Clearing his throat, John inched in front of Molly again. “Since we weren’t the ones who blew a hole in your bar, I’m thinking you’re blaming the wrong people.”

“You were the ones chasing Sonny! If you hadn’t showed up, he wouldn’t have had to run.”

Molly peered around John, not minding having a physical barrier between them, since Yolanda was basically trying to kill Molly with her eye lasers. “Was Sonny the one who did this?” She pointed at the charred hole.

Yolanda took a deep breath, and Molly braced for lots of yelling, but her words came out in an angry growl instead. “Leave. Now.”

“See, the problem is that this is the only place we know where Sonny is sure to show up eventually,” Molly said in what she hoped was a reasonable tone. “If you tell us another place we could find Sonny, we won’t have to come back here.” She paused, giving Yolanda her most serious, determined face. “Every night.”

“Are you threatening me?” Yolanda bristled and took a step forward. John made a sound in the back of his throat and seemed to grow another two inches, and she stopped her advance, an apprehensive look flashing across her face.

It was amazing how much more secure Molly felt when she had a man-shaped blockade between her and a pissed-off informant. “Not a threat. It’s a promise to give you our patronage. Every night for weeks. Months even, if necessary. It’ll be a win-win. We’ll buy a beer or two, and I bet we’ll find a lot of other bail jumpers while we wait for Sonny to show up.”

“Fishing in a barrel.” Despite his looming, tension-filled posture, John’s voice sounded light and amused.

“Exactly!” Molly gave his back an approving pat. “I like this idea. Never mind about giving us an address for Sonny. We’ll just wait for him here.”

“I’ll have you tossed out.” There was a barely audible quiver in Yolanda’s voice, and Molly felt a surge of triumph. This might actually work.

She gave a mocking laugh as she pointed at John. “You’re going to have him thrown out? Good luck with that. He’s at least a three-bouncer job, and that’s not factoring in his MMA training.” Leaning around him so she could get a little closer to the bar owner, she stage-whispered, “His cage name was Rampage.”

Because John was so close to her, she felt his tiny jerk of surprise, and she poked him to make sure he didn’t start laughing and ruin his faux notoriety.

Yolanda’s mouth drew even tighter, until her lips met in a sour pucker. “Sonny’s staying with Tick Caruso’s mother. Don’t know the address, but it’s on Westpeak Road, the blue house across from the old church. Now leave, and don’t ever come back to my bar.” With that, she spun around and stomped toward the back door.

Molly waited until the woman was inside and out of sight before stepping out from behind her John-shaped wall.