“Sorry I put you through that,” Inspector Lee said quietly, taking my arm and leading me a few feet away from the view of the mess. “It was obvious the place had been tossed, but I needed to see your reaction when you saw it. And you told me exactly what I wanted to hear. That this is definitely not a normal situation.”
“Definitely not normal,” I muttered, clutching my vest closer.
“Good to know.”
“I guess I could’ve been one of the last people to see him in his shop yesterday.” Oh, I didn’t like that thought. What had happened after I’d left Joey? Who had been here? Destroyed the shop? Why?
“That’s entirely possible.” Inspector Lee looked me in the eye. “So I’m glad you were willing to take a look and corroborate what I was thinking.”
“I’m always happy to help.” But I felt myself starting to shake, and I rubbed my arms in a futile attempt to warm up. One thing was clear to me. I would never be able to handle being a police detective. Inspector Lee was calm and cool, and I was a mess just being a bystander. Seeing Joey’s shop torn apart like that was breaking my heart.
Inspector Lee called Officer Peterson over. “Do me a favor and call SF General. Ask about the patient that was just brought in. His name is . . . Wait.” She pulled out her notepad and flipped the pages. “Joseph Falco.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“And while you’ve got them on the phone, ask about the status of the other guy they took out of here. Will Rabbit. Thanks.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
The officer jogged off to make the phone call, and I stood there for a moment, wallowing in the misery of knowing I had never heard Joey’s last name before. Falco. Joey Falco. I should have known that much. Sure, it wasn’t as if we were close personal friends, but I saw him around regularly and I liked him. It would’ve been nice to know that one small detail about his life. And I suddenly thought of all the other people in my daily life who were a part of my world and yet strangers, too. Grocers, waiters, the mailman . . .
The sun had made it over the eastern edge of the building and rays of light caused the leaves of the aspen and olive trees to shimmer in the soft breeze. Grateful, I turned my face up to feel the radiant warmth. After a moment, I glanced around at all the police activity and felt out of place for the first time. There was nothing for me to do here and no doubt soon Inspector Lee would tell me I was in the way. And I was ready to go home and get to work.
I glanced at my watch. “I’d better get going.”
“What about your shoes?” Lee asked.
I gasped in shock. “Oh, wow.”
“You forgot all about them, didn’t you?”
“Completely.” But who could blame me? First, there was Joey and Rabbit, and then the shoe repair shop looking like rage-filled elves had run amok. It’s a wonder I could remember anything. “Thanks for reminding me. I think seeing Joey’s shop all messed up must’ve caused my brain to short-circuit.”
“Yup,” she said, nodding. “Happens all the time. You get wrapped up in something bigger than yourself and you forget about your own troubles. It shows that you’re a good person.”
I stared at her in surprise. “Thank you. That is really sweet.”
“Yeah, well.” She chuckled. “Let’s not get too sloppy here.”
“Too late,” I told her. “Now I know you like me.”
“Okay.” The inspector rolled her eyes for dramatic effect. “What do your shoes look like?”
How embarrassing. My heels weren’t exactly Jimmy Choos, but they were mine and they went with everything. With a sheepish laugh, I said, “Burgundy pumps, two-inch heels. Not exactly high fashion, but I think they’re pretty.”
“Come on. Let’s see if we can find them.”
We walked back to the edge of the door and gazed inside. Lee asked, “Do you see them?”
It was clear that Inspector Lee was trying to avoid having either of us step inside the shop. That was fine with me since I didn’t want my footprints all over the crime scene. Looking for my particular shoes in the pandemonium of upended footwear and other items shouldn’t have been easy. Luckily, though, I caught a break. I scanned the surface of the floor, spied my burgundy shoes, and pointed them out to Inspector Lee.
“Okay, I see them,” she said, stepping back and closing the door. “Now here’s the deal. I can’t just walk in and pick up your shoes. I’ve got to let the crime scene guys get in there first.”
