Coffee & Crime (13 page)

Zelda was hot to get started with the investigation. "So, where do we start? Who should we talk to? How do we figure out who the suspects are? What do we need to find out?"

I hadn't seen Zelda that animated since Target had a two for one sale on black jeans. "Can I take a shower and change into clothes that don't stink of pie, first?" My cell buzzed with a text and I frowned. "Crap."

I headed for the front room and Zelda followed me. "Crap, what?"

I stopped at the front door. "Ted's waiting outside at the gate."

Zelda groaned. "What does he want? Get rid of him, we're busy."

I shrugged. "He's already here and he brought stuff for Boomer. I can't just blow him off. He wants to know how Boomer's doing."

Zelda smirked. "Yeah sure he does."

I opened the door. "Once he gets a look at me, he won't stay long."

Zelda muttered and stomped back to the kitchen. I opened the door, waved to Ted, who idled at the drive and hit the gate button from the control panel at the door.

As the gate chugged open, I walked out to meet Ted. He drove through and parked his Escalade next to Zelda's jeep. Looking great in a pair of snug jeans and a leather jacket, he got out of the car and smiled. "Hey gorgeous."

Crazy flour-coated hair and ratty sweats wasn't my best look but Ted eyed me like I was ready for the red carpet. "If I'd known you were coming I might've taken a shower."

Ted pulled a large shopping bag out of the car and closed the door. In three strides he was next to me. He kissed the top of my head. "Looks like you've been cooking up a storm."

I stepped back and fixed my gaze on the bag. "What's all this?"

He held up the bag like a proud little boy. "Boomer gear. How's the little guy doing?"

Boomer rushed out the door, yapping and wagging his stub. He was so happy to see Ted that he stood on his hind legs and did a little dance.

Ted scooped up Boomer with one hand. "Hey buddy, how you doing?"

Boomer lavished Ted with lots of doggie kisses and whimpered with joy.

After that welcome there’d be no getting rid of him so I said, "Come on in."

Ted followed me into the house and set Boomer down on the floor. Without a word, he crouched and emptied the shopping bag
—
enough toys, treats, and chew bones for ten dogs. Boomer sniffed each item until he settled on a stuffed purple dragon. He bit into it, flailed it from side to side and grunted his approval.

Ted puffed out his chest and grinned. "Looks like we have a winner."

We left Boomer to his purple dragon and went into the kitchen where Zelda sipped coffee while pretending to read a magazine.

Ted pulled up a stool and sat. "Hey Zelda."

Zelda stared harder at the magazine she wasn't reading. "Hey."

Ted whistled at the sight of the pies and pastries lined on the back counters. "That is a whole lot of dessert."

I brought him a cup of coffee and pulled up a stool next to him. I was a mess and didn't want him to look at me and Zelda wouldn't look at either of us.

Ted cleared his throat. "So Boomer's doing good?"

I nodded and tried to smooth back my hair. "Yup."

Zelda buried her nose in the magazine.

Ted lost his smile and drummed his fingers on the coffee mug. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything..."

I glared at Zelda. "No, we finished a few minutes ago." I tugged on my sweatshirt. "The only thing left to clean up is me."

Zelda closed her magazine and tossed it aside. "Yeah but we have that thing." She gave me the look. "Remember?"

Ted turned to me. "You have a thing?"

I shook my head. "Sort of, but it can keep."

Zelda glared. "Not really."

I glared back at Zelda. "Why don't you go grab a shower, Zee?"

She squinted at me. "Why don't you?"

"I will, after you're done. And then we can do the thing."

Zelda scraped back her stool and stood. "Fine. But I don't take long showers like some people." She scowled at me for another second then stomped out of the kitchen.

Ted watched after her. "Did I piss her off?"

"She'll feel better after a shower." I wiped the flour off my cheeks and hopped off my stool. "How about a slice of pie? As you can see, I've got plenty."

He tilted his head and smiled at me. "I was hoping I could buy you lunch."

I leaned my hip against the butcher-block. "Oh that's nice. But like Zelda said we do have a thing." My eyes wandered to a spot on the floor. "So…uh."

"Do you eat dinner?"

I blushed and giggled like a teenager at her first dance. "Dinner?"

"Yeah, you've heard of it right? You go to a nice place, eat good food, and have a glass of wine. Talk."

His eyes were deep green magnets sucking me into his orbit. "Well..."

"A real dinner - not chili dogs in the rain."

I giggled again. "I like chili dogs in the rain."

Ted pushed back his stool and stood. "Seven o'clock? Does that give you enough time to do your thing?" No longer in possession of a vocabulary I nodded. But at least I didn't giggle again. He put his arm around my shoulders. "It's a date, then. Walk me out?"

I walked him to his car worrying about flour transfer on his nice black clothes. Without warning, he pulled me into his arms and kissed me. His lips were soft and supple and felt good on mine. Too good. When he let me go he said, "I've wanted to do that for a while."

Still having trouble with words I made a cooing sound.

"Tonight?"

I nodded and blushed
—
wiping at my cheeks as though that would make it go away.

He tugged on a hank of my hair then got into his car. Then he fired up the engine and pulled out onto the street, waving one last time before heading down the hill.

"I knew it!" Zelda huffed.

I jumped and spun toward her. "Stop sneaking up on me."

Zelda, freshly showered with damp hair and dressed in clean sweats waved a hand at the street. "That guy is trouble."

I slung my arm over Zelda's shoulder and walked her back to the house. "We're about to investigate a murder and Ted is the thing that worries you?"

Zelda shrugged off my arm. "I don't trust him. Come on Scotti, who fixes somebody's car for free?"

