Mission to Murder (22 page)

“Tim relieved me about midnight. Right after Greg left.” Toby held open the driver’s side passenger door.

I stood still. “You have got to be kidding.”

“You know I can’t have civilians up front. And besides, I think you like it.” Toby grinned.

“It stinks back there.” I stood my ground. “I could walk to work, no biggie.”

“Except Greg would kill me when he found out. So, you can go willingly or you can find out what it’s like to feel the wrath of Officer Toby.” At that, he did a muscleman pose.

I had a feeling it was going to be a long day.

Toby sat at the counter reading the
Examiner
and commenting on Darla’s exposé on the murder. His snide comments kept me laughing while I stocked the front and prepped for the week ahead. I’d noticed several boxes from the book distributor stacked in the back. I considered opening one and outing the mystery author, at least to me. But I resisted. One Christmas I’d found the stash of gifts my mom had tucked in the closet. I’d been disappointed when I opened the carefully wrapped packages; even though it had been exactly what I’d asked for, the surprise had disappeared. I moved the boxes behind a door so I wouldn’t be as tempted.

When Lille burst through the coffee shop door an hour later, my day got way worse.

“Where is he? Holed upstairs in the apartment or in the house you stole from that old lady?” Lille burst through the door, her blond hair stuck to the side of her head, her eyes wild and red-rimmed, like she’d been crying most of the night.

“If you’re looking for Ray, I haven’t seen him.” I steeled myself for her fury. But deep down, I felt bad for her. It couldn’t be easy to be in love with a man like that, always questioning your place in his life.

“Liar.” Lille’s voice was hard. “I’ve already heard the two of you were chatting on the highway yesterday.”

I couldn’t help it; I laughed. Her face burned a brighter red. “Look, I ran out of gas. Ray stopped when he saw my car.” Here I stopped for a minute. Did I tell her the love of her life scared me so bad I kept my doors locked and flagged down the next car coming down the road? Would that make her happy? Or crazier? “I didn’t even get out of the car until Bill showed up. Then Ray took off. That’s the last I saw of him. Seriously, ask Toby, he was outside the house most of the night.”

Lille’s eyes narrowed. She glanced at Toby, who nodded. I could see the thoughts running through her head. Finally, she formulated the question, and I knew it pained her to ask. “Why were you outside her house? Did someone threaten Jill?”

Toby paused as Lille took a deep breath to steel herself for the answer she knew was coming. He glanced at me, then answered her question. “Lille, you need to know we’ve been out at Ray’s with a search warrant. He’s a person of interest in Craig’s murder.”

Lille’s coloring went from beet-red to death-white in a second. “No way. Ray is sweet and kind. Deep down to his soul. He couldn’t have done something like this.” Her gaze dropped and she seemed like she was processing the idea, trying to come up with an alternative. Her eyes widened, then she pointed at Jill. “Her. She killed Craig. They were probably having an affair or something, like she bewitched my Ray. The woman’s a she devil.”

Toby put his hand on Lille’s shoulder. “Now, there, you know Jill didn’t kill Craig.” Toby shot her a glance. “As far as an affair, well, I’m not going there.”

“Yech,” I said before I thought twice and edited my comment. “The guy was a total jerk. No way would I get involved with him. Besides, I’m pretty sure his wife would take me in a fair fight.”

Lille narrowed her eyes. “I’ll tell Greg that Ray was with me. Where is your boss?” She directed the question to Toby, deciding I wasn’t worth the time it took to say the words.

“You can’t lie,” Toby warned her. “Perjury is a serious crime. Besides, if he’s found not guilty, then you have to remember which lie you told.”

“I don’t care. Ray wouldn’t do this. He’s troubled, I’m not stupid. He might cheat.” She paused and shot a look my way. “But he’s not a murderer.”

“Maybe you don’t know him as well as you think?” Toby asked, then shook his head. “Look, Lille, we can argue this for days, but until Ray talks to Greg and gets this cleared up, he’s still going to be a suspect. If you know where he might be, tell us and we can get this over with. You know Greg’s a fair guy. If Ray didn’t kill Craig, Greg will find out who did.”

Lille sighed and sat heavily into one of the upholstered chairs by the door. She pulled out a notebook from her purse and started writing something. “I figured he was with you.” She didn’t look up before she continued, “But since he’s not, the only other place would be his dad’s cabin up in the mountains east of here. Take Green Valley Road to the dead end and go left. It’s on a lake up there.”

Toby took the offered paper, then looked at me. “I’m going in the back to call Greg. You going to be okay here if he wants me to take a run?”

I smiled. “No, I’m totally helpless and useless without your company and protection.” I swatted his arm. “I’ll be fine. As I told your boss last night.”

Lille waited for Toby to leave the room before she stood and pulled her purse closer. “I guess I better get over to the diner. Who knows what a mess they’ve made without me there this morning.”

I felt like I should say something. “Lille, I’m here if you want to talk.”

I saw her shoulders shake a bit. She turned and studied me. “I know this isn’t your fault, but it’s still hard to see you as anything but the enemy. I don’t think talking is going to change that.”

