Caffeine & Killers (A Roasted Love Cozy Mystery Book 3) by Cam Larson Page A
Authors: Cam Larson
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lamp.
"Oh, it’s been too long, Laila," she
said, as I hurried inside with her. "We should get together more
often."
"Anytime, girlfriend!" I said, and we
both laughed.
In a moment we were sitting down with menus in
hand. Anna managed a high-end boutique at the opposite end of the
Piazza from Roasted Love, and we had a fun time talking about our
work. We pretended to argue over whose job was more stressful and
whose was more glamorous, but the truth was that neither of us wanted
to trade places. Then we sat silently for a few seconds trying to
decide what to order.
And in the quiet, I heard a familiar voice behind
me. I couldn't help but glance back over my shoulder.
At a table behind ours, I saw Ronald Larch sitting
with someone who looked familiar to me. The dim lights hid the other
man's face somewhat and I couldn’t place him. He appeared to be
Larch’s age or maybe a little older, and his hair was brown. That
was all I could see and I wasn't going to sit there twisted around
and staring for long.
I quickly faced forward again. "Do you know
those men?" asked Anna.
"Well, I know one of them because he comes
into Roasted Love. I think I've seen the other one, but can’t
remember where. Do you know them?"
Anna could see the two men by looking straight
forward, and she took a close look. But just then, the server stopped
at our table to take our order. Anna decided on the Quiche Lorraine
and I opted for a tuna and vegetable dish, topped with creamy Mornay
sauce.
"I don’t understand how you keep that
perfect figure with a quiche that includes heavy cream and cheese,"
I said to Anna. "Not to mention smoked bacon."
She laughed. "Well, it does have some spinach
in it, too." I almost forgot about the two men sitting behind us
– until I saw Anna's eyes widen. "Hey – they're getting up,"
she whispered.
Sure enough, the two men stood up to leave and
walked right past our table. Larch did a double-take when he saw me,
and sure seemed to be uncomfortable about being around me.
I had once thought that the only reason he still
came into Roasted Love was because his boss, the councilman, liked
us. But I was still sure that I'd seen the tall man with him
someplace before. I just couldn't think of where.
Once they were out of earshot, Anna sat back. "I
don’t know either one of them. The just look like regular older
guys to me. Why, are you in trouble or something? Is the FBI, DEA or
KGB are looking for you?"
I sat up straight and caught my breath. "DEA!
Yes! That's where I saw him. He was at the precinct house the other
day when I went there to see the Chief of Police!"
"Why were you in the precinct house?"
asked Anna. Her bright blue eyes were round with surprise.
I quickly decided to remain neutral. I wasn’t
ready to tell even my best female friend my reasons for visiting the
Chief of Police of West River just yet. "Oh, I was in the
neighborhood and stopped in to say hello to him. We’ve known each
other for a little while now."
"Yeah, I guess you have," said Anna.
"You helped solve some murder that happened at a restaurant,
didn’t you?"
I nodded, but wanted to move away from that
conversation. Unfortunately, Anna wasn’t ready to do that. "Didn’t
you know the owner of that restaurant?"
"Um, yeah. I mean, Daniel knew him. We ate
there the night it all happened." I grabbed the chance to change
the subject. "Hey, where are you going on vacation this year?"
I asked, and we had a little fun chatting away about where we'd like
to go. Anna could afford to go someplace more exotic than I could, so
I often allowed myself to live vicariously through her.
I really did enjoy the rest of my night out. The
food was great and so was the girl talk that went with it. By the
time I arrived home, I felt a lot more relaxed. A night out with Anna
was always a good thing.
# # #
When I opened the door to my home, I found Jacob
sitting comfortably in my easy chair watching TV. Thor had his head
resting on Jacob’s knee.
"Oh, it’s been too long, Laila," she
said, as I hurried inside with her. "We should get together more
often."
"Anytime, girlfriend!" I said, and we
both laughed.
In a moment we were sitting down with menus in
hand. Anna managed a high-end boutique at the opposite end of the
Piazza from Roasted Love, and we had a fun time talking about our
work. We pretended to argue over whose job was more stressful and
whose was more glamorous, but the truth was that neither of us wanted
to trade places. Then we sat silently for a few seconds trying to
decide what to order.
And in the quiet, I heard a familiar voice behind
me. I couldn't help but glance back over my shoulder.
At a table behind ours, I saw Ronald Larch sitting
with someone who looked familiar to me. The dim lights hid the other
man's face somewhat and I couldn’t place him. He appeared to be
Larch’s age or maybe a little older, and his hair was brown. That
was all I could see and I wasn't going to sit there twisted around
and staring for long.
I quickly faced forward again. "Do you know
those men?" asked Anna.
"Well, I know one of them because he comes
into Roasted Love. I think I've seen the other one, but can’t
remember where. Do you know them?"
Anna could see the two men by looking straight
forward, and she took a close look. But just then, the server stopped
at our table to take our order. Anna decided on the Quiche Lorraine
and I opted for a tuna and vegetable dish, topped with creamy Mornay
sauce.
"I don’t understand how you keep that
perfect figure with a quiche that includes heavy cream and cheese,"
I said to Anna. "Not to mention smoked bacon."
She laughed. "Well, it does have some spinach
in it, too." I almost forgot about the two men sitting behind us
– until I saw Anna's eyes widen. "Hey – they're getting up,"
she whispered.
Sure enough, the two men stood up to leave and
walked right past our table. Larch did a double-take when he saw me,
and sure seemed to be uncomfortable about being around me.
I had once thought that the only reason he still
came into Roasted Love was because his boss, the councilman, liked
us. But I was still sure that I'd seen the tall man with him
someplace before. I just couldn't think of where.
Once they were out of earshot, Anna sat back. "I
don’t know either one of them. The just look like regular older
guys to me. Why, are you in trouble or something? Is the FBI, DEA or
KGB are looking for you?"
I sat up straight and caught my breath. "DEA!
Yes! That's where I saw him. He was at the precinct house the other
day when I went there to see the Chief of Police!"
"Why were you in the precinct house?"
asked Anna. Her bright blue eyes were round with surprise.
I quickly decided to remain neutral. I wasn’t
ready to tell even my best female friend my reasons for visiting the
Chief of Police of West River just yet. "Oh, I was in the
neighborhood and stopped in to say hello to him. We’ve known each
other for a little while now."
"Yeah, I guess you have," said Anna.
"You helped solve some murder that happened at a restaurant,
didn’t you?"
I nodded, but wanted to move away from that
conversation. Unfortunately, Anna wasn’t ready to do that. "Didn’t
you know the owner of that restaurant?"
"Um, yeah. I mean, Daniel knew him. We ate
there the night it all happened." I grabbed the chance to change
the subject. "Hey, where are you going on vacation this year?"
I asked, and we had a little fun chatting away about where we'd like
to go. Anna could afford to go someplace more exotic than I could, so
I often allowed myself to live vicariously through her.
I really did enjoy the rest of my night out. The
food was great and so was the girl talk that went with it. By the
time I arrived home, I felt a lot more relaxed. A night out with Anna
was always a good thing.
# # #
When I opened the door to my home, I found Jacob
sitting comfortably in my easy chair watching TV. Thor had his head
resting on Jacob’s knee.
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