Page 16 of Betting on Lizzie

Lizzie chuckled. “You think Adam’s gonna want in on this conversation?”

“He’s already brought it up. That’s why I’ve been making a plan. He’s insured, of course, but, you know, an ounce of prevention and all that.”

“Hey, Daisy,” Lizzie greeted when her sister walked in. “We’re just talkin’ about security options for the building.”

“Well, you came to the right place,” Daisy said, smiling at her husband.

“We already have surveillance cameras, and while they can act as a deterrent and maybe help catch someone after the fact, they’re easy to get around and don’t do anything to prohibit the actual crime. I’m looking at a twenty-four-hour armed guard. At least until they catch the arsonist.”

“Geez, that seems crazy,” Lizzie said. “But better safe than sorry, I guess. Would I pay for that? It sounds expensive.”

“I’ll figure out the cost and work that out with Adam. He’ll probably have to charge you something, but I couldn’t say what for sure.”

“All right, well, thanks.” Lizzie stood. “I’ve got Kate’s work cell if you need to reach me.”

“Stay safe,” Daisy said, hugging her. “Bye, Charlie.”

She and Charlie walked a couple of yards to The Tipsy Twist. The door was propped open, and men were working on what looked like finishing touches. Everything was pretty and new. The theme was rustic yet hip. One coffee-colored brick wall matched the dark hardwood floors. The other walls were a deep red, but would eventually be covered with large framed pictures. Behind the bar were lighted shelves that would hold the liquor bottles once they arrived. Lizzie was still waiting for the pool tables and bar stools to be delivered.

“Hey, Ms. Parker,” one of the men said. “Got your office pretty much done. Wanna see it?”

“We’d love to,” Lizzie said, following the man to the back. She entered her office and let out a low whistle. It was beautiful. One wall was white shiplap, one was a dark wood that gave the place a log cabiny feel, and the other two were a soothing shade of blue. Her desk had arrived and sat in the center of the room. Off to the side was a massive bed for Charlie and an elevated food and water dish in the corner. The pictures she’d ordered hung perfectly spaced and leveled.

“It looks sooo good,” Lizzie said. “I might just move in.”

“Glad you like it. Hang out if you want.” The burly man left with a wave.

Lizzie walked to her chair and sat. It enveloped her like a soft hug. She pulled out the borrowed phone and the card from Investigator Mansfield. Sighing, she dialed.

“You found a new phone,” he said after she identified herself. “Didn’t think I’d hear from you so soon.”

“Yeah, well. I gotta get this moving along. I don’t have time to waste while you mess around trying to blame me for something I didn’t do.”

“Giving me your phone passcode could speed things up.”

“That’s why I’m calling. It’s two-four-six-eight,” Lizzie said. “Also, to tell you I was with my cousin that night. Before the fire, I mean. She called at about two-thirty am. You’ll see it when you check my recent calls.”

“Why didn’t you tell me that yesterday?” Ben asked, words laced with skepticism.

“I didn’t know you were looking at me as a suspect, so I didn’t think it was any of your business. Look, she’s only seventeen and had nothing to do with the fire, so don’t hassle her, all right?”

His irritated sigh came through the phone. “Can I reach you at this number?”

“Until you give me mine back.”

“I’ll be in touch.”

She got into the employee files and began making calls to update them on her plans, saying she’d get a new schedule out soon. After that, she started a list of projects they could do here. The heat wasn’t on yet, and after her coffee ran out, she decided to finish up at home.

Hopefully, Mr. Ben Mansfield would work quickly to figure out who torched her bar. Once he cleared her of wrongdoing and she had the insurance money, she could get things moving at the old bar. Until then, she would consider herself more or less on vacation.

CHAPTER SIX

Ben had not expected to hear from Lizzie so soon. He assumed she would be dealing with her dad’s heart attack for at least a day or two. Going without a phone must be driving her crazy. He used the code she’d given him to log in and opened the call log. Sure enough, there was an incoming call at two twenty-seven from someone listed as “Bella” in her contacts.

He used his own phone to call the number. Lizzie had warned him she was only seventeen, but he was still taken aback by how young she sounded when she answered.

“Bella Parker?” he asked.

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