![[B.S. #3] Claiming Laura](https://fs.dianahicksbooks.com/543502/thumbs/152x264/bs-3-claiming-laura.jpg)
doors, shutting them when the crowd in the bar settled down some. It helped that there were no more screams from the entranceway.
Laura picked up her drink and took a sip, to have something to do with her hands. She was worried about Clay, and also about the woman that had been screaming. Hopefully this had nothing to do with why Clay was here helping his friend out. She hadn’t asked Clay what the problem at the club was but had thought it was something minor, like the bartenders giving away free drinks or watering them down. She hoped Clay was OK. This sounded serious.
Clay could see a small, dark-haired woman screaming and crying while holding onto Bob at the front desk. The man looked shell-shocked and completely lost as to what to do with the woman. He was holding the woman at arm’s length with both hands, and shaking her a little bit and telling her to stop crying. This just seemed to make the woman cry harder. Clay knew he had to defuse the situation so that he could learn anything from her. Taking the big man’s hand away from the woman, he put his arm around her and gently patted her back as she buried her head in his chest. He wasn’t the best in these situations either, but he knew shaking the woman was not helping. She started to whimper just as the front door opened and Angel came in from the parking lot. He had a grim, pissed off look on his face.
Turning his attention away from Angel, he looked down at the woman. Gently he pulled her head away from his chest and asked her what had happened. She was now starting to hiccup and Clay found the big bouncer standing beside them, handing her a Kleenex. She took it and tried to regain her breath as she looked around at the men standing in the entranceway.
“Someone tried to steal my car. They grabbed me from behind just as I reached it. But after my initial fright, I thought enough to grab my keys that were in my hand and stabbed them back at him. As soon as he loosened his grip, so that I could wiggle away from him, I ran back to the club. He didn’t try to follow me and I really didn’t get a look at him.”
“That’s OK, sweetheart, we’re just glad that you’re safe.” Clay was looking at Lance, who had followed Angel in from the parking lot as she told her story. None of them thought whoever had grabbed her was trying to steal her car but didn’t want to upset her with their theory.
“I don’t know why he would want my car,” the woman continued rambling on. “It’s an older model and not worth much. In fact I was going to trade it in soon.”
Lance stepped up and gently took her from Clay’s arms. “You’re Betty Hamill, aren’t you? I’m Lance Woodhouse and I own this club. I’m so sorry that you had to go through that. Let’s go into my office and I will get you a drink and maybe after you will be able to think of anything else that you saw.”
Lance took the woman’s elbow and guided her to a door, just left behind the bouncer’s desk. Opening his office door, he turned his head back to Clay and Angel and told them, “Clay, Angel, I’d like to see you after I have a drink with Betty. Give us five minutes.” With that, he shut the door behind them.
Clay turned to Angel. “Did you see anything? I’m sorry to say that I was so involved in my conversation with Laura, that I wasn’t paying too much attention.”
Angel just swore and started gathering his hair and tying it back as he answered Clay. It had become loose with his wild run outside. “By the time I got out there the lady was already screaming and running toward the club. I ran into the middle of the parking lot, but didn’t see or hear anything. I did a quick walkthrough of the whole lot, but it looks like whoever it was just disappeared. He could have been hiding in one of the cars. I looked at the majority of them, but if he was crouching on the floor I wouldn’t have been able to see him anyway with just light from the streetlights. I think they have had
Laura picked up her drink and took a sip, to have something to do with her hands. She was worried about Clay, and also about the woman that had been screaming. Hopefully this had nothing to do with why Clay was here helping his friend out. She hadn’t asked Clay what the problem at the club was but had thought it was something minor, like the bartenders giving away free drinks or watering them down. She hoped Clay was OK. This sounded serious.
Clay could see a small, dark-haired woman screaming and crying while holding onto Bob at the front desk. The man looked shell-shocked and completely lost as to what to do with the woman. He was holding the woman at arm’s length with both hands, and shaking her a little bit and telling her to stop crying. This just seemed to make the woman cry harder. Clay knew he had to defuse the situation so that he could learn anything from her. Taking the big man’s hand away from the woman, he put his arm around her and gently patted her back as she buried her head in his chest. He wasn’t the best in these situations either, but he knew shaking the woman was not helping. She started to whimper just as the front door opened and Angel came in from the parking lot. He had a grim, pissed off look on his face.
Turning his attention away from Angel, he looked down at the woman. Gently he pulled her head away from his chest and asked her what had happened. She was now starting to hiccup and Clay found the big bouncer standing beside them, handing her a Kleenex. She took it and tried to regain her breath as she looked around at the men standing in the entranceway.
“Someone tried to steal my car. They grabbed me from behind just as I reached it. But after my initial fright, I thought enough to grab my keys that were in my hand and stabbed them back at him. As soon as he loosened his grip, so that I could wiggle away from him, I ran back to the club. He didn’t try to follow me and I really didn’t get a look at him.”
“That’s OK, sweetheart, we’re just glad that you’re safe.” Clay was looking at Lance, who had followed Angel in from the parking lot as she told her story. None of them thought whoever had grabbed her was trying to steal her car but didn’t want to upset her with their theory.
“I don’t know why he would want my car,” the woman continued rambling on. “It’s an older model and not worth much. In fact I was going to trade it in soon.”
Lance stepped up and gently took her from Clay’s arms. “You’re Betty Hamill, aren’t you? I’m Lance Woodhouse and I own this club. I’m so sorry that you had to go through that. Let’s go into my office and I will get you a drink and maybe after you will be able to think of anything else that you saw.”
Lance took the woman’s elbow and guided her to a door, just left behind the bouncer’s desk. Opening his office door, he turned his head back to Clay and Angel and told them, “Clay, Angel, I’d like to see you after I have a drink with Betty. Give us five minutes.” With that, he shut the door behind them.
Clay turned to Angel. “Did you see anything? I’m sorry to say that I was so involved in my conversation with Laura, that I wasn’t paying too much attention.”
Angel just swore and started gathering his hair and tying it back as he answered Clay. It had become loose with his wild run outside. “By the time I got out there the lady was already screaming and running toward the club. I ran into the middle of the parking lot, but didn’t see or hear anything. I did a quick walkthrough of the whole lot, but it looks like whoever it was just disappeared. He could have been hiding in one of the cars. I looked at the majority of them, but if he was crouching on the floor I wouldn’t have been able to see him anyway with just light from the streetlights. I think they have had
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