Read Online Always Yesterday by Jeri Odell - Free Book Online

turned in the opposite direction from the department.
    “Thought we’d go hang out at that Burger House for a while—see who we might see.” He glanced at her. “How long have you been a plainclothes detective?”
    “Since Monday,” Delanie said weakly. She studied the passing scenery, not wishing to witness Eli’s reaction.
    “Well then, you have a lot to learn. I’m guessing this case will take us at least three months, if not more.”
    She’d mentally prepared for him to mock her because this was her first undercover assignment, so she was surprised when he didn’t. “You’re kidding? Three months?” Even though she hated the fact that she became so angry yesterday, her little outburst must have paid off.
    He shook his head, turning into the restaurant’s parking lot. “Once we figure out who the culprit is, it could take months to flush them out. When people are making a lot of money doing illegal activity, they know how to cover their tracks.”
    Eli cut the engine. Once inside they ordered a late lunch, and then he led her straight to a table in the back corner. It was actually a large booth with a wraparound seat. “This way we can each see the doors and who uses them.” He slid in until his back faced the front window of the building. She slid in the opposite side and sat at a ninety-degree angle to him.
    “Amazing how much easier it is to occupy a booth without that big belly.” Delanie laughed.
    Eli jabbed his straw into his cup and took a long sip. “We can go over today’s discoveries, and I also thought we should review the police report Julie Johnson’s mom filed.” Eli ran his hand through his dark hair.
    “Sounds like a plan,” Delanie agreed, unwrapping her fish sandwich. Eli certainly was talkative when the topic was work and not personal. Maybe she could slide in a few personal inquiries in the midst of their case conversation.
    After taking a bite of his burger, Eli pulled a legal pad from his backpack and made three columns. At the top he labeled them K NOW , S USPECT, and T O D O . “What do we know for sure?”
    Delanie set her cup down. “Julie Johnson is dead.”
    “Brandi is pregnant,” Eli added. He jotted the facts in a scribbled form Delanie wondered if she could ever decipher. “She has a single mom and no siblings.”
    “Her neighbor believes she plans to give the baby up for adoption.”
    “I’ll put that under ‘S USPECT’ because we didn’t hear it from Brandi herself.” They continued recalling info and categorizing it as they finished lunch.
    One of the restaurant employees was cleaning the tables after the lunch rush. She stopped at their table. “I’ve never seen you in here without them boys before.” Though she spoke to Eli, her gaze never left Delanie, inquisitiveness written all over her face. She moved on to the table next to theirs and cleared the trash.
    “You must come in here often.” Delanie kept her voice low.
    “Couple of times a week. You’ve heard the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach?”
    Delanie nodded.
    “Junior high boys aren’t any different. I feed them in hopes of gaining their loyalty.”
    “Loyalty?” Delanie thought the statement seemed odd.
    Eli wadded up the wrapper from his burger. “If they feel loyalty to me and to our little group, feel like they have a place to belong, they’ll be less likely to join a gang. Everybody needs a sense of belonging, a sense of fitting in and importance. We all need to know there are people who care.”
    Delanie wondered what people Eli had. “So in a sense, you’ve become family to those boys.”
    Eli nodded. “And them to each other. Sadly, most come from single-parent families where their mom or dad is working long hours, sometimes two jobs, just to put food on the table. They don’t have much left to invest in their kids.”
    Eli, you’re a good man. “So you do it for them?”
    “Not in place of, but I try to come alongside the parents.”
    “Why?”
    He