It was the oldest trick in the book, but Allen didn't look like he watched a lot of the ID Channel.

His eyes widened, and he leaned forward, breathing heavily out his nose. He kind of resembled someone ready to puke. "But I didn't do anything."

I gave him a good once-over but didn't find any noticeable blood on his clothing. "I believe you."

Mostly.

"It looked like..." Allen's entire body shook with memories. "Someone hit him in the head with something."

Hmm. I'd only need one guess on that item, considering we were at a baseball field.

I rubbed his shoulder, looking as awkward as Broadrick had with my sister. "Don't worry. Getting a lawyer is standard. Everyone does it."

Well, everyone smart.

If any cop took you to a police station for any reason, you get a lawyer.

It was common sense.

"Vonnie, stop chatting with my witness," Officer Bradley said as he walked up to the squad car and shut the door, almost cutting off Allen's foot in the process.

He crossed over to the driver's door, and I met his gaze across the hood with a big smile and a wave. Bradley hated it when his rudeness didn't affect me. With a huff, he got into the car and drove off, leaving the three of us alone in the lot.

"What do we do now?" Vivi asked as she watched the taillights make the short drive to the police station. Truthfully, they could have walked him there to save the taxpayers some cash and not make the entire thing so official and scary for the poor kids.

I rubbed Vivi's arms and fixed her messy hair again. The knot kept poking its way through the wall I set up to hide it. "We get cupcakes."

My sister sniffled. "I don't know how that is going to help."

See? Again, how were we sisters?

"You'll never know until you try," I said, in complete shock. I should never have to defend a cupcake to a Vines woman.

Broadrick bustled us to the side. "I'll drive."

The bakery was only a few blocks from the high school and Broadrick made it in record time because everyone in town was gawking at the events at the ball field. Soon they'd have the mayor out there.

People were standing everywhere in the open part of the bakery, but they weren't in line to order food. I shook my head as we walked in. The only place busier than the ball field was the bakery because everyone came to get the chatter. Third place went to the town's hardware store, as that's where the men gathered to gossip.

Slowly, one by one, the non-customers turned to stare at us. It wasn't freaky at all.

Lies.

The entire thing creeped me out.

I stopped halfway to the dessert display and kept my sights set on Anessa's bright pink walls of the bakery. Everything in the bakery was pink except for the tables and chairs, which she'd painted in jewel tones. The woman knew what she liked.

I sighed and threw my hands in the air, even though I already had their attention. "Okay, noseys. Someone killed Coach Torres at the ball field. Vivi's boyfriend, Allen, found the body. Bradley has taken him in for questioning, but no cuffs, so it's all okay."

I gave one big glance around the room with a stern expression, hoping they'd see Vivi's red eyes and catch my drift not to go all hysterical about this while she was in attendance.

No one moved.

"That's everything. Go back to your currently scheduled cupcakes," I finished and shooed my hands out to hurry them along.

Pearl, in her favorite seat across from the register, returned to sipping her tea and the other patrons used that as their signal to resume their chatter rather than my hand signals. Super annoying.

"Did you tell him to get a lawyer?" Harley asked from a table beside Pearl.

She'd caused quite the drama when the town discovered she'd been having a multi-one-night stand with one of Ridge's guys and that she called the leader of the motorcycle gang brother. She insisted Dominick got a bad rap, but his nickname was "The Impaler," so I wasn't sure if Harley really understood the meaning of the word or the term motorcycle gang. Overall, I considered her good peeps, though.

And it wasn't surprising that she'd ask about the lawyer.

I walked toward her while I answered. "Of course. Standard protocol."

She nodded and tore the wrapper off her strawberry cupcake. "Good. Anderson is cool and everything, but ..."

"He's still a cop," I finished for her.

"Exactly," she said and followed me up to the counter while I considered what cupcake would best soothe Vivi through the experience.

Anessa greeted me with a wave and then left to finish ringing up her current customer. I tapped on the glass with my finger, something Anessa hated, but since I'd be the one to wipe them down at my next shift, I didn't worry about her disapproving glare.

Noise came through the bakery, cutting through the chatter of the people gathered around my sister lobbing questions at her. The towns people couldn't help themselves. The noise grew, a chopping whirling sound that turned into a deafening beat.

"What the hell now?" I asked Anessa as she approached the display case on the other side.

She raised an eyebrow and glanced at the ceiling. "It's this new thing. Pierce is on his way home. This is how he announces his return."

I rolled my eyes. Rich people.

The windows rattled and the people finally stopped talking long enough to scan the room for the army battalion ready to storm through the doors.

"He didn't come in over the ocean like normal?" We had a small airstrip outside of town for the overly rich people to use, but they normally curved out over the water and came in from the north, so we didn't hear the commotion.

Anessa laughed. "I guess he likes to let Katy know he's coming."

"He couldn't send a freaking text?"

She shrugged. "You know how those two are."

Weirdos. Pierce probably wanted to give Katy a warning, so she had time to hide any evidence.

"Can I grab those to-go cookies?" Harley asked Anessa from beside me. "I'm helping my brother hang a painting and need reinforcements."

"Your brother is into art?" Not something I would have guessed about the leader of a motorcycle gang.

"No." Harley chuckled. "But my dad painted it for him, so it has sentimental value."

"That's awesome." Harley believed her dad had died when she was a baby. His monumental return to the living put her on an emotional rollercoaster, but they'd worked hard to form a relationship.

"Yeah, they're getting along. It's this gorgeous bird, and it will look nice in Dom's living room."

"So why the reinforcements?" I nodded to the bag as Anessa handed it over.

Harley peeked inside and then folded over the top. "They're for me. To help with the stress of dealing with a gang of motorcyclist fighting over the right way to use a level."

I laughed. "Hopefully you got a dozen."

"Baker's dozen." She grew serious. "But Dad is really working on his new life. I'm proud of him."

Her eyes glittered with the truth of her words. I tapped the display again and pointed at the double chocolate cupcakes. "I'm glad, babe."

Harley lost her mother to cancer, so getting to have her father in her life helped ease some of the hardship.

"Anyway, I'll see you around. Good luck with Allen," she said.

"Thanks." My phone buzzed in my back pocket, and I grabbed it while Anessa boxed up the cupcakes.

KATY: NB is sleeping on my bed, but he's got to go before Pierce gets home. I just heard the chopper, so you've got less than five minutes.

She attached a picture of my brown and white mixed breed Jack Russell sleeping on his back in the middle of her pillows.

"Damn it, NB."