryn said in a hushed whisper. "It is still light out and I know for a fact the ones who hang around the town hall won't be leaving until Claudia rings the happy hour bell down at the Hole at quarter after nine. The plan was to—"
"I know what the plan is," Regina snapped and she felt a warm, comforting hand on her shoulder that had her reeling back from the sudden burst of anger that was about to flood through her veins. "Thank you, Ms. Midas. I'll come by first thing in the morning to return these to you," she said in an even tone before she pocketed the set of keys and turned to Emma. "Would you like to walk with me over to the garage, Ms. Swan? I believe Michael Tillman should have the wheels on my car replaced by now."
"I—I need to go pick up my son," Emma stammered shyly. "I'll see you later?"
"Save me a plate at the table, I shouldn't be long," Regina smiled, looking forward to having dinner with Emma and Henry as she did every night. When Emma just nodded and grabbed her bag from under her desk, she turned to Kathryn who had a rather perplexed look on her face and her eyes darted from Emma to her quickly. "Let me walk you out to your car, Kathryn."
"You know, there is one thing I still can't figure out about you, Regina."
"Hmm?"
"One minute I'm Ms. Midas, the next you call me Kathryn. I noticed that you do the same with just about everyone, even her."
"Is it a crime that I want to try to keep things professional around here?" Regina asked and Kathryn chuckled quietly with a shake of her head. "If you must know it's a personal and longstanding habit, one that I have a hard time trying to shake."
"Something that you picked up somewhere?"
"From my mother, actually," Regina muttered under her breath. She led the way out of the station and she looked up and down the street carefully before placing her aviators on. "I'll see you in the morning, Kathryn."
Kathryn nodded and stepped forward. "Good luck tonight, Regina," she whispered before flashing a worried smile her way and headed to where she'd parked her car a little ways up the street.
Regina slipped her hands into the front pockets of her jeans, knowing she'd need a lot more than just luck on her side that night. The short walk to Franklin's Towing and Salvage shop gave her time to dwell over the events that would be unfolding and it gave her time to second-guess involving Kathryn Midas in the investigation against Robert Gold.
She spotted her beloved Mustang parked just in front of the open garage and there was nobody to be seen as she entered the open and empty garage. She rang the bell by the office door and took a quick look around the garage and while Tillman wasn't on the list that Kathryn had provided her with, he was still someone she was wearily suspicious of and only because his name appeared many times in those scraps of papers she'd found that had been undoubtedly a part of the former sheriff's own investigation against the Gold's.
She sighed, rang the bell again, and stepped back with her hands on her hips as a miserable Michael Tillman finally opened the office door and emerged with a less than thrilled look falling upon his tired face. Regina just cleared her throat and without a word having to be said, he grabbed the keys to her Mustang off the board they hung from on the wall and tossed them into her waiting hand.
"Send the bill in the mail," Regina said andturned on her heels before he had the chance to speak. With a smile, sheclimbed into the car, turned the key in the ignition, her foot hitting the gasas she revved the engine, and took off, leaving the perplexed mechanicliterally in the dust.