Page 55 of Dumbstruck
“Coffee?” Dexter’s voice filters through the open door behind Richie, who steps aside to let Dexter in. Dexter’s holding a tray with four cups and has another cup in his hand. “I wasn’t sure what you like, June,” he says, handing the single cup to Jonah. “So I got a bunch.”
“Bless you,” I breathe, scanning the labels until I find a mocha. “Jonah, your assistant is absolutely perfect.” I could get used to this part of having him around.
As Dexter turns beet red, Jonah drains half his coffee, then says, “I know. He’s the best. By the way, Dex, I need you to get me a new phone.”
Dexter frowns. “What happened to—oh.” He wrinkles his nose as he stares at the shattered phone Jonah holds out to him. “Again?”
Jonah chuckles. “I have a bad habit of putting my foot in the wrong place.”
“You’re good at that,” I say with a grin. It’s the same things we said yesterday when we were Martin and Maggie.
“I liked that line better when you called me ‘dear,’” Jonah replies, winking at me. Then his eyes slowly make their way down my body, like he’s noticing what I’m wearing for the first time. He reaches out and touches the hem of the sweatshirt I put on last night, his smile growing. “It looks good on you.” I move to take it off and return it, but he stops me by grabbing my hand. “Keep it.”
Heat creeps up my neck. “I can’t keep your sweatshirt, Jonah.”
“Sure you can.” He moves closer, shifting his fingers from the fabric to my waist and leaving the trailer far too warm. “You can have anything you want.”
I’m starting to think the only thing I want is him.
Richie clears his throat. “Can we get back to the kids thing?”
Right. Solve the mystery first, flirt with Jonah later.
“I was thinking about all the things that have happened,” I say, sipping my coffee with happiness. Dexter made a good choice with this one. “And how there’s no pattern to any of it.”
“Amateurs,” Jonah says, repeating what I told him yesterday.
I nod. “As in people who have no idea what they’re doing and don’t have a plan. Blowing the yolks out of a bunch of eggs? That’s just a weird prank. Stealing random props? Not all that disruptive for a film like this.”
“What about what happened to Bonnie?” Jonah asks before draining the rest of his coffee. “That could have been a disaster.”
“Same with the tire exploding,” Richie throws in.
“Exactly! Those were incredibly dangerous and could have gotten people hurt, and I don’t think a rational adult would do something like that if the goal is to get you to leave. Especially when this town needs the money you’re bringing in. Everyone is super annoyed by the attention this movie is going to bring to Laketown, but I haven’t heard anyone say they actually want the film crew to leave.”
Something sparks in Jonah’s eyes, and he stands a little taller. “But a kid who hears her electrician dad complaining about the crew might think she’s being helpful by taking some of his tools and fraying a couple of wires.”
“Yes,” I say, pointing at him. “And someone with access to the grocery store’s POS system might—”
“Point of sale,” Jonah says with a quick glance at Dexter, who looks like he might start giggling. “Not what you’re thinking.”
Dexter’s lips twist up in a grin. “But POS can also mean piece of sh—”
“He could easily put in a fake delivery order,” Jonah finishes for me, rolling his eyes. “I think you’re on to something, June, but we have no way to prove it. Or to figure out who—ah. Trap.” He grins and touches the back of his head. “Now I get it.”
“How do you lay a trap for a bunch of teenagers?” Richie asks, folding his arms.
“And why would they go after you the way they did?” Jonah asks me.
“I thought about that a lot last night,” I say, relieved that he hasn’t called my theory crazy, even if there’s a high chance I’m grasping at straws. “And I’m going to guess one of the perpetrators is Scott Packard, the mayor’s son. He begged me to hire him at my store a couple of months ago, but it’s not like I need the help. He’s disliked me ever since, just like Herman, and I know they’re friends.”
“Herman,” Dexter mutters with a snort of laughter. “What a name.”
“That’s rich coming from a guy named Dexter,” Jonah quips back. When he looks at me again, his eyes are bright. “Did you come up with a trap as well?”
This is where things could get fun. “I thought we could play to their advantage.”
“How so?”
