by Lois Lavrisa
“Yeah, you threw my buddy under the bus calling him a nimrod,” I added.
“Sorry about that, you put me in the spot. It was the first I’d heard that it wasn’t logged in. I had to come up with some sort of explanation until I could figure out what happened myself. I know that I have to take responsibility for what happened, but when you came in asking a bunch of questions, I had no answers for you then.”
“So that’s why you avoided my questions.”
“Yes.” He paused. “After you left this morning, I talked to the officer on my team. He said when he went back to get the bag I’d left on the bar, it wasn’t there. He thought I must have grabbed it.”
I let out a long breath. “You both assumed the other took it and logged it in.”
“Yes, that appears to be the case. I’ve sent someone over to Sanders Tavern to look for it now. Maybe it fell on the floor, or was accidently thrown away.”
“Suit yourself. But you’re not going to find it. I was just there.”
“Jeez. This is a mess.”
“I’m trying to help you here, but you’ve got to be honest with me moving forward.”
“Jose, I’ll take the blame on this. You can let me handle the missing shot, I’ll take care of it.”
“Did you ever think that someone there last night took it?”
“Maybe.” He huffed. “I’ll look into it, you don’t have to worry about it.”
“I don’t know why I’d worry, I mean it’s not like there was evidence lost or anything.”
“I deserved that. But can we start fresh, and trust that I’m taking care of this?”
“I gotta go.” I intentionally dodged his question. Turnaround is fair play. I clicked off.
I called Nowak.
“So, what next?” Nowak asked.
I got her up to speed on what I had found out. Or, in this case, what I hadn’t found out. “But I’ll see everyone tonight at Sanders’ Tavern. That’ll be a good time for me to poke around and find out if anyone saw the device. Hopefully find out who has it.”
“You think someone might have taken it?”
“Yes. Big Mike said he saw the pen at one point last night. I searched the bar, and it wasn’t there. It didn’t get thrown away or fall on the floor. McFalls doesn’t have it, and it’s not logged in the evidence room. Something is up. I don’t think it’s an accident. One of the people at the tournament must’ve deliberately taken it.”
“Why would they?” she asked.
“Good question.” And I wanted to know the answer.
“If someone did take it, they must have been trying to cover up something. But what?” Nowak asked.
She was pretty sharp. “That’s the million-dollar question.”
“This changes everything. You’re right—the only people who could have taken it were there last night,” Nowak said.
“That’s why I asked Norman to continue the tournament. We need to have everyone together again. Then we can try to get answers to some things that aren’t making sense,” I said.
“Now I can’t help thinking that this might be way more than a possible product malfunction.” Her voice was low and soft.
“One step at a time. Don’t jump to conclusions. We don’t have any facts yet.” I paused. “Can you play poker?”
“Yeah. I learned from Uncle Ray. I can hold my own.”
“Then you’re taking his place tonight.”
“Good.” She paused. “Since I’ll be there, I can help you with interrogations.”
“We are not interrogating anyone.”
“Right. Got it.” Her voice vacillated as though she was winking as she spoke.
“I mean it. Why don’t you just let me handle the investigation?”
“But we already agreed we’d work together. So, I’ll see you tonight. And I’ll think of questions to ask everyone, okay?”
“If I said no, then what?”
“I’d tell you I’m still doing what I want.”
“That’s not what I want to hear.” I hung up.
Chapter 16
That evening when I walked in the tavern, Bezu was setting up a buffet on the bar top.
I hugged her. “How are you doing?”
“I’m fine. I had reservations about doing the meal, what with everyone’s allergies and all and what happened to Ray that may or may not have been my fault. But I had to get back on the horse, so to speak.”
“I’m glad you’re here.” Behind me, in the back corner of the room, everyone was at the table. I was the last to arrive.
“But I have to admit, I was really surprised that Norman asked me to come tonight. It seems rather insensitive to continue the game, considering what happened.”
