“Yikes. Do you want to talk about it?”

  She threw out her arms. “There isn’t much to say. My date was glued to his phone all night. It was like I wasn’t even there. As if I was invisible.”

  “Wow. That’s brutal.”

  “You don’t have to tell me that,” she replied. “I could go on, but it was bad enough being on the date. The last thing I want to do is to go over all of the lousy details.”

  “I hear you. There’s no reason to go blow by blow.”

  “The most important thing to take from this experience was that it was a total dud.”

  I took a deep breath and replied, “That is such terrible news.”

  “I’ll say. It was a real shock to my system.”

  “My heart goes out to you.”

  “My poor heart. It just keeps taking abuse. I just keep getting excited, only to be letdown later.”

  “I hate to see it. Especially since you were in such good spirits yesterday.”

  “Don’t mention that. It seems like a distant memory now.”

  “Really?”

  “What can I say? A lot can change in twenty-four hours.”

  “You’re right.”

  “For example, here I am, back to square one.” She gritted her teeth. “I hate starting over from scratch.”

  “I don’t blame you,” I replied. “I certainly know what that’s like.”

  “Look at us, two hopelessly single women.”

  “Please don’t say the word hopeless.”

  “Why not? Does it cut too close to the bone?”

  “No. It’s because I still believe we should be hopeful.”

  “It’s nice that you feel that way. During times like this, I can’t help but wonder if I’m ever going to catch a break.”

  “Kristina, I know you had a bad date, but you shouldn’t talk like that.”

  “Maybe not, but I can’t help it. I’m just down in the dumps right now.”

  “I understand that, but you never know what might happen next. You could meet someone new at any time.”

  “Yeah, I could. But will I?”

  “I can’t answer that right now.”

  “I can. It definitely doesn’t feel likely,” Kristina said.

  I winced. It wasn’t like my friend to be so negative. I hated seeing her so unhappy. I tried to think of something to say to cheer her up.

  While I was deep in thought, she spoke up again.

  “Sorry for all of the ranting,” Kristina added. “My frustration just refuses to stay bottled up.”

  “It’s okay,” I said.

  She shook her head. “No, it really isn’t. In the scope of things, I know it was just one bad date. But it’s amazing how one terrible evening can change your perspective.”

  “Even so, Mr. Right is still out there.”

  “Is he?”

  “I know you’re not feeling hopeful about that—”

  “Honestly, I’m in a state of utter disbelief when it comes to that.”

  “I feel like our roles are completely reversed right now. I’m usually the skeptic, yet here I am, telling you that there’s someone special out there for you.”

  “Do you really believe there’s a special guy out there for me somewhere? Or are you just saying that to make me feel better?”

  “Kristina, it’s a big world. There are seven billion people on this planet. I can guarantee that Mr. Right exists. He’s out there…somewhere.”

  “When you put it that way, it’s hard to disagree with you. But what if he’s on the other side of the world? As you know, I don’t get out of Majestic Cove very often.”

  “Just hang in there. You’ll find the man of your dreams. I’m not sure when, and I’m not sure who it will be, but it’s going to happen. Mark my words.”

  Kristina pointed at me. “I’m going to hold you to that.”

  I put my hands together. “In that case, I’d better start praying.”

  “I thought you were already doing that.”

  “I am. I’ll just be doing a lot more of it from here on out,” I said.

  “Here’s hoping that all of our prayers are answered,” Kristina replied.

  Chapter Seven

  Just as I was about to leave the bakery, I spotted a familiar face. It was Detective Scott Webster. He was entering the shop with a serious look in his eyes.

  Had something terrible happened? I really hoped that was not the case. There was already enough going on in town. Not just with me. But in general. The detective had recently wrapped up a murder investigation. Right then, he desperately needed some peace and quiet. That just didn’t appear to be in the cards for him.

  Maybe I was wrong. I made an effort to find out.

  “Scott, is everything okay?” I asked.

  He shook his head. “Not at all.”

  Uh-oh. That was the last thing I wanted to hear, I thought. At the same time, if something awful had taken place in town, I wanted to know about it.

  A look of concern came to my face. “What’s wrong?”

  “I’m starving.”

  I shrugged. “Is that all?”

  “What? That’s not enough for you? Because it’s a pretty big deal to me.”

  “I was just worried that something terrible had occurred.”

  “Nope. Everything is fine,” he said. “At least, it will be when I get some food in my stomach.”

  “That’s good to know,” I replied. “Although, I have to say, I’m really surprised to see you here.”

  His eyebrows rose. “Really?”

  I nodded.

  “And here I thought you were going to make a joke about cops and donuts,” he said.

  “It’s not too late for that. There’s plenty of room for those jokes.”

  “I probably shouldn’t have given you any ideas, should I?”

  “No. But it’s too late to turn back the clock now.”

  “I guess you’re right.”

  “Back to my point, though. The reason I’m surprised to see you here is because I thought you had your hands full.”

