by Lynn Cahoon
She nodded. “Something came up this morning and he’s been locked in there with Doc Ames for a good hour now.”
“On Kent’s murder?” The question came out of my mouth before I could stop it. So much for good intentions.
Esmeralda shrugged. “Greg doesn’t talk to me much lately. I get the feeling he’s trying to keep the investigation under wraps.” She laughed. “Like I’d tell anyone. You wouldn’t believe the secrets people tell me during readings. I need to write a book someday, but it would be going against the professional code of ethics.”
“Fortune-tellers have a code of ethics?” I’d never considered that they might be like lawyers or doctors.
“Maybe not all of them, but I do. That’s why you have to make sure your psychic consultant is trustworthy. Many of the people in the business are trying to get rich, no matter what the method.” She picked up the phone. “Let me tell him you’re here.”
I pressed my lips together, trying not to smile at the image of a convention full of fortune-tellers dressed in their gypsy finest, sitting in a ballroom, listening to speakers. Maybe they had topics like Ten Ways to Reach the Departed Quickly, or Reaching Out to the Historical Dead, Things to Consider, or even Fashion Tips to Upsell Your Predictions.
“He says to go on in.” Esmeralda broke into my daydream, her look amused.
Maybe she could read minds, but I knew she could read body language better than anyone I’d met, and my face heated as I thanked her and quickly turned toward Greg’s office.
Doc Ames stood as I entered the small office. “Hey, Jill, nice to see you.”
“At least you’re not trying to break up a catfight this time.” I extended my hand to the coroner and smiled. “I thought those women were going to plow right through you.”
“Emotions around a loved one’s death can be extreme.” He looked at Greg. “I’m heading back to Bakerstown. Did you need anything else?”
Greg shook his head. “Thanks for driving out this early. I could have come to you.”
Doc Ames waved off the comment. “Does me good to get out of the office. I enjoy driving the coastal highway; it clears my head.”
I thought about all the work the man did with the dead and the families of the dead and wondered if a short drive would be enough to bring him back to the world of the living. Every time I saw Doc, he was cheerful and kind to everyone he met. That would be a hard act to keep up day in and day out. Maybe he went home and punched the wall—or maybe he was just a caring man.
“Well, I appreciate your time. Let me walk you out.” Greg smiled at me. Not quite the smile he had during my dream, but not the scowl I’d expected after yesterday. “I’ll be right back, honey.”
I settled into the chair that Doc had left and pulled out my shopping list. I needed flea treatment for Emma and I’d forgotten to write it down. I dug in my purse for a pen, but came up empty. So I reached over onto Greg’s desk and promptly knocked a few loose sheets of paper onto the floor. Sighing, I set down the notebook and gathered up the pages. It was the tox screen for Kent. Two words stood out, written in Greg’s neat block style. Cocaine use and poison—epibati-dine. I wrote the unfamiliar name down on my shopping list and had just sat back down when Greg came back into the room.
He kissed me on the cheek as he passed by. “Hey, you, I’d hoped I’d see you today. I planned on stopping by this morning, but I got a call from Doc that he needed to see me.”
Funny, my dream had been almost on target, yet the day had turned out differently. I shook the coincidence away. “I know I shouldn’t ask, but was it something on Kent’s murder?”
Greg sat in the chair behind his desk, gathered up the loose papers, and put them into a manila folder. “Yep. Seems like the rumors of his drug use were true. But there’s more that we can’t figure out.”
“Like?” I pushed.
“Good try.” He leaned back and put his hands behind his head. “Have you talked to your aunt today?”
I shook my head. “Not yet. Did she tell you why she was in that office?”
Greg pulled out a different folder and read aloud. “The man is a scammer and needs to be put in jail.” He closed the file. “Direct quote.”
“She seems to be on some kind of a mission. Mary was taken by this guy, and Aunt Jackie believes she can fix the problem.” I leaned forward. “Tell me the truth, is she going to serve time for this?”
Greg rubbed his face. “Hell, I can’t even confirm that she’s going to be charged. I guess the district attorney is on some type of Caribbean vacation, and no one else wants to make the decision.”
