Having to get a quote from the sheriff's department was her least favorite part of the job. Hal, her editor, never stopped to think that it would be awkward to grab a quote from her estranged husband. He'd told Ruby once after hearing the two had separated that he would just have to play matchmaker and their tiff would blow over. To date, it had not. Rennie had moved out of the house and even though he still came over to help with the remodeling somehow the conversation would always shift to an argument of some sort.
Really that was a lie. The fights were always over the same thing - Rachel. Years before Ruby's baby sister disappeared when she was only fifteen. Ruby felt responsible and no matter how often Rennie tried to convince her otherwise she stood her ground. The constant bickering in the Davis household was in part because Ruby, then Wagnor, hated her step-father. Reverend Charles Davis was a fraud as far as Ruby was concerned. He'd had an affair with her mother when Patty was seeking council; not that Patty and Arthur's marriage wouldn't have ended in divorce anyway, it was the hatred that spewed forth afterward. Arthur Wagnor was gay, knew it and asked for time to sort through it. Patty took it as an assault to her femininity and ran to the first swinging dick that would take her. Now she was Mrs. Reverand and basically a religious zealot.
Every night Charles would attempt to squash the dreams of Rachel Wagnor to become a star and Ruby would defend her no matter the consequences. It was more than Patty had ever done. When Rachel disappeared she was supposed to be on her way to Portland to Ruby's house but never arrived. Whatever happened was a mystery and lingered in both the Davis and Renfro households. James Renfro, or Rennie as everyone called him, was a great man and somewhere in Ruby's mind, she knew he was right. But admitting that out loud meant defeat. Not losing against her husband, but losing Rachel forever. No matter how much she looked - nothing ever sprouted up about Rachel Leah Wagnor and it broke Ruby's heart that her sister wasn't even going to have a proper burial - if she was dead.
Slowly walking up the steps to the small office that served as the Clackamas County Sheriff's Office in the town that lived up to its name - Boring, Oregon - Ruby quickly wished to herself that Rennie was out on a call and she'd get to speak with Shelby or Buck. No such luck. Why was he so handsome? Every time she saw him the urge to throw a white flag would appear. They'd been lovers since there teens and married basically since he'd returned from his time in the military. Rennie was supposed to be her forever and yet he couldn't side with her on the most important subject of her life. "Afternoon, deputy. Do you have a minute? I am here on official business."
@of-truth-and-lies (Rennie)
