Desserts and Death

by Harper Lin

  She tiptoed out of the room and shuffled downstairs. While filling her kettle and putting it on the stove, Amelia remembered everything that had happened the night before. But the cotton in her head and the scratch in her throat prevented her from doing anything more than sighing.

  She sat down at the kitchen table and listened to the quiet of the house. Normally, this was a pleasant sound. The calm before the stampede that was her kids pounding on the stairs up from the basement and down from the bedroom with requests and complaints and jabs at one another.

  It made Amelia’s eyes sting again, but she knew it was this oncoming cold that was making her weepy. She let the tears fall, sniffled pitifully, then wiped her eyes and nose with the sleeve of her pajamas.

  “Okay, Amelia. Time to pull it together.” She stood and held her hands over the heat of the burner as the water began to bubble. Just as she poured herself a cup and dropped in a pouch of chamomile, the phone rang.

  Who in the world is calling at this hour? She picked up the ancient landline phone.

  “Hello?” she barked.

  “Amelia.” Dan’s voice sounded like a brick hitting the sidewalk. “I’m sorry to call you so early, honey. I need you to come to Food Truck Alley.”

  Her sore throat and achy body suddenly disappeared.

  “What is it?”

  “I got a call from your friend Gavin. He was getting his truck ready when he saw it.”

  “Saw what, Dan?”

  “Honey, I’m sorry, but your truck’s been vandalized.”

  Amelia hung up the phone and woke up the kids. She relayed the little bit of information she knew to them quickly, with a calm face and a shrug, as if it were no big deal.

  “These things sometimes happen.” Amelia smoothed Meg’s hair and patted Adam on the shoulder. “Probably just kids. Punks on a dare or something.”

  “But Mom, it’s your truck.” Meg struggled to keep the tears back.

  “Hey. I’m sure it’s nothing a little spit and polish can’t fix. Now you guys take care of yourselves and make sure you get to the bus on time. There are banana muffins in the freezer, or you can always have some fruit. Promise you’ll get to school on time?”

  “Yes, Mommy,” Meg mumbled.

  “I’ll make sure, Mom,” Adam added, gently tugging his sister’s hair to make her smile.

  “Okay. If there is any big deal, I’ll call the school. So if you don’t hear from me, you’ll know it’s no big deal.”

  Amelia clenched her teeth as she went into her room and quickly dressed. Without any makeup or even a shower, she dashed out of the house and sped in her sedan to Food Truck Alley.

  When she got there, she saw the red and blue lights of one squad car and Dan’s unmarked police car. She looked at her truck and wasn’t sure what to think.

  First of all, the tires were still intact. Had those been slashed, it would have run her about a thousand dollars to replace them. Someone had dumped a couple cans of garbage around the truck, so it smelled terrible and the flies were pretty gross. But still, picking up the garbage was annoying and unsanitary but not the worst thing in the world.

  It was the scratches in the paint that made Amelia mad. The obscene names they scratched in the paint were not just rude, but so childish.

  “I think we’ll be able to sand this off and paint over it,” Dan said soothingly. “But before we do, we have to photograph them and maybe dust for some fingerprints. I’m sorry, but it will have to stay like this for today. Maybe tomorrow, too.”

  “Losing two days of work will set me back. I won’t make my monthly quota.”

  “I’m sorry, Amelia.”

  “It isn’t your fault.” She slumped. “You know what? This isn’t as bad as I thought it was going to be. I expected the engine to be ripped out and my tires slashed, and well, this looks like something…a girl would do.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I mean I think Luann Jameson would have done this. Todd Coz would have slashed my tires and torn up my engine. But it wasn’t him.”

  “Detective?” The uniformed police officer on the scene called to Dan. “We’ve got a witness who says they saw a woman running from the scene early this morning.” Gavin waved to Amelia. He was the witness.

  Amelia looked up at Dan, smiled, sniffled, and wiped her nose with the back of her hand.

