“Oh yeah, yeah. That’s fine. You call me. Whenever, you know.” Hanzel talked as he walked backwards out of the garage.

A.L. waited until he had turned and gotten halfway back to the street before speaking. “I wanted to ask you about your business.”

“Why? What’s that got to do with anything?”

He sounded almost panicked.

“We can’t ignore the possibility that Emma’s disappearance is somehow related to an issue that somebody might have with you. Perhaps a disgruntled customer. An angry former employee.”

“I got three guys working in my shop. The same three guys who have been working there since I bought it. Hell, even before that.”

“Names?” A.L. pulled out his notebook.

“Davy Grace, Pete Seoul, Cory Prider. Listen, I’ve known these guys since I was in high school. Davy was in my same class. Pete and Cory are older but that doesn’t mean anything. I’m their boss but we’re also friends.”

“Never any issues?”

Troy threw up his right hand. “Hell, yes, there are issues. Sometimes they screw up. Sometimes they even do shitty work, which really pisses me off because they’re better than that and with so much competition, that will kill you.”

“How’s business?” A.L. asked.

“Fine. Yeah, it’s fine.”

“Not sorry you bought it?”

“No. Why would I be?”

“Just asking,” A.L. said. “Owning your own business is tough. If there’s nothing left at the end of the month, you don’t get paid, right?”

“We’re doing just fine,” he said.

A.L. decided to let it go for the time. “You been in touch with any of your employees?”

“Not today. They knew I wasn’t going to be in.”

A.L. would swing by the garage next. “Let’s talk about your customers. Any problems with anybody lately?”

“No. I mean, maybe.”

“Which is it?” A.L. asked.

“Davy did some work on a vehicle earlier this week and he forgot to clamp a hose or if he did clamp it, it popped off. Anyway, long story short, customer drove the vehicle out of our shop, got halfway home with her seven-year-old and five-year-old and the engine overheated. She had a cell phone and called her husband. But before he could get there, another vehicle stopped. A couple redneck assholes. Didn’t touch her but I guess they scared her pretty bad. Anyway, husband arrives, assholes leave, and wife calls us to tell us we’ll be hearing from their attorney.”

“Did you?”

“Not yet. I offered six free oil changes. Wife told me where I could shove them.”

“Did you fix her car a second time?”

“Nope. They had it towed to Morton’s Garage.”

“What’s the customer’s name?”