  “I can’t disagree with that. I have been pretty busy lately.”

  “Pretty busy? Don’t you mean extremely busy? Until recently, you were deep into conducting a murder investigation.”

  “Yeah. But as you know, that’s all wrapped up now.”

  “So, what, are you telling me that you’ve just been sitting around doing nothing since then?”

  “Not exactly.”

  “That’s what I figured.”

  “Paperwork is a completely different beast. Let me tell you, it is not to be trifled with,” he said.

  I chuckled.

  “What’s so funny?” he asked.

  “You realize how ridiculous you sound, right?” I asked. “You stare down murderers. And drug dealers. And all sorts of other criminals. Yet, you call paperwork a beast.”

  “Granted, it’s a completely different kind of animal, but it’s still a beast in its own right.”

  I shook my head and laughed. “You’re a strange man, you know that?”

  “I’m just being honest. Filling out paperwork is one of my least favorite parts of the job.”

  “And here I thought your least favorite part would be getting shot at.”

  “Notice how I said that paperwork was one of my least favorite parts. Getting shot at is definitely the absolute worst.”

  “That’s good to know.”

  “Thankfully, no one is trying to shoot at me today. That said, I still want to dodge all of the paperwork that I have to do.”

  “Well, I wish you luck.”

  “Thanks. I’m going to need it.”

  I chuckled again. “Aren’t you overreacting a little bit?”

  “Hey, cut me a break. I get a little jittery when I’m hungry.”

  “Noted.”

  “Besides, I just hate what a constant nuisance paperwork is. I feel like the moment I finish a stack of it, it’s only a matter of time before another stack lands on my desk.”

  I got playful with him. “You poor guy. You sound like you could really use a donut.”

  “I know you’re making fun of me, but a donut would definitely improve my mood.”

  I reached into my purse and pulled out a few bucks. “I’ll tell you what. Order yourself a chocolate-glazed donut. It’s on me.”

  “That’s so nice of you.”

  “That’s what friends do for each other.”

  “You’re a really great friend, you know that?”

  “I try to do what I can,” I said. “Anyway, I hope your day gets better.”

  “Me too.” He put his hand up. “By the way, we’ve been so busy joking around that I haven’t asked how things are going with you.”

  “Honestly, it could be a very interesting morning for me.”

  “Care to elaborate?”

  I checked the time on my phone. “I would, but I really need to be going. I’ll catch up with you later, though.”

  “Sounds good,” he replied. “Take care of yourself.”

  Chapter Eight

  Denise notified me that Craig was meeting with a claimant that morning for an interview. Depending on what transpired during their exchange, I could have everything I needed to wrap up my investigation. Or, perhaps not.

  One thing was clear. I was interested to see what unfolded.

  The interview was going to take place on Palm Drive. That was where William Draybeck lived. Mr. Draybeck had a mid-century modern home on the east side of town. It was a really cute place. Although, the architecture wasn’t terribly important to my investigation. I just thought it was a nice little detail.

  I staked out in front of the home a few minutes before Craig was scheduled to arrive. In an effort to keep out of sight, I parked my sedan on the street a few houses away from William’s place.

  A number of minutes later, Craig’s blue pickup truck pulled up in front of William’s home. Craig parked his vehicle in the driveway, got out of his truck, and walked up to the front door of the home.

  After a few knocks, the blue door swung open.

  William stood in his doorway leaning on a pair of crutches. He waved Craig inside.

  William then closed the door behind him.

  At that point, I got out of my car and bolted through William’s yard.

  Unfortunately, William was smart enough to close the blinds in front of his living room window.

  If I pressed my ear against the window, I’d be able to hear what was said, but I wasn’t prepared to settle for that yet. There was a chance that I’d still be able to get a visual on the situation. I decided to head around to the side of the house.

  With any luck, William might have forgotten to close the blinds that were in front of one of his side windows.

  As I reached the side of the house, I couldn’t believe my eyes. I was in business. Even though William had partially shut his blinds, they weren’t closed all the way. In fact, they were open just enough that I could see exactly what was going on inside William’s living room.

  “Fantastic,” I whispered to myself.

  I grabbed my phone and began recording the entire conversation.

  At that point, William was seated on his couch. Meanwhile, Craig sat in a recliner across the room.

  The beginning of the interview was mostly small talk. From there, Craig explained how the process worked. Craig then fired a number of questions at William.

  Thankfully, I didn’t have to wait very long for the conversation to heat up. Once the standard disability interview questions were out of the way, Craig put his notepad away.

  William then became very curious. “So, are you going to approve my claim?”

  Craig shook his head. “No.”

  William’s face filled with shock. “Why not?”

  “Because you can’t fool me, Mr. Draybeck.”

  William threw out his arms. “What are you talking about?”

  “I know the truth,” Craig said. “And I don’t appreciate the fact that you’ve been lying to me.”

  “I think you have your facts mixed up. I told you the truth. I’m disabled—”

  Craig put his hand up. “Stop right there. You’re not going to get me to buy your bogus story.”

