by Lynn Cahoon
Felicia was better at reading people, which made her a perfect front of the house manager. She probably could have told Angie what was going on with Ian, but Angie was pretty sure she might still be with Taylor, and she didn’t want to wake her this early.
This week was their first trial at being open on a Thursday, so she should just go into the restaurant and make sure everything was ready for tomorrow. Estebe had told her last night that he’d come in early and set up the prep. Since she knew he was trying to work as many hours as possible, she didn’t want to take that work away just because she was anxious over what her boyfriend might be thinking.
Dom raised his head from his bed on the kitchen floor and watched her.
“I think you’re right. We need to make some donuts.” She patted him on the head and headed over to the cabinet to get things ready. She washed her hands, refilled her coffee cup, and tied her hair up with a clip. Then she got lost in her creating.
She pulled the last batch out of the oil when a knock came at her door. Holding the dripping basket over the oil, she eased the donuts out onto the paper towels where they could cool. Then she hurried to the door. Probably some salesman with a freezer in the back of his truck stocked with beef. Like she’d trust buying her meat from a beat-up F-150. She swung the door open. “Yes?”
Sheriff Allen Brown stood on her porch. The man looked like a small-town sheriff. His shirt was just a little too tight and the buttons strained against the fabric. He tipped his hat, showing hair that was more gray than brown and thinning on the top. “Good morning, Angie. I was wondering if I could have a word with you?”
She hadn’t always been on the better side of the River Vista sheriff, but since she was dating his nephew, the tension that seemed to erupt every time he stopped by to talk had eased a bit. “Of course, come in.”
He slipped his hat off as he entered the house. Stopping just inside the door, he gaped at the pile of donuts covering the table. “How many did you make?”
“A few.” Angie cleared a spot on the table. “Sit down and I’ll get you a cup of coffee and a plate full. Maybe you’d like to take a few back to the station?”
“That would be nice. The guys would appreciate it.” He set his hat on a small portion of table. Dom came and sniffed his hands, then apparently approving of the newcomer, sat down in front of the sheriff so that he could pet him. The sheriff took his cue and obliged. “Who’s a good boy?”
“If you start petting him, he’ll never let you stop,” Angie warned as she placed the coffee in front of him. “Black, right?”
“Perfect. Thank you.” He leaned forward when she set a plate in front of him. He took a bite, then sighed. “I never thought I’d say this, but yours are better than your grandmother’s.”
“That’s high praise.” She set her coffee and a smaller plate with her donuts on the table. Then she sat down. “What has you driving out all this way before nine in the morning? Don’t tell me someone’s dead.”
When he didn’t answer, she sat up straighter and set the donut she’d been about to scarf on the plate. “Oh my God. It’s not Mrs. Potter or Erica, is it? They’ve been traveling, so I haven’t bothered calling, but I should have called.”
He reached out and laid his hand on her shoulder, easing her chatter. “It’s not Mrs. Potter or Erica. According to Ian, you just met this guy last night.”
Her mind raced. “It can’t be Taylor. Felicia would be frantic and already have called me if something had happened to him. One of the guys at the mission? They were fighting when we came in, did it start up again? I knew Taylor’s little peacekeeping mission wasn’t effective with those guys. They just brushed him off.”
“No, it wasn’t one of the residents.” He held up a hand when she started to list off more people. “Look, let me ask you some questions and you’ll figure this out. Okay? I’m the investigator here, although you seem to be trying to take over my spot lately. Are you planning on running for sheriff if your restaurant fails?”
“What have you heard about the County Seat? Are people talking? Don’t they like the food?” Now Angie’s mind flew into a panic about the gossip about the restaurant.
“Hold on, I was joking with you. Maybe interviewing you in the morning isn’t the best time. You seem to be jumping from bad to worse.” He sipped his coffee and pulled out a notebook. “My turn to talk, right?”
Angie nodded and picked up her coffee. The cup felt warm in her hands and seemed to calm her frayed nerves. “Sorry. I’ll be quiet.”
“I’m not sure you can, but we’ll try this, okay?” Sheriff Brown looked down at his notes, then back up at Angie. “Tell me about meeting Daniel Monet.”
“Hope’s professor? Is he dead?” She covered her mouth with her hand. “Oh, no, is Hope all right? Did they have an accident?”
“Hope is fine. They did not have an accident. But yes, Professor Monet is dead.” He let the information settle before repeating his request. “So tell me about meeting Daniel Monet.”
“We were sitting eating lamb stew at the mission between prep and service. Estebe had brought in food for us, which is so like him. I’d forgotten we were even scheduled to cook. Ian came and got me that morning and I was all into recipe creation. I’ve been working on a new menu for the upcoming month. I think it’s good to change up things so people never know what to expect. Of course, you have to also keep the favorites on the menu. It’s a thin line to keep everyone happy.”
As she paused, the sheriff put up a hand to stop her chatter. “Look, I know this is sudden, but let’s start from the first time you met Daniel.”
