Coffee & Crime

by Anita Rodgers

  Even dressed in jeans and sneakers, I could've dined with the wealthy folk and feasted on lobster with a good bottle of wine. But having Boomer as my dining companion wouldn't fly.

  The Burger Shack suited us just fine, and we shared a Beach Comber Combo in the car. The temps hovered in the forties, and the short walk to and from the burger joint left me shivering. After we finished our dinner and the heater warmed up the car, I started missing my bed. And Zelda. And my kitchen. I peered out the windshield at the night filled with strangers and all things unfamiliar. I'd had my tantrum and run away but where was I running to?

  The pathetic truth was that I was a homebody. I didn't like wandering out into the world without friends and a permanent address. I liked knowing where my hat was hanging and that the fridge was stocked. In truth I was acting like that whiney kid who takes her

  Barbies and leaves because she didn't get her way. I could only pretend I didn't give a damn for so long, and I'd reached my limit. I gave a damn all right — maybe even too much of a damn. Let George's killer get away? Not on your life. I sighed and smiled at Boomer, still licking his chops from the delicious junk food he rarely got to eat. "Want to go home, buddy?"

  Boomer yapped and wagged his stub. But, Boomer yapped and wagged his stub at everything, so his opinion didn't carry a lot of weight. Still, my tantrum was out of my system, and it was time to put on my big girl pants and go home. Maybe I could even patch things up with Ted.

  I put the car in gear then looked behind me to back up. A red Mini-Cooper zipped past so fast I wasn't sure I saw it. I craned my neck, but if it was there it was gone now. I frowned at Boomer. "Is Mommy seeing things?"

  Shaking it off, I backed out of the space and rolled toward the exit. Then I hit my brakes. Twenty yards away from me, Lily sashayed through the parking lot. She looked less ingénue and more tramp in her stilettos, shiny raincoat and party dress. "Lily?"

  Keeping an eye on her, I pulled into the first available parking slot. I cut the engine, slouched, and watched her hurry toward the restaurant. My stomach did a pirouette when she laughed and waved. But it wasn't me Lily had spotted — it was a tall man strutting toward her.

  The dim lighting made it hard to see, so I popped the glove box and poked around for my old binoculars — left over from the Dodger fan-girl days. I held the them up to my eyes and played with the focus until the couple came into view. "Are you kidding me?" Jake Kannanack strode toward a smiling Lily. "Well, isn't this an interesting development?"

  When they met in the middle of the lot, it was clear this wasn't a casual dinner with a family friend. Lily hung on Jake like a longtime lover. Her young and lost ingénue persona was replaced by a shrew who knew how to handle a man. Who was this chick?

  Jake planted a greedy kiss on Lily and she cooperated fully. When they broke apart, they groped and giggled and then had a skip-race to the restaurant.

  I waited a few minutes before I got out of the car and hurried to the restaurant. The large windows and ample foliage provided a perfect environment for spying. Ducking behind a cluster of elephant plants I watched them through the window.

  They languished at the bar with drinks and finger food that Lily was delighted to feed Jake. Seeing the two of them together like that turned my stomach. It was beyond wrong and bordered on incest. "Oh George, thank God you're not here to see this." But what if George had seen it — Lily and Jake together? Had they fought over money or Lily? Jake was used to having his way — did he kill George just to keep Lily as his plaything?

  I pulled out my phone and snapped a couple of pictures of them. The pictures wouldn't be great but might be good enough to prove what I saw. First money, now sex — Jake was racking up the motives.

  Voices and laughter turned my attention to the parking lot. A group of decked out Malibu beauties headed for the entrance. I backed out of the bushes and casually started for my car. If the women noticed me, they gave no indication. They opened the restaurant door, letting out a rush of voices and music mixed with the smell of grilled seafood into the night air.

  I kept my head bowed and scanned the lot to ensure I was alone. On quick and silent feet I hurried to Lily's car. When I was sure no one was watching, I snapped a few pictures of the Mini. I bent and pressed my face against the car window looking for our missing evidence inside. But if Lily had it, she kept it elsewhere.

  Off in the distance, a gull screeched as though in warning. I ducked and bobbed my way back to my car. Boomer whimpered through the crack in the window and I waved him back when I opened the door. Grabbing my bag I said, "Be right back Booms."

  Constantly scanning, I speed-walked across the lot to the Burger Shack. "One large coffee, a plain dry burger and a cup of water," I told the skinny kid at the order window. Shifting from foot to foot and glancing over my shoulder, I waited for my order. The kid put everything in a cardboard carrying tray and slid it through the window to me. I tossed him a twenty, told him to keep the change and rushed back to my car.

  When I got back in the car, I checked the time — Lily and Jake had only been inside for a half-hour. If they were having dinner, they'd be at least another hour — even a second round of drinks and another platter of hot wings could keep them inside that long. Without turning on the headlights, I moved my car closer to Lily's. Close enough to see her but not close enough to be seen. And then I waited.

