Read Online Jamie Hill Triple Threat by Jamie Hill - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Jamie Hill
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tenderly, and disconnected the call.
* * * *
The breakfast rush was over when Crystal spotted Jack entering the diner the next morning. “Well, hey.” She smiled. “You’re out and about early.”
“Yeah.” He looked uncomfortable. “Can you take a quick break? We need to talk.”
She cocked her head at him, wondering why he was being so serious. Something occurred to her and she blurted out “Oh God. Dave?”
“No, no, no.” He touched her arm. “But it is important. Can we sit?”
She looked around the almost empty diner and nodded. “Sure, I guess. Grab a booth. Want some coffee?”
“I would love some coffee.” He pulled out his notebook as he slipped into the booth.
Crystal asked Dinah to cover her for a break, and brought two cups of coffee with her to the table. “So what’s up, Detective?” She eyed his notebook as she slid into the booth across from him.
“What time did you leave Dave’s apartment this morning?”
“Excuse me?” She wasn’t expecting this line of questioning.
He looked at her and repeated slowly, “What time did you all leave the apartment this morning? It’s important, Crys.”
She blinked and thought back. “I guess it was about seven-fifteen. I dropped the boys at school and got here about seven-forty-five. Why, Jack?”
He continued to look at her. “I got over there about eight-thirty. The door was open, which I found very strange, but what I found inside was even worse. I told you I was going to turn the place inside out? Well, somebody beat me to it. The apartment is trashed. The sofa and mattresses were slashed, drawers and cabinets dumped out. The whole place is generally one hell of a mess.”
She looked at her coffee as she digested what he'd told her. She looked back up and there was anger in her eyes. “Why? Who would want to do such a thing?”
He shook his head. “Your guess is as good as mine at this point. I called in a team to go over the place for evidence, but the damned apartment is going to be crawling with fingerprints. Yours, mine, the two boys'…damn.”
“Their clothes?” she wondered absently.
“All over the floor, but seemingly intact. After the techs are finished, I thought I’d go back in and do the search I had intended to do. I’m not sure our friends this morning were looking for the same things as I plan to look for. They left a message on the bathroom mirror: Where is it ?”
“That’s what it said? Where is it?”
He nodded and sipped his coffee. “Who’s on first? Yep, that’s what it said.”
“Where is what , Jack? What could they be looking for?”
“My first reaction is that it's drug-related. Maybe Dave was doing a little funny business on the side, and either got on somebody’s bad list or pulled a little double-cross and got caught.”
Crystal shook her head. “I don’t understand any of this. Honestly, I never thought I was a stupid person, but this business is totally foreign to me.”
He smiled at her. “Good. I’m glad it is. I’d like to keep it that way, if possible. But I’d also like to check your apartment and make sure everything’s okay before you and the boys go back there today. Can I have your key?”
“Sure.” She reached in her pocket and pulled the key out. “It’s my only one.”
He finished his coffee, stood and took the key from her. “I’ll be back here to pick you three up after work. What time do you get off?”
“By the time we eat it’s usually—”
“Don’t eat. We’ll make dinner after we go to the store. It’s payday, isn’t it?”
“Well, yeah.” She looked up at him. “Four o’clock?”
He leaned over and put a kiss on the top of her head. “I’ll be back at four.” He tossed a five on the table.
“Coffee’s on the house,” she told him.
He winked. “I liked the service. See you later.”
“Yeah, see you.” She watched him go, and then gazed behind the counter at Moe, who'd been watching. She gave him a small
* * * *
The breakfast rush was over when Crystal spotted Jack entering the diner the next morning. “Well, hey.” She smiled. “You’re out and about early.”
“Yeah.” He looked uncomfortable. “Can you take a quick break? We need to talk.”
She cocked her head at him, wondering why he was being so serious. Something occurred to her and she blurted out “Oh God. Dave?”
“No, no, no.” He touched her arm. “But it is important. Can we sit?”
She looked around the almost empty diner and nodded. “Sure, I guess. Grab a booth. Want some coffee?”
“I would love some coffee.” He pulled out his notebook as he slipped into the booth.
Crystal asked Dinah to cover her for a break, and brought two cups of coffee with her to the table. “So what’s up, Detective?” She eyed his notebook as she slid into the booth across from him.
“What time did you leave Dave’s apartment this morning?”
“Excuse me?” She wasn’t expecting this line of questioning.
He looked at her and repeated slowly, “What time did you all leave the apartment this morning? It’s important, Crys.”
She blinked and thought back. “I guess it was about seven-fifteen. I dropped the boys at school and got here about seven-forty-five. Why, Jack?”
He continued to look at her. “I got over there about eight-thirty. The door was open, which I found very strange, but what I found inside was even worse. I told you I was going to turn the place inside out? Well, somebody beat me to it. The apartment is trashed. The sofa and mattresses were slashed, drawers and cabinets dumped out. The whole place is generally one hell of a mess.”
She looked at her coffee as she digested what he'd told her. She looked back up and there was anger in her eyes. “Why? Who would want to do such a thing?”
He shook his head. “Your guess is as good as mine at this point. I called in a team to go over the place for evidence, but the damned apartment is going to be crawling with fingerprints. Yours, mine, the two boys'…damn.”
“Their clothes?” she wondered absently.
“All over the floor, but seemingly intact. After the techs are finished, I thought I’d go back in and do the search I had intended to do. I’m not sure our friends this morning were looking for the same things as I plan to look for. They left a message on the bathroom mirror: Where is it ?”
“That’s what it said? Where is it?”
He nodded and sipped his coffee. “Who’s on first? Yep, that’s what it said.”
“Where is what , Jack? What could they be looking for?”
“My first reaction is that it's drug-related. Maybe Dave was doing a little funny business on the side, and either got on somebody’s bad list or pulled a little double-cross and got caught.”
Crystal shook her head. “I don’t understand any of this. Honestly, I never thought I was a stupid person, but this business is totally foreign to me.”
He smiled at her. “Good. I’m glad it is. I’d like to keep it that way, if possible. But I’d also like to check your apartment and make sure everything’s okay before you and the boys go back there today. Can I have your key?”
“Sure.” She reached in her pocket and pulled the key out. “It’s my only one.”
He finished his coffee, stood and took the key from her. “I’ll be back here to pick you three up after work. What time do you get off?”
“By the time we eat it’s usually—”
“Don’t eat. We’ll make dinner after we go to the store. It’s payday, isn’t it?”
“Well, yeah.” She looked up at him. “Four o’clock?”
He leaned over and put a kiss on the top of her head. “I’ll be back at four.” He tossed a five on the table.
“Coffee’s on the house,” she told him.
He winked. “I liked the service. See you later.”
“Yeah, see you.” She watched him go, and then gazed behind the counter at Moe, who'd been watching. She gave him a small
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