| |
Cassidy updated her website and worked on the track’s next newsletter while Oliver snored not so quietly in his bed next to her desk. She stood and stretched to ward off the kink in her back.
Her phone rang, and she glanced at the number she didn’t recognize.
“Cassidy? This is Zac. Can you talk?” He sounded breathless.
“What’s up?”
“The cops showed up at Grandma Pearl’s house this morning at six and hauled me in for questioning. They just let me go, and I need someone to talk to. I haven’t eaten today. Wanna meet me? I was hoping to talk to you.”
Cassidy blew out a breath she hoped he didn’t hear. “Where are you?”
“The Isle of Capri on Route 360. Can you meet me there?”
“Be there in a little bit.”
“I’ll get a table. See ya.” Zac clicked off.
Cassidy slipped on her shoes and leashed Oliver to take him home. “I’ll try to remember to bring home a doggie bag.” She patted him on the head.
After getting Oliver settled at home, Cassidy plopped in the driver’s seat of her Jeep. She headed to the Route 360, the main artery through the county and points west. About ten minutes later, she pulled into a parking spot in front of the family-owned Italian restaurant. The building had begun its life as a house. Owners through the years had added on a variety of additions until the building was a mishmash of different architectural styles. Even though the parts didn’t seem to go together, it was the best place in the tri-county area for pizza and cannoli.
Tiny brass bells jingled when she opened the front door. “Hi, Erlene,” Cassidy said to the woman with lavender hair behind the counter. “Long time no see.”
“Hey, hon. Grab a seat anywhere, and I’ll be right with you.”
Cassidy looked around the restaurant and spotted Zac in a corner shoveling in meatloaf and mashed potatoes. He took a momentary break to wave her over as he continued to eat.
She pulled out the wooden chair across from him.
“Hey, thanks for coming.” His hair stood up on one side and his long-sleeved T-shirt looked like he had slept in it.
Before Cassidy could comment, Erlene popped over to the table. “Hey, sugar. What can I get for you?”
“May I get a side salad with Italian and an iced tea?”
Erlene scratched on her order pad. “Be back in a flash. How’s Henry doing? I haven’t seen him around lately.”
“He’s doing well. He stays busy. I don’t see much of him lately either. His social calendar is way better than mine.”
Erlene winked. “Tell him not to be a stranger. We’ve always got a slice of his favorite pie waiting.”
Uncle Henry has a fan club.
When Erlene retreated to the front counter, Cassidy asked, “So what happened this morning?”
“My grandma woke me up at the butt crack of dawn. The detective and the deputy were banging on the front door. They took me down to the station for questioning. I didn’t even have time for a shower or breakfast. Not even coffee. They disrespected me.” Zac shoved another forkful in his mouth and wiped the gravy dribble with the back of his hand.
“Did you call your lawyer?”
“Nah. They said they only had a few questions, but it went on for close to four hours. That’s abuse. Especially when I had nothing to do with it. I thought a piece of furniture fell on him and killed him.”
Cassidy furrowed her brows. “What did the police tell you?”
“He had traces of poison in his system. They kept asking me about the antifreeze in the garage. How should I know? It belonged to my grandfather. I don’t know what he has stored out there or in the attic. They wanted to know every minute of my life the week before he died. I’m exhausted. After this, I’m going back to bed.”
“What else did the police ask you?” Cassidy sat back in her chair as Erlene dropped off her lunch and drink.
“Let me know if you need anything else. Young man, you need another Pepsi?”
Zac nodded. “They wanted to know who had been in the house recently. They also asked about his mood. I told them same as always. Bad. The man was permanently grumpy. Then they wanted to know about a bunch of arguments that someone told them we had had.”
Erlene put the soft drink in front of Zac and lingered longer than necessary. When Zac stared at her, she hustled to another table.
After she’d disappeared, Zac continued, “Sheesh. All families fight. We had a lot of discussions. He didn’t like how I did things. He always had something to say about everything I did. It always had to be his way.” Zac rolled his eyes.
“Who do you think told the police?” she asked.
“Who knows. They said they’ve talked to a lot of people. Did they interview you?”
She nodded. “The police didn’t say much. Any idea who could have poisoned him?”
“He ticked off everyone. I’m sure the line of haters was long. Look at the online store reviews. He freakin’ loathed social media, so he ignored them, but I kept telling him that it would bite him in the butt. He had kept a list of mortal enemies.” Zac scraped the remaining mashed potatoes and gravy off his plate. “I told that detective to look into his unhappy customers.”
“So, you think it’s a former customer?” Cassidy stared across the table.
