Cam and I head back to Cup of Jo after leaving Lisa Porter’s house. I don’t think Lisa killed her husband. I do believe she wishes she had, though.
Mo and Wes are seated at a corner table, and Mo waves us over.
“I need to check the display cases and see what needs to be refilled,” Cam says. “I’ll join you in a few minutes.”
I nod before walking over to take a seat with Mo and Wes. “Hey.”
“We came to have lunch with you and Cam, but Jamar said Quentin had you working a case with him.”
I get them both up to speed.
Mo stifles a laugh behind her coffee cup. “I wish I’d seen Quentin’s face when the wife said she wished she’d killed her husband. Did he look at you?”
“No, he didn’t. I’ve never wanted to kill Quentin for cheating on me.” I bob one shoulder. “Hurt him, sure, but never kill him.” That reminds me of how Quentin looked with he arrived at Lisa Porter’s house. I wonder what happened. I know I shouldn’t get involved in his personal life. I’ve tried so hard to stay out of it, but this is different. A life is on the line.
“You have that look, Jo.” Mo squints disapprovingly at me. “Must you act so saintly and make me look like the evil sister all the time. Just once, I want you to stop putting other people’s feelings above your own. I mean, think about it. Wouldn’t it have felt great to slap Quentin?”
“Totally. But I think too much time has passed for that.”
“Nah. It’s never too late.” She finishes the rest of her coffee as Cam joins us, carrying a tray with four pieces of strawberry cheesecake.
“Hey, anyone need a refill?” he asks.
“I’ll go get them,” Wes says, standing up and patting Cam’s shoulder.
Mo grabs a piece of cheesecake and digs in. “Best lunch ever,” she says with her mouth full.
“I think I like it better when Wes is with us. You don’t show me your food while you’re chewing.”
She rolls her eyes at me.
The door to Cup of Jo opens, and Quentin walks in. He looks around and heads toward our table once he spots me.
“Hey.”
“Where have you been?” I ask.
“I had to run home.” He rubs the back of his neck and looks away. He clearly doesn’t want to say anything more on the topic. “What did you think about Lisa Porter?”
“I don’t think she killed Simon.”
“Why?” Mo asks. “Is it because the killer only stabbed him three times?”
“Only?” Quentin asks.
“Yeah, if someone cheated on me like that, I’d stab him a lot more than three times, and I’d choose different body parts to stab as well.” She smiles.
“Then you don’t think we’re looking for a lover here?” he asks.
“I wouldn’t rule out the mistress,” I say.
“What reason would she have for wanting him dead, though?” Mo asks.
“I’m not sure yet. I’d like to talk to her, though.”
“Same. In the meantime, I’m going back to the station to get the names of the other employees at Merkel Construction and Vitulli Security. I’ll send you the list once I have it.”
“Oh goodie. Why do I have a feeling I’m about to be brought onto this case as well?” Mo asks.
Quentin clears his throat. “I should get going.”
“Need a coffee first?” I ask.
“No, I’m in a hurry.” He dips his head at us before walking out.
“What do you think that was about?” Mo asks as Wes returns with our drinks.
“I see I missed our favorite detective,” Wes says with a smirk.
“He’s really stressed out right now. I think he got a bad phone call on the way to Lisa Porter’s house. He looked upset when he got there, and he was late to meet us.”
Cam forks a piece of cheesecake. “You all know how I feel about the man, but even I feel bad for him right now.”
“Well, if you’re waiting to hear back from Quentin, I think we have time to discuss wedding plans.” Mo smiles at me and then Cam.
“Nope. Not happening. Cam and I will plan the wedding ourselves, Mo. It’s going to be small and exactly the way we want it.”
She opens her mouth to protest, but Wes reaches for her hand. “If you plan their wedding, you might use some ideas that you’d like to have at your own wedding one day, and I know you. You won’t do the same thing because you’ll be afraid of people thinking you’re copying your sister. If you want to have your dream wedding, then I think it’s best to let Jo and Cam plan their own.”
