snagged
them a table. Her heart gave a little flip when she saw him. God, he looked
good in his uniform. Maybe tonight . . .
He stood and pulled her chair
out. “I ordered your favorite burrito. It’s already getting crowded and the
waitresses looked pretty busy.”
“Thanks.” She gave him a long
look. “I don’t know if I ever mentioned how absolutely wonderful you are. I
mean, not only dashingly handsome but considerate as well.”
He actually blushed, and Sam
realized that it wouldn’t hurt her to be a little more forthcoming with
compliments. He really was a treasure.
He cleared his throat and looked
up. Their orders had arrived.
“Oh, I got the Fresques file for
you,” he said after they’d taken a few greedy bites of their food. “Glanced
through it.”
“Is there any new information for
Marla?”
“I doubt it. I got interrupted
and really didn’t have time to study it. The gist of it was that no one pursued
the case very far because there was no evidence he didn’t leave of his own
accord. But feel free to take it home and read through it. Ask questions if you
want. Maybe Mrs. Fresques has information that she didn’t provide at the time.”
“She told me that family members
have received birthday cards but they are never signed. She’s convinced that
Tito sent them.”
“Where were they mailed from?”
“She said a variety of places.
That doesn’t seem to make sense with the ‘other woman’ scenario, does it? I
mean, wouldn’t he have just filed for divorce so he could be with this woman?
Why would he continue to send his wife birthday cards?”
He paused with his fork midway
back to his plate. “Well, it’s odd, that’s for sure. I don’t think there was a
mention of these cards in the file. It would be nice if Sheriff Padilla had
asked more questions at the time, rather than assuming so much.”
Sam bit back a comment about the
former sheriff. “I’ll see if Marla can tell me more.”
“Let me know if you come up with
anything that would make it reasonable for us to reopen the case.”
She nodded thoughtfully.
People were lining up at the
door, waiting for tables, so Sam and Beau quickly finished their meal. In the crowded
parking lot she hugged the case file to her chest as Beau walked her to her
van. She climbed in and powered her window down.
“Touch base later?” he asked,
leaning in for a quick kiss.
She stared at his back as he
walked toward his cruiser. Umm, nice view.
She pulled out her phone and made
a quick call to the bakery. Sam heard laughter in the background although Jen
assured her that everything was under control.
“I need to do an errand before I
come back. Call me if you need to.”
Jen giggled at something someone
had said. “Sure, Sam. We’re doing fine here.”
As long as business isn’t being
ignored, Sam thought. A drive all the way out to Marla’s place probably wasn’t
the best use of her time right now, but she needed to ask more questions and
the week wasn’t going to get any less busy. Plus, her wedding florist’s shop
was on that end of town and Sam needed to give him a check for the balance
they’d agreed upon.
It took fifteen minutes to get
past the midday traffic clog near the plaza, out to the small flower shop on
the north side.
“I shall order your flowers on
Friday,” the diminutive owner said as he reached for her check. “They will
arrive Monday, as fresh as can be, and your bouquets will be ready Tuesday
morning.”
“Thanks, Eben. My daughter will
probably be the one to pick them up.”
He handed her a single red rose,
nestled beside a sprig of fern and wrapped with green tissue around the stems.
“It’s an extra. Enjoy.”
She carried the flower out to her
van, laid it gently on the seat beside her and picked up the file Beau had sent
with her. As he’d said, there wasn’t a whole lot to it.
A report, neatly filled out in
someone’s squarish printing, gave the basics. Tito Fresques was last seen
them a table. Her heart gave a little flip when she saw him. God, he looked
good in his uniform. Maybe tonight . . .
He stood and pulled her chair
out. “I ordered your favorite burrito. It’s already getting crowded and the
waitresses looked pretty busy.”
“Thanks.” She gave him a long
look. “I don’t know if I ever mentioned how absolutely wonderful you are. I
mean, not only dashingly handsome but considerate as well.”
He actually blushed, and Sam
realized that it wouldn’t hurt her to be a little more forthcoming with
compliments. He really was a treasure.
He cleared his throat and looked
up. Their orders had arrived.
“Oh, I got the Fresques file for
you,” he said after they’d taken a few greedy bites of their food. “Glanced
through it.”
“Is there any new information for
Marla?”
“I doubt it. I got interrupted
and really didn’t have time to study it. The gist of it was that no one pursued
the case very far because there was no evidence he didn’t leave of his own
accord. But feel free to take it home and read through it. Ask questions if you
want. Maybe Mrs. Fresques has information that she didn’t provide at the time.”
“She told me that family members
have received birthday cards but they are never signed. She’s convinced that
Tito sent them.”
“Where were they mailed from?”
“She said a variety of places.
That doesn’t seem to make sense with the ‘other woman’ scenario, does it? I
mean, wouldn’t he have just filed for divorce so he could be with this woman?
Why would he continue to send his wife birthday cards?”
He paused with his fork midway
back to his plate. “Well, it’s odd, that’s for sure. I don’t think there was a
mention of these cards in the file. It would be nice if Sheriff Padilla had
asked more questions at the time, rather than assuming so much.”
Sam bit back a comment about the
former sheriff. “I’ll see if Marla can tell me more.”
“Let me know if you come up with
anything that would make it reasonable for us to reopen the case.”
She nodded thoughtfully.
People were lining up at the
door, waiting for tables, so Sam and Beau quickly finished their meal. In the crowded
parking lot she hugged the case file to her chest as Beau walked her to her
van. She climbed in and powered her window down.
“Touch base later?” he asked,
leaning in for a quick kiss.
She stared at his back as he
walked toward his cruiser. Umm, nice view.
She pulled out her phone and made
a quick call to the bakery. Sam heard laughter in the background although Jen
assured her that everything was under control.
“I need to do an errand before I
come back. Call me if you need to.”
Jen giggled at something someone
had said. “Sure, Sam. We’re doing fine here.”
As long as business isn’t being
ignored, Sam thought. A drive all the way out to Marla’s place probably wasn’t
the best use of her time right now, but she needed to ask more questions and
the week wasn’t going to get any less busy. Plus, her wedding florist’s shop
was on that end of town and Sam needed to give him a check for the balance
they’d agreed upon.
It took fifteen minutes to get
past the midday traffic clog near the plaza, out to the small flower shop on
the north side.
“I shall order your flowers on
Friday,” the diminutive owner said as he reached for her check. “They will
arrive Monday, as fresh as can be, and your bouquets will be ready Tuesday
morning.”
“Thanks, Eben. My daughter will
probably be the one to pick them up.”
He handed her a single red rose,
nestled beside a sprig of fern and wrapped with green tissue around the stems.
“It’s an extra. Enjoy.”
She carried the flower out to her
van, laid it gently on the seat beside her and picked up the file Beau had sent
with her. As he’d said, there wasn’t a whole lot to it.
A report, neatly filled out in
someone’s squarish printing, gave the basics. Tito Fresques was last seen
Similar Books
