don’t process life like most people, so we do research until all my questions are answered.” Jewell laughed. “If I didn’t have him in my life, I’d be lost. What about you?”
Huh? What? “What about me?” Bekki asked.
“Do you have someone? I haven’t talked to you in a while, is your career still priority number one?”
Bekki darted a look toward the window. “It is still important, but maybe not as important.”
“Aww, come on now, spill,” Jewell chided.
“His name is Killian Ganas. It’s new, but I really like him.” She may have said that with a sigh, not that she’d admit it.
“Hold on.” She heard keys tapping in the background. “Oh, girl, he’s yummy looking.”
“What? How do you know?”
“Google search, baby,” Jewell laughed. “Send me the information you have, and I’ll play with it when I have some free time.”
“I will, is your email address the same?”
“It is, and we need to check in more often.”
“We do. How about we make a promise to call once a month?”
“Sounds like a plan. Take care and tell Uncle Chauncey and Aunt Hannah I said hello.”
“I will. Tell Aunt Amanda and her husband I said hey.”
“Will do. Ciao.” Jewell terminated the call and Bekki set her phone down on her desk. Duke padded over with a tennis ball. She smiled and took the slobber-dripping piece of bouncy fuzz from him as her phone rang. She glanced at the face. Another call from work. She needed to return the calls that were filling up her voicemail. She’d talk to Killian after she played with Duke. Being safe she understood, but not reaching out to people she knew and trusted was ridiculous.
“All clear.” Killian hung up his phone and smiled.
Bekki shook her head in utter amazement. “I don’t know how you are able to talk him into things he wouldn’t even think about if I approached him.”
“It is a matter of presenting facts, not emotions. The actual likelihood of someone trying to trace you through your cell phone is next to nothing. As long as you don’t give out your physical address, we’re good.”
“I wouldn’t do that. Even with the sounds of hammers, men shouting, and all types of machinery running in the background, I love it here.” She snapped her mouth shut and grabbed her phone and called up her boss’ contact information. She mentally berated herself. Don’t say the “L” word. Never say the “L” word. It makes men crazy!
“What did Dad say about the event at the Tipsy Tavern?” She changed the topic immediately to one she knew her father had talked at length about based on the context of Killian’s side of the conversation.
“They were able to secure a couple camera shots of the man at the airport parking lot.” Killian shrugged. “Not much more than that right now. The detectives are still working the situation, but he isn’t holding out much hope to catch this guy based on the security video unless people on the street start talking. They are working that angle—he actually said canvassing the streets—but from what he says, that takes time and then they need to corroborate the information, so they are inching forward.”
She nodded. “Dad said police work is like putting a puzzle together with five or ten pieces hiding at any given time.”
“I think I prefer this business.” Killian made a pointed look at the stack of paperwork at his desk. “Maybe.”
She chuckled. “Thank you for the call and the update, but now I really need to start returning these calls. Starting with my boss.”
“Do you want me to leave?” Killian made to get up.
“No, you can hear anything I have to say. Just do your thing, I’ll do mine.” She picked up her phone and hit her boss’ number.
“King, where the hell have you been?” Landon’s snapped greeting didn’t upset her. It was the way he was. She often thought he’d watched one too many episodes of old black and white movies and decided he needed to emulate a throwback to the old newsroom editor days. Either that, or he was always a really stressed person. Poor man.
“Hello, Landon. How are you? I’m fine, thank you.” She rolled her eyes and Killian chuckled at his desk. He pulled a file from his stack of paperwork over and opened it up.
“I’ve called at least twenty times,” Landon practically yelled the words.
“You called six times and left four voicemails, Landon.” She shook her head and grabbed her pen. “What is so urgent? You gave me the