She must have noted my disappointment because she quickly added, “But don’t worry. I’ll talk to them and work it out. Once they give the okay, I’ll bring your shoes over. Hopefully it’ll be this afternoon, but tomorrow at the latest. And I’ll warn you: Don’t be too shocked if they’re covered in fingerprint dust.”
“I don’t mind cleaning them at all. I’m sorry you’re going to so much trouble for a pair of shoes—but I’m pitifully grateful you’re doing it.”
Shrugging, she said, “I’m a sucker for a sad shoe story.”
I laughed and she smiled back.
“Okay, truth be told, I’m simply a wonderful person.”
“Yes, you are.” I reached out and gave her a hug. “Thank you.”
“No problem.” She laughed shortly. “Besides, now you owe me.”
• • •
Back home after spending all morning at the crime scene, I felt my emotions still churning. I knew from experience that the best way to calm down was to get right to work. I quickly prepped for more papermaking by first filling the plastic tub with water and carefully carrying it over to my workshop counter.
Next, I checked that the twenty playing cards I’d made the day before were completely dry. I stacked them all and placed them between two felt squares. Then I slipped the stack between two smooth pieces of wood and slid the entire bundle into the book press.
Ordinarily, I wouldn’t have used the book press to straighten out a piece of handmade paper, because I loved all the uneven ripples and waves that happened during the drying process. But since I was making a full set of playing cards, I wanted them to fit together relatively smoothly inside the matchbox cover. So a light pressing would help. They would still retain that deckle-edged, slightly uneven look of handmade paper, and I hoped the people at BABA would love that offbeat, artsy feeling as much as I did.
I spent the rest of the day with my playing cards, having fun tearing up white envelopes into bits and tossing them into the blender, filling it with water, and adding snippets of flowers and leaves and grass, along with a quick shake of glitter, and then blending it all together until it was nice and creamy.
It was five o’clock and I had almost completed all the cards in the suit of hearts when the security phone rang, indicating there was someone downstairs at the door to the building. I realized I’d been completely wrapped up in my own little papermaking world, but after the traumatic morning I’d gone through, it had felt good to zone out all day. But now I raced to the kitchen to answer the phone, hoping it would be Inspector Lee with more news from the Courtyard—and my shoes.
In the kitchen, I stared at the newly installed computer screen and picked up the phone.
“Hi, Janice,” I said, smiling. It still felt a little odd to call her that, especially since I’d spent all morning at a crime scene where she was in full “Inspector Lee” mode. But I figured since she was bringing me my beloved shoes, we could transition over to friendship territory.
“Hey, Brooklyn. I’ve got your shoes,” Lee said.
“That’s great. I’ll buzz you in.” I pressed the pound key to allow her into the building and watched her disappear from the screen. As soon as I saw the green light on the edge of the screen indicating that she was inside the building and the door was safely locked behind her, I returned to my workshop to finish up for the day.
We had recently gone through another upgrade in our security measures after a group of horrible people was able to get into our apartment. They’d killed a guest of ours and threatened Derek and me and some of our friends. It was one of the worst experiences of my life, and I never wanted to go through that again. So far, this sophisticated new system was working well. And on the off chance that I noticed someone trying to sneak into the building behind Inspector Lee, I would simply press the asterisk key and an earsplitting alarm would go off by the front door. It also transmitted a signal to the local police department.
I knew it would take a few minutes for the elevator to climb to the sixth floor, so I had time to pour out the tub of water, clean the blender, and wash my hands.
As I walked into the living room, the front door opened and Inspector Lee walked in with Derek trailing right behind her. They both carried briefcases, although Inspector Lee’s was more along the lines of a smart leather tote bag. The woman had the best taste in everything.
“Darling,” Derek said, “look who I found in our elevator.”
“Excellent timing,” Lee said with a smile.
I chuckled as I walked over and gave Derek a kiss. “I didn’t know you were coming home so early.”
“I was at a meeting downtown and decided to come home instead of going back to the office.”