  “Sorry. I’m getting a cold.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  “Todd Coz isn’t the brightest bulb on the tree,” Dan said to Amelia as he drove her to the police station. She’d need to fill out a report. “I’m betting that with the right incentive, he can be very reasonable and accommodating.”

  “What have you got in mind?” Amelia said, pulling a paper napkin from the glove compartment and using it to blow her nose.

  “Officer Vincent is on his way right now to pick him up and bring him to the station for questioning. I think you’re right about the vandalism, and with Gavin’s statement, we’ve got a vague blueprint. But it’s Todd who will give us all the correct measurements to make sure everything fits.”

  “How can you be sure he plays ball?”

  “Guys like him don’t mind bragging about the stuff they did do, but they don’t like being accused of something they didn’t do. Especially something as pitiful as scribbling a couple of swear words on a food truck.”

  “So you’re going to manipulate his ego?”

  “Am I ever.” Dan’s face remained stoic, and Amelia saw him squeeze the steering wheel. He was as mad as she was, as if they’d done something to his property, too.

  “Ugh,” she griped then swallowed. “I didn’t get a chance to swallow a gulp of Nyquil or even grab some cough drops. Sore throats are the worst.” She rubbed the front of her neck.

  “We might have something at the station.” Dan patted her leg.

  When they finally reached the station, Officer Vincent was already there.

  “He’s in Room C,” he told Dan. “And mad he was woken up so early.”

  “Got it.” Dan looked at Amelia. “Come on.”

  The police station was quieter at this hour of the morning. Fresh coffee had been put on and made the place smell good. The police on duty chitchatted or were busy at their desks, working on that endless amount of paperwork all police had to muddle through. Now was the time to get to it before the city woke up and started picking at itself.

  Dan led Amelia down the hallway to an observation room.

  “I’m sure you’ve seen these on television. He can’t see you or hear you. But you can see and hear him. We’ll get your paperwork started after I talk to him.”

  Amelia nodded and took a seat on a metal folding chair in front of the two-way mirror. Almost directly across from her was Todd Coz. His skin was glistening like the other times she’d seen him. His hair was a mess, and he was wearing jeans and a different Harley-Davidson T-shirt that was inside out. Obviously, he’d dressed in a hurry.

  “Good morning, Mr. Coz.” Dan’s voice was heavy. “I’m sorry to have gotten you out of bed so early. Yikes. You pounding meat with your fists? Rocky Balboa workout routine?”

  “Yeah. What is this all about? You in love with me or something? Is that why you are harassing me? Showing up where I drink. Having me brought here? Look, I can hardly blame you, but I’m not into dudes.”

  “A food truck was vandalized last night. The woman who owns it claims you paid her a visit yesterday. Tried to get some money out of her.”

  “I don’t know anything about it.”

  “Normally, that would be a good enough answer, but it seems we’ve got a witness who also says she saw you at the food truck.”

  Todd tilted his head and blinked lazily at Dan.

  “The call came in this morning. Now, I hate to tell you this, but the woman who said she’d identify you in a lineup, well, she’s a pillar in the community. People know her. They trust her. She’s got no dog in the fight. She’d never associate with the likes of you.”

/>   “I don’t believe you. You’re lying.”

  Amelia saw Todd swallow hard, as he had the night before when Dan described Luann to him.

  “Just do me a favor, Todd. Look in that mirror.” Dan pointed to the exact spot Amelia was sitting in.

  “I didn’t vandalize any truck!” Todd yelled. “I only went to scare the lady that worked there because…” Todd stopped talking. It was obvious he wanted to say something, but there was some force holding his tongue.

  “Well, you don’t have to tell me anything, Todd. You can request a lawyer at any time. But this woman who says she saw you vandalize the food truck said you were also stalking her daughter. That she can’t prove it but thinks you had something to do with the death of Greg Scottson. Is there any truth to that?”