Sometimes I really love Wes. He can get through to Mo in a way that no one else can. I mouth, “Thank you,” and he gives me the slightest dip of his head in response.
Cam and I finish the rest of the day at Cup of Jo since I don’t hear back from Quentin. That worries me more than I care to admit. There was a time when I would have been elated to not have to deal with him.
I invite Jamar over for dinner since I made a ton of meatballs. He brings Italian bread, and we have meatball subs with Caesar salad.
“How are things going with Summer?” Cam asks as we eat.
“We’re taking things slowly. I’m not even sure if we’re exclusive. I mean I’m not seeing anyone else, but we haven’t discussed it, so I don’t know if she is.”
“And things with you and Robin are okay?” I ask.
“Yeah, I should have realized she and Lance liked each other. When Robin and I had that date at S.C. Tunney’s, she was so distracted. I see now that it was because she’d been on several dates with Lance. I don’t think he realized we were on a date at the time because we had hung out as friends before.”
He’s probably right. Mo and Wes were at the restaurant that night, too. She told me it was the most awkward date she’d ever witnessed. “Well, I’m glad you guys are both good with everything now.”
“I saw Quentin in Cup of Jo with you guys today. How is he?”
I pick up my iced tea. “Not good. He hasn’t talked to me about it, but I can tell.”
“Mickey said he heard Quentin on the phone with Sam. She’s not leaving the house at all. Not even to go see the baby in the hospital.”
That would explain why Quentin has spent so much time at the hospital. He doesn’t want his son to be alone.
“You know what I just realized?” Jamar says.
“What?” Cam asks.
“Quentin doesn’t have any friends.”
No, he really doesn’t. Not since our breakup. Quentin and Samantha lost a lot of friends when everyone found out they’d betrayed me.
“That means he has no one to talk to about all this,” Cam says.
A little while back, Quentin admitted he misses the friendship we once had. I do, too, but he’s the one who ruined it.
“Can we change the subject?” I ask, staring at my half-eaten meatball sub.
“Tell me more about the case,” Jamar says.
I catch him up to speed.
“I wonder why they stabbed him three times. I’d think a knife to the gut would be sufficient.” Jamar shrugs, not certain.
“It’s slower than a knife to the heart, though,” I say.
“True, but why stab him in the throat after stabbing him in the heart? I mean, he was probably already dead by that point, right?”
“Rage,” Cam says.
“Or the locations of the stab wounds mean something else,” I say. “But before you ask, I have no idea what. I suppose it could be about the number three as well.”
“It’s too early to make any real assumptions,” Cam says.
I agree. I haven’t even gotten that list of employees from Quentin yet.
“Is Quentin even really helping with the case, or is he too preoccupied?” Jamar asks.
Cam and I exchange a look.
“I have a feeling we’re going to have to solve this one without much help at all from the BFPD,” I say.
“It wouldn’t be the first time,” Cam says.
No, and it probably won’t be the last either.
After opening Cup of Jo, Cam and I decide to go to the Vitulli Security office and speak with Simon Porter’s boss. Maybe she’ll give us the list Quentin never got.
We walk into the office, which is very small. It’s a single room in a strip mall, but I suppose all the work they do is on site at locations that need security, so they don’t really need any more space than this.
“Can I help you?” asks a woman seated at a desk to our right.
“Hi, we’re hoping to talk to the owner.”
“That’s me.” She stands up. “Jasmine Vitulli. What can I do for you today?”
“I’m Joanna Coffee, and this is Camden Turner. We heard about the death of one of your employees.”
Jasmine’s gaze lowers, and her face falls. “It was a shock to say the least. Simon was one of our best employees. A good worker. That’s why we gave him the hotel security gig. He took a hit when we went without work for a while, but he stuck with us instead of pursuing other employment. I respect that kind of loyalty.”
“His wife mentioned the break in work for your company,” I say.
“Yes, I was going through a rather difficult divorce at the time. My husband and I owned and operated two businesses, a construction company and this security business. He got the construction company, and I got this one. I changed the name once I went back to my maiden name. Simon was very understanding and patient throughout the process.”
