Glazed

by Deany Ray

  “I see.”

  He stared down at the floor. “I wasn’t quite sure how to handle it. I’d have gone to the police, but, well…my brother-in-law’s passing was…” He spoke quietly. “It was not an accident.”

  I nodded, thinking it best not to volunteer the fact that I was the one who’d found him. That’s not exactly in the job description of an official from the bank.

  “This really helps a lot.” I shot him a look of appreciation.

  “It’s kind of funny that Peter confided in you. His bank person,” Barnas said.

  I shifted in my seat. “I think sometimes it’s better to entrust your problems with someone who is not that emotionally attached. Who can see things more objectively.”

  “Guess you’re right,” Barnas said.

  “Did the man give you his name, by any chance?” I asked.

  Please, please know his name.

  “No, he didn’t say. He didn’t even leave a number for me to call him back, said he’d be back in a few days to get the money for last month.” He rubbed his head and frowned.

  “Do you know the reasons that were behind the…unfortunate demise of your loved one, Mr. Barnas? Had Mr. Clayton, perhaps, stopped his payments to this man? You tell me he still owed for last month’s ‘services.’”

  He sighed. “I have no idea, but I can tell you one thing about Peter. He did not deserve what these guys dished out. This has absolutely torn my family up. His ex-wife and his two kids are just devastated.”

  Ex-wife? Damn it. Eddy was right.

  “One more question,” I said. “Did Mr. Clayton ever talk about or mention The Glazed Doughnut Box?”

  Barnas cocked his head to the right and frowned. “No, I don’t think so. If he did, I really don’t remember.”

  Shoot. I was hoping to find a connection there. But I got what I came for. Our suspicions about the protection racket were confirmed.

  Barnas glanced toward the kitchen.

  “Well, if that’s everything, Miss O’Coffey,” he said, “I’ve got about a million phone calls to return – and two employees waiting to complain about their hours. Who knew how hard it was to run a coffee shop?” He took my hand and held it firmly. “I do hope that the conversation we had will be held confidential.”

  “You’ve got my word, Mr. Barnas.”

  “I appreciate that,” he said. “And I appreciate you looking into this. I understand now why Peter chose you to confide in.”

  I blushed. If he only knew how I really “met” his brother-in-law. I squeezed his hand and smiled. I really, really did feel so bad for this man!

  “I’m sorry for your loss,” I said, as we both rose from the table.

  He nodded. “I do hope you catch these crooks.” He looked around. “Peter ran a nice shop, and I hate to leave the new owners with this mess.”

  “I totally understand,” I said.

  “Thank you,” Barnas said. “Oh, and stop by the counter on your way out. The coffee is on us.”

  An aroma of cinnamon wafted over from a latte that someone had just ordered. “That’s very generous of you,” I told him, “but I’ve decided I feel better when I skip caffeine.”

  Not! Without caffeine, I felt dead.

  I smiled. “I’ll be in touch.”

  I walked past the coffee counter with its rich smells and tried to convince myself that a healthy smoothie would make a fine reward as I caught up with the girls. On the other hand, who was I kidding? A carrot’s not a French fry, an apple’s not an éclair, and there is no way a smoothie can give you the kind of rush you get from a double espresso served up strong and steaming hot.

  Two minutes later – alas, with no cup in hand – I was leaning forward in Marge’s back seat, spilling everything I’d learned.

  Celeste gave me a thumbs-up.

  “You did good, Charlie,” she said.

  “I knew my shoes would bring you luck,” Marge giggled.

  “Or maybe it was my blazer,” Celeste said.

  “Or maybe it’s my missing eyebrows that were the lucky charm,” I said, jokingly.

  “Or perhaps, it was just your personality that got him to talking,” Eddy said.

  We all stared at him.

  “Anyway,” Celeste continued, “I sent the picture of Suspicious Guy to my family. They’ll check him out. Eddy here started following the guy after he walked out of the Urban Rock Café, but as soon as he turned the corner, Eddy lost him.”

  I looked over at Eddy. He shrugged.