  <<>>

  I jerked awake and took a few seconds to remember where I was. It was almost eleven and I'd been asleep for over an hour. "Oh crap!" I reached for the binoculars but they weren't on the seat next to me. I felt around on the floor for them. When my hand closed around them, I whooped, jerked my head up, and smashed it into the dashboard.

  After the stars stopped dancing in front of my eyes, I realized I was sweating. I couldn't buzz down the window without the engine on, so I opened the door a crack. The cold ocean air helped clear my head wake me. Lily's car was still in the same spot, and I did a silent air punch. Boomer yapped from the back seat. "Quiet Booms, we don't want them to hear us."

  He wagged his stub and clawed at the window. Making that special sound that meant only one thing. "Shit." I got out of the car on my knees and gasped as the cold of the concrete sunk into my bones. "Here, boy."

  Boomer whined and crawled over the center console to the driver's seat. I whispered. "Come on, you have to go potty?" He inched close enough for me to grab him. Tucking the dog under my arm, I locked the car and peeked over the hood. All clear. Boomer trembled so hard I had to zip him inside my jacket. "Hang on Booms." Using the cars for cover, I hunch-walked toward the beach until we were too far away to be noticed or recognized. Once I could stand up straight, I scooted behind the Burger Shack where the beach stood ten yards from its back door. I stepped over the guardrail that separated the lot from the beach and put Boomer down. "Okay boy, do your thing."

  Boomer wagged his stub and proceeded to sniff for a spot. But I felt like a target standing on the dark beach — all I could see was the back of the burger stand and the faint outline of cars parked near it. "Boomer, hurry up." He ignored me and continued his search for the perfect spot to leave his calling card. "Boomer!"

  My gaze darted from Boomer to the parking lot behind me — trying to cover all the bases. A couple of times I jumped at shadows that seemed to come to life. Though I didn't see anyone, I had that spidery crawl on the back of my neck. Anybody could come up behind me and strangle me before I knew they were there. The crashing waves would drown out my screams and Boomer would be an orphan once again.

  Boomer found his spot, did his business, then ran to me. His thank you licks left my face sticky and stinking of fast food burger. With the dog tucked into my jacket, I stepped over the guardrail. Peeking around the back of the burger stand, I surveyed the lot, then went for it. Halfway back to the car, I froze at the sound of an engine starting and headlights winking on. I dropped on one knee and pretended to tie my shoelaces until the car rumbled past and continued to the exit.


  Once the car turned onto Pacific Coast, I hunch-walked around and between vehicles, ducking at the slightest provocation until at last we reached the car. I tossed Boomer inside and slid behind the wheel.

  My heart thumped in my chest and I had this nervous energy that made me twitchy all over. "Damn Booms." But he was already curled up on my sweatshirt and cruising in doggie dreamland by then. It was almost midnight, and I feared that Lily had left her car in the lot and driven off with Jake, during my nap. I was cold but too scared to turn on my car for fear of being noticed. Then my brain went into overdrive again. Why was I shivering in a dark parking lot waiting for Lily anyway? What was my plan? To confront her? Or was it just curiosity? A voyeuristic impulse to catch Lily in a vulnerable position, so I could hurt her back? I didn't know and it didn't matter. Fate had put me there for a reason and I was going to find out why. I turned off the dome light, cracked the door, slouched in my seat and waited in shivering silence.

  A few minutes later, footsteps and the murmur of voices raised my head — Lily and Jake sauntered toward her car. About ten yards from the Mini, Jake pulled away from Lily and veered off in the other direction. Heading to his car no doubt. Lily scowled and walked quickly to the Mini, pulling up the collar of her raincoat against the night air. She unlocked her car and watched Jake walk away. It wasn’t the look of love or even desire but disgust. Her eyes followed Jake's car as it pulled out of the lot. Then she ducked into the Mini and revved her engine hard. She zipped out of the parking space and shot for the exit like someone had a gun to her head.

  "Shit!" I started the car and got to exit just in time to see Lily turning right onto Pacific Coast. I counted to twenty and then followed her.

  Chapter Forty-Five

  According to Joe, the key to a successful tail was to maintain a steady speed and to blend with traffic while keeping your target in sight. Lily drove like a woman who didn't know she was being followed so I guessed I was doing it right. She stayed on Pacific Coast until it turned into Lincoln, then made a left onto Venice Boulevard. A couple of miles later, she hung a left off Venice, onto a side street. Too slow on the draw, I got stuck at the red light.

  When the light changed and I turned onto the side street, Lily was out of sight. My choices were to continue straight ahead or turn right or left. Out of instinct, I pulled over, stuck my head out the open window, and listened. The faint buzz of an engine sounded

  straight ahead. Keeping my head out the window, I drove slowly, straining to follow the sound. After a couple blocks, I caught sight of the Mini as it hooked right. I sped up to stay with her and turned the corner in time to see brake lights blink off halfway down the block. Switching off my headlights, I coasted forward, scanning for the Mini.

  The misty air and dim street lights made it difficult to drive and scan, so I parked and switched off the engine. When an SUV came out of nowhere and lumbered past me a few seconds later, I gasped. Ducking down in my seat, I watched the driver pull over and park. He got out of the car, walked up the street, and disappeared into the fog. Apparently just a guy coming home late and in a hurry to get inside.

