by Cindy Bell
“Yes. Hopefully, I’ll have come up with more ideas by then.”
Joyce opened the door to her car and climbed inside. As she pulled away from the comic book shop, she had an uneasy feeling. Though they were either adults or close to it, they seemed like little boys to her, with no one to guide them. She hated the thought of children growing up with no one there for them. Her own children had their own struggles to face, but one thing they never lacked was love. She wondered if Adam found it hard to accept that kind of caring from Matt because he’d gone so long without it.
When she stepped into the house, Molly bounded up to her. She picked up the bunny and rubbed behind her ears as she carried her to the couch.
“What a day, Molly. What a day.” She sighed and trailed her fingertips through the rabbit’s soft fur. After a few moments, Molly wiggled out of her lap and jumped down to the floor. Joyce picked up her phone and gazed at her son’s phone number on the contacts list. Unlike her daughter who she spoke to quite often, it had been some time since she had really spoken to her son. After the funeral, he seemed to keep himself even more busy. Her finger hovered over the dial button, then chose text instead.
Just want to tell you I love you. I hope all is going well.
Joyce sent the text and smiled to herself. Maybe he would read it, and maybe he would reply. But even if he didn’t, she would at least know that it was sent. As she went through the routine of making a small meal for herself, she considered what it would be like to live the way Adam did. She guessed there were times when he had no idea where his next meal was coming from. Perhaps he’d slept outside more than once. She imagined that kind of vulnerable life led to abuse and neglect of all kinds. But he’d overcome all of it to start his own business. The thought that he had achieved all of that, then to be murdered, upset her even more. No, she could not let this go. She had to find out the truth. A few seconds later, she received a text in return.
Love you too Mom.
She fell asleep with her heart warmed despite the stress of Adam’s murder.
Chapter 9
Early the next morning, Brenda woke up to a buzz on her cell phone. She wiped at her eyes then checked the clock. It wasn’t even seven yet, and it was a day off from the truck. With one hand, she reached around the bedside table until she found her phone. She tried to yank it off the charger so she wouldn’t have to sit up, but only succeeded in knocking a glass of water over.
“What’s that?” Charlie mumbled beside her.
“It’s nothing, don’t worry about it.” She placed a kiss on his cheek, then slipped out of bed. On her days off, she liked to let Charlie sleep in. She handled getting Sophie to school and usually made them a special breakfast to leisurely enjoy together. Once she was out of the room and in the hallway, she checked her phone. It was a text from Joyce.
When you get up, let me know. I want to do some research on Pierce’s connection to Adam. I think there might be something there that will help solve the murder. You’re better with this searching stuff so I could really use your help.
Brenda rubbed her eyes again, then sent a text back to Joyce.
I’m up, do you want to come over for breakfast around nine?
She headed to the kitchen to start getting Sophie’s breakfast ready. Moments later, she received a text back.
I’ll be there! Thanks!
As Brenda woke Sophie, helped her get dressed, and brushed her hair into a tight braid, she couldn’t help but savor each moment. She knew it could be a hassle day in and day out to rush around and meet a certain schedule, but she really enjoyed her alone time with Sophie in the morning when she had it. She got all of the latest school gossip, from who liked ponies and who liked cats, to whether or not she remembered to turn in her spelling homework. They would also sing some of their favorite songs together on the drive to school, and Brenda usually sung them again on the way back home. By the time she reached the house, Charlie was up and wandering around the kitchen.
“Hey! No way! It’s my turn to make breakfast.” Brenda dropped her keys in a dish on the counter and shooed him away from the carton of eggs he’d taken out of the fridge.
“Oh well, I thought you might have other things to do today.”
“Actually, I did invite Joyce over to have breakfast with us. I hope you don’t mind.”
He looked down at his bathrobe and slippers. “I guess I should put on some pants.”
“That might be a good idea.” She laughed as she gave him a playful swat.
