by Kristi Rose
“Makes sense to me. I’ll be doing some stockpiling myself. I’d be stupid not to.”
I tackled the other rumors head-on. “I don’t know why people are saying the other stuff. It’s ridiculous. Too much TV or social media.”
A moment of acceptance passed between us. Laura notched back the tension a tad more and sat back in her chair. She gripped the armrest.
“You should rethink being seen with me, Samantha. People will start talking about you, too.”
I snorted with amusement. “People have been talking about me since I was a kid. First, it was about my inability to learn to read, or about how I couldn’t measure up to Rachel. Then there was the whole husband’s a polygamist thing. And, of course, just a few days ago, I was the key person of interest in Josh’s murder. Sometimes, I think it’s my life destiny to give people something to talk about.” I’d developed a thick skin over the years, but the secret was that no skin was thick enough.
Laura nodded slowly. “That’s right, you were the key person in Josh’s death.” Her jaw trembled. “Now it’s my teenage son.”
I sat forward and leaned across the table as I set my paper coffee cup to the side. I wanted to take her hand or offer some comfort, but Laura Danner was holding life together with duct tape and bubble gum, and I didn’t want to set her off. Not in public at least.
“I want your permission to investigate this case. I don’t have faith in DB. When he focused on me, I’d started digging into Josh’s background and I’ll share all that with Tyson if you’re keeping him as a lawyer. But I’d like to keep digging if you’re okay with it.”
“You’re asking because you’ll have to dig into our background, too, right?” She looked wary.
“For now, I’d like you to tell me what you can about Josh. About your relationship with Josh. I’m not going to dig just to dig. I’ll use discretion.”
Laura stared off over my shoulder, likely considering her options. “I can’t afford to pay you. I don’t think I can afford Mr. Lockett either.”
“I can’t speak for Tyson, but I won’t cost you a dime.”
Laura gasped in surprise. “Why would you do that for us?”
This was where the truth would pay off. “Leo believes in your son’s innocence. And I believe him. I don’t know you. I don’t know Levi at all, but I do know DB and I do know what it’s like to be falsely accused.” I snagged my coffee cup and fiddled with the lid. “I was there when Josh died. It was awful. And though I wasn’t in the Principal Josh fan club, he didn’t deserve to die like that. And as long as DB is accusing the wrong people, Josh’s killer is getting away with murder. That’s why I’m doing this.” I nodded as added emphasis to my words.
Laura studied me, maybe looking for a tell. A sign I wasn’t as sincere as I seemed. She sighed heavily then said, “I was hesitant to date Josh, or anyone for that matter. Carl was the only one for me. I never imagined I’d be doing life without him.” Grief marks were etched around her eyes and mouth, and as she spoke about Carl, holding back tears, those lines became more prominent.
“Josh asked you out?”
She nodded. “He was persistent. When he first moved here, I thought he’d dated June, but I could never confirm that. Had I been able to, I would have asked his ex for references.” She gave a sardonic chuckle. “We should all ask each other for references.”
“Some people hire a PI,” I said, thinking of a previous case.
One of Laura’s brows shot up. “I’ll keep that in mind should I ever date again.” She waved a dismissive hand. “Anyway, the more I hemmed and hawed, the more persistent he was. In hindsight, I think he liked the chase.”
“Why do you say that?” Not that this would be out of character for most men, and Josh struck me as a player.
“Because in the beginning, he was great. Attentive. Made me feel as if there was no one else on earth like me, and he was the luckiest man alive. He was great with the kids. Levi wouldn’t allow Josh in his life, but Josh was positive and continued to try to be Levi’s friend. I appreciated that.” She shook her head.
“And then?” I held up a small notebook as a silent way to request permission. Laura nodded.
“And then, as I started to believe maybe he was sincere and was as great as he seemed, he pulled back. Subtly at first, so much I didn’t notice. Only in hindsight am I able to see it.” She ducked her head in embarrassment, her cheeks pink. “It was so nice to have a companion again, someone to split a portion of the work with. I let that blind me to Josh’s real nature.”
