| |
While Heath rounded up Jethro and Mugshot from the pasture, Dela made baked salmon and a salad. There were still two pieces of pie left from earlier. That would work for dessert.
As they sat eating, Dela told Heath what Grandfather Thunder had said about Sadie Swan and her grandchildren and that she had gone on a vacation at a suspicious time.
“That is all interesting. Especially that Lora Murdoch died of an overdose.” Heath held his fork in the air. “Was she living here?”
“The obituary didn’t say much. Just who she was related to and she died an early death. I found out about the overdose from Grandfather Thunder.” Dela slid her finished plate to the center of the table and leaned back sipping an iced tea.
“I think we need to tell Quinn about this latest discovery,” Heath said.
Dela splashed her tea as she jolted upright in her chair and glared at him. “Why?”
“Because he can dig up the information on the woman’s death and he can get background on both Levi and his grandmother.” Heath shoved his finished plate to the center of the table.
Shaking her head, Dela said, “Not yet. There could have been someone else who left that threat. Think about how many people we’ve talked to who knew how Paul was making money. If a family member died of an overdose, they could have sent him the note maybe to scare him out of cooking so no one else gets hurt, or to warn him they planned to exact revenge.” She tapped a finger against her glass. “I wonder if Sander received any threats? Wouldn’t the person wanting revenge go after the dealer as well as the person who cooked it up?”
Heath studied her. “It would be easier to take out Paul than a man who has a bodyguard. And it would end the dealer’s supply.”
“But the supply hasn’t ended because Daniel started supplying Sander.” Dela put her glass down. “It might be a good idea he is hiding. If the person who took out Paul so easily learned he was now providing meth to Sander he could be the next target.”
“I think it is time to pull in Quinn. He can put out an all points on Daniel and dig deeper into the Swan and Murdoch family backgrounds.” Heath grabbed his empty plate and Dela’s.
“I’d still like to talk to their Aunt Ruth. Where does she live?” Dela asked, moving to plate the last two pieces of pie.
“She has a place off Cayuse Road.” Heath sat at the table. “You aren’t planning to visit her tonight, are you?”
Dela picked up her fork. “I’d like to know the relationship between Levi and Lora. And if he knew who she was buying from.”
Heath shook his head. “Do you really think someone who helps people learn to deal with anger would kill someone for revenge?”
Shrugging, Dela said, “I’ve seen what loss does to people. They can snap at the slightest thing.” She had seen the best and worst in people while in the Army. Soldiers she thought she knew could change in the flash of a mortar or the explosion of a Humvee. A civilian could snap from a number of things. Like the death of a loved one in a heinous way.
“I still think we need to pull in Quinn. He has more resources than we do since we can’t ask for help through tribal channels.”
Dela sighed. “Fine. I’ll call him and invite him to brunch tomorrow. Can you be here at ten?” She watched her friend’s face light up.
“I can be here at ten. Are you making waffles by any chance?” Heath licked his lips and asked, “With strawberries and whipped cream?”
She groaned at his antics. “You’re a grown man. Licking your lips is something a child would do.”
“But I remember the waffles your mom made and I’m pretty sure she taught you how to make them.”
Dela laughed. “She did. And they are the best thing I make. Not that I’m trying to impress anyone,” she said quickly.
Heath’s eyes narrowed. “You do have something for Quinn, don’t you?”
“Only that he is always making me feel inferior. I want to show him I can cook and I can be something other than a soldier.” She peered into Heath’s eyes. “I’d be lying if I didn’t add, that I did, at one time, have fantasies about him. But that was before he turned into a jackass.” Dela stood, taking the two empty plates to the sink. “Now I just want to show him I can do my job and I didn’t kill anyone.”
♠ ♣ ♥ ♦
The next morning, Dela rose at eight to give herself plenty of time to slice the strawberries, make the waffle batter, and whip the cream. Not to mention set the table for three and heat the waffle iron.
While she was nervous to tell Quinn all that she and Heath had dug up, she was more nervous that he wouldn’t like the waffles. Which was absurd. She knew the two of them would never be more than colleagues, but his approval meant a lot to her. Maybe because he never seemed to see her as a woman, only a soldier or a buddy. Or because deep down, she still had fantasies of the two of them wrapped in each other’s arms.
A knock on the door broke her from her reveries. She walked across the living room to open the front door. Heath was smiling while Quinn frowned. That was why she didn’t see their relationship going any farther than colleagues. It was a beautiful morning and Quinn stood on her porch frowning.
“Good morning,” she said, retreating into the kitchen to pull a waffle out of the iron.
“Smells good!” Heath said, making himself at home, opening a can of frozen orange juice, and pouring it into a pitcher.
Quinn stood inside the dining room watching.
