Ginny Gold - Early Bird Café 01 - Rise and Die (6 page)

“If,” Zach corrected, stressing the one word. “If we find it.”

“Right.”

Kori opened the door and the two men followed her inside.
She didn’t want to watch them tear apart her nicely organized kitchen, so she sat down at a window booth and called Jay, trying to ignore the noise they were making.

“What’s going on with Mom?” he asked without a greeting
after the second ring.

“What’d she do now?” Kori asked. She wanted to know exactly what Jay knew before she grilled him about his fatherhood.

“She’s just adamant that she’s a grandmother and I never told her.”

“Well, is she?” Kori asked gently.

“You too? What even makes you ask that?” Jay was getting frustrated, she could hear it in his voice.

“I’m on your side here. Remember that. Mom gave me a letter with some photos that came to the house. I haven’t looked at them because it was all addressed to you. But she
opened it. One of the photos was of you and some girl, and the other was that same girl with a baby who she thinks looks just like you. And she said the letter sounded like she was blackmailing you. Mom jumped to the conclusion that the baby was yours and you were hiding something from her.”

“Jesus. Mom needs to start asking actual questions instead of making me sound like the psycho. You have the letter with you?” he asked.

“Yeah.”

“Do me a favor and open it. What does the girl look like?”

Kori took the envelope from her back pocket and slid the photos out. “She has long, dark curly hair.”

“I thought she might. Don’t judge me
but I’ve been using online dating sites.”

“Where did you meet her? There’s a photo of the two of you.”

“I know. Remember that weekend this winter I went skiing?” Jay asked, much calmer than he had been the entire conversation.

“Uh
-huh.”

“I met her then. It didn’t go well. She was convinced that I was the answer to her problems
and I was convinced she was only going to bring problems to my life.”

“So why’d she send you these? And why’d they come to Mom’s house?”

“I never gave her my address. And I still use Mom’s address for some stuff. Like online dating. I should have told her. But I didn’t. She’s trying to blackmail me into being in a relationship with her. So Mom was right on that. But the baby isn’t mine. I never even met him.”

“So you’re not a father?” Kori asked, relieved that her brother hadn’t been hiding it from her.

“No. And don’t worry, I’d tell you if I was.”

“Great.” Kori looked up and saw that Detective Gunn and Zach were coming back out from the kitchen. “
Before I hang up, do you still have my slashed tire? I think I’m gonna need that.”

“Yeah. It’s here.”

“Great. Don’t get rid of it. I’ve gotta go. Call Mom later and explain all of this to her.”

“
Sure. Thanks, Kor.”

Kori hung up and her stomach dropped when she saw what Detective Gunn was carrying. It was a
knife that wasn’t hers. A knife that she could only suspect was the weapon that had been used to murder Tessa. She saw blood still on it.

And it had been in her kitchen.

Kori couldn’t form any words. Her brain was reeling and her stomach was in her throat. If that was the murder weapon, how did it get into her kitchen? Had Detective Gunn just planted it? But she knew Zach wouldn’t have allowed that. Had the actual murderer put it there? When? How?

“Do you know what this is?” Detective Gunn asked her, not kindly.

Kori assumed that her face gave away her answer but she shook her head anyway. She wasn’t
positive
that she knew what it was, so she decided to find out if they’d tell her.

“This appears to be the murder weapon that was used to kill Ms. Doyle. Can you tell me what it was doing in your kitchen?” Detective Gunn continued.

Kori shook her head again.

“Lieutenant Gulch has been kind enough to offer twenty-four hour surveillance on you so that we don’t have to arrest you
but know that I am not happy about that setup, Ms. Cooke.”

Kori still hadn’t found her voice
but tried her best to convey a look of thanks to Zach. She knew that he was going way out of his way to let her stay out of jail and in her home. And this would give her an opportunity to learn what else was going on from him.

“That surveillance will be starting now,” Detective Gunn said coldly and left with the
knife in an evidence bag.

As soon as he was out of the café, Zach sat across from Kori and waited for her to make eye contact with him. “Don’t worry, Kori. Innocent until proven guilty. I know you’re not guilty. And I’m sure that weapon will clear you. But I have to be honest, it doesn’t look good finding it in your kitchen. Off the record, can you explain that?”

Kori shook her head and looked back down at her hands on the table. She remembered the feel of his hands on hers in the interrogation room and wished he’d offer the same comfort and support right now. “I don’t know about any of this. I didn’t even know Tessa was dead until after you guys arrested me. And Betsy told me this morning what the murder weapon was.” She looked back up, confidence growing inside of her with the memory of Betsy knowing that detail. “Why would she have known about the murder weapon?”

