LITMIR.BIZ

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a vicious serial killer and I’m a completely bad judge of character.”

      “If I was, you wouldn’t be spending all your free time with Mildred.” Angie sipped her coffee. “You know, there was a weird vibe in the air Friday night. I left the building and thought someone was watching me.”

      “Did you see who it was?” Ian sat straighter, his gaze tight on her face.

      Angie laughed. “Yeah. It was Estebe. He waited for me to leave to make sure I’d be safe. Who does that? Most of my crew takes off as soon as the shift’s over. He hangs around because I don’t have good lighting in the back parking lot.”

      “Well, that’s good.” Ian’s face didn’t match his words, but Angie let the comment go. They’d already had that conversation. No need to dig it up again.

      “Anyway, it just felt weird. I don’t think I’ve ever felt uncomfortable in that lot, and there were a lot of times when we were getting the restaurant ready that I didn’t leave for home until after midnight.” She picked up a piece of zucchini bread and sniffed it, trying to decide if there was cinnamon and nutmeg or maybe some other spice in the mix. “I’ll call an electrician next week and get them to add some security lights. Even if I feel okay, Felicia lives there.”

      “And she likes to go to the Red Eye at night,” Ian added.

      “She’s a single adult. She has a right to go to a bar if she wants to go.” Angie didn’t like the sharp tone in her voice.

      Ian held up his hands, blocking the emotional assault. “I’m not saying anything against Felicia. I’m saying she should be safe walking in an alley in River Vista. It’s not like we’re a big city like New York, Los Angeles, or even St. Louis.”

      “Or Boise. I’ve heard on the news some surprising crimes that have been happening in their downtown area. Of course, it has way too many bars per city block down there. We’re lucky we only have two.” Angie, started doodling on a piece of paper, listing off what she thought were the ingredients in the bread.

      “Three.”

      She looked up, frowning. She had already lost track of the conversation and wondered how he knew how many eggs were in the dish. “Three what?”

      “Three bars. The Red Eye, the Rocking Rodeo, and the County Seat.” Ian watched her react in surprise. “What? You have a liquor license, dear. Don’t think that people won’t come in just for a drink.”

      “It never occurred to me that they would. I only set up the bar for an extra waiting area. People won’t really just come in to drink, right? We’re not set up for that. And we close a lot earlier than the real bars.” Angie thought about Jeorge and Felicia’s unhappiness with the temp who had covered. If they lost their bartender, it would take weeks to get someone with that kind of training. “You’re messing with me.”

      “I am not. And I can’t believe this wasn’t in your plan. You plan out everything, especially when it comes to that place of yours.” He glanced at his watch. “Sorry, it’s been fun messing with your head, but I’ve got to get into town.”

      “Another meeting? Tell Mildred hi.” Angie couldn’t help but tease him about his new BFF.

      He leaned down and kissed her. “I do have an appointment, but not with Mildred. The laundromat down the street from my apartment is my destination. I don’t have any clothes left for going back to work tomorrow. And I don’t think Allen would like it much if I started my own nudist colony here in River Vista.”

      “I might.” She stood up to follow him to the door. “Make sure you call me when you’re heading outside. I’ll bring the popcorn to watch the festivities.”

      After he left, she glanced around the house. She had her own chores to do, but she was curious about Javier. She picked up her phone, and hesitated. She should keep her nose out of other people’s business. There was no way Sheriff Brown was going to question her on this murder. She’d been tucked in bed by the time the bars closed, worn out from working the Friday-night service. A good boss would check in on her employee, just to make sure he was okay. It was a stressful time. She hoped he didn’t just assume she was looking for gossip. Which she probably was.

      Hesitating for a second, finally, she pressed Estebe’s number and let the chips fall as they might. When he answered, she took a breath. “I was just checking to see how you are doing. Do you need anything? More time off?”

      “Angie, thank you for calling. I was just about to call you, in fact.” He paused, talking to someone in the background. Finally, he came back on the line. “Could you meet me out at the River Vista park? I need a favor.”

      “The park? The one in town or the one by the river?” Angie wasn’t sure why her sous chef was being so secretive, but she’d give him some leeway. His cousin’s girlfriend had just been killed.

      “The one by the river. I will be there in twenty minutes.” He paused. “Thank you for not asking questions.”

      “I’m not sure what questions to ask yet.” Angie glanced at the clock. It would take her ten minutes to get down to the park. “I’ll be over by the sitting area by the bridge. We can take a walk. Dom loves that area.”

      Estebe’s chuckle made her feel warm. “Leave it to you to put the needs of your dog first. How do you know what the animal likes?”

      “You can tell. I guess you’re not a pet owner?”

      “Animals are put here for our use. Not for us to make them our friends.” Estebe spoke with authority.

      “Maybe being friends with humans is exactly the purpose of animals. Have you ever thought of that?” Angie countered.

      “You are a surprising woman.” He talked to someone again, then came back on the line. “Twenty minutes. Thank you again.”

      After the conversation, Angie sat her phone down and opened a notebook, listing out all the questions she’d like to ask Estebe. She’d probably not ask any of them, but she wanted to have an outline in her head before she met with him. She tucked the notebook into her tote, then grabbed her keys and Dom’s leash. As soon as he saw her take it off the shelf, he positioned himself in front of her and lifted his chin.

      “We’ll put it on at the park. Do you want to go for a ride?” Angie held the door open for him. When she’d locked the kitchen door and walked to her SUV, Dom stood by his door, his tail wagging up a dust storm near the vehicle.

      She opened his door and he jumped into the backseat. She slipped into the driver’s seat and turned the vehicle around in the driveway. Mrs. Potter and Erica were sitting on their porch, and Angie waved as she pulled out onto the county road. Tomorrow she’d have a roommate for a week. Angie wasn’t sure how she felt about it, but how hard could it be to have Mrs. Potter in the house? Of course, she’d have to cook, but that was a joy, not a problem.

      Angie started menu planning in her head as she drove, and by the time she arrived at the park, she had a game plan. She pulled out her notebook and made a grocery list. She would have soup and sandwiches made up for Friday and Saturday dinners since she’d be too busy running the County Seat to make sure her new roomie ate. Oh, and Thursday morning Angie would be at this volunteer thing with Estebe. But other than that, she’d enjoy cooking for someone else for a week.

      A tap on her window brought her out of her meal planning. Estebe stood outside her window. Dom stared at him, like he couldn’t place how he knew this human, but he didn’t bark. Angie returned the notebook to her tote, which she put on the floor, then she opened the door and let Dom out on a leash. When he was settled, she went to join Estebe on the bench where he sat waiting for her. “Sorry about that. I’ve got company next week and I needed to plan out a food strategy.”

      “Come sit by me. As I mentioned on the phone, I have a favor to ask.” He patted the bench next to him.

      Estebe’s words were tight. And Angie saw his gaze dart to his car and

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