She shifted to make room for him and smiled as he tucked his Bible under his seat. He then joined in with the congregation as everyone sang a couple more worship songs.
Most of the time he could make the adjustment from the security in the hallway to focusing his thoughts and heart on the Lord, but not today.
Today, he could concentrate only on Sarah. While he often saw people who didn’t sing much or at all, it was rather obvious that Sarah didn’t know any of the songs. Even though Matt suspected her only reason for being there was because of him, Matt said a quick prayer for her. If Sarah wasn’t at that moment a believer, he prayed that she would be moved by the words, which were about God’s love and forgiveness.
The sermon centered on the same topic, which Matt thought perfect for a non-believer to hear. He didn’t know if she owned a Bible, but since she hadn’t brought one, he shared his, pointing to the text when the pastor began to read.
Her eyebrows rose as he paged to the next passage. She leaned closer to him and whispered. “You’ve written stuff in your Bible. In pen. Is that allowed?”
Matt smiled. “If I make notes on the backs of the weekly bulletins, it’s too much like filing my reports. I’ll remember some, but I could never remember everything, especially once it’s filed. If Pastor Colin says something that really hits me, I write it in my Bible so I’ll see it again the next time I’m reading on that page. It’s kind of like tapping myself on the shoulder. Other times, the notes help clarify the meaning of a section, so I’ll understand it the way it was meant next time I read it.”
“Oh. That’s a good idea. I guess.”
As the sermon progressed, Matt thought Sarah seemed quite receptive to the pastor’s words. Whether she would take it to heart, only God knew. He had to trust that things would happen in God’s timing and not his own.
At the close of the service, he didn’t take up his usual position at the door when he was ushering. Instead, he quietly left with Sarah. They agreed on a restaurant not usually frequented by the church crowd, and soon they were seated at a fairly private table beside the window.
Matt folded his hands on the table in front of him, making direct eye contact when he spoke. “What’s on your mind?”
Sarah glanced from side to side, then met his gaze. “I think something bad is happening at Donnie’s Donuts.” She leaned toward him and lowered her voice to a whisper. “Something illegal.”
He quirked one eyebrow. “Can you be a little more specific?”
Her eyes grew round and she leaned closer to him, her voice lowered even more. “I saw Donnie in his office when he didn’t know I could see him. He had a gun.”
“Lots of people have guns, Sarah. What kind of gun was it?”
“I don’t know. I didn’t see it that well. I was on the floor of the closet, looking through the vent.”
“Was the gun properly stored?”
“Stored?”
“Was it in a locked cabinet?”
“I saw him lock the drawer, so I guess so.”
“What was he doing with it? Did he fire it or aim it at something?”
“No. But he did check it for bullets before he put it back in the drawer.”
“Was it loaded?”
“I couldn’t tell. But he checked the gun right after someone came in. I don’t know the guy’s name, but I’ve seen him visiting Donnie before. I heard them on the phone before he got there. They made sure you and Constable Edwards were gone before he came in. He gave Donnie a briefcase, which Donnie locked in the safe really fast.”
“While that does sound suspicious, that’s not illegal either, Sarah. It’s a good idea for any business that handles cash to have a safe and to keep valuables adequately protected.”
“But Donnie asked him if he ‘had it all’. What if it was dirty money in there? What if they’re laundering money through the donut shop? I’ve heard about stuff like that happening. Or what if it was credit card scams? I hear that’s a really hot crime right now. Or what if it’s stolen goods?” Her voice lowered even more. “Or drugs.”
Matt sighed. “You mean you don’t know what was in the briefcase?”
“No. But the whole thing just looked so. . .wrong. That guy was really evil looking. He gave me the creeps. He threatened Donnie too.”
Matt tensed. “Now you’ve got something we can use. What exactly did he say? Can you describe him?”
One eye narrowed. “I know I’ve seen him before, but I never really paid attention. I can’t describe him other than he’s got brown hair. I couldn’t see his eyes or even his face, really, from where I was on the floor of the closet. I mostly saw just his back. Next time he comes in, I’ll get a better look at him. But he said Donnie had better meet his side of the bargain.”
Matt waited for her to say more, but all she did was stare at him. “And then what?”
“And then he left.”
Matt dragged one palm down his face. “It’s not a threat to say that you expect someone to meet the terms of their agreement. Did you hear what the bargain was?”
“No. But I could tell it was something bad. Donnie looked really defensive.”
All he could do was stare at her. “Defensive. . . Sarah, I wish there was something I could do or say, but you really haven’t got anything I can follow up on. I can’t arrest someone for looking creepy. You have no proof, or even reasonable grounds that something illegal is going on. We can’t spend the manpower to investigate why a business owner would put a briefcase into a safe, or why he would have a gun in a locked drawer if he’s the registered owner. But if you really can say for sure something definable is happening, then the proper thing to do is to go down to the station and file a complaint or fill out a suspicious persons report if you can identify the perpetrator.”
“I can’t do that. That’s why I came to you. I wanted to know what to do.”