“Jailing an old lady on a mission may not look good in an election year.” I thought about our county DA. He’d made no secret of his plans for the governor’s seat in the future.
He laughed. “I believe you understand this game. That’s the one reason I’m not looking to hold an elected office. Even though the mayor keeps putting my name up for the county positions.”
“Mayor Baylor is promoting you? Isn’t that a good thing?” This was the first I’d heard about our mayor giving Greg props to anyone.
Greg cocked his head. “And if I got elected, who would be at my door wanting more favors than he already asks for? Now I can hold him off since the city council is the one who decides if I’m going to keep my job or not. Luckily, most of them like me.”
“I hadn’t thought about it that way.” Thinking of my own appointment to the council as the business liaison, I’d thought the mayor had kept me on because no one else wanted the job. Maybe he didn’t have the power to get rid of me. I’d have to talk to Bill Sullivan about the details one of these days. Bill was the head of the council and knew everything. And he liked me. Or at least he did before Aunt Jackie almost got his wife arrested.
“Anyway, can we plan dinner tonight? I’d take you out, but with this case, I think we need to grill. I’ll do the cooking, though. What do you have on hand?” Greg leaned forward, looking at my shopping list.
I quickly pulled it toward me with the borrowed pen. “On hand? Cheesecake and coffee. I’m heading to Bakerstown to shop. What do you want me to pick up?”
We batted around a menu between surf or turf or both, and finally settled on kabobs. I’d marinate the meats and get the veggies chopped, and then Greg could grill when he arrived. He came around the desk as I stuffed the notebook into my purse.
“I’m sorry I was gruff yesterday.” He kissed me. “I’ll make it up tonight.”
I pushed his hair out of his eyes. “You need a haircut.”
“I thought you liked it long.” He slapped me on the butt. “Get out of here, woman, you’re a distraction.”
“I bet you say that to all the women visiting your office,” I teased but headed to the door. “See you tonight.”
I didn’t even feel bad about using my phone to Google the name of the unfamiliar poison when I got back to my car.
CHAPTER 14
First stop in Bakerstown was Pampered Pet Palace. The place was a gold mine for all things pet related. They had a vet on staff, grooming facilities, and of course, all the food, toys, or bones Emma could dream about. They allowed leashed pets to visit with their owners, but I’d left Emma home today because, although she could go into Pampered Pet, she’d have to stay in the car while I shopped for groceries. The back porch was cooler in the heat of the day.
As I wandered through the store, I passed through the fish and snake display. There, in a glass case, was the brightest-colored frog I’d ever seen. I waved over a clerk and pointed. “That’s not a poison tree frog, is it?”
The young man smiled. “You know your frogs. That happens to be our newest addition. We’ve been carrying them for about a month, and they’re selling like hotcakes.”
“People buy them as pets? What about the poison?” The frog was strikingly beautiful, but I wouldn’t want one. What if Emma decided to eat her new playmate?
The guy opened the top of the cage and pulled out the fr
og with his bare hands. I took an involuntary step backward. “Hold on, these guys are harmless. The poison comes from what they eat, and since these were domestically raised, they only have a trace of the stuff in their systems.” He pointed to a little bump by the frog’s ear. Or what should be the ear. “In the wild, the frog stores poison in this pouch, then uses it to hunt his dinner.”
“So they’re just cute frogs?” I stepped closer to get a better look at the creature.
“Pretty much. I mean, I sell a lot to men who want to look like badasses. They just don’t realize the little guys are all talk and no bite.” He held the frog toward me. “Want to hold him?”
Laughing, I stepped back again. “No thanks. I’m more of a furry, cuddly pet owner. I’m here for dog food.”
I pushed the cart back to the dog food aisle, thinking about Kent’s tox screen. If the poison only came from the tree frog, and domestic frogs didn’t produce the poison, how in the heck did he get that particular poison in his system? It didn’t make sense.
Checking out, I watched Anne from the bank walk into the store. I waved her over. “Hey, what are you doing out of South Cove? I would have thought you were working.”
