by Paul Regnier
Kenny grinned and nodded at me.
“What?” I said.
“You should look at yourself in the mirror right now.”
“Why?” I patted down my hair. “Do I have crazy bed head?”
“No. You’re all lit up trying to solve this thing. Remember how down you were last night about your job? Maybe this is that important thing you were looking for.”
“Well, it’s a big theft. And it made Brooke look bad, not to mention it ruined our night together.”
“Either way, it’s good to see you fired up. Cheers.” Kenny tilted his glass back, took a drink, and winced like he’d just sucked on a lemon.
I raised my eyebrows at him. “You really gonna drink that stuff all day?”
“That’s the plan,” he said. “But right now, I gotta get ready for breakfast. I’m meeting someone at The Shovel and Pan.”
“Wait.” I paused for a moment. “Ellie Greyson?”
His face tightened. “Maybe.”
“For the breakfast buffet?”
“How do you know about that?”
“She invited me. I’m surprised she’s still going, after what happened last night.”
“Yep. I texted her this morning. It’s still on ... She asked you to go too?”
“Yeah. Said there were a bunch of people getting together.”
“Oh.” Kenny frowned. “A bunch of people, huh?”
“Did you think it was a date?”
“No. Well, maybe. I don’t know. She was pretty flirty with me last night.”
“Yeah. I think that’s her only gear.”
Kenny sighed, his shoulders slouching.
I tried to backpedal. “Hey, who knows? Maybe she is into you. She probably only asked me ‘cause she used to babysit me. You know, a funny story to tell her other friends at breakfast.”
He unzipped his jacket with a sigh. “And here I am drinking kale juice like an idiot. Trying to shape up for some girl that flirts with everyone.”
“Well, don’t just give up. Show up for breakfast, and sweep her off her feet.”
“Yeah, right. Like that angel would go for me.”
“Come on now. Where’s your courage? What would your buddy Batman think?”
Kenny pointed at me. “Don’t bring him into this.”
“Just give it a shot. If she’s not into you, how are you in a different spot than if you didn’t try at all?”
“There’s no epic fail if you don’t try.”
“There’s also no success.”
He rolled his eyes. “Okay, fine. I’ll make a fool of myself. But you have to go with me.”
“Me? No. Three's a crowd.”
“You said there’s gonna be a bunch of people.”
“Well, yeah but–”
“Look, if I go with you and it doesn’t work out, I can at least pretend we were just going to get some breakfast, and I don’t have to walk away alone and empty-handed. And, if things start to go well with her, you can just politely and quickly excuse yourself.”
“I don’t know. If Brooke finds out I’m going, she might think I went there to see Ellie.”
“Speaking of Brooke, remind me, who took care of Bandit and fed him last night at the auction, so you and Brooke could have a moment?”
I sighed. “Fine. You win. Let’s go.”
Spring had sprung in Crystal Falls. Crunchy little patches of snow dotting the landscape were all that remained of winter. The hills were green again, and wildflowers exploded like fireworks by the roadside.
I rolled down the window of my Mustang and breathed deeply as the crisp air flowed through the car.
“Can you close that? It’s freezing.” Kenny shivered in the passenger seat. He still had a glass of green smoothie in his hand, a tall straw angled toward him.
“Well maybe if you had some hot coffee like a normal person, you wouldn’t be cold.”
He pulled out his cell phone with his free hand. “I’ve got your mom’s number on my favorites. You said you’d be supportive. I can dial her right now.”
“You’re gonna call my mom on me? What are you six years old?”
He frowned and put the phone down. “Dude, this smoothie is rough. Have mercy.”
“Didn’t you bring a jacket?”
“It’s in the back seat. I can’t reach that far without tweaking my back. Old computer injury.”
I sighed. “Fine. But when we get to the restaurant, the jacket goes on and the window comes down.”
“How ‘bout half the trip it’s down, half it’s up?”
“It’s spring air. It’s not that cold.”
