Page 40 of The Scent of Happiness

“Call me Sharon,” she said. “And yes, we do. Because of the—”

“Wait,” Theo said.

“I’ve got keys.” Brooke plunged a shaking hand into her bag. “I can—”

Theo caught her wrist. “That’s not happening.”

“What?” She looked up at him with panicked eyes. “Why?”

“Of course we can unlock the garage,” Mrs. Nesbitt said. “We’ve got nothing to hide.”

“Not the point.” Theo dropped Brooke’s wrist and gave her a reassuring shoulder pat. He put himself between the Nesbitts and the officer and held out his hand for the other man to shake. He read the cop’s name badge. “Officer Uche? I’m Theo Chambers. Counsel for Brooke Nesbitt.”

Uche hesitated, and Theo could see him reassessing the situation. Theo was glad he’d arrived when he did. He’d had many clients agree to talk to the police without a lawyer present, only to regret it later. Mrs. Nesbitt thought everyone was her friend and she loved to talk, so who knew what information she’d blurt out? Even the most innocuous statements could be misunderstood or twisted out of context.

“I work for Walker Blue and Associates,” Theo said, withdrawing his hand, which Uche hadn’t shaken. “We handle mostly civil cases, but I’m always happy to meet someone in law enforcement.”

Uche backed away from him and looked down the driveway. He made a show of twisting his neck to scan the street. He pointed to Theo’s Impala. “Is that your car?”

“Yes.”

“I’m looking for the ambulance,” Uche said.

“What ambulance?” Theo asked, already anticipating the punchline.

“The one you chased here.”

“Hilarious.” Theo was used to cheap shots like that and wouldn’t let this guy rattle him. “Very professional, Officer Uche.” He said the name with a hard ch sound.

“It’s pronounced yoosh,” Uche said.

“Got it.” Rhymes with—never mind. Not going there. “Do you have a business card? Do you have a full name? ID number? Any other information you can give me?”

Uche did a little rise on his toes, trying to get a height advantage. “I’d like to see yours first. Because it’s plenty convenient that a suit happened to show up. Nobody called you.”

“He’s my lawyer,” Brooke said. “He’s with me.”

“I’ve got business cards. And a driver’s license.” Theo maintained a relaxed posture as he reached for his wallet and showed his ID. He drew out a card, trading it for Uche’s, whose first name turned out to be Andrew, and who could be found at the City Building on River Avenue.

“Can you tell me why you’re here, Officer Uche?”

“He’s already told us,” Mrs. Nesbitt said. “And if we can—”

“I’m sorry, Mrs. Nesbitt. One moment, please. I’d like to hear it from Officer Uche.” He turned back to Uche, eyebrows raised in patient expectation.

“Still waiting on those keys,” Uche said. “I’d like to get this done.”

“Do you mind telling us why you expect my client to open the garage? I haven’t seen a search warrant.”

Brooke gasped. “Why would he need a warrant?”

“He does if he wants to see inside your garage.”

Uche glared at his oversized watch. “Look, buddy. I didn’t plan on busting anyone or writing a ticket today, but the day is young. I’m following up on a complaint, so—”

“Who filed the complaint?” Theo asked.

“The priority of the public safety division is to keep the neighborhood safe.”