Chocolate Cherry Cheater

by Becca Bloom

I tried not to roll my eyes. Abuelita’s gut was infamously wrong.

  Tia Rosa said, “You never right. I think the cameraman kill her. He have much opportunity.”

  Sylvia shook her head. “Don’t rule out the best friend. Girls can be catty, and Christina excelled at stirring up trouble. Carolina might have the strongest motive.”

  I sighed. While I was certain I had figured out the three interviews Agent Sanchez had yesterday, it didn’t mean that one of them had committed the crime. Still, it was a start.

  The more intrepid of Sylvia’s regular customers came in, slipping through the front door just as the first protesters resumed pacing in front of the restaurant. I could only hope my regulars would show up too.

  While Sylvia, Abuelita, and Tia Rosa stayed in the kitchen, I went out to the dining room with Jake. He brought two bowls of fruit salad with homemade granola and yogurt drizzled generously over the top, setting them on our table. “I can’t tell you how relieved I am that you're looking into this, Jess. Thank you,” he said.

  I looked into Jake’s eyes and promptly forgot how to string words together into a reply. You’d think I’d be over that by now, but I clearly wasn’t. So, I smiled and nodded like an idiot.

  Fortunately for me, Abuelita gave me something to do when she nearly dropped her sausage-laden plate to smack Jake upside the head and point out the window. “He here! The killer is here!”

  I grabbed her carnivorous breakfast before it fell to the floor, setting it on the table and following the direction of her accusatory finger to Daniel de la Calle standing out on the sidewalk.

  Jake rubbed the side of his head. “Tact, Abuelita. A tap on the shoulder would have done just as well as a wallop on the head.”

  Abuelita waved off Jake’s complaint. “I too exciting for to act small.”

  I had to smile at how loaded that statement was. Abuelita was the tiniest person of my acquaintance, but there was nothing small about her personality. I wish I had half of her gumption.

  “Is that why you thought the water balloons were okay yesterday?” I asked.

  Abuelita shrugged. “Sylvia complain the hose too big, so we do tact with small balloon, and she still complain!”

  Jake grinned at her. “Sometimes you can’t win, can you?”

  Abuelita returned his smile. “I always win.”

  If that wasn’t reason to worry, I didn’t know what was.

  I looked back outside to see Daniel interviewing the protesters.

  Jake mumbled, “Well, today’s off to a great start.” I could practically hear the eye roll in his tone.

  Sylvia came up behind us, the TV remote in her hand. “It’s live.”

  That wasn’t good.

  Daniel de la Calle interviewed Señora Cabrera. She openly accused Jake, describing in dramatic detail how he had murdered her daughter at Lake Quilotoa and brought her body back in his Jeep. She gave no proof and offered no facts. Apparently, she knew nothing more than we did — although that didn’t prevent her from spouting her opinions for all to view.

  Sylvia and Tia Rosa kept Abuelita from charging outside to argue with them. Only the knowledge that our presence would make things worse for Jake kept me in my chair.

  To his credit, Daniel asked why Jake would bring the body back to his hometown when it would’ve been easier for him to leave her at the bottom of the lake.

  Señora Cabrera sputtered an answer brimming with passion and lacking in logic. I felt awful for her. While her anger was misguided, her emotions were real.

  When the grieving mother began to weep, and her mascara streamed down her cheeks, I watched in disappointment as Daniel waved the camera closer. He offered Señora Cabrera a tissue and consoled her on live TV with a phony expression of sympathy plastered on his face. It was the sort of thing the public lapped up like cream to a kitten.

  The reporter blatantly used Señora Cabrera to garner favor, and I was more inclined than ever to believe him guilty of murder. He obviously had no fellow-feeling or he would have turned the camera away.

  Just as Daniel was about to give a poignant wrap-up of his interview — with some witty and meaningful statements that would show his insight into the crime, no doubt — Miss Patty, Fernanda, Domenica, Jake’s boss, and several other angry town dwellers appeared.

  Miss Patty, Baños’ resident artist, passed around signs for them to hold pronouncing Jake’s innocence in perfect, bold lettering in a variety of eye-catching colors. She valiantly waved hers in front of the camera.