“I’m so glad.”
“Me, too,” he said, and kissed me back. Then he turned to our guest. “Inspector, are you off duty? Would you care for a glass of wine?”
“I am, and I would, thanks.” She looked from Derek to me and back again. “I’m glad you’re here, Commander. I wanted to talk to both of you, and the news would probably be better told over a glass of wine.”
I exchanged a glance with Derek. What was this all about?
“I’ll put my things down and join you in a moment.”
“I’ll pour the wine,” I said, walking into the kitchen. “Let’s sit here at the bar.”
The kitchen and dining rooms were separated by a wide counter with stools on either side. Inspector Lee—Janice—sat on the dining room side while I went to the kitchen cabinet to find wineglasses.
She set her tote bag on the floor and pulled out a smaller plastic bag and held it up for me to see. “I’ve got your shoes. I’ll leave them right here.” She set the bag down on the floor by her tote bag.
“Thank you so much. You have no idea how grateful I am.”
“I’m getting the picture.”
“Seriously, you’re a lifesaver.”
“I appreciate your gratitude, but, all joking aside, we need to have a long talk.”
I was instantly on guard. “What?”
“Come on, Brooklyn.” She snorted and shook her head sadly. “Having only one pair of shoes for every occasion is ludicrous. As a woman I’m offended by the very idea.”
“I know.” I uncorked a bottle of pinot noir and poured the first glass. “Robin and my sisters have said the same thing to me. But I’m not completely hopeless. I mean, I have other shoes—really pretty ones—but these are so comfortable. And besides, I might’ve mentioned that I suck at shopping.”
“You just need a few lessons from an expert.”
“Believe me, Robin’s tried. But if you’re willing to give it a shot, I would love it.” I grinned. “I should warn you, though—I’ve gone shopping with Robin and Alex and all of my sisters, and the lessons just don’t stick. Apparently I’m unteachable.”
Robin was my oldest friend, who had recently married my brother Austin. She had a great sense of style that somehow had never been transferred over to me. And Alex was my neighbor who always looked fabulous. Whenever I needed wardrobe help, I ran down the hall for guidance from her.
Janice’s eyes narrowed with intent. “I’ll make it stick.”
Only slightly alarmed, I nodded. If anyone could, it would be Janice Lee. “I believe you.”
Derek walked in just then, pulled a box of crackers from the pantry, and filled a small bowl. Then he took a wedge of brie from the refrigerator, set it on a plate, and placed cheese and crackers on the counter.
“Hey, thanks,” Janice said with a surprised smile. “This is nice.”
He sat down next to me and held up his glass. “Cheers.” We all clinked our glasses and took sips.
“Janice was able to bring my shoes back,” I said, making small talk before we got down to the real conversation I wanted to have.
“He had already fixed them?” he asked.
“Oh.” I frowned at Janice. “I didn’t think to look at them.”
“They looked fixed to me,” she said. “And all polished up, too. See for yourself.” She reached for the bag and handed it to me.
I pulled the shoes from the bag and was thrilled to see that they were free of fingerprint powder. I took a moment to admire them, pressing on the heel to make sure it was firmly back in place. “Wow, he did a great job.”
“Speaking of our cobbler,” Derek murmured, “how is he doing?”
I gasped. “I’m so sorry I didn’t ask sooner. Is Joey going to be all right?” I couldn’t believe I hadn’t thought to ask about Joey first thing. It really had been a long day for me.
“Yeah, about that,” Janice muttered.
I could tell from her expression that the news wasn’t good. I shouldn’t have been surprised. Joey had looked near death when I first saw him after the paramedics had pulled the shelf off of him. And hadn’t we all been wondering who had “murdered” Joey earlier?
Janice stroked her fingertips against the wineglass. “We did hear from the hospital.”
I braced myself. “And?”
“Your friend died on the way there.”
