“Be right back.”
Missy leaned in to whisper to Noreen. “Cooper’s at the bar. I’m going to head over in a minute.”
“Don’t do that.” Noreen checked him out. “That would be too obvious. You need him to come over here.”
“Nor, this is me we’re talking about here. Men don’t seek me out.”
“Tonight they will.” Noreen gave her a look and walked over to the jukebox.
“Oh-no-you-don’t!” Missy shrieked.
Noreen pretended not to hear her and fed a five into the machine. The music cut off and things were quiet in the bar for a moment. Then Noreen’s first song came on: of course it was Springsteen.
Missy was utterly terrified. Not only was she wearing this ridiculous get-up, but now Noreen expected her to dance as well?
Before she could object, Noreen was hauling her out of her seat. There wasn’t really a dance floor, so Noreen and Missy stood basically next to their table and started moving.
Missy was an okay dancer, she knew how to move and had danced all the time in her room growing up. But that had been in her room, not in front of a crowded, mostly drunk bar. But she figured she would have looked even more ridiculous just standing next to a dancing Noreen, so she started grooving.
Her face was on fire and she couldn’t stop thinking about all those eyes on her, but she kept moving. Just when she was getting used to having this much attention on her, Noreen decided it was time to bump and grind with her.
But then a strange thing happened.
She laughed.
It was so ridiculous what she was doing. She didn’t behave this way, didn’t dress this way, didn’t dance this way. It was so ridiculous, in fact, that it felt like somebody else had inhabited her body and she was just watching this scene unfold. Somehow, Noreen had flipped Missy’s internal switch and her inhibitions melted away, at least a few of them.
“It’s working,” Noreen said. “Cooper’s watching.”
It was actually working too well. Not only was Cooper watching, but the rest of the men in the bar had their eyes glued on the pair of them. Lorelei returned with the drinks and put them down on the table, and instead of asking them to sit down because there was really no room for this, she decided to join in. She moved her hips in time to the music as well, and next thing Missy knew, more people were getting up as Springsteen and company rocked out. She loved this old music, it reminded her of Dad actually. He’d been a huge fan and more than once had told her that Bruce just “got it.” She knew what he meant. Bruce knew what life was like, what it was about, especially for the working class like her father.
Lorelei danced with them for a couple bars but with the bar this crowded, she had to get back to work. But by then, it didn’t matter. Because now it seemed like half the bar was dancing. More women poured over. Missy knew most of them. They danced through the song and through the next one and were still going, when Missy spotted Cooper Merritt making his way over.
Perfect. She could question him now.
He snaked his way through the gyrating crowd and was coming right at her…until the last second when he broke left and stopped in front of Noreen. He started man-dancing, not really grooving but moving in time back and forth.
They chatted for a moment, then Noreen ever so slyly shuffled back over to Missy, making the move look seamless and natural.
Cooper followed. He had a beer in his hand and was sort of dancing. Noreen stopped next to the table and the three of them formed a triangle. Cooper’s eyes bounced back and forth between Noreen and Missy like he was trying to make up his mind. They danced for a few bars, till Noreen leaned in and touched his arm.
She had to shout over the music. “You know, Missy, right?”
Cooper moved his head but it was hard to tell if it was a nod or a bop. He sipped more of his beer.
“Hey, Cooper.” Missy smiled and moved a little closer. He smelled like aftershave and sweat. He wasn’t a bad-looking guy.
“Great press conference today!” he shouted. “I like how you handled that jerk McCleary.”
He sounded sincere and Missy caught his eyes drifting. Cooper was tall, a little over six feet she guessed, so she inched closer to give him a slightly better view.
“Thanks! He’s creepy.”
Cooper was nodding again, but it was in time to the music. “Always was. He’s not a guy you want to get to know.”
Missy laughed and touched his arm when she did.
Cooper smiled back. “So you really found the body, huh?”
Bingo. Cooper had opened the door, now she could have a conversation about Saturday morning with him.
She fanned herself. “Mind if we sit down? It’s been a long few days.”
“How about I buy you a drink?”
Behind Cooper’s back, Noreen gave her the thumbs-up. Missy didn’t bother to tell him she had a beer waiting for her at the table.
“Sure. Can we go out onto the deck? I need some air.”
“Meet you out there.”
Chapter Twenty
Missy had worked up a sweat dancing inside the humid bar. The night air felt twenty degrees cooler. The deck was pretty crowded too. The smokers congregated in one designated corner. Missy smiled at the people she knew.
“I got you a Moscow Mule,” Cooper said, coming up from behind her. “You like that, right?”
She had exchanged all of five words with him before tonight, so she wasn’t sure why he thought she liked that drink.
“Oh, great,” she said.
Cooper went to work on a fresh beer. He really was tall, with long limbs. His t-shirt was fitted and accentuated how lean he was. Missy had always been intimidated by skinny guys, much more so than muscled guys. She had no doubt that if she pulled up Cooper’s shirt, she’d find a six pack.
“So you found Switzer?” Cooper almost spat out the name.
“Yeah…” She made a face like she was sorry. “…I heard you two had a falling out.”
