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"I'm sorry but he isn't here tonight. Do you want to leave a message for him?"
I wanted to say I knew where he was. Most likely, he could be found in the vicinity of Tommy's Bar on the other side of town. Instead, I smiled and said, "I'll catch him another time. Thanks."
She nodded her head and turned to customers waiting to check out.
The night air whipped my face. Small specks of snow pecked my face. I looped the wool scarf tighter around my neck. My warm apartment waited for me. I had a strong desire to pull Thor next to me and forget about Steven Landers and his dishwasher. I pictured my dog happily chewing on his treat while I curled up with hot chocolate. This detective stuff wasn't always so much fun. Sticking to the safe job as Barista would be a better idea.
Second thoughts about pursuing who killed Santa washed over me. As the car heater threw out warmth, those doubts pushed away from my psyche. If I gave up, I would be caving in to whoever threatened me earlier.
Thor greeted me with his usual rambunctious spirit. We went out the back door while I still had my coat on. He ran in pursuit of the ball and brought it back asking for more. After a few more times, we headed back inside and I settled for a light dinner while Thor ate his.
My phone rang. "How are you feeling, Laila? I've worried about you ever since the attack," said Daniel. "Are you all right?"
"I'm fine and home again. Don't worry about me. I'm being careful."
"I miss you."
"I miss you, too, Daniel. I wish it wasn't holiday time and we could figure things out face to face," I said. My voice edged with a whine. "I almost decided tonight to just drop this investigation and leave it all to the cops."
"I understand. What conclusion did you reach?"
"If I drop it, then there is no resolution for me. I decided if Steven is guilty he should pay the price. If he isn't, then he should be exonerated."
I heard a deep sigh from Daniel. "I'm glad you see it this way. You know, he doesn't have family to stand behind him through all of this. I may call Steven and feel him out. I could check up on him and see if he has any other thoughts on it all."
"That's a good idea," I said. I told
Daniel about not finding Steven at the Steakhouse. "I suppose he is home and you could reach him there," I said.
"I'm surprised he wasn't at the restaurant. I didn't think he missed a night there. I'll try him at home and let you know what I find out, if anything," said Daniel. "On another note, I wonder why Frank was in his Santa suit at Tommy's Bar that night."
"That is a mystery to me, too. I'm thinking he had been someplace playing Santa before he came in that night to get a drink," I said. I reminded him that Joe thought he was leaving to play Santa someplace else. "Not only that, but when I found his red hat on the ground, I later thought maybe someone had a fight with him outside the bar."
"If he had been drinking, maybe the wind caught it and he didn't realize it flew off when he came out. I guess that would depend on how much he had to drink to begin with." Daniel was silent for a split second. "I doubt he was going to play Santa when he left the bar. It must have been late. Kids would be in bed by that time."
I hadn't thought of that. "Whatever happened, we do know he came back to Steven's Steakhouse in his Santa suit later that night. Either someone came with him, or he let them in when they arrived. Maybe he set up a meeting with whoever he talked to at the bar. Another theory is maybe he knew someone was already at the restaurant when he came back."
"There are plenty of questions to it all," said Daniel. "Make a point to see the Chief tomorrow and tell him every detail. That includes the attack on you."
"Okay. Maybe he can find out more than what I did. I'm not sure where to look next. I wonder if the cops have other leads. I just may ask Chief Donald Hayes that."
The chuckle on the line reassured me and gave me courage again to see this case to the end. We ended the call and I leaned back in the chair and flipped on the TV. I just got comfortable when the doorbell rang. I shivered in the warmth of the room, hesitating to open the door. It could be my attacker. I used the peephole and saw a delivery man with the UPS emblem on his jacket. He held a package.
I opened the door and breathed easier when I saw the return address belonged to Daniel Jenkins. I thanked him and took the package to my chair. When I pulled the ribbon from the wrapped package inside, there was a note that read: "To my favorite Barista Detective, Merry Christmas."
I smiled at the sentiment. Lifting the scotch tape from the lid I opened it to find a caricature of me. I was holding a coffee cup in my right hand. In my left was a magnifying glass. On my head was a replica of Sherlock Holmes' deerstalker hat. Daniel must have planned this ahead of time. It was no last minute gift. He should be getting my insulated coffee mug any day. It said "I need 250cc of coffee – Stat" on it. I thought he would get a kick out of it, plus have hot coffee when he wanted it while on the job.
Thor nudged my knee and looked toward the back door. I got up and let him out. There was no way this dog would lure me outside again on this cold night. I set Daniel's gift in the middle of my kitchen table and thought how lucky I was. I waited for Thor to scratch the door.
Frank Duvall came to my mind again. Something told me there was much more to the man than most people assumed. First he was poor as a pauper. Next he, seemingly overnight, became rich. He liked to drink. His choice of water holes wasn't in the best of neighborhoods by a long shot. He drank with people like Joe. The night he was killed his bank account was well padded. Someone wanted him dead. He had plenty of enemies. Any one of them could have held a grudge against him. He dealt with unscrupulous people and yet loved playing Santa to kids at Christmastime. He was an enigma.
I went to the back door and let Thor in for the night. Then I clicked on my computer.
What I planned next was a risky move. I needed to find out where Frank's house was and somehow gain entrance. I could have asked Cassie Johnson but this was no time to alert anyone of my plans.
Chapter Seventeen
I had most of the day off from Roasted Love until mid afternoon. My first inclination was to head for Frank's address. Then I remembered my promise to Daniel about letting Chief Donald Hayes know what I had been doing. When I got to the precinct I asked Susan if he was there. She buzzed his office and his voice invited me in.
