A Whole Latte Murder

by Caroline Fardig

  His voice sounded bitter. “You say that like it’s so easy.”

  “I’m not saying it’s going to be easy. In fact, it’ll probably suck. But the alternative is that you get a dozen or so cats and start wearing yoga pants, so…”

  He cracked a smile. “I thought only chicks did that.”

  I shook my head, my expression one of mock seriousness. “You don’t want to be called a minster.”

  “That’s not a thing.”

  “It is, too. A minster is a male spinster. You know, a guy who’s thirty-ish and unmarried.”

  He chuckled. “That makes your boyfriend a minster, too.”

  “No, he’s a brooding widower, which is totally hot.”

  “Right. I forgot. But you have no room to talk, spinster.”

  I stuck my tongue out at him. “Now you’re just being hateful.”

  He held his hands up in surrender. “Okay, I get it. I need to get over myself and quit being a dick.”

  “Such language.”

  —

  After a much-needed rest and some food, Pete and I were ready to go out again. The problem was, our team had dwindled. Isabella and Gina had left. In fact, enough searchers had quit that Polly had to regroup the teams.

  “Juliet, you’ll keep Pete and Cole on your team, and I’m going to add Jack Beaumont and Rhonda Browning,” she said.

  That was going to be an odd mix of people. Rhonda had little use for Cole at work, so I couldn’t imagine she’d be too friendly with him in another setting. And Jack had been in a weird mood today.

  I turned to Pete. “Hear that? Polly said it’s my team. I guess we’ll have to start calling it Team Juliet now instead of Team Pete.”

  He gave me a playful nudge. “It doesn’t have the same ring to it. We’re sticking with Team Pete.”

  Polly cleared her throat to get our attention. “You’ll be searching Reservoir Park. One of the other teams will meet you there. Your contact for that team is Trevor Wells.”

  Earlier, I’d seen Trevor and Ryan in the crowd of people who’d come out to help, but I hadn’t had a chance to speak with them.

  Pete whispered in my ear, “Too bad we had to pick up Rhonda on Team Pete. Can you imagine how much bitching she’s going to do having to run around town in the middle of the night?”

  I snickered, lowering my voice as well. “I know. But it’s nice she came to help. I think she’s getting soft in her old age.”

  Jack came up to us. His eyes were hollow and he seemed drawn. Rubbing his hands together, he said, “We’re wasting precious time here. Every moment counts. Are you two ready to get going?”

  Taken aback a bit by his insistence, I said, “Yeah, let me get my coat.” I hurried back to the office with Pete on my heels.

  Once we were inside, Pete asked, “What’s with him?”

  He and I grabbed our coats from their hangers. I replied, “I don’t know. He’s been acting strangely today.”

  “I’m surprised he stayed after Mallory left. She was the connection to Java Jive, not him.”

  I shrugged. “He’s a professor at Vanderbilt. Maybe he knows Kira.” A thought dawned on me. I added to myself, “Maybe he knows…”

  “What?”

  “Chelsea was having an affair with a pre-med prof. Ryder needs a name, and he asked me to try to get it for him.”

  Pete burst out laughing. “Wait, wait, wait. MNPD Homicide asked you to help them with a case?”

  “Crazy, right?”

  “Insane.”

  “Well, Kira didn’t know who it was, and Stan and his gossipy doctor friends didn’t know who it was. Jack might have seen Chelsea and her guy sneaking around at school. It’s worth asking him when I get a chance.”

  We went back out and met with our new group. Since Reservoir Park was a couple of miles away, Jack offered to drive us over. There was a heavy, awkward silence in the vehicle, made worse by me having to be smushed between Pete and Rhonda in the backseat of Jack’s Lexus sedan. I was up against Pete’s broken arm, so I was trying to give him some extra room by leaning toward Rhonda, which she did not appreciate. She kept sighing and huffing quietly (but loudly enough for me to hear) as she looked out the window. Trevor had texted me to arrange a meet up in the small parking area on the south side of the park. When we arrived, his team was waiting for us there.