Could Jasmine Vitulli be the woman Simon Porter was having the affair with? That would explain a lot. “Ms. Vitulli, I hate to have to ask this, but were you and Mr. Porter involved?”
She presses a hand to her chest. “Heavens, no. Simon was a good employee, but I don’t mix business with pleasure. Not after what I went through with my husband. A little piece of advice. Don’t work with your spouse. It will only end in misery for you both.”
Cam and I exchange a look since she has no idea we’re in business with each other.
“Did you two know Simon?” she asks.
“No, we’re investigating his death,” I say.
“Are you private investigators?”
“Not by choice,” I say, purposely being vague. “Was anyone else assigned to the hotel the night Simon was killed?”
“No, it was only Simon. Once the hotel is being built, I planned to add more security since there will be more areas to patrol, but right now it’s only a concrete foundation. There aren’t any walls, so I didn’t feel we needed more than one person on the job.”
“Did Simon have any issues with his coworkers?” Cam asks.
“Not that I’m aware of. Like I said, he was a good worker. He was always on time. I never had any complaints about him from clients either.”
“Could we maybe get a list of your employees?” I ask.
She shakes her head. “Look, I’m not about to violate my employees’ privacy. I don’t know you two, and you’re not police officers. I’ve already said more than I should have. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have work to get back to.”
“Of course.” I expected as much. “Thank you for your time, and we’re very sorry for the loss to your company.”
“Thank you.” She remains standing until we’re out of her office.
“Do you think she was lying about not being romantically involved with Simon Porter?” Cam asks as we get back into his SUV.
“I don’t know. It’s possible. I mean she was going through a divorce when Simon and his wife started having problems, so the timing lines up perfectly there.”
“We should look into her more. Maybe Mo and Wes can find a connection between her and Simon that goes deeper than an employer-employee relationship.”
I call Mo and ask her if she and Wes can meet us for lunch today.
“I was already planning on coming in for lunch, so sure.”
Of course, she was. She saves so much money on food bills by always eating at Cup of Jo or my apartment. “Let’s meet at my place, though. I don’t want the rumor mill that likes to frequent Cup of Jo to get wind of this case.” Or Quentin’s lack of involvement in it. I still haven’t heard from him since midday yesterday.
“What are you making?” she asks.
“As if that will have any effect on whether or not you come over.”
“I still want to know.”
“Probably French dip sandwiches. That’s what I have in my fridge.”
“Yum, I’m in. See you then.” She ends the call.
Cam and I work at Cup of Jo for the rest of the morning. The place is packed, mostly because Jamar is twirling all the customers around. He’s even twirling them out the door as they exit. Poor Summer came from her office across the street, and he spun her right inside and dipped her. She looked a little green.
“We really should stop him,” Robin tells me.
“If the customers didn’t love it so much, I would. At least he isn’t dipping Mrs. Marlow anymore. I worried he was going to break her hip. While business is great, I don’t want to wind up having to pay anyone’s medical bills.” Mrs. Marlow happens to be my oldest customer and my most loyal.
Mickey Baldwin comes up to the counter looking like he knows all the world’s secrets and will share them with me for the right price.
“Isn’t it about time for you to head home, Mickey?” I ask. He’s a night janitor at the local high school. He should be going to bed right about now since he sleeps during the daytime.
He waves a hand in the air. “Plenty of time to get the necessary sleep.” He leans forward and whispers, “Besides, I have some information for you.”
“Oh really? About what?” I haven’t even confirmed I’m working on this case. I’d rather Mickey didn’t know.
“You’re helping Quentin, right?”
“Mickey, what information do you have that you think I need?”
“That guy who was killed, he filled in for one of the security guards at the high school. This was about five and a half to six months ago.”
Lisa Porter said Simon didn’t look for another job when his security company was out of work. Was she wrong about that? Did Simon take jobs and just not tell his wife? And if so, why? Was he hiding money from her? Maybe he was planning on leaving his wife already at that point, and he was stashing money away to do it.
If that’s the case, Simon Porter might have more secrets than we realized. And that very well could be what cost him his life.