McGill is still holding court at the diner, fueled by pancakes, bacon, and copious amounts of coffee. Meanwhile, Gropper has settled into a routine and accepted his role as the one doing all the heavy lifting.

Then McGill is charged with arson and sent to jail. With his partner behind bars, Gropper must navigate unfamiliar territory without McGill calling the shots. Inside, McGill faces dangers of his own when a former foe sees his incarceration as the perfect opportunity for revenge.

Old friends and unexpected allies may be their best hope of surviving what comes next. But this time, staying one step ahead will require both their instincts and a willingness to embrace twenty-first-century technology for the first time.

As danger closes in, McGill and Gropper will have to adapt fast in PAVEMENT NARROWS, the sixth book in the McGill & Gropper series by Andrew Davie.

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It was easy to figure out what day of the week it was at the diner based on the clientele's appearance. On weekday mornings, it was people stopping in for coffee before work. They were dressed in business attire. Most of them were on the younger side. McGill assumed they didn’t have families yet; otherwise, they would be at home getting the kids ready for school and having their coffee at the same time. Occasionally, there would be a family on a weekday morning, but he assumed they were starting a vacation with something special. Of course, there were always outliers and random customers, but for the most part, those were the regulars. McGill shut his eyes and took a deep inhalation. There was something about food on the griddle that was incomparable. It made him feel like he was home.

Sue came over and gave him a refill.

McGill never knew if she kept a close eye on him, but in the time she’d been working there, he didn’t remember ever seeing the bottom of his coffee cup.

“Thank you,” he said.

“You’re welcome,” she said. “Feel like anything else?”

“Let’s do a Big Hitter,” he said.

“You got it.”

She left the menu on the table, where it remained for the rest of the day. He kept a stack of business cards next to the menu. He and Gropper did well enough through word of mouth or referrals, but he also knew it would have made Renee happy, so he had a batch printed and would hand them out every so often. He listed the diner’s address and the payphone in the back. He also didn’t need to look at the menu anymore since he had practically memorized the layout, but it was always good to have when guests joined him.

“How’s Vic feeling?” McGill said.

“Better, thanks; fortunately, there are enough online games for him to stay busy.”

Sue’s husband Victor had been a teacher before he retired. In the last few years, as a way to stay engaged and supplement some income, he had become a professional poker player. Recently, he had his gallbladder removed, so he was recuperating at home. Sue went back to the kitchen.

Weekends would be different. Saturdays would include mostly families and college kids looking to shake the previous night’s hangover or lethargy. They were always louder than they needed to be, but they never caused trouble. Whether it was the caliber of student or the fact that McGill and Gropper’s reputation carried a lot of weight remained to be seen.

Sunday was the busiest day since the church crowds made up the bulk of the patrons. The front area of the diner had cushioned benches just inside the entryway. It was barren except on Sunday when all of the benches would be filled. Fortunately, the diner was efficient at keeping things moving, so while it was always crowded on Sunday, it was never a dilemma.

Andrew Davie