“Unfortunately, you can’t report a crime until it happens. There’s nothing you can do except keep an eye on things. When something happens, then please report it, by all means. Or do the same as you just did. Talk to me when you see something unusual. I’ll do my best to help. If you need something checked out, I can do that. First, I can check and see if Donnie has a gun registered to his name. Even if he doesn’t, before I can do anything, I’d need to get a search warrant. I’d need a good reason to do that, and then he’d find out you were watching him. You don’t want that. For all you know, if you didn’t see it that well, it may not have been a gun at all. He could have been changing the battery in his cell phone. You’d be surprised what people think they see in situations like what you just experienced. Would you be able to identify that specific gun if we lined up three or four pistols in a row?”
Her eyebrows rose. “I doubt it. I didn’t see it that well.”
“Until we can ascertain what’s happening, all you can do is keep quiet and be careful. It could be nothing. For all we know, it could be a family heirloom in that briefcase, and the only bargain is Donnie agreed to keep it locked up.”
“I had a bad feeling you were going to say that. I’m glad I asked you before I went into the police station and made a fool of myself.”
Strangely, at that moment he felt proud of her, that she was thinking of making a report, even though she had nothing concrete to stand on. If more citizens reported suspicious activity when there was something worthwhile to follow up, then the police would have a better chance at catching the bad guys. Too many people turned a blind eye when they saw something wrong. Yet, those were the same people who blamed the police for doing nothing and being caught unaware when something major happened and no one saw it coming.
In this instance, in his gut, he suspected Sarah was probably right. In his experience, when an employee had a bad feeling something funny was going on behind the scenes, there usually was. However, since Sarah hadn’t witnessed anything concrete, and since they had no evidence of a criminal act, she was best to stay in the background—watching.
> Since she still appeared nervous, Matt thought it a good time to change the subject to something less threatening. What he really wanted was to gauge her reaction to the service and to see where she sat spiritually, but this wasn’t the right timing because her mind was obviously on other things.
For the rest of their afternoon together, he changed the subject to distract her from being frightened. He gave her some tips on playing guitar and recommended a few beginner books when he found out she only owned one so far.
Once they were finished eating and ready to leave, Matt escorted her to her car. He stepped close, wishing he could do something to prove her fears were not unfounded and find something on which the force could begin a genuine investigation. Yet he was bound by rules and regulations. For now, all he could do was give her advice, and he wasn’t comfortable with that. She was different from the average civilian. She was. . .Sarah.
“Remember, if you see or hear anything, no matter how small, and even if it seems insignificant, talk to me about it. I’ll be able to tell you when it’s time to file a report. Just be careful and don’t do anything foolish.” He grinned and splayed one hand over the center of his chest. “That’s my job.”
She smiled and reached to him, resting her hand on his arm. “Thank you, Matt. It feels so funny after all this time to call you by your first name. I’ll do that. I want to thank you for taking the time to talk to me. Especially, thank you for buying my lunch. I owe you one.”
He smiled back. “No problem. I’ll see you in a few nights. Until then, stay safe.”
Four
By the time Thursday came, Sarah was a nervous wreck. All night long, every time the door opened, she nearly dropped what she was holding.
Donnie’s creepy acquaintance had reappeared on Tuesday night, just as he said he would. This time Kristie let him into Donnie’s office, and then he was gone so quickly Sarah hadn’t had time to listen from the closet. She hadn’t been able to get a better description of him for Matt, but she did see that this time he hadn’t carried anything into Donnie’s office, nor did he take the briefcase back.
That didn’t mean everything was well. In fact, Sarah suspected the opposite was true. For the hour following the man’s visit, Donnie had acted funny. He’d even yelled at poor Kristie for something that wasn’t her fault. Today, Sarah had answered a call for Donnie that she thought was the same voice as the visitor. Donnie hadn’t come out of his office for an hour afterwards, which again told her something wasn’t right.
Sarah had almost worked herself into a tizzy when, at 4:00 a.m., her wishes were answered.
She put on her best smile, even though she was shaking inside. “Hi, Ma. . .uh. . .Constable Walker. And Constable. . .” She leaned closer to the other officer’s nametag. “Lawrence. What can I get for you gentlemen today?”
Matt smiled brightly. “I’ll have a blueberry muffin and a medium coffee.”
The other officer nodded. “Same for me.”
Sarah left the two men at the counter while she fetched the muffins and poured the coffee. The urge to tell Matt about Donnie’s strange actions was so strong it was almost painful. However, not only was Matt with someone, Donnie could have been around the corner listening.
She made polite chitchat with Matt while he paid, and both officers walked to a table.
This time, they stayed only inside for ten minutes and left without their radios going off, which Sarah thought odd. Something fluttered inside her stomach when she thought Matt smiled at her from across the restaurant as he walked toward the exit. She wished he could have stayed longer, which didn’t make sense. All she could do was look at him from across the room unless he called her to either clean something up or ask her a question.
As soon as they left, Sarah began to clear their table. While she worked, she glanced up and through the large windows, then did a double take. The two squad cars were still in the lot. Constable Lawrence was half sitting on the hood of his squad car, smoking a cigarette. Matt was standing upwind while the two of them talked.
