“I just don’t want to be trampled when you smell the bread.” Greg nodded to the hostess. “Two for lunch.”
Walking to the table, Greg’s phone buzzed. He took it off the holder and checked the display. He shrugged as the woman seated us and set our menus on the table.
“What’s up, Tim?” His gaze met mine and he held up one finger as he listened to the dispatcher.
“Can I bring you something to drink?” The chipper hostess paused at the table, looking at me.
I raised my eyebrows, silently asking Greg if we’d actually be having lunch and he nodded. I guess our nonverbal communication as a couple was spot-on. I ordered two large glasses of iced tea and opened the menu, trying not to listen to Greg’s conversation and hoping we wouldn’t be taking our lunch in to-go boxes.
“I’ll be back by three. I’ve got to stop to talk to Doc Ames. Jill and I are having lunch now.” I could hear Tim’s frantic response. “Seriously, if they want to talk to me, they can wait around until I get back. Send them over to Coffee, Books, and More to relax.”
When Greg put his phone back into the holder, he picked up his menu. “So, what looks good?”
I peeked over the menu and caught his gaze. “Thanks for lunch.”
He shrugged. “It’s just the bank auditors. They can cool their jets for a few hours. They’ve been on a tear about this alarm system issue for the last week. Of course, before Kent died, we couldn’t even get the security service to return our calls. Now everyone’s covering their butts.”
“You think Kent’s murder has something to do with the faulty alarm?” I set the menu down. “He wasn’t even at work when he died.”
Greg held up his hand. “Not your circus, not your monkey.”
“No fair, you brought up the subject,” I reminded him.
“Jill, repeat after me: Not my circus, not my monkey.” He studied the menu, avoiding my stare.
The waitress returned with our drinks. “My granny always said that when I’d get all worked up about something she didn’t think was my problem. Like when my friends were having troubles with teachers at school. I’d come home all vigilante, and she’d respond with that old saying.” The waitress smiled at the memory. “It used to tick me off. Anyway, what can I bring you?”
Greg listed off enough food for three people and then turned to me. “What are you having?”
She turned to me, obviously surprised at the size of his order.
“I’m having the scallops, with a side salad, garlic mashed potatoes, and add a cup of clam chowder.” I closed the menu and handed it to her. “Oh, and bring me that crab dip appetizer, with two plates. I’ll share.”
After the waitress walked away, Greg laughed. “I bet she thinks we’re being joined by friends.”
“Hey, I ran this morning.” I took a sip of the tea. “Besides, it sounds like you’re going into cop mode as soon as we get back into town. So this is date night, and I’ll take the leftovers home and watch movies.”
“Sounds like a perfect night.” Greg sounded thoughtful.
I put my hand on his. “It would be if you were cuddled up on the couch next to me.”
“Even if I insisted on the new Mark Wahlberg movie?” Greg squeezed my hand. Even though we watched a lot of movies together, we were still getting used to each other’s tastes in humor and entertainment.
“I’m planning a Disney princess marathon,” I teased.
As the appetizer arrived, he leaned back, spreading a napkin in his lap. “Then I’m glad I’m working.”
I tore off a piece of the fresh bread loaf, still warm from the oven, and dipped it into the crab mixture. “Is there any way Kent’s death wasn’t murder?”
He raised his eyebrows as he mirrored my actions with the dip. Then he sighed. “I guess I started this.” He took a sip of tea before he continued. “That’s why I’m going to see Doc Ames. The tox screens are coming back wonky. I mean, we know the good banker was a cokehead. But there’s something else in his system.”
“So he could have overdosed?” I shrugged. “I don’t know a lot about the whole drug thing, but people are always dying because of drugs.”
“Not the high-class drug addicts.” Greg ripped a bigger piece of bread off the loaf. “People like Paine tend to use cocaine as a supplement to their lifestyle. They can work longer and harder because they never sleep. And, apparently, it’s good for the libido.”
“You make it sound like an herbal supplement.” I shook my head. “I can’t believe they wouldn’t drug-test him at the job. Doesn’t Rotary Bank have a drug-testing program?”
He polished off the dip before he answered. “Apparently only when you apply for a job. He missed the mandatory testing that’s now in place for bank managers when they promote. The man was a smart player. Probably why he stayed at the smaller bank instead of trying to advance. He didn’t want to risk being tested now.”