She tilted her head like she couldn’t place me, then a slight smile lifted her face. “I work Saturdays so I’m off on Mondays.” Anne nodded to the dog food. “I guess you are running errands, too?”
“Emma’s too big to miss many meals.” I swiped my debit card and punched in my code. “Let me guess, you have a cat.”
“Sorry to burst the single-woman-cat-lady stereotype, but I’m more into the amphibian creatures. Snakes mostly and a few frogs. I know, not what you were expecting. See you in South Cove.” Anne headed toward the back.
The clerk handed me my receipt. “Thanks for visiting Pampered Pet Palace. Come back soon.”
I loaded up the dog food in the back of the Jeep and headed to the grocery store. Was it a coincidence that Kent’s spurned lover owned frogs? She didn’t say she owned the type that secreted poison, but then again, she didn’t say she didn’t. I couldn’t even mention it to Greg without admitting I’d read the report from Doc Ames.
Deeper and deeper, my investigation addiction was causing me to question my ability to be honest with the one person who mattered. I threw a package of steak into the cart. No, this time I’d ’fess up sooner rather than later. I’d tell him what I’d seen at dinner. Greg wouldn’t leave a half-eaten dinner just because I snuck a peek at an official report. Except, knowing Greg, I could see him doing just that.
Too late to change the path. Time to bite the bullet. After shopping, I pulled into my favorite drive-in, grabbed a fish sandwich, fries, and a vanilla shake, and headed home. The Bluetooth in the car buzzed over the radio and a familiar number popped on the screen.
“Hey, Aunt Jackie, I was planning on coming to see you today. You’re not in jail again, are you?”
The silence went so long, I worried I’d lost connection. “Aunt Jackie?”
“I’m here. Just not appreciating the gallows humor today. Where are you? I’ve been knocking forever.” Even over the phone line, I could tell when my aunt was steamed. And her anger seemed to be directed at me.
“I’m turning off the highway now. Had to make a run into Bakerstown.” Again, I added silently. Of course, the first trip I’d made yesterday had nothing to do with my aunt, so I guess I couldn’t blame her for that one.
“I’m on your porch. Don’t park behind my car. I’m not staying long.” And then she hung up. No “good-bye,” no “see you soon.” Yep, I was in trouble for something.
I pulled into the driveway next to Aunt Jackie’s car and climbed out. I grabbed the sacks with items that needed to be put into the fridge or freezer and left the back open. Climbing the steps to the porch, I held out my keys to my aunt. “Open the door for me.”
She took them and did as I asked. “You could have said please.”
I trudged through the living room and set the bags on the table. “Sorry, please and thank you. I have one more load I have to bring in, can you put these away?”
Aunt Jackie set her purse on the table and dug into the first bag. “You really shouldn’t buy frozen French fries. You don’t need the calories.”
“My kitchen, my food,” I grumbled as I headed back outside to get the rest of the food. I’d have to bring in Emma’s forty-pound bag last. With my aunt in a snit, I might just take the one more trip to grab it.
By the time I got the dog food settled into the mudroom by the washer, Aunt Jackie had put away all my groceries and started a pot of coffee. I glanced at the clock: 2 p.m. If I drank more than a cup, I’d be up past my workday bedtime. I sank into one of the kitchen chairs, exhausted from the trip. Shopping took its toll, even though it was just walking around and putting stuff in a cart.
“So, why are you so invested in Mary’s problem?” I grabbed a cookie off the plate I’d set on the table that morning. “I’ve already heard your excuses. And I get it, the guy is a scammer, but why are you acting as the avenging superhero in this story?”
Aunt Jackie sat across from me. “I know I stepped over the line on this one. You don’t have to rub it in. Did Greg say when they’d be charging me?”
“The DA’s out of town, so I guess you’re on hold.” I bit into the cookie. “You didn’t answer my question.”
“Don’t talk with your mouth full, it’s unattractive.” She leaned back in her chair. “Mary bought an all-inclusive Mexican cruise package for her anniversary as a surprise to Bill. When she told me what she paid for it, I was suspicious, but I figured she just got in on a good deal.”
