Page 2 of Last Chance Christmas
Olivia flipped on their lights and hit the gas. “Finally?”
“Not that hanging out with you, driving around doing nothing but shooting the breeze isn’t fun and all…”
“You’re a man of action?” Olivia chuckled. She took the next corner at speed, fast enough Junior grabbed the handle at the top of the door, which made her grin.
He muttered, and she thought she heard the name “Meg” in the middle of it.
Olivia turned another corner, passed a truck that had pulled over to the side of the street, and hit the gas again. “How are things going with Meg?”
“They aren’t.” Junior shifted in his seat.
“What?”
“I’m working on something else.”
“Since when?”
Junior shrugged. “Saw a woman at church. Introduced myself. I’m making progress.” Sounded like he was talking through gritted teeth. “Meg is history.”
But he still cared about her, and if she was in the café, she might be in danger.
They’d learned the hard way not to process what might be happening at a scene before they even arrived. Right now they had no idea who might be in the café and what the situation was. There was never any point speculating about whether someone was hurt.
Olivia saw his knee start to jog up and down and drove faster, pulling up outside the café. Junior was out of the car, the gun in his hand down at a low angle, before she’d even rounded the hood with her own weapon drawn.
He went in the front door of the café first. “Doesn’t look like the lock is busted. Maybe someone left it open.”
“Her security system should have called it in, but this seems more like someone reported an intruder.” She frowned. “Let’s clear the place quick, then call in and find out.” After all, someone could be hurt.
Inside the café was dark, but she knew the layout. Junior and Olivia both clicked on the flashlights that attached to the barrels of their guns. Junior worked his way through the tables, calling out as he went. “Police department! Is anyone here?”
Olivia listened and heard a rustle followed by a crash in the back. “Police department!”
Junior picked up his pace and went first down the hall. He looked through the circular window before he pushed open the swinging door into the kitchen. And then stopped to laugh.
A low, throaty chuckle.
“What? What is it?”
“A trash panda.” He holstered his weapon and bent forward to laugh some more.
Olivia slid her gun into its holster but had to pause. “A what?”
The back door to the café was open.
“A raccoon.”
“A trash panda?” She shook her head.
“You’ve never heard that?”
Olivia went to the back door and looked around outside. She saw a car pull up, a little blue compact. Meg climbed out of it. Probably also alerted by her security company that there had been a break-in. Olivia waved so Meg would know everything was all right. “I’ll get dispatch to send animal control.”
Junior sized up the animal, currently over by a set of wire rack shelves, reaching for dry goods just above its head. “I can take it.”
She grabbed his shoulders and steered him to the back door. “You speak with the owner. I’ll take care of your trash panda.”
He made a noise in his throat but didn’t get the chance to say anything before Meg stepped in the back door from outside. “Meg, hey. Everything’s okay in here.”