  “Luann! You lying bi—”

  “Shut up!” Dan yelled. “Todd Coz, you have the right to remain silent.” Dan stood, pulled his handcuffs from the back of his belt, and secured them around Todd’s wrists. He finished reading Todd his rights and asked him if he wanted to end the interview.

  Amelia watched as the gears slowly shifted and whirred in his head as he thought of what to do.

  “No. I’ll talk. I’ve got a lot to say.” He glared at the mirror, thinking Luann was sitting where Amelia was, not knowing he had been played by one of the oldest shell games ever.

  Dan told Todd to sit tight and he’d bring him some coffee or a cola if he wanted one. Of course, Todd said he’d like both. After leaving the room, Dan opened the door for Amelia.

  “That was flipping awesome,” she whispered before coughing in her hand. “Now what are you going to do?”

  “I’m going to get him his coffee and Coke and see what he has to say.”

  “Can I listen? This is better than television.” Amelia sniffled.

  “Yeah. You want a coffee, too?”

  Amelia nodded and took her seat again. She studied Todd as he sat there. He didn’t look the least bit nervous. Why? What did he have up his sleeve that made him so calm?

  Officer Vincent brought Amelia her coffee and stayed to observe Dan’s questioning. Dan entered the interrogation room and placed a hot coffee and cold Coke in front of Todd before taking a seat.

  “Why don’t you just start from the beginning?” Dan suggested. His voice had become quieter.

  “I tell you what, Detective. I knew that woman was trouble the first time I laid eyes on her.” He chuckled bitterly. Todd explained how he and Luann had met. She had shown up at the Twisted Spoke wearing tight blue jeans and some T-shirt that had something on it. He couldn’t remember since it wasn’t what was on the shirt but inside it that he was interested in.

  “We had a couple drinks then ended up in the backseat of her Lexus. Those really are nice cars.” He winked at Dan with a smirk.

  Todd went on to explain that he and Luann had developed a kind of relationship.

  “You know, a friends with benefits kind of thing.”

  “Why do you think a woman like Luann would want a guy like you?” Dan sipped his own coffee. “I’m not trying to be rude, but let’s not BS each other.”

  “No, I hear what you’re saying. Look, she had an itch. Wanted to walk on the wild side. You’d be surprised how many women like the bad boys. Hell, I bet your daughter would be on the back of my bike with just a few pretty words and a smile.”

  Dan didn’t move, but Amelia shifted in her seat. If she could, she would have slapped him for that comment. Something his mother should have done years ago.

  “Well, things are going just fine for several months. Then she starts telling me she needs money, right? She’s driving a Lexus. She lives in Sarkis Estates. She gets her nails done once a week and professional bikini waxing and all those kinds of things. From where I’m sitting, she don’t need anything.”

  “So what did you tell her?” Dan asked.

  “I said with a body like hers, she shouldn’t have any problem making money.” Todd cackled as though he had recited the funniest joke ever.

  “I’ll bet she didn’t like that,” Dan said to urge him to keep going.

  “She acted like she didn’t, but I know Luann. It stroked her ego.” Todd pulled the pop-top on his can of Coke and took a sip. “So now she was saying she had to get her daughter married off. That would help solve her money problems, she said.”

  “Had you ever met her daughter?”

  “Never once. So the idea that I was stalking her is an outright lie. I never met the girl in my life.”

  “Had Luann mentioned her daughter dating Greg Scottson to you?”

  “Not until after the marriage. I had no idea. Like I said, Luann and I weren’t exactly picking out china patterns together. We had a physical relationship, and that was it. She usually left family stuff outside the motel room, if you catch my meaning.”

  “Yeah, I got it.” Dan sighed.

  “So she tells me that Greg is no good for her daughter. That he’s married her for her money and that he beats her.”

  “Really.”

  “Yup. She told me that the guy made her take all her clothes off and beat her with a belt everywhere her clothes would be. So when she went out no one would see the bruises.”

  “And you believed Luann?”

  “I knew Greg by reputation only. I never heard anyone say he was a woman beater, but I also never asked. If that is what he was up to, then I think he deserved to slip and fall off that roof.”