  “Also,” Celeste said, “the family is on surveillance now on Moraine Avenue. We can’t be in two places at once and they agreed to do it.”

  “Great thinking,” I said.

  “I wonder how many more people are involved in this thing,” Marge said.

  “That’s a good question,” Celeste said. “But what Charlie found out is really huge.” Celeste rolled down the window and lit a cigarette. “This has been a good day for our investigation.”

  A good day, yes, but I was worried. The sadness I’d seen in Barnas’ eyes still weighed heavily on my mind. Two kids had lost a father. This had to stop now before someone else got killed.

  “I think we should go to Alex,” I said.

  The time had come for us to work together. This time, it was personal; we had to do what was best for Lucas. I wasn’t ready to give the information to the whole police department. I had promised Barnas I’d keep his confidence. Gina O’Coffey, I felt, should try to honor that – even though she herself was just a great big lie. But I could trust Alex with the info. I had no doubt that Alex would be careful with what Barnas had told me.

  “You know what?” Celeste asked. “I think you’re right. If we could all solve this thing together and make sure nobody’s after Lucas anymore, then I’m willing to share the info we have with Alex.”

  “I’m cool with that,” Eddy said. “Yo! Who would’ve thought? Me on the same team as a cop.”

  Marge turned to wink at me. “A really hot cop, too. Don’t you think so, Charlie?”

  Eddy massaged his bicep and frowned down at it thoughtfully. “I don’t think most chicks like that kind of guy. Most chicks like a dangerous kind of man.” He gave me a flirty look.

  “Sure, whatever you say,” I said.

  “It’s actually a good thing to tell the cops what we know,” Eddy said. “I’m ready to be done with this detective gig.” He leaned back in the seat. “Then I can drink a cold one, play a little poker, and stop chasing after numbnuts.”

  Celeste rolled her eyes. “You’ve switched teams for sure. You’re on the good guys’ side now, not the numbnuts.’”

  “But it’s much more fun to be on the numbnuts’ side,” Eddy said.

  “Yeah, I think you fit better there,” I said.

  Eddy grinned, looking satisfied by my comment. Didn’t he even get that he was insulted?

  “Let’s head over to the police station and see about Alex,” Celeste said. “On our way there, we could stop and check on Lucas.”

  “And show him the picture of Suspicious Guy,” Marge said.

  “Yeah, I wonder if our boy knows him. What if this guy is one of the two fellows Lucas saw that day in the alley?”

  Well, he didn’t look the part, according to the way that Lucas had described them: shoulder-length blond hair on the one, slicked-back brown hair on the other – and that one had a mustache. Suspicious Guy didn’t slick his hair back; he didn’t have a mustache. Hey, but people change; people have their reasons. Especially in that line of work. When I got up that morning, no one would have ever pegged me as a very practical and efficient official from the bank.

  “Lucas would probably love a visit,” Marge squeaked as she started up the car. “He must be lonely over there at Charlie’s place.”

  “Well, it’s not ideal,” Celeste said, “but there are worse things for a teenage boy than an excuse to sit around all day with video games and fast food.”

  Marge frowned. “He must miss his f
riends.”

  “That’s true,” Celeste said, “and I’m not sure how much he misses his old aunt and her friends.”

  Marge looked in the mirror and rubbed at her lipstick. “Well, considering that we’re the ones looking after him, he better miss us.”

  “I bet he misses his uncle Eddy the most,” Eddy said.

  “Then let’s see Lucas,” I said. “On our way there, I’m giving Alex a call, let him know we need to talk.”

  Marge sped away to Clarkston Heights. I pulled out my cell phone and called Alex. After the fourth ring it went to voicemail. Weird. I left him a message.

  Marge must have had the same thought. “He doesn’t pick up when he sees you’re calling?”

  “Maybe he didn’t look,” I said. “Maybe he’s busy.”

  “I would always pick up if you were calling,” Eddy said.

  “Yeah, I’m sure you would,” I said.

  “He’s a cop,” Celeste said. “Of course he’s busy.”

  “Well, I left a message and we’re going to drive to the police station after seeing Lucas anyway, so that’s that,” I said.

