“Might if I find more than one CB in my system.” He stepped down to the end of the counter and started typing on his keyboard, using the one-finger hunt-and-peck method. He focused intently on his work.
Ava gave Micha a quick glance.
“You’re doing great,” he leaned down to whisper.
His breath on her cheek made her nearly forget her task. Not good. She stepped away to keep her mind on Buck.
“Nope.” Rob looked up. “Didn’t buy anything here. Not even ammo.”
She worked hard not to let her disappointment show. “Is there anywhere locally that might’ve sold the gun to him on the QT?”
He stepped back down their way, trailing his finger over the edge of the counter. “I hope you aren’t insinuating that I mighta done that because I didn’t.”
“No. Of course not.” She met his gaze to make him believe her. “I can tell you run a reputable shop.”
“I do, and I’m glad you can see that.” He planted his hands on the counter. “So anything is possible if he was willing to pay the price. And if he bought it before February of last year, he could’ve gotten it from the worst offending dealer of all time. Slimy as all get out. Big into straw sales. That’s where he made all the money he’s now forking over to lawyers to keep him out of prison.”
“Straw?” she asked.
“When firearms are purchased with the intent to resell them. They’re usually sold to someone who the law prohibits from purchasing guns. Like felons or underage kids.”
Ava shook her head. “That’s just all kinds of wrong.”
“Exactly. But Squib didn’t care?”
“Squib, huh.” Micha chimed in for the first time. “Interesting nickname.”
“But fitting.” Rob grinned.
Ava looked between them. “Will one of you mind telling me what a squib is?”
Rob turned his gaze back on her. “A squib is when a bullet gets lodged in the barrel.”
“Never heard of that,” she said, but Micha bit his lip, and she could tell he wanted to explain it but held back.
“Not surprising if you don’t know about guns.” Rob gave her that patronizing look again. “The two biggest reasons a squib occurs are when there isn’t enough gunpowder to eject the bullet from the barrel or contamination stops the powder from fully igniting. So when the bullet is fired into the barrel, it gets lodged. If not fixed before firing the next shot, it can destroy the weapon, injure the shooter or even people nearby.”
Okay, but…“And that fits this dealer, how?”
“A squib fouls the weapon, and he’s run afoul of the law for so many years that he earned the nickname.”
Ah, now she got it. “Sounds like a great guy.”
Rob clenched his jaw. “You don’t know the half of it. Gives all of us reputable dealers a bad rep. The feds finally closed him down in February. He didn’t file any of his paperwork. No record of background checks. Blatant disregard for the law and he’s gonna stand trial for it. Hope they throw the book at him.”
She did too, but…“Too bad it won’t help me find out if my friend’s gun is legal.”
Rob leaned on the case. “I didn’t say that it wouldn’t. Squib might not have filed the right paperwork, but he had a security camera that recorded all of his sales. The feds found years’ worth of files on his computer. Maybe you could somehow get a look at them.”
“Sure. Yeah, maybe,” she said, trying to convince herself that it was a possibility when she doubted it would be. “Thank you for your help, Rob. Can I give you my number in case you think of anything that might help?”
“Sure.” He grabbed a paper and pen and slid them across the counter. “If I was twenty years younger and single, I would’ve already asked for it.” He cackled with laughter.
She forced a grin and jotted down her number before saying goodbye. She stepped outside with Micha.
He let out a long breath, acting like their visit was a bust.
“You did good not commenting or questioning,” she said as they walked to the SUV. “I saw you have to bite your lip at times.”
