Addison sped through the streets of San Francisco until they arrived at Laurel Heights for another undercover operation. This time, they planned to engage a suspect. Impatient for answers, she took the next corner without slowing down.
Felix white-knuckled the doorframe. “Where did you learn to drive?”
Addison thought for a moment. “The Fast and the Furious, Days of Thunder, The Love Bug.”
“That explains it,” he said.
“I’m making up for lost time, okay? Talking to the police really set us back.” She pulled up to a stop sign. “Do you think they believed my earring story?”
Felix gave her a look from the passenger seat. “I don’t think you’re as good of an actress as you think you are.”
“But I don’t think I’m a good actress at all.”
“Exactly.”
She stuck out her tongue at him and whipped into traffic. “Just for that, you can talk to William Jackson. I think I remember this guy from the cocktail mixer. Kind of balding on the top, right?”
Felix ran a hand through his hair. “Not everyone can have ridiculously luscious locks like mine.”
Addison snorted, but she had to admit it was true. His hair was so full and wavy, it was unfair. He probably just rolled out of bed that way too. She couldn’t see Felix waking up a few minutes early to style it. But she didn’t know many guys who could pull off a cut any longer than your usual man-clip. With hair as exceptional as Felix’s, it would have been a crime against humanity to cut it.
“I think he had a Maltese, right?” she asked. “What do you know about him?”
“Just that he’s been competing in dog shows for years and has never won anything,” Felix said. “Last year, his dog actually made it to the podium. Just as the judge went to congratulate them, the dog shook out his coat like it was a living powder puff, covering the judge in talcum.”
“I remember reading something about that in Doggy Digest,” Addison said. “They disqualified him for using unnatural products to enhance his dog. Serves the selfish jerk right. Powder can be terrible for a dog’s respiratory system.” She made a mental note to jot that down in her notebook when they pulled over.
Addison would never have thought of a suspect like William Jackson without Felix, not that she’d admit she needed him. “I take it he falls under the revenge category of motives?”
Felix pulled an “oh yeah” face. “I was working the dog show last year. I served him at the bar after his disqualification, and he spilled his guts to me. Let’s just say I wouldn’t put it past him to go to extremes.”
She thought back to the cocktail mixer. “I think he’s the one who ordered the pawdicure. I remember he liked the Rainbow Frenzy nail polish. I brought a sample with me.”
Felix glanced back at the multitude of pink gift bags in the backseat. “You hand out a lot of free stuff. You know you’ll never get anywhere if you keep giving it away.”
Addison snorted. “You’re one to talk.”
He glowered at her from the passenger seat. “What does that mean?”
“Oh, please. I’m sure you give it away all the time.” She layered her voice with a suggestive tone. “You and Red Bra seem close.”
“Yes,” he replied evenly. “Charlotte and I are close.”
Addison frowned at the response. She’d expected a smart comeback, but now she just kept recalling the image of them sitting next to each other in Joe’s Dive. Not that she was jealous.
“Besides, you gave me free drinks at the bar,” she said. “Think of it like promotional services. You give someone free drinks, and that person will tell their friends about your bar, which in turn will generate more business. I’m doing the same thing.”
“True. That’s the kind of marketing help I need when I open my bar. But I didn’t give you those drinks as freebies. I was just testing out a new concoction on you.”
“You used me as a guinea pig?” she teased.
“I didn’t see you complaining.” Felix licked his lips. “I certainly wasn’t.”
“You liquored me up just to get a kiss, didn’t you?” She pretended to be outraged, but looking back, she knew it wasn’t the liquor that had gotten her all fired up over him.
“Excuse me. You kissed me, remember?” He grinned. “Besides, if I wanted to get in your pants, I would have gotten in them.”
“Yeah, right.” She batted her eyelashes. “I’m a lady, I’ll have you know.”
“Right.”
Her mouth dropped open in real offense. “Excuse me? You think I’m not? Who do you think—”
“No, right. Turn right.” He pointed at the intersection they were driving through. “Right!”
“Hang on!”
She cranked the wheel. The tires screeched around the next corner. Angry honks sounded behind them.
Felix gripped the door, holding on for dear life. When they’d made the turn and were still alive, he said, “Maybe a little less flirting while we’re driving. I don’t think you need any distractions.”
“Who’s flirting?” she asked innocently, but she knew that she was.
