Page 44 of Destiny

I suppose I should be grateful. My insurance company thinks I haven’t been paid, and they want to take care of it. That’s great. But they’ll eventually realize their error and they’ll want the money back.

Red tape, red tape, red tape.

I don’t have time for this.

I head down to the bar to make sure things are ready for opening.

I was half hoping to find Ava waiting for me. Then she’d jump into my arms and tell me she doesn’t need space, that she wants to be with me forever.

But that’s not Ava’s way.

I’m checking the stock when someone knocks at the front door.

I go to it.

Donny Steel stands there with Callie.

I open the door. “I was just trying to get ahold of you.”

“Yeah, I know. I called Nell to get my messages. Callie and I were walking by, we saw you in here setting up, so I thought I’d see what you wanted.”

I open my mouth to comment on my concern about Ava, but I think better of it. Ava wouldn’t appreciate my interference.

So I tell him something else.

“Yeah. I don’t know if you’re the person I should talk to or if it’s Hardy, but apparently there’s been some weird mix-up with my insurance.”

“Oh?”

Callie looks down at her feet.

Strange.

“Yeah. They just called me, said that they had held off on processing my claim pending an investigation.”

“An investigation into what?”

“An investigation into whether I trashed my own place. I didn’t even know an investigation was ongoing. No one asked me any questions. Not one phone call.”

Neither says a word.

I go on, “You know, I guess they thought I’m the arsonist who sets his own place on fire just to get the insurance money or something.”

Donny clears his throat. “I don’t know why they would think that.”

“I don’t either, but apparently they did an investigation, determined that I didnottrash my own place, and now they’re ready to send an adjuster over and process the claim. Except…they refused to admit that they already did all that and that they already paid me and waived my deductible, which this guy who I talked to today—Nigel something or other—claims they never do.”

Donny glances at Callie and then flicks his gaze to the floor. Sheepish doesn’t look good on him. Donny Steel is not known for looking sheepish. None of the Steels are.

“Donny…” Callie says.

Donny looks up and meets my gaze. “Can we sit down for a minute, Brendan?”

“Yeah. Sure. Why?”

“I need to tell you something.”

“Is it bad?”

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