Inside, the window was framed with a shiny green garland and the corners had been dusted with that fake white spray snow. She’d been here before for a couple of family gatherings, a few outings with her friends and even on a pleasant-enough date with a detective who worked with AJ. But she’d never gone in specifically looking for a man to invite out to a secret rendezvous in the parking lot. When she heard a car driving past on the street behind her, she peeked over her shoulder to see if one of the black SUVs from this morning had followed her. But as the blue car bounced over the ruts of grated, packed and melted snow on the pavement, she exhaled a puffy cloud of determination and pushed open the front door. Jake Lonergan was easy enough to spot. There were only a few customers sipping a beer at the polished walnut bar or eating a sandwich for an early dinner at one of the tables. Nash’s description had been simple.
