his head. “What? No, we don’t have a clue who did it.”
I looked at him, startled by the frank admission. “You’re actually telling me the truth? What happened to the usual line that you’re looking at several suspects?”
He shrugged. “I could tell you that, but would you believe it? Eleanor, I’m afraid it was just a random holdup, and we probably aren’t ever going to catch the guy. Have you bought a safe yet?”
“I just ordered one from Slick,” I admitted.
“Good,” he said.
With the door open, I hesitated before going inside. “Was there something I could help you with?”
He looked almost embarrassed to say what was on his mind, until he finally blurted out, “I came by looking for Josh.”
“It was an assembly, Kevin. Does it really matter that he ditched it to come in early to work? He’s missed being here.”
That got his attention. “Are you telling me that my son left school early?”
It was clearly news to him. Now I’d gotten one of my employees in trouble without meaning to. “You can’t exactly take the high road on this one. I seem to remember that we skipped a few assemblies ourselves in our time, remember?”
He clearly didn’t like having the past thrown back at him, but if he was going to bust his son about what he’d done himself in the past, it was my duty to step up and remind him. At least that’s the way I saw it.
“That was different,” Kevin said.
“Why is that, because it was you, and not him?”
The police chief decided to ignore the question, no matter how valid it might be. “If he’s not here, then where is he?”
“I’m not sure. When I closed at two, I sent him away.” I glanced at my watch and saw that I had one minute before we were due to open again. “If you hang around for a few minutes, I’m sure he’ll be here.”
Maddy hurried toward us, and when she got to the door, she asked, “Am I late? I couldn’t be. After yesterday, I made sure I had plenty of time to get back.”
“No, you’ve still got a good thirty seconds on the clock,” I said.
“Sweet,” Maddy said as she looked at Kevin. “Good afternoon, Chief.” She looked at me and asked, “Eleanor, is anything wrong?”
“No, everything’s fine,” I said.
My sister nodded. “Then I’ll get started on the dinner prep.”
She walked past me, and as she went inside, Maddy raised an eyebrow in my direction. I shook my head slightly, and she nodded. A great many words were spoken without either one of us saying a thing.
“Sorry, but I need to get to work myself,” I said.
“If you don’t mind, I’ll wait out here for Josh.”
“Come on inside. I’ll buy you a Coke.”
He shook his head. “Thanks, but I don’t mind waiting for him outside.”
I touched his shoulder, and he turned toward me as I said, “No offense, but I doubt you’ll do much for my business loitering around in front of the pizzeria in your uniform. It makes it look too much like a crime scene. Come on in. You can speak with your son the second he gets here. I promise.”
To my surprise, Kevin nodded his agreement. “Fine, I’ll take a soda, but I’m going to pay for it. You know how I feel about cops taking freebies from the people they’re being paid to protect.”
“Suit yourself,” I said as we went inside.
“You’re not going to fight me on it?” he asked as he took a seat by the window.
“I never argue with a customer who wants to pay me,” I said. “I’ll even charge you double if it will make you feel any better.”
“No, thanks. I appreciate the offer, though.”
I grabbed his drink, and then returned with it to his table. “If you’d like something to eat, we happen to cater to that kind of customer, too.”
I was being flip, but he didn’t respond in kind. “The drink’s fine.” Something was clearly on his mind, but he obviously didn’t feel like sharing, and I didn’t have any desire to drag it out of him.
He was still staring at the front
I looked at him, startled by the frank admission. “You’re actually telling me the truth? What happened to the usual line that you’re looking at several suspects?”
He shrugged. “I could tell you that, but would you believe it? Eleanor, I’m afraid it was just a random holdup, and we probably aren’t ever going to catch the guy. Have you bought a safe yet?”
“I just ordered one from Slick,” I admitted.
“Good,” he said.
With the door open, I hesitated before going inside. “Was there something I could help you with?”
He looked almost embarrassed to say what was on his mind, until he finally blurted out, “I came by looking for Josh.”
“It was an assembly, Kevin. Does it really matter that he ditched it to come in early to work? He’s missed being here.”
That got his attention. “Are you telling me that my son left school early?”
It was clearly news to him. Now I’d gotten one of my employees in trouble without meaning to. “You can’t exactly take the high road on this one. I seem to remember that we skipped a few assemblies ourselves in our time, remember?”
He clearly didn’t like having the past thrown back at him, but if he was going to bust his son about what he’d done himself in the past, it was my duty to step up and remind him. At least that’s the way I saw it.
“That was different,” Kevin said.
“Why is that, because it was you, and not him?”
The police chief decided to ignore the question, no matter how valid it might be. “If he’s not here, then where is he?”
“I’m not sure. When I closed at two, I sent him away.” I glanced at my watch and saw that I had one minute before we were due to open again. “If you hang around for a few minutes, I’m sure he’ll be here.”
Maddy hurried toward us, and when she got to the door, she asked, “Am I late? I couldn’t be. After yesterday, I made sure I had plenty of time to get back.”
“No, you’ve still got a good thirty seconds on the clock,” I said.
“Sweet,” Maddy said as she looked at Kevin. “Good afternoon, Chief.” She looked at me and asked, “Eleanor, is anything wrong?”
“No, everything’s fine,” I said.
My sister nodded. “Then I’ll get started on the dinner prep.”
She walked past me, and as she went inside, Maddy raised an eyebrow in my direction. I shook my head slightly, and she nodded. A great many words were spoken without either one of us saying a thing.
“Sorry, but I need to get to work myself,” I said.
“If you don’t mind, I’ll wait out here for Josh.”
“Come on inside. I’ll buy you a Coke.”
He shook his head. “Thanks, but I don’t mind waiting for him outside.”
I touched his shoulder, and he turned toward me as I said, “No offense, but I doubt you’ll do much for my business loitering around in front of the pizzeria in your uniform. It makes it look too much like a crime scene. Come on in. You can speak with your son the second he gets here. I promise.”
To my surprise, Kevin nodded his agreement. “Fine, I’ll take a soda, but I’m going to pay for it. You know how I feel about cops taking freebies from the people they’re being paid to protect.”
“Suit yourself,” I said as we went inside.
“You’re not going to fight me on it?” he asked as he took a seat by the window.
“I never argue with a customer who wants to pay me,” I said. “I’ll even charge you double if it will make you feel any better.”
“No, thanks. I appreciate the offer, though.”
I grabbed his drink, and then returned with it to his table. “If you’d like something to eat, we happen to cater to that kind of customer, too.”
I was being flip, but he didn’t respond in kind. “The drink’s fine.” Something was clearly on his mind, but he obviously didn’t feel like sharing, and I didn’t have any desire to drag it out of him.
He was still staring at the front
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