Laugh or Death (Lexi Graves Mysteries Book 6) Page 16

  "Then we'll wait. Lexi, you have eyes on the bar, what do you see?" asked Ruby.

  "I see a few people moving around inside, but the windows are stained glass, so it's pretty much only shadows. A couple of drunks just left." I paused as two men in jeans and checked shirts stumbled out. One dropped to his knees and had to be helped back on his feet before the two of them took off down the street. I caught a sliver of movement inside before the door shut. "It looks busy inside. Rough-looking guys."

  "Why is Kyle in there? It doesn't sound like his kind of place," said Lily. "He's not rough. He's an idiot."

  "Maybe this is where he drinks?"

  "Your two drunk guys just walked past me looking like they could make mincemeat out of Kyle. Anyway, I don't think he's a big drinker, but who knows? I didn't think I hired a thief either."

  "Don't beat yourself up about it," I told her over noises that sounded like agreement from Ruby. "You never know what's going on inside someone else's head."

  We waited another hour, watching men walking in and out of the bar. In the whole time, we saw only one woman, whom I would hesitate to call a lady. When the hour was almost up, Kyle and his friend returned to the car and we tag-teamed them home. As they pulled in, I continued past the house, and parked with Lily, who took a more circuitous route after leaving the tail several blocks away. We waited for Ruby, who parked a block away, to call in. When she did, she didn't have much to say. "His buddy just dropped him at the house and he walked in alone. His buddy should be driving past you soon," she said, just as the car sailed past. "The lights have just gone off so I guess he's gone to bed. What now?"

  "I'm sorry, guys," said Lily despondently. "Lexi, you're right. We have nothing on this guy and we've just spent almost two hours tailing him to a bar and back. I've wasted your time."

  "No, you haven't," I said. "I've been advised to trust my gut instincts, and yours are saying Kyle is behind this somehow. We can't do anything more tonight, but we can work something out tomorrow. Let's go home and sleep on it."

  "And nail his ass another day?" asked Ruby. "I'm in."

  "Me too." Lily turned around in her car and gave me the thumbs up. "I'm a number one fan of nailing."

  "When you go home," I said, flipping on the engine and lights while trying not to sound too much like my mom, "please think about what you just said."

  Chapter Thirteen

  "It's no problem," I said into the phone as I made breakfast in my kitchen the next morning. Solomon arrived at midnight and left at six. I always enjoyed the domestic feeling I got from frying bacon and eggs.

  "I'll call as soon as I'm done," Solomon said, "and I'm really sorry."

  "You know, I can always drive up by myself, and you can come whenever you're ready," I told him, not adding that I was eager to get started. It wasn't just because in Greenacre, I could verify Nancy's grave for myself, but also because after a night of coming up with increasingly more lurid theories, I hoped to get some ideas about who the fake Nancy might be. I felt sure she had to have been close to the real Nancy Grant to steal her identity. Not only that, but I wanted to find out some more about Leo. If he were being duped, as I now thought, I would be having a very hard discussion with him too. There were so many questions right now, and very few answers. The recent revelations only added more questions to my list, but I didn't need to remind Solomon of them.

  "No, I think it's best we go together, especially as you're walking onto Leo's stomping ground."

  "Fair point," I agreed, since I didn't dare challenge Solomon's hunch again. "Any luck with Joelle and fake Nancy?"

  "Still looking. I'll make a late start up to you. Why don't I find us somewhere for dinner tonight?"

  "Sounds good."

  "Love you," Solomon said, hanging up before I could say it back.

  "Love you too," I said to the dial tone as I blew it a kiss. I left the phone on the counter, tipping the food from the pan onto my plate and walking over to eat it. Just as I was about to sit, the doorbell rang. With a wistful look at my hot breakfast, I left to answer the door.

  A bouquet filled the doorway. Bright, exotic flowers mingled with sprays of roses and delicate white petals, were all wrapped up in cellophane and tied with a big red bow. "Delivery for Lexi Graves," said the man behind the bouquet.

  "That's me," I said.

