Caught Bread Handed (28 page)

“It's good news. They've captured the killer and they've found Thomas.”

“And?”

“He's been in an accident, but he's going to be okay. They're taking him to the hospital right now.”

“What kind of an accident?”

“A car accident.”

“How? What did the Professor say?” I was on my feet and pacing in front of the couch.

“Relax. Everyone is okay. Doug and Carlos are heading to the hospital. Then they're coming back here.”

“Carlos is okay?” My heart beat of out rhythm.

“He's fine. Sit down, honey. Everyone is okay.”

I followed her advice. She sat next to me and placed one hand on my knee. “That's better. Keep breathing.”

“Was I not breathing?”

She laughed. “You were looking pretty blue in the face for a minute there.”

“Sorry. I guess I didn't realize how nervous I was.”

“Me too.” She patted my knee.

“What else did the Professor say?”

“That's it. He said that Thomas had been in a car accident. Not to worry. He was going to be okay, and that he and Carlos would be here as soon as they could.” She looked at the clock. “Oh my goodness, it's late.”

According to the clock it was almost two.

“What did he say about the gunshots?”

“He didn't. I'm telling you word for word exactly what he told me.”

“Right. Sorry.”

“Let's finish our tea,” she said. Her eyes widened and she sniffed. “Do you smell that? Is something burning?”

“The coffee cake!” we shouted in union.

I ran to the kitchen and pulled the cake from the oven. “It's well-done.” I held it up for Mom to see.

Mom shrugged. “Maybe we can scrape some of the burnt topping off and salvage it.”

“It's worth a shot.” I rested the cake on a cooling rack and returned to the living room. I sunk back onto the couch and cradled my mug in my hands. A sense of relief washed over my body. Everyone I loved was okay and accounted for. Thank goodness.

 

Chapter Thirty-one

The next hour passed slowly. Mom attempted to distract me by talking about our plans for the Chocolate Fest. She gathered a few of my vintage cookbooks and brought them over to the couch. “Ooh, what about a chocolate lava cake?” she asked, flipping through their well-worn pages. “Or chocolate fondue. Could we make that work?”

“That would be pretty messy, don't you think?”

She turned the page. “Yeah. Scratch that.”

A knock sounded on the front door. We exchanged a look and practically knocked each over down as we ran to open it.

The Professor and Carlos stood on the landing. They looked weary. The Professor had his jacket draped over his arm. Carlos's hair was slightly rumpled, his shirt was untucked, and his jacket was slung over his shoulder. I threw my arms around him. He responded by wrapping me in a sturdy hug. After a minute we broke apart.

“Sorry,” I said, realizing that I was blocking the door. “Come in.”

Mom reached for the Professor's hand. “We have some questionable coffee cake waiting for you. Should I brew a pot of coffee as well?”

“If it isn't too much trouble,” the Professor said. He came inside. “I have a long night of paperwork ahead of me. This is but a brief resting stop for me. I wanted to make sure to return your most helpful husband in person, Juliet.” He extended his hand to Carlos. “My deepest thanks.”

Carlos returned his handshake. “It is nothing. I was happy to help.”

“You two sit.” Mom pointed to the couch. “I'll bring you slices of coffee cake. I can't promise it's our best effort. It got a little burned with all the action outside.”

“How's Thomas?” I asked.

The Professor hung his coat on the rack next to Mom's purse. “He suffered a mild concussion, but the doctors assure me that he'll make a full recovery. They're keeping him overnight to monitor him, as a precaution.”

Carlos sat in one of the kitchen chairs that Mom had brought out into the living room. The Professor sat on the couch. The long lines on his face revealed his age.

Mom placed plates with generous slices of our coffee cake in front of each of them. “I'm going to grind some beans. Give me one second. I want to hear about Thomas and what's happened too.”

“I assure you that I will savor this delightful dessert and await your return, Helen.” The Professor picked up his fork and dug into the slightly charred coffee cake. Mom had done her best to scrape off the blackest parts of the crumb topping.

Carlos stabbed his. “Very nice.”