Inside, my stomach turned. What I was about to say would sound cold-hearted, so I hesitated. “I’m the one who suggested it.”
Bezu set down her basket. “José, I’m shocked. I know he was a horse’s backside to you, but still. The poor guy died.”
“Yeah, well. We had to continue sooner or later. There’s still five thousand in the pot. And no one wanted a refund on his or her buy-in or entry fee. Tonight’s as good as any other.” I avoided her stare.
Bezu touched my arm. “I know you too well. You’re onto something.”
To change the subject, I looked over at her spread of sweets, chicken fingers, and chips. “The food smells great.”
“Avoiding the question, huh? That’s fine.” She straightened a pile of napkins next to the plate of brownies. “Did you find out how Ray got exposed to the peanuts last night?”
“Not yet. But I’m working on it.”
“I figured that’s why everyone was here.”
I looked away and nodded.
She let out a long sigh. “I wonder if I should have everyone sign a release form before they eat my food from now on.”
“No need. I can almost guarantee Ray’s death had nothing at all to do with your food.” Hoping beyond belief that this statement was true, I added, “I’ll find out for sure what happened. Trust me.”
“I know you will. Thank you. I can’t rest until I’m one hundred percent sure it wasn’t my fault.”
I nodded. “Listen, I have to go back to the table.”
Big Mike was behind the bar.
Maggie shuffled and fanned the cards. Everyone was in their same seat around the table. Nowak stood nearby, chatting with Norman.
I said hi to everyone. Then I turned to Nowak. “Can I talk to you for a second?”
Nowak and I moved out of earshot of the group. “Remember, sit in the corner and keep quiet.”
“Real funny, Sergeant. There is no corner.” She winked. “And even so, nobody puts baby in a corner.”
Her quote from Dirty Dancing made me roll my eyes. “You know what I mean.” I was just about to lay down the rules for what she should and should not do as far as questioning when Norman called out to us.
“It’s time to play,” he told us.
Nowak smiled. “Trust me, I’ve got this. Partner.”
I let out a short groan.
We walked back to the table. Patrice motioned for Nowak to take Ray’s chair.
“I’m so sorry about your uncle.” Patrice reached over and put her hand on top of Nowak’s. “I heard they gave you bereavement leave for several days, and I’m so glad they did. You’re mighty brave to be sitting in for your uncle tonight after what happened to him.”
“I’m playing this game in his honor. If I win, I think I’ll use the money to start a college scholarship fund in his name,” Nowak told her.
“Oh. Good idea,” Patrice replied. “Making the best of a very sad situation. Please let me know if there’s anything I can do for you.”
JJ put in his two cents. “I keep going over what happened last night, and I still can’t wrap my head around it. One minute he was there and the next, gone. I’m really sorry, Nowak.”
“It’s a tragedy for sure,” Howie added.
Big Mike and
Norman also expressed their sympathies.
“Kid, I hate what happened. But now that you’ve got me on your side, I’ll make sure that your uncle didn’t die in vain.” Dickey waved his hand at Big Mike. “Two scotch and Cokes on the rocks.”
Big Mike took everyone’s drink order. While we waited for Maggie to finish shuffling, Norman and Nowak had a side conversation. Howie, sitting to my left, turned to me. “You know, I totally wanted to suggest continuing the tournament, but I didn’t want to sound like a jerk.”
“I thought it was pretty callous, too,” Patrice added.
“I mean, I’d rather have a chance at five K than just get my money back,” Dickey put in. “But truth be told, continuing the game so soon is a tad bit heartless.”
“I agree.” JJ leaned in. “Thanks for being the jerk for us, José.”
I felt heat rise in my chest. Being a jerk was not who I was. I ignored the remarks. Having them think I was a snake was a small price to pay if I could prove Ray’s death was not an accident. I had to concentrate on the real reason I was here.
Maggie dealt the cards.
As we played, we engaged in the usual small talk. When I felt the timing was right, I led the conversation to a place where I could ask the necessary questions. “Feels weird without Ray here, doesn’t it?”
