Roses After Midnight

by Linda Randall Wisdom

  “Celeste, that couple over there asked if they could talk to you,” Flip said. “He wants a vodka martini with an extra olive and she wants an amaretto and soda.”

  Celeste looked in the direction Flip was pointing and swallowed her groan. This wasn’t supposed to happen! She quickly fixed the drinks and set them on a tray. Then she pasted a smile on her lips and walked over to the table.

  “What are you doing here?” she asked between gritted teeth while keeping her smile in place.

  “Darling, if you need extra money you only need to tap into the trust fund your grandmother left you,” the woman said. “As odious a woman as she was, that money really needs to be spent on frivolous items.” She looked around. “This is a lovely place. I understand they have excellent food. We’re meeting the Bensons for brunch,” she confided. “Missy couldn’t be on time if her life depended on it.”

  “We are not related,” she informed the couple in a low voice.

  “Our daughter asked about you just the other day,” the man said, his voice carrying. “When did you start working here?”

  “A few days ago.” Celeste started to relax but only a bit. She set their drinks on the table. “Did you wish to run a tab?”

  “Yes, since we don’t know when the rest of our party will be here.” He smiled at her after taking a sip of his martini. “Just right.”

  “Thank you. I learned from an expert,” she murmured. “Make sure not to act as if we’re related.”

  “I’ll tell our daughter we saw you,” her father said with a broad smile.

  Aware that Flip’s inquisitive nature wouldn’t allow her to tamp down her curiosity about the couple, Celeste had her story ready courtesy of her dad’s not-so-idle comment.

  “I went to school with their daughter,” Celeste explained.

  “Did you see that ring she was wearing?” Flip’s eyes were as large as saucers. “That emerald has to be real, but she was so nice. Not like some of the women who come in here and treat you like some servant or something. She called me ‘dear,’” she confided.

  “Then, she must like you.” Celeste fixed another pitcher of mimosas and handed it to Flip. “Time for you to circulate.”

  “At least they’re all getting their vitamin C,” she quipped.

  Celeste didn’t glance in her parents’ direction, and they were kind enough to do the same. She counted herself lucky that the couple that later joined them were unfamiliar to her and didn’t look over at her.

  When it was time for her break she was grateful they were already seated in the dining room. She filled a glass with orange juice and carried it back to the kitchen.

  “There are some food warmers in the break room,” Jimmy told her.

  “You’re feeding the help too well,” she said as she found waffles, scrambled eggs and bacon along with a filled coffee urn.

  “Nothing worse than a growling stomach.”

  When Celeste carried her plate into the break room she found two waitresses seated at the table. She hadn’t met them before and noted their name badges proclaimed them to be Heidi and Andrea. They glanced at her, then returned to their conversation.

  “Norman the freak asked me out again,” Heidi said.

  Andrea looked up. “When did he do that?”

  “Today when he delivered the flowers. He was late with the delivery. Luc had to call him twice. He claimed he overslept.” She picked up her coffee cup and sipped the hot liquid. “Just like before, I pretty much told him not in this lifetime, but he doesn’t seem to get the message.”

  “He’s sure hooked on you. And here I thought all he cared about was those precious roses and plants of his. He doesn’t even want anyone else to put them in the vases. He insists on doing it. He treats them like they’re something really rare.” Andrea rolled her eyes.

  Celeste’s ears pricked up at the R word. She kept her eyes on her food as if she wasn’t listening.

  “I’m just hoping he got the message. The guy is downright weird.” Heidi shook her head.

  “I’ve seen him when he’s taking care of the plants around here. He reminds me of some kind of ugly gnome.”

  Heidi glanced at Celeste. “If you ever see a creepy-looking guy around and he’s talking to the plants, stay far away. If he looks at you, look away. If he speaks to you, pretend you’re deaf.”

  “So this Norman’s here every day?” Celeste asked.

  “His name isn’t Norman,” Heidi explained. “I just call him that because he reminds me of Norman Bates. You know, the guy in Psycho? For all we know, he has his dead mother in the basement, too!” She laughed.

