Page 19 of Dragon Charmed

“Agreed. So we concentrate on her coworkers. When do you want to go?”

They agreed to meet tomorrow, and Tessa made sure to pick up all the papers and place them in her envelope. Did she not trust him with the info she had found? Or more likely she was afraid he would leave her out of the investigation, especially when she practically made him pinky swear that he wouldn’t go to the university without her.

Hell, he didn’t know what to make of her or the information that had been gifted to him. Did he feel guilty that he was lying to her? Yes. But she had been the one to jump to conclusions, and he hadn’t bothered to correct her. Semantics. And he was in trouble if she tried to do any digging into his past, with his fake name and, oh yeah, his messed-up memory.

At least he hadn’t given her his last name. Yet. He was sure she would ask him for it tomorrow, and then all bets were off when she couldn’t find anything about him online. He could probably get away with explaining that—a PI would know the danger of splashing their lives on the Internet, right?

She climbed into her car and drove away before he opened the door to his truck. Would she buy his flimsy explanations? She wasn’t someone who would buy too much BS. She was too smart for that. He rubbed his hand over his face. Didn’t he need a license to be a PI? What if she asked to see one? He pulled out his burner phone and dialed the only number he had.

Larry answered on the first ring. “Hello. Wasn’t expecting to hear from you so soon. What’s up?”

“Was wondering if I could stop by. I need some help with something.”

“Sure.”

Forty minutes later Ben was sitting across from Larry in his barn/license bureau.

“What do you know about PI licenses?”

Larry chuckled. “Do I want to know why you’re asking about them?”

“Someone may think that I’m a PI, and I want that to stick for the time being.”

“And since I hooked you up with a new driver’s license, you think that I’m an expert on all licenses?”

Ben smiled. “I think you’re a man of many talents.”

Larry nodded. “I am at that.” He opened his laptop and started to click away on it. “Let me do a quick double-check to make sure nothing has changed from what I know.” He hummed to himself for a moment before nodding. “Okay, it’s still the same. In Tennessee you have to take an exam and they check your background and run your fingerprints before you’re granted a PI license, so I don’t see you applying for one anytime soon.”

“No. So the state gives you some sort of paperwork that shows you’re a PI?”

“Yep. And I think I know where you’re going with this, so before you ask, having me create the paperwork for you isn’t going to help.”

“Why not?”

“Because Tennessee has a website that people can verify business and other licenses. The fake paperwork doesn’t mean anything if they can’t find you on the site. It might be too late for you if they’ve already checked your name.”

“She doesn’t know my last name.” But she would soon. Shit. Now what?

“Hold on a second.” More clicking. “Well, well, well. Here’s an interesting tidbit for you. Our neighbor Mississippi doesn’t require a PI license.”

“How does that help me?”

Larry grinned. “If she asks, tell her you normally work in Mississippi. And you just moved here and haven’t gotten around to taking the exam here. Easy peasy.”

“Easy peasy?”

“Yep. It’s what my granddaughter says. And you’re welcome for the assist.”

“Thanks. That is a good plan.”

Larry leaned forward. “Or maybe the better plan is to walk away from whatever reason you’re pretending to be a PI? Staying under the radar might be the better move.”

Ben nodded. He knew that Walter hadn’t filled Larry in on any specifics before asking him for help, and Larry probably thought he was trying to hide or run from his past.

But Ben was trying to find his past. If he had to work with a snarky, beautiful woman with eyes the color of his favorite jeans, then that’s what he would do.

Chapter 7