Hot Coffee Iced Santa

by Cam Larson

  Jared's head jerked up and then back down again. He knew the two officers in front of him knew more than he cared to admit. If he thought about asking for a lawyer to let him handle the harassment going on, he didn't indicate that.

  Chief Hayes pushed bank statements across the table. They had Jared Freedman's name and account number on them. "It's more than interesting to us that you withdrew the exact same amount of money on a monthly basis that Frank Duvall deposited the first of every month. Can you see any correlation here?"

  Jared shook his head no. "I don't know what it means."

  Dan Stanton then pushed a blank piece of paper toward the investor and placed a ballpoint pen next to it. "I want you to write your name on this paper as well as the words West River Bank."

  Jared complied. His hand shook a little, but he mastered it. "Now, write restaurant on the paper." The Officer then asked for numbers one to twelve.

  Satisfied, he stood up and walked out with the paper in his hand. I saw him hand it to another cop. "Get someone to take a look at the handwriting on this right away. Compare it to the note found at Frank's house." He then returned to his suspect.

  "I believe you dealt closer with Frank Duvall than you have tried to lead us to believe," Chief Hayes was saying when Officer Stanton came back in and sat down.

  If Jared's hands had been free, I knew they wouldn't be lying still. Suddenly, he looked up at the Chief. "All right!" he shouted. "Frank was one of my investors. We stayed connected after he was fired from the bank. Is that what you want to know? Since when is it a crime to invest?"

  The Chief tapped Officer Stanton's shoulder. Both stood and left Jared. The investor's blank stare when they walked out proved he was confused with their behavior. We all stood at the two-way mirror and watched him.

  "What are you thinking, Laila?" asked Donald.

  "I'm thinking I was right about Frank blackmailing Jared. Are you going to give him too much time to think in there? He could be thinking up explanations and excuses."

  "I'm just letting him stew a little. He's probably wondering why he said what he did, but he can't take it back now."

  Chief Hayes chuckled. He was thoroughly enjoying making his suspect squirm a little. He turned to go back into the interrogation room. Jared glanced up and watched Donald sit down in leisurely fashion across from him. Officer Dan Stanton followed him in. He stood and leaned against the wall to Jared's left.

  Chapter Twenty Three

  I walked down the hallway and hit speed dial that held Daniel's number. When he answered, I brought him up to date. "Hey, I just wanted to let you know that the police are interrogating the investor right now. It seems that Frank may have been blackmailing him, too. It's hard to say for sure, yet, but I just wanted to let you know. I don't want to miss anything else so I'll hang up and call you later," I said.

  "Don't leave anything out," said Daniel. "Hopefully you've got the right person, Laila."

  "I hope so. Right now things are starting to look interesting, for sure," I said.

  The questioning had ended and they were arresting Jared. Once the new suspect was assigned a cell, Chief Hayes, Officer Stanton and I returned to the Chief's office. I wanted to get caught up. While I was on the phone with Daniel something important must have been uncovered.

  "I can't believe he didn't lawyer up," said Officer Stanton. "He sure got himself in deeper than he wanted to."

  "He's probably asking for one now," said Donald. "It doesn't matter because he gave us plenty to go on."

  "Let me guess," I said. "Jared double-crossed Frank somehow and so Frank started the blackmailing tactic."

  The Chief nodded. "You heard it all, Laila, so it doesn't surprise me that you know all of that. Jared refused to explain in detail what was actually going on between the two."

  "I left for a few minutes to call Daniel,” I said. “I knew he would want to know Steven is off the hook."

  "We have a lot of work to do. No one is completely off the hook yet," said Officer Stanton.

  "There must have been some blackmailing going on," I said. The Chief nodded his head. There was more to do along that line.

  When I left the precinct I decided to go back down to Tommy's Bar. I hoped to meet up with Joe again. Maybe he would tell me more as long as he remembered the five dollar bill I gave him. When I arrived, there were three cars and two trucks parked at the place. Business had picked up since my last visit. I stood inside and paused to adjust my eyesight. My first observation was that no one had cleaned the place up yet. At second glance it looked like the floor had been swept so I figured the odors were permanent ones. I spotted Joe hanging precariously on the edge of a bar stool. The bartender, Billy, looked up at me and turned to a customer who ordered a cold drink.

