A Bad Day for Sunshine (Sunshine Vicram #1)(60)
She didn’t even try to fight the grin that commandeered her face. “And how many hot, young sheriffs blow into town? You know, ballpark.”
“Thus far, just the one, but that one proves my point. One hot, young sheriff blew into town, and one hot, young sheriff fell in love with me. It was inevitable, I guess. Numbers don’t lie.”
She nodded, keeping her eyes on the bottle of moonshine in front of her. “You might want to read this little book called How to Lie with Statistics. Numbers, my friend, do lie. And the fact that you find me hot is a little disturbing.”
“And just who the hell said I was talking about you?”
“You were talking about Redding?”
“Hell no.” He made a blubbery sound as though he were trying to shake off the image. “I was talking about the sheriff before him. What was that guy’s name? Little fellow with glasses and a deviated septum.”
Ah, Kornel, a man who was older than dirt, straight as an arrow, and about as hot as the green chile crop that year. Too much rain. Ruined the promise of a good autumn roast. “Why, Royce. I had no idea you two were a thing.”
“That’s what you get for thinking.”
“I was wondering if maybe you could help me with something.”
“Isn’t wondering a form of thinking?”
“Darlene Tapia might have a fugitive in her house,” Sun said, ignoring his implication. “Can you find out if she does? And if so, can you keep an eye on her? Find out if he’s threatening her or just hanging out, eating her chips, and watching Jeopardy!?”
“Why not put your boy on it?”
He’d always called Quincy her boy. “Because Darlene knows Quincy. I don’t want her suspecting we’re watching her, and you’re the stealthiest guy I’ve ever met. Stealth isn’t really Quincy’s strong suit.”
He laughed. “You’ll know by tomorrow morning.”
“Thank you so much, Royce.”
“You got it, Sunny Girl. Anything else you need since it’s thirty below and I have nothing better to do than babysit a noob coming down off fentanyl?”
“Yes. I’ve had a bad day. Can I come live at the rehab with you?”
“You are aware that this is a men’s rehab?”
“My favorite kind.”
He laughed, the sound deep and smooth.
She drew in a breath and reveled in the sound. “I love you.”
“See? You keep proving my point.”
“Let me know what you find out.”
“I love you, too. Always have, Sunny Girl.”
She was just about to hang up when she asked, “Wait, did you vote for me?”
“Hell no. I voted for Phillip Usury.”
“Didn’t he die last year?”
“Ah, that’s probably why he didn’t win.”
“Oh, wait again!”
“Keeping me on the phone. Are you tracing this call?”
“Do you know what’s up with Bo Britton?”
“Who?”
Really? “Lieutenant Bobby Britton? Of the Del Sol Sheriff’s Posse? Has worked here for almost twenty years? Was the best man at your second and third weddings?”
“Oh, Bo! Twenty years, huh? I bet he can retire soon.”
“I’m sure he can if he so chooses, but I have yet to see him. Do you know where he is?”
“Who?”
It was a conspiracy.
Sun welded her teeth together. Though she did hang up feeling much better about herself than she had five minutes earlier. But she really needed to find Bo.
14
Autocorrect has become our own worst enema.
—SIGN AT DEL SOL CELLULAR
As Zee and Price went through the footage from the Quick-Mart, Sun decided to call Auri to check in. It took her a few rings to pick up.
“Hey, bug bite. Are you at Grandma’s?”
“No, I’m at a friend’s house doing a homework assignment. We have to interview each other.”
“Oh, okay. Do they know who it is?”
“Yeah, Grandpa brought me over. He knows his dad.”
“His?” Sun asked, suddenly very interested.
Auri giggled. “He’s just a friend. We have English together and got assigned the project.”
“I see. Well, are you okay to get home?”
“Yep. His dad is going to take me, or Grandpa is going to come back.”
“The roads are about to get bad again. You might want to wrap that up.”
“Okay. We’re almost finished. I just asked him the last question about what he wants to do after graduation. How do you spell gigolo?”
Sun snorted. “You’re funny. I need you to sleep at Grandma’s, okay? I don’t know what time I’m going to be back.”
“Okay.”
Thankfully, the kid still had her own room there. A fact Sun knew would come in handy at some point, just not this early in the game.
“Love you, bug. Sleep well.”
“Love you, too, Mom.”
With Auri taken care of for the night and Zee and Price going over the footage, Sun decided she couldn’t wait any longer. She had to check on Levi. See if he found any sign of Jimmy. Or Sybil, for that matter.