Then she walked out the door. She was right. Sometimes the pain was too deep to even pretend it wasn’t there. I wondered about her on-again-off-again relationship with Ray and whether this time, the switch would stay off. For her sake, I hoped so.

Toby burst back into the empty dining room. “Call Jackie and have her come down and stay with you. Greg wants me to check out this lead on Ray.”

“Yes, sir. You want fries with that?”

Toby blushed. “Come on, Jill. You know I’m only repeating my orders.”

I thought about Greg’s face when he left last night. Frustrated with me . . . and something else. Worry. Adding to his concern wouldn’t get this case solved; in fact, it could stand in the way of getting it done. For once, I swallowed my pride and picked up the phone.

“Jackie? I need you downstairs.” I hung up without letting her argue. I raised my eyebrows. “Satisfied?”

He nodded, then headed out to the street. As I watched him through the large front windows, I wondered if this nightmare was almost over.

T
he afternoon dragged. Tuesday was my long day, but I typically got a break when Toby came in for the midday shift. Today, everyone kept asking, “Where’s Toby?” when I gave them their change. I almost put a sign on the door: T
OBY’S
D
AY
O
FF.
But then I’d lose the customers. It might be a bait and switch, but the guy would be back tomorrow. They could go one day without a hot, handsome barista. Absence makes the heart grow fonder, I thought.

Jackie had been more blunt. “The stud isn’t here today. Off chasing bad guys. I’m sure he’ll have stories tomorrow.”

I’d sent her in the back to make a couple of sandwiches and we ate in shifts, Toby’s clientele keeping us busy until five, when Jackie’s normal shift started. As the room cleared, Jackie cut a cheesecake for the display case. “I’m feeling jealous of the Toby show.”

“He does bring in the business.”

“Well, I’m heading upstairs. I’ve got to switch out these shoes. My dogs are barking.” My aunt disappeared with the last slice of the cheesecake. I glanced at the clock; she’d be gone at least a half hour, watching her favorite game show.

My thoughts returned to the day when both Toby and I had been hospitalized from a blow by a two-by-four delivered by George Jones looking for pirate gold. When Toby’s girlfriend had rushed to the hospital, she’d been surprised to see another woman holding Toby’s hand. And calling herself his girlfriend. I’d heard both girls dumped him right after his release, but apparently the line of women for the Toby show, as Jackie called it, was deep.

I’d been lost in thoughts of Toby’s wild ways when the bell chimed. I glanced up to see Lisa Brewer and her new beau, all six foot tall and muscle-bound in black leather, walk through the door. Then he did a strange thing. He locked the door and turned the open sign to closed. My mouth felt dry, and my heart rate sped up. This was not good.

I saw Josh Thomas walk by and look through the window, probably trying to see if Jackie was working. I waved, hoping my action would alert him to a problem. The jerk waved back and kept walking.

Lisa came over to the counter. “If you want to live through the next few hours, stop doing stupid things like that.”

I snorted. “I’m not stupid. My chances of surviving are about as good as Craig’s. What, didn’t like your job?”

“So you think this is the part where we bond and I tell you the problems I had growing up and how my stepfather abused me?” Lisa shook her head. “Sorry, I don’t owe you an explanation for Craig or your upcoming ‘accident.’ ”

“Move her to the back,” the man said. And for once, I hoped Jackie had snuck upstairs to her television. My aunt didn’t need to be a part of this.

“Hold on,” Lisa whined and went over to the large man, rubbing her hands on his bare chest under the black leather jacket. “Baby, let me handle this. I want a mocha before we get down to business.”

Seriously? My mind raced. Leave it to a teenager. Maybe I could throw the hot drink at one of them and run like hell.

“Kids.” Reno glared at me. “You heard her. Make up one of those mocha things. You don’t have anything stronger like a beer or tequila back there?”

“We’re a coffee shop, not a bar.” The words fell out of my mouth before I could stop them. I tried to stand tall, not letting my fear show. I started the motions for Lisa’s mocha.

“Probably better anyway.” His lips curled into a smile. “I’m not a happy drunk.”

I visibly shuddered, trying to keep my mind on the routine actions of making a coffee drink. It could be my last action in this world; I should put some thought into the process.

“So you killed Craig for the drugs. What, was he threatening to sell to a higher bidder?” I kept my head down, not wanting to see the happy couple standing together, a large pistol aimed at me. Bonnie and Clyde, but one of them was at least twenty years older than the other.

“I told you they knew about the drugs.” Lisa spoke and I couldn’t help looking at her. Her full attention was on Reno, and neither saw my scrutiny. “So this will be easy; she commits suicide with an overdose. A lot of the city people who move here had secret addictions. She’ll just be another one.”

“I don’t know. We have Ray set up for the murder. I think having two suspects only muddies the water. We don’t want Ray getting out of prison before the boys have time to reach him. Sargent has this planned out. You don’t want to mess with his plan. He’s not as mellow as I am.” Reno eased into the same chair where Lille had been sitting earlier. “This is comfortable. We should think about getting something like this for the trailer.”

