One morning before work, Alan Travers accidentally bumps into Detective Jim Garrison at a cafe where both men stop for coffee. The handsome younger man interests Alan, but he misses his chance to get to know the detective better and wonders if he'll get another.<br><br>With the help of his nephew Bryce, Alan concocts a plan to try and get Jim's attention "accidentally on purpose." It works, but as things heat up between them, Alan worries what Jim will think if he finds out their getting together was no accident.<br><br>Then Bryce goes missing, and Alan's going to have to come clean. But is he the only one not being truthful?

Accidentally On Purpose

With a shrug, Alan admits, “Well, whatever, really. A movie, a concert. I have tickets to the opera on Friday. I’m a season ticket holder and get two seats for each show, but Brooks doesn’t really care for it.”


Alan frowns. “To the opera? Never?”


Jim shakes his head. “What’s it like? Fat lady on stage singing a song you can’t understand? What’s it in, Italian or something?”


With a grin, Alan says, “I think you’ve seen one too many Bugs Bunny cartoons.”


“So what’s different?” Jim breaks off more of his muffin and molds the crumbs into balls before eating them.


That makes Jim laugh. “Okay, so no rabbit. What else?”


Alan sits back, drink and scone forgotten as he tries to find a way to explain how wonderful the opera is to someone who’s never been. “No fat ladies. At least, not all of them, anyway. And yes, it’s usually in Italian, but there are supertitles—”


Chapter 17