Zac shrugged and downed the rest of his Pepsi. After he burped, he replied, “Probably. Who else could it be? He didn’t have that many friends. And my grandparents hardly went anywhere. You’d think they were quarantined or something.”
Erlene sidled up to the table again. “Don’t rush. But here are your checks when you’re ready if no one wants dessert. How’s your grandma doing?”
“She seems okay to me,” he said, picking up his check. He fished out his wallet and put a twenty in the black plastic folder and handed to Erlene.
“Be back with your change.”
“Make it all in ones,” he shouted at her back. “Speaking of Grandma, I probably need to get back. She’s been at the store all day, and she’ll be in a mood if she didn’t sell anything.”
Zac rose as the bells on the front door tinkled.
A shadow crossed the table, and Cassidy turned to see Todd enter. “Hey,” he said.
Zac ducked his head and slunk out.
“It’s good to see you,” Cassidy said. “Would you like to sit down?”
Before he could answer, Erlene swooped in. “Let me clean up this table for your handsome lunch date.” She picked up Zac’s plates and wiped down that side of the table. “This one’s an improvement over the last one,” Erlene muttered on her way back to the kitchen.
A few minutes later, she returned with a menu, “What can I get you, officer?” Erlene turned on her best megawatt smile.
“I’ll have the club sandwich with a side of potato salad and a coffee, black,” he said, before she could hand him a menu.
“Excellent choice. I’ll be back in a flash.”
“What’s new in your world?” Cassidy took a sip of her tea.
“Pretty normal. No murders or serious crime. I stopped a speeder this morning and got a call that a raccoon was trespassing at the library.” He paused. “How’s Zac?”
“Wait. I was going to ask you about the raccoon.”
“Animal control relocated him even though he liked his new residence among the stacks.” Todd, in his blue and gray trooper uniform, stared across the table at her. “About Zac?”
“He called me. He said the police knocked on his grandmother’s door at o’dark thirty and took him in for questioning. He said there was a lot of talk of poisons and things in the garage. He said he thought his grandfather was crushed by the furniture.”
“I’m sure the furniture landing on him was debilitating, but someone had been trying to get rid of Ron before that. The ME is checking with his doctor to see if the substance had shown up before during routine exams. We’re looking at everything right now.”
“Zac was pretty adamant that he was innocent. He told me that his grandfather left home on Friday and didn’t return that night.”
“Everybody I arrest claims innocence. Still looking at the timeline,” Todd said as Erlene put his lunch in front of him. “Thanks, Erlene.”
The waitress winked, and her sensible shoes squeaked on the linoleum floor.
After a several bites of his sandwich, Todd continued, “Zac mention anything else?”
“Not really. He’s living with his grandmother and working at the store.” Cassidy looked at the tall trooper. She’d hoped that this was a friendly visit, but Todd was all business. It almost felt like an interview. “What’s next for you?” she asked.
“I’m doing twelve-hour shifts this week and looking forward to some time off next week. What about you?”
“Fall is the beginning of our off-season at the track. I’m always looking for different kinds of events. I’m renting some of the multi-purpose rooms at the track for holiday parties and events. Always trying to find new revenue streams.”
“Anything planned for the rest of the year?” he asked, taking a swig of his drink.
“We’re going to be a stop on a motorcycle club’s Teddy Bear Toy Run for Charity. That is always fun. I’m also partnering with a running club Thanksgiving weekend, and we’re going to have a 5k Turkey Trot on the track.”
“Let me know when you have registration for that one. Sounds fun.”
“Will do. What’s your email address?” she asked.
He pulled out a business card and pen from his front pocket and jotted something on the back. Then he handed the card to her.
Cassidy pushed her plate to the edge of the table and added Todd’s contact information to her phone. “There. I texted you my information and the registration link. Oliver and I are going to walk the track for the Turkey Trot.”
His radio chirped and spewed out a string of codes. He answered and rose. He dropped a twenty on the table. “Sorry. Bad accident out on the bypass. I need to head out. It was good to see you.”
“Bye. It was good to see you, too,” Cassidy said as he disappeared out the front door.
Erlene approached with the checks as Todd strode out the front door. “He’s so nice. You should hang on to that one.” Erlene picked up the dirty plates.
“Here, keep the change,” Cassidy said.
“Bye. Tell Henry to pop in once in a while. I miss his old face.”
Thoughts of Zac, the Silvers, and Todd bounced around in her head. She hurried home to confirm a hunch that might help make sense of all this. She needed to find the answer to one simple question: Why had Ron Silver returned to the track after dark?
