taller, he held it out of her reach.
“ Big Dog and I grabbed some burgers on the way home.” He tossed the bag to his friend, and snagged a half gallon of milk from the refrigerator on his way out.
Charlene called after him. “Where’s Patty, I thought you were going to pick her up?”
He yelled from the other room. “I did. I dropped her off at Lana’s. She said to tell you she’s eating dinner with them, and then they’re planning on coming back here to watch a movie.”
Charlene gave me a look that said, “See I told you.”
When Charlene’s phone rang, I jumped up, hoping it was Delgado.
Charlene answered and then held her hand over the receiver. “Evan,” she said to me. “Lincoln just came in. Patty’s at Lana’s. No such luck. She’s bringing Lana back here to watch a movie. She should be here about the time you get home. See, I told you they coordinate. By the way, Valerie’s here.” She looked at me. “He wants to know if we want to go out to dinner, or whether he should stop and get something on his way home.”
I shrugged. “I promised not to leave until Delgado called.”
We agreed on Chinese takeout. Charlene phoned in the order for Evan to pick up.
Lincoln strolled in, tossing the now empty plastic milk container and cookie bag in the trash. “Big Dog and I are going to the game.” He put his arm around his mother and kissed her on the cheek. “Thanks for the cookies, Mom. They were great.”
She rolled her eyes. “What do you want?”
“ I could use some gas money.”
“ Did you clean the pool?”
“ Tomorrow, I promise.”
She smiled sweetly. “Now, or you’ll be walking.”
“ Aw Mom, if I do it now, we’ll be late.”
She simply looked at him with the Mom stare. Even Big Dog must have recognized the futility of arguing with the stare, as he simply opened the back door to the pool and waited for Lincoln to join him. Thirty minutes later they came back in, collected the cash, and left.
I had to laugh when Patty and her girlfriend arrived just as Evan pulled into the driveway.
Evan plopped two white bags down in front of me and kissed me on the cheek. “Food for my Goddess.”
Hands on her hips, Charlene said, “Hey, what about me?”
He waggled his eyebrows at her. “You and I, my sexy siren, will feast on love.” He swooped in and dipped her back, kissing her with a loud smack.
Patty walked in. “Oh yuck. Old people kissing. My eyes. My eyes.”
Evan grinned at her. “Hi, Munchkin.”
Her friend laughed and Patty rolled her eyes. “Don’t encourage him. We’ll be in the Jacuzzi.”
Straightening up, Charlene laughed. “You must have had a good day of golf.”
“ Six over par. Let’s eat. I’m starving.”
Charlene took plates out of the cupboard and I opened the sacks and set out the white cartons. When everyone had filled their plate, Evan asked, “So Val, how are you doing? Any news on your burglary, or the murder?”
Charlene said, “Detective Delgado kissed her, and she was threatened by a pit boss, but we think Jerry, the teamster’s rep, is the one who killed Monica.”
Evan simply picked out the fact he thought most relevant. “What is Delgado doing about this threat?”
“ He’s interviewing him right now,” I said.
He put his hand over mine. “Maybe you should move in here for while.”
“ Thanks. Let’s wait and see what the police say.”
We brought him up to date on our theories. After dinner, I thought about changing into something more comfortable, but I was hoping Delgado would stop by. Maybe he would want to go out. While we watched TV, I kept checking my phone to see if it was working. Finally, around nine o’clock my phone rang, but it wasn’t Delgado.
Chapter Seven
“ Ms. Peterson, this is Detective Long. I wanted to let you know that we’ve interviewed Arnie Waters. He has an airtight alibi for the night of the murder. We’ve been able to verify that he was working and took
“ Big Dog and I grabbed some burgers on the way home.” He tossed the bag to his friend, and snagged a half gallon of milk from the refrigerator on his way out.
Charlene called after him. “Where’s Patty, I thought you were going to pick her up?”
He yelled from the other room. “I did. I dropped her off at Lana’s. She said to tell you she’s eating dinner with them, and then they’re planning on coming back here to watch a movie.”
Charlene gave me a look that said, “See I told you.”
When Charlene’s phone rang, I jumped up, hoping it was Delgado.
Charlene answered and then held her hand over the receiver. “Evan,” she said to me. “Lincoln just came in. Patty’s at Lana’s. No such luck. She’s bringing Lana back here to watch a movie. She should be here about the time you get home. See, I told you they coordinate. By the way, Valerie’s here.” She looked at me. “He wants to know if we want to go out to dinner, or whether he should stop and get something on his way home.”
I shrugged. “I promised not to leave until Delgado called.”
We agreed on Chinese takeout. Charlene phoned in the order for Evan to pick up.
Lincoln strolled in, tossing the now empty plastic milk container and cookie bag in the trash. “Big Dog and I are going to the game.” He put his arm around his mother and kissed her on the cheek. “Thanks for the cookies, Mom. They were great.”
She rolled her eyes. “What do you want?”
“ I could use some gas money.”
“ Did you clean the pool?”
“ Tomorrow, I promise.”
She smiled sweetly. “Now, or you’ll be walking.”
“ Aw Mom, if I do it now, we’ll be late.”
She simply looked at him with the Mom stare. Even Big Dog must have recognized the futility of arguing with the stare, as he simply opened the back door to the pool and waited for Lincoln to join him. Thirty minutes later they came back in, collected the cash, and left.
I had to laugh when Patty and her girlfriend arrived just as Evan pulled into the driveway.
Evan plopped two white bags down in front of me and kissed me on the cheek. “Food for my Goddess.”
Hands on her hips, Charlene said, “Hey, what about me?”
He waggled his eyebrows at her. “You and I, my sexy siren, will feast on love.” He swooped in and dipped her back, kissing her with a loud smack.
Patty walked in. “Oh yuck. Old people kissing. My eyes. My eyes.”
Evan grinned at her. “Hi, Munchkin.”
Her friend laughed and Patty rolled her eyes. “Don’t encourage him. We’ll be in the Jacuzzi.”
Straightening up, Charlene laughed. “You must have had a good day of golf.”
“ Six over par. Let’s eat. I’m starving.”
Charlene took plates out of the cupboard and I opened the sacks and set out the white cartons. When everyone had filled their plate, Evan asked, “So Val, how are you doing? Any news on your burglary, or the murder?”
Charlene said, “Detective Delgado kissed her, and she was threatened by a pit boss, but we think Jerry, the teamster’s rep, is the one who killed Monica.”
Evan simply picked out the fact he thought most relevant. “What is Delgado doing about this threat?”
“ He’s interviewing him right now,” I said.
He put his hand over mine. “Maybe you should move in here for while.”
“ Thanks. Let’s wait and see what the police say.”
We brought him up to date on our theories. After dinner, I thought about changing into something more comfortable, but I was hoping Delgado would stop by. Maybe he would want to go out. While we watched TV, I kept checking my phone to see if it was working. Finally, around nine o’clock my phone rang, but it wasn’t Delgado.
Chapter Seven
“ Ms. Peterson, this is Detective Long. I wanted to let you know that we’ve interviewed Arnie Waters. He has an airtight alibi for the night of the murder. We’ve been able to verify that he was working and took
Similar Books