  I reintroduced myself to Joe. His toothy grin spread across his dulled face. There were four empty bar stools on the other side of Joe. I sat in the second one. Billy leaned over the counter and said in a low tone, "Don't make trouble for me in here. If you want to come in and drink, that's another matter."

  "I won't cause trouble. Pour me a coke." Joe looked at me and then recognition finally set in. "I want to ask you where Frank had been before he came in here that night," I asked him.

  His speech slurred but not as badly as the first visit. I hoped his mind was clearer this time. "He was at the mall, I guess. You know he played Santa there. Like I said, he came in here looking like the real thing."

  I knew Frank played Santa at the mall only on weekends. He was murdered on a Thursday night. It didn't really matter where he had been playing Santa. The fact was it was the only explanation for him being in the Santa garb.

  "I hear he was knocked out in that freezer," said Joe. Lackluster eyes looked squarely at me. I didn't need for him to get any closer. "I remembered the man he met here that night. He's a bigwig at the bank. He ran me off once when I begged for a handout outside that bank. I was homeless then." Joe started to tell me how he had come up in the world now and had a small apartment.

  I asked myself why I was back here talking to Joe anyway. If he knew the man Frank talked to at the bar, he took his time telling me. I started to leave and remembered the five dollar bill and handed it to him. If Joe didn't reveal the name by the time I got to the door, I would go back and get it out of him. I made it almost to the door when I heard Joe's voice.

  "Wait." He staggered, trying to catch up with me. I waited. "You know, I used to be a bigwig," he said at the door. "That man was Jared Freedman. I was on the inside with him when he made a lot of money. I wasn't the only one paying him for information about mergers and acquisitions."

  For the first time, I recognized an educated man. So Jared was a crook. "What happened to you?" I asked.

  "When the law started getting close, he sold me out. I ended up in prison. His lawyer convinced the jury Jared was innocent. When I came out, I had nothing, and now here I am." He wiped his mouth with the back of his chapped hand. "I think Jared had something to do with that murder. That's my opinion."

  "He's in a jail cell as we speak. Of course, this is only the beginning of what will be a long investigation. Then there will have to be the trial. I don't know how it will all end up."

  "He'll get off," said Joe. When he turned around, he stumbled. Once he got his footing again, he made his way to the bar stool. My coke sat there untouched.

  Chapter Twenty Four

  It was getting late. I made a mental note to talk with Chief Hayes again the next day. We now had a witness who named Jared as the man who met Frank at the bar. That was something that would pad the case. Besides that, I wanted to discuss exactly what caused Frank's death. I wanted details. I didn't have to worry this time that I would be accosted outside Tommy's Bar. That perpetrator sat in West River's jail.

  On my way home, I stopped by Steven's Steakhouse. A few customers were finishing dinners when I came in. More were approaching the door to the restaurant.

  "Hey, Laila," called the familiar voice. The ha
ndsome man waved from behind the counter. "You're out late. Do you want something to eat?"

  "I have to get home to take care of my dog, Steven. I’ll come back. I want to talk to you again. I knew I could be inviting trouble, but I needed a few more answers. He smiled, causing his good looks to stand out even more than usual.

  “I’ll be here,” said Steven.

  A quick sandwich would have to do for tonight. I studied my cork board. Flipping through my desk, I pulled an index card out and wrote Jared Freedman's name on it, then pinned it just under Franks' name in the center. I listed everything known about the man in the jail cell. Everything came together better when written down.

  I hurried my time with Thor and left for the Steakhouse again.

  “Come on back to my office. I’ll get us some coffee,” said Steven. I watched as he handed me the cup of steaming liquid with ease.

  "What's the mystery of wanting to see me again?" he asked. "I had the distinct feeling you didn't want anything to do with me earlier." His expression held hopefulness.