Everyone nodded.
“He was way too young to die, that’s for sure. If it weren’t for that damned device not working, I bet he’d still be here.” Dickey tapped the top of his cards.
“You know for sure the shot was defective?” JJ asked. “Sorry, Nowak, I don’t want to seem insensitive talking about your uncle’s death.”
“No harm.” Nowak glanced at me, her eyes welling up.
Clearly, this was rough for her.
She sucked in a deep breath and then blew it out. “It’s okay. I want to talk about him.”
Good job. She’d composed herself and was helping move the conversation in the direction I needed. “Only problem is that we don’t know where the EpiPen is. It seems to have vanished into thin air. Did anyone here happen to see it?” I asked.
“Not me. I doubt anyone was paying it much attention.” Patrice bit her bottom lip as she studied her cards.
“I saw McFalls bag it, but that was it,” Howie said.
“It’s not like that was the focus of the night.” JJ shrugged his shoulders.
“I’m almost positive Ray died because of a faulty product.” Dickey guzzled his drink.
“But, we don’t know that for sure,” I insisted.
“Yeah, no kidding. Without the EpiPen, we have no way of proving anything.” Dickey sighed. “And Ray’s family won’t be able to seek compensation for his death.” He looked over at Nowak.
Nowak sighed, too. “I don’t care about the money. It’s about making a company take responsibility for what they did and making sure that it doesn’t happen to anyone else.”
“But I could get you a lot of money if we could find that damned thing.” Dickey huffed. “Too bad it’s MIA.”
I looked at my hand of cards, although I found it difficult to concentrate. Who had taken the EpiPen, and why?
“It couldn’t have just disappeared.” Nowak glanced at everyone. “One of you must know where it went.”
Her neck was red, and she sat at the edge of her seat.
I sensed her irritation and impatience. I needed to head her off before she said something stupid. I caught her eye and gave her a look that said, I got this.
Most of all, I didn’t appreciate her accusatory tone. I needed to soften her statement and do some damage control. “Nowak, we know that you’re under a lot of stress with what happened to your uncle. And we’re all really sorry about that. I’m sure if anyone here could help you out, they would.”
“Why would anyone here want the damn thing?” Howie questioned.
“I agree,” JJ added.
“No one would.” Patrice looked at Nowak.
“Well, it doesn’t make sense, then. ’Cause it didn’t get up and walk out of here by itself,” Nowak argued.
I glared at her in a way that said to back down. What didn’t she understand about keeping quiet and letting me ask the questions? “Nowak, we get it. You want an answer regarding the whole tragedy, but I trust that if anyone saw the injector, they’d be glad to let you know. One thing that’s bugging me, though, is how did Ray get exposed to peanuts in the first place.” I tried to sound casual.
“Yeah, I’d like to know, too.” Dickey put his cards facedown. “Was it your lady friend’s food?”
“Trust me, Bezu was super careful in her food prep. She knew about his allergies, about everyone’s dietary needs.” I paused. “Did anyone see him before the tournament? Maybe he was somewhere beforehand and came in contact with the allergen. It could’ve been on his clothes or hands.”
“You know, I did see him an hour or so before the tournament, walking into the Bohemian Hotel,” JJ remarked.
“Was he with anyone?” I asked.
“I didn’t see anyone else.” JJ took a chug of his beer.
“That couldn’t have been Ray. He was at city hall before the game,” Patrice said.
“Hmm. Maybe it was his doppelganger,” JJ mused.
Tomorrow morning, I’d visit the Bohemian Hotel and city hall. I took a moment to think of how to frame my next question to the group.
“Does anyone here have any reason they wanted my uncle dead?” Nowak blurted out as a tear streaked down her face.
I hung my head and let out a breath, knowing the game was going to blow up, and I had no way to defuse it. My entire body felt like it melted into the chair.
