Until I saw Sam walking across the square; I let out a groan loud enough to be heard by some of the customers. I moved to the back of the food truck as a few of them turned around. Sometimes I let my mouth get the better of me.
“What the matter with you?” Land asked as he put some of the cutting boards and knives into the sink to soak.
For a moment, I wished I could be tight-lipped like he was and play this off without telling him my business, but since Sam seemed to be heading straight toward me like a torpedo, it didn’t seem as if I had a choice. “I had a date last night,” I confessed. “Nothing special. A set-up by my parents.”
“And you’re just now reacting to it? A little slow on the uptake, aren’t you?” he said as he flashed me a grin.
I reddened. He was not going to make this easy. “No, I reacted last night, but he’s on his way here right now. I just saw him on the square and heading this way.”
Land raised an eyebrow. “You’re so vain. Men do come downtown for other things besides see you,” he suggested. “Maybe he has business here.”
I shook my head, wishing that was the case. It was too soon for him to be this pushy, which likely meant I’d have to be tough and let him down. “He’s a suburban realtor. He doesn’t do commercial property, so he’s here for me.”
Land walked to the window and looked out. Apparently he didn’t mind being obvious about spotting Sam in the thinning crowds. “Where is he? Is that him?” he asked, pointing at someone old enough to be my grandfather. I was not amused.
I came up to stand next to Land and looked around. Sam was gone. I couldn’t see him anywhere. Finally I decided to do a methodical search for him, scanning slowly from one end of the square to the other. And then I found him.
From the angle of my body, Land was able to trace where I was looking, and he started to laugh. Normally, I enjoyed hearing Land laugh, since he did it so rarely, but not today.
Sam was standing in front of Janelle Nolan’s truck, Holding out for a Gyro. They were having a rather intense conversation from the looks of it, since Janelle was ignoring the customers who stood in front of the window. I tried to imagine the circumstances where I would not serve a customer, but I couldn’t come up with one. I was here to serve and make cash.
After a few more minutes of talking, Sam turned and stormed away. He deliberately walked the longer way around the square to avoid my truck’s location. Instead of letting him down easy for being too pushy, I was being purposely ignored by a date I hadn’t wanted. I didn’t know whether I should be relieved or annoyed.
I shrugged and tried to play it off, but Land kept watching me even as he went back to the kitchen area of the truck. I went back to work and tried to not think about what I’d just seen.
It seemed very odd that Sam had not mentioned Janelle when he’d learned what I did for a living. It would be an open invitation to ask if I knew her. For some reason, he’d wanted to keep that information to himself and not ask about her. I wondered why.
The most obvious answer was that he’d had a previous relationship with Janelle. Given that he’d come to see her at work, it was likely a fresh break-up. I wondered which of them would be more likely to drop the other.
We finished up the shift. I was about ready to close the window when Detective Jax Danvers showed up for some coffee. He looked as rough as Land. Danvers, who prided himself on his appearance, had the top button of his shirt undone and his tie pulled down to hide the second button. I comped him the coffee just because I didn’t want to have to recount the register’s till from today—and I might have felt the slightest bit sorry for him too.
He looked over to where Land was at and said, “You left your phone at my place last night.” He put the cellphone on the counter and left it there. Land glanced at me before picking up the phone and stuffing it in a pocket.
I wasn’t entirely surprised. I already knew that Land and Danvers had had some sort of prior history before coming to Capital City. I suspected it was military in some manner from hints that had been given over the past year, but no one ever would tell me exactly what the relationship was. Land was not one to give up his secrets easily. Yet it made for an uneasy relationship between the two men now that one was a police officer while the other was a chef. I suspected—or maybe hoped—that Land had been the senior officer during their previous working relationship. In part I suspected as much because Danvers could be almost deferential to Land in certain matters.
The men were mostly pleasant to each other, but were not friendly in the slightest. Land had warned me on several occasions about Danvers, telling me that I shouldn’t trust him. So for them to be seeing each other during their non-work time meant that something criminal was likely to be happening.
Of course, Land didn’t say anything. Danvers watched both of us, likely wondering what I knew about his working relationship with Land.
“So how have you been?” I asked, trying to be polite even though I was left out of this conversation.
“Good. I’ve been busy with work. That’s about all.” He shrugged which pulled a side of his shirt out of his waistband. Whatever had kept Danvers up last night was important enough for him to ignore his grooming today. I had rarely seen him this disheveled, even after being shot at.
“Did Land tell you that we’re getting ready to open a second truck?” I asked. If no one was going to spill about last night, I would just change the subject.
“No, he didn’t, but that’s great.” Danvers took a long swig of his coffee. “I have to run. See you around soon, I’m sure.”
With that, Danvers was gone, and it was just the two of us again. I finished my work, and took the food truck back to the secured lot. I stayed around long enough to talk to the lot manager about a second spot in the secured parking lot for the new food truck and then headed home.