“We’ve questioned her,” Zach admitted. “
She’s on our radar. Maybe just a witness. But we’re still checking her out.”

“
If she’s a witness, why wouldn’t she have more details to prove she’s innocent? Like having seen whoever killed Tessa?”

“
That’s why she’s still on our list. But I have to be honest, you’re the top suspect. Especially with this knife showing up.”

Zach’s word twisted Kori’s stomach into a knot again.

“Let me help you clean up the kitchen,” Zach offered, getting up from the seat across from Kori.

She obediently followed. When they reached the threshold to the kitchen, she was overwhelmed with frustration. Her carefully organized kitchen had been torn apart. Pots and pans were on the floor. A bag of flour had been punctured, leaving a white dust on everything. And there was even a broken bottle of vanilla slowly spreading across the floor.

“I’m so sorry about this. I tried to get to certain areas before Gunn did. But obviously I didn’t succeed.”

Kori nodded and picked up the broken bottle, grabbing the dustpan and sweeping up the shards of glass from the puddle. She’d have to make more
and luckily she had the ingredients. It would just take a couple weeks to be useable. Zach picked up the pots and pans and placed them on the counter.

“Thanks for staying,” Kori finally managed to say once she had mopped up the vanilla.

“It was the only way I could keep you out of jail.”

“I appreciate that more than you know.”

They worked in silence, Kori’s mind running away without her permission. She kept sneaking glances at Zach and often found him doing the same. Each time they made eye contact, she relaxed just a little bit more.

When they had finally put things away as well as they could, and to Kori’s satisfaction, she said, “Since you’re my surveillance team, want to head over to Nora’s early? We could pickup dinner on the way.”

“That sounds great. Thai?”

“Yeah. Here’s a menu.” Kori handed him one that she kept in a drawer in the café’s kitchen.

“I don’t need a menu. I always get their sesame chicken.”

“Great. I’ll call in our order.”

Kori ordered pad Thai for herself and panang curry for Nora—their normal choices when they needed a quick meal together and neither felt like cooking. Then she and Zach walked next door to pick up their dinner and Kori texted Nora to let her know their new plan.

***

“Come on in,” Nora invited them when they arrived at her house. They’d driven separately, even though Zach would be following Kori for the foreseeable future.

“We
brought beer, too.” Kori handed over a twelve pack and Nora put it in the fridge and took three bottles out.

“But I won’t be drinking. I’m on the job,” Zach said.

“Glasses?” Nora asked, intentionally looking to Kori.

Kori shook her head and brought the bottle with her to the table. “Bring plates and forks,” she instructed her friend.

All three of them sat around the table and helped themselves to the Thai dinner.

“So what happened this afternoon?” Nora finally asked Kori when they had eaten enough to pause and start a conversation.

“Zach and Detective Gunn searched The Early Bird’s kitchen and found Tessa’s murder weapon,” Kori calmly said, watching Zach the whole time.

“What?” Nora just about jumped out of her seat. “Who put that there?”

“Whoever’s guilty. Right now, either Betsy or Dylan.” Kori shoveled another forkful into her mouth.

“Actually, I have someone else to add to the list,” Nora added.

“A list?” Zach asked. “You two are playing detective?”

The women looked at each other sheepishly. “Kind of,” Nora admitted. “We know Kori’s not guilty, so we figured it’d be fastest to find out for ourselves who is.”

“Well, that is my job. But go ahead and give me everything you’ve got.”

“Okay. So we have Dylan. And I want to add Jenna,” Nora said.

“Jenna?” Kori asked, surprised. “The owner of a daycare? How can she be a suspect?”

“She’s not,” Zach jumped in.

“Well, she’s our suspect then. Even if she’s not yours. She comes by sometimes to get fresh veggies for her daycare. And she stopped by today. We all know she lives and works next door to Tessa’s café, so I asked her if she heard or saw anything. She was super evasive and almost forgot to pay me. She was in such a rush to leave and get away from my questions. Even if she’s not guilty, she definitely knows
something
.”

“Knowing something doesn’t make her guilty,” Zach reminded them.

“Right. But it’s worth looking into,” Nora argued.

“I agree,” Kori said.

“Okay. I can look into it tomorrow. I don’t want you two getting any more involved.” Kori and Nora exchanged a look that Kori understood to mean they might have made a mistake bringing Zach into their sleuthing. At least, that was what she meant.

