Caffeine & Killers (Roasted Love Cozy 3)

I lost sight of him as he pulled open the door and disappeared inside. Between Larch's unknown connection to John, and Councilman Carpenter’s focus on getting rid of the homeless in West River, neither one of them could be ruled out as a suspect in what I was convinced was John’s murder.

Chapter Nine

I had a lot to think about after leaving Calvin Carpenter's campaign office, and I didn't feel like going straight home. So, I decided to stop for a dinner out. Daniel had not called all day, but I was sure I'd hear from him before the night ended. It wasn’t like him to stay mad for long.

I pulled over, dialed Jacob, and asked him to go over to my place and take care of Thor for me. He and my dog were close friends. Thor had taken to my boss with the Doberman’s own agenda: Jacob always brought his favorite treats for him.

Just as I was having my cell phone search for nearby restaurants, it suddenly rang. I glanced at the caller I.D. expecting to see that it was Daniel, but it turned out to be my old friend Anna Masters.

"I want to get out for a while," she said. "Have you had dinner yet, L

aila?"

I laughed. "I'm wanting to do the same thing. I'm looking for a place right now."

"Hey, I know just the one! You can meet me at the Old York Street Bistro. It's only a few blocks away from where you are right now."

Anna was already standing near the front door of the Bistro when I pulled into the parking lot, and as always I felt a little envy when I saw her. Her willowy figure caught everyone’s eye and she walked like she was on a runway in a fashion show. She was a little taller than me and her shoulder-length blonde hair glowed with highlights under the street lamp.

"Oh, it’s been too long, Laila," she said, as I hurried inside with her. "We should get together more often."

"Anytime, girlfriend!" I said, and we both laughed.

In a moment we were sitting down with menus in hand. Anna managed a high-end boutique at the opposite end of the Piazza from Roasted Love, and we had a fun time talking about our work. We pretended to argue over whose job was more stressful and whose was more glamorous, but the truth was that neither of us wanted to trade places. Then we sat silently for a few seconds trying to decide what to order.

And in the quiet, I heard a familiar voice behind me. I couldn't help but glance back over my shoulder.

At a table behind ours, I saw Ronald Larch sitting with someone who looked familiar to me. The dim lights hid the other man's face somewhat and I couldn’t place him. He appeared to be Larch’s age or maybe a little older, and his hair was brown. That was all I could see and I wasn't going to sit there twisted around and staring for long.

I quickly faced forward again. "Do you know those men?" asked Anna.

"Well, I know one of them because he comes into Roasted Love. I think I've seen the other one, but can’t remember where. Do you know them?"

Anna could see the two men by looking straight forward, and she took a close look. But just then, the server stopped at our table to take our order. Anna decided on the Quiche Lorraine and I opted for a tuna and vegetable dish, topped with creamy Mornay sauce.

"I don’t understand how you keep that perfect figure with a quiche that includes heavy cream and cheese," I said to Anna. "Not to mention smoked bacon."

She laughed. "Well, it does have some spinach in it, too." I almost forgot about the two men sitting behind us – until I saw Anna's eyes widen. "Hey – they're getting up," she whispered.

Sure enough, the two men stood up to leave and walked right past our table. Larch did a double-take when he saw me, and sure seemed to be uncomfortable about being around me.

I had once thought that the only reason he still came into Roasted Love was because his boss, the councilman, liked us. But I was still sure that I'd seen the tall man with him someplace before. I just couldn't think of where.

Once they were out of earshot, Anna sat back. "I don’t know either one of them. The just look like regular older guys to me. Why, are you in trouble or something? Is the FBI, DEA or KGB are looking for you?"

I sat up straight and caught my breath. "DEA! Yes! That's where I saw him. He was at the precinct house the other day when I went there to see the Chief of Police!"

"Why were you in the precinct house?" asked Anna. Her bright blue eyes were round with surprise.

I quickly decided to remain neutral. I wasn’t ready to tell even my best female friend my reasons for visiting the Chief of Police of West River just yet. "Oh, I was in the neighborhood and stopped in to say hello to him. We’ve known each other for a little while now."

"Yeah, I guess you have," said Anna. "You helped solve some murder that happened at a restaurant, didn’t you?"

I nodded, but wanted to move away from that conversation. Unfortunately, Anna wasn’t ready to do that. "Didn’t you know the owner of that restaurant?"

"Um, yeah. I mean, Daniel knew him. We ate there the night it all happened." I grabbed the chance to change the subject. "Hey, where are you going on vacation this year?" I asked, and we had a little fun chatting away about where we'd like to go. Anna could afford to go someplace more exotic than I could, so I often allowed myself to live vicariously through her.

I really did enjoy the rest of my night out. The food was great and so was the girl talk that went with it. By the time I arrived home, I felt a lot more relaxed. A night out with Anna was always a good thing.