“You kidnapped my business partner.”
    Vic crossed his arms. “You do business with car thieves?”
    “What? No. She sells tea. As bad as that may be, it’s hardly criminal.”
    Metal smashed, glass cracked, and a taillight burst from the corner of Vic’s vehicle. An ugly brown boot took its place.
    “Tandy?” The muffled voice sounded like Marissa’s, but that couldn’t be her foot in the ugly brown boot.
    “Oh fantastic.” Vic pointed the direction of the mess. “I caught her trying to steal a Jeep, and I made a citizen’s arrest to help the police. I didn’t realize she’d damage my car.”
    What had Vic expected? He certainly couldn’t expect Tandy to believe his excuse. “She owns a Jeep. Maybe she got locked out and had to break in.” Tandy raised her voice so Marissa could hear. “Marissa, did you lock your keys in the Jeep again?”
    The boot disappeared, and part of Marissa’s face filled the hole. “No!” Her response came with enough force that Tandy was a little scared of releasing her from the trunk.
    Tandy shook her head at Vic. “There has to be a logical explanation for why she was breaking into a Jeep. You should have at least asked her what was going on rather than resort to kidnapping. That’s not how you make a citizen’s arrest.”
    “Police lock criminals in the back of their cars. I was doing the same.” Vic lifted a shoulder, as if no responsibility rested there. “As soon as I let her out, you’ll see that she wasn’t using a coat hanger to get into her own vehicle. She has what’s known as a Relay Attack Unit designed to unlock cars without a key. Only a car thief would own such a thing.”
    Now he was overtly lying. And Tandy would be able to prove it. Good thing he’d broken up with her last year. Otherwise she’d be dating a liar.
    Sheriff Griffin sauntered from the police department. “What’s going on here, Tandy?”
    Marissa banged against the inside of the trunk in response. “Griffin, get me out of here!”
    Griffin’s hand rose to his holster.
    Vic sidestepped farther behind his car as if he might need to duck from bullets.
    Griffin pointed with his free hand at Marissa’s face in the hole. “Is someone in your trunk, sir?”
    “It’s me. Marissa.”
    Griffin’s eyes narrowed in suspicion. “Let her out right now.”