  The bouquet shifted to reveal a slim man in a beige uniform with a red rose over the breast pocket. "Sign here please," he said, producing an electronic handset. I signed and he released the flowers to me before wishing me a good day.

  Inhaling the scent as I gently kicked the door shut, I decided to have a good day, starting right now. I took the flowers to the kitchen, using one hand to search the cellophane for a card. I found it as I settled the bouquet on the counter and reached for a glass vase, a housewarming gift from my mother. I filled the vase with water and dropped the unwrapped flowers into it, taking the card over to my breakfast plate. With a mouthful of bacon, I slid a finger under the envelope flap and pulled out the card. It read "To the most beautiful woman I know" and ended with two kisses.

  "Awww," I said out loud, "I totally agree. I am a beautiful woman." My phone was next to the oven, so I slid off my chair, grabbed it and dialed Solomon before walking the few paces back to my breakfast.

  "You're so sweet," I cooed as he answered, delighted that he'd taken note of my brothers' plans the previous evening. "I love them; thank you so much. That was really thoughtful of you."

  "What are you talking about?"

  "The flowers! They're gorgeous and they smell amazing."

  "What flowers?"

  "The ones you just sent. I read the card."

  "I didn't send you any flowers."

  I frowned, looking at them. They were still there. Definitely real. "Really?"

  "Really. What does the card say?"

  "To the most beautiful woman I know," I read, "and there's kisses too. You really didn't send them?"

  "No, but I agree with the sentiment. Who else have you impressed this week?"

  "Countless people, I can only assume." I turned the card over. My name was printed on the front. It wasn't a mistake. The flowers were intended for me, but they weren't from my boyfriend. The message suggested they were from another male admirer. Could that mean... Maddox? He was the only man I'd seen recently who even had a passing interest in me. Or at least, he did the last time I saw him before he left town. Back then, he gave me the impression he was okay now with our breakup; and had made peace with it too. I thought we were on the path to friendship, but perhaps I was wrong? I glanced over at the flowers, but they had nothing to tell me. Even if they were from my ex-boyfriend, they were too pretty to throw out; plus, I liked Maddox. I reminded myself to thank him later. He said I was beautiful, so at least, I knew his eyesight was still intact even if his gift were a little inappropriate.

  "Let me know if you find out whom, just in case I have to kill the guy," said Solomon before he hung up.

  I finished my breakfast, poured a glass of orange juice and called Lily. "I'm outside Kyle's house," she told me when I asked what she was doing.

  "Again?"

  "Surveillance waits for no man."

  "Huh? Never mind. Is he doing anything?"

  "No, I don't think he's even out of bed, but that's good. It means I got here early enough to catch him doing something no good."

  "In bed?" I regretted asking.

  "No, I can't see through the blinds. I tried already and I brought binoculars too."

  I took a very deep breath. "I think Maddox sent me flowers."

  "Shut up!" yelled Lily. "What did he say?"

  "Nothing. I called Solomon and thanked him, and he said they weren't from him, so... Maddox, right?"

  "Absolutely. Unless there's someone else I don't know about?"

  "No. No one. I tell you everything."

  "Just checking. Are you going to call Maddox?"

  "No. It's too weird. The flowers are really pretty
. It's nice of him. Message was a little gushy though." I told Lily what the card said and she made a hmmph noise.

  "Maybe the florist mixed up the cards?"

  "Maybe. Or maybe, he just thinks I'm beautiful. Personally, I feel that's more likely. Anyway, I'm not leaving for Greenacre until later, so I have a few free hours. Do you want company?"

  "Yes please. And coffee. Honestly, I want the coffee more than company. Please don't be offended."

  "I'm not. I'll bring coffee."

  "You're the best. I'll put that on a card and send it to you."

  It only took me a half hour to clean up the kitchen, grab my purse, get two takeout coffees, and make it over to Kyle's house. It took me a few more minutes to spot Lily since she was in my brother's car and not in her own Mini. "Why the switch?" I asked as I got in.

  "I figured Kyle might get suspicious seeing my car parked out here all the time, so I swapped with Jord. I'm a genius."

  "Still no movement?" I handed Lily her cup and she lifted the lid, blowing softly across the surface of the liquid.

