I tapped my pen nervously on the notebook I was using to take inventory. Barry would be here shortly, assuming he showed.
I’d called him earlier in the week and told him that I wanted to talk to him. When he’d asked me to stop by his place, I’d refused. Firstly, I didn’t feel comfortable going back to that apartment, knowing what had happened there. Secondly, Devon would kill me if I went over there. Okay, he wouldn’t kill me, but he’d be damn disappointed and upset, which was worse in my book. And lastly, I wanted to make sure that my conversation with Barry was Vern-free. And thanks to the protections that Maxine had placed on the store, I could be fairly certain we’d be alone. So, with a little arm-twisting, I’d gotten Barry to agree to meet me here.
Maxine had left bright and early f