I took another bite of the snickerdoodle and waited. Sometimes Aunt Jackie’s stories took a while.
“Then she came to me last week in tears. The guy told her that was just her down payment and he wanted another eight grand for the trip or she’d lose her deposit.” She shook her head. “Two thousand is a good deal, ten is highway robbery. We called the Better Business Bureau and they took a report. I guess they’d heard a lot of the same story and they suggested Mary sue the guy to get her money back.”
“Which is where you came in?” I popped the rest of the cookie into my mouth and went to the counter to pour coffee. This was going to be an extended discussion. I might need to call one of my former coworkers to get Aunt Jackie legal counsel, but first I wanted to know the entire story.
“I figured she’d have a stronger case if we could prove he was tricking people. He ran an advertisement in the Bakerstown Senior Times paper. Who knows how many people have just paid the extra money, thinking it was legit.” She pulled out the leather notebook I’d seen Mary give her yesterday. “And this proves it. Jill, he targets the elderly, makes notes about how much he ‘thinks’ they have in their accounts, then jacks the price based on their ability to pay.”
I glanced down at the notebook. “You realize that’s proof you were in his office?”
Aunt Jackie stared at the cover. “It’s also proof he’s been robbing people. Greg can charge him with that, right?”
Financial law hadn’t been one of my stronger subjects in law school. What I did know was it was darn hard to make a case against someone for fraud. My aunt had lost nearly all her retirement savings due to a pyramid scheme. I understood her need to help a friend.
I shrugged. “I don’t know. I think we need to call in the big guns.” I pulled out my cell and dialed Matt’s private line. He was the first associate in our group to make partner and crazy good with all the financial stuff. When I explained my aunt’s problem, he agreed to meet with us after a late lunch on Tuesday. When I got off the phone, I smiled. “At least Matt thinks he can spin a case with the DA to get you off the criminal charge.”
Aunt Jackie refilled her coffee cup and pushed the book toward me. “I want Mary to get her money back. Hold on to this for me. I’d hate to have the guy show up and strong-arm me for the evidence.”
Now I was worried. “You think he wou
ld do that? Maybe you should stay here with me until this is cleared up?”
“No need. Josh is having dinner with me and will watch me lock up tonight. No one is going to get into my apartment without him noticing. The guy is a security freak.” She shrugged. “Did you know he had the same system the bank has installed in his building? He says we need to talk to this company and get our building wired.”
She pushed a card toward me. I read the business card.
Stay Safe Security
Cheryl Paine
Regional Sales Representative
“Kent’s ex-wife was the rep for the bank’s security system? No wonder Greg has to deal with the auditors. What was he thinking?” I tapped the card on the table. “Can I keep this? I think Greg needs to know this.”
Aunt Jackie stood. “As long as you consider the shop buying a system, too. Josh says Cheryl’s very knowledgeable. And it’s all high-tech stuff.”
Which seems to go haywire at a moment’s notice. I promised my aunt we’d talk more about buying a security package. I planned on talking to Cheryl, but I was pretty sure I’d take our business to another company, no matter what Josh said. The woman seemed to control too much of the South Cove security business as it stood.
After my aunt left, I called the number on the card and got an appointment scheduled for Cheryl to stop by tomorrow morning. I’d have the information before Jackie and I left for her lawyer visit. Glancing at the clock, I realized I needed to get the ingredients made for the kabobs we’d planned for dinner in case Greg could sneak away from the station.
I chopped up the steak and put it in a bag to marinate, then went to work on the shrimp and veggies. When I finished, I still had time for a quick shower, then applying makeup and blow-drying and curling my hair into submission.
When I returned downstairs, Greg was in the kitchen, drinking a glass of iced tea. “Hope you don’t mind, I was dying of thirst.”
“I gave you the key for just such an emergency.” I kissed him on the top of the head as I passed by on my way for my own drink. “Should I get the kabobs out? How long do you have?”
