Jake entered the imposing, well-lit building, with a heart filled with worry and a mind full of questions. He could not forget the seasoned Sheriff’s words about someone trying to pin a murder on him. At the same time, he was curious about Allison’s list. She was sitting at the table in the far right corner, facing the entrance and even waved at him.

“Good evening, my dear.” She smiled, rising to her full 5’7”, feminine stature. “Have a seat. Would you like something to drink?”

“I’m good, thanks,” he waved his hand in front of his face. “You mentioned a list this morning.”

“So we’re getting straight to the point, huh?” Her sweet smile turned into a bitter grimace. “I was hoping to chat. It’s been a while.”

“It’s not my fault,” Jake grumbled. “You chose this.”

“You’re still mad at me,” murmured Allison, while shaking her head. “I guess I can understand that.”

“The list, Allie,” he insisted, glaring at her, “while we’re still young.”

“Oh, very well,” she sighed, pulling a thick stack of paper out of her purse. “I’m sure you’ll find it very interesting.”

Jake snatched it away from her hand, eager to see for himself what she was on about. The list was in alphabetical order. He flipped through the pages, until he came across Holly’s name. There was a number in the column next to it, indicating that she still owed Duncan $4,300. He cast a sharp glance at Allison and then looked down at the paper, still very suspicious of her motives.

“Where did you get this?” He finally asked in a tone filled with disbelief.

“A friend of mine hacked into his computer.” She replied, the smug look on her face sending his pulse racing. But still, Jake would not express his emotions. They were in a public place and an argument between them would draw too much personal attention. Flipping back to the page that contained Jensen’s name, he discovered that the Navy Commander owed $74,800.

“Holy cow,” Jake whistled at the amount. “That’s a lot of money.”

“I can’t prove Duncan had Jensen killed yet, but he had motive. His business is a good place to start looking,” Allison remarked, raising her glass to her lips. “What do you think?”

“If a guy owed me seventy five grand, the last thing I’d want to do is kill him.” Jake’s voice was reeking with sarcasm. “Not to mention, beating someone to death feels just a little too personal. Thanks for this, Allie. Goodnight.”

“Okay, my head is spinning. Jensen owing Duncan a truckload of money isn’t much of a surprise. That guy was a degenerate gambler; but, Holly still owing more than $4,000? She said she paid him off. Damn it… What should I do; confront her again? I don’t have much of a choice, I don’t think. I have to ask her.”

The heavens opened up, as he made his way back to his car. While it rained around them, Jake didn’t even bother hiding the packet of papers and just gave it to Holly, keeping his mouth shut. Before long though, she burst into loud, hearty laughter, throwing her head back.

“Oh, my God…” she chuckled. “I need to thank her for this. It’s so funny.”

“Thank her?” He wondered, his baritone full of confusion.

“I’m sorry.” Holly bit her lower lip, in an attempt to stop laughing. “But this is the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever seen. Firstly, there are no file properties on any of these pages. There should be a file name and a date. They’ve been erased. In other words, whoever printed this didn’t want you to see either of those things. Secondly, how many loan sharks would keep such a thorough record of their clients on a computer? I mean, look at this. Names, addresses, phone numbers… Duncan’s too smart to store all this information on spreadsheets. If the police ever found this file, he’d go to jail for a long time. And thirdly; I still have his number.”

Holly took her cell phone out of the pocket of her coat and put the call on speaker.

“Goddamn…” a squeaky, male voice answered. “Hutchinson? Is that you?”

“Hi, Phil,” Holly spoke in a lazy tone. “How’s it going?”

“Oh, everything’s great, sugar. What’s the matter? I thought you said you’d quit.”

“I did. Listen; do you remember when I paid you off that little loan? Just a rough estimate will be fine.”

“Are you crazy?” Duncan’s voice became even more high-pitched. “It’s been a long time. Hell, I can’t even remember what I had for lunch today. Why are you asking?”

“I was just curious. Thanks.”

“Oh, man…” Jake whispered, covering his eyes with his hand as he leaned back against his seat. Once again, Allison had lied to him. Too guilt-ridden to speak, he wouldn’t break his silence.

“Now you know,” Holly said calmly. “I can’t believe that woman.”

“Nah, forget about her,” he urged, leaning forward. “We’ve wasted enough time here.”

“What a wonderful day:” said slowly, as a bitter smile formed on her face, and he drove off; “a dead Navy officer; you get questioned; feds camping at the station; and now this. It’s a nightmare; one big, ugly nightmare.”

“You’re right about that,” he agreed, as the rain pelted down around them. “It’s been pretty intense.”

“I think we can make it a little bit better.” Holly grinned, as her eyes sparkled with excitement. “Stop the car, will you? I have an idea.”

Understanding what she had in mind, Jake eased on the brakes. Bringing his SUV to a stop, he opened his door and stepped outside, as she did the same. In a split second, he felt cold, thick raindrops on his head. He moved around his car, settling his gaze on her. It was almost completely dark; the only light available was from the headlights. Holly opened her arms, as his slow footsteps brought him closer to her. Smiling into her eyes, he stopped in front of her. Jake cupped her cheeks, as she snaked her arms around his back. Tilting his head down, he angled his lips, feeling the moisture of her cheeks in his palms. Their mouths joined in a long, tender kiss, as the rain poured down on them. His warm, full lips collected tiny raindrops, as he caressed her face. Jake’s hand slid up her cheek, as Holly interlocked her fingers behind his back. Threading his fingers through her wet hair, he let her scent flow through him, the hard rain audible over the sweet sounds of their kiss. He trapped her lower lip in between his and gently pulled it back, stroking the top of her head. Jake released it and leaned his forehead against hers, opening his eyes. Just like the other night, Holly’s lips were still trembling. This time though, they curled into a broad, blissful smile, as she slowly opened her eyes.

“Every time…” She said, quietly whispering; her breathing short.

“Every time,” he asked? His voice sounded deeper than usual.

“You leave me longing,” Holly replied, her soft words filling his ears, as a flash of lightning lit up the night.

“You too, baby,” Jake kissed her on the chin, “you, too.”

“Take me home, you big stud.” Her sweet voice made his heart pound in his chest. “I’ll show you a night you’ll never, ever forget.”

“Really?” He raised an eyebrow. “What’s on your mind?”

“Just drive us home,” she whispered with a mischievous look in her eyes as he caressed her cheek. “I’ll do the rest.”