Jane played with the animals for a little longer, but ultimately decided she was too exhausted to keep James company while he watched mindless television. James was tired as well. It had been a trying day, but he found he couldn’t go to sleep. He sat on the sofa while images flickered on the screen and blue light danced across the dark living room, but his mind refused to focus on a particular show. Instead, his thoughts kept returning to the events of the past week. He replayed the night of Jackson’s stroke and called forth every physical detail of the sinister paper airplane delivered to Eliot. He then closed his eyes and traveled back into Tia’s room, seeing the overturned lamp, the posters on the wall, and the dead girl’s legs.
As the hours passed, James was incredibly grateful to have the animals beside him. Both of them had explored their new environment and had a snack. Now, as weary from the emotional evening as James, they curled up against his legs and placed their heads in his lap. He stroked each animal, feeling comforted by the warmth of their bodies and the soft sounds of their breathing. It was well past midnight when James finally drifted off to sleep.
He didn’t recall waking during the small hours of the morning and making his way to the bedroom. Yet he was right beside his digital clock when the alarm went off at a quarter to seven. Jane let out a groggy groan and Snickers jumped up from where he’d been sleeping between James’ feet and began to yip in excitement.
Within seconds, Eliot was in the room and on top of the bed too, squealing with happiness as he hugged Snickers, Jane, and James again and again until Miss Pickles meowed from the doorway.
“Holy moley! A cat too!” he cried in ecstasy. “This is the best day ever!”
Jane wasted no time in explaining the situation to Eliot and the boy seemed satisfied to live in the moment. As James sat down for breakfast at the kitchen table, listening to the new range of noises filling his house, he felt a surge of renewed hope.
“Is the coffee really that good?” Jane glanced his way and then popped open a can of Fancy Feast. Miss Pickles stood on her back feet and stretched her front paws out toward the cat food.
“I was just thinking that I am one lucky man to be able to wake up to this happy hubbub all summer long.” He waved his hand around the room. “Our little nest—it’s almost as if no one can touch us in here.”
Jane pointed at her chest. “Or in here.”
Later, she sent him out the door with a kiss and a brown bag lunch.
From that point on, James’ day only grew brighter. The library was busy and nearly every patron stopped by the reference desk to ask after Jackson’s health. By midmorning, he was able to share the wonderful news that his father was being released from the hospital.
“I just got off the phone with Milla!” James shouted in the break room. “Pop’s going home this evening!”
Francis, whose mouth was stuffed with an Italian hoagie, gave his boss a hearty thumbs-up.
“He’ll still need to go to rehab every day, but I know he’ll get better faster once he’s sleeping in his own bed again.” James spoke mostly to himself.
“And to be eating Milla’s cooking instead of hospital food.” Francis grimaced at the thought. “But Professor, how is Mr. Henry going to get up and down the stairs? Didn’t you tell me his left side is super weak?”
James hadn’t considered the extent of his father’s disability until that moment. He stood in the center of the room, awash with guilt. “There’s been so much going on. I hadn’t even thought about how different things will be for him now.”
“Don’t worry, Scott and I will meet you at their place after work.” Francis gave him a reassuring smile. “We can just move his bed into the den.”
“Brilliant!” James clapped Francis on the back so hard that the younger man nearly choked on an enormous bite of his salami, ham, and provolone on rye sandwich.
Once the twins were done with their break, James laid out the lunch Jane had prepared, noting that he was enjoying his vegetarian diet more and more. He gobbled up an egg-salad sandwich made with a hint of Dijon and lots of salt and pepper, and savored a bowl of fresh strawberries with a side of Crème Fraiche. When he unfolded a Post-it note from the bottom of his brown bag at the end of his meal, he smiled to see that Jane had drawn a heart with their initials inside with a purple crayon.
In the remaining minutes of his lunch break, James called Milla to discuss the relocation of the master bedroom. She made several jokes about how Jackson would never go to therapy if he could spend all his time watching reruns of The Price Is Right instead, but was grateful to the Fitzgeralds for both the idea and the willingness to move furniture.