“You don't have to lie,” I said. “We know that it's overdone.”

“But flavorful, no?”

Mom wiped her hands on her pajamas and sat next to the Professor. I opted to stand, even when Carlos offered me his chair. Adrenaline pumped through my body. I wanted to get outside and walk it off.

“What happened out there?” Mom asked. “Juliet and I were watching from the window. It sounded like there were gunshots.”

The Professor nodded and swallowed a bite of coffee cake. Then he crossed one leg over the other and scratched his head. “It is a puzzle how the events of the past week have unfolded. I do believe that the Bard could have used it for inspiration for one of his works. Although in this particular case, I think we must turn to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.”

Carlos looked confused.

I walked over to him and whispered into his ear. “Just go with it. The Professor enjoys theatrics.”

“Why?” Mom asked.

The Professor rubbed his beard. “Sometimes it is the most obvious clue, isn't it? One of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's most famed quotes is, ‘There is nothing more obvious than a deceptive fact.'”

“Are you saying that we—you—missed an obvious clue?” I asked.

“Ah, I can always count on your quick wit, Juliet.”

“What clue?” I crossed my legs, wishing that I was in my pajamas like Mom.

“Think back to the morning of the murder.”

I nodded. “Okay.”

“Walk us through what you observed.”

I repeated how I had found the front door at ShakesBurgers open and Mindy's body on the floor.

“And?” The Professor urged me to continue.

“And Mathew was giving her first aid.”

The Professor watched me.

“Or was he?” I said aloud.

A somber smile spread on his scruffy cheeks. “A-ha. That is the question. Was he? Or perhaps is that what he wanted us all to believe?”

“So it was Mathew?”

The Professor nodded. “It is sometimes the most obvious suspect. What was your initial reaction at the crime scene?”

I thought back to that terrible morning. When I spotted Mathew I had backed away as quickly as I could. I was scared. Why hadn't I focused more on Mathew?

As if reading my mind, the Professor continued. “In the vast majority of cases I've been involved in it's our intuition—that first instinct—that we must trust. Of course, Mathew played his part perfectly.”

“Why did he do it? I thought he and Mindy were successful business partners.”

“Ah. Again, another trick of the hand. Mathew wanted us to believe that he was distraught to lose his business partner and friend, when in reality the opposite is true.”

The coffeepot beeped. “Hold that thought,” I said to the Professor. My mind tried to replay every interaction I had had with Mathew as I poured fresh cups of coffee for the Professor and Carlos. Why hadn't I trusted my intuition?

I handed them cups of coffee. “How did you find out that it was Mathew?”

“Evidence never lies.”

The Professor must have seen the confused look on my face. “Mathew's prints and DNA were all over the crime scene. We ran a background check and thanks to your phone call earlier this evening were able to connect all the dots. It seems that Mathew was out of cash. His investments had been terribly unsuccessful. Mindy intended to sever ties with him. The paperwork for the buyout had already been drawn up. There was nothing Mathew could do. His funds were completely dry.”

“But with Mindy dead he would become soul owner of ShakesBurgers and have the cash to buy Uva.”

“Exactly. He needed Mindy's cash. We found paperwork that her lawyer had drawn up. She intended to cut Mathew out of the business. She was a smart businesswoman and had diversified her investments. She had a number of properties and assets that he didn't have access to.”

“Let me guess,” I said. “If she died then those assets would become part of the company and he would have access to the money.”

The Professor turned to Mom. “I told you she was quick.”

Mom smiled. “I can't take credit for that.”

“But what about Thomas? How is he connected? Did Mathew attack him? How did he get in a car accident?”

“Yes, yes.” The Professor drank his coffee. “When Thomas received your call about Jose, he decided to follow up directly on that lead. He drove out to the vineyard.”

“And Mathew came after him?”

“No.” The Professor shook his head. “A case of bad luck. Thomas popped a tire on the gravel road and rammed into the fence. The impact knocked him out. When he came to, he called me.”

“What about Mathew?”

