Free Sweet Burn by Anne Marsh

how she felt about that. The look on his face, however, said that he ’ d just like to see someone try and toss another Molotov cocktail through her front window. Granted, it would be easier now since the window was just an empty frame. She ’ d have to call a glass company tomorrow and get them to send someone out. Hopefully, her insurance company would cover it.
    And… she was babbling. To herself . It was definitely time to bring the night to a close.
    Mercedes peered at her. “Yes, dark blue. Do you know who did this?”
    “ Not a clue. ” Which was the truth. Guesses weren ’ t facts.
    Beside her, Mack grunted. Not being an expert in male-ese, Mimi ignored him. He could use his words if he wanted to participate in their conversation.
    “So there ’ s no one who has made any threats or who has a grudge against you and might have done this? And this dark blue sedan is completely unfamiliar to you?”
    “No to the first question, or at least not that I ’ m aware of.”
    Mack made a louder sound and elbowed her in the ribs.
    Sheriff Hernandez looked at him. “Do you have something to contribute?”
    “He absolutely doesn ’ t.” She ’ d kill him first.
    Of course he ignored her. “Tell Sheriff Hernandez about the phone call from the Oakland D.A.”
    Sheriff Hernandez leaned forward. Mimi cursed.
    “It was a phone call, not a death threat.”
    Two sets of eyes stared her down.
    “Okay,” she sighed. “I got a phone call. I was involved in one of the district attorney ’ s cases a few years ago.”
    “As the star witness,” Mack interjected.
    “My testimony was critical in convicting several gang members of a convenience store shooting. Or so I was told.” The district attorney had been determined to take those men off the street. If she hadn ’ t come forward, she was certain he would have found another way to convict.
    Sheriff Hernandez nodded slowly. “You testified. The defendants went to jail. And now?”
    “And now one of them is out on parole. The district attorney gave me a call as a courtesy to let me know. The kingpin is still incarcerated—” and would be for the rest of his natural life—“but his associate is now out, about, and unaccounted for. The district attorney expressed some concern that the parolee might come looking for me.”
    Sheriff Hernandez made some notes. “And do you share this concern?”
    She wasn ’t sure.
    “Damn right she does,” Mack said in a low, fierce voice. His jaw was visibly tense, a small muscle hopping there. Apparently, he was upset. She actually hadn ’ t seen him mad before. Huh. She found it sexy, which just underscored once again how messed up she was.
    Sheriff Hernandez nodded slowly, like she was adding two and two and coming up with a plausible answer. “Have there been any other incidents?”
    “No—” said Mack at the same time Mimi said, “Maybe. I had a run in with a dark blue sedan yesterday.”
    Mack spat out a curse and looked at her. “Maybe? What kind of an answer is that?”
    “A truthful one.”
    She outlined yesterday ’ s possible drive-by shooting quickly, emphasizing that she hadn ’ t been at all sure what she ’ d heard. Disbelief and anger radiated off the man beside her, which was too bad. After all, she was the one who ’ d almost been shot. Maybe. Possibly. At any rate, he had no business being upset. No one had aimed a gun at his head.
    When she stopped talking, Sheriff Hernandez made another note. “Given what happened here tonight, I don ’ t want to underplay the possibility that you were shot at yesterday. I ’ ll cordon off the parking lot when we leave, and then I ’ ll go over it in the morning. It ’ s possible that any bullets are still there.”
    Around them, the firefighters were wrapping things up. Thanks to Mack ’ s quick reaction, the damage was fairly minimal. She ’ d need some new flooring to take care of the scorch marks, and the bar definitely smelled like smoke. She also had a