“And James,” she whispered conspiratorially. “If your daddy’s singing catfish plaque happens to disappear during this little rearrangement that would be perfectly fine with me.”
Jackson voiced a garbled protest in the background and Milla laughed. “Just seeing if you were paying attention, darling!”
During the afternoon, Francis led a book club discussion while Scott assisted patrons in the tech corner and Fern manned the circulation desk. James offered recommendations to several mothers while their children played in the new and improved storybook area. Scott and Francis had recently built a small wooden puppet theater, and Fern, who was not only a talented photographer but apparently a skilled seamstress as well, had sewed a dozen puppets. She made the Big Bad Wolf, the Three Little Pigs, Little Red Riding Hood, Peter Pan, Captain Hook, Tinkerbell, a crocodile, a prince, a princess, and a fire-breathing dragon. She’d also set up a special display of picture books containing the characters she’d turned into puppets.
As James carried a stack of strays back to the circulation desk, he smiled at his newest employee. “Everything going okay?” he asked. “Are you adjusting to your career as a librarian?”
Fern showed him a dazzling smile. “I love it! Aside from my photography, this is the most rewarding job I’ve ever had. I feel like I was meant to be here.”
“I was just thinking the same thing,” he told her warmly.
She checked out a stack of romance books for a shy and blushing patron and then took a step closer to James. “I’ve been thinking about what we discussed the other day.” She paused, gathering courage. “I do have feelings for Scott. I’m going to meet with the other guy and tell him I’m not interested in anything but friendship.”
James nodded. “Good for you, Fern. You and Scott...” he trailed off, searching for the right words. “You seem to fit together. Like we all fit here in this library. Sometimes it takes a crazy chain of events to bring us where we are supposed to be.”
“Waxing philosophical, Professor?” an elderly patron teased. With a self-effacing grin James wheeled the reshelving cart to the fiction section. He’d barely placed the latest Lee Child novel on the shelf when someone tapped him on the elbow. It was Lucy. James took in his friend’s glassy eyes and slumped shoulders. Abruptly, the memories of the previous night he’d been able to hold at bay by concentrating on routine tasks came rushing back.
“How are you?” he asked softly.
Lucy tucked a lock of stray hair behind her ear. “It was a long and disappointing night. We found no clues. Not one!” Her mouth thinned into a line. “Sometimes this job is damned frustrating.”
James had rarely seen Lucy so irritable, but he assumed that part of it was due to fatigue. “Was Tia strangled?” he whispered.
“Doesn’t look like it. Someone pinned her down on the floor and held her by the neck, but that wasn’t the cause of death. The ME’s still working on that. With her parents being who they are, this case is the top priority of the department.” She ran her finger along the spines of the books on the shelf nearest her arm. “I heard Sheriff Huckabee break the news to them this morning. They couldn’t be reached last night because they’re on some exclusive Caribbean Island where there’s no cell phone service. They’ll be here in a few hours though. Having a private plane comes in handy at times like this,” she a
dded wryly.
James guessed the reason behind Lucy’s anger. “No suspects yet?”
Lucy shook her head. “None. The guy must have worn gloves. I’m assuming the killer is male because of the size of the bruises on Tia’s neck. We’ve matched most of the prints in the room to Tia. Her mother thinks the other unknown set belongs to the cleaning woman. The parents haven’t been upstairs since Tia moved in. I take it they weren’t very close to their daughter. Can you imagine never having been in your only daughter’s room?”
“Does Tia have siblings?”
“Two brothers. Both work for daddy, live in McMansions, and jet around the globe. They’ve never set foot in Tia’s house.” She glanced at her watch. “I need help with this case, James, and I don’t have time to chase a bunch of dead ends. I’m gonna call a supper club meeting so we can bat around a few theories. Plus, I want to ask Gillian to call Kenneth’s office and pretend to be a client. If anyone can worm information out of a tight-lipped lawyer, it’s Gillian.”