  "Nothing. He's so lazy. No wonder he's unemployed."

  "I don't think the two things are synonymous. Plus, he quit."

  "I wish Kyle would hurry up and commit a robbery so we can catch him and throw him in jail."

  "Only the cops can do that."

  "I wish Kyle would hurry up and commit a robbery so I can call Jord and have him throw him in jail."

  We were almost finished with our coffees when the front door opened and Kyle stepped outside. He looked around, then stepped inside again, the door banging shut behind him. "He's not even interesting to watch," said Lily.

  "Maybe we need to look at things from another angle."

  "What do you mean?"

  "Okay, so working on the assumption that it's definitely him... Well, we've been conducting the surveillance on the basis that Kyle will do something in the near future, and whether that's moving the cash or committing another robbery, we don't know. What we do know is we can't go back in time to follow him."

  "Well, duh!"

  "But there are plenty of ways to track someone's movements in the past," I continued, wracking my brain for any training that might have helped me now. "Maybe we should be looking at those. He has a cell phone, right?"

  "Sure."

  "Do you have the number?"

  "I do."

  "So, we'll track him via that. Most people have their cell phones on their person at all times, even thieves. Do you know how many suspects have been caught because their cell phones placed them at the scene of a crime?"

  "I don't know. How many?"

  "Ummm, I have no idea, but let's say lots."

  "I'd feel better if you had a percentage."

  "Twenty-nine percent," I lied, just so we could get past that.

  "Really? That's amazing! So we track his phone number and see if we can place him at every robbery that took place."

  "It's not strictly legal," I pointed out.

  "Who cares? Neither is theft."

  "But to get a conviction, everything has to be legal."

  "Pfft. So long as we give Jord the evidence, he can back everything up the legal route. You do that all the time. Let's do it!"

  "I'll have to call in a favor from Lucas."

  "Do it! Do it!" Lily clapped her hands.

  I called Lucas right away and asked him to get cell phone records for Kyle’s number from the day preceding the first robbery that we knew about, and ending at today's date. "Is this part of a case?" Lucas wanted to know.

  "Absolutely," I replied, skimming over the fact that it was a pro bono case, sanctioned by Solomon, but not profitable for the agency.

  "Is it an agency case?" he asked next.

  "A pro bono I'm looking into."

  "Okay, it might take me a couple of days, but I can get them. Leave it with me."

  "Can you do something else for me?"

  "Usually. Hit me with it."

  "I need to check to see if the cell phone was used in particular locations at particular times."

  "Send me the times you need checking, and I'll find the cell phone tower it pinged off. It won't give you an exact location, but I can tell you if the phone was in the area."

  I thanked Lucas and promised to send him the short list. "Call Jord for an update," I told Lily after Lucas hung up. She did and I listened to them speaking for a few minutes.

  "Jord says that without new evidence, the case has stalled. He said forensics went over every crime scene and found no fingerprints. The one time they were caught on camera, the two men both wore masks and gloves and the footage was fuzzy. They have no way of identifying them."

  "Did they interview Kyle?"

  "Yeah, at my bar, and later at the hospital. He stuck to his story that he didn't see who did it. The other witnesses didn't see anything useful as it happened so fast."

  "So Kyle is the only witness?"

  "Appears that way. Isn't it strange that he's the only witness and he didn't see anything?"

  "Not really. It's stranger that the MO changed for this robbery. All the others were smash-and-grabs after closing time."

  "Except your date night," Lily reminded me.

  I nodded, thinking. "You're right. That was different again. Three different MOs, but all targeting restaurants and bars. Could we be looking at three sets of thieves?"

  "Isn't that unlikely? They'd all be pissed at each other."

  I imagined three pairs of thieves planning their next robbery, knowing that other thieves could also be planning the same thing. It seemed unlikely that they would all choose now to commit similar robberies. And even more unlikely they would allow other thieves to operate on their turf, to potentially hit the same businesses they intended to target. No, the idea of three sets of thieves seemed entirely implausible, and I said as much to Lily.