I took a deep breath. “That’s just so awful.” Even though I’d suspected it all along, it was difficult to hear it confirmed beyond a doubt. “I’m sorry. He was a sweet guy.”
“That’s what everybody said,” Janice said.
We sat silently for a few seconds. Then Derek asked, “What about Will?”
“The news is better for Will Rabbit,” she said, and took another sip of her wine. “He’s still unconscious, but they expect him to come out of it in the next day or two. They don’t think there will be any lasting damage, but time will tell.”
Derek took my hand in his and squeezed in sympathy. “Thank you for letting us know, Inspector.”
“You’re welcome.” She shook her head. “Worst part of my job is informing people of a death.”
“I’m sorry you had to deliver the bad news,” I said. “Have you been at the Courtyard all day?”
“Mostly, yeah.” She blew out a breath as if relieved to have the hard part of the conversation finished. “It took a while to interview all the shopkeepers. I ran over to the hospital to check on our unconscious victim on the off chance that he’d be able to make a statement. No such luck, but maybe tomorrow. Anyway, then I hustled myself back to the Courtyard to keep tabs on the crime scene guys.”
“You’ve been busy,” I said.
“It’s been a full day,” she agreed.
“That brings up a question I meant to ask earlier,” Derek said. “Are you still working with Inspector Jaglom?”
“Absolutely. Nate took a few days off to visit his son at college.” She shook her head as she sipped her wine. “That kid grew up too fast. Last thing I remember, he was playing Little League baseball.”
I nodded. “That’s how it is with my nieces and nephews.”
“I’m glad to hear you’re still a team,” Derek said. “Do send him our best.”
“He gets back tonight, so you might see him lurking around in the next day or so.”
“Hope so,” I said. Nathan Jaglom had been Inspector Lee’s partner since the very first time we met them. He was a decade older than Janice, but a lovely man in a rumpled, comfortable sort of way. Quite the contrast to his fashionable partner, but they made it work.
After another sip of wine, Janice said, “Hey, that Courtyard is a really nice place. I never knew all those shops were in there.”
“It’s great, isn’t it?” I said. “I just hate that it’s now the scene of an awful tragedy. It’s always been a wonderful place to hang out.”
“It will be again,” she assured me, sounding like the voice of experience. “I figured you haunt that bookstore pretty regularly.”
“Like every day,” I said, pleased that she’d gone into the bookstore. “They’ve got a great mix of old and new books, plus a lot of unique gifts and cards.”
“I know.” She suppressed a smile. “I might’ve picked up a few things while I was between interviews.”
“Ah, I’m impressed.” I really was enjoying getting to know Janice Lee in her off-duty persona. “So you truly are a good shopper.”
“Told you.” She shrugged as she took a bite of a cracker. “I’m not ashamed to admit it.”
“Oh, no—you should be proud,” I said, laughing. “It’s a gift—believe me.”
Derek coughed politely, clearly ready to change the subject. “I was wondering, Inspector—and I don’t mean to suggest that we insinuate ourselves into your case. But the fact is, we live right across the street from your crime scene. Is there anything we can do for you from this vantage point? We’re happy to offer our services.”
I knew that if I’d been the one suggesting something like that, Janice Lee would have laughed me out of my own house. But coming from Derek, with his impressive background and lovely British accent, the offer had some gravitas. She considered for a long moment as she spread cheese onto her cracker.
“Let me think about it.”
“Of course.”
“I will say,” she said, “that based on what I was told in several interviews today, I’ve arranged to have a patrol car drive by every two hours for the next few days. And of course I’ll be coming back in the next day or so to check up on a few details. But other than that, I’m not sure what else the police can do to keep a closer eye on the place. I did suggest to the owner of the building that she hire a private security company.”
And coincidentally, Derek owns an internationally renowned private security agency, I thought, but didn’t say aloud.
We waited while she bit into the cracker and chewed. A few seconds later she continued. “I’m not about to advocate your involvement, but naturally, if you were to glance out the window and see something odd or questionable, I would appreciate a phone call.”
