Hot Coffee Iced Santa

by Cam Larson

  "I hope so. Are you ready for your trip home?"

  "I'm almost ready. I want to thank you again for keeping Thor for me."

  "He's my best buddy. I'm glad you are flying home. Looks like a huge winter storm moving into the east central part of the country. They are saying it's heading into some of the southern states."

  "I'm glad I'm not driving, for sure. We get mainly ice before snow down there. I don't want to deal with trying to dodge other drivers. And I don't want to get stuck on the highway waiting for wrecks to get taken care of either." We told each other goodnight and I headed home.

  As I got into the car, I decided to call Daniel and tell him the latest. I got his voice mail when I dialed. It was probably better he didn't answer as it wasn't a good idea to talk on the phone while driving. Heading home, snow was beginning to come down again. Once more, the lamplights along the street gave the impression of a Charles Dickens novel's setting. I hoped the storm moving into the south brought snow to Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. I wished Daniel had time to join me so he could meet my parents. Pennsylvania was too far from Tennessee, especially when he had an aversion to flying.

  Settling down with Thor and hot chocolate, my phone rang. Hearing Daniel's voice definitely uplifted me.

  "Hi, Laila, how are things going in West River?"

  "For starters, I believe Jared Freedman is a hair away from confessing."

  "Don't get your hopes up too high on that idea. If he is guilty, I'd be surprised if he admitted it. Does he have a lawyer yet?"

  "Not as of this afternoon." I told Daniel about the search of Jared's office. "I'm leaving day after tomorrow. I want to know for sure he did it before I leave."

  "It looks like all he can be charged with so far is his illegal trading activities," said Daniel.

  "Chief Hayes reminded me of that, too. I'm just anxious for them to get to the part about his involvement in the killing of Frank."

  "If he did it," said the devil's advocate.

  "I know it is him," I said after I provided a long enough pause. "Everything points to him."

  "So have you eliminated Steven from your suspect list?" asked Daniel. His loyalty to his friend was unwavering.

  "Yes, you were right about him. I don't think he is the one."

  "Sounds as if you still have doubts." His laugh was genuine and I moved on to other subjects. After we hung up, I missed Daniel more than ever.

  The vision of Frank Duvall, aka Santa, aka dishwasher, flooded over me. I thought of someone like Jared dragging Frank nearer the freezer door. I knew now that it wasn't a last minute decision to leave the body closer to the door. There must have been a struggle and Frank ended up losing the battle. With the blood evidence near the far wall, whatever happened must have started there. He was found where he died as if trying to get away. My next discussion with Chief Hayes would concern DNA under Frank's fingernails.

  The question remained as to why Frank and the perpetrator were in the freezer to begin with. I couldn't get the twisted look on the still face out of my mind.

  Chapter Twenty Six

  My mind wandered more than once while I was at work the next day. Questions to ask Chief Donald Hayes ran through my mind. There was still the handwriting analysis to be determined. The DNA under Frank's nails was another one. I needed time alone to think.

  "Jacob, I think I'll take my lunch at Sam's today. Unless you want me to work through my lunch hour."

  My boss threw me a knowing look. "Go ahead and get your watercress sandwich at Sam's. Though I don't know why you want a cold sandwich on a day like this." More than once he teased me about leaving his coffee shop to give business to a sandwich shop down the street.

  "I'll make sure I get a hot cup of soup to go along with it." He responded with a wave.

  In reality, I wanted to take my notes and sit at my favorite table away from Sam's patrons. When my lunch hour came, it was an hour past everyone else's. There shouldn't be too many people there.

  The sidewalks were cleared and no more snow predicted for today. I also needed fresh air and decided to walk to Sam's. My head bowed in thought, I jerked when I felt a bundled body hit against me. "I'm sorry," I said. "I should have been watching where I was going."

  Steven Landers burst out laughing. "You were in your own world. But I wasn't paying attention either so I guess we are even." I wanted to keep the conversation short and be on my way. He had other ideas. "Where are you going this time of the day?"

  "I'm taking my break away from Roasted Love. I'm going to grab a lunch at Sam's," I said. "What are you doing on this street, Steven? Shouldn't you be running your restaurant?" I caught myself thinking I came across as a little sarcastic. My smile didn't quite measure up to friendly.

  "Like you, I'm taking a break from the Steakhouse. Care if I join you?"

  I did care. No words of rejection came to mind. We walked together in silence until we reached the café. He held the door open for me. My anticipated break fell like glass shattering into small pieces. I struggled to look happy that Steven would join me for lunch.

  "How's the investigation coming?" he asked.

  "I think the police are making progress. They are holding Jared Freedman on his illegal insider trading activity. The cops don't have a confession of any kind yet."