Carter was back the next day. He was waiting for the food truck on Elm Street when I arrived with the truck. I hadn’t yet given him a set of keys to the food truck. That required a huge level of trust on my part, given the cost of a food truck and the fact that it remained my source of income. If anything happened to the truck, I’d be living back at home with my parents and watching Netflix all day long. While some people might think of that as heaven, I was less than enthused. I hadn’t been able to find a job after college. The recent recession had left an overload of former business execs that were competing for the same jobs that I wanted. With twenty years’ experience and a lengthy resume, they had all the qualifications that I lacked.
So I was very hesitant to let anyone else near the truck. It was my own very tenuous link to a better future. While the economy had improved, my chances of finding full-time work in a corporation were not much better. Now I was battling against all of the recent graduates of business colleges as well as all those who had graduated with me. Earlier, I’d fought against those with more experience, now I was just one insignificant graduate among thousands of similar former students. I had no ideas on how to make myself stand out.
Of course, the fact that I was running an expanding business was just the sort of thing that would attract employers, but the longer I worked here, the less I wanted to pursue a traditional career. It was hard enough for me to sit down in Jax Danvers’ cubicle and see the slice of light from the window. I liked the experience of the truck: new people every day, and the variety of experiences. The window where I stood took in a panorama compared to the cubicles I now dreaded.
Carter jumped onboard and started with the tasks that Land had already shown him. He began cutting up the pickles for the relish and whisking the ingredients for the fresh mustard. He was almost done with the chores he knew how to perform when Land showed up. If he’d looked tired yesterday, today Land looked like he’d lost the fight with exhaustion. His eyes had thick dark circles under them, and his beard was at least two days old. His hair was mussed, and I was betting that he hadn’t showered that morning. I didn’t want to get close enough to him to win
that wager. I was definitely glad that he didn’t have to interact with the customers today.
Carter waited for me to say something, but I didn’t. I poured Land a cup of coffee and handed it to him. He’d expected a lecture as well, but he didn’t get one. How many times had Land bailed me out of a situation? He was apparently in one now, and he needed help more than chastisement.
I went about the rest of my morning prep without saying a word. I knew that the situation would come down to either Land asking for time off or going back to his normal routine. In either case, the problem would be solved. The only other solution I had was to investigate his after-hours work to see what was going on. I hadn’t removed that option from my choices, but it wasn’t on the table this morning.
Carter continued to work to get the truck ready to open. Land did a few things, but he cut his thumb and had to take fifteen minutes to staunch the bleeding and disinfect it. He was still fiddling with it when I walked over to him.
“Why don’t you take the day off?” I asked. In all the time I’d worked at the truck, Land had never missed a day of work. We’d been shot at and threatened and chased, but Land always opened the truck the next day like nothing had happened. His work ethic was beyond comparison and offering him a day off seemed like the right thing to do.
He looked shocked. “I’m fine.”
I smiled in Carter’s direction, and then turned to face Land again. “You’re not fine. You look like you haven’t slept in two days, which I’m guessing is about accurate. You’re not much good to you, the truck or me if you can’t function. Go home, get some sleep, and come back when you’re awake.”
He looked down at his thumb and then at me. He nodded. “You’re right. I’ll get some sleep today and be back tomorrow.”
“Do you want to tell me what this is all about?” I asked, thinking of Danvers’ state yesterday. I wondered if I could bluff it out of him if Land refused to talk.
“No need. It won’t happen again. I promise.” With that, he left the truck before I could even say good-bye.
Carter seemed shocked, but I mollified him by telling him that Land had been up late being sick.
“Is he allowed to be around food if he’s sick?” Carter asked. I made a mental note to think of a better excuse for the food truck business. I wondered if my questions were as annoying as Carter’s were to me.
“He’s holding down food now, so I doubt that he’s contagious, but he’s so tired that he’s in no shape to be here today. I do have a sick time policy,” I added, considering myself an enlightened employer.
Carter shrugged and got back to work. Land had worked with him on a few more of the morning tasks before leaving, so we were fine in terms of prepared condiments. I didn’t feel that we’d need many more.
The early morning rush continued without Land, and I certainly felt what it would be like to work without him. Carter was a hard worker and did his best, but this was his first time on his own—and it showed. The customers had to wait longer than normal for their food. There was a little grumbling, but most of them were regulars who asked about Land and the new guy, as they called him, so the time was spent chatting. Most everyone was willing to allow for a few extra minutes, given that Land was sick.
I was glad to call it a day. I noticed that Jax Danvers had not stopped by during the after-lunch lull, and I wondered if he was anywhere as tired as Land was at the moment. I had to assume that they were on some sort of stakeout or business that only operated after hours. I knew that they weren’t out carousing, though they might be pretending to in order to catch a drug dealer or pimp. It was impossible to see the two of them doing some enjoyable event just for the fun of it. If they were working together, it would be because something was wrong.
We finished the shift. I showed Carter what to clean and the procedures for cleaning all the pieces of equipment. It was difficult knowing that it would take the full hour to complete all the cleaning tasks, now that we were down to two people again. I had gotten spoiled.
Carter finished before I did. He said his good-byes and headed out. I spent a few more minutes making sure that the bank deposit was ready to go. I checked the rearview mirror before pulling out onto the street. Janelle’s truck was still open, and Carter was standing at the window chatting with her. Damn it, what was going on?