“Take a load off,” Dela said, pouring more batter onto the iron and closing the lid. Steam had moistened her face and heated her skin. She wiped at it with a towel and discovered Quinn staring at her.
“I thought this was a brunch for two,” he said.
She smiled. “I thought I said Heath and I had some information for you.”
“That’s what you said, but I didn’t think it was a meeting when you said brunch.” His eyes continued to hold her.
Heath put a glass of orange juice at each place setting. “Anything else you need help with?”
“You can grab the strawberries and whipped cream from the fridge.” Dela opened the waffle iron and took another crispy golden waffle out, placing it on the plate that already held six. She pulled the plug on the iron and left the lid up.
After placing the plate on the table, she sat. “Dig in.”
The two men grabbed a waffle and began piling them with berries and cream. Dela waited until they’d each taken a bite before fixing her own. She wanted to be occupied in case the waffles didn’t measure up to her mom’s. Cooking had never come easy to her. She could make food to fill her but she never seemed to get the fantastic flavors that her mom did.
“This is delicious!” Quinn said.
She raised her gaze and took in the admiration shining on his smiling face. “Thank you.”
“These are as good as your mom’s.”
She glanced at Heath. His eyes were closed as he savored the bite. Dela laughed at his feigned ecstasy while eating. “I’m glad you both like them.”
After they had all eaten one waffle and the men were started on their second one, Dela drank her orange juice and then made cups of coffee for everyone. She sat back at the table and cleared her throat.
Heath glanced up as if to say, “Are you sure this is the time?”
Dela picked up her coffee cup and peered over the rim of it at Quinn. “We’ve been doing some inquiries and thought you should be informed of what we’ve learned.”
Quinn set down his fork, took a sip of coffee, and pulled a notepad and pen out of his back pocket. “You know anything you tell me is unofficial since you are the prime suspect in this homicide.”
She glanced at the pad. “Then why are you taking notes?”
“To make sure I remember what you say.”
His grey eyes peered at her with such intensity she wondered if he was trying to put a notion in her head.
“This is what we have learned...” She went on to tell him about Mrs. Swan’s surprise trip, the connection her granddaughter might have to the victim through her addiction, and that the man who took over cooking was missing.
Quinn had watched her in between jotting down what she said. “I take it you need me to find out where Mrs. Swan went and ask her if she was telling the truth?”
“I want you to determine that she didn’t see me holding that knife after Paul was killed. It was after our fight that I put it in the shed. She had to have not watched the whole time to say that I killed him.” She nodded to Heath. “Tell him what we’ve withheld from Detective Dick.”
Quinn turned his attention to Heath. His gaze wasn’t as inquisitive. He glared.
Heath cleared his throat. “Dela called me after her altercation with the victim. She was worried he was going to call the police and claim she was trespassing. I drove straight to the Winter residence. I saw the victim sitting up in the area where Dela said they had their fight. She and the donkey were nowhere in sight. Before I could get out of my car to talk to him, I received a call. When I arrived at the address, no one knew why I’d been called. When I got back in my car, I heard the call about finding Paul Winter dead.”
Quinn’s gaze flit back and forth between Heath and Dela, until she wanted to grab the man by his ears and stop his movement.
“You both withheld this information?” he said, slowly.
“Think about it. What do you think Dick would have said if Heath came forward telling him what he just told you?” Dela crossed her arms and leaned back in the chair.
“That the two of you made it all up.” Quinn shoved his notepad up by his coffee cup and studied her.
“Right. Instead, we’ve been trying to find out who else could have reason to kill a man I had no reason to harm. Well, other than to protect myself.” Dela didn’t feel bad for what she’d done to keep the man from running that knife through her.
Quinn turned his attention to Heath. “They could have pulled up the bogus call and talked to the people you talked to.”
“But that still wouldn’t have put me at the victim’s house before he was killed and after Dela left. I would like to know where the call came from that sent me on the goose chase.” Heath picked up his coffee. “But I’m not allowed to do anything except patrol. When I get to the station, no one talks to me, but someone is always following me. They have even, thanks to you, been treating Jacob the same way. It’s as if Detective Jones doesn’t want anyone who might be open to someone other than Dela being the suspect to have anything to do with the case.”
“Why does he hate you?” Quinn asked.
Dela shrugged. “Only because I have always made him be respectful to my security members and the casino employees. There is no reason for him to come in and treat us like we are criminals when he is questioning us.”
“I’ve noticed he has a bias towards anyone connected to the casino.” Quinn picked up his coffee. “I’ll see what I can do about the things you want me to look into.” He sipped his drink and said, “What are you planning to do?”
She glanced at Heath and let out a breath, hoping Quinn didn’t say she should stay out of it. “I’m going to have a talk with Levi and Lora’s Aunt Ruth.”