“Which was?” I had my opinion, but I didn’t want to be skewed by it.
“Josh thought he could charm his way into anything, or out of anything. You know the term ‘sleight of hand’?”
I nodded.
“Sometimes Josh would…” She searched for words. “Come off as one thing. Attentive, dedicated, but I got the feeling it was to distract me from what he was really doing.”
“Like helping himself to your water, gas, and stuff?”
Laura’s lips thinned into an angry line. “The real issue wasn’t that he helped himself, but how did he get the key to unlock the storage room to help himself? It was on my key chain. When I noticed the water gone, I immediately checked my key chain. The key was still there. And water wasn’t the only item he stole. He also helped himself to toilet paper, various medicines.” She waved her hand to stop me from asking the next question. “No illegal drugs or prescription drugs. Over-the-counter stuff. And gum. Josh had a way of twisting conversations so you doubted yourself. Maybe I had left out a spare key. Maybe he did ask me if he could take the water. I am overworked and stressed about Levi.” She closed her eyes then covered them with her palm. “Josh was exhausting.”
Something she said earlier struck me as odd. “Gum? You stockpile gum? Is there something I should know about gum and start keeping it around the house, too?”
Laura looked at me through her fingers. “Only if you’re a stress eater.”
I smiled.
She continued, her hands dropping back to the table. “To not stress-eat an entire box of Oreos, I chew gum. I figure if we’re having to tap into our stockpile for whatever reason, the situation will be stressful, so I horde gum.”
“Why would Josh take your gum?” I couldn’t recall having ever seen him chewing gum.
She tapped a finger on the table. “Get this. Josh was a smoker, or was trying not to be a smoker.”
I clapped my hands with realization. “I knew that. I saw the patches under his shirt at the PTC meeting when school started.” I pointed to my middle finger. “And he had some yellow staining on his finger.”
Laura nodded. “Oh, he would have hated you knowing. He went to great measure to keep it a secret.”
I curled up my lip in confusion. “Why? What’s the big deal?”
“Because he felt like it didn’t work with the persona of a high-standard, elite school principal. He was crazy about keeping the smoke from his clothes.”
“I went to his house, and it didn’t smell like a smoker lived there.” No matter how a person tried to keep the smell of cigarettes out of their clothes, hair, and furniture, little bits always penetrated.
“He only smoked outside and usually in his underwear. He’d shower right after. In his defense, he was trying to quit.” She pointed to me. “The patch was one tool he was using in nicotine replacement therapy.”
I jotted that down in my notebook.
“He did all this so he could stop smoking cigarettes, right?”
Laura nodded.
“This nicotine therapy—”
“Nicotine replacement therapy.”
“What was that all about? Was it working?”
She leaned across the table and in a lowered voice said, “Sorta. He’d ween himself to smoking only on special occasions.”
Special occasions? “Like holidays?”
She barked out a short laugh. “He liked to smoke after sex.” She quickly looked
away but held up two fingers. “Two immediately afterward, and sometimes that gave him the stamina to come back for more. Then two more after that.”
Now the smoking in his underwear made sense.
“That’s the only time he lit up?”
She glanced at me, then away, still uncomfortable about her last comment. “As far as I know. If you want to know if the nicotine replacement therapy program was working, you’d have to speak to Boomer about that.”
“Boomer Jacobson? Why do I know that name?”
Laura said, “His wife Carlie is on the PTC.”
A-ha. Connection made. Carlie had been the one to bring up the sexual harassment with Cora, not Annber, the mom of the child whose shirt Cora had touched. Carlie dislike for me had been crystal clear that day. In small towns, overlapping relationships was unavoidable. Boomer was Josh’s doctor, Carlie worked with Josh on the PTC. Did they hang out socially? Did Boomer think Josh touched everyone as much as I did? Did he approve of his wife’s adoration for the principal?
