Page 27 of Capture My Heart

He threaded his fingers through his hair. “Uh, I need an in.”

Trey looked at the time. Midmorning. He shot a message off to Jim and CJ. Lunch?

A minute later, he got his reply. He turned to the snoring skunk.

“You were no help.”

Stinky opened one eye.

Yup, no help at all. Hopefully, Swenson and Whittier would have some insight that might help him.

He set the laptop aside. He had time to do a little gym work before heading out. Grabbing his keys, he ran downstairs. Opening the supply closet, he grabbed the broom. The joys of being a small business owner.

Why didn’t he have Tommy start today?

With each swipe of the broom he thought, four more days.

The impound lot was a bust. The employee didn’t know anything about the surveillance tapes and the manager was on vacation until July 6th. Amy’s options were to come back with a warrant or wait for the manager to return and see if he would be willing to let her view them.

The only good thing was the car was still there and she would swear it was the same one that hit Gus West. She snapped photos with her work phone before heading to work.

At the station, Amy spent the first thirty minutes of her shift filling out paperwork on her stolen computer and the requisition paperwork for a replacement. Finally, she started her patrol.

It’d been a quiet morning so far, a few speeding tickets and a couple warnings.

Her stomach growled. The clock on the dash glowed 11:49 a.m. She was only five blocks from Gardiner’s restaurant. Perfect timing to grab some lunch to go and ask some questions.

She turned left and merged into traffic. No clue what she would say to her old friend. “Hey Pauline, it’s been a while. How’s the drug business going?”

A snort slipped out. Oh yeah, that would go over well.

She exhaled and pulled into the parking lot. It wasn’t overly full for a Thursday lunch crowd. Amy really hoped to get her food and case the place without actually talking to any of the Gardiners. Especially Stephen.

A chill seeped into her bones at the thought of seeing him. She wiped her hands on her polyester uniform pants and got out of the car.

When she stepped inside, her eyes took a moment to adjust to the low lighting. Red booths and dark paneled walls lined the perimeter while tables with white linen tablecloths filled the floor.

“May I help you?” A young woman stood behind the hostess desk.

Amy stepped up to the counter. “Yes, can I get a lasagna dinner to go?”

“Certainly. Would you like a beverage with that?”

“Coke, thanks.” She moved back to the waiting area and sat in a chair with a full view of the door and the dining room. The wait staff moved in and out. Amy watched everything, the customers coming in and going out. It was a mix of people. Mr. Floyd and his son looked to be working a deal with a couple in their thirties for a new house. She’d bet her favorite pistol that the couple in the corner booth were having an affair. She smirked, but the sight of the three men in the other corner had her lips turn down in a skeptical frown.

She pushed off the chair and stormed across the restaurant. She took in the change of expressions, and folders slipped from the table as she neared the booth.

“Fancy meeting you here.” Her gaze locked with Fenley. “I didn’t realize you three were so chummy.”

Something smelled fishy and it wasn’t the calamari.

“Larson, I didn’t realize you were patrolling this part of town. Want to join us?” Jim scooted over.

She surveyed each one of them before her eyes landed on Swenson. “No, I’m just grabbing some lunch to go.”

Amy sensed movement behind her but didn’t pull her attention from the men.

“When did we become a cop hangout?”