“Hey! Wait a minute.” Dickey eyed me and then Nowak. “Is that the real reason we’re all here? Do you consider us suspects? Are you kidding me? No one likes being questioned under false pretenses.”
“Is that what you’re doing?” Patrice scowled at me as she threw her cards down on the table. “If you want to question me, make it official.”
“Yeah. And it would be McFalls’ case anyway.” Howie got up from his chair. “José, seriously? We’re all friends here.”
Dickey stood. “I, for one, think you’re treading on shaky ground here, José.”
“I’m out of here.” Patrice grabbed her purse. “Split the pot. Do whatever. As far as I’m concerned, this tournament is over, for good.”
“I’m with you.” JJ pointed his finger at me. “You really are a jerk.”
Because Nowak had been eager and impatient, our questioning had headed south so quickly it made my head spin. There’d be no recovering from this.
“Sounds like tonight’s a bust,” Norman chimed in. He looked at the dealer. “Maggie, I’ll square away with you for what I owe you before you leave.”
“Hold on, everyone.” Nowak stood. “José and I are not dropping this investigation until we know what happened to my uncle.”
“Well, tough shit. You’ll have to do it without us,” JJ yelled as he marched away.
Chapter 17
“I’d say they were all a bit too sensitive last night, don’t you think, Sergeant?” Nowak asked as we walked into the lobby of the Bohemian Hotel the next morning.
“You accused them of murder. What did you think was going to happen? They would be happy? That one of them would raise their hand and say ‘I did it’?” I chided her.
She blushed. “Perhaps I didn’t approach them the right way.”
“No kidding,” I grumbled under my breath as we entered the elevator.
She leaned against the mirror-lined wall and sighed. “How else will I find out?”
“Certainly not by pissing people off. It’s not the best way to conduct an investigation. And some of those people are my friends, I’d like them to still speak to me after this is over.” I pushed the button for the bar and restaurant.
“Sorry.” She looked down at her feet like a child who had just been scolded.
When my dog had been a pup and chewe
d up my favorite shoes, he’d had those big eyes and eager-to-please attitude that made it hard for me to stay angry. I felt the same way about Nowak, even though she was a pain in my ass.
“Chin up, Nowak. Just let me do the talking from now on. Watch and learn. Consider yourself a silent partner. Emphasis on silent.”
She started to speak but then stopped and nodded.
“Well, that’s a good start.” I smiled at her as we exited the elevator.
The sound of tinkling glasses greeted us as we made our way into the restaurant. Floor-to-ceiling glass windows on three sides afforded panoramic views of the Savannah River. The kitchen was in a far corner, a metal swinging door separating it from the dining room. A bar sat in the middle of the room, and there were silver chairs with wooden tables arranged both inside and on an outside deck. Near the bar, three workers dressed in black pants and white tops were wrapping utensils in white napkins.
“Good morning.” I introduced Nowak and myself and flashed my badge. I was uneasy about it because, technically, I shouldn’t be doing this. “I know you’re all busy. And this is a long shot, but I’d like to know if you all remember someone who was in here early Friday afternoon.”
The three of them looked at Nowak and me. A brunette with large green eyes put down a tray of silverware. “I’m Amanda. I worked that shift. But I can’t promise you I’ll remember anything. We get a lot of people here.”
“I know it’s a slim chance, but I’m trying to fill in a timeline on someone. It’s important to know what he did on Friday,” I explained. “Any information at all would be appreciated.”
“Okay.” Amanda nodded. “I have a minute.”
After finding a picture of Ray on my phone from a ceremony we both attended several months ago, I showed it to her. “See that guy?” I pointed to Ray. “Did you happen to see him here?”
Nowak leaned over my shoulder.
Amanda squinted. “Yeah, I remember him. Only ’cause he made quite a scene.”
“What happened?” I asked.
“We need every single detail,” Nowak added.
I rolled my eyes at Nowak, who mimed locking her lips and throwing away the key.
“I remember he had some sort of fight with the lady he was with,” Amanda told us. “He seemed kind of like a bully.”