Laura continued, “All I know is that he couldn’t resist after… well you know. This is how I figured out he was cheating on me.”
“He was? With who?”
Laura shrugged. “I don’t know that.”
“I’m sorry, but I have to ask. How do you know?”
Laura glanced around before she said, “The cigarettes. By my estimations based on our… ahem… relationship Josh should go through a pack every five to ten days.” Her look was pointed, her brows arched, asking me if I was picking up what she was putting down.
I nodded in understanding.
“Josh kept a trash can in his car. One of those As Seen On TV things with the soft sides and a lid and was supposed to be a natural odor eater. The Friday before he died, we went to dinner. On the drive home I finished a pack of gum and tossed it in the trash bag. I noticed two crumpled, empty packs. I confronted him on it. We had a huge fight and I ended it because I knew he was lying to me.”
I hated to be the voice of doubt. “That doesn’t mean anything. Those could have been there from a week ago or longer.”
She shook her head. “Except Josh cleans his car out every Sunday. Like clockwork. Cleans out his car, washes it, and watches football. It’s his day. Wouldn’t even watch football at our house.”
“And you’re saying you weren’t witness to all those cigarettes being smoked?”
Laura chuckled. “Not once that week. That’s why it caught me off guard.”
“Can’t break a habit when you keep engaging in the trigger,” I said matter of fact. Not that I faulted Josh for his habit or trigger. Only that he should have tried eating cookies or ice cream after getting nookie. He might have saved himself the stress and guilt that came with being unable to resist. What I faulted Josh for was having a relationship with someone and fooling around behind her back. If Laura’s suspicions were correct.
“Talk to me about the Recode and Reshape Program.” I tapped my pen against my notepad.
“What’s to say? Levi was—is—running with a bad crowd.” She sighed heavily. “He’s been coming unraveled since his dad died.” Laura pressed a palm to her temple. “Maybe we all have been. Anyway, Levi was caught shoplifting with these kids, and the owner pressed charges. Because it was Levi’s first offense. I got him assigned to the Recode and Reshape Program.” She snorted with derision. “Convincing Josh to take him in the program was another matter.”
“I thought the kids were court-appointed, so why did Josh have the option?”
“Because this is a private program instead of the state-run one.”
A program Josh owned and was using to run a scam. Having Levi enrolled could’ve blown the scam wide open.
I said, “I’m pretty sure I know why Josh didn’t want Levi in the program.”
The question was, did Levi know what Josh was up to and, if so, what did he do about it?
24
Wednesday
Laura and I separated with my promise to loop her in on every development.
As if the universe was patting me on the back for such a fine client interview, it delivered to me Carlie Jacobson.
Not directly to me, but to How Ya Bean. She pulled up in a screech of tires, snagging a spot directly in front of the coffeeshop, her hybrid SUV extending over the parking space and into a crosswalk and blocking half of a bike rack.
Leaving her engine to idle, she jumped out and hotfooted it into the coffee shop. I followed her.
Two people were ahead of her in line. Dressed in a tennis skirt and sweater with pristine white tennis shoes, she tapped her foot impatiently.
“Hey Carlie. How ya holding up?” I asked as I moved into line behind her. “How’s Boomer? Can’t be easy when a patient dies.”
She looked over her shoulder, curled her lip in disgust, then turned her back to me. “Get lost,” she said.
“How are the PTC moms coping? Are you aimless little sheep without Principal Josh?” Antagonizing her hadn’t been my goal, but her snootiness brought out the worst in me.
She spun to face me. “You’re an awful person. I know they got the prepper kid in custody, but my money is still on you.”
I shook my head. “Nah, I don’t do men who smoke. I once dated a guy in college who smoked, and he was always chewing mints. I now associate the two, and it put me off mints, too.” I leaned in close. “Because Josh only liked to smoke after sex the other party is probably past caring at that point.”