  Jake’s boss made his way up to Daniel. Handing Señora Cabrera a handkerchief, he moved her away from the reporter with his arm wrapped around her protectively. He said, “This has got to stop. These people do not seek justice. They have a personal vendetta against Jake, and it’s about time it ended. It’s tearing our town apart and threatening our way of life.”

  “Christina was my only child. You have no idea what Jake did to her,” Señora Cabrera said, the handkerchief shaking in her hands.

  “That was five years ago — an eternity when you’re young. Besides, if what Christina said was true, she sure got over it fast.”

  “You call her a liar? You would speak ill of my daughter before she is cold in her grave?” Señora Cabrera’s tears returned in earnest.

  Jake’s scrubbed his hand over his face and ran his fingers through his hair. “I am grateful that not everyone in this town hates me, but I can’t watch this anymore. Please, turn it off, Mom.”

  “No yet. We watch,” said Abuelita, snatching the remote away from Sylvia.

  Daniel commented as the camera panned over the crowd. On one side were the accusers intent on arresting Jake. On the other side were his defenders. With his eyebrows drawn together and one hand over his heart, the reporter said, “A peaceable town torn in two over the loss of one of Baños’ brightest stars.”

  I turned my attention to my soggy granola, trying to summon an appetite.

  But the interviews weren’t over yet. Agent Sanchez appeared on the screen. In a clipped, professional voice, she said, “I will not answer any questions. However, I will reassure the public that my department is on the case. The murderer will be brought to justice swiftly. Thank you.”

  The camera followed her as she walked away. She was done speaking to them, and that was that.

  Daniel covered her abrupt departure like a pro. His voice full of admiration, he said, “That’s Agent Jenny Sanchez. She’s the youngest member of the special crimes agency, and already, she has amassed an impressive service record to rival the most tenacious veteran detectives in the country.”

  I was relieved Agent Sanchez hadn’t decided to join us inside the restaurant. With little sleep, no food, overcharged emotions, and too much information, my mind was a muddled mess.

  What I didn’t expect was for Martha to come into the restaurant. She still had the shop's cordless phone in her hand. “Do we deliver?” she asked. “We get many calls. The people want the doughnuts, but they are afraid to come here.” She put her hand on my arm. “We must adapt or the business fail. We no give up.”

  If the mountain will not come to Muhammad, then Muhammad must go to the mountain. Preparing myself for a long, sticky day out in the sun, I stood from the table. “Let’s do it,” I said, already on my way out the door.

  Martha tugged on my sleeve to pull me back. “Good. I already send Maria. I come here for you to make the decision official.”

  I laughed. I couldn’t be offended that Martha had decided for me when I hadn’t been there to ask in the first place. “I should go back to the shop,” I said.

  Martha bunched her eyebrows together. “Why? No is busy. Your friends, they need you. You solve the crime. You help them like you help me.” She patted me on the arm and left.

  I sighed. “Like it’s that easy,” I mumbled to myself, looking up at the TV screen as Tia Rosa took the remote control from Abuelita and changed the channel back to her favorite news station, SierraVista.

  My mind h
ad yet to return to Daniel de la Calle and his horrendous interviews, and so I was unprepared when he and his cameraman came inside the restaurant.

  Daniel stood in the middle of the dining room floor while we all froze in place.

  Abuelita broke the silence. Marching up to Daniel, she poked him in the chest with a fork. “Confess! You the killer!”

  Chapter 10

  “Put the fork down, Abuelita. He’s just doing his job,” Jake said. Turning to Daniel, he asked, “That said, what are you doing here?”

  Daniel flashed a smile brighter than Mayor Guerra’s. I could almost see my reflection in his teeth. He said, “Word on the street is that you killed Christina Cabrera. I want to help you. I would like an exclusive interview. I want to offer you the opportunity to tell your side of the story.”

  “No way,” Jake said gruffly and immediately.

  Daniel insisted, “If you have nothing to hide, why not speak up?”