  I was only slightly annoyed that Alex didn’t pick up. I decided that Celeste was right. He was a cop and that came with the usual “perks.”

  A cop car zipped past us as we got close to Lucas’. Correction: as we got close to my place, which I planned to move into very soon.

  “That’s probably one of the police officers who are driving by in case there’s something suspicious going on here,” I said to the others.

  Celeste nodded. “Just as appointed by Bert.”

  We stopped beside a car that was parked across the street from my future wonderful apartment. The driver of the car rolled down his window. He was an Ortiz; I had seen him at the picnic. Lucas was one safe boy for sure. The top-ranking members of the secret service had nothing on the Ortiz clan.

  “How’s it going, Hank?” Celeste asked as she blew out a ring of smoke.

  He shrugged. “Nothing to set alarms off. I’ve seen some police cars drive by every now and then. I’ve been in to see our boy. I’ve taken him some food and sodas. We even played a game or two.” Hank puffed up a little as he described his skills shooting spaceships from the sky. All the Ortiz men seemed to think they were something else.

  “Did our boy seem okay?” Celeste asked, concerned.

  “He’s a good kid. That one’s going places. He cares about his studies. He wanted to call up someone from his class so he could catch up with assignments. Now, that’s a good kid, right? Unfortunately, I had to tell him that no contact means no contact.”

  Celeste nodded. “Good grades are important, but even more important is not getting yourself killed.”

  “He did step out a few times, to breathe in some fresh air, and grab a pizza that we ordered, but I was right there watching.”

  “Did anything seem off so far?” I asked.

  “Nothing,” Hank said. “I only saw the guy that seems to run the complex. He showed some folks around. You know, it’s kind of funny. This place looks really nice, but hardly anybody lives here – at least that I can tell.”

  I could see Marge shudder, and I knew she was thinking about the deadly curse.

  Hank started up his engine. “Well, I’m gonna go grab something to eat while you’re all here to keep an eye on things.”

  “Hey, Hank, let’s shoot some pool next week,” Eddy said, leaning forward in his seat. “It’s been way too long.”

  “That’s cool with me,” Hank said.

  “I’ll let the others know,” Eddy said.

  “Sure thing. We’ll make it a reunion. See you in a bit.” Then he drove away.

  Marge made a sharp U-turn and parked the car. We got out and glanced around us. The street was mostly quiet. I could hear some birds calling back and forth and the rustle of the wind in some old-growth trees. The lawns were green like carpet. I’d made a good decision renting a place here. Now, if I could only move in.

  Celeste shot a text to Lucas to let him know we were there. We started walking toward the apartment, when Marge turned back toward the car. “I think I’m feeling a little nauseous. Why don’t you three go in? No need for all four of us to go. It might be overwhelming for the boy.”

  I linked my arm through hers. “Come on, ace detective.” I said. “I thought you were a badass.”

  “I don’t know, you guys,” Marge said.

  “Oh, Marge, for heaven’s sake,” Celeste cried. “After all the things we’ve seen and done, you’re scared of an apartment?”

  “You know it’s not just any apartment,” Marge said. “This one is…special.”

  Marge took a few steps forward, but as she got closer to the door, she squealed and jumped back from the entrance. “I don’t want to die,” she said in a hushed voice. “I’m very young, you know.”

  “No one’s gonna die today,” I said. Because there was no curse. Because this was my apartment, my perfect, perfect place.

  We managed to pull her in and she did some of those breathe in, breathe out exercises. I just hoped her fear of the apartment didn’t rub off on me.

  We saw Lucas, zombie-like, lying on the couch. He was surrounded by piles of clothes, dirty plates, chip bags, crumpled soda cans and all kinds of trash. The kid looked like he was half asleep. I imagined that the solitude was getting really old. Teenagers always wanted to have their friends around.

  “Whoa,” Marge and I said at the same time, taking in the image.

  “I wonder if there are any more chips left,” Eddy said.

