Another Big Bust by Diane Kelly

Author:Diane Kelly
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: police procedural, humor, funny, contemporary romance, female cop, humorous, crime caper, romcom, biker chick, motorcycle cop
Publisher: Diane Kelly

Chapter Nine

Over the River and Through the Woods

Zane bleeped the locks on his Tahoe and stepped over to open my door for me.

“No need for the chivalry,” I said. “This is an investigation, not a date.”

“You don’t let me get the door for you,” he said, “you’ll get me killed. My mother taught me to always be a gentleman, and she’s watching right now.”

I glanced back to see Pauline standing at the glass door, looking our way. “How would she kill you?” I asked as I took his warm hand to lever myself up into the seat.

“She’d smother me in gravy, like a biscuit.”

“Eh.” I shrugged. “There’d be worse ways to go.”

He closed the door, circled around to climb in on the driver’s side, and started the engine. We began the afternoon by visiting nearby auto repair shops to look for the man with the paint specks in his beard and to ask them to keep their ears and eyes open for any information about the Barracuda.

At the third shop we visited, we came across a mechanic with light skin, a dark beard, and a similar build to the thief I’d seen in the video clips. There were no paint flecks in his facial hair, but he could have easily washed or combed them out. He had a funny walk though, moving on the balls of his feet with a bouncy gait, like a life-sized marionette. The guy in the video didn’t walk that way. I supposed the mannerism could have been faked, but none of the other guys called him out on it, so it seemed they were used to seeing him move in that manner. Though I couldn’t be certain, I felt fairly sure he wasn’t the guy we were after.

Zane pulled his SUV into the parking lot of a barber shop with the antiquated yet iconic red, white, and blue spinning pole out front. “Let’s see if these fellers might know the guy we’re looking for.”

It was a good idea. Beauticians and barbers crossed paths with a lot of people. Ladies’ hair salons were a prime place for local gossip, and men’s barbershops were surely the same.

We went inside, greeted by the buzzing sound of electric clippers, the soapy clean scent of shaving cream, and a portly sixtyish man who was not only bald but virtually hairless all over. “Hey, there, Deputy Archer. Need a trim?”

“Not today, sir,” Zane said as he stepped up to the counter. He lowered his voice. “Could you round up your guys for a quick discussion?”

The man raised a curious brow, or at least the flesh where a brow would be had he retained any hair. He turned to address the other barbers. “Guys! Come over here a minute.”

The men excused themselves and left their clients in their chairs to join us at the counter. Once they were all there, Zane leaned in and spoke softly, “Keep this to yourselves, gentleman, but we’re looking for a white guy with a dark beard, might have some paint residue in it.

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