“Still feels like winter to me.” Kenny put his smoothie between his legs and rubbed his arms.
“Oh, alright.” I rolled the window up until it was just open a crack. “Better?”
“Better.”
My cell phone rang. I recognized the number of Graham Sullivan, the event organizer.
“Speak of the devil,” I said. “It’s Graham.”
“Ooo.” Kenny pointed at my phone. “Speakerphone. I want to hear this. Tone is everything.”
I handed the phone to Kenny, “Okay. Here, hold this.” I tapped the speaker phone option.
“Graham, thanks for calling me back,” I said. “So sorry about what happened last night.”
“Yes, it’s horrible. Not the kind of thing you’d expect in Crystal Falls. Luckily, no one was hurt. I just hope the police will find the thief.”
“I hope so too. Listen, I had a few questions for a follow up article on the silent auction. Do you have a moment?”
“Not really. Can you make it fast?”
“Of course.” I spent a minute asking filler questions about the auction before asking the real question I wanted an answer to.
“I noticed a few entertainers were hired for the event. I saw a juggler and a few clowns. How many did you hire?”
“I’m not sure offhand. I believe there were two jugglers, a face painter, and some clowns.”
“Were all the clowns from the same agency?”
Graham paused for a moment. “You know, the police asked me about the clowns too. This isn’t related to the investigation, is it?”
Kenny shot me a worried look.
I knew any hesitation in my answer could wreck things, so I kept it light and answered immediately. “Did they? That’s funny. Well, I’ve never known clowns to be a major police concern.” I added a chuckle to drive home the point.
“Yes, perhaps. Listen, I don’t have my event notes with me at the moment. And I don’t think staffing details are necessary for a newspaper article, do you?”
“I’m just gathering as much information as I can, Mr. Sullivan,” I said. “I want to make sure I get the exact details. That way it doesn’t reflect poorly on anyone involved.”
Kenny pointed at me and mouthed the word, ‘nice.’
“Yes, well, I certainly hope your article doesn’t paint anyone in a negative light.” His voice sounded more annoyed by the second.
“Of course, that’s not my intention. The more information I receive, the easier it will be to write an honest article that no one involved will take issue with.”
He let out a gruff laugh. “I certainly hope so. Keep in mind, there’s always legal recourse in cases of libel. Good day, Mr. Cooper.”
The phone went dead.
“I think he likes me,” I said.
“That guy doesn’t mess around.” Kenny shook his head as he tapped away at my phone. “You sure that’s the best way to get information out of people?”
“Maybe not. But he’s hiding something. Sometimes when people get upset, they let things slip. It’s a risky path to take but Graham’s a tough nut to crack. I seem to come up with questions that annoy him really easily.”
Kenny nodded, continuing to tap at my phone. “Yep. Old Scumbag Sullivan. That’s what they call him.
“Who? Kids?”
“My Reddit group, The Upside Down Crystal Falls. T
he insider take on what’s really happening in our town.”
“Ah. The seedy underbelly of Boring Falls, USA.”
“Laugh all you want. Even in quiet places, strange stuff can lurk beneath the surface.”
“And the computer geeks are gonna expose it all, right? What is it? Aliens? The Illuminati?”
“Hey, while you publish your twice-told tales in the officially sanctioned news of The Crystal Chronicle, we talk about what’s really going down.”
“Well, watch your back. You start groups like that, and before you know it, those same tin foil hat wearing weirdos show up on your doorstep.”
“Nah, I run the group with an alias. Troy Morgenstern. They think I’m a doomsday prepper that hunts bears and writes survival books.”
“Your free time is strange.”
“Strange and wonderful. Ooo, found something.”
“What?” I glanced over. “What are you doing on my phone? It’s not your weird Reddit group thing, is it?”
“No. I was searching companies nearby that hire out party entertainers. Especially clowns. Found one in Cascade called Party Extravaganza. They put up a social media post this morning about their entertainers at an event last night. Guess which event?”
“The Crystal Falls silent auction?”