  I pulled a sweatshirt out of my duffel, tucked it around my sleeping dog, and eased out of the car. Like Boomer, the neighborhood was in for the night — my only guides were a few porch lights and a cloud-shrouded moon. I pulled up the hood of my jacket and zipped it to my chin but the chill air soaked into my bones and made me shiver.

  Free to explore, I walked slowly and scanned the vehicles parked at the curb. The neighborhood was middle-class with a mix of single homes, small apartment buildings, and duplexes. There were plenty of trees to offer cover but they also made it harder to see further than a few feet ahead. To my left a light winked on across the street. I glanced up and saw a man, at his window, peering out. I ducked behind a big sycamore and waited until he turned away from the window. Then I stepped out and continued my search for the Mini. A few doors down I spotted it tucked between two SUVs parked in

  front of a four-unit apartment building.

  I checked left and right then hurried across the street. Using one of the SUVs for cover I scanned again for prying eyes. But I was the only one stupid enough to be scoping the neighborhood at one in the morning. Keeping my head down, I scurried to the front door of the apartment building and used my phone to illuminate the row of mailboxes attached to the front wall. Lily's name was on the last box.

  The windows on the front units were dark, so I went to the back of the building to check out the rear units. The walkway that ran along the side of the building was narrow and unlit but it was easy enough to get around to rear of the property. In the rear left unit a single window was lit. I caught the scent of roses and soap and heard water running. Lily showering Jake's smell away?

  My phone provided enough light for me to see two dumpsters butted up against the back exterior wall and right below Lily's balcony. An alley ran behind the building and fed out to side streets both east and west. From the alley I snapped a picture of the back of Lily's building, then turned west and walked. Every few feet, I snapped pictures of the alley until I got to the end. Then I snapped a picture of the street sign and headed back to the car. I'd use the pictures to help me find the place again when I returned the next day.

  That imaginary spider tickled the back of my neck again but the street was deserted. And paranoia had been my middle name for a quite a while. Still, I felt relieved once I slid into the car and locked the doors.

  Awake and jumping around like a jack rabbit Boomer was all over me. I dug a couple of doggie treats out of my bag and lay them on the passenger seat. He settled as soon as he started gnawing on the first biscuit.

  Leaning my head back, I considered my next move. If I called Zelda and Joe they'd want to meet, brainstorm, and make a plan. My head spun at the thought of jumping right back into the chaos. At that moment, it felt like this was between me and Lily. For my own peace of mind, I needed to know why Lily had screwed me over. Had it been her plan all along? Why? To hurt me? To hurt George? I'd never be able to move on until I knew. And I'd never know if the cavalry rode out and charged the place.

  There was no deadline to drive me. No job or other obligations to concern me. I could let things play out on their own without having to force anything. I could watch Lily as long as I needed to figure out her end game. And so it was settled – that was my plan, such as it was. It was way past my bedtime, and Lily wasn't going anywhere, so I fired up the car and buckled my seatbelt. "Time for beddy bye, eh Booms?"

  Boomer wagged his stub but kept gnawing on the biscuit.

  I’d seen a motel on Lincoln when I followed Lily and figured I’d crash there, at least for one night. "Okay, motel it is."

  Then someone rapped on my window and I screamed.

  Chapter Forty-Six

  I screamed loud and kept screaming until I recognized Ted's face at my window. The man had a bad habit of showing up out of nowhere. Sucking in a ragged breath, I buzzed down the window. "You scared the shit out of me," I whispered.

  He ducked his head in and I caught a whiff of his freshly showered man smell. "Let me in," he whispered.

  I put my hand on his chest and pushed. "Go away. What are you doing here?"

  He hurried around to the passenger door and pulled on the handle. Staring at me through the window, he rapped on the glass, and mouthed, "Let me in." Knowing he wouldn’t go away, I surrendered and released the door locks. Like a seasoned spy, he

  was in the seat next to me before I blinked.

  Through gritted teeth I said, "What are you doing here?"

  Ted wagged a finger at me. "What are you doing here?"

  "Still nosy as ever, I see." I stared at my hands, trying to stay mad at him. But I'd missed him and was happy to see him — I just didn't want him to know that.

  Ted peered through the windshield like he was scoping for the enemy. He looked left, right and to the rear, then said, "Pull out slowly and drive."

 
I scoffed. "Since when are you the boss of me?"

  Ted leaned in close and I caught his scent again — my body hummed. "I don't want to be your boss, I just want to be your boyfriend again." He touched my hair gently and I almost groaned. Down, girl. "Okay?"

  Fighting my hormones and the urge to throw myself at him, I pushed Ted back to his side of the car. "What's your deal? Are you stalking me now? Or should I say, again?"

  Ted nodded ahead of us. "I'm parked at the end of the block."

  I smacked my forehead. "That was you in the SUV? You are stalking me."

  He pointed to his black Escalade whose position I already knew. "It's up there."

  Grousing, I drove the half block, pulled in front of his car, and idled. "Okay, thanks for dropping by."