Shopping is Murder (McKinley Mysteries Book 6)

by Carolyn Arnold

  “I’d say we do, darling.” Sara looped her arm through his and he led her to the side of the store’s entrance.

  “Sean, what are you doing?”

  “Assuming they do have cameras, they’re not just going to hand the footage over to just anyone.”

  One corner of her mouth lifted, and it had him wanting to kiss her and take her home. Two things stopped him from doing exactly that—the fire in Sara’s eyes and her energy that spoke of slight impatience over waiting on him to explain.

  “If we go in there like this,” he gestured down to where their arms were connected, “they’re going to know something’s off.”

  “You think we should pose as cops? It seems to me someone pointed out how impersonating an officer was wrong.”

  “Darling,” he ran a hand down her arm, “that was so yesterday.” He smiled at her, and as her face melted into the mirrored expression, the urge to lift her off her feet and cart her home was almost irresistible. “We should go in there posing as investigators.”

  Her eyes enlarged. “I have a better idea. See how we’re dressed?”

  He took in their apparel, every piece of fabric and accessory top of the line. “They won’t buy that either will they?”

  “They might. It’s probably teens working the counter and a young adult who is the manager, but I have a better idea.” She leaned in to tell him, and her warm breath heightened his interest.

  After she told him and went to pull back, he said, “I have an even better idea.”

  Her eyes narrowed seductively. “You put that one to bed right now.”

  “It’s not the idea I’d like to take to bed.”

  She wagged her finger at him, spun on her heels, and headed into the store.

  A man, who had passed the stages of pubescent awkwardness and physical curses, watched each step she took. Sara guessed him to be nineteen, maybe twenty.

  His gaze passed from her shoes, then lingered on her chest before traveling farther up to meet her eyes. He wasn’t shy about his ogling. Girls his age might want to use caution with this playboy.

  Sara extended her hand, her long slender fingers reaching out to him, her nails manicured with french tips and the perfect length to disclose that she didn’t have any need for a keyboard.

  He took her hand, his attention still locked on her eyes. He held onto her until she took her hand back, doing so in such a manner that would fool him into thinking she was attracted to him.

  Sean cleared his throat behind her.

  She didn’t turn to acknowledge him and fought the smirk that wanted to give birth. Despite his protests that he was over any bit of jealousy, she knew better.

  She put herself into character and rolled her eyes.

  The clerk, whose silver tag read Collin, acknowledged Sean with a sour facial expression. It was as if he viewed Sean as an interruption in what could be a great thing, if he were left alone with Sara.

  “Oh, never mind me. I’m just here to get the job done,” Sean said.

  “The job?” Collin glanced from Sean to Sara.

  Sean stepped up next to Sara. “Yeah, we’re both in insurance. Same team, too, not that you’d necessarily believe it.”

  “The job?” Collin jutted his head forward. He seemed to be stuck on that point.

  “Yes, the job.” Sean stared him down.

  Sara put a hand on Sean’s chest. “You should go back and crawl into that hole you came out of, Bert.” They had decided to use fake names.

  Sean smirked at Collin. “She really does love me.” He patted the back of her hand and she removed it.

  “You should really get over yourself.” Sara jacked a thumb toward Sean and then crossed her arms. “He’s on my heels everywhere I go, but this here is my case.”

  Collin glimpsed at Sean and Collin’s tongue briefly touched his top lip.

  She had this made. “Please, Bert, just let me be and let me take care of this. You know you’re not going to get the credit this time. Actually, he rarely does.” Sara accentuated the taunting quality to her voice with a small pout and turned to face him.

  Sara picked up on Collin’s rapt scrutiny of their interaction. It was the reaction they were seeking to elicit—the one that existed at the core of humanity propelling one to help their fellow man, or in this case, woman.

  “What is that I can help you with?” Collin asked.

  Sara pulled her focus from Sean and settled on the clerk. She let the act go and put on her business air. “There was a man killed here yesterday.”