“Bingo. They posted photos. I’m swiping through them right now.”
“Nice work. Anything interesting?”
“Hm.” Kenny continued to swipe through the photos for a moment. “Okay. Here we go. They have three of their clowns featured here ... There’s photos of them making weird faces at kids, giving out balloon animals, and generally looking creepy, but guess what?”
“What?”
“That grumpy clown that Bandit barked at? He’s not one of them.”
Chapter 4
I paused for a moment at Kenny’s revelation. “So, he wasn’t one of the clowns hired for the event.”
Kenny grinned and nodded. “Yep. I think we may have found our thief.”
A quick drive into town brought us to The Shovel and Pan Restaurant. It was the only restaurant in Crystal Falls, unless you counted Fry it and Shake it, the fast food joint connected to the local gas station.
The Shovel and Pan was a country diner when I was a kid, but new owners had recently swept in and made major renovations. The interior was modern rustic, with dark wood furniture and a roaring stone fireplace. The menu was revamped, from greasy spoon to gourmet comfort food. Thanks to a guest spot on a traveling foodie show called Eats Around The States, they were semi-famous for the best bison burgers around.
I opened the door, and a warm rush of breakfast air swept over me. A potpourri of bacon and coffee mingled together in a bouquet far better than any flower arrangement.
The breakfast buffet crowd was at about forty percent capacity. The clinking of silverware and a blended choir of distant conversations filled the air. We spotted Ellie Greyson at a long wooden table with about twenty other people already knee deep in pancakes and eggs.
“So much for my breakfast date,” Kenny said.
“Don’t worry,” I said. “Group situations are better. Less pressure. Just grab a few conversations with her. Lay the groundwork.”
Kenny gave a firm nod and pulled his jacket taut.
Ellie noticed our arrival and waved us over.
“Hey, guys.” Ellie met us at the head of the table. Her long black hair was wrapped around her shoulder in a French braid that looked way too complicated for eight in the morning. “Glad you could make it.” She turned to the table. “Everyone, this is Luke Cooper and Kenny Goodwyn.”
There was a fleeting moment of waves and greetings before everyone ignored us again.
“Why don’t you guys grab some breakfast and join me?” Ellie said.
“Thanks,” Kenny said. “Sounds great. Your hair looks cool. Like Princess Leia in Return of the Jedi.”
“Oh, okay.” A crinkle line formed between her eyes. “Thanks, I think. Well, I’ll see you back at the table.”
She moved back to her seat and I nudged Kenny toward the buffet line.
“What are you doing?” I asked.
“I know, I know.” He shook his head.
“Princess Leia? You like this girl and you’re throwing out Star Wars compliments? Why don’t you just spray mace in her eyes?”
“I blanked. She looks amazing. It was all I could think of.”
“Okay, listen. Just relax. Ask her questions about her life. Let her do most of the talking. Act really interested. And nothing related to sci-fi, fantasy, or superheroes.”
“What if she’s into all that stuff?”
I patted him on the shoulder. “Then get on one knee and propose.”
The buffet spread was a tribute to the best things about morning. Stainless steel servers overflowed with pancakes, eggs, bacon, hash browns, cinnamon rolls, and a slew of other scrumptious breakfast comfort foods. Two shiny cylinders of coffee waited at the end of the buffet table, like knights ready to dispense the nectar of kings.
Kenny grabbed a white plate. “Wow. So glad I came this morning.”
“Wait,” I said. “What are you doing?”
“What do you think?” He smiled. “Loading up on delicious.”
“What happened to your kale juice diet?”
His smile evaporated. “Oh. Right.” He cast a sad look at the buffet. “Why today?”
I pointed toward the end of the line. “Well, there’s fruit. Cantaloupe and stuff. You can eat that, can’t you?”
His lips went into a pout. “Yeah. I guess.”
I patted him on the back. “Well, help yourself. Looks like there’s plenty. Even for seconds.”
