Taking a deep breath, she walked back to Sam, this time sitting on the stool next to him, careful to keep her hands to herself. “Okay, listen. The Babe Ruth forgery is perfect. Granddad was fooled. Virtually everyone was fooled, until that baseball expert came by to give Dooley an appraisal for his insurance. Only the old-timers, the ones who were around back then, know. And sometimes, Dooley plays the guess the forgery game, but no one picks the Babe Ruth, and he doesn’t give the secret away, you know? It’s an old story.”
“And what do you think the police should do about this?”
“I think they should start talking to people here. Ask them questions. I don’t know! I’m not the cop.”
Sam raised an eyebrow at her.
“Don’t start on me, I’m just telling you what I think.”
“You want to accuse Dooley’s long-time patrons of theft and murder?”
“I—no,” she admitted. “No, but—”
“Listen to me, Shauna. John Black is one of the best cops I’ve ever worked with, here or in L.A. He’s the senior detective on my team. I’m working another case, but I already talked to him when I found out Mack was the victim. I’m in the loop, and I promise no one is putting this case on the back burner.”
He spoke with such sincerity, she believed him. “And you’ll consider what I said?”
“Yes. All I ask is that you give us some breathing room to investigate Mack’s murder. Don’t talk to baseball experts or pawnshop owners or anyone in here about anything related to this crime. Okay?”
“Detective Black already told you I talked to him?”
“Yes. We work together.”
Something was wrong with this conversation. She went back to the beginning, where he’d told her he was at Dooley’s to tell her to back off.
“And,” he interrupted, “I’ll keep you in the loop. I wouldn’t want you parking yourself under the oak tree for answers.”
“What?”
“This is a matter best left to the police,” he said.
It was his tone that set her off. So patronizing, so mightier-than-thou. He treated her like a little kid, not a self-made businesswoman with a solid head on her shoulders. He should know better—he knew what she’d gone through during college to prove to her father that she was smart and talented enough to work in the family business. How hard it was to be given the opportunity her father handed freely to her brothers and they didn’t even want it. And Sam damn well knew she’d been more successful in her endeavors than anyone—except herself—expected. She’d won awards for the family construction company for her blend of contemporary efficiency and nostalgic details in their buildings. Even in this difficult economy, their business was almost in the black.
“I want to talk to Detective Black,” she said, irritated that Sam was not taking her seriously. And she thought he’d listened, but he was just playing her. She crossed her arms, defiant.
“Shauna.” He rolled his eyes.
That infuriated her even more. “You tell John Black I want a report on his investigation or I will go back to the station!”
“Like that got you anywhere this morning,” he said with a snort as he finished his beer.
Her mouth dropped open. Then closed. Then open again. “Ooh!” She clenched her fists, stood up and stomped behind the bar again.
“Hey, babe, can I get another pint?” he asked her with a wink.
A wink!
“Get it yourself!” She slapped open the double doors leading to the kitchen and left.
Sam smiled at Shauna’s retreating back. Temper on a hair-trigger. It had been so much fun teasing her when she was a kid. It was just as fun now. Whoever landed her would have his hands full, but it would be a fun ride.
He frowned. What was he doing playing these games? She might not have a boyfriend, but she had plenty of dates. Mike had filled him in on Shauna, not knowing how he felt about her. She probably had a half dozen guys waiting in the wings.
Dooley came over and exchanged his empty pint with a fresh one. “Laddie, you really pissed her off.”
“How’d you guess?” Sam asked with a shrug.
“How can you keep tabs on her, if she’s mad at you?”
Sam sighed. “I promise, Dooley, I’ll watch her back as much as I can while working two homicides.”
He should be grateful she was even speaking to him. He’d told her she was like a sister to him. Nothing could be further from the truth. But it was too late to do anything about it.
Chapter Seven
After leaving Dooley’s, it took twenty minutes of driving in her air-conditioned Jeep to cool down, both her body heat and her temper. That man infuriated Shauna. And her granddad had conspired to bring him into her business.