“Naturally,” Derek said. “And we do shop at the Courtyard several times a week, so we’ll be happy to report anything out of the ordinary that we see or hear.”
She nodded. “The SFPD appreciates your cooperation.”
My gaze darted back and forth from Janice to Derek. They were clearly talking in code and I wouldn’t have been surprised to hear later that she had just hired Derek to run interference for her on this case. It had happened before. But it made me smile to see them talking normally on one level while the subtext of their conversation was happening on a whole other level. It was nice that they spoke the same subliminal language—most of which I rarely understood—and I knew I’d get a full report from Derek as soon as Janice left.
I asked, “Did you talk to anyone who mentioned the graffiti attack and the spate of minor vandalism that’s been going on around here lately?”
Janice looked frustrated. “I finally got wind of it, and that’s when I called for the patrol. But it took a while. Those first two women I interviewed—after I got them to stop ranting and howling—just wanted to blame each other for what had happened. And a few of the other shopkeepers had similar opinions, frankly. But I finally talked to some folks who gave me the bigger picture of what’s been going on. I may have to go outside the Courtyard to get to the truth.”
“So today’s crimes might actually center on something bigger in scope than mere jealousy or rivalry,” Derek murmured.
She took a slow sip of wine. “It’s too early to know anything for sure yet, but it’s possible.”
“At least it can’t be blamed on a book this time,” I muttered.
Janice laughed. “Not likely.”
I stared into my wineglass. “When I first saw the damage this morning, I thought maybe Joey and Rabbit had walked in on a burglary. I couldn’t think of any other reason they would both be out cold on the floor. They’re both so nice. They couldn’t have been fighting each other. Nothing made sense.”
“A burglar would’ve had to have an intimate knowledge of how to move grocery shelving around,” Derek said.
“That’s the part that smells fishy,” I said, wrinkling my nose. “I mean, how many people know that kind of stuff?”
Janice’s gaze moved from Derek to me. “So you’re thinking it has to be someone from the Courtyard.”
“Well, yes,” Derek said. “It’s reasonable to assume that it would be someone with a good grasp of Will Rabbit’s store layout and the means by which to move the shelves around. The person would also need to know Will’s work hours, as well as Joey’s schedule.” Derek was talking to Janice, but he was frowning at me. “Brooklyn, what are you thinking?”
My “smelling fishy” line had jogged something in my memory and I had to speak up. “With everything that was going on, I forgot to mention this earlier.”
Janice set down her wineglass. “Okay, something tells me I won’t like what you’re about to say.”
“It might be important, and I really did plan to tell you earlier, but I sort of forgot until this very minute.”
She sighed in resignation. “Go ahead.”
I could feel my cheeks heating up, but I continued on. “When I first arrived at the shop and I was standing there looking at that pile of steel shelving, I smelled perfume. It was Bonnie’s scent. It’s easily recognizable.”
“Yes, it is,” Derek muttered.
I nodded. “Right. And the first thing that occurred to me was that Bonnie was the person lying under the wreckage. But then I saw that the feet definitely belonged to a man, so I knew it couldn’t have been her.”
Janice’s eyes narrowed as she thought it through. “So, if I’m hearing you correctly, you’re saying that either Joey was wearing women’s perfume or he had been with Bonnie just prior to walking into the Rabbit Hole.”
“I’m inclined to go with the second option,” Derek said.
“Me, too,” I said, nodding. “Trust me, Joey is not the type to wear ladies’ perfume.”
Derek smiled wryly. “No, he isn’t.”
“And then, when Bonnie walked in wearing her sexy bathrobe and started screaming and wailing over Joey, I smelled the perfume again, and it suddenly made sense.”
“She does wear quite a lot, and it’s a heavy, unmistakable scent,” Derek said, again corroborating my point.
I blinked and sat up straight. “Oh.”
“What?” Janice said. “Is there something else?”
