Read Online Caffeine & Killers (A Roasted Love Cozy Mystery Book 3) by Cam Larson - Free Book Online
Authors: Cam Larson
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in the back
still had people in them. I'd have to find a time to return when the
whole place was dark. I turned the car around and headed for home.
# # #
Daniel had let himself into my apartment. The
aroma of chicken chow mein and noodles greeted me – and so did
Thor. But best of all, Daniel looked up and grinned at the sight of
me. We met in the middle of the kitchen where he planted a loving
kiss on my lips. It was a relief to find things back on track between
us.
"Thor's been outside for his playtime,"
said Daniel. "I told him he'd have to wait until you got here to
eat, so you'd better take care of him. His food's already measured
out and he's one hungry dog."
While Daniel dished out our chow mein, I gave Thor
and Benji their dinners in the corner of the kitchen. Daniel and I
had learned to ignore the crunching sounds of my large dog while we
ate.
"Okay, Laila, I’m ready to hear you out,"
Daniel said. "So, tell me: What do you think really happened to
Homeless John?"
I gathered my thoughts, and then laid out what I
had so far. "Well, do you remember what Councilman Carpenter
said in Roasted Love about wanting to clear all of the homeless out
of West River?"
"Yeah, sure. I remember."
"Then there's another guy who comes in for
coffee – Ronald Larch. He's Carpenter’s campaign manager and he
rants about the homeless, too."
"Yes. I know about him, too."
"Okay. Anyway," I continued, "I had
dinner last night at the Old York Street Bistro with Anna. And Larch
was there with someone I thought I recognized – and it turned out I
did recognize him because he's a DEA agent."
Daniel frowned as we both took our plates and sat
down. "He was from the Drug Enforcement Agency? How do you know
that?"
"I saw him when I went over to talk to Chief
Hayes at the precinct house. He was taking a meeting with the chief
while I was waiting my turn."
"DEA? Here? What for?"
I shrugged. "I don't know. You'd have to ask
the chief."
Daniel paused. "I hate to say it, Laila, but
we did just have a man found dead on the street from an overdose –
or, at the very least a suspected overdose," he finished,
blocking my objection before I could say anything.
I took a bite of the hot chicken chow mein. "I
really had no idea West River had people living on the street – at
least, other than John."
"They stay invisible for the most part,"
said Daniel. "At least, they do up in this end of town. Now –
it's clear that you suspect Calvin Carpenter might have had something
to do with John being dead. What's your evidence?"
I sighed. "I don’t have any tangible
evidence. It would be a pretty big risk for him to actually murder
someone – not when his campaign and re-election mean everything to
him. But I can't forget him saying that he wanted all the homeless to
‘just disappear.’"
"I don't think he'd have much to gain by
murdering someone, either. He talks a lot about his feelings about
the homeless, but maybe it's just a cause to campaign on and if it
wasn't that, it would be something else. So: What about Ronald
Larch?"
"Oh, he's Carpenter's campaign manager, so he
of course he says whatever Carpenter says. After John was found, I
heard Larch say that it was just as well to be rid of one more
homeless bum. Something like that.
"But then – somebody – yeah, it was Walt,
Walter Schubert – said he thought Larch had known John personally."
"What did Larch say to that?"
I thought for a minute. "Nothing. He said
nothing. And now that I think about it, I haven't seen Larch in
Roasted Love for the past couple of days."
Daniel nodded. "Interesting. If Larch hadn't
known John personally, why not just say so?"
"Good question," I said, turning back to
my food. "Good question."
When we finished our meal, we took Thor out for a
walk. Stars twinkled in the clear night sky and the air was warm with
a slight breeze.
"So, you've got Calvin Carpenter and Ronald
Larch on your list of possible suspects," said Daniel. "Anybody
else?"
"No. I
still had people in them. I'd have to find a time to return when the
whole place was dark. I turned the car around and headed for home.
# # #
Daniel had let himself into my apartment. The
aroma of chicken chow mein and noodles greeted me – and so did
Thor. But best of all, Daniel looked up and grinned at the sight of
me. We met in the middle of the kitchen where he planted a loving
kiss on my lips. It was a relief to find things back on track between
us.
"Thor's been outside for his playtime,"
said Daniel. "I told him he'd have to wait until you got here to
eat, so you'd better take care of him. His food's already measured
out and he's one hungry dog."
While Daniel dished out our chow mein, I gave Thor
and Benji their dinners in the corner of the kitchen. Daniel and I
had learned to ignore the crunching sounds of my large dog while we
ate.
"Okay, Laila, I’m ready to hear you out,"
Daniel said. "So, tell me: What do you think really happened to
Homeless John?"
I gathered my thoughts, and then laid out what I
had so far. "Well, do you remember what Councilman Carpenter
said in Roasted Love about wanting to clear all of the homeless out
of West River?"
"Yeah, sure. I remember."
"Then there's another guy who comes in for
coffee – Ronald Larch. He's Carpenter’s campaign manager and he
rants about the homeless, too."
"Yes. I know about him, too."
"Okay. Anyway," I continued, "I had
dinner last night at the Old York Street Bistro with Anna. And Larch
was there with someone I thought I recognized – and it turned out I
did recognize him because he's a DEA agent."
Daniel frowned as we both took our plates and sat
down. "He was from the Drug Enforcement Agency? How do you know
that?"
"I saw him when I went over to talk to Chief
Hayes at the precinct house. He was taking a meeting with the chief
while I was waiting my turn."
"DEA? Here? What for?"
I shrugged. "I don't know. You'd have to ask
the chief."
Daniel paused. "I hate to say it, Laila, but
we did just have a man found dead on the street from an overdose –
or, at the very least a suspected overdose," he finished,
blocking my objection before I could say anything.
I took a bite of the hot chicken chow mein. "I
really had no idea West River had people living on the street – at
least, other than John."
"They stay invisible for the most part,"
said Daniel. "At least, they do up in this end of town. Now –
it's clear that you suspect Calvin Carpenter might have had something
to do with John being dead. What's your evidence?"
I sighed. "I don’t have any tangible
evidence. It would be a pretty big risk for him to actually murder
someone – not when his campaign and re-election mean everything to
him. But I can't forget him saying that he wanted all the homeless to
‘just disappear.’"
"I don't think he'd have much to gain by
murdering someone, either. He talks a lot about his feelings about
the homeless, but maybe it's just a cause to campaign on and if it
wasn't that, it would be something else. So: What about Ronald
Larch?"
"Oh, he's Carpenter's campaign manager, so he
of course he says whatever Carpenter says. After John was found, I
heard Larch say that it was just as well to be rid of one more
homeless bum. Something like that.
"But then – somebody – yeah, it was Walt,
Walter Schubert – said he thought Larch had known John personally."
"What did Larch say to that?"
I thought for a minute. "Nothing. He said
nothing. And now that I think about it, I haven't seen Larch in
Roasted Love for the past couple of days."
Daniel nodded. "Interesting. If Larch hadn't
known John personally, why not just say so?"
"Good question," I said, turning back to
my food. "Good question."
When we finished our meal, we took Thor out for a
walk. Stars twinkled in the clear night sky and the air was warm with
a slight breeze.
"So, you've got Calvin Carpenter and Ronald
Larch on your list of possible suspects," said Daniel. "Anybody
else?"
"No. I
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