Page 32 of Hammer and Hops

Wasn’t that shitty news? “So much for insurance.” I leaned back in my chair and closed my eyes.

“What about security footage?”

“I’ve been over it with Alfred, and we didn’t see anything. The camera in the back was disabled without catching anyone.”

“Alfred? Alfred Burke?”

“Yes. He works for Queen Gaming as their head of IT. He helped set it up as a favor since Jackie’s his partner and they’re friends with Cameron.”

“Right. I know the connections. They’re all good people. What about more personal ties? Ex-boyfriends or lovers? Even family?”

“Only child. Small family and no. Only ex is Donny, but I’m pretty sure it isn’t him.”

“How so?”

“He broke up with me. He’s kind of a party boy, and I was bringing him down.” I literally felt the corners of my lips pull at my cheeks when I thought about him. I hadn’t given him a single second of brain space in a while and didn’t intend to start.

“Give me his full name anyway. Just in case.” I recited the name and spelled it along with Donny’s address, and Clay wrote it all down. “So, this is what I’m thinking…”

“Yes?”

“As you start getting your brewery back together, we install some hidden cameras. Gotta be stealthy about it because whoever is doing this will probably be watching. But then maybe we can get something.”

“I’m sure Alfred can do it quietly, so we don’t bring attention to it. Like you said, during the reconstruction. If I can get that far,” I huffed. This entire situation was frustrating me. And the thought that I was being watched was getting under my skin and making it prickle.

Chapter twenty-six

Doing It Anyway - Cameron

It only took a few minutes to set up the GoFundMe page for Everett. Then I sent it out to several places around town, including Jackie and Brock. I’d bet all the local businesses would want to contribute something, because it could have been any one of them. Of course, I hoped it wouldn’t be some crazy arsonist going around torching all the Foggy Basin businesses.

After that, I got ready and headed to work. I’d signed on with a crew doing some landscaping in Miller’s Point, but I’d finished up in the early afternoon, so I popped into Books, Beans and Buns on my way home. “Hey, Brock. Did you get that email I sent about the GoFundMe?”

“I did and forwarded it to Eddy. He’s going to contribute for sure. We all hate to have something like that take a business down. Oh, Nate said he wanted to contribute and double his beer order.”

“Fantastic.”

“Well, it’s damn good beer. The only beer you can get as good is way over at the Meadery and Taphouse but that’s different.”

“Well, it looks like he might not get anything from the insurance so, seriously, he needs it.”

“That sucks.” We started talking about business things after that, like ordering and inventory, and how I didn’t have to worry about that kind of thing, and I still needed to call Noel to see if there was a longer job I could get on. Maybe I should think about running my own crew instead of always signing up for whatever jobs were open, anyway. There were advantages and disadvantages to that but the most difficult thing would be getting new clients. “You should be able to hire a salesperson to help with that. Pay them straight commission with bonuses and shit.” He was probably right, and at the very least, it was something to think about.

The ring of the bells on the door caught my attention, and Sheriff Clay walked in. “Figured you’d be in here. Got a second, Cameron?”

“Sure. What’s up?”

Clay looked around the bookstore. “Step outside with me?”

If he wanted a private conversation, the bookstore wouldn’t work. There were a bunch of high school kids sitting around the video game section, probably playing Eddy’s latest and greatest creation. And a few customers were browsing the shelves.

I gestured for Clay to go out and joined him on the sidewalk a few feet away from the door. “What’s going on?”

“Talked to Everett earlier today. Seems like this whole mess is circling around you, and I don’t like it.”

What? Did Everett tell him I was involved somehow? Were we back to that? I thought I’d convinced him otherwise. “Am I under arrest?”

“No, but mostly because I know you. And Everett doesn’t believe it either. But the evidence is all pointing at you right now, circumstantial as it may be.” He explained that the big picture on this pointing at me was because I was there. We met under unusual circumstances, if you could call it that. Hell, I just wanted more beer. But then I was quick to jump in and help with his tires, although that didn’t mean I’d even known about it until he’d called me. It was actually luck that had me in a position to help quickly instead of being at a job site. As for the happenings actually in the brewery, apparently, I’d been the only outsider anywhere near the place as far as they could tell. “Magically appearing to rescue him was great for Everett, but not you. So be careful, watch your back and maybe put a lawyer on retainer. Just in case.”