  “You have a lot of nerve, you know that? How dare you accuse me of giving you a bogus story?”

  “Mr. Draybeck, let me show you something.”

  “What is it?”

  Craig pulled out his phone. He then loaded a photo. “It’s all the proof I need to know that you’ve been lying to me. If you’re really disabled, then what were you doing dancing at that club last night?”

  As William looked at the photo, his face went as white as a sheet. “I can explain.”

  “Save your breath. Your claim is going to be denied.”

  Craig got up from the couch and headed toward the door.

  Wow. Maybe Craig wasn’t corrupt, after all. If anything, he looked like he was really good at his job.

  As Craig reached the door, William became desperate.

  “Hold on a second. Don’t leave. Please,” William said.

  Craig turned around. “Give me one good reason why I should stay.”

  “I need this payout.”

  “That’s not my problem.”

  “I’m begging you. Don’t show that photo to your boss. You don’t know how much this claim means to me.”

  “Oh yeah?”

  “Seriously. I’m desperate. Is there any way that I can change your mind?”

  Suddenly, the moment of truth was upon Craig. What would he do? Would he walk out? Or would he make a different call?

  Right then, I was rooting for him to head out to his car. To do the right thing.

  He didn’t do that, however.

  Instead, his eyes lit up. “Actually, there is something you can do.”

  “Name it,” William said.

  “If you want this photo to disappear, it’s going to cost you.”

  “How much are we talking?”

  “Five-hundred dollars.”

  William became outraged. “Are you crazy?”

  “No. I’m smart. I also know what a claim like this is worth. The question becomes, just how desperate are you?”

  William stared Craig down. Mr. Draybeck then took a deep breath.

  “If I give you this money, you’ll approve my claim then?” William asked.

  Craig nodded.

  “And you’ll delete that photo? Right in front of me?” William continued.

  “Yes,” Craig said.

  “All right. You have a deal.”

  Craig smirked. “Good.”

  “Let me get my checkbook.”

  Craig shook his head. “Oh, no you don’t.”

  William squinted. “What do you mean?”

  “I’m not taking a personal check from a claimant.”

  “Why not?”

  “There can’t be any paper trail leading back to me. I need cash.”

  William let out a groan. “Fine. Don’t go anywhere. I’ll be right back.”

  William walked out of the room without the use of his crutches. At that point, there was no use carrying on the ruse anymore.

  William returned a few minutes later with an envelope in his hand. He handed the envelope to Craig.

  The investigator immediately opened the envelope and began counting the cash that was inside it.

  “Are we good now?” William asked.

  Craig nodded. “It’s all here. We have a deal.”

  “Good. Now, delete that photo.”

  Craig deleted the picture on his phone. He then shook William’s hand.

  “Congratulations. Your claim will be approved,” Craig said.

  A few seconds later, Craig left William’s house and went about his day.

  William couldn’t move on that quickly. He just stood in his living room, staring out into the distance.

  As for me, I had gotten the answers that I was looking for. I had also managed to record the entire thing.

  I had everything I needed to wrap up my investigation. Not only were all of the claimants guilty of fraud, but I had managed to prove that Craig was corrupt as well.

  Suddenly, a phone call was in order. Denise needed to know about this.

  Chapter Nine

  As I drove away from the scene, I dialed Denise’s number. When I told her I had an update for her, she was anxious to hear what I had to say. I could have gone over everything with her on the phone, but I felt like there were some things that were better revealed in person.

  Denise agreed to meet me back at my office. When she sat down across from me, I showed her the photographs I had taken. I also played the videos that I recorded.

  Her eyes widened as she watched all of the content.

  When I was done revealing my findings, she leaned back in her chair and let out a groan.

  “I’m really sorry,” I said.

  “You know, when I hired you, I was really hoping that you wouldn’t find anything,” Denise said. “I know it was optimistic thinking on my part, but it turned out that my instincts were correct all along.”

  “They certainly were.”

  She winced. “What a terrible time to be right.”

  “You’d be surprised how often I hear that.”

  “Do you get that all the time?”

  “Not all the time, but a lot.”

  “That’s a shame.”

  “It is, but that’s just life as an investigator. I mean, when someone has enough of a suspicion to hire me, it is usually because something is amiss.”

  “That makes sense. Anyway, what a mess this situation is. It’s going to take a lot of work to straighten everything out.”

  “I don’t envy you.”

  “Nor should you. But I’m going to do what’s necessary.”

  “Speaking of which, what are you going to do exactly?”

  “To start, those four disability claims are going to be denied.”

  “That makes sense. What are you going to do about Craig?”

  “Isn’t it obvious? I’m going to kick him to the curb. I’m not going to continue to employ a sleaze ball like that.”

  “Of course not.”

  “Then the next big step will be to find a replacement for Craig.”

  “Good luck with that.”

  “Which brings up a good point. How would you like to be a fraud investigator?”