  The man sat across from me. Though I now felt he was innocent, as Daniel said, he couldn't be completely ruled out by the police. There was something about him that told me we would be acquaintances, not friends. Even that part was due to my loyalty to Daniel. There was something about him that made any real connection impossible. Could be my loathing of his habit of womanizing, I thought.

  "How is Cassie doing?" I asked. He needed to keep his mind on one woman. Cassie didn't deserve his roving eyes.

  "We are working things out."

  I looked up, fully focused on him. I had no idea there was anything to work out between them. I guessed Cassie already experienced Steven's habits. Better to talk about the two of them than to let out more information on the case at hand.

  "I didn't know you were having problems. She’s a nice girl and deserves a good life."

  For a change, Steven Landers appeared uncomfortable. He brushed his left hand on his slacks and then picked up a napkin and twisted it. The time between my question and his response stretched out. "We have had a few problems. Frank's murder hasn't helped. I think she is having flashbacks of her discovery that night."

  I, on the other hand, thought she was having flashbacks of times that Steven flaunted his flirting openly in front of her with someone other than Cassie. I had no way of knowing that for sure and suddenly didn't want to pursue this line of conversation either. We ate in silence for a few minutes. The time I wanted alone was shot. We carried on a trivial conversation about the weather, Christmas and other neutral subjects until both finished eating. He picked up the tab against my protestations and we left Sam's together.

  "My car is parked a block down the street. I'll give you a ride back to Roasted Love," he said.

  No, my mind shouted. Instead I said, "Thanks, but I need the fresh air." He shrugged his shoulders and by that time we were close to his car. He smiled and waved good-bye to me from the driver's seat. I walked back to Roasted Love, more unsettled than before I bumped into him earlier. I needed Daniel in my life right here and now, not off in someplace called Kingston, Pennsylvania.

  "Did you get a good break, Laila?" asked Jacob when I came back in. I nodded yes and headed for the front to help Lily. I caught the questionable look on my boss's face, but I kept going. I was in no mood to talk about the intrusion at Sam's Sandwiches that stayed with me.

  "Can you believe I just had a customer who was upset because we don't serve a full dinner?" said Lily. Her hands moved fast. She wiped the counter in the same spot more than once. "He actually got mad at me when I told him we didn't."

  I patted her on the arm. "We don't get that kind of customer often. Just let it go. He isn't worth you getting upset."
She agreed and calmed down but her flushed face told me it would take a few minutes longer for her to return to her easy-going personality. "The ongoing people and the season have put us all on edge, Lily." I reminded myself that telling her to let it go applied to me and my encounter with Steven Landers just as well.

  The stress could explain why the restaurant owner irritated me more than usual. I changed my mind. Whether it was a stressful time or not, he would still irritate me. I planted the vision of Daniel in my mind. The bell-ringer a couple of doors down could be heard when a customer entered the shop. I had yet to drop in some money. I made a mental note to do that when things in the shop slowed down a little.

  "Laila, can you put a Santa on top of the lattes for that corner table?" asked Lily.

  "I keep forgetting to do that."

  "Daniel needs to come back or you will get farther out in your own world," said Lily. Her melodious laugh told me she was back to her normal self.

  The lattes foamed up. I didn't want to promote Santa. The notorious figure associated with Christmas was the last thing I wanted to think about. I swirled the foam into a small circle and a larger one attached to the top one. A couple of miniature raisins made the eyes, nose and mouth. It wasn't Frosty, but it was close enough.

  "What do you think?" I asked Lily.

  "You're a pretty good foam artist," she said. "I hope they won't throw this back at me since you didn't give them a Santa on top like they asked for."

  Lucky for Lily, and for me, they were happy with the snowmen.

  My good mood switched to one of annoyance when I saw Steven walk in. I ignored him and let Lily do the greeting. I watched as he shook his head and glanced my way. Lily shrugged and gestured toward me. Whatever he wanted couldn't be too important. We had just shared the longest lunch of my life together.

  "Laila, looks like you are busy. I won't take too much of your time here."

  My expression remained set. I meant to convey I didn't have time for more conversation with him. I think he got the picture.

  "I just wanted to thank you for steering the cops away from me as a suspect."

  "You already told me thanks," I said. Lily handed me another order and I turned away from Steven and back to the expresso machine. The whirring noise of the machine deterred conversation. It also gave me time to take a deep breath.

  Handing Lily the two cappuccinos, I gave Steven my busy look again.

  "How is Daniel?" he asked. "Is he still in Pennsylvania?"

  His lame attempts at a meaningful conversation took me by surprise. "He'll be there until after Christmas. He's with his family as you know."