“I’m nervous. I don’t know why, but I feel like I’ve been through the wringer already.” Angie took a deep breath. “Okay, like I said, we were eating. Then Daniel came in and introduced himself. Hope has it bad for the guy. She went all red and flustered. It was kind of cute. Anyway, he sat down, ate with us, and talked mostly to Felicia and Matt. Ian mixed him up with someone else he knew before he moved here. Then we served.”
“And that was the last time you saw or talked to him?” Sheriff Brown was watching her, not writing, just watching.
“I saw him all during service, but we didn’t have time to talk. Then he came out of the building as we were leaving. He needed a ride home, and Hope said she’d take him. I think she was embarrassed at her little car, but it gets her where she needs to go.” Angie broke off a piece of donut and ate it before continuing. “And then we left and Ian dropped me off here. I was home by seven thirty, quarter to eight. Dom and I watched a cooking show I’d recorded, then I went to bed.”
“Ian dropped you off and left?” Now the sheriff was writing in his book.
Angie nodded. “I asked him in, but he said he was tired. I couldn’t even tempt him with a slice of apple pie, and you know how he loves that.”
“Okay then, that’s all I need to ask. Thank you for your cooperation and the donuts. Do you want me to help you box up some for the station?” He started to stand, but this time Angie held him down with her hand on his arm.
“Wait, I need some answers too. Daniel Monet is dead. Hope is alive. How did he die? Have you talked to her? Is she okay?”
“I haven’t talked to her. An investigator over at Boise City interviewed her this morning around eight after Daniel’s body was found by his housekeeper.” He didn’t look at her as he put his notebook away. “I think she’s still at the station. They may have more questions for her as the investigation continues.”
She watched as he went to put his plate and cup into the sink. “They talked to her this morning? Why? She just dropped the guy off at his house. Why would they think a young college girl would have anything to do with his death?”
The sheriff turned and leaned against the counter. He looked older somehow. Like the interview had aged him in the last ten minutes. “Because your friend’s fingerprints were foun
d on a wineglass in his living room. Right next to the body.”
A cold chill ran down Angie’s back. “You can’t think Hope had anything to do with this man’s death. She’s friendly and giving and—”
He held up a hand. “Facts are facts. Now we just need to deal with the reality of the situation and figure out why she was there so if she’s innocent, we can rule her out. You know the drill.”
Angie did know the drill. But it didn’t make her feel any better about Hope having to go through this just because she’d offered to take her professor home. Angie boxed up donuts for him to take and walked him to the door. When his car pulled out of the driveway, she sat down with the remainders at the table. She dialed Ian first but got voice mail. She then tried Felicia. Same result. Where was everyone? Finally, she dialed Hope’s number, not expecting to actually get her, but she could leave a message of support. The girl must be scared out of her mind.
“Hello?” Hope’s voice rang in Angie’s ear.
“Are you all right? Where are you? They let you keep your phone? Have you called a lawyer?” Angie didn’t know how long she’d get to talk to Hope before they snatched her phone away. At least that’s what they did in the police shows she watched.
A tiny laugh came over the phone. “Angie, I’m all right. Relax. I’m not at the station anymore. I called Estebe and he got his cousin who’s a lawyer to make them release me. They didn’t charge me or anything. Just kept asking me questions.”
“Oh, good. I was so worried when I found out. Are you sure you’re okay?” Angie heard the sniff before Hope answered.
“Professor Monet’s dead. And they think I killed him.”
“No, if they thought that, you’d still be at the jail.” Angie hoped her statement was at least a little true. “Besides, all you did was give him a ride home, right? You had the soccer game to get to.”
“Actually, there’s a bit more to the story, but we just arrived at my apartment. Estebe drove me home. Do you mind if I call you later? I’ve got a class in thirty minutes and I need a shower.”
“Sure. Just call me later.” Angie heard the click in her ear.
She started to box up the rest of the donuts and clean the kitchen. Ten minutes later, her phone rang. She ran to answer it.
“Hello?”
“She’s all right. Shaken but all right. I take it you’d already heard about the death?” Estebe’s voice was tight, and from the background noise, she could tell he was in his vehicle.
“I got a visit from the sheriff this morning asking about meeting Daniel last night. Do you know what happened?” Angie sank back into her chair.
“No. She was frantic when she called me. I got my cousin out of bed and brought him down to get her out of there. They have no right terrorizing a child that way.”
It wouldn’t do any good explaining to Estebe that Hope wasn’t considered a child even though she agreed with his statement. A young woman, yes, but in the eyes of the world and the law, she was an adult. “So she didn’t tell you anything else?”
“It was painfully obvious last night that the girl worshipped this man. Maybe he went too far. That’s not for me to say. All I know is Hope needs us right now.” He cursed under his breath. “Driving on the freeway is getting more and more dangerous. People are idiots.”
Angie didn’t even want to bring up the fact that Idaho traffic was nothing compared to San Francisco traffic. During the five years she’d lived there she hadn’t even owned a car, using Todd’s when they were living together and then Felicia’s for the few times she had to get somewhere that wasn’t within walking distance of her apartment or the restaurant.
“Where are you going?” She didn’t think he’d give her any more information about Hope. The good news was she was back on her normal schedule and could move on with her life.