  Trevor and Ryan came over to me looking anxious and exhausted. Trevor looked especially horrible. He said, “Hey, Juliet. Having any luck?”

  “No,” I replied. “I’m guessing you guys aren’t, either.”

  Ryan shook his head. “We’ve been regrouped twice. People are getting discouraged and bailing, not that I blame them.”

  Trevor said, “I guess we’d better get started. Polly said for me to explain to your team how to search an open area. We just got done going through Sevier Park.”

  I called my group over so they could listen to Trevor.

  He said, “Polly told us to basically form a line with five-foot intervals between people. Then we walk through every inch of the place.”

  “Sounds pretty easy,” said Pete. “Let’s do this.”

  We made our line out of the ten of us: my team, Trevor, Ryan, and three college-aged guys who looked vaguely familiar to me. Starting in the southeast corner by the basketball court, we systematically combed the park. Once we got to the northern boundary, we shifted our line down and headed south back toward our vehicles. Aside from calling Kira’s name, no one spoke. Rhonda didn’t even complain, which was truly shocking. After a dozen or so sweeps back and forth, I was getting horribly sleepy, and it didn’t help that we were in a dark and more densely wooded part of the park. I tripped over a log hidden by the thick underbrush and fell to my knees.

  Pete was there instantly to help me up. “You okay? Falling asleep on the job or what?”

  I yawned. “Pete, I can barely keep my eyes open, and we’re not even halfway through the park.”

  “You should have drunk more of that Mocha Quint I made you.”

  “I hate to tell you this, but it was gross. Don’t ever—”

  “Holy shit!” Cole’s terrified voice rang out through the still air.

  Cole was at the end of our line, on the other side of Pete. We rushed over to him. He was shining his flashlight on a pile of brush, backing away, his eyes wide as saucers and his breathing labored.

  “What is it, Cole?” I asked.

  He lifted up a shaking finger and pointed at the pile of leaves and sticks. Pete and I both shined our flashlights on the area, and that’s when I saw it—a girl’s pale, still face.

  Chapter 14

  “Pete, call 911,” I said, suddenly wide awake.

  Pete called a halt to the search and walked a few feet away to make the call.

  I rushed over to Cole, who had dropped to his knees near the girl. Before I could think of something to try to comfort him, Jack raced toward us, skidding into a kneeling position over the girl’s body. The rest of the team members hurried after him, congregating around us.

  Jack cried, “Amelia! Oh, no, no, no!” He started frantically pulling the leaves and branches away from her body.

  “Jack, wait,” I said. “I don’t think you should do that. She’s dead.”

  He didn’t stop his maniacal work on the brush pile.

  “Jack, stop,” I said sharply. I was no doctor, but I could tell she was dead. She was pale and bluish and seemed rather stiff.

  Jack stopped what he was doing and sat back on his heels, covering his face with his hands. No one quite knew what to say. We were silent until Pete rejoined the group.

  “The police are on their way,” he said.

  “I need to call Stafford,” I said. When I walked past Pete, I murmured, “Keep an eye on Cole. He’s freaked out. So is Jack.”

  I called Stafford, and he answered immediately. “Hey, Juliet. Everything okay?”

  “No, not really. We found something.”

  An edge crept into his voice. “
What?”

  “I think it’s Amelia Zhou’s body. We’re at Reservoir Park.”

  “I’ll be there in five,” he said, hanging up before I could say goodbye.

  When I got back to the group, Ryan and Trevor had managed to talk Jack into leaving Amelia’s side. The three of them were standing several yards away, but they all had their attention trained on the spot where Amelia’s body lay. The other boys and Rhonda were headed back to the road to flag down the police and lead them to our location.

  I went over to Pete and Cole, who still hadn’t moved from his spot on the ground. “Cole,” I began tentatively.

  He didn’t respond. He just kept staring at the earth in front of him. I motioned to Pete, and we each took one of Cole’s arms, hoisted him up, and steered him away from the grisly scene. We sat him down several yards away, then we sat on either side of him.

