Page 40 of Jina

Regardless, it was too late to turn the clock back now. He’d interviewed her because she’d lived on the farm where the body was found. Now he had little choice but to move forward with the investigation, praying he wasn’t wrong about Jina.

And if he lost his job over this? Hiding a wince, he tried not to think about that.

After pulling into the parking lot of Peabody’s Pub, he threw the gearshift into park and killed the engine. “Ready?”

“Yep.” She pushed open her door. “Doesn’t look too busy.”

“Weeknight after the dinner rush.” He shrugged. “That’s the reason I decided to come now rather than wait until tomorrow.”

“Smart move as we’re going to be busy tomorrow setting up the new sting operation.”

He reached the door first, holding it open for her. Stepping inside, he found the interior to be that of a typical pub. The bartender looked up with a smile as they approached. He quickly placed two drink napkins on the bar. “Welcome to Peabody’s Pub. What can I get you?”

“Just ginger ale for me,” Jina said. “Although I wouldn’t mind some of your deep-fried cheese nuggets.”

The bartender nodded. “And for you?”

“Same, we’ll share the cheese nuggets.” He took a seat, trying to ascertain if the bartender was Ian Muller. He didn’t wear a name tag, but the guy’s age of early to midforties was about right. He waited until the bartender had poured their soft drinks and placed their order for cheese curds, before asking, “Are you Ian Muller?”

The bartender looked at him in surprise. “Yes. I’m sorry, but I don’t remember you.”

“No, you wouldn’t as we never met. My name is Cole Roberts, and this is Jina Wheeler. How long have you owned the place?”

“About eighteen months or so.” Ian braced his arms on the bar, regarding them thoughtfully. “Why the question? Were you interested in buying it too?”

“No, nothing like that.” Cole put some cash on the bar to cover their soft drinks and the appetizer in the event the conversation didn’t go well. “I’d like to know when you last saw Bradley Crow.”

Ian’s spine straightened, and his gaze narrowed. “I had nothing to do with his disappearance.”

“I didn’t say you did.” Cole kept his tone even. “But when did you see him last?”

“I have no clue, that was a long time ago.” Ian frowned. “Who are you again?”

Cole pulled out his badge. “Peabody Detective Cole Roberts. I spoke earlier with Brad’s parents. They mentioned their son wanted your job as the manager.”

“Yeah, he did.” Ian glanced down the bar at the other two patrons sitting there. Neither of them needed anything, so he turned back to Cole. “The kid was barely twenty and seemed to think he knew everything about running a pub. Which was funny since he was late for his shifts more often than not.”

“Not a hard worker then,” Jina murmured.

“Not even close,” Ian said firmly. “Brad felt like he could get away with stuff because his parents owned the place. In a way, he did, but not when it came to moving up to the manager role.”

“Do you know if Brad was friendly with anyone?” Cole asked. “Did he have a girlfriend?”

“Girlfriend?” Ian shook his head. “Not even in his dreams. He was an odd duck, if you ask me. Awkward around people and not very friendly.”

“And those traits would not be helpful in a manager role,” Jina said, sipping her ginger ale.

“Exactly.” Ian seemed to sense Jina was on his side. “I didn’t have any respect for the kid, but that didn’t mean I wanted him to take off like that, without warning. He never even said anything to his parents about leaving town.”

“So they were surprised too?” he asked.

“Yes. When I mentioned his comment to me about taking over my job, his dad came right out and told me my position here was secure.” Ian glanced down the bar again to make sure he wasn’t needed. “Henry knew Brad wasn’t manager material.”

“I appreciate that insight,” Cole said. “And you should know Mr. Crow told me the same thing.”

“Good.” Ian looked relieved.

A kid from the back came out with their deep-fried cheese nuggets. After setting them on the bar in front of them, he scurried back to the kitchen.

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