  I brushed over his comment and decided to keep things focused on what I had to tell him. "I have good news for you. Jared Freedman is in a jail cell, a suspect in Frank's murder."

  "Do you mean the investor at the West River Bank building?"

  "I mean the same. He was arrested today and actually confessed that he and Frank invested together. I don't have exact details, but he could be the one who killed Frank."

  "Well, that will prove they looked at the wrong man from the beginning," said Steven. "I can't even be mean to animals, much less harm a person. I didn't care that much for Frank's attitude, but he did a good job in the kitchen. I wonder how he had enough money for investing."

  "That's still a mystery," I said. "I'm thinking maybe he got it by blackmailing someone like he did Cassie. By the way, did you come to my door the other night?"

  "No, why do you ask?"

  "I thought I heard someone ring the doorbell but no one was there when the door was opened."

  "That's odd for sure, but it wasn't me," offered Steven. "The news of Jared's arrest is most welcome, Laila."

  I didn't have the heart to tell Steven he wasn't off the hook completely. That is, if I believed Officer Dan Stanton's remarks along those lines.

  I still didn't feel I knew Steven well enough to dismiss him as the killer. The thing that led me to think he was not the one was Daniel's complete faith in his innocence.

  Evidence was mounting against Jared and that was a plus. I couldn't veer away from known facts. Whoever did it hadn't been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt at this point. I tried not to convince myself that the aftershave cologne was worn by more than one man.

  Chapter Twenty Five

  The next day I was busy wiping down tables when Jacob handed me the cordless phone. "It's Chief Hayes," he said.

  I walked back to the kitchen to take the call. "Laila, we've gotten more out of Jared Freedman. Seems he decided to talk after all."

  "Did he confess to the murder?"

  "Not yet, but he told us more about Frank's involvement with him."

  "Has he asked for a lawyer yet?"

  "No, and we can't figure that one out. He told us he had been transacting illegally. He had access to insider trading and passed information on to close friends and family. He was making a private killing off of what they paid him."

  "That must have been what Joe meant about dealing with Jared."

  "Joe?"

  "The guy at Tommy's Bar. Jared swindled him. Did Jared let Frank in on the money scheme?"

  "Not directly, but Frank found out from one of Jared's brothers-in-law. He told Frank he should ask Jared to get him in on it all. He did and when Jared refused, Frank threatened to expose him."

  "It was blackmail, after all," I said. "Tell me Jared was pressured to pay Frank off to keep his mouth shut."

  The Chief laughed out loud. "You were right about the blackmailing part. Jared did pay Frank off just like the bank statements showed. Frank had a little while to live high on his wealth."

  "When will Jared's trial for murder be?" I asked.

  "Wait a minute, who said anything about murder? We have a lot more investigation to do before that happens. Blackmailing doesn't prove murder."

  "It's sure to lead to that conclusion," I said. My voice was one of conviction. I knew we had the right man. "He's walking on thin ice in my mind."

  "All right, Laila, I agree he could be the murderer but we need to get more out of Jared than what we have so far," said the Chief. "We can hold him on the illegal trading scheme for now."

  "What next?" I asked.

  "In about an hour, I'm going to go to his office. It's sealed off until we can do a search."

  Of course I wanted to be there. After asking the Chief if I could meet him at Jared's office, he agreed. He told me as long as I stayed in the doorway, he didn’t object. My connection with the Chief of Police was a solid one by this time. When we hung up I told my boss that I was getting close to solving the murder and asked for a longer break today. He agreed to an hour and a half versus my usual hour. On my way to Jared's office, I thought about Frank Duvall. We were all correct thinking he wasn't rich enough to invest money. Now I understood how he accumulated his wealth. He had a good thing going for a while.

  I met Chief Hayes at the bank. Sharon's eyes didn't leave either of us as we made our way down the hall to the investor's office. A Detective not familiar to me stood with Officer Stanton outside Jared's door. Donald told them to collect computers for starters. He pulled open a file cabinet and thumbed through files until he reached one that had Frank's name on it. He waved it in my direction.

