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Eddie looked up and grinned at me. Mother and son had a sense of humor.
"Okay, he is a nice person and easy to talk to. That’s all there is to it."
I picked up more sugar packets and creamers. Ducking my head to hide the glow of pink, I took them to the front for purposes of refilling. To my chagrin, the containers were already packed.
"Thanks for not telling me you had already filled the bowls," I said to Lily.
Her melodious laugh spread across the room. "Yeah, Daniel must be special."
I slapped her on her shoulder. Her mood was contagious. Several customers smiled at the joke between us. At times like that, I missed Jacob’s presence more than ever. He and Lily would have carried on for much longer in their teasing. Jacob would have been so bold as to let the patrons in on it all.
By the time we were cleaning up for the day, Jen Perry came in to Roasted Love. We were five minutes from locking up. Her face was drawn and her appearance wasn’t as meticulous as usual. In fact, it looked like she had slept in her jacket. A minimum of make-up was dabbed on her face. I looked at her as she sat at the first table.
"What can I get for you?" said Lily.
The look on the server’s face said ‘make it a bagel and get out of here.’ Jen’s look said to me ‘I need to talk to you.’
"I know you are closing," she said. "How about a glass of water?"
She reached into her purse and pulled out a couple of ones and placed them on the table. Lily and I didn’t protest her gesture. I glanced at my watch.
"I’ll close up, Lily," I said. "You and Eddie can go on home."
The coffee house grew quiet. The water was untouched. "The cops had me down at the precinct again over Michael’s death." At least I was spared a flood of sobbing tears. "They didn’t say who, but I’m sure it was Leticia or James who swore they saw me go back into Sunrise late the night Michael was poisoned. That’s why I was called back in." I waited. "Michael once told me he thought the two of them had a thing going between them. It would be like them to try to pin it all on me."
"Did you tell the cops that?" I asked.
"Sure I did, but they brushed it all off. They said I had motive since Michael was breaking off the affair with me. I had access to Sunrise. Laila, I’m more than nervous. I think it’s time for me to get an attorney."
"What about all the so-called evidence they found here at Roasted Love?" I asked her. "I can tell you that Jacob had nothing to do with the murder. Someone planted those notes where the cops would find them. Did you have anything to do with that?"
I couldn’t tell if the stunned look was genuine or not. "How would I get into Roasted Love after it was locked up for the night?"
I didn’t have an answer to that. "Are you a friend to anyone who works here?"
"No. Janie lives in the same apartment building I do, but I can’t say we are friends."
"What about Lily and Eddie? Do you know either of them well?"
"I know who they are. Eddie’s apartment is in the building next to the one Janie and I live in. I see him coming in and out sometimes. I know Lily from working here in Roasted Love."
The once neatly folded napkin next to her was crumpled. Her fist tightened around it. I wished Daniel was sitting here. He could sift through it all and try to make sense of what Jen was saying. She looked sincere and her eyes didn’t waver from mine.
"Michael was dying from terminal cancer," she stated. "He was so angry about that. I think that’s why he acted like he did toward everyone. He felt cheated." She unfolded the napkin as best she could. "I don’t think he planned to mend his marriage at all. I think he was shutting everyone out, including me."
My cell rang. It was Daniel. I picked it up.
"Hey," I said. "Could you come down here to Roasted Love? I need your help with something."
"Sure," he said. "I was hoping you'd ask. I could use a cream cheese danish."
"We don't have any of those."
"A bagel?" he asked.
"Nope," I said. "We sold them all. You know how the crowds have been."
"How about a kiss then?" he asked.
