Page 38 of Shielding Serena

“But my customers,” Serena said, then stuttered to a stop as Walker whirled.

“Garrett is damn good at his job. He’s in here enough that no one will think twice about it until he makes his move. My job is to keep you safe.” His voice broke for a second. “I won’t allow anything to happen to you. I can’t.”

Walker brought himself back under control, unashamed of his emotions, maybe for the first time ever. Then Serena was wrapping herself around him, her face pressed against his chest, her arms tight.

“Please tell me you’ll listen to me,” he said.

“I will,” she said and lifted her face to his. “I may bitch about it, but I’ll listen.”

“That’s my girl,” he said, and felt her hitch the tiniest bit at his words. But when he truly looked at her, he saw her acceptance and quietly rejoiced.

Garrett entered through the back door, expression serious as ever.

“He’s in his usual spot,” Walker said and Garrett nodded, then pushed through the doors into the dining room.

Serena disentangled herself and walked to the doors leading into the dining room, peeking through the thick glass windows.

Walker moved behind her, looking over her shoulder. Garret stood at Bobby’s side, and the kid was looking up at him with terror on his face. But he got to his feet when ordered and didn’t make a fuss when told he was being taken in for questioning, and would he like to call an attorney before they got there?

Serena pushed through the door and Walker didn’t stop her. Not with the threat contained. And he wanted to hear what the kid had to say, if anything. Even though he’d seen the evidence with his own eyes, had been the one to call Garrett, for some reason he was having a problem putting Bobby at the scene, using a flashlight as a weapon.

“It wasn’t me,” Bobby said, looking directly at Serena. “I swear it wasn’t me.”

Garrett grunted and escorted the kid out the front door.

The customers had paused in mid-everything to witness the drama, and the silence stretched for a long moment, almost echoing, and then everyone either started chattering or reaching for their phones.

Gena looked at both of them with wide eyes. “Methinks we’re in for another rush.”

Walker checked in with Garrett two hours later. The rush had indeed come, and quickly, leaving the ladies hopping. Walker helped where he could by bussing the tables and answering questions, though it wasn’t as if they knew anything, just that the Sheriff’s Department had taken Bobby in to have a chat.

“He’s in AFIS,” Garrett said, almost as unceremoniously as Quentin usually did. “Grand larceny out of Colorado. This isn’t his first rodeo by a long shot.”

“How old is he?” Walker asked as Serena walked into the kitchen. He put the phone on speaker but left the volume low enough that only the two of them could hear.

“Almost thirty,” Garrett said, which surprised the hell out of Walker. He wouldn’t have guessed more than twenty-two or twenty-three. “He did a year and a half, then completed his parole last year, so has been out in the world doing who knows what. He’s lawyered up, but he wanted me to tell you that it wasn’t him. Which of course is what every criminal says.

“He claims he got the scratches out in the scrub when he was leading a crew from TMZ around. Something about discovering the secrets of the heroes of Last Light or some such bullshit. I’ve got a call in to the contact he provided but haven’t heard back yet. Given his past history and the fact he claims to be living out of his car out in the state forest, I’m holding him until morning while we wait to see what happens with his alibi.”

That worrisome pinging was starting at the back of Walker’s brain again. “Did he say where he took TMZ?”

“Not yet, and his lawyer showed up right around then, so he shut up. Why?”

“Because we had an incursion the other day but didn’t catch anyone on video. Do you think he’d talk to me?”

“I doubt it, but you’re welcome to try,” Garrett replied. “Maybe you can get a motive out of him. Because the shit he stole to go to prison is of way higher value than anything Madeliene ever had on site, and his theft wasn’t violent. In fact, he got caught because he didn’t hurt the victim, and they got a good look at his face.”

Gena poked her head in. “Hey, both Higgins and Adam are here. Do you want me to ring them up, or do you want to?”

“Give me a second,” Serena said.

“I’ll be there after we close up The Menagerie and I can bring Serena along,” Walker said.

“You can go now,” Serena said. “I’ve got people all around me and Bobby’s in jail.”

He shook his head. “I can wait.”

They walked into the dining room and handed Adam and Mr. Higgins their packages. The woebegone man was suitably thrilled to get his family keepsake back, happily forking over the two hundred and fifty bucks and accepting the box without even opening it.