“Psh. Thanks a heap.” He trudged toward the end of the buffet line.
“Hi Luke.” I turned to find Brooke, in uniform, standing behind me.
“Hey. What are you doing here?”
“Trying to do some follow up about the robbery. I need to find out all I can while everyone’s memory is still fresh.”
I nodded. “Makes sense. Anything promising?”
“Not really.” Her eyes flicked over to Ellie Greyson’s table. “You here for Ellie’s breakfast get together?”
“Yeah.” A sudden realization dawned on me that this could be misinterpreted. “I mean, not for me. For Kenny. He wanted to come.”
“Ah.” She gave a tight smile. “Well, don’t miss the breakfast potatoes. They’re amazing.”
She was about to leave when I spoke up.
“Wait, Brooke. Just to be clear, I didn’t come here to see Ellie.”
“Oh Luke, it’s fine.” She waved her hand. “There’s no problem here. We’re just getting to know each other. We haven’t even gone on an official date.”
“I know but still, the thing is–”
Her police radio crackled. She answered with a quick response, then covered it with her hand. “I have to go.”
“But–”
“Luke.” She put her hand on my shoulder. “It’s no big thing. Enjoy breakfast.”
She continued the conversation over the radio as she turned and headed out the door.
I let out a frustrated breath. It wasn’t enough for a major theft to ruin our great night together, now she probably thought I was after another woman. I regretted ever setting foot in this restaurant.
My only consolation was a long row of silver tins overflowing with breakfast goodness only steps away. I grabbed a plate and dove in, using silver tongs to help myself to a healthy stack of buttermilk pancakes.
A woman entered the line directly behind me. I looked back, and for a split second thought it was Ellie. She bore a passing resemblance, but with a leaner, taller build. She looked a few years older, with short hair and bangs.
“Hi,” I said. “Are you Vicki? Ellie’s sister?”
She gave a polite smile. “Yes. And you’re Luke Cooper, right?”
“Yeah. You remember me from when I used to live here?”
&nb
sp; “No.” She pointed back to the table. “Ellie introduced you and Kenny when you walked in.”
“Oh, right.” I resumed filling up my plate, but kept the conversation going as I moved down the buffet line. “Heard you’re an accountant now.”
Vicki nodded. “Yes. I run a CPA firm in McCall.”
“Nice. My mom calls that a golden anchor job.”
Her brow furrowed.
“Translation, it’s stable and it pays well.”
“Ah.” She nodded.
“Unlike writing. I’m on the unstable and broke side of the spectrum. I’m a reporter for the local Chronicle. My mom probably prays for me to switch to accounting.”
She chuckled. “Well, to each his own, I suppose. I like working with numbers but it would drive someone else crazy. Whenever I talk to Ellie about my job, she wants to fall asleep. She just doesn’t seem to grasp the beauty of a perfectly balanced spreadsheet.”
“And you still hang out with her?”
“Well, she is my sister.” Vicki smiled.
I paused for a moment. “Really sorry about what happened last night.”
She nodded. “Thanks. I’m staying with Ellie and Jacob at the farm while we sort through all this. I still can’t believe it.”
“Me too. But hopefully they’ll catch the thief. In fact, part of my job as an investigative journalist is to look into local events like this. I’m hoping I can learn something that will help recover your family’s gems.”
“Oh. Well, I already spoke with Officer Casey this morning. I’m not sure I can tell you anything helpful. I wasn’t here last night.”
“Do you know of anyone who expressed interest in the gems? Maybe someone close to your family that needed money and knew they’d be on display at the auction?”
“Well, if I used that lens, I’d suspect anyone I knew that wasn’t well off.”
I chuckled. “Not quite. Let me put it another way. Someone that might be capable of this. Someone that spoke a lot about the gems. Maybe someone that has a past record.”
She shook her head. “I don’t really like where this is going. I don’t want to sift through all our friends and relatives looking for a criminal.”
“I understand, but once we find the true guilty person, it clears everyone else. Better all around, right?”