  “Cole, I know this is difficult, and I hate that you had to be the one to find Amelia. Was she…a friend of yours?” I asked.

  He nodded. “Sorta.”

  I put my hand on his arm. “I’m so sorry.”

  Pete patted him on the back. “I’m sorry, too, buddy.”

  Cole nodded again, this time keeping his head bowed so we couldn’t see his face.

  Sirens screamed in the distance, growing closer by the second.

  “Cole, just so you know, they’re going to question us pretty hard. They’re going to ask you to recount everything you saw, and it’s going to be difficult for you to put it into words. They may even delve into how well you know her. I want you to be prepared for what’s coming next. I’m sure you’re exhausted, but you need to find some energy to get through the next hour or so,” I said.

  He nodded again. I shared an uneasy glance with Pete. I didn’t know if Cole was up for this. He’d said something earlier this week about how cool it was that I’d found so many dead bodies, but now that it had happened to him, it didn’t seem to be at all what he’d expected.

  After a few minutes, the first responders began showing up, and from there it was mayhem. Because of all the noise, neighbors were coming out of their houses and into the park, trying to find out what was happening. The police officers were stretched thin between dealing with the growing crowd, securing the scene, and rounding up our search group to question us one by one. As I’d expected, Cole got interviewed first.

  Once his interview was over, two officers approached our group. One of them called, “We need Pete Bennett and Juliet Langley next.”

  The older officer took me aside. I hadn’t met him before, but he knew me—or knew of me, rather. “Juliet Langley. I’ve heard your name bandied about the station a time or two.”

  I forced a smile. “Yes, I have a lot more interaction with the MNPD than most.”

  He chuckled. “Then you know the drill. I’m Officer Jeffers.”

  “Nice to meet you.”

  “What happened tonight?”

  I gave him the rundown of what had happened since we got to the park, starting with a brief introduction as to why we were even out here in the first place. To cover my own ass, I ended with, “Once we found her, Jack Beaumont—he’s a doctor—moved some of the brush away from Amelia’s body. I assume he was trying to determine if she needed medical attention. I’m telling you this because if the crime scene looks like stuff has been thrown around, that’s why.”

  Officer Jeffers nodded his head knowingly. “You really do know the drill. Thank you. That should be all, but please don’t leave the area until we give you the okay.”

  “No problem.”

  I noticed Stafford conversing with a few other cops near Amelia’s body. Knowing this was one of his first missing persons cases, I felt bad for him that it had to end like this. I could tell from his body language that he was upset. He kept wiping his face with his hands and scratching his beard. He finally backed away and wandered farther into the part of the wooded area we’d already searched. I followed him, not really knowing what I’d say when I got to him.

  I stepped on a stick and snapped it, the noise breaking the silence and causing Stafford to spin around. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to sneak up on you,” I said.

  He sighed. “It’s okay. I just needed a moment.”

  “Oh, right. I should have realized.” Of course he needed a moment alone. I felt foolish for bothering him. “I’ll leave—”

  His face softened. “No, stay. Talking to you will probably keep me from trying to put my fist through something.”

  I smiled. “I don’t see you as the violent type.” After pausing for a moment, I added, “I’m really sorry about Amelia.”

  “Thank you. You know, I was hoping there would be some logical explanation for her disappearance, but I’m afraid this puts Chelsea’s murder and Kira’s disappearance into a whole new category.”

  His words chilled me. “Kira’s in real trouble, isn’t she?”

  “Yes, I believe so.”

  I rubbed my forehead, wishing the nagging ache I’d had all night would go away. “I don’t know what more to do. Most of the people who originally came to help look for Kira have given up and gone home, and those of us who are left are exhausted. My team is shell-shocked after finding Amelia.” Becoming more and more agitated as I spoke, I threw my hands in the air in despair. “What the hell are we supposed to do, John? Kira is out there somewhere, but we don’t have a damn clue where to even start looking. We’re wandering the streets aimlessly, and—” Emotion overcame me, and my voice broke in a sob.

