Blind Trust by Sandra Orchard

husband’s side of the family, Tom let his nephews tug him into a game of tag. Kate seemed to fit right in, chatting with his sister’s relatives as if they were long-lost friends.
    â€œAre you going to answer that?” Timmy asked.
    Tom blinked and jerked his attention back to his nephew. “What?”
    Timmy pointed to Tom’s hip. “Your phone.”
    Tom swiveled 180 degrees to gain a measure of privacy and held the phone to his ear. “Detective Parker.”
    Dispatch filled him in on the latest piece in their counterfeit puzzle.
    â€œI’m on my way.” He pocketed his phone and pulled Tess aside. “I’m sorry. I’ve got to go.”
    â€œWhat about Kate?”
    Tom checked the urge to say, “She’s your guest.” Truth be told, he appreciated his sister’s little matchmaking scheme . . . this time. “Tell her I’ll be back as soon as I can.” She’d be safer here too, where their retired police officer father could keep an eye on her.
    Six minutes later Tom pulled up to the front of Henry’sHardware Store on Main Street. A yeasty aroma wafted from the bakery across the road. His stomach grumbled over missing lunch. Unfortunately, his stomach would have to wait a little longer. He pushed through the door of the hardware store and was greeted instead by the unappetizing smell of rubber.
    Behind the counter, Julie Crantz—Kate’s newlywed former roommate—hung up the phone. “That was fast!”
    â€œI didn’t expect to find you here. That new husband of yours got you working in the family store instead of the library now?”
    â€œI’m just filling in while they’re off at some hardware exhibition. He promised me I’d have no trouble.”
    Tom chuckled. “Famous last words. Show me what you found.”
    Julie pulled a twenty-dollar bill from the front of the cash register drawer and laid it on the counter. “I have no idea who gave it to me.”
    Tom snapped on a pair of latex gloves and held the bill to the light. Yup, counterfeit.
    â€œHow’s Kate holding up with all of this counterfeit business?” Julie asked.
    â€œUnderstandably upset,” he said without glancing up.
    â€œI’m sure she appreciates that you took the call and not some officer she didn’t know, someone who wouldn’t have been so quick to believe her innocence.”
    Yeah, she had seemed happy to see him at the time. Too bad her faith in him hadn’t lasted. Or maybe it had. His thoughts skittered to Kate’s whispered “I know” and the wistful look that had gripped a place deep inside him and wouldn’t let go.
    He cleared his throat. “When did you notice this was counterfeit?”
    â€œOne of my customers did when I gave it to her as change.”
    â€œI guess everyone’s on the lookout for them since yesterday’sincident hit the grapevine.” Tom glanced around the empty store. “Any chance you can tell me who made cash purchases today?”
    Julie blew a wayward strand of hair from her eyes. “You’re kidding, right? Saturday is our busiest day. This is the first time we’ve had a lull.”
    â€œAll regulars?”
    â€œNo, there were two or three customers that I didn’t recognize, but no one who looked suspicious.”
    So much for the new lead. He noticed a camera mounted on the wall behind the counter. “Does that work?”
    Julie tracked the direction he pointed. “Yes! I can’t believe I didn’t think of it.” She beckoned him into a narrow cubby and turned on a monitor. “Here we go.”
    The camera had a bird’s-eye view that spanned from the front window and door to the cash register and counter. Julie hit Rewind and images of customers skittered backward across the screen. She hit Pause and pointed to the screen. “There. That’s the woman who alerted me to the