“I don’t know,” Theodosia said. “But I’ll give it a try.”
“Bless you,” Drayton said. He had just set glass tea warmers on the tables and was lighting the little votive candles he’d placed inside. The flickering flames leapt and danced, lending a cheery note. One that was sadly needed.
? ? ?
The tea room was half-full when Burt Tidwell ghosted in. Theodosia decided that he didn’t so much enter a room like a normal person did, but rather stalked in. Head swiveling, eyes casting about, movement fairly contained, he always seemed to be cold-bloodedly hunting down his prey. She was constantly surprised that he was so light on his feet for such a large man. But she wasn’t surprised when he stepped up to the front counter, rested his forearms on it, and then leaned in heavily so he could watch as she and Drayton prepped the tea.
Tidwell finally aimed an index finger at Theodosia and said, “You,” in an omnipotent voice. “I need to talk to you.”
“I figured as much,” Theodosia said. She glanced at her watch. She had three pots of tea to brew for their existing customers and lunch was only forty minutes away. There’d soon be dozens of customers coming in for takeout as well as sit-down. “Only problem is,” she told him, “I need to keep making forward progress here. I have to get things ready for our luncheon crowd. Could you please just ask your questions while I work?”
Tidwell lifted a bulky shoulder. “If you insist.”
Drayton turned and fixed him with a gaze. “And I obviously need to be here, too.”
Tidwell released a sigh. “Naturally.”
Theodosia reached up and pulled a Chinese blue-and-white teapot off an overhead shelf. “Anything you have to say you can say in front of Drayton.”
“Anything?” Tidwell raised a single bushy eyebrow.
“I meant within reason.”
“Of course.”
Theodosia set the teapot down and grabbed a tin of Darjeeling tea. “And I have a few questions myself.”
“I’m not surprised,” Tidwell said.
Theodosia measured out two scoops of Darjeeling and dumped them into her teapot. Then she added a pinch for the pot. “Are there any suspects?”
Tidwell shook his head. “Nothing concrete as of yet.”
“Any clues?”
“Some. As well as the few bits of information you shared with me last night. Like you, I’ve been tossing around the idea that the smaller hand might have belonged to a woman.”
“Are there women robbers?” Theodosia asked.
“It seems to be a growing trend.”
“Interesting.”
“Even more so when you factor in the notion that the blue lines on that smaller wrist might have been a tattoo,” Tidwell said.
“Seems like everyone’s getting tattoos these days.”
“Not me,” came Drayton’s slightly scolding voice.
“Do you have anything else?” Theodosia felt frustrated at the lack of information Tidwell seemed willing to share. After all, the police had been at Heart’s Desire all night long. They must have found something. “Surely somebody must have noticed something definitive about the three robbers?”
“It would appear not,” Tidwell said, “though we questioned all the guests extensively. An awful lot of them claimed to be curled up in a fetal position, nursing cuts and bruises. Trying to avoid the noxious gas.”
“It wasn’t exactly poison,” Theodosia scoffed. “I’m still here. All the other guests are still here.”
Tidwell reached a chubby hand toward a tray of scones Haley had put there and helped himself to a strawberry scone. “The gas was your garden variety smoke bomb.”
Theodosia slid a plate and butter knife across the counter to him. “Was it military grade?”
“Not even.”
“Then what’s it used for?”
“Goofy pranks, probably.” Tidwell took a bite of scone and chewed thoughtfully. “We did recover the SUV, however.”
Theodosia perked up. Here was something tangible. “Where did you find it?” She put a dab of Devonshire cream in a small bowl and gave it to him.
“Dumped in an alley near Hampton Park.”
“So that tells you what?” Theodosia asked. “That the robbers live in the area?”
“Doubtful,” Tidwell said.
“Then where did they disappear to? Outer space?”
“Huh. We’re checking on that.”
“Were there any fingerprints in the vehicle?”
“Wiped clean. These people were pros.”
“You know . . .” Theodosia paused to recall the sights and sounds of last night. The robbery, as it unfolded, had blazed past like a bad experimental film. But there was one thing that had stuck in her brain. “I think there might have been a motorcycle, too. I’m pretty sure I heard the roar of a big motorcycle engine just as they were taking off.”
Tidwell inclined his head toward her. “That’s what another witness said, too.”
“Well, did anyone see the bike? I mean, it wasn’t ridden into Brooke’s shop or anything, so it must have been waiting outside.”