  Collin’s mouth gaped open. “Killed? I know one fell to his death. He was murdered?”

  “Still to be determined. We need to make sure the missus had nothing to do with it,” Sean said.

  Sara spun to face him. “Not we, me.” Her sour demeanor transformed to one of radiance when she faced Collin. When she was happy that she had his attention, she spoke. “I trust you can understand our company doesn’t want to pay out on his life insurance unless we know, for a fact, he wasn’t murdered by his beneficiary.”

  Collin held up his finger. “What is it you people need?”

  Enough of the charade.

  Sara jutted her hip to the right. “We need to see your camera footage.”

  “Our camera footage?”

  He was responding like a trained parrot, mimicking every word.

  “Yes,” she said with a smile.

  “What would you want that for?”

  Sean butted against Sara, and she made a flare about moving out of the way.

  “We believe that the killer is on there,” he said.

  “Yes, his wife.” Sara’s smugness had her shaking her head. “And then she wouldn’t get a penny. I, on the other hand, would make a tidy commission for the discovery.”

  “Oh, please.”

  A few customers had stopped their browsing and were whispering among themselves, the odd gaze aimed at them. Collin bobbed his head for Sean and Sara to follow him.

  He took them to a small office next to the change rooms at the back of the store. Once there, he steepled his hands and pointed them toward Sean and Sara. “Here’s the thing…I can’t show that footage to either of you.”

  Sara sashayed next to Collin and gingerly touched his forearm. She felt him quiver beneath her touch and watched as his eyes went from her hand up to her face.

  “You could do it for me, though, right?” She left his side and coerced Sean out of the room by putting her back to the clerk and forcing Sean to walk backward. She winked at him as she played tough.

  Behind her, Collin said, “I’m sorry. Even if I wanted to—and I do—I can’t. The manager is the only one with access to it.”

  Sara spun and shifted around him to see the computer. A screensaver with the store’s name and logo danced across the screen.

  Collin followed the direction of her gaze. “Yes, I do have a password, but if he finds out I’ll be fired.”

  He? Sara’s heart got lighter. If they were forced to come back tomorrow, she could use her feminine wiles again. Although, if she had to come back, they wouldn’t have worked today. Was she losing the touch?

  “And there’s a way he could track that?” Sara swirled a finger to take in the desk. “Even if you only took a wee peek?”

  “I’m sorry, but without a police warrant, I’m not even going to call him at home. He is in tomorrow at nine thirty.”

  Sara put on a pout. “If that’s the way it has to be.”

  “It is. I’m sorry.” He hadn’t paid Sean any attention since they got into the office, and Sara took that to mean his comments were genuine.

  “All right, I’ll be back tomorrow morning, first thi—”

  “You’re certain the cameras work?” Sean interrupted.

  “I am responsible for making sure a backup is made at the end of my shift. So, yes.”

  Sara smiled. If she and Sean were insurance adjusters competing for the credit, she’d come out ahead. “Thank you, Collin. Although, I m
ust say, I’m disappointed.”

  Collin let out a deep breath and braced his hands on his hips. “I’m sorry.”

  She shrugged a shoulder. “As you keep saying.” She left with Sean in tow.

  Once outside the store, she let out the laugh she was holding. “It was never this much fun as a cop.”

  “Just remind me not to get on your bad side.” He mocked her performance, which had him bobbing his head side to side and his finger pointed toward her. All that was missing were the words, nah-ha, you don’t sass me like that.

  “The only thing is, if that kid was this adamant about a warrant, we might have to go in stronger than we did today,” she said.

  “Or call in reinforcement.”

  “Jimmy.” They said his name at the same time.

  Playing Matchmaker

  “AND I’M HERE, WHY?”

  It was the next day and they were in the mall’s food court. The only store open at this time of morning was a coffee shop.

  Jimmy sat across from them and placed his clasped hands on the table. “I still don’t understand why you don’t just handle this.”