“Pants.” He sighed and headed back to the bedroom. She fought off a pang of guilt for interrupting their alone time. It was important to try and find out who killed Adam, and she knew that Charlie agreed with that. As soon as the pancakes and eggs were ready, there was a knock on the door. Brenda opened it to find Joyce on the other side with a notebook, a binder, and a box of pencils in her hands.
“Here, let me take some of that.” Brenda grabbed the binder and pencils. “What’s all of this for?”
“I thought we should start a case file.”
“Oh?” Brenda smiled.
“Yes, Davey always did. He would have his own personal case files that he kept at home so that he could look through unsolved cases on his off time.”
“He was quite dedicated.”
“Yes, he was.” Joyce stepped inside. “Oh wow, everything smells delicious.”
“Just have a seat at the table and I’ll bring you a plate. Do you want coffee?”
“Yes please.” Joyce sank down in a chair and set the notebook on the table. “I’ve been up since four making notes in here.”
“Oh Joyce, that’s not good, you need your sleep.”
“I did sleep a little. But I just couldn’t get the thoughts out of my head. I figured I might as well put them down on paper.”
“Morning, Joyce.” Charlie stepped into the kitchen and offered her a warm smile.
“Morning, Charlie. Thank you for letting me borrow your wife this morning.”
“Oh, it’s fine. I know you two are working hard on this. Just let me know if you need any help. I have some work I can do in my office. Unless you need it?” He glanced at Brenda.
“No, I have my computer we can use in here. But have some breakfast first, hmm?”
“That, I won’t turn down.” He grinned. As they ate together, they discussed what they thought of the case so far.
“I think Pierce might be the key. He’s the one with all of the influence,” Joyce said.
“Right, but what does Pierce really have to do with any of it?” Brenda shook her head. “I mean, Vince is the one with the history of violence and crime.”
“That’s true, and he’s still high on my list. But I just can’t shake the feeling that Pierce might be hiding something.”
“And what about Patrick?” Charlie took a sip of his coffee. “From what Brenda told me, he seemed a little off-balance.”
“Maybe. But he cared a lot about Adam. It would take a lot to go from caring to killing. Don’t you think?” Joyce finished the last bite of her pancake.
“In some cases. But it depends. Was he really friends with Adam, or was he possessive of Adam? Even if their relationship wasn’t romantic, that doesn’t mean that he wasn’t unnaturally possessive,” Charlie said.
“He did seem very put out by the fact that Adam was friendly with Matt.” Brenda tapped her fork on her plate. “That could be a sign that his jealousy went past normal into obsession.”
“It could be.” Joyce nodded.
“But what about Cooper?” Brenda asked. “Cooper pretty much admitted to taking bribes from Adam. I don’t think that Cooper would be able to accept bribes without Pierce knowing. If that ever got out, Pierce would be in trouble. Pierce might have even been taking bribes as well.”
“That’s a good point.” Charlie picked up his plate and carried it to the sink. “It’s definitely worth investigating. Let me know if you two need anything.” After he disappeared into his office, J
oyce picked up the remaining plates on the table and carried them to the sink.
“I just have to wonder, did Pete know that Adam was going to sell hamburgers, and would that be enough to inspire him to kill?”
“I’m not sure, it seems like a stretch, but Pete does seem to have quite an edge to him. Let’s see if we can find anything on Pierce first. He should be the easiest to research.” Brenda wiped off the table, then set her laptop on top of it. Within a few moments, she had it open to a search engine. “Let’s just see what Pierce has been up to over the past few months.”
Joyce sat down beside her and peered at the screen as Brenda typed on the keyboard. “How do you do that so easily?”
“Here, I can show you a few tricks.” Brenda smiled at her, then turned the computer to face her. “Being married to a journalist, I’ve learned a few things when it comes to research. There are search engines that are better designed for searching for information about people, and there are also specific ways to word things to get all of the most recent political activities. Here we go.” She typed in a few more things, then turned the screen back to Joyce. “That looks like a good place to start, right?”
