Page 86 of Sunset Beach
Drue giggled despite herself. “Seriously? What kind of dog?”
“German short-haired pointer. She claims he would have been a best-in-show contender in the Westminster Kennel Club, but since the accident, he refuses to point. Now she says she’s missing out on thousands and thousands of dollars’ worth of stud fees.”
Jonah glanced up at the clock on the break room wall. “Okay, I gotta get back in there.” He started toward the door, but then turned and came back.
“Hey, um, are we good?”
“I guess. Even though you apparently found a way to resurrect that slip-and-fall case that should have been mine.”
His face flushed. “I told Wendy she should send the client back to you. Itwas just dumb luck that when she called the second time the call was routed to me.”
“Don’t sweat it,” Drue said lightly. “The way it worked out, Zee asked my dad if I could help interview a witness to that accident. It was a pretty cool experience.”
“I’m glad. You know, I hate the way things started out with us. That first night at Sharky’s? I swear, Drue, that’s not who I am. I know you think I’m your typical horndog, but I’m not.” He lowered his voice. “I wish you’d give me a do-over.”
“Do-over?”
“Let me take you out. We start from scratch.” He stuck out his hand. “‘Hi, I’m Jonah. Actually not the random asshole you met at a bar who was trying way too hard to prove to the boss’s daughter that he was way cool.’”
He left his hand extended. “This is where you go, ‘Hi, I’m Drue. Nice to meet you, Jonah. And yes, I’d love to go out with you for sushi. Or steak. But not shots. Never, ever shots again.’”
He raised an eyebrow. “Helloooo? Drue?”
“Don’t rush me,” she said. “I’m thinking about it.”
The break room door opened and Ben strolled in, clutching his coffee mug. He looked from Drue to Jonah. “What’s going on? Am I missing something?”
The mood was broken.
“As a matter of fact, we were just discussing a very serious crime wave,” Drue said. “Thinking about getting Zee involved and asking him to launch an in-house investigation.”
“Really?” Ben said, pushing his glasses off the end of his nose.
“It’s the Keurig heist,” she said, gesturing at Jonah’s empty mug.
“Thinking it’s an inside job,” Jonah said. He nodded toward Drue. “Let me know your thoughts, okay?”
Ben watched his coworker exit. “Thoughts on what?”
“Um, nothing, really. We were just comparing notes on all the crazy calls we’ve gotten this morning. I had a Wienermobile incident, he had a dog whiplash call. How’s it going with you?”
“About the same,” Ben said. “I fielded about a hundred calls, but nothingthat bizarre. How goes it with your investigator training? When do you do another ride-along with Zee?”
“Not sure,” Drue said. “Listen, I gotta get back to work before Wendy decides to find some new and different way to torture me.”
36
The St. Pete Beach Public Library was quiet. Most of the winter resident snowbirds had fled back north with the coming of warmer weather.
Drue waited at the information desk while a heavy-set librarian with a blue Mohawk and polka-dot bow tie checked out a thick stack of picture books for a harried mom with two preschoolers.
“How can I help?” he asked, approaching Drue.
She held up the flash drive. “I’d like to use a computer to watch this video.”
He nodded. “Do you have a library card?”
“No.”