  Stafford pulled me into a tight hug. “Hey, shh. I know it seems hopeless, but what you’re doing is invaluable. Every little bit helps.”

  Struggling to compose myself, I took a step back from him, and he dropped his arms. “What if it’s not enough? People pretty well gave up on the search for Amelia after a couple of days. What if they completely lose interest in searching for Kira, too?”

  He smiled down at me. “If you hadn’t organized this search for Kira, we wouldn’t have found Amelia. That’s a huge deal. Do you know how thankful her family is going to be that they can lay her to rest?”

  I said bitterly, “I don’t see how they’re going to be thankful to find out their daughter is dead.”

  “Closure is better than not knowing.” He pulled on my sleeve. “Come on. We need to get back.”

  We started back toward the crowd. I said, “I came over here to see if you were okay, and you ended up having to comfort me. I’m a mess.”

  Stafford chuckled. “Not at all. The way I see it, you saved me from breaking my knuckles across some unsuspecting tree. I should be thanking you.”

  “If you say so.”

  He stopped and turned to me. “Juliet, I want you to get some rest. This will take a bigger toll on you than you think, especially after finding Chelsea earlier this week.”

  I opened my mouth to protest, but he stopped me.

  “Just a few hours. Then you can start searching for Kira again. I’ll make sure Polly holds down the fort at Java Jive. Okay?”

  “Okay,” I conceded.

  “I’ll speak to someone about giving your team the all clear to leave.”

  “Thanks.”

  Stafford gave me a pat on the back and headed off toward the throng of law enforcement surrounding the crime scene. I went back over to my group.

  “Detective Stafford said we should be able to leave soon,” I announced.

  Everyone nodded solemnly. I could see in their eyes that they were all beat. We stood there in an uncomfortable silence until I heard Ryder calling my name.

  “Juliet!”

  I turned and noticed him jogging toward me. He steered me away from the group and enveloped me in his arms, warming me instantly.

  “I heard you found Amelia Zhou. Are you all right?”

  “Technically Cole found her. I just happened to be really near him when he did. I’m okay.”

  He let me go and looked at me. “Are you sure? I’m worried about you.”

&nbs
p; I smiled. “Thanks, but no need. How about you? Tell me you’re not picking up this case as well.”

  “Luckily, no, but Cromwell and I need to stay in the loop with this one.”

  “Stafford said this changes things with Chelsea’s case and Kira’s disappearance.”

  Ryder frowned. “He’s right, unfortunately. He’s probably not taking this too well.”

  “He’s not. In fact, he’s pretty torn up about it. I think the last thing he expected was to get a call from me about finding Amelia.”

  “You called him instead of me?” he growled.

  I didn’t care for his tone. I crossed my arms. “Amelia Zhou was his case, not yours. And besides, it’s four A.M. I was hoping you’d be asleep.”

  Raising his voice slightly, he fired back, “This is important enough to disturb my sleep.”

  “Are you really going to pick a fight with me at a murder scene over a phone call?” I snapped.

  He rubbed his eyes. “Why is it that every time we have a conversation it ends up in an argument?”

  “Because we’re both hardheaded assholes.”

  The corner of his mouth pulled up in a smile as he wrapped his arms around my waist. “Or because you haven’t been in my bed in nearly a week.”

  “Or that.”

  He leaned down and gave me a sweet but quick kiss. “I’m sorry, but I have to go. At some point, we’re going to have to spend some quality time together.”

  “That would be nice.”

  —

  Pete convinced me to go to his house and take a nap on his couch, promising to wake me in a couple of hours so we could go back to Java Jive and start our search fresh. I thought I’d be asleep before my head hit the cushions, but that was not the case. I stayed awake worrying instead. I worried about Kira. I worried about Cole. I worried about Stafford. I worried about Amelia’s family, who I didn’t even know. A few hours later, Pete came out to get me up, but I was already rummaging through his cupboards to find some breakfast.

  He peered at me closely. “You didn’t sleep. Or is it those two shiners you’ve got that are making your eyes so bloodshot?”