  “Okay, let’s clean up,” Celeste decided, hands on her hips and taking charge. “This is no way to live.” She picked up a takeout bag and wrinkled up her nose after peeking at the contents. “I wonder what this was in another life.” She walked over to her nephew. “Hey Lucas, up and at ‘em. Grab some trash bags for us. Did anyone ever teach you what a trash bag is for? Do you need a lesson from your Aunt Celeste?”

  I wondered, not for the first time, if Celeste wanted children. She’d keep them in line for sure, but their lives would not be dull, and she’d love them fiercely. She’d be the perfect kick-ass mom.

  “We’re gonna whip this place into shape, but first things first,” she said, getting out her phone. She pulled up the picture of Suspicious Guy and handed it to Lucas. “Have you ever seen this guy? I need you to concentrate. Was he in the alley that night? Have you seen him anywhere?”

  Lucas sat up slowly and glanced at the screen. He rubbed his eyes and looked again. “I’m sorry, Aunt Celeste, I’ve never seen this man before. He doesn’t look like the two guys I saw in the alley.”

  Well. That was disappointing.

  “Who is he, anyway?” Lucas asked.

  “I’m gonna tell you all about it, as soon as we clean up this mess,” Celeste said.

  “Do I still have to be locked up in here?” Lucas continued. “Have you found out who’s after me?”

  Celeste sighed. “Not yet. But we’re very close. Until then, you need to stay here.”

  I could see the disappointment in Lucas’ eyes, but it was for his own good. It was funny, actually. He couldn’t wait to move out and I couldn’t wait to move in.

  Celeste pulled Lucas into the kitchen and pointed him to a faucet and a sponge. “Let me make the introductions,” she said. “Sponge, Lucas. Lucas, sponge.” A few of the crusty dishes had made it to the sink, and Celeste gathered up the rest while Lucas scrubbed. Marge took bathroom duty while I took the living room. Eddy went into the kitchen in search for food. I hoped Celeste made him clean up, too.

  We were all hard at work when I heard the doorbell ring. “Pizza!” someone shouted from outside.

  I looked up. This could not be happening. I resisted coffee, I resisted doughnuts, how in the world could I resist pizza? For a moment, I thought my mom had sent a pizza delivery guy just as a test for me.

  I was the closest one, so I headed to the door. I turned the doorknob just as Lucas ran in
from the kitchen.

  “Don’t open the door!” he yelled. “I didn’t order pizza!”

  But it was too late. I’d already swung the door half open. I was eye to eye with a surly guy who held a pizza box in one hand and a gun in the other.

  Suspicious Guy.

  Chapter Fourteen

  I gulped as I stared right into the barrel of the gun.

  “Keep it quiet,” Suspicious Guy said. He said it low and slow – which made it super creepy. Quietly, he walked in and shut the door behind him.

  Hearing all the ruckus, Celeste came from the kitchen, holding stacks of crusted dishes she’d gathered in her cleaning. Marge appeared from the bathroom, already puffing from the cleaning exercise. And Eddy…well, Eddy appeared with a bag of chips in his hands. They all stopped short when they saw Suspicious Guy and stared open-mouthed.

  “Why did you open the door?” Marge cried.

  “I…I…,” I started. I could barely hear myself talk over the pounding of my heart. “I’m starving!”

  “You’re what?” Marge asked.

  “I’m starving! I’m on real food deprivation, because my mom’s been starving us with her healthy-eating diet and when I heard the door bell, followed by a pizza-shout, I just blacked out. It was a reflex to open the door.”

  Note to myself in the future: Cheesy, gooey goodness is no excuse at all for not thinking on the job. Now, what had I done? Now, I wasn’t only hungry, I was also maybe dead.

  “So what’s she serving now?” Marge asked me in a whisper.

  “Jackfruit!” I answered in a shaky voice. “And prunes, assorted mush, tofu…”

  “Jackwhat? Prunes? Keep those prunes away from this stud.” Eddy stuck his hand into his chip bag.

  Lucas and Suspicious Guy stared at us with narrowed eyes, amazed at our conversation at that very moment.

  “With that menu, I would die,” Marge said.