by Danger Cove
"All good. Something I can do for you?" The concern on his face eased slightly as he responded.
I shook my head. "I'm running a few errands. Wanted to see if you needed anything."
"What I need is for people to stay out of my business."
"Is someone bothering you?" I hoped I wasn't the people he was referring to. Talk about awkward.
My words transformed his face into his trademark smile. It was a little scary how quickly his demeanor could change. "Of course not. My mother called. You know how they can be."
I might not know as much as the average person, but I did know. The difference was, I didn't mind. It was kind of nice having my mother snoop around in my business these days. Not wanting to be disagreeable, I nodded. "Yes, they can overstep from time to time. Sorry you're having to deal with that. Other than asking your mother to stay out of your business, is there anything I can get for you in town?"
"No, thanks. I'm going to tend to my flowers and then check the vegetables in the garden. Some of the tomatoes are about ready to be picked."
A gentle breeze blew across my face, bringing with it the smell of fresh herbs. Drake must've just finished working in that part of the greenhouse. For some reason, the smell made me hungry for lasagna. "Fresh BLT sandwiches—my favorite. Thanks, Drake. Text me if you think of anything. I won't be gone long."
"You got it. Now back to my flowers."
I headed to my bike, but before I rode off to investigate the bar, I shot Vernon a text. Any updates on Drake's background?
He didn't respond right away. I wasn't surprised. He didn't keep his phone glued to him one hundred percent of the time. Hopefully soon he'd check his phone and get back to me. All these loose ends in my life were starting to cause me a great deal of unrest. At least by the close of business tonight, a couple of matters would be resolved. For better or for worse.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
I'd only made it about halfway to The Pelican Bar when my phone dinged with an incoming text. I stopped along the side of the road to see who the message was from. The notification showed Vernon had replied.
No news yet. Be patient.
I fought the urge to remind him that wasn't one of my virtues, but since he was doing me a favor, I'd keep that tidbit of snark to myself. For my gardener though, I was tired of being patient. When I got back to the tavern, I was going to confront Drake about the arrest on his record and get this cleared up once and for all. I should've done it right away rather than relying on someone else to provide assistance. If the last week had taught me anything, it was that there was always the possibility that people would come and go in your life. Being too reliant on someone could leave you high and dry. And lonely…
Not wanting to put this off any longer than I already had, I decided my visit to the competition would have to wait for another day. I would stop by the bakery to pick up the goodies I'd promised the girls, along with something for the rest of the team, and then take care of my unfinished business with Drake.
My legs burned from the intense workout I'd given them, but I made it to the bakery in record time. Thankfully, they were still open. My walk was a little uneasy, as my muscles had turned spongy and unreliable. Honestly, with all the bike riding I did, you'd think my calves would be made of stone by now. The universe was totally unfair in this regard.
"Hi, Lilly. What brings you to the bakery this time of day?" Maura called out from behind the display case.
From the lack of pastries on the shelves, it looked like I'd arrived in just the nick of time.
"Been a rough day at the tavern. Wanted to bring some treats in for the team before the dinner rush starts."
She smiled. "Nothing like sugar to lift the spirits. Any particular poison you'd like today?"
Her use of the word poison tickled my senses—and not in a good way. Even though Ms. Ashby had said to look beyond the logical, sometimes there was a method to the madness. Agnes had become ill every time she drank the tea Rico had given her. I'd also not felt well after drinking the other tea he'd gifted her. It made me wonder if her new husband had more specific designs on getting Agnes's money. Perhaps he wanted all of it rather than the little bit she'd allow him access to? I shot off a text to Agnes. No more of Rico's tea until we can have it tested.
There was no reply, but my guess was that she was making a rather large withdrawal from the bank. It would be closing time soon, so she'd need to make sure she followed through to make the plan work.
I gave Maura my order and waited for her to fill the bag with tasty treasures. "Can I ask you a question?"
Maura smiled. "Of course."
"How often do you and Blake go to The Pelican Bar?"
