“Ian, how about you?” Ray suggested. “You’d make an excellent mayor.”

The doctor lowered his coffee from his mouth. “You mean in my spare time?”

A round of chuckles met his sarcasm.

“Regardless, the town needs leadership.” Ray turned both palms up in plea. “Surely one of our esteemed business leaders will step up, unless you want some outsider to take office. Someone who wouldn’t understand what we need to do to stay afloat.”

“Face it, Ray. No one wants the job,” Carolyn said. “You could always run yourself.”

“I already run the chamber. There’s only so much one man can do.” Ray’s forefinger moved on his notes. “OK. We’ll shelve that discussion at present. Moving on to the new municipal building. The town council approved the plans. Construction should begin in the next month. Hopefully, we’ll have our regular meeting place back before next winter.”

“What about the diner? How long will it take for the town to take it over?” someone asked.

Good question. The boarded-up restaurant was a blight on the town’s image and echoed Mandy’s depression.

Carolyn raised her hand. “I can answer this, Ray. If things stay as is, the town will have to wait for taxes to go into arrears. They’ll file a tax lien. Eventually, if Nathan doesn’t come back, the property will go up for auction. It will take time.”

“Couldn’t someone run his business for him until he comes back?” Ray asked.

“Who cares?” Steve, the gift shop proprietor, raised a flannel-shirted arm. “He’s a murderer.”

“And probably dead,” added Ralph, the taxidermist, also dressed in the latest lumberjack attire.

Ray banged his mug on the table. Coffee sloshed over the rim. “We don’t know any of that is true.”

“Give it up, Ray. Nathan went nutso. No need to suck up to him anymore.” Steve laughed.

Ralph snickered. “The real reason Ray can’t run for mayor is because he’s not flexible enough to kiss his own ass.”

While hilarity ensued, Mandy pondered Ray’s concern. How close was he to Nathan? Ray’s business had picked up considerably without the diner as competition. He should be glad the diner was closed.

Ray stood and pointed at Steve. “What happened to innocent until proven guilty? Doesn’t Nathan deserve our support?”

Steve got to his feet and towered over Ray. “He gave up the rights to our support when he killed that kid and our police chief. Hugh was a good man.”

“Innocent people don’t run away.” Ralph nodded. “Nathan’s business is the least of his worries. If he shows up in town, we’ll issue a bounty on his head.”

Steve huffed. “You won’t need to.”

No love lost there.

Ray knocked on the table. “Let’s get back to business and let the police handle the case.”