your reputation as a SexyDude is still intact,” Josh told the man.
George looked pleased by that.
Idiot! “We might be in touch,” Bridget told him. “Don’t leave town.”
“Can’t,” Hammond responded, looking at her as if she was simple-minded. “We’re heading into my busy season.”
* * *
“He wasn’t affected by her death at all, just relieved that she hadn’t actually stood him up. What a jerk.” She glanced at Josh as they walked out of the building that housed Hammond’s company. “Did you get it?” she asked.
Josh held up his cell phone. It was set to “camera mode.” “Got his chinless profile right here,” he assured her.
She nodded. “Let’s go back and show it to the bartender.”
“If he can tear his eyes away from you long enough to look at it,” Josh commented.
“You can convince him,” she said, giving his shoulder a pat.
Chapter 8
“Y ou guys again?”
It was obvious that the dark-haired bartender at The Hideaway was less than thrilled to see Josh and Bridget making their way over to the bar, especially since it was now during the club’s core hours of operation.
“I can see why you have so much repeat business here, what with that winning, outgoing personality of yours and all,” Josh commented as they reached the bar. “Excuse us,” he said pointedly to two of the patrons as he elbowed them out of the way so that he and Bridget could get closer to the bartender.
“Don’t recall you bringing any business the first time around,” Raul retorted.
“Now, Raul, play nice,” Bridget advised, offering the man a big, bright smile. “We just want to see if you recognize someone.” She glanced toward her partner. “Show him the picture, Josh.”
Annoyed, Raul reminded her, “I already told you, she wasn’t—” And then he curtailed his protest as he saw that the photo on Josh’s cell phone wasn’t of the dead woman he’d already disavowed. Squinting, Raul took a closer look, then nodded. “Yeah, him I saw.”
Straightening, he pointed over to a table on the far side of the bar. “He sat at one of the side tables, holding on to the same damn glass of beer for like two or three hours. He was staring at the door the entire time, like he was expecting someone really fantastic to come through. Could have heard the nerd sighing all the way over here each time the door opened and whoever walked in wasn’t who he was waiting for.”
“ Did anyone come over to him?” Josh asked him.
“Nope.” Raul shook his head to underscore his point. “It was obvious right away that he’d been stood up. He started to creep out some of the regulars, sitting and staring like that. I was going to go over to talk to him, tell him to go home, when he saved me the trouble. He just got up and left all of a sudden.”
“Do you recall what time that was?” Bridget asked, mentally crossing her fingers.
Taking an order from one of the people at the bar, Raul picked up a colorful bottle and poured the drink, then pushed the glass toward the patron.
“I think about eleven,” he finally answered. “Why? Does it make a difference?”
She uncrossed her fingers. “Yeah, it makes a difference. It gives him an alibi,” Bridget answered, trying to hide her disappointment. She’d really thought they’d found Diana’s killer. She should have realized that would have been too easy. With a nod, she stepped away from the bar. “Thanks for your help.”
Raul’s attention was already elsewhere as orders came flying at him from along the crowded bar.
“He could be lying,” Josh told her as they wove their way over to the front door.
“Why would he?” she asked.
Josh laughed shortly and shrugged. Taking out his keys, he pointed them toward the vehicle. “I haven’t worked that part out yet.”
“There might not be anything to work out,” she pointed out.
As the car’s security system was disarmed, she heard the locks popping up. Bridget opened the passenger door
George looked pleased by that.
Idiot! “We might be in touch,” Bridget told him. “Don’t leave town.”
“Can’t,” Hammond responded, looking at her as if she was simple-minded. “We’re heading into my busy season.”
* * *
“He wasn’t affected by her death at all, just relieved that she hadn’t actually stood him up. What a jerk.” She glanced at Josh as they walked out of the building that housed Hammond’s company. “Did you get it?” she asked.
Josh held up his cell phone. It was set to “camera mode.” “Got his chinless profile right here,” he assured her.
She nodded. “Let’s go back and show it to the bartender.”
“If he can tear his eyes away from you long enough to look at it,” Josh commented.
“You can convince him,” she said, giving his shoulder a pat.
Chapter 8
“Y ou guys again?”
It was obvious that the dark-haired bartender at The Hideaway was less than thrilled to see Josh and Bridget making their way over to the bar, especially since it was now during the club’s core hours of operation.
“I can see why you have so much repeat business here, what with that winning, outgoing personality of yours and all,” Josh commented as they reached the bar. “Excuse us,” he said pointedly to two of the patrons as he elbowed them out of the way so that he and Bridget could get closer to the bartender.
“Don’t recall you bringing any business the first time around,” Raul retorted.
“Now, Raul, play nice,” Bridget advised, offering the man a big, bright smile. “We just want to see if you recognize someone.” She glanced toward her partner. “Show him the picture, Josh.”
Annoyed, Raul reminded her, “I already told you, she wasn’t—” And then he curtailed his protest as he saw that the photo on Josh’s cell phone wasn’t of the dead woman he’d already disavowed. Squinting, Raul took a closer look, then nodded. “Yeah, him I saw.”
Straightening, he pointed over to a table on the far side of the bar. “He sat at one of the side tables, holding on to the same damn glass of beer for like two or three hours. He was staring at the door the entire time, like he was expecting someone really fantastic to come through. Could have heard the nerd sighing all the way over here each time the door opened and whoever walked in wasn’t who he was waiting for.”
“ Did anyone come over to him?” Josh asked him.
“Nope.” Raul shook his head to underscore his point. “It was obvious right away that he’d been stood up. He started to creep out some of the regulars, sitting and staring like that. I was going to go over to talk to him, tell him to go home, when he saved me the trouble. He just got up and left all of a sudden.”
“Do you recall what time that was?” Bridget asked, mentally crossing her fingers.
Taking an order from one of the people at the bar, Raul picked up a colorful bottle and poured the drink, then pushed the glass toward the patron.
“I think about eleven,” he finally answered. “Why? Does it make a difference?”
She uncrossed her fingers. “Yeah, it makes a difference. It gives him an alibi,” Bridget answered, trying to hide her disappointment. She’d really thought they’d found Diana’s killer. She should have realized that would have been too easy. With a nod, she stepped away from the bar. “Thanks for your help.”
Raul’s attention was already elsewhere as orders came flying at him from along the crowded bar.
“He could be lying,” Josh told her as they wove their way over to the front door.
“Why would he?” she asked.
Josh laughed shortly and shrugged. Taking out his keys, he pointed them toward the vehicle. “I haven’t worked that part out yet.”
“There might not be anything to work out,” she pointed out.
As the car’s security system was disarmed, she heard the locks popping up. Bridget opened the passenger door
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