She laughed as she closed up the bag and handed it to me. "I think I've gone a few times, but the first couple were only because I was trying to help Blake figure out who was vandalizing his property."
I nodded and continued my questions. "Is the atmosphere and food good there?"
Maura wiped her hands on a nearby towel. "If you're worried that they're serious competition for your place, don't. People go there for an entirely different reason than they would come to Smugglers'."
"Reasons like?"
"Like they want to make deals or arrangements that they don't want anyone else to know or talk about. Everyone minds their own business there—mostly."
Maybe that was where Rico's blackmailer had met him. That was an arrangement, right? My brain felt like a puzzle board with all the pieces scattered around just waiting for me to put them together in the right order. I just needed to find the corner pieces that would provide the framework.
"You okay, Lilly?" Maura's concerned voice filtered into my brain.
"What? Oh, yes. Just trying to solve a puzzle."
Maura smiled. "I have it on good authority that chocolate makes the mind function at a much higher efficiency rate. And if not, you get to douse your disappointment in a mild sugar coma."
I opened the bag and inhaled. Hard to argue with the perfect combination of milk, sugar, and cocoa beans. "Thanks, Maura. The girls will love this."
"I tossed in a chocolate cake donut for Drake. He mentioned those were his favorite the last time we chatted."
"Thanks. I'll be sure to take it to him. Have a great evening. Stop in for dinner tonight, and I'll treat you to our signature drink, a tequila sunset."
"Oh, that sounds good. I'll see if I can make it over there. Thanks!"
Once the goodies were securely fastened in the basket, I headed back to the tavern. My stomach churned slightly in anticipation of my upcoming conversation with Drake. At least I had a donut to serve as a peace offering before we got down to the business of his background. I was greeted with enthusiasm by my kitchen team when they saw the Cinnamon Sugar bag.
"I thought you'd never get back!" Ashley complained as she took her treat.
I might have been offended, but the sparkle in her eye and the little drop of drool in the corner of her mouth told me it was more anticipation than agitation motivating her words.
"You're welcome." Everyone else was a little more patient as they received their snack. Finally, all that was left was the donut for Drake. "I'm going to take this out to Drake. Be back as soon as I can."
"He's not there," Tara advised. "He said he had to run out for supplies."
This man's lack of time management and organization irritated me more than I cared to admit. I had just asked him if he needed anything before I left. His answer had been no. Not wanting to share my aggravation with my sugar-sedated team, I smiled. "I'll just take this out and put it on his desk in the greenhouse. Then we'll get ready to for the dinner rush."
"Take your time. We have everything under control here. We'll text if we need anything."
Early evening in Danger Cove normally boasted a beautiful panorama of colors as the sun began its descent. Orange, purple, and red painting over the blue canvas of the sky to bid the daytime a peaceful night. Tonight, though, the weather ha
d turned stormy. Dark clouds covered the painting, hiding the brilliant colors behind a cloak of misty gray. Just as well, it fit my mood as I thought of Drake and all the other upheaval in my life.
I slipped inside the greenhouse. The fragrance of the flowers greeted me and offered sensory soothing. If I didn't know the dinner rush would be upon us in the next fifteen minutes, I'd hang out in here for a bit. Maybe I should take up gardening or at least have a flower garden. Ha! Yeah, that wasn't going to happen. Guess I'd just have to avail myself of this amenity right behind my place of work.
Once at the back of the building, I placed the treat on Drake's desk. My temporary zen evaporated when I saw over a week's worth of trash in and around the can under his desk. Seriously, why couldn't he just put it in the dumpster on his way from the greenhouse to the kitchen? It wasn't even out of his way.
I grabbed a trash bag from the storage cabinet behind his desk and collected the contents both in and around the can. While I was here, might as well check the bins in the other parts of the building. I moved into the area where the herb garden was and noticed dirt on the ground. If I didn't fire him for whatever was hidden in his background, I might have to do it for failing to take care of the area he was responsible for maintaining. Tara and Clara ran such a neat kitchen, I'd never really had to check up on them. Abe, my former gardener, had been meticulous as well. Drake—not so much.