“Absolutely.” Joyce skimmed through the options on the list. She clicked on the most recent topic and when it opened, she saw a large photograph of Pierce. He stood in front of a large building located a few streets away from Green Street. “It looks like he was trying to drum up support to get the area rezoned.” She narrowed her eyes. “I had no idea he was involved in this.”
“Oh? Is it something you’ve been keeping up with?” Brenda asked.
“Just a little. If it goes through, we won’t be able to have the food trucks on Green Street anymore. I figured there wasn’t a chance of it happening, but with Pierce’s backing, it certainly could.” Joyce shook her head.
“What? But that’s ridiculous. He just visited us to show us his support. Why would he do that if he’s working against us?” Brenda leaned back in her chair. “I know politicians sometimes play both sides, but this seems a little extreme.”
“Something isn’t right here.” She scrolled through the information. “I don’t see why Pierce would want to shut us all down. It’s the best street possible for making a high income. The public loves having the trucks there. I did my research before we set up shop, and it was the most stable place when it came to sales.”
“I can tell you this much, if he is supporting it, then he has some kind of motivation to be doing so. Maybe we can’t figure out what that is right now, but there is a reason. There is always a reason.”
“Yes, let’s see what this next link is.” Joyce clicked on another link, and an array of photographs appeared before her. “Wow, here he is with the man who started the push for the rezoning. They’re shaking hands, do you see?”
“That’s terrible. That man is so shifty.” Brenda crossed her arms and stared at the screen. “I wonder how he would like it if we decided to shut down his office.” She shook her head. “I guess he wouldn’t care, because he would still get his paychecks.”
“Yes, you’re right about that.” Joyce frowned and stood up from the desk. “No matter what we think, he’s the one with all of the power. Now with Adam gone, we may lose a lot of our regular customers. He was a huge draw for the area.”
“Not to mention that the unsolved murder is going to make people wary of coming to Green Street to eat. Maybe it would be better to find a new location.”
“I can start scouting for one.” Joyce pulled out her phone. “The only problem is, like I said, we had the best deal on Green Street. Anywhere else is going to cost us a lot more, and we’re not going to get nearly the same amount of foot traffic.”
“I guess we’ll just have to increase our advertising. Where are we at with the truck wrap?”
“I’ve got Ella set up to come out this Monday.”
“Hopefully we’ll still be on Green Street.” Brenda grimaced.
“Yes, I think we will be. If Pierce is able to get approval for the rezoning, I think it will still take quite some time before it is enforced.”
“I wonder if the other truck owners know about this?” Brenda asked.
“Maybe we should tell them?” Joyce met Brenda’s eyes. “We could hold a protest. Get the media involved. Make sure that everyone knows what Pierce is actually up to.”
“You know what, Joyce?”
“What?” Joyce winced. “Too much?”
“No, it’s just perfect!” Brenda stood up from the desk and turned to face her. “It’s just what we need. Pierce is trying to slide this through without us noticing. I thought he was up to something. It’s time we let him know that we do absolutely notice what he is up to, and we do not agree with it. I think once we inform the other truck owners, they will want to participate as well.”
“Not a bad idea at all. I have a mailing list for all of the truck owners on Green Street. I’ll send out an email with these links and we’ll see what kind of response we get.”
“Good idea.”
“We should get some supplies to make signs. That will really make Pierce take notice.” Joyce pulled out her phone and started to make a list of things they would need.
“I will tell Charlie about it, too. He might be able to pull some strings and get a few reporters to show up for the protest.”
“Tell me about what?” Charlie paused at the entrance of the kitchen. “I was just going to get a drink.”
“About the protest we’re going to hold on Green Street tomorrow.”
“A protest? About what?” He grabbed a bottle of water.