  Jake crossed his arms over his chest. “I know how that works. Don’t forget I used to date a reporter. She could turn anything into a sensational story, convincing people to believe a lie. You’d do the same.”

  Was that what Christina had done to Jake? I wondered.

  Daniel took a deep breath, his shoulders visibly relaxing. “Look, Christina was more than just my colleague and friend. I loved her. I want to find out the truth, and I’m doing you a favor because I don’t think you did it. It doesn’t add up.”

  “How so? What do you know?” Jake asked.

  I was happy he asked because I was thinking the same thing. If Daniel was convinced of Jake’s innocence, it meant he knew something.

  The television blared so loudly, I ducked and covered my ears. Of all the times to be interrupted…

  Tia Rosa’s favorite reporter announced in a solemn voice, “This just came in from an anonymous source. As we delve into the investigation of a beloved colleague’s death, new evidence surfaces.”

  My attention was riveted to the television screen as the video cut over to the observation deck at Lake Quilotoa. Jake and Abuelita stood beside Christina. Jake said, “If you knew what was best for you, you would leave right now.”

  Oh, crud. And if that wasn’t bad enough, Jake’s words were written across the bottom of the screen in English and Spanish.

  I pressed my hands against my cheeks. I had been there, and I knew how out of context those words sounded without the surrounding conversation. It sounded like a threat. This was bad.

  The camera shot ended with a picture of us walking back to Jake’s Jeep.

  The reporter continued as the image froze on the screen beside her. “That is the same vehicle where Christina Cabrera’s body was found. The owner is an adventure tour guide at the company advertised on the side of the Jeep. An investigation is underway, led by Agent Jenny Sanchez, who has an impeccable service record. We at this station will do everything in our power to assist her in the discovery and capture of Señorita Cabrera’s murderer. This is Maria Escobar from SierraVista in Ambato.”

  Tia Rosa lowered the remote, her hand trembling. “This very bad. Is terrible. I worry, Jake.”

  He did what any good nephew would do. He hugged her and kissed her fluffy, lavender hair.

  Abuelita used the opportunity to praise her preferred news channel. “UIO News from Quito no have this bad gossip. Is real news from capital.”

  Daniel flipped out his cell phone, stabbing at the buttons, his face a deeper shade than it had been a moment ago. “We got scooped,” he spat. “Find that video! Get the source!”

  I watched him closely, his sympathetic veneer gone. Daniel wasn’t concerned about finding his girlfriend’s killer. He was upset he hadn’t gotten to the story first.

  Putting his phone away, he extended his hand to Jake. “My offer still stands. You looked guilty before, but with this video, you don’t stand a chance of walking away from this. Allow me to help you.”

  Jake tightened his hold around Tia Rosa, looking at Daniel’s hand as if it had a snake in it.

  Tia Rosa tugged Jake over to where I stood, doing my best to blend into my surroundings so I could observe everyone without being noticed. Cameras made me shy like that, and you’d better believe I kept a wary eye on that cameraman, making sure the lens pointed down and not anywhere near me.

  Wrapping the arm that wasn’t tugging Jake along with her around my waist, Tia Rosa squeezed me to her side and said, “We no need you help. We have talented detective here. Jessica, she help us.”

  The camera raised to focus on me. So help me, if he pushed the Record button, I was going to bolt. If I could escape from Tia Rosa’s grip.

  Daniel looked me up and down, something that was happening an awful lot lately, and I wished it would stop.

  He said, “You're a private investigator?”

  “I make doughnuts,” I said, trying not to feel stupid as I met his eyes levelly.

  His eyebrows raised. “You’re not an investigator?”

  Abuelita answered for me. “Jessica solve many case. She solve this too. She scoop you.”

  So, I had not been the only one to overhear Daniel’s phone call. Who knew what Abuelita thought “scoop” meant, but it got the reporter’s critical stare off of me. He pulled out a business card, handing it to me. “If Jake changes his mind, or if you have anything to pass along, please call me. I want to help.”

  Abuelita raised the fork at his nose. I thought about snatching it away from her, but I didn’t like the guy she waved it at. She couldn’t reach his eyes, so what damage could she really do anyway?