Carlie turned a shade of pink that complimented the whiteness of her tennis attire. “I thought you and Josh were getting pretty familiar when we were here last.” She reared back and scanned me up and down. “Wow, you do move fast. But I guess with your husband, or whatever he was, dead, you’re probably lonely.”
I chuckled then said, “Not that lonely. Never that lonely.”
Carlie’s face tightened with anger. “What do you want from me?”
“I’d like to ask you a few questions about Josh.”
“Can I help you?” June said in a booming voice.
The line had moved quickly while Carlie and I had been trading insults.
Carlie rushed to the counter. “I called in a pick-up order.”
June looked a hot mess. Her hair was sloppily pulled back into a bun that was slipping down her neck. Her T-shirt, what looked to be a man’s undershirt, was decorated with coffee and tea splotches, her face devoid of makeup. June pointed to a to-go container with four drinks and fifth to-go cup next to it.
June glared at Carlie. “You need to settle up your account. No more running a tab. And you need to pick up Josh’s bill, too. You can have the other mom’s split it with you.”
Whoa. Did I detect some anger? “Hey,” I said to June. “How ya doing? I heard you might be under the weather.”
June narrowed her eyes at me. “What are you talking about?”
The entire exchange was such a surprise and unexpected that, had Precious been telling me this story, I wouldn’t have believed it. June was always happy and pleasant, and whenever she wasn’t, she hid it well.
I put my hands up in defense. “Nothing. Ignore me.”
Carlie mumbled, “I wish.” From inside her shirt, from her bra I’m guessing, Carlie pulled out a credit card. When she tossed it at June, the plastic slid across the counter.
June glared at us both and mumbled something as she rang up the charges. After she handed Carlie back her card, Carlie turned to leave. She stared at me in disgust.
I went for broke. “When would be a good time for us to talk? Are those drinks for the other PTC moms? I can come now.”
Carlie clutched the cups close. “I never want to talk to you. Ever.” She glanced over my shoulder and, as if possible, looked even more disgusted.
I turned to find DB circling her SUV. “Whoops,” I said.
She rushed past me.
From inside, I watched DB give her a hard time. Rightfully so. Agreeing with him was a weird feeling for me. He poi
nted to the half foot where her bumper was encroaching on the crosswalk. Carlie stomped her foot, which caused a drink to tumble from the to-go carrier.
Must have not been firmly placed in the slot. I glanced at the teens working the counter. They were watching the outside scene, too. The girl pointed to the boy behind her and rolled her eyes. Apparently, he loaded the to-go carrier.
I returned my attention to DB and Carlie. DB was taking out his citation book.
Carlie glanced back into the coffee shop. Her gaze met mine… and if looks could kill, I’d be pushing up daisies.
“You want a drink?” June asked. “Because if not, then get out of line.”
I was staring at Carlie when inspiration struck. She wasn’t going to talk to me. Ever. Unless something or someone changed her mind. And I knew just the something.
From my pocket, I pulled out a five and placed it on the counter. I snagged a bag of gluten-free, fat-free, no GMO hippie popcorn. “I’ll take this,” I said. Did I want to fall on my sword for a Hunter Boot mom? Nope. But I could see the bigger picture. I girded my loins, as they say, then went outside.
DB was telling Carlie all the citations he could stick her with.
With a loud pop, I opened my popcorn bag by clapping it hard on one side.
DB and Carlie looked at me. I tossed some popcorn in my mouth and said, “Keep going. I enjoy watching others get busted by DB. Usually he likes to give me a hard time. I’m surprised he hasn’t already been in my face about being hired to work the Josh Chapman murder.” I leaned against the large window of the coffee shop and ate more popcorn.
DB slapped his citation book against the palm of his hand. “Who hired you?”
I smirked. “You know I can’t tell you that.” Popcorn was flying in my mouth faster than words were coming out. “But it’s no surprise people think you have the wrong person. I mean, just the other day you thought it was me. Funny, right Carlie?”
