Page 72 of Capture My Heart

It was only Tuesday. Amy could relate.

She guessed if she looked up Ernie in the system she’d find a few assault charges, probably a DUI as well. “Ernie. I was trying to do you a favor with the coffee.”

He rubbed his cheek. “Yeah, sorry about that, and thanks.”

Trey rolled his eyes. “How about you do us a favor in return.”

He shrugged. “Not sure what I can do for you but okay.”

“Are you in here most nights?”

His gaze dropped off to the side. “Two or three a week.”

Amy glanced at the bartender, who was holding up four fingers behind Ernie’s back.

“Do you know a guy named Larry? He works at the impound lot.”

“Yeah, Larry. Nice guy.”

“Were you here the night he dropped his keys?” Amy asked.

He gazed off to the back of the bar. “I remember him laughing and saying he would have been screwed if he’d lost them.”

“Do you remember the guy who found them?” Trey asked.

He shook his head, but Amy got the impression he did remember.

“Did you try to get him to buy you a drink that night like you did with Officer Larson?” Trey asked.

“Okay, yeah I did. But he wasn’t going for it.”

“What did he look like?” Amy pulled out her work phone to make notes.

‘My height. I didn’t get a good look at him. He brushed by me.”

“Did he have facial hair? Anything you can remember?” Trey asked.

“No beard. He was clean shaven. Which stuck out in here.” He chuckled. “That’s about it. He wore a cap and had a dark hoodie on. That’s all I remember.”

“How old would you say he was?”

“I don’t know.” He rubbed his jaw again. “Late thirties, maybe forty.”

Trey pulled out a business card and handed it to Ernie. “Thank you. If you remember anything else, please call me.”

Trey took Amy’s arm and they turned to leave.

“Wait, that’s it?”

They turned back. Amy raised a brow. “Did you want us to arrest you?”

“No, no. I’m good.” He scurried from his seat. As he shuffled back to the corner of the bar, he turned. “I’m sorry, and Officer Larson… Thanks for the coffee.”

Amy nodded. Outside she turned to Trey. “It must be Ernie’s lucky day. He could be sitting in the back of a squad at this very moment.”

“But instead, we learned our unsub is a male in his late thirties, clean shaven, and of average build.”

“Don’t forget he likes olives in his beer.”