“I appreciate it, but we already have a process server,” I said. “And believe me, I’ve got more detectives than I know what to do with right now.”
His bony hand reached out and patted my arm. “How about I tell you the trial plan Zippy has in place against your grandmother?”
My head tilted. “How would you even know that?”
“I told you, I’ve been working for the guy.” Henry stood even taller. “For, I don’t know, five hundred bucks, I’ll tell you exactly what he’s got planned.”
I shook my head. “Henry, I can send discovery requests and get his evidence legally.”
His face fell, mouth drooping. “Oh. Well, I didn’t know that.”
“Of course you didn’t.” I crossed my arms.
He squinted at me. “So… are you going to go out with me or not?”
“Not.”
He rolled his eyes. “Fine. When Devlin dumps your ass, give me a call.”
“I’ll make sure to do that,” I said evenly.
He paused in the doorway. “Where is Devlin, anyway? I’d like to have a talk with him.”
My brows rose. “You would? About what?”
“You,” he said simply. “You’re one hottie, and he shouldn’t dump you. But he’s going to, so I just want some heads-up.”
I couldn’t believe this man. “Aiden’s out of town right now, but I’ll make sure he calls you the second he gets back.”
“Where is he?”
“Goodbye, Henry.” I gestured firmly toward the door.
Henry gave an exaggerated sigh and stepped outside. I locked the door behind him before he could change his mind and wander back in.
I walked back through the office toward my desk. I’d already filed the Answer for Nana’s case, but I wanted to draft discovery requests before the weekend.
I sat down, booted up my computer, and worked for a couple of hours, losing myself in the rhythm of legalese and coffee. Eventually, I stretched, rolling my shoulders until they popped.
I needed to go home, let Brickhouse out, and find something edible that didn’t come from a vending machine. I wished Aiden were coming home tonight. The thought made the office feel even emptier. I put on my coat, shut everything down, and double-checked the locks before heading outside. The rain had softened into a mist, beading on my hair as I crossed the lot to my car. The Fiat was cold inside, the leather seat stiff and smelling faintly of oil and rainwater.
As I pulled out of the lot, my phone buzzed in the cup holder. My sister Donna’s face lit the screen.
“Hey, Donna,” I said, putting the call on speaker. “What’s up?”
Maybe she’d made dinner, though that was wishful thinking. Donna’s cooking was hit-or-miss—mostly miss.
“Luanne just called me from the Clumsy Penguin,” she said without preamble. I could hear the crunch of tires beneath her car as she drove. “Nana and Nonna are there. Doing shots.”
I almost hit the brakes. “Wait, what? Shots?”
“Yup. Luanne says they’ve been at it for hours. They’re loaded.”
“Oh, God.” I rubbed my forehead. “They came all the way over from the valley to drink?”
A horn honked across the line. “Apparently.”
I flipped the car around. “I’ll meet you there. I think Tessa stayed over in the valley tonight. Should we call anybody else?”