  “Looks like a spreadsheet,” he said as he bent over the file again.

  I wondered what the bottom line showed dollar-wise. "I wonder why Jared kept a file like this in hard copy," I said.

  "I think he probably hoped that it would prove Frank was an insider trader, too. A hard copy would strengthen his case against him if it came to that." He peered closer. "I'm not so sure this is a fake document. These numbers match the bank statements we have. Frank was being paid off by Jared. The dishwasher was no investor."

  "I didn't think he was rich enough to invest money." I told him. "Spreadsheets are like Greek to me, but I guess the bottom line is that Frank held the reins with Jared because of what he had against him."

  Donald smiled and agreed. Somehow Jared had to be forced to confess to murdering Frank Duvall. I felt sure our time was limited until that happened. I crossed my fingers he would do that before he asked for a lawyer. In his career as an investor, I would think that move had occurred by this time. Any way I looked at it, even without a confession, a mountain of evidence was building up against him.

  The Chief collected a few more things and placed them into the boxes held open by Officer Stanton.

  "How did Frank die?" I asked when we got outside.

  "He was hit on the head with a large tool of some kind. At least, we believe that is what happened. The coroner told us it was a blow to his head that did him in."

  "That would explain the blood stains on the floor near the opposite wall," I said. Again Chief Hayes agreed with me. "There must have been a fight until they got to the freezer door where Frank finally died." The Chief nodded in concurrence.

  I couldn't resist an outward beam on my face. Then I turned back to serious thinking. I thought about Jared's hands. They were broad for a man who was on the slim side. I noted at one time that his physique looked as if he worked out a lot. Frank was overweight and I doubted he moved as fast as Jared. I shuddered when I remembered the grip on me outside Tommy's Bar. The only thing left was to trap Jared into admitting he was the culprit in the murder.

  More than once, Donald Hayes reminded me the mystery remained as to whether or not Jared was the actual murderer. I knew the man did more than dabble in illegal financial matters. I recalled the description Joe gave of Jared Freedman. He matched the description
my boss Jacob gave of the man at my door. Jared had dark hair. It was speckled with grey but in the shadows at my front porch, or in a dark bar, the grey wouldn't be so visible.

  I walked into Roasted Love within the time Jacob gave me. I told him thanks and got back to work.

  "Are you involved in another crime solving, Laila?" asked Lily.

  "Yes, and I think it is about to be solved." I told her it concerned the murder of Frank Duvall. "Daniel and I know the owner of Steven's Steakhouse. It happened in one of the freezers at that restaurant."

  "You have more nerve than I have," said Lily. She picked up a small tray of scones and two lattes and took them to a couple who sat near the window.

  I didn't comment. I loved my job as Barista, but I did enjoy solving mysteries in between times. I had to figure out how to get Jared to confess to murdering Frank. I realized that the Chief had his ways and means but I was getting impatient for them to get to the nitty-gritty of an actual confession.

  "How many murderers actually come out and confess?" I said to no one in particular.

  Lily's son, Eddie, came up behind me with a tray of bagels. "Are you talking to yourself again, Laila? People are going to start wondering about you."

  "If I don't talk out loud when I'm thinking, it takes me longer to come to conclusions." I hit him on the shoulder. "All great minds do that."

  "I'm just saying, Laila, not everyone understands that. I'm one of them." He leaned his head back and laughed. Then he set the tray down.

  "Those bagels need to be put in the display, Eddie."

  At closing time, everyone left except Jacob and me. "Laila, I worry about you in all of this. I hope you aren't taking chances," said Jacob.

  "I'm being careful. Besides, I think the killer is the one they have locked up downtown." I told Jacob a few things known about Jared Freedman.

  "I've heard of people in high places wanting more," said my boss. "I don't know how some of them can get so greedy."

  "I guess some are never satisfied. He hasn't done any confessing to the murder, but I really think they have the right man locked up down there."