Death Before Decaf (16 page)

“Yeah, you are.” He leaned closer and gave me a quick kiss. “Now spill it.”

“I knew something was wrong with you the moment I met you.”

“There's no way you could have known that.”

“It's true. You were sitting at the counter at Java Jive instead of a table. That's how I knew.”

He wrinkled his brow. “That makes no sense.”

“Look, I've worked in coffeehouses and bakeries and cafés for years. There are several types of people in this world, and you can tell what they're like by how they order their coffee.”

He snorted. “You cannot determine someone's personality through coffee.”

“Wanna bet? The introverts order coffee so quietly you can barely hear them, and then go find a table in a corner. Assholes generally make some kind of scene at the cash register, but some of them wait until they get their coffee to do it. Creepers either try to order something we don't serve or hit on the staff. People who think they're funny always tell some stupid joke as they're ordering their coffee. I could go on and on.”

Brushing a lock of hair out of my eyes, he asked, “Which category did I fit into?”

“Well, because you chose to sit at the counter and be served, you're in a special category—high maintenance.”

Ryder scoffed, “
I'm
high maintenance?”

“Sort of. It wears me out to be around you sometimes.” He gave me a mock disgusted look, but didn't interrupt. “Anyway, the only kinds of people who sit at the counter are old people, cheapskates who are only there for the free refills, and sleazes who want to hit on the baristas.”

“You thought I was a sleazebag?”

“You
did
hit on your barista.”

He caressed my cheek with one finger. “I couldn't help it.”

I smiled. He could be pretty sweet if he wanted to. Snuggling up next to him, I put my head on his shoulder. “Then, after we went out, I…cyberstalked you.”

“Now who's the creeper?”

“I know, but I wanted to make sure you weren't a criminal or married or something. Seth Davis isn't listed on Vandy's website as a current teacher, and I couldn't find any kind of social media under that name that seemed like it'd be yours, either. Everyone has some sort of profile on the Internet.”

“I don't.”

“That's because you're a man of mystery. Every
normal
person has a profile on the Internet. Besides, it was the little things that made me doubt you were a film professor.”

“What kind of things?”

“Well, your build for one. Film geeks generally don't look like you.” I ran my hand across his washboard abs. So hot. “And when you kicked that reporter out of Java Jive, it seemed like second nature to you. You seemed more like a bouncer than a professor. Oh, and you ask a
lot
of questions. So I started asking around whether anyone knew you, and my neighbor happened to know the real Seth Davis and said you weren't him. That's when I started following you.”

He sat up, grimacing. “Wait. The kid who was just here knows I'm not Seth Davis?”

“Calm down. He's cool. Besides, I bought his silence with free food from Java Jive. I've got your back.” I laced my fingers around the back of his neck and pulled him down into a kiss.

He broke away much too quickly, teasing me, “I still can't believe you figured me out. I have to hand it to you. You're pretty perceptive, for a waitress.”

“Shut up, Magnum.”

“You shut up.”

When I woke up, a dopey grin overtaking my face as I thought of last night, I was shocked to find Ryder still in my bed. He didn't seem like the “stay all night” type. I wasn't complaining, though.

He was looking at me, a smile playing at his lips. “Hey.”

“Hey,” I replied, hoping he hadn't caught me swooning.

“What are you up to today?”

“Working. I have to figure out if one of my staff is stealing money. I'm not looking forward to it.”

“You don't know if they're stealing or not?”

I propped my head up on my hand. “There's no money missing, according to our reports, but one of my employees told me that she saw another pocketing cash. If she's telling the truth, I've got a big problem.”

“Anything else unusual going on? I mean, a guy
was
murdered there this week.”

“Well, you know I told you when I ran into you at Vandy that I was returning someone's lost credit card? It wasn't exactly lost. I found the card in the pastry case at Java Jive, where it never should have been. Then, when I spoke to the cardholder, she said she'd never been to Java Jive, so she obviously hadn't lost it there.”

Ryder nodded. “Sounds like you have someone stealing money
and
credit cards.”

“That's not the weirdest part. The girl only has one credit card, and swears it was never lost. The other card had her name on it, but a different number. She has no idea how it could have happened.”

“Interesting. Which of your employees is stealing from you?”

Hiding a smile, I said, “I'm not at liberty to say.” I might have just slept with him, but I wasn't about to tell him private Java Jive business. Besides, Pete would kill me if I did. Pete might kill me anyway if he found out I slept with Ryder. Twice.

“I see. So the girl you met at Vandy was the cardholder.”

“Maybe. You're asking a lot of questions again.”

Ignoring me, he pressed, “And does she have a name?”

“Yes.”

He was getting irritated now, which delighted me. “And what might that be?”

“Ima.”

“Ima? That's a strange name for a college-aged girl.”

“Indeed. It's even stranger when you put it with her last name—Notgonnatellya.”

Ryder glared at me.

This was fun. “Her name's Ima Notgonnatellya. Get it? I'm—”

Cutting me off, he groaned, “I get it. You're a comedic genius.”

