A Cup of Murder (16 page)

"Is there anything else, Sherlock?"
asked Daniel. "Somehow you make a better private eye than a
reporter."

So far his teasing laugh had not grated on me.

"By the way, just what is belladonna
exactly?" I asked.

"It’s something extremely noxious in its
crude form. Ironically, it is developed in labs to convert to a
medicine used for severe pain and sometimes for infections."

"So how could medicine for pain cause death
by poison?"

"It can be very poisonous if it is used in a
high dosage. In its raw form, it is immediately deadly. And it
dissolves easily."

I knew Jacob never complained of pain. He was
reluctant to take any medicine. Once he told me that he never went to
doctors. He said even when they knew he was healthy they thought they
had to give him a prescription for something.

"Do you want to go out to eat again tomorrow
night?" asked Daniel.

"I should meet with Jacob’s lawyer after
work. We could meet at Sam’s Sandwiches for lunch around one if you
want to."

That night I went to sleep and dreamed of people
harvesting a crop of belladonna. In my dream they wore heavy gloves.
Guards surrounded them while they loaded trucks that took it to a
huge sterile laboratory. The face of Eddie appeared as one of the
drivers. The shoulders of the Senator and Janie bent over the long
table. They sifted through the substance. Jacob stood apart and
watched. Even Daniel was there with his arms folded and a soft laugh
came from his lips. In the background flashing neon lights showed the
front of Sunrise coffee house. Michael’s face loomed in the window.
The bizarre nightmare jolted me fully awake.

Sweat had drenched my pajamas and my heart beat
faster than I had ever known it to before. The bedside clock read two
a.m. I changed pajamas and stretched out hoping to go back to a more
peaceful sleep. The last thing I saw before finally drifting off was
Thor sitting upright next to my bed, on watch.

Chapter Twenty Two

Before I left for work the next morning, I dialed
Jason Devine, Jacob’s lawyer. He answered on the second ring and I
told him I needed to see him after I closed Roasted Love later. He
agreed to meet me at the coffee house.

When Janie arrived after, she looked more relaxed.
The exception was when someone walked into the coffee house.
Separately, we both hoped James Simms would not choose to be a patron
that day.

"Is Eddie coming in to help out?" she
asked me.

"Yes, I told him to come every afternoon for
the rest of this week. I have an interview set for today with someone
who wants a job."

"Will you need me later than two?" she
asked.

"No, since Eddie will be here you can go on
home when your time is up." I looked at her. She wasn’t
offering much conversation. "Are you all right? Has James Simms
talked to you again?"

"I’m fine and, no, he hasn’t. He gives me
the creeps. I hope he doesn’t come in today."

"You and me both," I said. "I can’t
figure out why he is hanging around so much, can you?"

She shook her head in the negative. "Beats
me. Maybe he has found out we have better coffee than Sunrise ever
served."

"What blows my mind is, why is he not working
at the job he was elected for?"

"I guess all politicians have it pretty
easy," said Janie.

She picked up the cappuccinos and placed them on
the tray. I watched as she served the customers. Her smile was as
contagious as ever. Janie was good at her job. She managed bigger
tips than any of us. Our patrons liked her. I hoped she hadn’t done
anything to jeopardize her position here.

I gave Thor a short run at a few minutes before
one before leashing him again. The day was sunny and warm. I was
ready for a walk and a change of scenery for my lunch. Mary Lynne was
sweeping her stoop in front of Beads and Bangles when I came along.

"I haven’t seen you lately," she said.

"I’ve been busy at Roasted Love. Now I’m
ready for one of Sam’s watercress sandwiches."

She smiled at me and told me change was always a
good thing for me. Bending to her task she said, "Beware of
those in power and those not so high."

"What do you mean?"

Without another word she went into her shop. The
sunny day became muddled with questions in my mind. I shook my head
knowing Mary Lynne lived in a world all her own. I saw Daniel
standing outside Sam’s. I joined him and we headed for my favorite
spot.

