"No, I didn't even know what hit me, and these two aren't talking," Greg said.
I nodded, looking over my shoulder in both directions. The street was quiet, and there wasn't anyone to be seen in either direction.
"What about the other guys, the ones they fought with?"
"They are inside at the bar. These two roughed them up a little, pulled knives on them for apparently cheating in a pool game."
"All right, so you taking these two in? Did you get statements?"
"We are taking them in, but we didn't get statements. The bartender who saw it all had gone for a break when we got there. I guess she was a little rattled, so we are waiting for her to return."
"All right, well, if you two want to take these two in, I can go in, talk to the guys they fought with, and then get a statement from the bartender."
"Matt can take them in. I'll stay and give you hand," Greg said, heading back toward the door.
"Sounds good."
Matt got into his car and drove off in the direction of the station while we headed into the bar. While Greg went to talk to the three men who had been involved, I walked around the bar to the other customers to see if they had witnessed anything. Each one of them provided me statements of their version of what had happened. It all seemed to be started by the one guy who got away.
When I was finished, I walked up to the bar. Dan stood there, rag slung over his shoulder, and smiled. "Hey, Jackson, thanks for coming."
"No problem. I see these guys are still causing shit in here. So I hear the bartender who called the police was on a little break when my guys got here. Is she back yet? We'd really like to get a statement from her before we leave, especially now that we know one of them ran off."
"She should be back in a moment. These guys haven't been here in months, and the first night they are here this happens. They need to stop coming in here, Jackson. This place is going to get a bad rap if they don't."
"Do you know which one of them ran off?"
"Yeah, the big guy, Garrick. You'd know him, I'm sure."
"I know of him, yes."
"Well, the second he heard the sirens, he ran out the door. I wouldn't doubt if he isn't the one who started it all, but then I was in the back, so I can't say for sure."
"How long had they been here?"
"Came in around six, I'd say. They ordered a few drinks, tried to hit on my new bartender and waitress, but you know how they are. These other guys, though, I have no clue who they are," Dan said, nodding in the direction of the other three men who had been involved.
I nodded and then heard a door slam in the distance, and Dan held his finger up and poked his head around the entrance to the back.
"Good, you're back. The police want a word with you."
"Be right there," I heard a small voice say.
"She'll be out in a minute." Dan went back to straightening up and clearing dishes off tables, and I turned around to see Greg make his way back over to me. "Just about ready to head out?" he asked as he put his notebook in his back pocket.
"Yeah, just waiting to talk to the bartender who called the police."
"I don't know about you, but I'm pretty much convinced it was the one who ran who started it all."
I nodded. "Yeah, that was what the others said as well. We'll wait and see what this bartender has to say and go from there. Those guys really should come down to the station anyways. You maybe should let them know that."
"Already did. They said they'd meet us down there."
"I'm sorry, you wanted to talk to me, officer?" a quiet voice asked behind me, and I turned around and met a face I'd thought I'd never see again.
It was if all the air had left the room. The second my eyes landed on that dirty blonde hair, and those soft, dreamy blue eyes, I was done. My eyes skimmed down her sexy body, a body I'd once had in my bed, and I swallowed hard. I cleared my throat and fought the sensation that ran through my body, reminding me just how attracted I'd been to her.
"Bailey?" That was the only word I could get out of my mouth, as once again, my eyes ran the length of her body before returning to look into her eyes.