“I try.”

“Speaking of geniuses, let's talk about Johnny Brewer. Why did you get yourself mixed up with him?”

Flopping back down onto my pillow, I sighed. “It's a long story.”

He slipped one arm under me and pulled me toward him so my head rested on his good shoulder. “Humor me. I have a gash on my chest that says I get to know.”

“How many times are you going to play the ‘I got knifed for you' card? It's getting a little tired.”

Smiling, he tilted my chin toward him so he could kiss me. “You're grumpy in the morning. And it's adorable.”

I laughed. Ryder was very likeable, although he wasn't long-term boyfriend material. He was, however, good rebound material and excellent forget-about-my-other-problems material. I nestled into the warmth of his body. Being in his arms, I felt protected and safe enough that it didn't fill me with panic to discuss that psycho Johnny Brewer.

I began, “Okay, here goes. I may have forgotten to mention to you that I'm a person of interest in Dave Hill's murder.”

“According to one bullshit article by one sleazy reporter.”

“No, according to Detective Cromwell of the MNPD.”

Laughing, he said, “You.
You
are an actual person of interest in a murder. Cromwell sure has his head up his ass on this one.”

Not the reaction I was expecting. “Yes. Anyway, I didn't do it, and I really don't want to be arrested just because the police can't come up with a better suspect than the person who found the body. Well, that and the fact that I had two arguments with Dave the day he died.”

“That's unfortunate. And it could be seen as a motive.”

“Exactly. So I decided to talk to a few people, and do a little poking around—”

“Wait, wait. You're telling me that you decided you should investigate a murder, like some amateur sleuth?” For some reason, Ryder thought this was awfully humorous.

I sat up in the bed and huffed, “Someone had to do something.”

“If you were worried about going to jail, why didn't you hire a lawyer like a normal person?”

“Look around!” I cried. “I don't have enough money to buy a freaking nightstand, much less retain a lawyer!”

He conceded, “I can see where that would force you to make certain choices. Go on. I'll be quiet.” Running a hand up my back, he grasped my shoulder, guiding me down onto the bed beside him. He shifted onto his side, watching me intently as I spoke.

“Good. The first thing I did was make Pete take Dave's wife out for a drink.” Ryder raised his eyebrows. I continued, “Don't ask. He was able to find out that Dave had had run-ins with a few seedy characters lately, so we started there. One guy we found had an alibi that Dave's sister confirmed. We tracked another one down at The Dirty Duck, and that was Johnny. Then we went over and snooped around in his motel room. He caught us, and I'm sure it made him a little angry that Pete slugged him when he tried to rough me up. I assume that's why he came back after me.”

“
Pete
slugged Johnny?”

“That's your takeaway from the story I just told you?”

He shrugged. “Your boyfriend Pete isn't exactly the toughest guy in town, you know.”

I glared at him and scooted away, only my bed was too small for me to be out of his reach.

“Sorry, but you know it's true,” he said, wrapping both arms around my waist and pulling me back toward him. “So did you piss off any other delinquents?”

Returning my head to its place on his shoulder, I said, “We couldn't find the last one, who unfortunately seems to be the most likely suspect. We hit a wall. And besides, I got sidetracked with busting a dangerous impostor.”

His fingers rubbing smooth circles on my arm, he said, “Since I put such a cramp in your day, Scooby-Doo, let me help you track down the other guy. Who is he?”

I had promised Pete that I would stay out of it, but with Ryder's help, doing a little investigating wouldn't be dangerous at all. Probably. “He's Dave's bookie, Ron Hatcher. Dave's wife said he was always harassing Dave for money.”

“That's generally what bookies do.”

“And last week at Java Jive, Pete overheard him telling Dave he was going to kill him.”

Ryder seemed unimpressed. “Bookies sometimes do that, too. Did he hear anything else?”

“Yeah, something about a deal blowing up in Dave's face. And if he went back to jail, then Ron would be SOL for some reason.”

He nodded absently. “Sounds like they had something illegal going on. I'll find Hatcher, and we can talk to him later today.”

I smiled, excited that I was going to get a little professional help with my snooping. “Thanks. That would be great.” I kissed his cheek, but he didn't react. Staring at the ceiling with his jaw clenched, he seemed lost in thought. Staying clear of his new stitches, I lightly traced the dark lines of ink curling over his biceps and across his shoulder, hoping to lure him back into the moment.

Unfazed, he said, “Tell me how Johnny and Dave are connected.”

“They were in prison together, and Dave's wife said Johnny was always trying to get Dave to run with him, but Dave refused. They had a big fight about something at The Dirty Duck last weekend.”

Ryder sat up suddenly. “Did you say they were in prison together?”

Unsure why this was groundbreaking news, I replied, “Yes, why?”

“I have to go,” he said, abruptly leaving the bed and getting dressed.

“Um…okay…” Was it something I said? I clutched the blankets under my chin, suddenly chilled without the warmth of him lying beside me.