James reached out, briefly squeezed her shoulder, and then shelved the latest Booker prizewinner. “Let me make the arrangements. And don’t even think about spending your last ounce of energy driving by my place. Go home and get some sleep.”
“Sullie’s going to do the drive-by on the way back from Luigi’s. There’s no way I’m cooking tonight so we’re having giant plates of pasta. I plan to fall into a food coma afterward.” Suddenly, she brightened. “With all this drama going on, I forgot to tell you that Luigi and Luis’ mama have been spending an awful lot of time together. He’s even taught her how to toss pizza dough and shape it into a pie. Word is she’s a natural.”
James was astonished. “They like each other? Romantically?”
Lucy laughed for the first time since she’d entered the library. “Stranger things have happened.” She passed him a copy of Sue Monk Kidd’s Secret Life of Bees. “Is this any good?”
“Very. Do you want to check it out?”
“No thanks.” Lucy took her keys out of her pocket. “My reading material is going to consist of the report from the medical examiner, Sullie’s notes from the crime scene, and any background information I can find on Tia Royale.”
“Some people have all the fun,” James teased and walked his friend to the door.
After work, James, Scott, and Francis spent two hours at the Henry house moving furniture from the den to the dining room and from the master bedroom to the den. When they were done, Scott hobbled around the room on one leg, using a broom as a crutch.
“Dude, that is not cool,” Francis scolded his brother.
Scott shoved his glasses up his nose and frowned. “I’m not making fun of Mr. Henry, bro. I just want to be sure he’s got enough room to maneuver with his crutches.” When Scott banged his knee sharply into the dresser, all three men winced.
“I’m glad you decided to put our arrangements to the test,” James declared as he and Francis moved the dresser to the far side of the room. Standing back, he surveyed their work and was pleased with the results. Jackson and Milla now had a convenient first-floor bedroom and Jackson’s ugly and aged den furniture had been temporarily hidden under tablecloths.
Turning to the twins, James said, “We’d better get going. Pop won’t want us to see him struggling inside. I’ll need to give him at least one night to get used to all of this. Now, I’d like to buy you both dinner.” He reached for his wallet, but Francis held out a hand to stop him.
“You’re like family to us, Professor. And Milla cooks for us all the time, so we are totally even.”
Scott nodded in agreement. “Yeah, we should be paying you. We’re always getting free treats from Quincy’s Whimsies too. We are so spoiled by your family that it’s like Christmas all year long.”
James led them outside. “Well, just remember who your friends are when you get that big paycheck from the software company,” he teased and handed Francis a twenty. “Still, I insist on a token of thanks. Go get one of Luigi’s specialty pizzas.”
“That’s a deal!” Francis beamed and then turned thoughtful. “I kind of forgot about that monster check. We should be getting it any day now, right Scott?” He elbowed his brother, who was staring off into space. “Right Scott?”
The twin placed a hand on his flat stomach. “You had me at ‘pizza’. I’d trade our future LCD monitor for a pineapple and ham thin crust.”
Francis’ eyes lit up. “Then let’s go get one! We can eat it while watching Season Five of Battlestar Galactica. Again. G’night, Professor.”
James waved at the twins and drove off, wishing that he too would be dining on something from Luigi’s menu that evening. However, he forgot all about the pizza parlor the moment he stepped into his house.
“Hello?” he called and waited expectantly. Eliot always raced into his arms as soon as he heard the front door opening, but no footsteps sounded in the empty hall.
“Daddy! I’m cooking dinner!” Eliot shouted from the next room.
Smiling, James walked into the kitchen to find his son dressed in a fire truck apron and matching chef’s hat. He was standing on a stool, filling a bowl with grated cheese. Jane was setting the table. The moment she set down the last fork and napkin she walked over and kissed James on the cheek.
“What are we having?” James asked his son, who waved at him with a spatula.
“Pizzadillas.” His little chest puffed out with pride. “Mommy and I made it up.”
James cocked an eyebrow at Jane. “Please elucidate.”
