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clearly trusted her words. Which he should. She hadn’t been blowing smoke up his ass. As much as she’d dreaded it, she’d stopped by the station this morning and Colin had directed her to the right person to file a report with.
    “Good. Hopefully something comes of it.”
    “I have a feeling not much will. He’s probably skipped town and is tossing back tequila shots south of the border.” She scowled. “With some skanky American tourist giving him a backrub.”
    “You’ve spent quite a bit of time considering his current state, I see.”
    She grunted. “I didn’t sleep much last night.”
    “Sorry to hear that, but I understand.” He paused. “If you’d like to leave early tonight, you may.”
    “Not a chance. I’m not losing another dime.” She shook her head, leaving it at that as a customer came to the bar to order.
    She resurrected her smile, turned on the friendly attitude and then went and prepared the requested whisky and ginger ale. Five minutes later she’d pocketed a four-dollar tip off the simple drink.
    “You bring in more tips than any other bartender here, you realize,” Aleck murmured.
    “People don’t like to be treated like shit. If you treat them nice, smile a little, it goes a long way.”
    “I don’t hire wankers. All my employees are nice. It’s more than that. You’re personable, you talk to them.”
    “I enjoy talking to people. Makes my job more fun, plus you get to know the regulars.” She wasn’t about to ignore the obvious bit they were both thinking. “But I’m sure the tits and ass part doesn’t hurt.”
    “That’s a bit crude.”
    “Says the man who never fails to appreciate a nice body.”
    His lips twisted. “You could be ugly as sin and the customers would still flock to you. But, aye, there’ll be no denying that you’re quite pleasing to the eyes.”
    “Easy, boss boy. Sexual harassment and all.”
    “Ah right. Let me rephrase that. You are far more attractive than a Highland cow.”
    She gave a choked laugh and shook her head. “I think you may have gone from flattery to insults.”
    “Bah, not at all. Highland cattle are absolutely beautiful, magnificent creatures.”
    “Really?” she asked skeptically. “And they’re different from American cows?”
    “Aye. You’ll have to Google them.”
    “I’ll get right on that.”
    He drummed his fingers on the counter. “Did James have any enemies? Or owe anyone any money?”
    The deputy at the sheriff’s office had asked her the same thing.
    “Not that I knew.” She hesitated. “I mean, occasionally we’d go to poker parties and he’d throw down some money. But it wasn’t all that often.”
    “Hmm. Casinos?”
    “Yes, he’d go to them a couple times a month on his day off. But I don’t really think he gambled that much money. I mean, he didn’t have a lot to gamble.”
    “Maybe because he’d gambled it all away previously.”
    “Look, I don’t know what his deal was. What I do know is that my money’s gone, and there’s a pretty good chance it’s not coming back.” Tears pricked her eyes and she cursed him for making her nearly cry about this again. She’d cried enough already.
    Aleck reached for a bottle of Glenfiddich, poured a shot and handed it to her.
    She didn’t question it, just accepted the shot, turned her back on the dining room of the pub and downed it. Employees didn’t drink often on a shift, but taking a shot now and then wasn’t uncommon. Hazards, or perks, of working in a pub.
    Besides, who was she to protest when her boss was the one pouring it?
    “Better?”
    Sure enough, her tears had dried up. “Better. Usually I’m more of a rum girl, but that was good.”
    “Now get your arse to work. I’m heading to the back to take care of some things.”
    “Will do.”
    She watched him disappear. Still upset, but able to appreciate the epic male ass beneath a pair of well-worn jeans.
    “I saw that.”
    Shit. Delonna turned back to the counter and grinned