  “You’re here because they won’t know who you are,” Sean said.

  “I don’t know who you two are. When I said I’d help, I never imagined this level of involvement. Never mind. You really think this is going to work?”

  “It’s got to. We need to know what’s on that tape. And, Jimmy, you did say that you’d help us whenever we needed it. How’s the Scotch? The cognac? Do you need a refill?” Sara batted her lashes.

  “You two are at it again. You,” he pointed a finger at Sean, “play the tough guy while she sweetens the pot.” His finger traced to Sara.

  Sean wrapped an arm around Sara and pulled her in. “And she does a terrific job of it too, doesn’t she?”

  Jimmy took a slurp of his coffee and let his vision trail after an attractive woman leaving the shop. She worked at balancing her purse, a laptop bag, a ringing cell phone, and a coffee. A little spilled over the lip and had her cussing as she emptied her arms on a nearby table.

  “Why don’t you talk to her?” Sara asked.

  Jimmy’s eyes snapped to hers. “Why would I do that?”

  Sara leaned across the table and made certain her voice was low. “You like her.”

  It warranted a belly chuckle from Jimmy, and it just so happened the woman laughed at the same time, but she was now settled at the table, deep in a conversation with her caller.

  Jimmy spoke in hushed tones. “How can I like her when I don’t know her?”

  Sean was smirking.

  Sara addressed Jimmy. “You get to know someone by talking to them.”

  “Yes.”

  She smiled. “Stop playing obtuse.” Sara sat back, not taking her eyes off her former boss.

  He shifted under her gaze, but kept sneaking in peeks at the woman. There was the hint of a smile on his lips. “Let’s get back to this—work—whatever it is. Please.”

  “All right, but after you introduce yourself.”

  There was a shattered glaze that cocooned him, and Sara wished she could reel in her words. She took a sip of her coffee, hoping that Sean would take over again.

  He stepped in. “All we need is to see that camera footage.”

  “Here’s the thing, the papers are already reporting that it is something not involving foul play. Now you want me to go in there as if I’m still investigating it. Even if we probably should be.” Jimmy mumbled the last phrase.

  “See, even you want answers. Just play it from the angle that the media doesn’t always have their facts straight—a truth—and say that you got a tip that the deceased was in the store and it might somehow be connected to his death.”

  Jimmy’s face took on straight lines. “You never told me exactly what you two are thinking happened, and why I need to get involved.”

  “This is where faith comes in,” Sara said.

  Jimmy laughed. “Faith?”

  “We have to hold some things back.” She let her gaze drift to the woman. She was still on the phone. “How did you like the Mercedes anyway?”

  “I know what you’re doing.”

  “Yes, and I—” she glanced at Sean, “we, darling, do it marvelously, in my opinion.”

  “I believe so, yes.” Sean smiled at her.

  “So, Sara, you’re telling me that if I do this I can have your car?” Jimmy’s turn to tease.

  “No, but I’m telling you that you can borrow it for a while.”

  Sean adjusted his seated position and stared at her wide eyed.

  “What? We do have yours, Sean.” She smiled at him.

  “Listen, Jimmy,” Sean began, “you probably won’t even need to show your badge, and if you do, flash it nice and quick. Use a fake name.”

  “And the need for me to get involved?”

  “You have the badge. In case it’s needed.”

  “You know what you’re doing with this.”

  “We should at this point,” Sara said.

  “So, if I’m not providing a warrant, which we all know I don’t have, and I’m not letting them study my badge, are you suggesting I threaten them in some way?”

  “Jimmy, I’m sure you’ll figure it out.” She threw in a cutesy smile and her eyes drifted to the woman who was now off her phone. She wasn’t going to voice her thoughts, but she hoped Jimmy picked up on the subliminal. He deserved someone to love him—a relationship like she had with Sean.

  She was happy when he got up and offered the woman some napkins.

