The farmers’ market was in full swing. The park was packed with locals and out-of-towners, reveling in the local produce and handcrafts. The local merchants were reveling, too. The wine shops were full; so was the olive oil store.
There were several people looking in the real estate office window and more than one admiring what Mary thought was the necklace in the jewelry store window. Only the necklace was gone. Instead, the window held several pewter pieces Mary had never seen before, surrounded by cute little American flags. She paused as she walked by on her way to the pet shop to admire them. Pewter was a weakness of hers. These looked old but it was hard to tell. Had they borrowed them from Central Coast Fine Antiques? Very possibly. She didn’t bother to look at the price tags but kept walking, wondering why the necklace had been removed, but was soon distracted. Should she go to the farmers’ market first or get Millie? Farmers’ market. It was so crowded Millie might get stepped on and Mary needed some vegetables.
She was weighing the merits of several large tomatoes when she heard her name called. ‘Mary. I thought you might be here. Crowded today, isn’t it?’
Dan made his way through the crowd, many of whom looked at him curiously in his uniform lightweight jacket open due to the heat, his chief’s hat pushed back on his head. A man whom Mary had never seen before followed close behind. He was almost as tall as Dan but a good ten years older. He wore a navy blue suit with a white shirt and striped tie. A poor choice for this hot day. He didn’t walk with the long, purposeful stride Dan had but somehow seemed … loose. His hands, suspended from thick wrists, seemed to flap as he walked. His shoulders sagged. He turned his head from side to side as he ambled toward her, seemingly looking at everything, in no hurry, but he still kept up with Dan. His face, when he was close enough for her to see him clearly, had formed jowls and his nose had thickened. Tiny broken red veins crisscrossed it. His eyes were covered with dark sunglasses but Mary immediately got the impression that, in spite of his unimpressive appearance, he was a man to be reckoned with. She didn’t have time to pursue that thought.
Dan was already introducing him. ‘This is Special Agent Eric Wilson. He’s from the California Bureau of Investigation, Major Crimes unit. He was Ian Miller’s partner and wondered if he could ask you a couple of questions.’
The expression on the man’s face didn’t change but Mary could almost feel his eyes studying her. An uncomfortable feeling.
‘I don’t think I have many answers but I’ll be glad to try. However, I need to pick up Millie.’
The man seemed momentarily startled but his face settled into impassivity almost immediately.
‘Let me pay for these. My car is parked behind Furry Friends. It was the only place in town with an open parking place. I’ll meet you at my house. Fifteen minutes?’
Dan laughed. ‘Do you think Millie’s ready to come home or is John ready to have her go home?’
‘I think she’s ready for her dinner, and if I’m not around to harass then she’ll start on John. I’ll see you there.’
She turned to pay for her tomatoes, quickly adding a green pepper, and hurried over to the pet shop. What Mr Wilson thought she could add to what she’d already told Dan she had no idea but it would be interesting to find out.