Rather than gawk, she bent to clean the table. Her hand froze as she reached for the empty cups. A pen with the RCMP logo on it was on the seat where Matt had been.
She straightened and looked out the window. Constable Lawrence discarded his cigarette and was opening his squad car’s door. Matt, on the other hand, was standing in one place, his hat in his hands while he picked at something on the brim.
Sarah turned to Kristie, who was now standing behind the till. “One of the officers forgot something. If I run, I can catch them.”
Without waiting for Kristie to reply, Sarah grabbed the pen and dashed outside. Matt had just opened his car door, but he wasn’t yet inside. “Wait! You forgot something!”
He smiled. “I was wondering when you were going to find that. Now that we’re out of earshot of any flies on the wall, did anything happen this week?”
“Yes and no. That man came in on Tuesday, and he also phoned today. I didn’t see or hear anything, but Donnie acted really funny both times. I know something is up.”
“I believe you. I just need something more than that to start investigating. I don’t want him to get suspicious if you’re out here talking to me too long, so you’d better get back inside. Keep me posted, okay?” He paused and glanced toward the building. “And Sarah, remember, stay safe.”
“You bet.”
Sarah handed him the pen and ran inside while Matt drove off.
The officers hadn’t been gone more than ten minutes, when Donnie’s illusive “friend” entered with another briefcase. Donnie was already waiting for him near the opening to his office door. Without a word spoken between the two of them, they disappeared inside, and the door closed.
Sarah’s breath caught in her throat. She turned around to see if anyone were watching her. The only person nearby was Kristie. Since the muffins for the next day were already in the oven, Kristie was stacking donuts in the trays behind her.
“Kristie, can you watch things for a minute? I have to go do something.”
Kristie nodded without turning around. “Sure.”
Sarah hurried to the closet, slipped inside, and closed the door without turning the light on. She dropped to her hands and knees and angled her head so she could see upwards through the metal grille of the vent.
The man had put the briefcase down on Donnie’s desk, but his hand still remained on the handle. “What do you mean, you’re not ready for more? We agreed on a date.”
Donnie’s voice came out much softer and lower in pitch than usual. Sarah shuffled closer to the vent, straining to hear.
“You gave me more than we agreed on. I need more time.”
“I’ll mention that to Lennie, and I’ll let you know what he says on Monday.”
The man started to turn around, then shuffled back. “Unless you promise you can give me back my case Monday, empty. Then I can make an excuse for you.”
Donnie nodded frantically. “I’d appreciate that.”
The man turned back to face Donnie. “Consider it a favor. You only get one.”
Donnie stiffened all over. His voice came out in a croak. “Thanks, Blair. I understand.”
Since the conversation was over or at least as much as she needed to hear, Sarah jumped to her feet, grabbed the broom without the dustpan, and ran into the kitchen. She knew she’d never make it into the restaurant area without looking like she was running, so she quickly started sweeping the kitchen, even though everything was already clean.
Kristie appeared in the doorway with an empty tray. When she saw Sarah, she let out a little squeal and nearly dropped the tray. “You scared me! I thought you were going to be in the restaurant.”
“I saw something here. But I guess I should probably do around the tables too.” Without clarifying, and without the dustpan, Sarah hustled into the main area before Kristie had time to think.
Sarah swept every inch of the floor, but her thoughts were elsewhere. No matter how s
uspicious things looked, there had been no talk about what the items were that Donnie had received. There had been no talk of money, no deals made, and no talk of another delivery.
Sarah was by no means a detective, but she’d read enough super-spy books to know that she hadn’t heard enough for the police to make a report.
But something bad was happening, and something had to be done.
She needed Matt. She walked to the calendar on the wall and counted out his schedule, confirming what she already knew. His upcoming nightshifts were on the weekends. She wouldn’t see him for weeks.
With all the dirt and litter in a neat pile, Sarah quietly retrieved the dustpan from the closet.
Matt wouldn’t be coming to her, so she had to go to him.
❧
Once again, Sarah sucked in a deep breath for courage, and walked into the lobby of the huge building.
Instead of Matt, another man dressed in a nice suit and tie approached her.
“Welcome!” he said as he held out one hand. “Is this your first time here?”
Sarah shook her head and then slipped her hand into his. “No, actually I was here last week. I’m looking for Matt Walker.”
The man raised his eyebrows, then smiled. “Let’s go see if we can find him. I know he’s here.”
Without waiting for her to accept or decline his invitation, he started walking. “Last I saw Matt, he was over there.” As they rounded the corner of the hallway, they found Matt in a circle of people, laughing and talking. Unlike the week before, today he wasn’t wearing a suit jacket, but he was wearing a nice tie.
“Matt! Someone’s here to see you!”
Matt was still half laughing as he turned around. As he saw her, his expression fell. He turned back to the people in the circle. “Excuse me. I’ll catch you later.”
As he started moving, his friends looked at her. Sarah tried to ignore the butterflies in her stomach at their knowing smiles. As much as she liked Matt, what they thought they “knew” was wrong.
He was at her side within seconds. His voice lowered to almost a whisper, and he rested one hand on her arm.
Donut A Day Page 3
