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"I don't doubt that." She points toward the documents. "My business is falling apart. My reputation is being destroyed. My inventory is disappearing." Her voice rises slightly. "I am not standing by and allowing my life to turn to shit while everybody else makes decisions."

The words echo through the bakery. Several customers glance over. Juniper doesn't seem to care, and for some reason, neither do I — because she's right. I don't particularly like that she's right. But she is. The investigation affects her more than anyone, and keeping her completely uninvolved was never realistic.

I study her for a second, then exhale slowly. "I have conditions."

The anger leaves her expression so quickly it's almost amusing. "You mean I win?"

"No." I groan.

"You sound uncertain."

I already regret this. "Do you want the conditions or not?"

Juniper immediately straightens. "Proceed, Mr Grizzly,"

I point at her. "Rule one."

She nods, entirely too solemnly. "I already hate it."

"You identify facts. Nothing more." Her mouth opens, then closes — apparently she understands exactly what I mean. Good. "No theories presented as evidence."

She sighs dramatically. "Fine."

"Rule two." Juniper points at me before I can continue.

"I know I'm going to hate this one."

"You are not going into the field."

Silence. Then she blinks. "No."

"Yes." I straighten my posture. "You're helping from the bakery."

Her expression turns genuinely horrified. "The bakery?"

"Correct."

"That isn't investigating. That's paperwork."

"Exactly." She stares at me. I stare back. Eventually she groans — loudly enough to earn curious glances from nearby customers.

"You're impossible."

"So I've heard."

She mutters something beneath her breath, probably not complimentary. "Rule three," I continue.

Her eyes narrow. "There's more?"

"You are not speaking to suspects."

Her jaw drops. "What if they speak to me?"

"Walk away."

"That's ridiculous." She studies me then, and a slow grin appears — the kind that never leads anywhere good. "What?" I ask.

She tilts her head. "You sound protective."