"It’s about time you came in here,"
called Sam. "I thought maybe you had found a way to copy my
watercress sandwiches."

It was good to feel I was in a normal world again.
I tried not to picture Jacob for the moment. Daniel and I sat down
and ordered. He chose a Reuben this time. I varied a little with
baked garlic chips on the side and opted for a diet coke.

Today I really didn’t want to talk about Michael
Simms’ untimely death. I told Daniel my intentions and that I would
let him know what Jason Devine had to say after I met with him that
evening.

"Okay, let’s just talk about something else
then," said Daniel.

"Agreed," I said. "I have someone
coming in for an interview for a job today."

"I did notice Roasted Love is getting busier
than ever," he said. "I hope whoever it is works out for
you."

We talked about his work and how he almost failed
his final exam before passing to paramedic status. I asked him if he
had brothers and sisters.

"I have one sister who lives in Oregon. She
went to college out there, met the love of her life and got married.
They were both from New York but loved Portland so much they decided
to stay. What about you? Are there any sibling Rooks?"

"No, just me. I came a year after my parents
married and I guess I was enough for them. They still live in
Atlanta. We moved there for my father’s job when I was around three
years old. I was born in Long Island but grew up a southerner."

"I thought I detected a slight accent on
occasion," said Daniel.

"I’ve been back in New York since college
so I guess I’ve lost most of my southern accent. I found out in
college that some people here had no idea what I was talking about so
I had to relearn English."

We both laughed and I couldn’t believe how
comfortable Daniel made me feel. I told him about my nightmare the
night before.

"You sure can dream some fantastic stuff,"
he said. "I didn’t think info about belladonna would make such
an impact on you."

"I didn’t know that either but my dream
world sure took over."

Lunch with Daniel passed quickly. I had one hour
before the interview. I reached for the ticket.

"It’s my turn," I said when Daniel
protested.

"O.K., but I want to hear what Jason Devine
has to say when you tell him about the things you found by your trash
can."

"I won’t forget."

He offered me a ride but I had time to walk back
to Roasted Love and took advantage of the exercise. When I passed
Beads and Bangles I saw Mary Lynne at her counter in the middle of a
transaction. At Roasted Love there were three cars parked in front.
In the kitchen Eddie was donning an apron and tackling the dishes.
Janie was getting ready to clock out for the day.

I took over with Lily in the front. A few minutes
after Janie left I saw Senator James Simms pull up in front of
Sunrise. The realtor’s car parked behind him. Leticia Simms got out
of the passenger side of James’ car and the realtor stepped aside
for a couple who got out of his SUV.

The fact that Leticia was there didn’t make
sense to me. Sunrise did not belong to her so what was her interest?
All of them were inside for almost thirty minutes. In the meantime,
the customers in Roasted Love had increased in numbers and once again
all eyes were glued to Sunrise.

"Lily, let’s start taking orders or these
people will think they are here just to watch the show."

We both picked up our pads and pens. Several
spectators gave their orders absently. I thought they didn’t really
care what they asked for. By now, they knew they couldn’t sit there
for free. At least, not with Lily and me pressing them to decide. I
went back to the kitchen and asked Eddie to get some more cheese
scones ready for the front.

"We need bagels, too," called Lily.

At the same time, a slender young woman approached
me. She stated her name was Claire Sexton and she was here for an
interview. I quickly told Lily she was on her own for about twenty
minutes. When she realized I was going to interview a new server, she
readily agreed knowing help was on the way.

Claire told me she was in college and needed a
part-time job. She hoped to work full time once holidays came along.
She handed me the necessary references. While she filled out initial
paperwork, I went to the front to check to see if things were under
control.

"It’s thinning out some," said Lily.
"The show across the street ended a few minutes ago."

I went back and sat down with Claire who was
finishing up the application form. She was personable. I thought she
would get along well with everyone just from her first impressions.
Her good looks weren’t lost on Eddie who stared at her when she
left through the front door.

