“Bad joke.” I thought about our schedule. Sundays were typically our free day. We never planned anything without consulting the other. “I’ll tell Amy we can’t do breakfast. I suspect you’ll want to leave at some ungodly hour.”
“Nah, I told Jim we’d meet him at the dock at five.” He peeked under the grill hood. “Grab a plate, they’re done.”
“Who goes fishing in the evening?” I reached through the open screen and grabbed the platter I’d set out. I stood next to him as he set the grilled kabobs on my plate.
He reached down and turned off the gas, taking the plate from me and holding the kitchen door open. “Five in the morning.”
“On a Sunday? And you said it wasn’t ungodly.” I took out two dinner plates and handed him one. We didn’t talk as we were dishing up the salad to go with the meat. Then we sat at the table in our regular chairs and started eating. Greg knew he could be called back to the station at any time. Which made me wonder why he thought he could get away for a full day of fishing. “Will the case be locked up by then?”
He wiped his mouth with a napkin. “Doesn’t matter. I’m instituting a No Work for Greg on Sunday rule. I’ve missed too many football games this season. Now that we can get outside again, we’re taking a day for ourselves.” He looked at me. “Tell me you’re on board.”
“Actually, I love the idea. I don’t want you to get your hopes up, though. You know how your job can be.” I poured balsamic vinaigrette over my salad and broke off a piece of the French loaf I’d bought in town.
“I know it won’t be possible every Sunday, but a guy’s got to set some limits. Otherwise his woman gets lonely.” He cocked his head at me. “Right?”
“Sometimes, but I get it. Your job is important. It’s not like you work in an office or in construction. Although there’s nothing wrong with those jobs, it’s just not as critical as being a detective.”
“We all have roles to play.” He glanced at his watch. “Speaking of my job, I’ve got to go. Someone from the DA’s office is coming over tomorrow to look over the case. Hopefully I’ll have a solid lead before he shows up.”
“Like what?” I smoothed some butter on the fresh bread.
He kissed me on the cheek. “Like who owns poison tree frogs in town.”
CHAPTER 15
The next morning, I’d finished the commuter rush and was getting ready to turn the shop over to Toby when Cheryl Paine walked into the store. Her black suit framed her slender frame and her hair was fashioned into a sharp, professional look. A purple silk shirt peeked out from the black jacket, and the gold necklace around her neck was tasteful, yet reeked of expensive. She had a large black leather bag over her shoulder. She saw me watching her entrance and turned on the smile. Then she stopped walking when she recognized me.
“You were at the funeral home. Are you friends with that woman?” Her gaze turned cold on me.
I smiled and walked toward her, hand outstretched. “I’m Jill Gardner, owner of Coffee, Books, and More. And more importantly, I am definitely not friends with Sherry King.”
Her shoulders relaxed and she took my hand. “Sorry, it’s been weird since Kent died. The police are asking all kinds of questions, like they think he was murdered or something.”
“You don’t?” I motioned to a table I’d cleaned earlier. “We can sit here. I’m alone in the shop until noon.”
Cheryl sat in one chair and put her bag in another. “You shouldn’t be alone ever. Not every person who walks in your front door is a customer looking for coffee.”
I let the comment slide. I was more interested in the question she’d dodged. “Did you get all the arrangements made? I haven’t heard about a funeral date or time.”
She pulled out her laptop. “Kent’s wishes were very specific. We’ll have a small family-only ceremony at graveside. Of course, you’re more than welcome to donate in his name to the Cancer Cures for Kids. His mom was a big supporter.”
I wondered if Kent knew a church full of grieving women wouldn’t do anyone any good. Especially if they started comparing notes. I nodded and wrote the name of the charity down in my notebook. “We’ll be sure to donate. Thanks for letting me know.”
She stared at the laptop, like she could will it to boot up. Finally she looked at me. “I hate that we were estranged at the time of his death. I barely talked to him anymore. I think he felt more like my security client than someone I used to share a bed with. And when he started dating that woman, he became even more distant.”
I decided to push my luck. “Did you know he was doing drugs? Maybe that’s why he was distant?”
“That’s a lie. A lie that woman is telling everyone. Kent wouldn’t do drugs; he knew his body was a temple.” Cheryl’s hand began to shake.
“I guess I was misinformed. Let’s get back to why you’re here. Can you tell me what kind of system would work best for this size of building? I’ll need a quote for the apartment upstairs, as well. My aunt lives there.”
Cheryl sat straighter and blinked away the tears. “You’re right. We should deal with today, right?”