  "Oh yeah, right. I'll leave now. Have to get back to the restaurant."

  "I'll see you around, I guess," I said.

  That said I was sure I would see more of him if he followed a pattern like today. I watched as Lily took two cranberry muffins from behind the glass. He asked for two expressos and I got them ready for him. He paid Lily, and left with the white paper sack that had Roasted Love's trademark emblem stamped on the side. I hoped two of everything meant he was bringing something back to share with Cassie. I kept my eyes on him through the wide glass front of Roasted Love. He stopped at the bell ringer and pulled several bills from his wallet and deposited them in the kettle. I wondered why I rarely saw Cassie with him. I reminded myself she was working at his restaurant while he strolled up and down the Piazza.

  I had to admit he was a generous person. Seeing this side of him with the bell ringer, it was hard to think I thought of him as a murderer. "Too bad he didn't show his good side more often," I said to myself.

  "Talking to yourself again, Laila?" Eddie appeared from the swinging door behind him. This time he had cream cheese scones on a tray. I didn't have to remind him to put them in the display.

  "Yes, I am. I told you it is the way great minds work."

  "Yeah, right."

  Closing time finally arrived. It had been quite a day. The negatives overrode the positives for most of my shift. The next day should be easier. I had fewer hours scheduled to work. Hopefully, Steven Landers would be at work in his own restaurant where he was supposed to be.

  After Thor gave me his usual boisterous welcome home, I put him outside. The exercise with him was rejuvenating. I watched my dog pounce on the ball each time like it was either his enemy or his treasure. I wasn't sure what he was thinking. In the meantime, I found myself scanning the yard for shadows.

  After fifteen minutes he was ready for his dinner. I dug deep into my coat pocket to reach my cell phone. It rang a few times before I grasped it in my wet glove.

  "Are you busy?" asked Daniel.

  "No, I just had to find the phone in my pocket. Thor and I are coming in now from the backyard snow.”

  The comforting chuckle spilled over the miles. "Why don't you get Thor's dinner and yours over with first and then call me back."

  I told him I would. I doubted Thor would be very patient waiting while we talked. I decided to put my dinner on hold until after Daniel and I chatted a while. I had no idea what I would eat anyway at this point.

  "I'm back," I said. "Is this a good time for you?"

  "Sure," said Daniel. "We don't eat around here until around eight or after. They all seem to be regular night owls. I'll have to readjust when I get back to West River. Do you have anything new on the case?"

  "I don't have anything new but plan to meet with Chief Hayes again tomorrow. I'll have to call him first. I don't like to just barge in on him. He seems busy enough with this case and the others on his desk."

  "I'm curious about the DNA and the handwriting analysis results," said Daniel. "From what you have told me, I have a gut feeling it will all come back to Jared Freedman."

  I agreed with him. The waiting was getting interminable for both of us.

  "I wish you could spend Christmas down in Tennessee with me. My parents don't say much but I think they are getting curious about you. They hesitate because they think they will jeopardize my relationship with you."

  This time his laugh was a hearty one. "Why would you say that?"

  "I know them both well. It's like they live under a curse of some kind when it comes to male friends of mine. If they talk too much about it, it falls apart. It's not as if it happens that way. I just have a feeling it's the way they think."

  "I'll get down that way sometime and meet them. I feel like I know them already after hearing you talk about them."

  I was close to my parents, though all three of us kept that closeness because we didn't live on top of one another.

  "Ok, thanks for the call, Daniel. I love talking to you every day. Enjoy the revelry with family."

  "Sometimes it becomes rivalry," he said. "Of course, it's all in good fun. At least, I think it's in good fun." There was one thing about Daniel. He had a good sense of humor.

  Chapter Twenty Seven

  My sleep was restless. Jared Freedman had to be the one who killed Frank. By now, I was sure he had a lawyer in the wings. In that case, I doubted a full confession would be coming forth from the suspect. I awoke and groaned when I looked at the digital clock on my bedside table and saw it was six a.m. Of all mornings to wake up so early when I didn't have to be at work until eleven. Thor stirred on his mat. He looked up at me and then his head dropped to the soft bed he occupied on the floor. I watched him curl up as if ready to sleep the day away. Maybe he had a restless night, too, or, the right idea.

  I rolled over and tried to settle in again. Once thoughts swarmed my mind there was no way I would go back to sleep.

  "Come on, Thor, let's get up and start our day." For the sake of Thor, I decided to give him a day at Roasted Love. "You probably get bored here while I'm at work, Thor. Want to see Jacob today?" He perked up, stretched, and headed out the bedroom door. He stood and looked back as I dragged myself out of bed.

  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."