the register. The headlines read:
Jacob Weaver Arrested for the Murder of Michael Simms.
Roasted Love filled to capacity from early
afternoon through closing. No one held back on expressing opinions of
belief or disbelief of the owner of the coffee house. Janie had gone
home at the end of her shift. Once again I asked Lily to bring Eddie
in to help out.
"You may want to think about hiring more
workers, Laila," said Lily at closing time. "Until Jacob’s
trial, I know the crowds will continue. It’s all big news around
here. His trial may not happen for a while."
"Let’s give it through the rest of the
week. I’ll have to clear it with Jacob about hiring more people."
Lily looked at me intently as if to say: why
should I ask a convicted man about running the business. The thought
of how much, or how little, I knew about Lily ran through my mind.
For that matter, what did I really know about Janie or Eddie?
"He still owns the place," I said. "I
have to run things by him like I’ve always done."
I locked the back door, last to leave and worried
about Thor left at home. He probably needed to be let out by now. The
day had been much longer than he was used to waiting. Driving from
the parking lot I glanced at Sunrise. It remained dark and it struck
me as strange not to see any movement over there. A few businesses
near it were closing for the night. The scene gave an eerie feeling
to the Piazza. I was glad I had my car with me. There was security in
it as I drove toward home.
My worries about Jacob escalated. What did I miss?
If, as Jacob told me, the police found evidence at Roasted Love that
did not belong to him, then someone who had access to Roasted Love
planted it there.
"It may have been a customer who slipped in
the back door when everyone was busy upfront," I said aloud.
Ideas about all of it were a jumbled heap in my
mind. There were so many possibilities but nothing clear came to
mind. Hidden clues had to be there. How to uncover them was just as
much a mystery as the fact that evidence against Jacob had been
found.
"Like I said, Jacob, I’m no detective as
much as I want to be now," I mumbled to myself as I parked the
car.
I unlocked my door and an excited large monster of
a dog almost knocked me from my feet. Thor then ran to the back door
and I hurried to let him out. My compliments to him for waiting were
lost on him. He raced around the yard after taking care of business
and was happy to run in circles. I watched him from my kitchen window
and then turned to make a salad for starters.
Opening my freezer door on top of refrigerator I
stood looking as if something would magically leap out at me. I was
in no mood to cook anything from scratch.
"A veggie pizza will do it tonight," I
said. I added mozzarella and turned the oven on. "You need to
get a life, Laila. You wouldn’t talk to yourself so much."
Thor had run long enough to remember it was his
dinner time. He ate as if starved and we both went out to the small
patio where I finished the last of the pizza. I thought about Jacob
and his story about the belladonna. I believed him when he said he
had no way of knowing what that was, much less getting it.
"What do you think, Thor?" I ruffled his
neck and his voice sounded like a purr. "What are we missing,
boy?"
Tomorrow would be another busy day at Roasted
Love. I turned in early, still mad at myself for not coming up with
anything to help Jacob. Just before drifting off to sleep I
considered enlisting the help of Daniel. The way he looked at me
sometimes, I knew I had only to ask for a lending hand.
The next morning Thor focused on me at breakfast.
It was as if he accused me of intentions to leave him behind again.
When I picked up his leash, he literally danced to the door. With him
at my side I didn’t mind walking.
"Just be there when I need you, Thor," I
reminded him.
The walk was brisk and we turned the corner at
Roasted Love. I glanced at the trash bin that I once escaped to
safety
Jacob Weaver Arrested for the Murder of Michael Simms.
Roasted Love filled to capacity from early
afternoon through closing. No one held back on expressing opinions of
belief or disbelief of the owner of the coffee house. Janie had gone
home at the end of her shift. Once again I asked Lily to bring Eddie
in to help out.
"You may want to think about hiring more
workers, Laila," said Lily at closing time. "Until Jacob’s
trial, I know the crowds will continue. It’s all big news around
here. His trial may not happen for a while."
"Let’s give it through the rest of the
week. I’ll have to clear it with Jacob about hiring more people."
Lily looked at me intently as if to say: why
should I ask a convicted man about running the business. The thought
of how much, or how little, I knew about Lily ran through my mind.
For that matter, what did I really know about Janie or Eddie?
"He still owns the place," I said. "I
have to run things by him like I’ve always done."
I locked the back door, last to leave and worried
about Thor left at home. He probably needed to be let out by now. The
day had been much longer than he was used to waiting. Driving from
the parking lot I glanced at Sunrise. It remained dark and it struck
me as strange not to see any movement over there. A few businesses
near it were closing for the night. The scene gave an eerie feeling
to the Piazza. I was glad I had my car with me. There was security in
it as I drove toward home.
My worries about Jacob escalated. What did I miss?
If, as Jacob told me, the police found evidence at Roasted Love that
did not belong to him, then someone who had access to Roasted Love
planted it there.
"It may have been a customer who slipped in
the back door when everyone was busy upfront," I said aloud.
Ideas about all of it were a jumbled heap in my
mind. There were so many possibilities but nothing clear came to
mind. Hidden clues had to be there. How to uncover them was just as
much a mystery as the fact that evidence against Jacob had been
found.
"Like I said, Jacob, I’m no detective as
much as I want to be now," I mumbled to myself as I parked the
car.
I unlocked my door and an excited large monster of
a dog almost knocked me from my feet. Thor then ran to the back door
and I hurried to let him out. My compliments to him for waiting were
lost on him. He raced around the yard after taking care of business
and was happy to run in circles. I watched him from my kitchen window
and then turned to make a salad for starters.
Opening my freezer door on top of refrigerator I
stood looking as if something would magically leap out at me. I was
in no mood to cook anything from scratch.
"A veggie pizza will do it tonight," I
said. I added mozzarella and turned the oven on. "You need to
get a life, Laila. You wouldn’t talk to yourself so much."
Thor had run long enough to remember it was his
dinner time. He ate as if starved and we both went out to the small
patio where I finished the last of the pizza. I thought about Jacob
and his story about the belladonna. I believed him when he said he
had no way of knowing what that was, much less getting it.
"What do you think, Thor?" I ruffled his
neck and his voice sounded like a purr. "What are we missing,
boy?"
Tomorrow would be another busy day at Roasted
Love. I turned in early, still mad at myself for not coming up with
anything to help Jacob. Just before drifting off to sleep I
considered enlisting the help of Daniel. The way he looked at me
sometimes, I knew I had only to ask for a lending hand.
The next morning Thor focused on me at breakfast.
It was as if he accused me of intentions to leave him behind again.
When I picked up his leash, he literally danced to the door. With him
at my side I didn’t mind walking.
"Just be there when I need you, Thor," I
reminded him.
The walk was brisk and we turned the corner at
Roasted Love. I glanced at the trash bin that I once escaped to
safety
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