“Zach,” Kori started and paused to take a sip of her beer. She wanted to lighten the mood. “You said earlier that you know I’m not guilty. How long will
it take to check out the blood and fingerprints on the knife?”

“We’re getting it rushed, so it should all be in tomorrow morning.”

“So I have one night before my name is cleared.”

“I know you’re innocent, so let’s just hope this proves it.
If that knife was planted, then the murderer could have planted your DNA or fingerprints too. We don’t know who we’re up against.”

“What do you know about Dylan Doyle?” Nora asked.

“I know he’s not guilty. He’s suspicious but innocent. He was in New York when Tessa died.”

“When
did
she die?” Kori asked.

“About six
thirty,” Zach revealed.

“What time did Betsy get to The Early Bird?” Nora asked Kori.

“I don’t know, six forty five? I could check what time she paid.”

“That’d actually be really helpful. She doesn’t have a great alibi, so we’ve been checking into that. But knowing when she was at your café could prove her innocence,” Zach explained.

“I don’t want her to be guilty but proving her innocence certainly doesn’t help me.” Kori took another sip of her beer. “Nora, I didn’t even tell you the best part of this afternoon. Zach has been assigned to follow me. That’s why he’s working and not drinking.”

“What a job. So you’ll be sleeping outside her house?” Nora asked him.

“I’m not sure I’ll be doing much sleeping, but yes, I’ll be outsider her house tonight.”

“How do you like your coffee?” Kori asked Zach. “I’ll bring you some in the morning.”

“Black. Thanks.”

“Of course. It’s the least I can do since you’re helping to prove my innocence. And you kept me out of jail. Hey, and while I have you here, my tire was slashed on Monday afternoon. Jay still has it. I was hoping you could get a fingerprint off of it that wasn’t mine or Jay’s. I assumed Tessa had done it since she thought I’d thrown a rock through her window
but now I don’t know.”

“Why didn’t you report it on Monday?” he asked.

“It kind of slipped my mind when I was arrested for a crime I didn’t even know about.”

“Right. We can swing by the Auto Body on our way back to your café.”

“Look at you two talking about ‘we’ and ‘our’ and what you’re going to do together. I’ve waited way too long to hear that.” Nora laughed as Kori and Zach both blushed and exchanged a look that made them both look down at their hands. Kori took a sip of her beer.

Neither Kori nor Zach responded.

“Oh, Kori. Tell Zach about that call Derek got. Maybe that’s something else he should know too,” Nora pushed. Kori was thankful she changed the subject.

Kori gave a detailed account of the phone call Derek got Monday morning from an angry Tessa. “What if she was so mad that she attacked him and he defended himself with
the nearest knife he could reach?” Kori finished.

“That seems like a stretch. But I’ll talk to Derek about the phone call. It could be completely unrelated
but worth looking into.”

The three of them spent the next couple hours hashing out different scenarios that were less and less likely to be true as they worked their way through many more beers. Finally, Kori and Zach
were ready to go. Kori collected the eggs she’d left earlier and thanked Nora for finally getting her together with Zach. Even if it was an undesirable circumstance, she’d had a really fun time and she’d laughed more than she had in the past few days.

“Let me call Jay so he can meet us at the Auto Body. He’s probably home already,” Kori said, standing outside of her car.

She made plans to meet him there in fifteen minutes and then they each headed down Nora’s driveway and back toward town.

Jay gave Kori a curious look when she pulled into the Auto Body followed by Zach Gulch. He knew as well as anyone else in town that Zach had always had a crush on her. But she brushed off his unasked questions and handed the tire to Zach.

“This is great. Thanks for holding onto it, Jay,” Zach said when he had the tire safely stowed in his trunk. “I’ll have to get it to Detective Gunn so he can scan it for fingerprints and see if he can determine what was used to cut it. This could be a clue we need.”

By the time Kori was back inside her home above The Early Bird Café, she was totally drained. She felt only slightly guilty knowing that she would enjoy a good night’s sleep while Zach had to stay awake,
watching her from his car.

She flipped through her mail—mostly junk credit card offers or magazines she couldn’t remember subscribing to—while she got comfy on her couch with mindless TV in the background.

Suddenly, a postcard from New York City caught her attention. On the front was an aerial shot of the city. She turned it over and nearly dropped it in surprise. She knew right away that it was a man’s handwriting but she didn’t know whose. Dylan’s? Someone else Tessa was connected to in New York? Had she been having an affair?

You know too much.