  Andrea nodded. “His name is Carl. He delivers the roses we have on the tables and takes care of the plants in the restaurant.”

  “So he’s a florist.” Celeste tried to sound casual.

  Heidi frowned in thought. “I don’t know for sure, I guess so.”

  “He has one of those businesses that comes in to take care of plants in business offices and restaurants,” Andrea explained.

  “If he bothers you so much, did you ever tell Luc, Paulie or Jimmy about him?”

  Heidi laughed. “Why? He hasn’t done anything other than ask me out and look creepy.” She blew out an exasperated breath. “If he gets too pushy I’ll say something then.”

  “Do you remember that old guy who used to come in for lunch once a week?” Andrea spoke up. She turned to Celeste. “He’d always sit at the same table. He’d practically have a fit if someone had already been seated there. He even left Marie a hundred dollar bill for a tip. She told him she couldn’t accept so much money. He told her she was worth every penny.”

  “Oh, him!” Heidi groaned with a laugh. “He made us feel so uncomfortable that we finally told Luc. Luc banned him from the restaurant.”

  “I would think that upset him a great deal.” Celeste made mental notes. Now she had someone else to check out.

  “Luc called him at his home and told him he would no longer be welcome at the restaurant,” Heidi told her. “The next day this guy shows up for lunch. Gina told him she couldn’t seat him and he started yelling at her. Luckily, Luc was here, because Paulie doesn’t have the balls to deal with someone like that. I don’t know what Luc said to the guy, but it was enough that he never came back.”

  “When did this happen?” Celeste asked.

  Heidi and Andrea looked at each other.

  “When was it, eight, nine months ago?” Andrea looked to her friend for confirmation.

  Heidi nodded. “I was working the lunch shift that day, too,” she told Celeste. “This guy came so unhinged I thought he was going to deck Luc. Which has to mean he’s nuts because no one in their right mind would try to hit him.”

  “Gee, I had no idea there were so many creeps out there. First I hear about Del, now these guys.” Celeste shook her head in wonder.

  “Around here they’re few and far between,” Andrea assured her. “Just goes to show that even upscale places get sleazoids at times.” She glanced at her watch. “Time for me to get back. At least we’re only open until six on Sundays.” She stood up.

  Celeste finished her food. After taking her plates into the kitchen, she stopped at the open back door. She noticed the rain had stopped, leaving the sky overcast and gray. She stood there breathing in the damp fresh air. When she started to turn away she noticed a dark figure standing under the building’s overhang. A bright spark illuminated his features.

  She stood there for several minutes just watching him. She’d read about a man seeming to radiate loneliness. Looking at Luc, she actually saw what the word meant. She sensed he wasn’t as comfortable with his loneliness as he thought he was.

  She pushed open the screen door and carefully made her way down the side of the building. Luc continued looking out into the wet parking lot. He held a glowing cigarette in one hand.

  “A habit I’ve been trying to break for some time,” he said, dropping the cigarette to the ground and grinding it with his foot. He
stooped down to pick up the crushed cigarette butt. “What about you?”

  “I tried smoking when I was in high school. Took one puff and…let’s just say that was my last.” She could hear her teeth chattering in the cold air. She was surprised he wasn’t shivering, since he wasn’t wearing a jacket. “You must be desperate if you’re out here in this weather.”

  “It stopped raining a few minutes ago.”

  “I have some questions,” she said, thinking of her conversation with the two waitresses.

  “Work related?”

  “Not exactly, and nothing I’d like anyone to overhear.”

  “Of course,” he mocked her. “Fine. You’ll find me at two-seventeen Ross Street around eight.” He stepped around her and walked back to the door. “You might want to think about getting back inside before you catch a cold,” he advised over his shoulder. “We can’t afford to lose another bartender so soon.”

  Celeste watched Luc walk back to the kitchen door. Damn, the man even looked good walking away. She sighed when the rain started up again the moment he stepped into the kitchen.

