street, ducked behind an azalea, then crab walked up to the passenger side of the car keeping her head below the windows, so the driver wouldn’t be alerted to her approach.
When she reached the door, she grabbed the handle, then whipped the door open as fast as she could.
“Just what do you think you are doing!” she yelled. A startled Norman Shea whipped his head around to face her, his eyes bulging behind the coke bottle glasses.
“What … I … well …,” he stammered.
“You do realize my husband is a police detective.” Lexy stood up, then bent down to look in the car at him. “I could have him arrest you and tell your mother about the toilet incident.”
Norman blinked, then straightened in his seat. “The public deserves to know the truth.”
“Yeah, but unfortunately, you’re on the wrong trail.” Lexy slipped into the passenger seat to Norman’s obvious dismay. “However, I think I can help you get the truth and a juicy exclusive, too.”
Norman eyed her suspiciously. “You’re just trying to throw me off track.”
“No. Listen. I’ve been looking into this with my grandmother.”
Norman scrunched up his face. “Your grandmother?”
“Yes, perhaps you’ve heard of The Ladies Detective Club ?”
“No.”
“Well, that’s my grandma and her friends. They’re pretty good. They even help the police sometimes. Anyway, we’ve stumbled onto something much more interesting than a caterer serving the wrong ice cream.”
That got his interest. “Really?”
“Yep. It seems Regis’ death might not have just been an accident.”
Norman’s eyes got wider. “What do you mean?”
“His son, Winston, has some serious gambling debts. He needed money bad.”
“But he already has lots of money.”
“Not this much money. Even though he makes a big salary, Regis wasn’t overly generous with the Bank’s family fortune. The kind of debt Winston had is the kind that gets you maimed or killed. We’re thinking maybe he couldn’t wait for the old man to die and tried to help things along.”
Norman speared her with a skeptical look. “How do you know this?”
“Let’s just say we have our sources. But they need to be verified and that’s where you come in.”
“I do?”
“Sure, you must have some sources down at the paper that have street knowledge.”
“Well, we do have some unsavory characters that I suppose I could tap into.”
“Great, all you need to do is find out if Winston owed someone money and if he was being threatened.”
“And then?”
“We’ll do the rest to try to prove he killed Regis. And you’ll get the exclusive on the story. No one else knows about this.”
Norman chewed his bottom lip. “So, if I help you, you won’t tell any other reporters and you’ll keep me in the loop?”
Lexy nodded. “Yep.”
“And you won’t tell my mom about the toilets.”
“Nope.”
Lexy’s stomach churned as Norman made up his mind. He tilted his head, then looked out the window and tapped his fingers on the steering wheel.
Finally, he shot out his hand toward Lexy for a handshake.
“Okay. Deal.”
Chapter Nine
The next afternoon, Lexy sat at one of the cafe tables in her bakery, her hands wrapped around a mug of dark roast coffee. Across from her, Nans, Ruth, Ida and Helen munched on pastries. Outside, summer had arrived. The trees were in full bloom, flowers lined the river banks and birds hopped about on the sidewalk hoping for departing bakery customers to throw a few crumbs.
“These scones are delightful.” Ida pinched off a piece of scone that contained a plump, juicy raspberry. “Are these the raspberries you got from the Farmer’s Market?”
“Yes, they held up wonderfully and add a nice tart flavor, don’t you think?” Lexy replied.
“They’re great,” Helen chimed in. “That Farmer’s Market was nice … I sure hope Larry doesn’t end up getting screwed in Regis’ will.”
“I think he’ll be fine. He
When she reached the door, she grabbed the handle, then whipped the door open as fast as she could.
“Just what do you think you are doing!” she yelled. A startled Norman Shea whipped his head around to face her, his eyes bulging behind the coke bottle glasses.
“What … I … well …,” he stammered.
“You do realize my husband is a police detective.” Lexy stood up, then bent down to look in the car at him. “I could have him arrest you and tell your mother about the toilet incident.”
Norman blinked, then straightened in his seat. “The public deserves to know the truth.”
“Yeah, but unfortunately, you’re on the wrong trail.” Lexy slipped into the passenger seat to Norman’s obvious dismay. “However, I think I can help you get the truth and a juicy exclusive, too.”
Norman eyed her suspiciously. “You’re just trying to throw me off track.”
“No. Listen. I’ve been looking into this with my grandmother.”
Norman scrunched up his face. “Your grandmother?”
“Yes, perhaps you’ve heard of The Ladies Detective Club ?”
“No.”
“Well, that’s my grandma and her friends. They’re pretty good. They even help the police sometimes. Anyway, we’ve stumbled onto something much more interesting than a caterer serving the wrong ice cream.”
That got his interest. “Really?”
“Yep. It seems Regis’ death might not have just been an accident.”
Norman’s eyes got wider. “What do you mean?”
“His son, Winston, has some serious gambling debts. He needed money bad.”
“But he already has lots of money.”
“Not this much money. Even though he makes a big salary, Regis wasn’t overly generous with the Bank’s family fortune. The kind of debt Winston had is the kind that gets you maimed or killed. We’re thinking maybe he couldn’t wait for the old man to die and tried to help things along.”
Norman speared her with a skeptical look. “How do you know this?”
“Let’s just say we have our sources. But they need to be verified and that’s where you come in.”
“I do?”
“Sure, you must have some sources down at the paper that have street knowledge.”
“Well, we do have some unsavory characters that I suppose I could tap into.”
“Great, all you need to do is find out if Winston owed someone money and if he was being threatened.”
“And then?”
“We’ll do the rest to try to prove he killed Regis. And you’ll get the exclusive on the story. No one else knows about this.”
Norman chewed his bottom lip. “So, if I help you, you won’t tell any other reporters and you’ll keep me in the loop?”
Lexy nodded. “Yep.”
“And you won’t tell my mom about the toilets.”
“Nope.”
Lexy’s stomach churned as Norman made up his mind. He tilted his head, then looked out the window and tapped his fingers on the steering wheel.
Finally, he shot out his hand toward Lexy for a handshake.
“Okay. Deal.”
Chapter Nine
The next afternoon, Lexy sat at one of the cafe tables in her bakery, her hands wrapped around a mug of dark roast coffee. Across from her, Nans, Ruth, Ida and Helen munched on pastries. Outside, summer had arrived. The trees were in full bloom, flowers lined the river banks and birds hopped about on the sidewalk hoping for departing bakery customers to throw a few crumbs.
“These scones are delightful.” Ida pinched off a piece of scone that contained a plump, juicy raspberry. “Are these the raspberries you got from the Farmer’s Market?”
“Yes, they held up wonderfully and add a nice tart flavor, don’t you think?” Lexy replied.
“They’re great,” Helen chimed in. “That Farmer’s Market was nice … I sure hope Larry doesn’t end up getting screwed in Regis’ will.”
“I think he’ll be fine. He
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