I looked around until I found a small dust pan and brush. The boards on the floor were unforgiving as I knelt to clean up the mess. The light hit the dirt, and I saw something besides brown reflected in the pile. With the utmost care (I worried it might be a colored insect hanging out in the mess as the ground was kind of their home—I was the invader here), I used the bristles on the little brush to separate the dirt to see if I could figure out what I'd seen.
A moment later, my heart turned into a bass drum thumping wildly against my chest. Silver and green flecks decorated the dirt—just like I'd seen in the glass Agnes had been using to clean her ring. Correction—fake ring. It was wildly circumstantial and made no sense at all to even think he might have the ring. But, I reminded myself, they'd never found it either.
Drake wasn't on the premises during the search. He might have hidden it here in the greenhouse later. It was a long shot, like record-setting sniper long shot, but to satisfy my curiosity, I needed to at least look.
There were plenty of good hiding places in here, but since I found the specks in the dirt on the floor, I'd start by looking in the pots on the closest shelf. I looked for soil displacement in each plant until I found one where it looked like the dirt had been recently disturbed. It required a few inhales and slow exhales before I worked up the courage to put my fingers in the pot and dig down to see if something had been buried in a potential luxury apartment complex for bugs.
My centi-senses skittered along the length of my spine when my fingers came in contact with an object that varied in texture from the soil. Please don't let it be a bug. Lifting carefully and fully prepared to scream, I retrieved the item.
There, in my now grimy fingers, was the remains of Agnes's fake wedding ring.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
The ring lacked its original luster and resembled something a child would get out of a gumball machine, instead of a symbol of luxury and affluence. At least one corner puzzle piece had taken its place in my mind puzzle. Drake had Agnes's ring. That didn't mean he'd killed Rico, though he'd just catapulted to the top of the suspect list in my opinion.
I needed more corner pieces to get a better picture of what had happened that morning. I tried to remember what else Officer Faria had shared with me about the cause of death. It wasn't something sharp or with an edge, like the table, and it had left no residue in the wound. A blunt, smooth object. Yeah, still didn't really narrow down the possible items much.
Since I had the privacy, I might as well take a look around to determine if I could see anything else out of place. I replayed that morning in slow motion, hoping to remember a detail that might not have seemed relevant at the time.
"I'm just going to grab something from the greenhouse—then I'll be on my way." Drake's voice called out to someone.
My delicious chocolate treat from the bakery started churning in my stomach. Finding the ring was only circumstantial, and there were still two key pieces missing: the murder weapon and the motive.
More time to look around and someplace to hide—that was what I needed. I hurried back to the office area and slid under the desk. Sometimes it paid being petite and reasonably flexible. I pulled the chair in and held my breath as I heard the outer door open. Shitzu! I'd left the trash bag and dust pan out in the area. Maybe he wouldn't notice.
My breath caught in my throat and refused to move when he clomped into the room. His work boots peeked under the desk, and I heard him pick up the bag I'd left him with Maura's gift. "Not my birthday yet, but a present is a present."
The paper rattled as he crumpled it. The noise jangled my already heightened nerves. Maybe he'd be in a sugary-sweet mood should he find me hiding out under his desk. It was a hard sell, but I needed to convince myself of a non-violent end to my snooping. I might have had every right to be in here, but my extracurricular activities could spell trouble.
Unable to see anything other than his boots, I focused on listening. Maybe I'd hear something that would help me not only solve this mystery, but get me out of this sticky situation. I ignored the fact that it sounded like he was eating with his mouth open. Not cool. Gram would not be pleased. Crumbs fell around his feet. I'd bet my next paycheck he didn't bother to sweep it up. He tossed the bag to the ground and headed away from me.
My phone buzzed in my pocket. Not super loud, but in the quiet of the office, it resonated like a starting buzzer at a Danger Cove High School basketball game. Or at least how Tan had described that event to me.