Carlos cleared his throat. “So many questions, Julieta.”

Mom pointed at Carlos. “Exactly! I was thinking the same thing. It's almost like she thinks this is her case.”

I gave them a sheepish smile.

The Professor chuckled. “I'm quite happy to have your assistance anytime. You were most helpful in informing Thomas immediately when you learned that Mathew made an offer to purchase his vineyard. We believed that Mathew was on the hunt for other investments, but hadn't had confirmation as to where and with whom. We had enough evidence to make an arrest, but Jose's statement will add to the case the DA will bring against him. Your husband was so kind to wait while I took his statement after we saw to it that Thomas was safely in the ambulance and en route to the hospital.”

“What happened at the Merry Windsor?” Mom asked again. “We saw the lights, all of the police force, heard you on the bullhorn, and then we heard shots.”

“Oh, of course, I got off topic, didn't I? One of the reasons I asked Thomas to come pay a visit to you was because I suspected that Mathew was getting nervous. He had become less and less talkative in each subsequent interrogation. That is usually a clue that a suspect is about to make a move. I had the entire Ashland police force on alert. Two of my officers have been staked out at the Merry Windsor for the past two days. Our friend Richard Lord was less than pleased with the arrangement.”

“Ha!” Mom laughed. “Karma.”

“Mathew disappeared earlier this afternoon. I called in the order to make an arrest, but he was gone. My team found airline tickets and cash that he had drained from ShakesBurgers' accounts so we knew he couldn't have gone far. We launched what I believe might be Ashland's biggest manhunt for him. I sent extra backup to the Merry Windsor, since we knew he would have to come back at some point for the cash.” The Professor paused and nodded at Carlos. “Thank your husband for spotting him.”

“Carlos?” I caught his eye.

Carlos waved us off. “It was nothing.”

“I assure you it was something,” the Professor continued. “Carlos noticed someone in a burger costume near Lithia Park. I pulled my team back and we waited for him to make a move.”

“Did he have a gun?” Mom asked. “We heard shots.”

“He fired but no one was hurt. I think it was an attempt to scare us off.” He glanced at the clock. “He's in custody as we speak. I'm quite proud of the Ashland police force and Carlos for your invaluable help this evening. In fact, I need to be on my way. I have a long night ahead of me, but I believe we'll all sleep easier knowing that a killer is behind bars. Many thanks for the coffee and cake. It will sustain me.”

Mom got to her feet. “Let me wrap up another slice for you.”

“That would be lovely, Helen. I can take you home and then return to my office.” He gave Carlos and me a half bow and they left together. Carlos and I were free to pick up where we had left off, except he had a flight to catch.

 

Chapter Thirty-two

The clock ticked on the wall as if it was taunting me. Each second was a reminder that our time was limited. “Do you have time for coffee before you have to go?” I asked as I picked up the tea tray and walked to the kitchen. I started to put the dishes in the sink.

Carlos reached for my arm. “Leave it.” His voice was husky. “We do not have much time.”

Tears welled in my eyes. “You're leaving. Tonight was perfect. It was magic and now it's all going to end.” I wiped my nose with the back of my hand.

He handed me a dish towel. I dabbed my eyes. “I don't want you to leave, Carlos.”

“I do not want to leave either. We will be together again soon. You will see.”

My eyes felt grainy. I wiped them on the towel again and took in a long breath through my nose. “I'm okay.”

He took the towel from my hand, placed it on the counter, and kissed my tears. “Come with me, my love.”

“I can't.”

We collapsed into each other's arms. Being apart had made the passion between us feverish. Finally, Carlos pulled back. “I must go. My flight leaves soon. I do not have my things. I had not planned that the night would end like this.”

I followed him into the living room. “Do you really have to go?” Moonlight shone through the window. His silhouette filled the frame. I sucked in my breath at the sight of his muscular arms and tight abs underneath his white shirt.

Carlos hugged me so tight I thought I might break in half. “
Mi querida,
it is time. I will call you as soon as I can and we will make a plan to see each other soon,
sí
?”