Caffeine & Killers (Roasted Love Cozy 3)

Then I had an idea. I took out my phone and dialed Carpenter’s headquarters. I only hoped that the barracuda who sat at the main desk was not the one who answered.

"Calvin Carpenter Headquarters," said that dreaded raspy voice. "How may I help you?"

"Um, hi. I'd like to speak with the councilman, please."

Her voice sounded like the final sweep of sandpaper on a worn desk. "He's in conference right now with his top campaigners. Please leave your name and a number. I will be sure to give it to him."

Carpenter could do better with a front woman. "How long will be in conference?"

"Oh, probably for at least another hour. We hope you intend to vote for him! He does have so many wonderful ideas for our community." She went on to talk about his position on a few of the most popular issues, not leaving out the homeless matter.

I thanked her for the information and hung up.

When I got off work, I drove to the Carpenter headquarters and headed for the side door. I hoped to get to Carpenter's office door without the barracuda noticing me.

The side door was unlocked. A young man in the hallway stood aside when I entered, stooping down to pick up a flyer that had fallen from a thick folder. The barracuda's back was to me and the phone was braced between her shoulder and her ear. I knocked on Carpenter's office door and was told to come in.

The councilman was thumbing through pages of a large spiraled calendar in front of him. He looked up and saw me, and actually grinned. "Laila! Glad you could make it during office hours."

Would he ever let me live that down? Probably not. I decided I should just be glad that he hadn't pressed charges.

"Come on in," Carpenter said. "I wanted to ask you to write down your ideas for me when it comes to the homeless and drug-related problems. I don’t have a lot of time right now, but I'll look at them later on. I have to be at a Lion’s Club meeting in half an hour."

"I’ll do that," I told him. "But right now, I have a question for you." He looked expectantly at me. "Is Ronald Larch involved with someone named Linda Henson?"

His pleasant expression changed to a frown. "Sorry, but that’s personal information. I don't get into the private matters of my staff. I don’t interfere unless it affects my campaign in some way."

A true politician. He'd evaded my direct question quite easily. "I'm only asking if they're an item."

He leaned back and studied me. "Well, you're nothing if not determined. I'm afraid you'll break in and start rifling through files again if I don't tell you, so here you go: He and Linda have been seen together off and on for several years."

I paused. "Isn’t Larch married?"

"He is, but in name only. And don’t ask for details because this is all the information I’m giving you. He's the best campaign manager I've ever had and I plan to keep him on board." He paused, and turned away from me to open a desk drawer. "Anything else?"

I knew I was being dismissed. The barracuda interrupted us and her raised eyebrows told me she wondered how I'd gotten past her. I stood up and smiled politely at the councilman. "Thanks for the info," I said, and left quickly by the side door.

# # #

Daniel and I had a dinner date planned for later in the evening, grilling steaks on his back deck. That’s what I loved about his brownstone: Every unit had its own balcony-like deck. His building backed up to more brownstones that all looked the same.

"Wait until you get here to feed Thor," said Daniel, talking to me on my cell as I drove over.

"Can I bring anything?"

"Uh, got any steak sauce? I didn’t know I was out until now."

"I'm not surprised you're out. You use enough to smother all taste of meat. Me, I want pure steak. Not sauce saturation."

He sighed, but I could hear the humor in it. "You know what kind I like, right?"

"Of course. I'll stop and get it."

After a quick stop at the nearest grocery, Thor and I were at Daniel’s door. I heard Benji Junior yipping with excitement. "Come on in," said Daniel, pulling open the door and then leaning down to give me a kiss. "The dog food bowls are filled, so that should keep them happy."

I followed him to the kitchen, and caught the aroma of steaks grilling out on the balcony. "That sure smells good!"

"You bet. Hey, get the salads from the fridge, would you, and meet me outside."