“It seems that Pierce has been supporting, and even pushing for, the rezoning of Green Street. If it goes through, food trucks won’t be allowed there anymore.” Brenda closed her computer. “Joyce and I are going to organize a protest.”
“Interesting.” He took a sip of water, then pursed his lips. “I’ve heard about that from someone. There’s a lot of money to be gained from the rezoning by the brick and mortar food businesses in that area.”
“Well, we’re not going to just stand by and let it happen.” Joyce frowned. “He was just on Green Street, all smiles and support. What kind of underhanded person is able to pull that off?”
“A well-practiced, deceitful one.” Charlie set down his bottle of water. “Just be aware that if you go up against Pierce, things could get messy, very messy.”
“Yes, we’re aware.” Joyce pursed her lips. “If a man can be that duplicitous, he could very likely be a murderer as well.”
“Perhaps, but men of his ilk usually hire someone else to do their dirty work. Watch your step. I’ll let a few of my colleagues know about the protest. Just email me when you know what time you’ll be starting up,” Charlie said before he left the room.
“Great, because the responses are pouring in.” Joyce gazed at her phone. “I’ve already gotten eight emails back, and they are furious. There are only fifteen trucks on the street. I’m sure we’ll have quite a turnout for the protest.”
“Then we’d better get moving on the supplies.”
“I can take care of it, unless you want to join me?”
“I’d love to,” Brenda said.
“Are you sure? I know it’s a day off.”
“Charlie has a ton of work to do, and I don’t have to be anywhere until Sophie is done with school. Let me just say goodbye to Charlie and grab my purse and keys. We can take my car.”
“Sounds good to me.” Joyce slipped her purse over her shoulder and waited for Brenda near the door.
As Brenda drove towards the shopping district, Joyce reviewed her list on the phone.
“Let’s see, we’ll need the hardware store, and the craft store.”
“Good, they’re on the same road. We can park here and walk.” Brenda parked across from a line of shops. She fed a few quarters into the meter then pointed to the end of the street. “The hardware store is down there, but the craft store is only a few doors down, so we
can hit there first.”
“Okay, we need some markers, poster boards, and maybe a bullhorn if they happen to have one.”
“Hmm, maybe.” As they began to cross the street towards the shops, Brenda stopped short. “Look, it’s Vince.” She grabbed Joyce by the elbow and pulled her back behind a van parked along the side of the road.
“Where?” Joyce peeked around the side of the van.
“There, near the butcher’s shop.” Brenda pointed to a small shop a few buildings down from where they were hiding. “I think he’s just going in.”
“Yes, he is. We should follow him.”
“And do what? Ask him if he’s a killer?” Brenda edged back behind the van again. “I’m not sure that I want to risk surprising a man who might have killed and is likely at least armed.”
“We’ll just happen to be shopping for meat as well. No big deal, right?” Joyce shrugged.
“All right, let’s do it.” Brenda followed after Joyce, who was already halfway to the butcher shop.
“Oh, what a lovely shop!” Joyce exclaimed as she stepped through the door. Her gleeful voice drew the attention of everyone else in the store. The shop itself was rather small, with a counter that ran the length of the back. It had old world charm, as if it belonged in some quaint village somewhere. A woman and a man stood behind the counter while another customer placed his order. Vince was just about to walk through a door to the rear section of the shop. He paused, then turned to face both women as the door closed behind them.
“Joyce, Brenda. What are you doing here?” He offered a half-smile. “Not following me, are you?”
“We’re here to buy some meat.” Joyce raised an eyebrow. “Why are you here?”
“To do the same, of course. Great minds think alike, I suppose.” Vince smirked.
“I suppose.” Joyce narrowed her eyes. “Have you already placed your order?”
“I have a deal with the owner.”
“Oh, I see.” Joyce smiled. “That’s nice.”
“It is. If you order a large quantity, he gives you a discount. I don’t imagine that you will need meat for your truck. Unless you’re getting very creative with donuts.” Vince smiled.