Page 70 of Capture My Heart

“That’s all, for now.” Amy watched Paulie retreat into the restaurant.

“Come on.” Trey tapped her arm, and they got in the car.

He put the car in gear and the last of her strength fled as the car pulled away. “It’s hard to believe we used to be besties.”

“Not really. For what it’s worth, I think she was genuinely surprised to hear about the hit-and-run.”

She thought so too but wasn’t ready to admit it.

Chapter 15

Happy hour at Trudy’s was anything but joyous. This wasn’t the kind of place young upwardly mobile office workers came for a cosmo and craft beer. Nope, Trudy’s was the kind of place your grandpa would drive the riding mower to if he wanted to drown his sorrows because grandma hid his truck keys.

The kind of place where a person warmed the barstool for hours and never took his eyes from the old tube television above the drink-stained bar.

Trey yanked the old wooden door open and ushered Amy inside.

Two cops walked into a bar. It sounded like a bad joke, but by the way the patrons gave them side eyes and a few all-out glares, it was no laughing matter.

They moved to the bar. Trey flashed his badge at the bartender. “Do you have a minute to answer a couple questions?”

The short, lean man’s face conveyed business. Serious business. His squinty-eyed glare moved from Amy to Trey. “Are you drinking?”

“Do you have Coors in a bottle?” She figured it was the safest bet.

He pulled a bottle from the cooler and with one twist popped the cap. His gaze moved to Trey.

“Whiskey on the rocks.”

Amy’s brow jetted up. Apparently, he liked to live dangerously, she caught their reflection in the grime-covered mirror. Those glasses could carry a host of diseases for all she knew.

The bartender set the drinks in front of them.

Trey asked, “do you have video surveillance?”

“Do you think these guys want to be videotaped? Hell no, I don’t have surveillance. I can handle any trouble that crops up. Besides, I have the same people every night.”

Amy bet he could bounce anyone out on their ass if they started trouble. Him and the Louisville Slugger he probably kept under the bar. “Okay, did you have anyone new recently? Say the last week or two?”

“This guy would have been at the bar next to Larry from the city impound.” Trey added.

His gaze dropped to their drinks. “You sure ain’t very thirsty.”

Trey slammed his drink and signaled for another.

The bartender topped it off. “Well, there was this stranger here last week.”

“What did he look like?”

The bartender looked from Amy to the untouched beer in front of her. She sighed, picked it up, and took a healthy swallow.

Trey slipped a twenty on the bar, drawing the bartender’s attention.

“He was average height. Wore a ball cap down low.”

“Did you get a look at his face?”

“Nope.”