The door to the greenhouse opened and shut before I allowed myself the luxury of an exhale. I crawled out from under the desk and caught my knee on a sharp object. Reaching down, my hand found the culprit—a small snub-nosed screwdriver. Great, not only was he leaving trash on the floor, but his tools as well. I slipped the screwdriver into my purse, stood, and allowed myself a moment to stretch before pulling my phone out of my back pocket. I had a missed call from Vernon, followed by a text. He indicated he'd received a message from his guy and would call soon with an update. Finally, some good news.
I made it back to the area where I'd left my mess. I needed to put the ring someplace safe that would allow me to be hands-free while I cleaned up. Even though it was fake, the stone was too big to fit into the pocket of my capris—at least not comfortably. Wanting to get out of there as quickly as possible, I slid my fingers along my neck to lift my gold chain from under my blouse. A moment later, I'd added Agnes's ring alongside my grandmother's wedding ring and the key to my lockbox at home and returned the chain to its proper place.
I allowed myself a moment to smile as I remembered when Tan had discovered exactly where the key remained nestled. He'd laughed and told me it represented the key to heaven for him. I really was going to miss him.
My sweet dream of that moment broke in two with the sound of a slamming door. I looked up and saw Drake leaning against the doorframe. Logistically, this was a problem, as that doorway represented the only path to the exit in the next room. Quickly, I moved my hands behind my back. Hopefully, he'd been focused on my face. Hey, a girl can hope.
"Lilly, what a surprise to see you in here."
"I brought you a gift from Maura. She recalled you enjoyed the chocolate cake donuts and wanted you to have one."
He crossed his arms and smiled. Not a warm, caring, make-you-feel-warm-and-fuzzy kind of smile, more of a cat-about-to-eat-the-canary grin. "It was delicious. Thank you. I didn't realize you were still in here though. Where were you?"
Umm…hiding under your desk like any respectable assistant manager? Not plausible. "I didn't see you either. I must've been
admiring your beautiful flowers, and we missed each other."
His gaze traveled from me to the trash can and then back to me, coming to rest on my chest. Wait! My chest? How rude. He moved toward me, and I had to fight the strong urge to put my hands up to defend myself against whatever he was planning to do.
A moment later his plan was revealed when he guided his hand, index finger pointing out, until the tip touched my collarbone. The centipedes moved from my spine straight to my heart, a thousand nerve endings coming to life—and not in a good way. I swallowed hard before I could lift my head to meet his intense stare.
"You have dirt on you. Wonder where that could've come from?" He lifted my necklace until the hidden treasures were revealed. With one quick jerk, he snapped the chain in two, taking possession of the key and rings. He made a show of looking at each item. "Hmm, one of these things is not like the other."
Somewhere in the midst of all the centipedes, I found a penlight of courage in the darkness. "Agreed. One of them is fake. You have any ideas how it came to be in the greenhouse?"
Drake moved a few steps back and chuckled. "I love your moxie. You run headlong into danger without a second thought. You also stock the best tequila around. None of that crap they serve at The Pelican Bar."
That puzzle piece fell into place a few minutes too late. I remembered Maura mentioning she and Blake had seen Drake there. I needed to stall while I tried to fill in a few more blank spots. "You're saying I'm in danger here? I brought your donut in and accidentally knocked one of the pots over. I was trying to clean it up. That's when I found the ring." Sounded plausible. Two-thirds of it was reasonably true. That had to count for something, right?
"And the ring just what? Fell out with the dirt?"
The amusement in his voice annoyed me. Donna Do-Good, my guardian angel, quickly reminded me that now was not the time to share my annoyance. Kind of hated it when she was right.
Knowing it was impossible for me to behave and hold my tongue for an extended period of time, my gaze darted around the room, looking for something that could be used as a weapon. It would need to be close and something, preferably, that wouldn't kill him. My preference—once I found a bad guy—was to hit pause on the playlist of my predicament and bring in the official dispensers of justice. Anything more than that was above my unofficial paygrade.