  “Did you push him? As a favor for Luann?”

  Todd looked to the left. It was as if he realized he hadn’t really helped himself, telling Dan any of this.

  “No,” Todd snapped. “No. I did not. But-But Luann did talk about having him removed from the scene. She did ask me if I knew anyone who could make an accident happen.”

  Amelia could tell Todd was lying. He scooted in his chair and slicked back his hair and stared at Dan as if direct eye contact would convince Dan he was telling the truth.

  “What did you tell her?”

  “I said I might.”

  “Then what?”

  “Well, I gave her the name of a guy and then left it at that.”

  “What was the name?” Dan took out his pen and paper and looked at Todd.

  “Um, Mike. That’s all I know.”

  “You don’t know his last name?”

  “No.”

  “So you expect me to believe that you just mention to Luann some guy named Mike, and she hired him to kill her son-in-law based on that little bit of information?”

  “Look, I don’t know what she did with the information I gave her!” Todd shouted. “But I didn’t push anyone off a roof!”

  “What about Bud Fetzer? He was beat up pretty bad last night. You know anything about that?”

  “Okay, yeah, I did that. Luann said that little freak was spying on her and her daughter. Some kind of fatal-attraction thing. Have you seen the cameras he’s got all over his house? So I taught him a lesson.”

  “Actually, I have seen the cameras all over Mr. Fetzer’s house. I’ve also seen the telescope he has that faces the Jameson house. It’s almost directly aligned with their roof. Funny, isn’t it?”

  “What?” Todd scratched his chin and looked at Dan as if he’d just asked him to solve a calculus problem in his head.

  “Yeah, Bud’s got cameras and a telescope and a couple of other devices taking in the sights all around his property. In fact, it’s funny because when I talked to Bud, he told me that he saw a man who fits your description on the roof when Greg fell. That’s funny, isn’t it?”

  That was it for Todd.

  “I think I’ll wait for my lawyer.”

  “I hate to say it, but I think that is very wise, Todd. But thanks for communicating with me. You want another coffee? Coke?”

  Todd sat with his cuffed hands in his lap and scowled at Dan. When he came out of the room, Amelia was giddy.

  “What do you do now?” She was going to ask for details, but a loud, familiar vo
ice was heard in the bull pen, drawing Dan’s attention. Amelia followed behind.

  “I really don’t know what this could be about. I don’t understand why no one will tell me anything.” Luann Jameson pouted.

  “Just have a seat, Ms. Jameson,” Officer Vincent ordered. “Detective Walishovski will be right with you.”

  “Well, I hope so. I’ve got a property showing at eight o’clock. If I lose this sale because of this, I’ll be very upset.”

  “Don’t worry, Mrs. Jameson.” Dan strolled out to the bull pen. “Would you mind coming with me?” He waved her on.

  Every eye was on Luann as she slinked through the desks, sashaying like a Miss Universe contestant on a stage. She was wearing black skinny jeans and heels with a tight navy-blue T-shirt that dipped down daringly in the front. But the minute she saw Amelia, her feet tangled up for a second before she regained her composure.

  She looked past Amelia as if she didn’t see her at all.

  While Dan held the door to Interrogation Room B open for her, he waved to Amelia. Without a word, she slipped into the observation room and sat down as she had when she watched Todd.

  “What is this all about, Detective?” She batted her eyes at Dan and pushed her cleavage up as she folded her hands in her lap.

  “We’ve got a problem regarding the investigation into your son-in-law’s death.”

  “Investigation? He fell off the roof. He was stoned and probably drunk.”

  “Well, that’s odd that you say that, because the autopsy revealed there were no amounts of marijuana or alcohol or any other narcotic in his system. How do you think that can be?”

  “The test was probably done wrong.” She shook her head, letting her blond hair bounce around her face. “You know how hard it is to get good help these days.”

  “Yeah, help like Todd Coz helped you kill your son-in-law.”