  "What would be useful to know is why the MO changed," I added. "Why do something completely different after the first robberies went off without a hitch?"

  "Maybe they got greedy?"

  "Could be."

  "Or to throw suspicion off Kyle?"

  "Setting him up as a witness would do that," I agreed. "Perhaps he didn't think we'd connect the other robberies to this one since it appeared different. He could have thought, with a change in MO, the MPD would assume it was a different perpetrator."

  "I love all these words you use. MO. MPD. Perpetrator. I feel so professional."

  "Me too." We high-fived each other. "Maybe the accomplice changed? Look at the date night robbery..."

  "Is that restaurant nice?"

  "It's okay. Nice decor. Didn't really get to try the food."

  "What about the bar? Good wine list? Nice snacks?"

  "Am I your undercover bar spy?"

  "You could be!"

  "I'll think about it. It doesn't sound horrible, but back to date night... They wanted something from the safe. They've never done that before. Did Jord tell you how much they took?"

  "No, he didn't. Ugh. What an awful husband. I'll call him." Lily dialed, then said, "Hi, honey! You know the robbery from Lexi's date night? How much did the thieves take from the safe? Uh-huh. Uh-huh. Really?"

  "What?" I asked, but she waved me quiet.

  "That so? Okay. Uh-huh. Thanks, honey. I love you!" Lily blew kisses into the phone. I think my brother blew some back. I thought about blowing some too.

  "And?" I prompted.

  "The manager told Jord that he always kept the week's profits in the safe."

  "How much is that?"

  "Oh, shoot! I didn't ask. Thousands, I guess. He had extra money for suppliers and staff in there too. They cleaned out the safe and took two bottles of Glenfiddich whiskey from the office."

  "The whiskey was in the safe?"

  "No, it was in a locked drawer. Jord said they actually asked the manager for the whiskey."

  "How much was that worth?"

  "Approximately thirty thousand dollars."

&nbs
p; "Are you kidding me?" I squealed. "Fifteen thousand dollars for a bottle of whiskey?"

  "I swear, I am not kidding."

  I thought about all the alcohol I would grab if I robbed a bar, but concluded it wouldn't be practical to hold a gun to the bartender's head and insist he make me a cocktail. Taking a bottle would be safer and easier, but... it dawned on me. "They knew the whiskey was there!" I said. "They knew it was in the office and where it was kept. They would only know that if they had been in there before!"

  "Oh my gosh, you're right!"

  "So your bar and my date night robberies have something in common. The thieves had to have some insider knowledge of the businesses they were robbing. They knew where to look in the restaurant, and they knew your cash hadn't been banked yet. Maybe the MOs aren't so different after all."

  "There you go, saying MO again!"

  "Do you run everyone who works for you through payroll?" I asked.

  "Yeah, of course."

  "I wonder if the restaurant does? They had money to pay the staff in cash."

  "We should find out. We should see if we have any common employees," Lily yelled, bouncing in the driver's seat. "Is this our break? Say it is! Say it!"

  "We'll know once we speak to the restaurant manager."

  "Let's go... oh, shoot. He's on the move." Lily dropped lower into her seat and jabbed a forefinger over the dashboard. Kyle jogged along the path, passing through the chain link gate before climbing into his car. "Do we follow him? Or do we go to the restaurant?"

  "We follow him. The restaurant will stay put."

  "Let's go."

  Lily took off, keeping a discreet distance between Kyle's car and ours. "You know, I thought I'd be sitting outside his house all day."

  "Lucky for us that he's moving." We waited for him to make his left turn, then followed.

  "Lucky for you to get the day off."

  "I might get a lot of days off if I don't find out what's going on," I said. I was wondering exactly who would pay our case fees if Solomon was right and we found out Leo was dirty. If that were the case, I hoped Solomon received a decent retainer fee up front for the work we'd put in so far. I shook my head at my internal downer. Plus, I had to remember, it seemed that faux-Nancy had stolen an identity and played Leo. The poor guy was looking for a ghost. All we had to do was find faux-Nancy, expose her deceit, ruin Leo's life and hand him the bill. Whichever way I looked at it, things did not look good for Leo.