  “Even the elements seem to be on his side,” she muttered, running for the door.

  Chapter 6

  O rdinarily, Luc wouldn’t have expected Celeste to take him up on his impulsive invitation. He still had no idea why he had told her to meet him, unless there was something in that cigarette that shouldn’t have been there.

  But he knew if she did show up, she’d be there on time. And just like a finely tuned watch, she was dead-on. What surprised him was her expression when she entered the restaurant. Or lack of it, considering her surroundings.

  Damn her, she actually fit in.

  Tonight, she was dressed casually in hiking boots, faded jeans, a dusty green marled yarn crew-neck sweater and a denim jacket. Her hair was damp from the fine mist that had been falling for the past hour, and her only makeup was a touch of lip gloss.

  His breath caught in his throat as he watched her stand in the doorway while taking off her jacket. Dammit, why did she have to look like someone who could save his black soul?

  Celeste looked around the small diner until she spied Luc seated in the rear booth. She walked back to him.

  She hadn’t expected him to choose a diner that, on the outside, looked as if it had existed in better days. If it hadn’t been for the lights glowing inside, she would have thought it was permanently closed.

  She told herself she was meeting him because of the case, but she couldn’t lie even to herself. She was here because of Luc Dante. She hoped she might learn a little more about the man.

  “They need more streetlights around here,” she said by way of greeting, sliding into the seat across from him. “I almost missed it. You didn’t give me the name of the diner.”

  One corner of Luc’s lips tipped upward. “He likes to remain low-key.”

  She nodded. “Ah, that explains the lack of a sign out front.”

  “Coffee?” a man behind the counter yelled at her.

  To her credit, she didn’t jump at the raspy shout directed at her. She turned and smiled. “Perfect timing— I could really use a cup.”

  “We ain’t got any of those flavored creamers you dames like,” he warned her.

  “Good. I prefer mine black and strong enough to float the entire U.S. Navy.”

  The man poured coffee into a heavy white ceramic mug and brought it over.

  Luc admired the way she didn’t bat an eyelash as Tank set the mug in front of her. Tank had even deliberately used the silver hook that had replaced his hand more than thirty years ago. The food-stained apron covering a white T-shirt and white cotton pants announced him as the cook. The tattoos of naked women adorning his beefy arms and the scowl on a face battered by one too many fights made him a formidable figure.

  Luc made the introductions. “Celeste, this is Tank.”

  “Hi.” She looked up at the tall man and smiled.

  “You want anything to eat?” Tank asked her.

  Celeste picked up the plastic-coated menu and scanned the offerings.

  “I’ll have the cheeseburger,” she decided.

  He looked at her suspiciously. “Onions?”

  “Of course,” she said promptly. “Raw, not grilled, please.”

  He glanced at Luc as he turned away. “Don’t see manners in here too much.”

  Celeste wasn’t too sure if it was a compliment or not. She wasn’t about to ask.

  He didn’t bother to write down her order before returning to the kitchen. A moment later, they could hear the searing sound of meat hitting the surface of a hot grill.

  Celeste looked at Luc, who only had a cup of coffee in front of him. “You’re not eating?”

  “Tank already has my order,” he replied.

  “Let me guess. He was in the Marines.” She nodded toward the black-and-white photographs on the walls along with a colored drawing of the Marine Corps mascot, the bulldog, near the door.

  “He was a drill instructor, and from what I heard he was a recruit’s worst nightmare during boot camp. Where’s your partner?”

  “Probably on a hot date. Why, was I supposed to bring him?” She looked amused. “I know it’s hard to believe, but there are times when I’m allowed out after dark on my own.”

  “The way you talked about questions, I figured it had to do with the case and he’d be coming with you,” he replied.

  “I’ll fill Dylan in tomorrow.” She picked up her coffee mug and sipped the hot liquid. “Whew! This must have been on the burner since last year.” She took another sip.

  “What questions do you have?” Luc wasn’t in the mood for small talk.