My brain was racing. I knew Derek and Janice were both watching me, waiting, but with the thoughts rushing through my mind, I had to take a second or two just so I could get them in order.
“Yes. It’s all starting to make sense,” I said finally. “Bonnie said something while she was sobbing and crying, and I paid no attention to it at the time. But now I wonder. She said, ‘It should’ve been me.’ I thought she was being dramatic and trying to be noble, you know? Like, she should’ve been the one to die instead of Joey. But now I wonder if it really was supposed to be her.”
“Are you saying you think Bonnie was the intended victim?”
“I don’t know.” I shrugged, not quite sure of myself. “But maybe she had planned to go down to the Rabbit Hole, and Joey had offered to go instead. I mean, they were obviously together earlier in the morning.”
Janice’s eyes narrowed in on me. “Do you happen to know if Bonnie makes a habit of going to the Rabbit Hole every morning?”
“I don’t know. but I could find out.”
Janice scowled. “No, Brooklyn. Don’t even think about snooping around. You don’t get involved. I’ll find out.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“So all this was going through your mind and you forgot to tell me about it?”
“Yeah. Sorry.” I grimaced. “But look, there was a lot going on at the time. I mean, the paramedics were scrambling around and then you showed up and then Derek arrived. And Bonnie was screaming, and then Derek discovered that fulcrum thingy that proved how easy it would be to topple a whole shelf over. And then Terrence showed up in a panic and then Kitty started screaming, and then, well, you get it.”
“Yeah, I get it.”
“And then again,” I said, “it might not have anything to do with Bonnie’s perfume.”
“True.” She pursed her lips in thought for a moment. “But if so, we seem to be circling back to the jealous-lover theory.”
“Just for the moment,” Derek said thoughtfully. “It’s not a bad theory, but I’m still clinging to the notion that the two men accidentally interrupted a burglar.”
“Or maybe they opened up the shop and surprised an unscrupulous property developer,” I said, remembering my conversation with Vinnie and Suzie the other morning.
“And now we circle back around to the bigger picture,” Janice murmured.
I sighed. “Frankly, I’d rather blame some unknown property developer or graffiti artist than the people I’ve gotten to know and like over the last five years.”
“I don’t blame you,” Janice said. “There was a burglar breaking into apartments in my building a few years ago. Turns out, it was the quiet stay-at-home mom living on the second floor. And for some reason, that really bothered me. I would have much rather it had been a stranger, because I’d always liked that woman.”
“That’s terrible.”
“Yeah. My point is that I don’t want you going off investigating every property developer in town just to prove it’s not one of your Courtyard friends. Understand?”
I tapped my chin, thinking. “Now, that’s not a bad idea.”
“Very funny,” Janice said, shaking her head.
Derek gave me a pointed look. “She’s kidding.”
“She’d better be.”
“I am—I swear.” I reached for a cracker. “Besides, I don’t see how a property developer would know how to topple a grocery shelf. But that’s for the police to figure out.”
“Exactly,” Janice said meaningfully.
“Meanwhile, I’ve been trying to figure out the sequence of events.” I took a quick sip of wine. “I think someone must’ve been lying in wait and pushed the grocery shelf over onto Joey. Or Bonnie, or whoever they were expecting. And then Rabbit must have walked in on the crime, and the guy panicked. He had to attack Rabbit as quickly as possible and get out of there. So Joey’s death was premeditated, but Rabbit’s assault was a spur-of-the-moment decision.”
“Good theory,” Janice said.
“And you’ve probably already considered it.”
She smiled. “Among others.”
“Of course you have,” I said, just a little deflated at that news. “It’s okay. We’re still here to help if you need us.”
“Yes, indeed,” Derek said. “We’re always available to assist the local constabulary.”
She chuckled wryly. “I’m thrilled about that. Although I’ll admit that an offer of interference coming in that British accent is much easier to take.”
I laughed. “I know, right?”
Derek grinned and reached for the bottle. “Would you like another glass of wine?”
