Page 47 of Home Town

“Sure, beautiful. What’s that?”

Perhaps the growl in Corey’s brain had come out audibly because Josie shot him a sideways glance before she said to Kirk the jerk, “Um, remember that day you came to the library and found me upstairs in the archives?”

“Of course. I’ll never forget it.” He continued to smile broadly and Corey felt his fists clench.

“So after you walked me out, did you go back inside the library for anything?”

Kirk frowned and shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe? Why?”

“I thought you said you’d never forget that day?” Corey said with enough attitude even surfer boy should be able to pick up on it.

“I’m there a lot. If I went back in?—”

“There’s no if about it. You did go back inside. We got you on tape,” Corey corrected him, arms now crossed over his chest.

Kirk shot a quick glance at Corey then focused back on Josie. As if she were going to save him? Forget that. This jerk-off was going to have to deal with Corey and the ramifications of his actions whether Josie was there or not.

“I usually go inside to use the bathroom before I leave. I like to wash up,” Kirk continued.

Corey scowled. Of course he had to wash up. Never knew when he’d find a girl to flirt with. Sleaze ball.

Josie swallowed hard. After a quick glance at Corey, she said to Kirk, “Did you happen to see anyone else around there? Inside? Outside? That day. The day we met.”

“No, I didn’t. The library was closed. You were the only other person there. What’s going on, Josie?” Kirk asked, his gaze too intensely focused on Josie for Corey’s liking.

She drew in a breath and let it out.

Was she actually going to tell this guy about the compass?

She’d sworn him to secrecy. Not to mention drilling into him the threat to his reputation if it got out that he was in possession of the key even for part of the day during which the damn thing went missing. He wasn’t even allowed to tell his own mother, but Josie was going to spill the whole thing to surfer dick here?

And damned if the little fucker’s gaze didn’t drop to take in Josie’s tits when she breathed in like that.

Corey took one step forward, debating punching the dickhead in at least one of his wandering eyes, when Josie said, “It’s nothing. Just I noticed some things might have been possibly moved inside the archive room. I thought maybe somebody else was in there after me.”

One of Kirk’s brows rose high. “If you’ve got a tape, can’t you see everyone else besides me who went inside?” he asked.

Josie kind of paled at the question. “Yeah, we can. We, uh, should… check that, I mean. We just saw you go in and I thought it would be worth asking. That’s all.”

He tipped his head. “I understand. But like I said, I don’t have a key to the archive room. Only the front door. I’ve never been inside that room. I’d never even seen inside it until that day with you.”

“Mmm-hmm. I remember you said that. I was just hoping you’d seen something to solve the mystery.” Josie forced a laugh, although Corey was probably the only one who realized it was fake.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t be more helpful. I probably left less than an hour after you did,” he said.

“No, I’m sorry for bothering you with this,” Josie said, apologizing.

Apologizing!?

The guy was a suspect and rightfully so. He was in the building. Key or no key, he had access to that archive room. He looked the type to be able to pick a lock.

Meanwhile, Kirk was smiling at Josie again as he said, “You can make it up to me.”

“Um, oh?” she stuttered.

“There’s a new movie at the Mudville Drive-In this weekend. I hate going alone. How about you come with? Keep me company. Saturday?”

What the hell?

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