"She isn’t hired yet, Eddie," I said.
"Don’t get your hopes up."

His face turned a shade deeper when I gave him a
knowing look and laughed. Of course, it hadn’t dawned on him that
once I hired someone he would go back to his former hours. We had
discussed that when I gave him extra time but Claire was someone who
seemed to take all reason from him.

After closing I brought Thor inside while I waited
for Jason. The lawyer arrived right on time and I let him in the
front door. Thor ate his dinner in the outer room off the kitchen
while we talked.

"I found things that belonged to Michael
Simms," I said to Jason. "They were found on the ground
next to Roasted Love’s trash bin. I think whoever took the trash to
our bin meant for it to land inside. Maybe whoever it was, was in a
hurry and didn’t realize they missed."

"Did you check inside the bin for anything
else unusual?"

"I didn’t look but the trash was picked up
early as usual. They come around five a.m. My dog actually found the
sack on the ground. He tore it open to get a bagel."

At Jason’s request I handed plastic gloves to
him. I waited while the dark-haired man bent over the items. Thick
hands spread everything on the tabletop. Finally he sat back in the
chair and looked at me.

"Laila, you should have given all of this to
me before now."

"I haven’t had them long. I called you,
didn’t I? Besides, I found the syringe and bottle after the other
stuff."

He made me feel like a child who was guilty of
getting into the cookie jar and hiding the crumbs. I could only
imagine what he did to witnesses on the opposite side in a courtroom.
With that thought, I was sure Jacob had chosen the right man for the
job.

Jason didn’t feel bad about chiding me. Without
apologizing to me, he stood and gathered the evidence. He carefully
placed it all into the new bagel bag I provided.

"What will you do with it?" I asked.

"I’ll have it all tested, of course, for
DNA and anything else that can be found on it." He flashed a
quick smile. "You should be glad your dog went for the bagel in
the sack. He may have solved this crime for us."

He shook my hand with a firm grip and I locked the
door behind him. Thor was happy to see me. I let him run a few
minutes without the leash and he raced back, ready to go home.

"That would be something, Thor, if Jason
discovers something important from that trash. You may have found
clues to who poisoned your master."

I felt his panting breath on the back of my neck
as I put the car in gear. When I glanced at him in the mirror, I
thought I saw him beam with pride.

Chapter Twenty Three

"I just saw James Simms talking to Eddie down
the street," said Janie. Her eyes were huge. "When they saw
me, they walked away in opposite directions."

She had pulled me into the kitchen just after she
arrived at Roasted Love and clocked in. The sun was just beginning to
peek through the darkness. Somehow the thought of a teenager getting
up before dawn didn’t seem like a reality. I knew Eddie had morning
classes but not until nine. Lily told me he had enough credits so no
classes in the afternoon.

"Are you sure it was Eddie?" I asked
Janie. "Was anyone else there?"

"I’m sure. There was a lady in the
Senator’s big car across the street. I couldn’t tell who she
was."

This was getting more and more complicated. What
did Eddie have to do with James Simms? Jacob had never locked his
office door. He told me once that locking his file cabinet with
important items was enough. The cabinet he talked about was the one
in the corner. If Eddie had planted evidence I couldn’t figure out
when he had done that. On rare occasions he and Lily closed together
at the end of a day. I could probably count on one hand how often
that had happened. I decided to ask Eddie some casual questions when
he came in later that afternoon.

"I’m sure it isn’t important," I
told Janie. "I don’t really care what that was all about."

"You aren’t a little curious about James
Simms and Eddie Thornton having a conversation on the street before
sunrise?" She stood in front of me. "Are you going to ask
Eddie how he knows the Senator?"

The gleam in her eye was accusing. "I may ask
him, but I don’t see how that has anything to do with me. I asked
you because James has been hanging around here," I said. "Don’t
forget I witnessed him talking to you right here in this coffee
house. He wasn’t very happy, if you recall."