“No, thanks. This has been fun.” She stood and reached down for her tote bag. “But I’d better get going before you two spring any new theories on me.”
We laughed and chatted as we accompanied her down the elevator and out to the street to make sure she got to her car safely. She seemed to find it amusing. “You know I carry a gun, right?”
“I know,” I said, although I hadn’t really thought about it for the past hour. And sure, Janice Lee was perfectly capable of taking care of herself. But it didn’t hurt to have people looking out for you, either.
“We don’t take chances anymore after the last security breach,” Derek explained.
“Can’t say I blame you,” she said. With a wave, she closed her car door and started the engine.
Derek and I waited until she drove away, then walked two blocks down to Pietro’s to pick up a pizza and salad for dinner. While we waited for our pizza, I asked Pete if he’d heard anything more on the neighborhood-vandalism situation.
“Pretty sure the Courtyard was the last place that got tagged,” he said. “But they had some other kind of trouble there today. Cop cars were driving around here all day. You know anything?”
“Unfortunately, yes.” I gave him the bad news about Rabbit and Joey, but avoided saying anything too specific about how it had happened.
“Ah, that just about breaks my heart.” Pete picked up a clean white dish towel and mopped his brow with it. “Boy, poor Bonnie must be beside herself.”
“You mean because of Joey?” I said. Had everyone known about Bonnie and Joey but me?
“Joey?” he said, confused. “Sure. Yeah, but . . .”
Oops. Clearly Pete had had no idea about Bonnie and Joey. Me and my big mouth. Although I had to admit I felt a little better knowing I wasn’t the only one who hadn’t noticed an affair. “I mean, because they were such good friends. But, wow, she was really worried about Rabbit.”
“That nephew of hers is her pride and joy.” He frowned, shook his head, and let out a low whistle. “Hoo-boy. I know this is going to sound bad, but once people start hearing about a death at the Courtyard, it could affect business around here for a while.”
I didn’t respond to that. My experience had been that death, and especially murder, was actually pretty darn good for business. People were essentially ghoulish when it came to such things. They wanted a front-row seat to the scene of the crime.
We walked home holding hands, with Derek carrying our pizza box and me clutching the bag of salad.
“It was good of Janice to stay for a glass of wine,” he said.
“It was fun,” I agreed, then winced. “Even though we were talking about murder.”
Derek gave a shrug. “We might have to get used to that sort of thing being a normal aspect of our friendship with her.”
I smiled up at him. “She really is getting to be a good friend, isn’t she?”
“She is.” He smiled and nodded. “It hasn’t been an easy road to friendship, but it’s getting there. I’m glad.”
“Me, too.” I had liked Inspector Lee from the first time I’d met her, even though she’d given me plenty of grief and even put me on her suspect list once or twice. I didn’t hold that against her, though, since I figured she’d just been doing her job. I loved that she wanted to go shopping with me. The possibility was both wonderful and terrifying. I had to admit, the woman was intense.
As we came up to our apartment building, we both slowed down and stared across the street at the Courtyard for a moment. Although it wasn’t late, all of the shops were dark, including the restaurants. I assumed it was in deference to Joey and Rabbit.
I wasn’t sure what I would see if I kept staring, but for some reason I couldn’t look away. I shook my head at my foolishness. I mean, it wasn’t as if Joey’s killer would start tap-dancing on the sidewalk, announcing what he’d done.
Finally, Derek said, “There’s simply nothing for us to do right now, Brooklyn. We’ve no information and no road to explore. Come, love. Let’s go up and have dinner.”
“Yes, let’s.” Derek was right, of course. But my gaze continued to linger on the building across the street.
Derek nudged me. “You can let it go for now. I assume you’ll be back there tomorrow morning to scope out the scene?”
He really did know me well. “What makes you so sure?” I challenged.
“Because, my darling,” he said with a wink and a smile, “I wouldn’t have you any other way.”
How can you not love a man like that?