Paul leaned forward and shook his pony tail back over his shoulder, finishing his coffee and setting the cup down.
“Well, he didn’t have much to offer,” he said with a grin. “I woke him up.”
I counted to ten and took a deep breath.
“I emailed a report,” I began. “The drugs went missing. No idea how. I’ve triple checked all our cameras and logs. Could have been one of maybe a dozen people. It’s even possible they somehow got past the cameras during the night, but I doubt that one. I sent Agent Miller the same report I sent to you.”
“So we got nothing,” Paul said.
“Yes, sir. That’s about it.”
Burke had come back, taking a stance behind my chair.
Paul looked at him. “So, it’s no help for you to be here. A waste of time.”
“He’s got a lot of work done,” I interrupted. “Repaired units, cleaned up.”
Paul’s eyes shot to me. “We don’t pay him to maintain this place. Is it getting to be too much for you? Should we be looking for another manager?”
My temper flashed and I bit down on the inside of my cheek to stop my first response.
“My understanding is that I could hire any help I needed, to offset being single. I haven’t hired anyone. I’ve done it myself and the facility is doing very well. Burke has done the work around here as part of the undercover project.”
“Whoa, don’t get huffy with me,” Paul responded. “I’m just asking. I am the owner. I have the right to know what’s happening on my property.”
I sighed. “Yes, sir, you’re right. I’ve kept you in the loop with weekly reports. I don’t know what else I can tell you. Perhaps you could check with Agent Miller or Detective Kincaid. Their numbers are in my reports. They may have more information than I do.”
Burke stepped around my chair to face Paul.
“I’ve been out of town,” he told the other man. “I will get in touch with the Bureau and see if they’ve learned anything new, but I sincerely doubt it. No one is to blame for those drugs going missing. I’ve looked at the tapes, checked the whole lot. I disagree that there’s no need for me to be here. They came back. Whoever it is, came back to retrieve those drugs.”
“Hell yes they did,” Paul said. “That was a lot of money.”
Burke cocked an eyebrow at him. “You know that for a fact?”
Paul looked uncomfortable for a second, just a flash of red in his cheeks. “Just from reading and seeing the news. Anyone can figure out that nine boxes of drugs is a lot of money.”
“Agreed,” Burke said. “Enough that someone came back for them.”
“So they’re gone. No need for you to hang around.”
Burke chuckled and shook his head. “You want me to rent a unit, Paul? That make you feel better?”
Paul stood up. “That has nothing to do with it, Burke. I don’t care if you move in here. Looks like you already have.” He smirked at me.
“Hang on,” I said, standing too. “Burke was here late, and fell asleep on the couch.”
“I don’t care,” Paul interrupted again. “No skin off my nose. What I am saying is that I have someone on my property that doesn’t belong here. If the drugs are gone, he doesn’t need to here.”
“That bother you? Me being on the property? You have something to hide?” Burke went on the attack, his eyes hard, the muscles in his jaw clenching.
“Not a damn thing,” Paul answered with a shrug. “State wants to pay you to loaf around I got no problem with it. Just don’t see a need for it. And I’ll tell the old man that, too.”
That sounded like a threat.
“I disagree,” Burke countered. “You don’t get it. Someone put the drugs here. Was that the first time? Have they been using this place all along? We don’t know. Yet. We do know they came back. They may not know we’re onto the plan. There is a possibility they’ll
“Well, he didn’t have much to offer,” he said with a grin. “I woke him up.”
I counted to ten and took a deep breath.
“I emailed a report,” I began. “The drugs went missing. No idea how. I’ve triple checked all our cameras and logs. Could have been one of maybe a dozen people. It’s even possible they somehow got past the cameras during the night, but I doubt that one. I sent Agent Miller the same report I sent to you.”
“So we got nothing,” Paul said.
“Yes, sir. That’s about it.”
Burke had come back, taking a stance behind my chair.
Paul looked at him. “So, it’s no help for you to be here. A waste of time.”
“He’s got a lot of work done,” I interrupted. “Repaired units, cleaned up.”
Paul’s eyes shot to me. “We don’t pay him to maintain this place. Is it getting to be too much for you? Should we be looking for another manager?”
My temper flashed and I bit down on the inside of my cheek to stop my first response.
“My understanding is that I could hire any help I needed, to offset being single. I haven’t hired anyone. I’ve done it myself and the facility is doing very well. Burke has done the work around here as part of the undercover project.”
“Whoa, don’t get huffy with me,” Paul responded. “I’m just asking. I am the owner. I have the right to know what’s happening on my property.”
I sighed. “Yes, sir, you’re right. I’ve kept you in the loop with weekly reports. I don’t know what else I can tell you. Perhaps you could check with Agent Miller or Detective Kincaid. Their numbers are in my reports. They may have more information than I do.”
Burke stepped around my chair to face Paul.
“I’ve been out of town,” he told the other man. “I will get in touch with the Bureau and see if they’ve learned anything new, but I sincerely doubt it. No one is to blame for those drugs going missing. I’ve looked at the tapes, checked the whole lot. I disagree that there’s no need for me to be here. They came back. Whoever it is, came back to retrieve those drugs.”
“Hell yes they did,” Paul said. “That was a lot of money.”
Burke cocked an eyebrow at him. “You know that for a fact?”
Paul looked uncomfortable for a second, just a flash of red in his cheeks. “Just from reading and seeing the news. Anyone can figure out that nine boxes of drugs is a lot of money.”
“Agreed,” Burke said. “Enough that someone came back for them.”
“So they’re gone. No need for you to hang around.”
Burke chuckled and shook his head. “You want me to rent a unit, Paul? That make you feel better?”
Paul stood up. “That has nothing to do with it, Burke. I don’t care if you move in here. Looks like you already have.” He smirked at me.
“Hang on,” I said, standing too. “Burke was here late, and fell asleep on the couch.”
“I don’t care,” Paul interrupted again. “No skin off my nose. What I am saying is that I have someone on my property that doesn’t belong here. If the drugs are gone, he doesn’t need to here.”
“That bother you? Me being on the property? You have something to hide?” Burke went on the attack, his eyes hard, the muscles in his jaw clenching.
“Not a damn thing,” Paul answered with a shrug. “State wants to pay you to loaf around I got no problem with it. Just don’t see a need for it. And I’ll tell the old man that, too.”
That sounded like a threat.
“I disagree,” Burke countered. “You don’t get it. Someone put the drugs here. Was that the first time? Have they been using this place all along? We don’t know. Yet. We do know they came back. They may not know we’re onto the plan. There is a possibility they’ll
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