  Playing A Part

  JIMMY KNEW IT WAS A bad idea, but he introduced himself to the woman in the food court by offering up a couple napkins. It was when she wiped her jacket that he noticed the ring he had missed before—and it wasn’t just any ring, it was one she wore on an important finger.

  He should have known better than to allow himself to explore the mental folly that she could have been the one for him. After all, he had romance in his life at one time and he had given up on that notion when Clara left.

  He shook the nonsense aside. There was more to life than love and romance, and he was on this planet to prove that theory. They say everyone has a soul purpose. Apparently his involved wandering about in solitude.

  Groovin’ Beat wasn’t so groovin’ at this time of the day. The only ones in the store were employees—a man of about twenty, a girl of about the same age, and a man in his thirties.

  Jimmy addressed the older man. “Are you the manager?”

  The redheaded man gave Jimmy a once over. “I am. Max is the name.”

  Not that he needed to make that announcement—his nametag did it for him.

  “I need to talk with you in private,” Jimmy said.

  The twenty-something man moved over to them with confusion pressing down his brows. His tag read Collin. “Are you here about the camera footage?”

  “I am.”

  Collin settled his focus on Jimmy. “Who are you? There wa—”

  “I’m Jarvis.” Jimmy managed not to showcase the smile that threatened to show through. The name just came to him. Maybe he had watched Iron Man one too many times. Collin kept his eyes on him and everything clicked together. The kid was hoping to see Sara. “You were expecting someone else?”

  Collin’s face flushed. The manager, Max, crossed his arms and an eyebrow shot up. He leveled a gaze on his employee.

  “Yeah, kinda. You still haven’t answered as to why you’re here.”

  “Doesn’t matter, other than to say I have the badge.” Jimmy pulled it out quick, cupping it in his hand so his number was covered.

  “Oh.”

  Jimmy was able to hold back any visible signs of his amusement.

  Max put his hands on his hips, his expression one of taking no nonsense. “Collin told me that two people came in yesterday wanting to see the camera footage. It’s in relation to the dead guy.”

  The manager really had a way of phrasing things delicately. Jimmy
let that part slide. “Sounds about right. Now, if I could see that footage.”

  Max strengthened his stance, as if sizing up his competition. “Not so fast. I assume you have a warrant.”

  “Why would I?”

  Max’s demeanor paled and his presence shrunk. Jimmy could get used to the role playing and he was starting to see why Sean and Sara loved operating outside of the confines of the law. Now all he needed was a wealthy benefactor to step in. A portion of him wondered if he’d keep at the crime solving if he had a real choice, though.

  Seconds passed with Jimmy holding the silence. The three of them stood in circle formation in the middle of the store.

  Finally, Max spoke. “Fine. You can watch the video—here. It doesn’t leave the store and you don’t watch it without me. Acceptable?”

  Jimmy nodded. If he spoke, his voice would reveal how he felt. The manager had laid out the terms, wording things in an effort to sound in charge, but his closing question revealed weakness.

  “All right then, this way,” Max said.

  “Actually, Max,” Collin began. His boss turned to face him and he continued. “If it’s all right with you, I’m going to call it a day. I’m not feeling so hot.”

  “So you plead with me to get the shift today and now you’re begging off? Am I understanding this correctly?”

  “I’m sorry. It must have been something I ate for breakfast.” Collin rubbed at his stomach, and Jimmy fought to not roll his eyes.

  “Fine. Go. But don’t expect favors in the future.” Max dismissed him with frantic air sweeps with his hands. With Collin gone, Max shook his head and motioned for Jimmy to follow him.

  Betrayed By An Eagle

  SEAN AND SARA REMAINED IN the food court to wait on Jimmy.

  “What is taking him so long? If I have one more coffee—”

  “You’re complaining about too much coffee? Wait a minute,” Sean rooted for his phone, “let me record this.”

  She angled her head. “Please, darling, no.”

  Jimmy came over to them, but Sean didn’t see anything in his hands. Of course, he could have tucked it in a pocket.