Page 29 of Artful Deceit

Chapter Fourteen

The processof making ice cream usually soothed Lily, but it seemed there was nothing that would help her frayed nerves that evening. Her tension was evident in the way she jumped when the bell above the door jangled.

Sticking her head around the door frame, she caught Flynn’s eye.

“You should keep the door locked,” he told her with a reprimanding look.

“I will when I go upstairs, but I don’t think anyone is going to steal anything when I’m right here.” Besides, they’d already robbed her – she couldn’t imagine them coming back for another go.

She went back to adding crumbled ginger biscuits to the caramel ice cream.

“You’re still on duty,” she said when Flynn leaned against the counter to watch her.

“Yes.” He grimaced.

“I take it you’re not available to hang out again this evening?”

“Sorry. We need a visible police presence, and the sergeant offered to do it but he had this weird dizzy spell earlier.”

“Is he okay?”

“He says he’s fine, but I think he’s actually ill and trying to battle through. He didn’t argue when I offered to work again this evening, so that’s a sure sign he’s not 100 percent fit.”

Slowly, Lily began folding the biscuits into the mix.

“Sorry,” Flynn said, apparently misinterpreting her silence as annoyance at him.

“It’s fine.”

He stood up straighter. “Tomorrow evening I’m all yours, I promise.”

“Glad to hear it,” she said, forcing positivity into her voice.

“I can also take a quick dinner break this evening, so I thought I could grab us a takeaway and you can tell me all about your conversation with Maria before I head off on patrol.”

“Or I could go on patrol with you,” she suggested. That way she’d be around to retrieve her backpack if he caught the thief.

His instant grimace was an obvious answer. “I’m not really allowed to do that…”

“Yeah, of course.”

“Sorry,” he said again.

“Don’t worry about it. Stupid idea.” What were the chances he’d catch anyone, anyway? The police didn’t have any leads. As far as she could tell, she was still more likely to find the culprit before they did.

If she didn’t…

She stopped her stirring and stared up at Flynn.

Maybe she should tell him. If the police found the stolen goods before she did, it would be good if he knew. She could explain that she didn’t know where Uncle Derek had got the passport from, or why. Same with the money.

It would put Flynn in a tough position, though. He’d have to report it. She could hardly ask him to hide it for her.

“You’re upset with me, aren’t you?” he asked, breaking her trance.

“No.” She shook her head, getting her thoughts in order. “I think all this stuff with Maria has been getting to me.Also…”

“What?”