Free Snoops in the City (A Romantic Comedy) by Darlene Gardner Page B

the table and peered at Crystal.
    "Are you gonna keep that thing?" Crystal asked.
    Tori looked down at the helpless, previously unloved creature. A wave of unexpected tenderness hit her. She guessed she'd have to give her a name. "Yeah, I am."
    "If you do go through with the quizzing,” Crystal said wryly, "you should ask this guy how he feels about cats disguising themselves as scrawny, white rats."

CHA P T ER ELEVEN
     
    The smell of French fries mingled in the heavy night air with the sweet scent of cotton candy, filling Grady's lungs with nostalgia.
    He'd forgotten how much he loved carnivals until Tori had brought him here to the western outreaches of Seahaven where a small parcel of land had temporarily been transformed into a playground.
    Walking the midway, with loud-mouthed carnies urging them to try their luck at carnival games, Operation Citygate and Pete Aiken's claim that somebody else wanted in on the action seemed far away.
    In jeans, tennis shoes and a rust-colored shirt that made her hair look even more burnished, Tori Whitley didn't seem like she had an ulterior motive for being with him.
    If she'd acted this way at the party, he wouldn't have had his FBI contact run the background check. The agent wouldn't have the results for a few days, but at the moment Grady was in no hurry.
    Tori hadn't done a single suspicious thing since they'd arrived at the carnival although her conversation had been a bit strange.
    She nodded toward a skinny man with a mallet who was poised to test his strength on the high striker.
    "If that guy dropped a hundred dollar bill, would you pocket it, give it back to him or donate it to the church, which probably needs it more than he does?" she asked.
    He grinned down at her, wondering how she came up with these questions. On the drive to the carnival, she'd asked if he’d contest a traffic ticket if he knew he were guilty. When they'd passed a pair of nuns, she'd wanted to know what he'd do if he saw one of them pocketing money from the collection plate. Always, she gave him three or four answers from which to choose.
    "If that guy dropped a hundred, you'd better believe one of the kids around here would get to it before I did," he said.
    "Then would you turn the other way, follow the kid and convince him to return the money or tell the skinny guy what happened and let him handle it by himself?"
    He laughed, not sure he could keep the choices straight. "What's with all these questions?"
    "Nothing," she said quickly, then expanded on her answer before he could press. "I guess I'm trying to get to know you better."
    Her eyes radiated sincerity as she gazed up at him, and he realized he believed her. He'd been inspired by that old saying about keeping your friends close and your enemies closer when he asked her out. Right now she didn't seem like an enemy.
    "Hey, buddy, come over here and impress your lady," called a man from a nearby ring-toss booth. "Two out of three wins a prize."
    The prize was a giant stuffed replica of SpongeBob SquarePants.
    "If you win me one of those things," Tori told him, "I might have to hurt you."
    He laughed again, something he hadn't done nearly enough since he'd gotten involved with Operation Citygate. He reached for her hand, which she gave him without hesitation, and realized he was enjoying himself.
    Except having a good time hadn't been on his agenda. This was a fishing expedition, designed to reel in information. He hadn't learned anything new about her, except her cheeks dimpled charmingly when she smiled.
    "Where to?" Grady asked.
    "Where else?" she answered. "The merry-go-round."
    She directed him toward a medium-sized carousel surrounded by excited children. Nobody in line looked older than twelve except the young father carrying a cute little girl who probably couldn't walk on her own.
    "You really want to ride the carousel?" Grady asked.
    "I do. And I want you to come with me." She raised shining eyes to him. "Get on one of those horses for