success inside.
His smile widened. “Yeah, you, too. You look beautiful.”
“You, too,” I said automatically. “Well, have a good night.” I pulled Angelica down the street.
“You know him?” Angelica asked. “He’s hot.”
“I think he’s a cop.”
Angelica stopped. “A cop?”
I glanced back toward the club but didn’t see Bruce. I put a finger to my lips and whispered, “He was at the store this morning with the other cops.” I took Angelica’s arm and we resumed our walk.
“Really, I don’t think that’s possible. He works at the bakery. I see him there just about every morning.”
“Are you sure?”
“Alcohol impairs my perception, I admit, but I’m sure he’s the same guy who works in the bakery. You might know that if you ever relaxed and had a bit of refined sugar or coffee. They have great coffee there.”
I rolled my eyes. I was a bit of a health food nut and I avoided any establishment that sold coffee. For some inexplicable reason, ghosts flocked to coffee shops like frat boys to a keg.
Footsteps pounded on the pavement behind us and I spun around, expecting trouble. Instead, I found myself face to face with Bruce.
“Kelsey, I forgot to ask for your number.”
I looked at the detective/baker carefully, wondering if he was in on Reid’s prank. “Did you? I’m not quite sure I want to give it to you. You see, my friend and I are confused because I thought you were a police officer but she thinks you’re a baker.”
Bruce took a step back and seemed to deflate a bit. “I’m a baker. Is that a problem?”
“Um, no…but…” I didn’t want to sound nosy, but I wanted to be nosy.
“Why was I at the crime scene acting like I knew something?” Bruce laughed. “I probably should have explained myself right away, but I didn’t want to tell you that I was one of Landon’s best friends. I’m the closest thing he has to family in town, and the guy he lists as his emergency contact. I was just there to help… I didn’t tell you that, because I know he can…could be difficult to like and, since you worked for him, I figured you wouldn’t be too impressed to know that I was his friend.”
“Why would you care what I thought?”
Bruce smiled at me. “You seemed like someone I might like to get to know better.”
“Did he tell you he attacked Kelsey?” Angelica asked.
“What?” His eyes widened. “What did he do?”
I gave Angelica a friendly shove and shook my head at Bruce. “It was nothing. He was stoned and he made a few unprofessional suggestions. He didn’t physically attack me.”
He frowned. “I’m sorry about that. He was a good guy once, you know. The drugs really messed him up.”
“You knew him for a long time?”
“Pretty much my whole life.” Bruce took a step toward me. “Look, I’ve gotta get back to work. I’m filling in for a friend, and I don’t want to let him down. If you give me your number, we can talk about Landon all you want.”
“Okay.” I gave him my number, feeling a bit like a princess at a ball. “Wait, before you go, what do you know about Reid? Was he a friend of Landon?”
“Oh, the cop with whiskey on his breath? That guy’s a jerk, but I never met him before today. He might know Landon, but I never heard Landon talk about him. Why?”
I almost told him what Reid had been doing to me, but I shut my mouth just as quickly. The truth sounded a bit too crazy. “Something he said, no big deal. Get back to work; I don’t want to get you in trouble.”
“I’ll call you,” he said and trotted back to the club.
“Aww, I think he likes you,” Angelica said with a giggle.
I stopped and faced her. “You didn’t think it was a little weird?” As my dance buzz started to fade, so did my flirty attitude and feeling of invincibility. “Why would he be friends with an asshole like Landon? And why would he hit on me the same day he found out that friend is dead?”
She snorted. “Whatever. He said that
His smile widened. “Yeah, you, too. You look beautiful.”
“You, too,” I said automatically. “Well, have a good night.” I pulled Angelica down the street.
“You know him?” Angelica asked. “He’s hot.”
“I think he’s a cop.”
Angelica stopped. “A cop?”
I glanced back toward the club but didn’t see Bruce. I put a finger to my lips and whispered, “He was at the store this morning with the other cops.” I took Angelica’s arm and we resumed our walk.
“Really, I don’t think that’s possible. He works at the bakery. I see him there just about every morning.”
“Are you sure?”
“Alcohol impairs my perception, I admit, but I’m sure he’s the same guy who works in the bakery. You might know that if you ever relaxed and had a bit of refined sugar or coffee. They have great coffee there.”
I rolled my eyes. I was a bit of a health food nut and I avoided any establishment that sold coffee. For some inexplicable reason, ghosts flocked to coffee shops like frat boys to a keg.
Footsteps pounded on the pavement behind us and I spun around, expecting trouble. Instead, I found myself face to face with Bruce.
“Kelsey, I forgot to ask for your number.”
I looked at the detective/baker carefully, wondering if he was in on Reid’s prank. “Did you? I’m not quite sure I want to give it to you. You see, my friend and I are confused because I thought you were a police officer but she thinks you’re a baker.”
Bruce took a step back and seemed to deflate a bit. “I’m a baker. Is that a problem?”
“Um, no…but…” I didn’t want to sound nosy, but I wanted to be nosy.
“Why was I at the crime scene acting like I knew something?” Bruce laughed. “I probably should have explained myself right away, but I didn’t want to tell you that I was one of Landon’s best friends. I’m the closest thing he has to family in town, and the guy he lists as his emergency contact. I was just there to help… I didn’t tell you that, because I know he can…could be difficult to like and, since you worked for him, I figured you wouldn’t be too impressed to know that I was his friend.”
“Why would you care what I thought?”
Bruce smiled at me. “You seemed like someone I might like to get to know better.”
“Did he tell you he attacked Kelsey?” Angelica asked.
“What?” His eyes widened. “What did he do?”
I gave Angelica a friendly shove and shook my head at Bruce. “It was nothing. He was stoned and he made a few unprofessional suggestions. He didn’t physically attack me.”
He frowned. “I’m sorry about that. He was a good guy once, you know. The drugs really messed him up.”
“You knew him for a long time?”
“Pretty much my whole life.” Bruce took a step toward me. “Look, I’ve gotta get back to work. I’m filling in for a friend, and I don’t want to let him down. If you give me your number, we can talk about Landon all you want.”
“Okay.” I gave him my number, feeling a bit like a princess at a ball. “Wait, before you go, what do you know about Reid? Was he a friend of Landon?”
“Oh, the cop with whiskey on his breath? That guy’s a jerk, but I never met him before today. He might know Landon, but I never heard Landon talk about him. Why?”
I almost told him what Reid had been doing to me, but I shut my mouth just as quickly. The truth sounded a bit too crazy. “Something he said, no big deal. Get back to work; I don’t want to get you in trouble.”
“I’ll call you,” he said and trotted back to the club.
“Aww, I think he likes you,” Angelica said with a giggle.
I stopped and faced her. “You didn’t think it was a little weird?” As my dance buzz started to fade, so did my flirty attitude and feeling of invincibility. “Why would he be friends with an asshole like Landon? And why would he hit on me the same day he found out that friend is dead?”
She snorted. “Whatever. He said that
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