Chapter 9
Beer doesn’t ask questions or negotiate. Beer just is.
Wally scowls when he opens the door to find me standing on his front porch.
I ignore Grumpy Gus and wave. “Hi, Wally!”
He motions for me to enter without saying a word.
Geez. Would a greeting kill him? It’s not like I want to be here either, but my research into Grayson’s past came to a dead end. I can tell you all about his credit rating and what schools he attended. Hell, I can even give you his report cards. But can I tell you why the man is depressed? No. Thus, Wally.
I look around Wally’s place as I follow him to the living room. His furniture is modern and sleek. The black leather looks pristine. Does he never chill and watch a movie here? What am I thinking? When does he have time to chill? He’s either at the bar playing poker with the other uncles and Pops or he’s off on some super-secret spy mission.
“What is it with you girls and coming to your Uncle Wally?” he mumbles as he walks to his kitchen and opens the refrigerator to retrieve two bottles of water.
“Who else came to visit you?” I ask when he hands me my water.
“Phoebe.”
My eyes widen in surprise. Phoebe never asked me for his address. “How did she find you?”
“Followed me,” he mumbles.
“Phoebe followed you without you noticing?” I snicker. “I knew we made the right decision hiring that girl.”
Phoebe had no PI experience when she showed up at You Cheat, We Eat. Actually, she had no work experience at all. Like zip, zero, nada. She’d never held a job before in her entire life! She was a total spoiled rich girl, although not bitchy spoiled. More like spoiled as in clueless about the world.
“What do you want, kid?”
I roll my eyes. Uncle Wally may have multiple talents – talents I’m pretty sure the government puts to use in black ops – but being charming is not one of them.
“I need a favor.”
He takes a long drink of his water before speaking, “Let me guess. You want me to do a background check on one Grayson Neill.”
Of course, he knows what I want. The man can probably read minds. I wouldn’t be surprised if the government has perfected the art and is keeping the information from the public. I know I sound like a conspiracy theorist. But I’m not.
What I am is an excellent eavesdropper. No one pays much attention to short girls. They probably should. I’ve heard a bunch of stuff the uncles got up to when they were in the Army. Most of it stuff I wish I hadn’t heard.
“What’s your price?”
Wally grins and leans back in his chair. “This has possibilities.”
I bite my tongue to keep from speaking while he taps his chin and pretends to think of all the possibilities. He knows exactly what he wants, but he likes making me wait because he knows I have the patience of a gnat.
“Fine,” I grump when he maintains his silence for more than two minutes. Yes, I counted. “What do you want?”
His eyes sparkle. “I never thought you’d ask.”
I hold up my hand. “Nothing illegal.”
“As if I would ask you to commit a crime.”
Frankly, I wouldn’t be surprised if he asked me to do something on the wrong side of the law. The man did teach Hailey how to pick locks and hotwire cars after all.
“I want you to give Grayson a chance.”
I raise an eyebrow. “A chance? What do you mean?” I know exactly what he means, and I don’t like it one bit.