“Guy got me fired.” Cooper took a long sip, probably drinking half his beer. “For no good reason.”
Cooper was ticked off, but Missy couldn’t let it go. She had to probe.
“What do you mean for no good reason?”
For a moment, Cooper looked at her. His eyes were filled with anger. She didn’t know if she could hold the stare, but forced herself not to look away. Finally he shrugged.
“Everybody takes minutes here and there. Heck, I’m sure Switzer did before too. So what if I was off a few minutes when I signed in and out? Guy is just a rat. Was a rat. We machinists are supposed to look out for each other, because management sure as hell doesn’t. It’s us versus them. Switzer didn’t get that.”
Missy nodded like she understood, but in her mind it was impossible to justify stealing minutes from your boss. She’d never do something like that. She was way too honest. And she couldn’t believe that Cooper would expect a co-worker to cover up for him. Talk about putting a friend in an awkward position.
“Must have made you mad.”
He looked away and drank almost the rest of his beer. “I’m not the only guy that Switzer has screwed over.”
“Really?”
He nodded. “Guy made a habit of it. There are stories I could tell you. You wouldn’t believe half of them. But he’s dead so I’m trying to be nice.”
Oh no!
Based on what Cooper was telling her now, it sounded like there could be more suspects. If she believed him, there were other people with axes to grind. But at this point, Missy didn’t think she could handle any more suspects. She wanted the killer to be either Cooper or Oliver.
Things were already complicated enough.
“He seemed so nice,” Missy said. “But I guess it’s hard to really know somebody.”
“Nice?” Cooper smirked at her. “You should know better, of all people.”
“What do you mean?” Missy played dumb.
He gave her a look. “He torpedoed your pop,
didn’t he?”
“Oh.” She smiled, playing it off. “That was a long time ago.”
“Doesn’t make it okay.”
Missy felt the conversation getting away from her. “No, but I’m also not one to hold a grudge. It doesn’t do anybody any good. We got past it. Dad moved on.”
“Did he?”
Missy was struggling to control her emotions. She hadn’t cried about Dad in a long time and didn’t want to break down in front of Cooper now.
“Dad had an illness,” Missy said. “And he never got help for it.”
Cooper shifted uneasily. Missy didn’t like bringing it up, but talking about it had served a purpose. Now she could redirect the conversation.
Smiling again, she leaned in. “So tell me, Cooper. Who else did Switzer tick off recently? I mean, other than you of course.”
Cooper finished his beer. “His neighbor, Del Reimer.”
How hadn’t Missy heard about this? Del Reimer was the perfect suspect. He lived right next door and could have easily gotten in and out unnoticed. All he had to do was wait till Switzer was alone.
“What happened?”
“Property dispute. Switzer of course was encroaching on Reimer’s land.”
“How about you?” Missy said, pretending to be joking around. “Where were you on Saturday morning?”
Cooper shrugged. “At home. Alone.”
She knew where Cooper lived. His property sat well off the beaten-path. He’d inherited it from his grandparents. His nearest neighbor was probably half a mile away. Cooper could easily leave his house without anybody noticing.
The silence between them was growing. Missy realized she hadn’t even touched her Moscow Mule. She took a sip and hid a gag.
“I figured a guy like you would have something to do on a Saturday morning.” She wasn’t quite sure if she was making sense, but she smiled when she said it.
“A guy like me?” Cooper obviously didn’t understand.
“You know…” She held her hands out and circled him. “You know, somebody that’s outdoorsy and single…”
“You mean unemployed, don’t you?” Cooper shook his head. “The factory was the only job I ever had. Once Switzer ratted me out and they fired me, I basically had no references. Nobody wants to take me on.”
There was murder in his eyes.
Cooper went on. “All for a lousy few minutes here and there. Switzer has made it so I can’t get a damned job!”
Temper, temper. From what Missy knew, he’d been fired a couple months ago. He should have been over it by now, but he was holding onto it, the anger right under the surface. Not even Switzer’s horrible murder had taken the edge off.
She remembered he had children. “Did your boys get you up early, maybe, for Saturday morning cartoons?”
She didn’t even know if there was such a thing anymore as Saturday morning cartoons.
He shook his head. “They were at their mother’s.”
“So you were home alone?”
His eyes bored into her.
“Yeah.”
She gulped. Her throat was dry. The man had no alibi to corroborate his story and in just talking with him a few minutes, she could tell he had a big ax to grind. Cooper was blaming his complete lack of job prospects on Switzer.
Missy could no longer hold his gaze. His eyes were wild and brimming with anger. Looking into them, even for a second, she got the feeling this man could turn violent. He’d lost his livelihood. That was enough to drive anybody mad.
Just like her father?
“How did you know about Switzer’s dispute with his neighbor?” As soon as she asked the question, she wanted to pull the words back.
Cooper had a death grip on his beer bottle. “What are you, working for your old boyfriend or something?”
She laughed but it sounded as forced as it actually was. “No, what do you mean?”
“You and Tyler Brock. Aren’t you hooking up again?”
She was wondering why he’d shown a passing interest in her if he’d thought she was with Tyler. Probably better not to ask, though. He was already mad enough.