Felix was fun to flirt with. It was impossible for her not to flirt with him. He had a personality that double-dog-dared her to just try to ignore him, which only made her think of him that much more. But she’d promised herself she wouldn’t go down that path with guys like Felix anymore. Guys just out to use her. She was so much more than another “number.”
She recalled her sort-of date with the far more appropriate Philip, smiling at how well things had gone. Now there was a guy she could bring home to meet her dad. Not a guy who wanted to take her home after the bar closed.
Her smile disappeared. Well, the date had been going well before all the dog stealing, police interrogations, and accusations. That was probably why she hadn’t heard from him yet.
The police must have been keeping him busy. That was it. He’d probably text her any moment.
She glared at her phone in its holder, willing it to ring.
Felix pointed up the road to a peach-colored home with white trim. “Number thirty-four. I think that’s Jackson’s house over there, but park here across the street. We don’t want anyone to see us together.”
“I’ll agree with that,” she said, eliciting a glare from Felix.
Addison pulled over and parked behind a van to block her Mini from sight. She left the top down, just in case Felix needed to make a quick getaway.
He got out of the car, stretching as he did so. “Why am I the one doing this again?”
“Because it was your idea to give our suspects a fake survey of their experience with Pampered Puppies, remember? You said people love talking about themselves. So get him to talk about the dog-grooming services at the cocktail mixer. Then just go from there.” She smiled extra sweetly. “You’re good at reading people. I’m sure you’ll think of something.”
She reached behind the seat, producing a frilly pink bag. “Don’t forget the samples and the coupons.” She shook it playfully.
“Anything else?” he asked sarcastically.
“Remember, you’re a representative of my company.” She bared her sparkling white teeth and pointed to them. “So smile.”
With an exaggerated eye roll, Felix reached over and grabbed the bag of samples. Waving it with sour enthusiasm, he crossed the street.
Addison spun in her seat to watch him climb Jackson’s front steps and ring the doorbell. She couldn’t help but note how nicely those faded jeans hung on his hips. Although they weren’t an expensive label—in fact, they looked so old that the label had probably fallen off by now—that butt could have made any pants look like a million bucks.
While Felix waited for someone to answer the door, a white Audi drove up and parked on the street in front of the house. Addison ducked down. The last thing she wanted was for anyone to realize they were sneaking around, asking questions. Her car wasn’t exactly covert with its Caribbean Aqua paint job.
William Jackson stepped out of the Audi. She recognized him by the cul-de-sac hairstyle he unwillingly sported. He moved around to the back of the car and popped the trunk. Reaching inside, he drew out armloads of shopping bags.
Felix noticed him and descended the stairs. By the gestures he made, it looked like he was offering to help carry some bags. William waved his arms, shooing Felix away. But Felix just smiled and took several of the bags up the steps anyway.
Jackson rushed to unlock the front door. The moment it swung open, he practically flung the shopping bags into the house. Squeezing in after them, he smiled and waved at Felix before shutting the door in his face.
Felix was left standing on the porch with the frilly pink bag still in his hands. After a few seconds, he shrugged and returned to the car.
“What was that about?” Addison asked.
“I’m not sure,” he said. “He was edgy, though. He didn’t even want the samples.”
“Maybe you made him nervous. I know you scare me,” she said extra sweetly.
He threw her a sour look. “Ha ha.”
“What was in the bags?”
“I didn’t get to see.”
She sighed, turning over the engine and pulling away from the curb. “Well, that was a bust.”
Felix drew out a long, crumpled slip of paper from his pocket. “Not necessarily.”
She glanced at it while driving. “What’s that?”
“Jackson’s shopping receipt.” Felix scanned it.
Addison’s mouth dropped open. “You can’t just take that. What if he needs to return something? You know a lot of stores won’t do returns or exchanges without a receipt.”
He rolled his eyes. “Did you want us to turn around and give it back?”
“No,” she said. “I guess not.”
Felix went quiet for a few moments as he read each item. “How many dogs did you say this guy had?”
“Just the one. Why?” She pulled up to a stop sign and looked over to see him frowning at the paper.
“Why would a man with one dog need twelve leather dog collars and leashes?”
“What? Let me see that.” She snatched the receipt and read it herself.
She scanned the itemized list. Not only were there twelve collars and leashes, but there were bones, food dishes, brushes, and chew toys.
“That’s a lot of pet supplies,” she finally said. “Seems like he owns more than one dog.”
Felix took the receipt and waved it in the air like it was a winning lottery ticket. “Or we’ve just found our dognapper.”