I started foaming milk, wanting to scream, run, anything but listen to these two discuss murder and furniture like they were the same thing. The two were classic sociopaths, if I had to label them. My hand started shaking, and I set down the pitcher. Both of them were too far away to do anything but maybe cause them to slip when they came after me.

“I want leather,” Lisa whined again.

What this man saw in the brat was beyond me. Unless the fact she was barely eighteen made the childish behavior acceptable. I was putting on the lid when I saw the wince on his face. Maybe Lisa wasn’t totally in control. I tried a new tactic.

“I think leather’s overrated. Kind of tacky and hot. Not fun to sit on with shorts.” I wiped the cup with a napkin, trying to slow down my actions.

Reno laughed. “You got that right. In the heat, leather will rip the skin right off the back of your legs. Or at least it will feel like it has.”

His comment got him a not-so-playful arm slap. “Stop agreeing with her. You have to please me, not her.”

He grabbed her hand roughly, and I could hear her gasp of pain across the room. “I talk to who I want. You or her, there’s no difference. You’re both diversions on a long night.”

His gaze drifted to me. “Come out from behind that counter. Bring the coffee for Miss Priss and let me see you. Maybe we’ll have to take some time on this assignment. You know, have some fun.”

My blood ran cold. I glanced out the window toward the darkening night. Tuesday didn’t have a lot of foot traffic, and Toby’s girls would have returned to their normal lives by now, knowing their favorite barista was getting ready for his nightly patrol. Some days, I didn’t get one customer on Tuesday before I closed.

I carried the cup with me and crossed the dining room floor, my hands shaking. Trying to walk fast enough not to seem enticing, but not wanting to get there any faster than I had to. I couldn’t think of a way out of this. I wasn’t strong enough to break loose if the guy tackled me. Now I wished I’d taken those self-defense classes with Jackie last spring when she’d asked. I handed the mocha to Lisa.

“Ouch, that’s hot.” She held it with two fingers, carefully setting it down on the coffee table.

“Duh. It’s a hot drink.” Reno laughed, apparently pleased with his joke. He motioned to me with the gun. “Sit down, take a break with us. I want to hear your thoughts about this decision.”

I lowered myself into the chair across from him. “Would my vote count?”

He stared at me, cocking his head as his gaze ran down the length of my body. “Maybe. You a runner? You look like a runner. Lean, strong, and tanned.”

I nodded, not trusting my voice. I wanted to run right then. Get up and dash through the door, but I’d have to unlock it first, then get away from the deadly duo without getting shot, then find some shop that was open where I could secure everyone there from being shot. Mission totally impossible.

“So how did you frame Ray?” I leaned back in the chair, trying to appear comfortable.

“I could tell you, but then I’d have to kill you.” Reno laughed. “Oh hell, we both know I’m going to kill you anyway, why not? But don’t you want to know how we framed you?”

Lisa rolled her eyes. “You can’t help bragging, can you? You know I helped. You never would have gotten onto The Castle grounds without me.”

“Whatever. I’m trying to tell this lovely woman a story. Stop interrupting.” He leaned closer. “Did you even find our little gift, or did that dog of yours bury it in the yard?”

“You’re talking about the censer?” My heart was beating so fast, I felt like throwing up.
Hold it together, Jill. You’ll find a way out of this
.

“Whatever you call it. So your boyfriend must have hidden that piece from the district attorney. I thought after we’d dropped it off, you’d be carted off to the big house.” He leaned forward and leered at me. “I’m sure your boyfriend got some traction out of destroying that little piece of evidence.”

“You forgot, my house was the old mission site. Censers were common at missions.” I didn’t feel the need to tell him that Justin had verified the relic had been stolen from The Castle.

Reno grinned and leaned back. “I never was any good in history class. Too many dates and battles to remember.”

“So your plan didn’t work,” I said, with much more bravado than I felt. “Too bad.”

“Doesn’t matter. You’ll be just as dead. So, you’ve probably figured out Craig was transporting for us. He brought in the stuff, we gave him a bonus, then the next shipment, same deal. The creep got greedy, cocky even. He went into the city and started nosing around for other buyers. Like that wouldn’t get back to Sargent. The man was an idiot.”

“So you killed him for being an idiot.” I guess I could understand that. Many times I wanted to kill Craig for opening his mouth. I would have thought he would have been more tactful with a drug-dealing motorcycle gang, but maybe not.

He laughed. “I don’t know why you keep assuming I was the one who killed Craig. Maybe it was the little girl here. She’s a hothead, you know.”

“Hey. Stop talking about me like I can’t hear you. I’m sitting right here.” Lisa shook her head. “Men. You have to keep a strong hand on them, otherwise they think they can do anything.”

If we’d had beers and a campfire, I’d think we were best friends. But instead, these were the last people I’d see on this earth. A noise sounded from the back. “No,” I whispered and glanced at the clock. Aunt Jackie’s show would have ended about five minutes ago. And she’d be walking through the door right about now. I watched the door to the back, willing it not to fly open.

And somehow, my wish was granted. The door remained closed.