Hot Coffee Iced Santa (Roasted Love Cozy 2)

I let Thor outside for a bit while I grabbed a cup of coffee. Then, I let him back in and gave him his morning breakfast. I planned to se

e Chief Hayes, then come back for Thor and start my shift at the coffee shop. When I called the precinct, I was connected to the Chief's phone line.

"Good morning, Laila," he said.

"Will you be free for a short conversation around nine this morning?"

"Sure, come on down and I'll make time."

I had never seen the Chief look tired. Sleepless nights like I had on occasion probably escaped him. When I got to his office, his appearance was one of total alertness as if ready for the day ahead of him. The grin that spread across his face was wider than usual, or I was not quite fully awake.

"You timed this visit right," said the Chief. "Has someone given you inside information from this precinct?"

"No, I haven't heard anything, but I have plenty of questions for you. I'm getting just a little impatient about movement on this case against Jared Freedman."

He leaned back, folded his arms across one another and smiled. "What do you mean? You think we're moving slow? Sit down and relax. I have plenty to tell you. That is, unless you want to shoot your questions to me first."

"I want to know why it takes so long to get test results back. I'm especially wondering what the DNA and handwriting samples show." It suddenly dawned on me he had information. I sank back in the chair and felt my body dwindling a little. "I'm sorry. You said you have some information to give me?"

"Yes, I do. I'm just waiting for you to be ready for it."

I fought to keep the pinkish tint to my cheeks at bay and nodded yes, I was ready.

"The DNA under Frank's fingernails belong to someone we both know. It matches with DNA we took from the bottle of water we gave Jared when he was being questioned. Of course, his office had his DNA all over it."

"I told you it was him," I said. The satisfaction that rose up in me mimicked the feeling of a high accomplishment of some kind. I thought of the time I came out on top in my senior GPA rating in high school. This was even better.

"It looks that way. The handwriting analysis is a little sketchier, excuse the pun." His expression read pride in his humor. "The handwriting looked like a pretty good match to the note we found in Frank's closet. If we need to, we can get it analyzed formally."

"Will that be crucial to the case?" I asked.

"I don't think so with all that we have," he said. "We plan to get another expert's opinion on it for good measure."

"The note was found with the bundles of cash from West River Bank. Jared had a beef with Frank and then he met him in the bar that night. He left Tommy's soon after Frank did. What more do you need?"

"We have enough now to charge him. The more proof we can present the surer his conviction." The Chief looked down at the pencil he twirled between his fingers. "He asked for a lawyer, by the way."

The groan that escaped me wasn't lost on Donald Hayes. "That means there won't be a confession, after all."

"I didn't expect him to own up to murder, Laila. He is too smart for that. His lawyer has enough work to do, now, with all the information he had already given us." He smiled.

"I'll be in that court room when he comes up for trial. How long will I have to wait for that?" I said.

"With the way things go, it will be next year. He's going to post bail if the Judge will allow that."

"It's a murder case. Why would he get bail?" I said.

"I doubt he will. He will have plenty of time behind bars to think things over."

"It looks like West River Bank is getting another negative jab at its reputation."

Donald agreed with me. "If you don't have anything else," he said, "I have to be at the next interrogation of Jared Freedman. This time his lawyer will be there. Do you want to observe?"

I glanced at my watch. I had time. Jared shuffled in wearing the wardrobe provided by the jail. He kept his eyes down when he sat in the worn straight-back chair. The guard kept watch by the door. Jared's lawyer leaned in a couple of times to whisper something to him. The investor nodded half-heartedly. He didn't glance up when the Chief and Officer Stanton walked in. The guard turned and walked out. I watched from behind the one-way mirror.

"We know you were alone with Frank Duvall in the restaurant kitchen the night he was killed," started the Chief. "Why were you there with him so late at night?"

The suspect shifted in the chair. His lawyer nodded at him to talk. "I told Frank I would meet him there so we could work out a better schedule for my pay-offs to him. He demanded a huge hunk that was causing a hardship on me. He knew I was coming to meet with him."