I fumed most of the way home that evening. First Sam and now Carter had been visiting Janelle. I knew that she was attractive, but she was no siren, luring all men to her food truck. Something was going on, and I wanted to know what. Sam, of course, was of little importance in my world, but Carter was another issue altogether. He was going to be working for me and at the truck. If he was in league with Janelle on some scheme, I couldn’t have him on board worrying that he might be there to sabotage my business. I’d worked too hard for that.
On the plus side, he’d worked hard that day and not messed anything up that could have lost us a day’s revenue. He’d been diligent and hard working. Still, perhaps he was just waiting until I let down my guard to cause problems. Granted, there had been a few days over the course of the last year where I hadn’t come in, but I’d always been comfortable with Land working the truck for a day. Carter was still an unknown entity, and trust did not come easily to me.
By the time I got home, I had a good mad going. I knew that offering Janelle the job was no good now. She had her own truck, and I couldn’t imagine moving from freedom to working for someone else. I was beginning to think that I wouldn’t do it either. I pushed that thought out of the way at the moment to think about later.
I couldn’t understand Janelle’s motivation. Was she so angry with me that she’d set about trying to mess with my personal life or business life? It seemed ludicrous, but at the same time, the meetings with people I knew were so blatantly in my face that it seemed like the best explanation. I wouldn’t see Carter until Friday, but I would definitely ask him then about Janelle and his relationship to her. I’d seen him there twice, and I doubted that he liked Greek fare that much.
In the meantime, I had buckets of pent-up frustration, so I decided to investigate the other issue in my life, Land’s sleep problems. I packed up some gear, some food and my iPod and headed back to the Buick to see what was going on.
I put a baseball cap on my head. It wouldn’t fool someone who was staring at me, but frankly I hadn’t worn a baseball cap since the softball league in middle school. So I figured I was probably not going to be the first person they thought of when they saw my attire. Pulling the bill of the cap down over my forehead, it became harder to see my green eyes or the freckles across my nose.
I drove over to Land’s apartment building. I had no idea if he was with family or with someone special, though I doubted the latter. It’s hard to hide the fact that you’re involved with someone. Just ask Sam or Carter.
I parked a little ways down the street, close enough to see the entrance yet far enough away that I wouldn’t be noticed by people entering or leaving. I munched and listened to the first chapters of a business book I’d downloaded from the library as I waited for some answers.
I sat there probably 90 minutes before anything happened. Jax Danvers drove into the lot of the apartment complex. I recognized his car from the time that he’d visited me at my apartment. I doubted if the visit had a similar purpose, since we’d ended up kissing at the end of the evening. I was glad Land wasn’t driving anywhere since he’d been in such bad shape that morning.
I waited some more. This stakeout, sitting in one place for an indefinite amount of time, was not for me. I was about three hours into the book on my iPod, when they pulled out onto the street. I couldn’t tell how Land looked from this distance, but I hoped he had gotten some sleep earlier. Another sleepless night on top of what he’d been like that morning, and I’d be doing the truck entirely by myself tomorrow. I was already making plans to see if I could call Carter to come in as I started my car. I hoped he didn’t have any family responsibilities to take care o
f.
Fortunately for me, they drove slowly. I wouldn’t have been able to follow them closely and not be seen. My old Buick is dark brown and about the size of a small ship. However, it is paid for and reliable, so I’m hesitant to get rid of it, especially when I was expecting my accounts to be scrutinized if I decided to expand.
I tried to keep my distance, but at the same time, I had no idea where they were going, so I needed to stay fairly close to them in order not to miss lights. Following a car was not as easy as it looked in the movies. We drove down several streets before turning on Syracuse, a side street that connected two busier thoroughfares. Danvers’ car pulled into a spot about halfway down the street.
I drove on past. This was the moment of truth. If either man looked in my direction, I would surely be caught in my stalking activities. However, they were talking to each other, and neither one of them looked my way. I drove around the block, which felt more like a drive around the city given the number of traffic lights and the busy nature of the streets. I pulled back onto Syracuse and parked at the far end. I couldn’t see their car at all, but I knew where they were in relation to me.
I sat there for the better part of two hours. They didn’t get out of the car, and the car didn’t move. Apparently, they were staking out someone while I staked out them. It was the ultimate exercise in futility. At 9:30 p.m., I backed out of the space and drove home. I would have to wait until tomorrow to see what was happening with Land.
Chapter 2
As I suspected, Land called in sick, marking the first time in our relationship that he hadn’t shown up for work. I was concerned about what was going on and how long it would last, but I didn’t know how to broach the subject with him. It would be quite likely that I would have to admit that I had followed him and Danvers on their covert operation. That would not be a good start to any conversation.
I wished that I had some sort of telephone book or directory that could tell me the names of the people who lived on Syracuse. While they had parked in front of a particular building, there were a number of apartment buildings and two-family homes on the street, which meant a number of potential subjects. Without having any list of candidates, guessing was the only alternative left to me, and it was a poor choice indeed.
THE REAL GYRO (Food Truck Mysteries Book 4) Page 2