Paul nodded. “I’ll have to figure that out eventually. Sarge’s a little lazy, like you saw tonight, but he’s too smart to just be a pet.”
Across the street, noise came from a stand-alone building that looked like a restaurant or bar. As a couple walked inside, more music came from the open door. “Is that the Gusty Gull I’ve been hearing about?” Paul asked.
“Sure is,” Trey said. “Want to stop in for wings and a beer? It’s pretty basic, kind of a dive, but it’s one of the only places open during the off-season.”
“What about the dogs?”
“We can tie them on the patio.” Trey sniffed the air, and indeed, the pungent smell of wings was appealing. “To tell you the truth, I wouldn’t mind. Erica’s busy tonight, so it’s either this or a take-out pizza. I don’t feel like cooking.”
Paul checked the time on his phone. “I have an hour or so before Davey’s due home, and I should get a call beforehand. I can grab a quick bite.” He’d been glad Davey was invited, along with the rest of the pre-K class, to a girl’s birthday party up the shore at a trampoline park. It was one of the wealthier families, obviously, because they’d rented a bus to drive the kids up and bring them home.
They walked in and sure enough, what seemed like a good chunk of the town’s population was there. Music played and people talked and laughed. There was a small dance floor, empty now, and a bar that was almost full. They chose a table off to the side of the room, near the window, so they could easily check on the dogs.
Of course, they kept their backs to the wall. Always. It was a cop thing.
Paul scanned the room, searching for loose cannons and risk factors. Then he realized that Trey was looking at him, raising an eyebrow. He sighed. “It’s obvious?”
“To me. How’s all that going?”
Paul blew out a sigh. “Counseling is good. They’ve got me meditating, which, trust me, I would never have done if I wasn’t desperate.”
“Does it help?”
Paul nodded. “Helps me focus, calms down some of the racing thoughts.”
“That’s good, then.”
They ordered hot wings and beers and Paul watched, idly, as the door opened and more people came in.
And then the watching wasn’t so idle anymore because there was Amber.
He frowned. Amber was with the woman they’d seen kind of stalking Mary. What was that all about?
“Do you know that woman with Amber?” he asked Trey, whose eyes were also following Amber and her companion.
Trey shook his head. “Never saw her before.”
“She’s some connection to Mary, but I don’t think it’s a positive thing.” He started to stand, caught Amber’s eye. When she gave a subtle little shake of her head, he sank back down again. She and the woman went to a table.
“Good to see Amber out having fun, making new friends,” Trey said. “She’s a little lonely, now that her daughter’s gone off to college.”
“She’s close with you and Erica, right?”
Trey nodded, smiling. “She’s terrific. She’s the best aunt Hunter could ever have, and she’s a great sister to Erica. Helped get us together, in fact.”
“How sick is she?” The question seemed to burst out of him, but once he’d asked, he held his breath.
Trey’s head snapped sideways to look at him. “She’s not sick.”
“Well, but she had cancer, right?”
Trey nodded. “Yes. Erica worries, but she hasn’t had a recurrence now in two years, so it’s all looking good. Thing is, she had breast and then ovarian cancer. Runs in their family. Their mom died of it.”
“Wow.” Paul’s gut twisted. He hadn’t known it was that bad.
“Those two have had a hard time of it,” Trey said. “They’re good women, really good women. They deserve to be treated well.” There was definitely a warning in Trey’s eyes.
“Understood.” Paul nodded. He got it, a brother-in-law being protective.
They talked about this and that and their beers came, and then their wings. Paul’s eyes kept being drawn back to Amber.
She wore tight jeans and a sweater, nothing fancy. Her hair was chin-length, just straight. He couldn’t see from here, but he knew she normally didn’t wear much makeup.
And yet, the way she threw back her head and laughed, the relaxed way she looked around the room and greeted friends, all of it made her seem fun and appealing. She had a vibrant energy and life that clearly drew people to her.
It drew Paul, too.
A tall guy dressed like a cowboy went over and stood talking to the two women. He gestured toward the dance floor, and Paul’s muscles tightened.
“You like her,” Trey said around a mouthful of wing.
Paul blew out a sigh. “Yeah. But I’m in no shape to do anything about it.”
Amber’s companion stood, steadied herself and walked to the bathroom, banging into a chair on the way. The cowboy headed up to the bar.
Paul glanced at Trey. “Think I’ll walk over and see what’s going on.”
Trey nodded. “I’ll keep an eye on the dogs.”
Paul made his way across the bar to Amber’s table. He was acutely conscious that he was just like any guy approaching her, wondering if he’d be rebuffed. “Having a nice time?” he asked.
She shrugged and smiled. “The Gull is always fun. Company could be better, though.” She nodded toward the restroom into which her friend had disappeared.
“That’s the woman who was stalking Mary, right?”
Amber nodded. “I’m trying to find out more about her, so don’t mess it up.”
“Doing police work?”
She grinned. “Gotta do something.” She looked past him then, and the woman walked toward them,