He came back to give me a quick kiss. “I'll see you later.” Flashing me a sweet smile, he added, “Thanks.”

“Yeah, thanks,” I replied to his retreating back as he strode out of my room.

I was late to work that morning, and of course everyone noticed. I was sure it would only be a matter of time before one of them (Rhonda) tattled on me to Pete. Pete, in turn, was sure to put two and two together, knowing that I had left with Ryder last night. I felt it was inevitable that Pete was going to figure out I had slept with Ryder. And then the shit would really hit the fan. I couldn't wait.

Again, the crowd was a little leaner than the day before, but the line at the cash register was still unending. I helped Camille and Rhonda, usually getting stuck with the counter since Rhonda kept conveniently “forgetting” it was her task. It wasn't too bad, though, because it gave me a chance to talk to Gertie.

“How goes it this morning, Gertie?” I asked.

“Shitty. My damn gout is flaring up again, and my neighbor's stupid son of a bitch Chihuahua barked all night long. I didn't get a wink of sleep.”

Wow. Gertie was crotchety on a good day. Pissed off, insomniac Gertie in pain was out of the park. “Sorry to hear that. Anything I can do?”

“You got a gun?”

“Um…no.” I looked at her warily. “What would you do with a gun?”

“Shoot the damn dog, of course. That would shut his yap.”

“Yes, and probably get you sued.”

“Eh,” she said, waving her hand dismissively. “My dipshit neighbor has his head too far up his ass. I'd never get caught.”

I made a mental note to tell Pete that Gertie was never to own a gun. “I think it sounds like a ‘pie for breakfast' kind of day. What do you say?”

“Hell's bells. You know what? That sounds fine.”

“I'll get you a big piece.”

“Don't forget the ice cream!” she called.

I served Gertie her pie and freshened the coffee for all of the squatters at the counter. Ryder was usually here by this time, but not today. He had split pretty quickly after I told him that Dave and Johnny had been in prison together. I didn't know why that was important, but it seemed like it had lit a fire under him. I thought back to last night and hid a smile. I hadn't had that much fun in a long time.

“Looking for someone?” Gertie asked, seeming much more cheerful.

I shook myself out of my thoughts. “Nope.”

She narrowed her eyes at me. “I know that look in your eye.”

“What look? There's no look.”

“I can't remember the last time I had that look. My cock pocket is so dusty—”

“I'm going to have to stop you right there.” I couldn't handle another Gertie-ism about sex.

“What? Can't an old woman live vicariously through her young friends?”

“Gertie—”

“You let Seth put his tool in your shed.”

My eyes nearly bulged out of my head. “No.” How did she know?

“You're full of shit.”

“Am not,” I said, fanning my red face with a stack of napkins.

She smiled. “No need to get your panties in a twist. I was only going to congratulate you.”

“Thanks, I guess. But you
cannot
under any circumstances tell Pete. Deal?”

“I swear, you two. You and Pete belong together, and everyone knows it.”

“I don't think…We're not…” I shook my head vigorously. “It's complicated.”

“Horse hockey. You're making it too damn complicated. You've always been in love with him. I knew it from the first time I saw you look at him.”

I felt my face involuntarily flushing. Hoping to change the subject, I said, “Did you hear he and Cecilia broke up?”

“Hot damn! That's good news. That uptight bitch had a stick up her ass.”

“Agreed.” I looked at the clock. It was nearly nine. “I have someone coming in to interview for Dave's job in a few minutes. I'd better go.”

“Bye, sweetie. You be careful with that stud Seth. He's pretty to look at, but he seems a little dangerous to me.” So Gertie had a feeling about him, too. She may be old, but she was sharp as a tack.

I headed back to the office to get ready for the interview. Technically, the person I hired would be a replacement for Brandon's job. Brandon knew what he was doing, so I had decided to move him up to head cook and slide the outside hire into his job. I would take over Dave's responsibilities of ordering food and supplies.

As I was tidying up the mess that Pete had left on the desk yesterday, Camille came into the office and said, “There's a man named Wayne Shepherd here to see you.”

“Thanks, Camille. Send him back.”

Camille let a little giggle slip out.

Curious, I asked, “What's so funny?”

“Nothing,” Camille murmured, blushing. “He's very handsome. And charming.”

Oh, hell. All I needed was an “office romance” between two of my staff.

Wayne Shepherd appeared at the door. I could see the attraction for Camille. Wayne was midtwenties and cute as a button. The top of his head only came up to my nose, and I wasn't a tall woman. Not my cup of tea, but to Camille, who was a teeny, tiny little thing, he was probably perfect.

He smiled, and his grin covered his whole face. “Hey there, I'm Wayne Shepherd.”

We shook hands. “Juliet Langley. Have a seat, Wayne.”

“Thank you.” This interview was going well already. My first impression of Wayne was very positive. He was everything I was looking for in an employee. Polite, check. Friendly, check. Clean, check. If he had any experience at all, I had myself a winner.

“This position is for daytime cook. As you may have heard, our cook passed away this week and we're trying to fill his place.”