I shrugged and walked through the door. "You could've offered to pay him."

Zelda followed me inside. "Nobody turns down a free lunch. I'm not stupid."

I flicked her a look. "No, but you are a little jealous."

Zelda forced a laugh. "Why, because you have a boyfriend and I don't?" She plopped onto the sofa. "Hardly."

I frowned. "He's not my boyfriend."

Zelda smirked. "Which is why you were doing the tongue tango outside? Because he's not your boyfriend?"

I flipped my hand at her and started for my bedroom. "Are you going to pout all day or help me?"

Zelda looked up. "Help you do what? Pick out an outfit for your dinner date? French braid your hair?"

I shook my fists in the air. "No, smart-ass. Break into George's briefcase."

After I showered and changed, we sat on my bedroom floor with the briefcase between us. Zelda held a flathead screwdriver in her hand, tapping the palm of her other hand with the handle "What do you think?"

I scoffed. "You're the mechanical genius - what do you think?"

Zelda stared at the case and stroked her chin.

I snatched the screwdriver out of her hand. "For somebody who was anxious to get to it, you're sure taking your time." I pulled the briefcase across the floor to me, angled it so the latch side of it rested on my knees, and studied it. Wedging the flat head of the screwdriver under one of the latches I worked it back and forth. "I can't get enough leverage. Get me a hammer."

Zelda furrowed her brow. "Why, are you going to beat it into submission?"

"Just get me a hammer, would you?"

Zelda shrugged and went to get a hammer. I kept working the head of the screwdriver under the latch, hoping to pop it but without luck. Zelda returned with a hammer and hunched over me while I went at the case with both tools. Wedging the screwdriver under the latch, I tapped the handle of the screwdriver with the hammer. The latch gave a little and the small success encouraged me to tap the handle harder. But the case slid off my knees onto the floor. "Damn it."

Zelda grabbed the case and held it in position for me. "Try again."

I got up on my knees, wedged the head of the screwdriver under the latch, and pulled back the hammer to give the handle a good whack.

"Wait."

I stopped the hammer mid-swing. "What?"

"If you do it this way, you'll destroy the case."

I dropped my arm to my side. "So?"

"Then it'll be obvious we broke into it."

"So? Nobody's going to see it." I swung back the hammer again

Nobody knows we have it."

"Are you sure about that?"

I sat back on my heels and put the hammer and screwdriver on the floor. "If somebody knew they'd have asked for it by now."

Zelda shrugged. "But what if George made a note or told somebody, who hasn't mentioned it yet? They're probably still going through all his stuff."

"Then why did he give it to me in the first place?"

Zelda stared at the case and leaned back on her hands. "That depends on what's in it. Maybe it's incriminating evidence against George that he wanted to hide." She looked at me. "Or it's some kind of set up. Like a test? If you open it then you fail the test."

I scooted away from the case and stared at it. "George wouldn't do that."

Zelda crossed her arms over her chest and frowned at the case. "How can you be so sure? You didn't think he'd keep anything from you either
—
but he told Lily about you and didn't tell you about her. And the rest of his family never heard of you." She frowned. "Or they’re pretending they never heard of you."

I buried my hands in my hair and groaned. "Stop! You're making me nuts. If George and his family are such jerks then why are we doing any of this?"

Zelda rolled her eyes. "For you, genius. You need the money. I can't believe I have to tell you this."

I threw up my hands. "Then decide. Do we open this thing or walk away? I'm not going to sit in my bedroom and argue all day."

Zelda sneered. "Oh, you have something better to do? Worried you'll miss your date with Teddy boy?"

I shook my head and got to my feet. "Knock off the attitude, Zee. I like Ted and you're going to have to accept that fact. I don't expect you to like him but I do expect you to be civil." I fisted my itchy eyes. "Now, I want to open this damn briefcase, so I'm going to check the Internet for tips." I walked to the door. "Feel free to pout or help me, your choice."

Zelda grumbled but followed me into my office.

About an hour into our search, we found a video that provided a workable method. One that wouldn't damage the case but would get it open. The method was simple and easier than I expected; just apply light pressure on the release button and spin the number wheels, one at a time, until it set. When the last number clicked into place, the latches popped like magic. Now, we had only to lift the lid to see what lie inside. I stared, unable to take the step.

Zelda cranked her hand — her face was as anxious as I was nauseous. "Open it already."

I slid it across the countertop to her. "You open it."

She pushed it back to me. "George gave it to you. You open it."

"Fine," I huffed and flung the lid open.

Zelda's face fell at the sight of the few items inside the case. "That's it?" Inside was a phone, an small appointment calendar, a flash-drive and a set of keys. Sticking out of a compartment in the lid was an envelope with my name written on it, in George's scrawl. I held the envelope in my hands and stared at it. Zelda came to my side of the butcher-block and peered over my shoulder. "It's easier to read if you open it."

I nudged her away and peeled back the flap with my fingernails. "Quit crowding me." Inside was a one-page letter from George:

Dear Scotti,

If you're reading this then chances are, you've opened the briefcase because I'm no longer here.

Due to certain confidences I can't explain many things to you that I wish I could share. The items in this case may help you to put the pieces together. I hope so, because I won't be there to do it myself. So now, unfortunately it falls to you.

You're a bright woman and I'm confident that your sharp intuitive mind will lead you to the right conclusions.

I'm sorry that our plans never came to fruition - I was looking forward to becoming a born again foodie and helping you realize your goals. No matter where I am, please know that I always believed in you, and never give up, Scotti.

Keep your chin up and look for the silver lining when all else fails.