A Cup of Murder (Roasted Love Cozy 1)

Without a word, I motioned for the two cops to come to the back with me.

"Which one is Janie Taylor?" asked David.

"I’ll get her," I said. "If you decide to arrest her or take her to the precinct, will you take her through the back door? We have enough gossip going on over this case as it is."

They agreed. "We just want to ask her some questions," said the tall Detective. His badge read William Stokes.

I went to the front where Janie was giving Lily an order. I whispered to her that the cops wanted to ask her some questions. Her eyes filled with fear. She set her order pad next to the machine. Her shaking hand brushed it onto the floor. Lily bent to pick it up. None of the customers realized what was going on.

"Tell them everything, Janie. If you don’t, you will be looking over your shoulder for the rest of your life." She nodded.

I left the three of them in Jacob’s office behind a closed door. I stayed busy at the sink preparing dishes for the dishwasher. When they came out, Detective Stokes looked at me.

"We are taking her to the precinct for a formal statement," he said to me.

David went out the back door and a few minutes later, he returned with the cruiser and parked in the alley. Janie looked smaller than ever. The last glimpse I had of her was a look of fear that was stark against an ashen face. She sat low in the back of the car. I hoped she had the courage to nail James Simms to the wall.

Lily came to the kitchen. "Are they arresting Janie?" Her voice was one of disbelief.

"They are taking her for questioning. She should be back soon. I’ll be back out there soon to help out. If anyone asks, tell them Janie wasn’t feeling well and went home."

I knew Lily wouldn’t say anything about what had really happened. I dialed Daniel. I told him of the latest events at Roasted Love. "I hope Janie tells them more than she has told me. I know she knows more." I thought of her two children and the hard road she had.

When things quieted down in the front, I settled in Jacob’s office and pulled out my laptop. I knew enough about James Simms but I knew very little about his wife, Sarah. The one thing I did know was she and John Andrews once had an affair going. That must have ruffled the Senator’s feathers.

When I brought her up online I was surprised she had as much clout around New York City as her husband. She had graduated Summa Cum Laude from Cornell University. She then went on to get her masters in Biotechnology Research, specifically Biomedical Research.

"That’s it!" I yelled. No one heard me since my remaining staff was in the front of the shop. I dialed Daniel.

"I’ve got it. I know who had a resource for belladonna. I’m sure of it," I said as soon as he picked up.

"Hold on. Tell me everything," he said. I pictured him sitting up straight in his chair.

"Get over here. Better yet," I said, "meet me at the jail."

I hung up before he could answer. I pulled the reserve bag of dog food from the corner of the office and asked Lily if she would look after Thor if I didn’t get back in time.

"It’s only one-thirty. Where are you going?"

"I can’t tell you right now but I’ll be back as soon as I can."

It hit me that I was leaving Lily on her own more than usual, but this was important. I didn’t feel too guilty since Claire was there to help. Eddie wasn’t coming in today but I would be back to finish up. The dog food was just in case I was gone longer than I expected.

When I got to the precinct, Daniel was parking his car. I told him what I had found out online about Sarah Simms’ qualifications.

"I knew she had something to do with a lab some place but I never knew just what she did," said Daniel. "If Ja

mes had anything to do with Michael’s murder I guess she could have gotten the poison for him."

I told him about my stalker the night before. "James definitely threatened me if I didn’t leave Michael’s death to the police. I’m taking all of this to David Singer."

When we entered the front part of the jail, I asked to see David. The receptionist recognized me.

"I’m sorry but he is interrogating someone right now. If you want to wait, take a seat. I’m not sure how long it will be."

That didn’t matter. I was willing to wait for however long it took. Daniel glanced at his phone. "I’m going to have to leave you. I have a call to answer. Keep me posted on everything and I’ll see you tonight."

He hurriedly wished me luck and raced out the door. I felt vulnerable without him but determined to make my case. I would see Jacob later. I didn’t want to miss David Singer.