  Celeste ignored his almost surly behavior. She hadn’t missed the expression on his face when she walked toward him. He hadn’t been sure she’d show up. It felt good to put him off balance for once.

  “A couple of the waitresses were talking about the man who delivers the roses you put on the tables,” she said.

  Luc shrugged. “Carl? What about him?”

  “It seems he’s been a little persistent in asking one of them out. Even going so far as getting pushy at times. He would have access to the same roses that are left at the crime scenes,” she continued. “The waitresses also mentioned a former customer of yours who had a habit of leaving hundred dollar tips.”

  Luc closed his eyes and muttered a curse. “Woodrow Taylor. He’s nothing more than the clichéd dirty old man. He’s probably in his late seventies. He likes to look down women’s tops. When he was coming in, the waitresses wore a different type of shirt. More like a round-necked top. It wasn’t all that low cut but he started making some of the waitresses feel uncomfortable. After that, I suggested to Paulie and Jimmy that we come up with something more conservative. Taylor was told he was permanently barred from the restaurant. He threatened to sue. I reminded him that we reserve the right to refuse service to anyone and we would definitely refuse to serve him. He’s probably making the rounds of other restaurants.”

  “And the florist?” she persisted. “What about him?”

  “Carl is a plant care specialist, not a florist,” Luc explained. “He works for a lot of small businesses in town. He fixes up floral displays on a weekly basis for some offices and supplies greenery for others. He was able to give us an excellent price for the roses, so we get them from him and he takes care of the plants we have. I can’t imagine Carl being the one. He’s one of those shy guys who would run the other way if a woman even talked to him.”

  “For someone who’s that shy, it’s surprising he got up the nerve to ask someone for a date, isn’t it?”

  “Here ya go.” Plates were slid in front of them. Squeeze bottles of ketchup, spicy brown mustard and hamburger relish were plopped down in the middle of the table. Tank scowled at Celeste. “You want more coffee?”

  “Please, and do you have any barbecue sauce?”

  His brow furrowed in suspicion. “For what?”

  “I like to d
unk my French fries in barbecue sauce,” she replied. “It’s tastier than ketchup.”

  “Yeah, I got that,” he growled before stomping off and returning with a bowl of barbecue sauce.

  “Thank you.” She turned back to Luc. “Well?” She picked up a fry, dunked it in the barbecue sauce and nibbled on it.

  He took his time adding mustard and relish to his burger and took a bite before replying. “Carl’s not a viable suspect.”

  “Viable suspect,” she murmured. “Gee, Mr. Dante, you sound just like a cop.”

  His dark scowl was worthy of Tank.

  “Look, I already know no matter what I say, you’ll investigate Carl anyway. Waste your time if you want. You won’t find a thing on him,” he told her, taking another bite of his burger.

  “I do value your input, but I still intend to check him out.” She did the same. “This is really good,” she said, taking a second bite. “I can’t believe I’ve missed this place.”

  “It’s not exactly four star,” he reminded her.

  “Hell, I’m not even one star,” Tank boomed with a deep rumbling laugh. He sounded proud.

  “Don’t you have a kitchen to clean?” Luc asked.

  “It’s not going anywhere. It’s a hell of a lot more fun listening to you two. So what is she? She sounds like a cop. I get a lot of cops in here. Haven’t seen her before.” Tank walked over and refilled their coffee cups. He looked at Celeste. “You don’t look like a cop.”

  “Tank,” Luc warned.

  The man shrugged good-naturedly as he walked off.

  Luc turned back to Celeste. “Who else do you want to dissect?”

  “For now, that’s pretty much it,” she admitted. “I have to follow every lead. At least I talked to you first before I started my digging.”

  “And that’s supposed to make me feel better? You don’t care about my opinion. You’ll do what you want to do because you already have me by the ba—shorts,” he quickly amended.

  She stared at him with expressive eyes. “Did the System hurt you that much, Luc?”

  He didn’t need to ask her what she meant. He tossed his napkin on his plate and slid out of the booth.