  Wielding her silverware like a dagger, Abuelita said, “You want be first! Christina senior reporter. You junior. You want her job.”

  Now that was a thought…

  Daniel exhaled, almost convincing me with his look of vulnerable defeat. “Look, I’ll be honest,” he said. “I do want to move up in my career, and the story would go a long way in helping me do that. But I loved Christina. I want to see her killer behind bars as bad as you want to protect Jake.”

  I tucked his card in my back pocket, with no intention of calling him, as I watched Daniel and his camera guy go. There weren’t any news vans in the parking lot across the street, but I saw them climb into a shiny, black SUV with four big circles on the polished grill.

  Abuelita poked me in the arm. “You no call him. He kill her. He bad man.”

  I wasn’t about to tell Daniel anything. Not when I thought he was worth checking out. That was Mystery Solving 101, wasn’t it? The first suspect is always the person closest to the victim. As Christina’s boyfriend, Daniel definitely qualified.

  Chapter 11

  I found Jake in the backyard, tossing a tennis ball for Lady to chase. While I didn’t want to pry needlessly into his past to satisfy my own curiosity, I felt like I was grappling in the dark when it came to his history with Christina. If I was going to defend his character publicly, I needed to know my faith in Jake wasn’t misguided.

  Lady dropped the ball at my feet. Picking it up and throwing it, I joined Jake in the shade of the avocado tree. Before I could talk myself out of it, I asked, “Why don’t you tell your side of the story? It might help.”

  Jake’s reply was immediate. “I can’t. Anything I say would be turned against me.”

  “So, silence is better?”

  Jake worked his jaw, finally saying, “It’s not as simple as that.”

  Lady trotted over to us, rubbing against Jake’s leg and sitting on his foot.

  He ruffled her ears. “I’m sorry you’re tangled up in this, Jess.”

  I was already committed to finding the murderer responsible for Christina’s early demise because I hated how it pitted the town against Jake’s family when they had been nothing but kind to me and everyone else they met (well, so long as you took Abuelita with a grain of salt. I liked to think her heart was in the right place even if her ways were … unconventional.) They had become my closest friends, and Jake’s apology intensified my
desire to help him for his sake.

  “You don’t need to apologize to me. But if I’m going to help you at all, I need some answers.” Why does Señora Cabrera hate you? Why did Christina seem interested in rekindling old flames at the lagoon? Why were you so easy to frame?

  “You have enough to deal with. I don’t want to add to your troubles just when it looked like things were calming down and you were happy here. You have an uncle to find. This,” Jake said, waving his hand around, “is just a distraction.”

  His reminder conjured a picture of Mammy in my mind. I knew exactly what she’d say, and I repeated it because Mammy was always right. “It’s not a distraction. It’s practice. I don’t know if my uncle Eddie lives, and I’m no nearer to finding him today than I was my first day in Baños. But I feel that everything I’m learning brings me closer to the truth. It’s difficult to explain, but it fuels my hope and keeps me searching. Let me help you, Jake.”

  Jake shoved his fingers thorough his hair. “How do you do it, Jess?”

  If I had any idea what he was talking about, I would have answered instead of looking at him like a guppy, wondering if his hair was as soft as it looked. I cleared my throat. “Do what?”

  “You’d have me believe I’m the one doing you a favor. I bet that when you do finally find your uncle, you’ll give everyone around you the credit when it’s always you. It’s always been you.”

  Whoa, he was giving me way too much credit. I couldn’t have done half the things I’d done without the support of my friends. I opened my mouth to say as much, but he quieted my rebuttal with a look.

  “Own it, Jess. It’s not just the crimes you solve. Adi bit the bullet and opened her studio because of you. Abuelita and Tia Rosa get along better than they ever have. Mom is happy with them out of her kitchen and with Washo in her life. I see what you do for Martha, Fernanda, and Domenica. Along with your friendship, you give them stability and dignity. That’s all your doing.”

  “Anyone would have done the same.”

  “Then why didn’t they?”