Officer Bradley moved to center himself in the middle of the main exit doors, effectively trapping me in the police station. I'd have to make it across the entire open bull pit to reach the other exit or dash through to the firefighter side. None of the options were good.

Not when I was trying to sneak out with a piece of stolen evidence tucked into my coat pocket.

"Where do you think you're going?" he asked and settled his body on the pole between the doors.

When did he decide to get so determined?

I rolled my eyes and shook my head at him with my most annoyed expression. "To work." The duh stayed silent.

The number one tip Katy Kadish taught me as her apprentice was when in a tight spot, act like you belong there and they're the biggest moron you've ever met. I found it a fairly simple technique to pick up from her teaching. Weird.

"You work at the bakery." He stared right back at me, but my demeanor rattled him.

He didn't have any outward signs to show it, but I could tell. I had a way with these things.

"Yeah." I nodded again, ramping up the "you're a moron" move. "And you guys eat a lot of doughnuts."

His eyes widened, and he sucked in his gut even though he didn't have one. "What did you say?"

Okay, too far. Too far.

I shrugged, going for calm even as I swallowed to keep the puke at bay. I could not do jail time for stealing evidence. It would ruin my chances of getting my PI license. My stomach rolled and sweat formed at my hairline as we stared at one another and I thought on my feet.

When I spoke again, I had a smile on my face like we were buddies. "I'm just saying, if I don't get to the bakery, there won't be anyone there for the evening coffee and snack run."

We both knew said run included a gallon of coffee and a dozen doughnuts, but I let the accusation sit on my tongue unspoken. It was safer.

"I thought you were going to sit here until Anderson saw you?" he asked, throwing my earlier words back at me with a head flip back and forth that would give a lessor person whiplash.

"It sounded like a good idea at the time, but I'm not under arrest, Officer. I wanted to see Anderson, but it's obvious he's not going to show up and I've got things to do. I'll just have to grace you with my wonderful presence again later."

His cocky smile shifted. "Let me go tell him you're here. He's in the conference room."

There went that tummy clench again. I couldn't see Anderson now. I had a melting chocolate ball in my pocket. Chocolate melty ball? I didn't know the best descriptor. All that mattered was that if I didn't get moving, I'd coat my entire pocket in sticky chocolate.

It was January. The stores already moved over to swimsuit wear. I'd never find a fresh coat this time of year and I'd end up walking around until April with chocolate hands. The image made me go eww and Bradley stared at me like I'd lost my mind.

"I got to jet," I said, taking a step closer, hoping I could somehow intimidate him into moving out of the way. "Unless you're going to arrest me or something?"

I popped out my hip and placed my hand on it for added effect.

He shook his head. "You're fucking crazy. Just go. I'll warn Anderson you're looking for him."

"Yeah, you do that."

He stepped to the side, and I pushed through the door, letting the bitter chill from outside hit me in the face and hopefully cool my pocket.

My car was cold in the parking lot, but with the candy in my pocket, I didn't dare turn on the heat. I made the drive to the back lot behind the bakery with chattering teeth. Thank God it wasn't far. Main Street stretched the entire downtown section of small-town Pelican Bay, but that was less than ten blocks.

Fresh bread scents wafted out from the bakery before I fully had my car door closed and I let myself take a big whiff before I rammed my way through the back door. The only thing better than Broadrick was Anessa's freshly baked bread.

Working at the bakery helped keep my bank account afloat between cases and while I paid Mick for his services, but it wreaked havoc on my waistline. I stopped by a tray of cooling cookies on the back kitchen counter. The metal shelves, counters, and tall cooler doors shined as I stared at the chocolate goodness.

I hadn't cared about weight since the breakup, but now that Broadrick was back, had he noticed I'd gained ten pounds? Did he care? Did I care? I slammed the still warm cookie into my mouth.

Nope. Fuck him.

Cookies were delicious.

"Is that you, Vonnie?" Anessa, the bakery's owner, called out from the front of the bakery.

Shit. I cradled the chocolate candy in my hand, needing to get the evidence out of my coat. "Yeah, I'll be right there."

I slipped my coat over one hanger on the far wall and did my best to keep the candy covered in my hand without melting it more. Definitely not an M&M because that shit was getting bad. The sides were bending in more than when I stole it, making it shaped more like an oval than a ball.

My evidence was melting away by the second, and the warm bakery wasn't helping. I eyed my options. They weren't great. Ultimately, I opened the right-side fridge door and slipped into the cool pace, finding a spot on the back of a shelf where no one would hopefully see the recent addition. At least until the end of my shift.

With the incriminating evidence hidden, I washed my hands quickly in the big silver shiny sink and dug through the stack of fresh aprons for one with my name. Anessa provided each employee with two embroidered aprons, but I'd worked so many shifts the last week they obviously hadn't gotten laundry finished. I'd have to improvise.

I slipped on the top apron and ran my hands over the stitching, proudly displaying Tabitha's name. Everyone who visited the bakery knew who we were. It wouldn't be a big deal if I wore a coworker's apron. As I tied the top straps around my neck, Anessa peeked out through the two metal swinging doors that separated the kitchen area from the commercial front space.

"Is it cool if I take a thirty-minute lunch with Bennett?"

I fixed my ponytail, sticking a few more blonde hairs in, and grinned at Anessa. She was the sweetest. You couldn't stress with her around. "Absolutely. No worries."

"Thanks. It will be slow until dinner."

We switched spots. Me going to the front and Anessa slipping out through the back. I stopped behind the counter and gave the space a quick survey. Like Anessa said, the bakery was empty. It'd stay that way until the midafternoon when people came in for that late afternoon coffee and a sugar fix. People started dropping like flies around two and we'd be here to fix it.

It gave me time. I rounded the counter, fluffed a few pillows on the left side of the bakery where Anessa had a couch and comfy chair in front of a fake fireplace. With my cover reason set up, I stopped in front of the large open window that faced Main Street and glanced to my right and then to the left.

The coast looked clear.