“Why don’t we go back inside? I need to use the bath—”
He grabbed her arm. His fingers dug in a little more than they needed to. “Does Tyler think I killed Switzer?”
Missy was big on personal space. Cooper’s roughness sent her over the edge.
“Let go!”
Cooper leaned in. “Did Tyler send you to question me? If he’s got something to ask me, he should come at me straight on, like a man.”
“You’re hurting me!”
“This is just what I need. Switzer gets me canned, I can’t find a job, and now that idiot cop wants to pin a murder on me.”
“Get off!”
Cooper held on longer. “Give Tyler a message for me.”
“Get—”
Next thing she knew a fist whizzed by her head and connected with Cooper’s jaw. The tall, thin man spun around and then his legs gave out. He hit the deck with a thud and the conversation outside grinded to a halt. Nobody rushed to Cooper’s aid. Missy figured they had been watching what he’d done to her, so nobody wanted to help.
“Are you okay, Miss?” Aaron appeared at her side.
She rubbed her forearm. It was red and aching from where Cooper had grabbed her. Men never understood how strong they were and how frightening they could be.
“Yeah.”
Aaron shook his hand. He must have hurt himself when he’d knocked Cooper out.
“Thanks, Aaron. That was really brave of you.”
“I’d never let anybody hurt you.”
The last thing she wanted was to owe Aaron for something. He was a nice guy, maybe even a great guy, but there was just no spark there. She really liked him and could see how he’d make somebody really happy. But she just didn’t think of him that way.
***
Somebody called the police. Tyler showed up with one of his deputies a few minutes later to collect Cooper.
The deputy led Cooper off the deck and around the outside of the bar. The whole way, Cooper looked back at them with hostile eyes.
“Melissa, can we talk?” Tyler asked.
“She’s had enough for one day.” Aaron put his arm around her shoulders and brought her closer.
She appreciated Aaron trying to look out for her, but she was a grown woman and could fend for herself.
“Thanks, Aaron. I really appreciate your help but I’m okay. I really do need to talk to Tyler.”
When she looked up into his eyes, she saw the hurt in them. Disappointment curved his lips into a frown. The man felt rejected.
Quickly, she added, “About the investigation, Aaron.”
He perked up at this revelation and leaned in to kiss her on the cheek. “How about I call you tomorrow?”
She was too tired to say no. “Okay, Aaron.”
“Great!” He clapped his delight, but ended up hurting the hand he’d punched with. Shaking it, he went back inside.
Tyler bobbed his head for her to follow. They left the deck and walked around to the other side of the building, away from the parking lot where they could speak privately. Tyler was in plainclothes tonight, a pair of jeans and a polo shirt. He looked really good.
“What were you doing talking to Cooper Merritt?” Tyler’s voice was stern and accusatory.
“He bought me a drink,” she said, which was true. After, she’d gulped it down, along with the mixed drink she’d ordered earlier to calm her nerves. As a result, she was feeling a little tipsy.
Tyler’s eyes drifted south. He took in her outfit. “You look…”
“What?” She thrust a hip out.
“…not yourself…I’ve never seen you dress like this.”
He sounded disappointed in her, like she’d let him down. “You do realize you haven’t seen me much since high school?”
Even though Tyler was right, she couldn’t concede anything. She didn’t like how
he was looking at her. So what if she’d put on this ridiculous t-shirt that showed off the ta-tas?
“I know.” His voice was full of something…maybe regret? “You’re right, Melissa. I guess I have no idea what you dress like anymore.”
“Anyway,” Missy said. “Cooper was home alone on Saturday morning and has no alibi.”
Tyler tilted his head back to look up in exasperation. “Melissa DeMeanor, what are you telling me?”
She had expected him to be pleased with what she’d found out. Instead, he was ticked off. “I just gave you a lead.”
“What did I tell you about this?” Tyler said. “You can’t be part of this investigation. You have to let us do our job.”
“Do your job?” Missy was a little drunk and now a lot angry. “What have you been doing, Tyler? Your boss thinks I did it, you wasted your Sunday arresting my mother, and when I bring you information you get mad at me.”
He opened his mouth to speak, but instead took a calming breath. He stepped away for a moment to gather himself before turning back to her.
“Yes, I’m mad. I’m mad because I asked you not to do this but you went ahead and did it anyway. I’m a detective, Melissa. This is what I do. You don’t have the whole story so you can’t see what we’re doing and how we’re working this case.”
She realized she’d gone too far but couldn’t swallow her pride and apologize. She was angry at him. Not just for the last few days. Maybe not even for the last few days. It was for the last two decades. They had gone their separate ways for college, agreeing to see other people. And when they’d promptly drifted apart, he’d made no effort to regain what they had. After graduation he hadn’t even bothered to come back to town, instead going right to Philadelphia to become a police officer. They had loved each other fiercely in high school, often talking about that taboo topic—the future—and like that he’d just left her?
“Why didn’t you come back?” Missy asked.
Again, Tyler started to say something but stopped himself short. After taking a pause, he spoke in a calm, professional voice. “Are you okay to get home?”
Missy DeMeanor Cozy Mysteries Boxset Page 10