Page 30 of In Her Eyes

“You got a deal.”

She holds out her hand, and we shake on it. Looks like I’ll either double my running average or make a fool of myself when I puke my guts out.

I rummage through my SUV, find a clean T-shirt, and put it on. “Do you think you can meet me at the impound Monday morning?”

She tilts her head. “What’s today? Thursday? Yes, I think so.”

“Thank you. I’ll text you the address. You’ll be free of me for the weekend. I don’t want to take too much of your time.” That means I won’t see her for three days. Why does that bother me?

Her smile fades. “You’re not. Taking too much of my time, that is.”

Does she want to see me again? Am I reading too much into this? “Do you want to grab some breakfast?”

She looks at herself, her skin glistening in the sun. “I’m not really dressed for it.”

“For the place I’m thinking about, you don’t need to be.”

She tilts her head. “And what place is it?”

I point down the boardwalk. “See that blue truck down by the pier?”

Ava shades her eyes with both hands. “Yes.”

“They have the best burrito breakfast in town. Take a walk with me?”

She pats herself. “I didn’t bring any money.”

“It’s on me.”

She stretches her back now, and her chest rises. “You already bought me lunch this week.”

I try my best to keep my eyes on her face. “You’re helping me. The least I can do is feed you.”

She smiles. “Next one’s on me, then.”

Her smile makes my heart twitch. And something else, too. “Okay.”

“Let’s go. I’m not turning down a breakfast burrito.”

Chapter12

Avalon

“Sorry for breakingour plans because of this trip to the impound.”

The GPS chimes, warning us that our destination is two hundred feet away. The car lot is enclosed in a tall chain-link fence with barbwire at the top. This is definitely not the kind of place one expects to visit while on vacation. I park in front. Jake’s cruiser is the only other vehicle I see in the small parking lot. Next to the fenced area, there’s a small building with ugly green walls. Three steps lead to a door with two windows on either side, one of which is occupied by a dented AC unit that rumbles, shakes, and clicks like it’s on its last legs. Water drips onto the pavement like goodbye tears.

The trees growing along the sidewalk are little more than twigs, with a few leaves hanging on for dear life. The area has an industrial vibe, with warehouses lining both sides of the street, no people walking around.

I peer out the window. What was I thinking? Investigating a murder is completely out of my league. I should turn around and head back the way I came. We’d still have time to do everything we’d originally planned for the day if we left now. But if I did that, and Alice’s ghost returned, how could I explain why I abandoned her? I have to do the right thing. I shelf the unease deep inside and look at Lynn. “Is this what you were expecting?”

Lynn unlocks her car door. “Ask me again later.”

I nod at the fenced-in lot. “Still thinking you’re gonna find a hot country boy in there?”

She smiles. “You never know, got to be in the game to play and win.”

I turn off the engine and open my door. The crunch of gravel under someone’s shoes grabs my attention. The detective stands a foot away. He pulls my car door open all the way, and I just sit there, frozen for a moment, one shoe on the ground, and the other inside my car, my butt half on and half off the seat. His crotch is at eye level.Look away, Ava. Look away!I take him in—tight jeans hug his legs, and a black T-shirt molds itself to his chest and abs like a second skin.

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