Jane gestured at the buffet station she and Eliot had created on the counter. “Choose your toppings, just like you would at a pizza parlor, and then Eliot will arrange them on a tortilla. I will cook each pizzadilla in the skillet and you can create ‘slices’ using the pizza cutter.”
“Wow,” James said as he made a big deal over the display. “You two should have your own food show. You could call it, Vegetarian Creations.”
The Henrys sprinkled cheese, black olives, mushrooms, and vegetarian sausage onto tortillas. As they ate, Miss Pickles amused herself by batting a grocery store receipt across the floor.
“That cat loves paper,” Jane stated.
Eliot grinned. “Yeah, you should see what she did to the toilet paper in my bathroom!”
Jane formed her hands into claws. “Shredded the whole thing until it looked just like this bowl of mozzarella.”
Snickers was lying half in the living room and half in the kitchen. When James asked Jane how the dog had fared that day, the little schnauzer lifted his head, wagged his tail, and then closed his eyes again.
“I’m a bit worried about him.” Jane cast a concerned glance at Snickers. “He hasn’t eaten much today and he’s been moping about. Do you think he’s homesick?”
Eliot stopped chewing in order to listen to his father’s answer. James shot Jane a warning look. “No. He’s just a tired doggie.” Later, as he and Jane loaded the dishwasher, he whispered, “Snickers might be sick. Not homesick, but physically ill. Is he drinking any water?”
Jane turned the dishwasher on and waited for the noise to overpower their hushed conversation. “He’s lapped up a little, but not much. Also, he hasn’t done his doggie business all day. I’ve already made an appointment with a vet Gillian recommended. I’m sure he’ll be fine, but I wanted to play it safe.” She slid an arm around James’ waist. “How are you doing? After all that’s gone on lately …”
“My supper club is going to meet tomorrow night to help Lucy with her case. She hasn’t got a single lead regarding Tia’s murderer. There’s also the matter of our stalker. We’re really going to have to think outside of the box if we want to flush Kenneth out of the bushes. If this whacko really is Kenneth.” He smiled at her. “But all of these things—even Pop’s stroke— are much easier to bear with you and Eliot under this roof. You two chase away the shadows.”
Jane squeezed him tightly and then backed away, snapping at his legs with the damp dishrag. “I’ll
finish in here. You go read to Iron Chef Junior. He’s picked out Green Eggs and Ham but I’ve been instructed to tell you that ‘ham’ should be replaced by the words ‘yam’ or ‘jam.’”
“Green eggs and jam?” James grimaced. “Dr. Seuss is going vegetarian? Somebody had better warn the Grinch.” He lowered his voice until it sounded like a radio announcer’s. “This Christmas, he shall carve the roast beets!”
Groaning, Jane aimed the dishtowel a little higher and shooed him from the room.
_____
Lindy was in such high spirits over Alma’s fascination with Luigi that she offered to make bean and cheese enchiladas for the supper club’s gathering the following evening.
She entered Lucy’s house humming a lively tune, her café au lait skin flushed with good humor. Popping the casserole dish containing the enchiladas in Lucy’s oven, she performed a little twirl in the center of the floor, holding her flouncing black skirt out and clacking an imaginary pair of castanets.
“Alma’s in love. Alma’s in love,” she sang.
“You hired a Flamenco dancer for us, Lucy?” Bennett joked as he uncapped five bottles of cold beer.
“Better open the whole six-pack,” Lucy instructed. “Sullie’s coming over.”
Bennett paused, the opener hovering over the last bottle. “For our meeting?”
James and Gillian exchanged glances. It had always been just the five of them. Lindy had never thought to include Luis or James, Jane. This was their time to celebrate their friendship and to help one another solve personal problems as well as tackle eating issues. They were the Flab Five. The number five was sacred.
“It’s his case,” Lucy replied firmly. “And he knows how well we work as a team.” The set of her jaw relaxed and she elbowed Bennett. “I know the newspapers give me all the credit, but I’ve told Sullie about every case we’ve cracked as a team. He’ll just sit back and listen. You’ll never know he’s here.”
Black Beans & Vice Page 17