“I’m heading out to Javier’s farm. He wants to talk marketing with me.” Estebe cursed again. “I will talk to you tomorrow. Are you coming in for prep?”
“I’ll be there.” She glanced at the box of donuts. Maybe she could take them in to Felicia and Ian. Anything was better than sitting here and thinking about eating all of them.
“See you then.” The line went dead. Estebe Blackstone wasn’t much for long goodbyes. The guy was direct and to the point. And that was one of his good points. But he adored Hope like she was his little sister. Even though Angie had been a little put out that Hope hadn’t called her, she was glad that Hope had felt comfortable calling Estebe. Daniel had called the kitchen crew a work family, and he’d gotten that right. The group had been together less than a year, and still, they were bonded.
Angie stood and finished cleaning the kitchen. She grabbed a quick shower, then loaded the donuts and Dom into her SUV. In separate sections, of course. She’d installed a wire barrier between the back seat and the cargo section of the vehicle, just so Dom couldn’t help himself to groceries or, in this case, donuts while she was driving. Dom sat in the back seat; the food, in the cargo area. Everyone was happy.
When she reached Ian’s office, she parked in the front and stared in the window. The office looked deserted. Of course, there were only four rooms: Ian’s office in the front, a small meeting room in the back, a bathroom, and a storage room. Angie could see Ian’s desk and it was empty. Of course, he could be working in the meeting room. She turned toward Dom. “You stay here for a second while I check and see if he’s working.”
Dom whined but sat, leaning his head on top of the passenger side seat watching out the front window. Six months old and the guy almost took up the entire back seat of her vehicle. She might have to consider buying a larger model just so her dog would fit once he reached full size. The trouble with owning a St. Bernard, she mused. But she wouldn’t give up the pile of lovable fur for anything. Dom was family now.
She went to the door with River Vista Farmers Market painted in black letters on the glass and pushed. It was locked. No sign. No handwritten note that Ian was so fond of. Just locked. She knocked. No answer.
“Hey, Angie.” A woman called to her from the sidewalk. “Looking for Ian?”
She turned to see Beth Lee standing to her left, a bag of laundry in her hands. Beth ran River Vista Laundromat and Cleaning Services. Her business was between Ian’s office and the Red Eye Saloon. “Hey, Beth. Have you seen him?”
“He went out this morning. Dropped off his laundry, which he usually does on Friday, and said to let anyone who was looking for him know he’d be gone for a few days.” She glanced over to the bank. “I was just picking up the dry cleaning from the bank and on my way back to the laundromat. Did you need help?”
“Actually, no, I was just looking for Ian.” She glanced at the locked door again. It was strange that he’d just taken off like that. He hadn’t said a thing last night. “I guess I forgot he was going out of town.”
Beth hiked the bag up onto her hip. “According to him, it was last minute. Maybe he forgot to mention it. You know how men are. My late husband would forget what day of the week it was if I didn’t mention it. Then he’d be all bent out of shape because I’d said something. I can’t count the times he’d say ‘I know,’ when really, he’d totally forgotten. God rest his soul.”
“Well, I’m keeping you from your work.” She thought about the three boxes of donuts in the vehicle. “Hey, do you like donuts?”
After she’d dropped off a box of donuts with Beth, she got back into her car and drove less than a block to the County Seat, where she parked in the back. Felicia’s car wasn’t in its normal spot. She looked at Dom. “I know, you want out.”
She let Dom out, and he did his business on his favorite tree that grew between the sidewalk and the street. Either that tree was going to thrive with Dom’s attention or it would be dead in a year. She got out one of the boxes of donuts since she was pretty sure her partner wasn’t in either the restaurant or her apar
tment upstairs. She opened the back door, juggling the keys, the leash, and the box, and managed to turn off the alarm before it went off.
The inside was cool and she led Dom to her office, where he plopped down on his bed. Since her office was separate from the kitchen and dining room, the health inspector had reluctantly agreed that Dom could visit, if he stayed put. She flipped through the mail Felicia had stacked on her desk and checked her answering machine. No red light, no messages. She’d brought the machine from Nona’s when she’d installed the landline at the restaurant. When recording a new message for the restaurant, she found she could also leave a second or third version. As she had at the start of each week since she opened the County Seat, she sat down at her desk and pushed the option for listening. Her Nona’s voice filled the office and Angie felt the tears behind her eyes. Dom came and put his head on her lap. A tradition now. The dog could feel and identify her emotions probably better than she could. She stroked his soft ears as she listened.
When it was done, she shook her head. “Well, this isn’t getting us anywhere.” She ran upstairs to knock on Felicia’s door, but no one answered. She took the piece of paper she’d grabbed from her desk and taped it to the door. Donuts on the expediting station. Then she went back downstairs and got Dom.
Two stops, two strikeouts. She’d been hoping to get rid of all the donuts. As she walked out to the car, she saw Barb Travis, owner and bartender at the Red Eye, standing outside the back door to the bar smoking. Maybe the woman had a sweet tooth. Angie already knew she had a strong coffee addiction.
She grabbed the last box and, with Dom still on his leash, walked over to greet Barb. She held out the box. “Do you like donuts?”
“Why?” The woman didn’t even reach out for the offering.
