Page 57 of Charmed Forces
“Where are we going?”
“That’s a very good question.”
Lily was in the agency within thirty minutes and I met her downstairs in the lobby, my rudimentary sketch in hand. “Does this look familiar to you?” I asked.
“If you’re proud of that, you shouldn’t be. Poppy can draw better.”
I turned the drawing back to me. Without context, it did look like crap. I explained the logo and the significance of the cups in a roundabout sort of way that meant I didn’t have to tell Lily I’d been inside the house. Lily nodded thoughtfully and said, “I think I’ve seen it before,” as she pushed back a lock of curly blonde hair and tightened her ponytail. “I have a feeling they’re new so that’s probably why the logo doesn’t look familiar. We should head downtown and start near my bar. If I’ve seen it anywhere, it’ll have to be around there on account of me not having much of a life since I became a parent and respectable business owner.”
“We should plan a night out,” I decided. “When all this is over. We’ll wear ridiculously high heels, get our nails done, and drink pricey cocktails. Maybe go to a club.”
“How about all of that except make it cocktails and a burger and we’re in bed by midnight?”
I looked at her in horror.
“You’re right,” she said, shaking her head. “I don’t know why I said that. Let’s stay out until the wee hours and I’ll be semi-comatose the following day. Poppy can use me as a jungle gym or Jord can take over the parenting obligations. I’ll book the day off work.”
“I liked the addition of the burger,” I said, trying to appease her.
Lily grinned. “Great! I’ll wear my stretchy pants. All we need now is the date. I can’t wait to get this spontaneous plan booked into my diary ahead of time.”
We drove downtown in Lily’s car and parked behind the bar. Lily shot a message to Ruby, her bar manager, to tell her she was parked there but wasn’t coming in and then we set off to walk the bustling stretch of road. We paused by a couple of coffee shops to inspect their logos and stopped at every restaurant and deli but none of them matched. When we’d exhausted our options, we began to traverse the side streets.
“We could be looking forever,” I said. “I wish I could just ask Daniel this stuff.”
“I wish we knew where he was,” said Lily. “I’d just like to know he’s okay. I’m sure Alice is worried sick.”
I nodded along, avoiding the question. “I wish there was a way to narrow this down.”
“I was wondering... What if the coffee cups were just tossed from the crime scene? What if they’re sitting in a trash bag on the curb right now?”
“They wouldn’t trash anything,” I said. “That’s what’s so weird. It’s what’s making me think whoever bought and delivered the coffee must be the one behind this.”
“Did they use an app? I’m never using an app again if it means I might get shot to death.”
“No, they couldn’t have anyone come to the house.”
“Could they be two separate people? One who got the coffee, and someone else who handed them out?”
“It’s possible,” I said. “There were two cups.” I stopped again, thinking out loud. “There were five people. Three officers. But onlytwocups. The autopsy will reveal coffee in the stomachs of anyone who drank it but not the reason why there weren’t five cups.”
“Except for Daniel’s stomach,” said Lily. She stopped and grabbed my arm. “You don’t think he’s dead somewhere, do you?”
“Absolutely not.”
“Suspiciously definitive,” said Lily, narrowing her eyes.
“I’m sure I’d feel it,” I said, “but you’re right. No one can prove what Daniel consumed.”Yet.I thought about the blood Solomon extracted from my brother and wondered if that would be enough to prove he’d been drugged. I wasn’t sure of the legalities but fairly sure it wouldn’t be admissible as evidence in a trial. Solomon had already said that blood would be no use to anyone except us. For the first time, I felt an ache of despair.
However, there was the sample Solomon had arranged to be taken as evidence, but who took it and how could Solomon be so sure it was acceptable? Suspicion nagged at me. What was Solomon keeping from me?
“You’re right,” said Lily, pointing. “I think Daniel’s okay. I think he’s going to be just fine and I think... what’s that over there?”
“What?” I looked around.
“Let me see that squiggle again.”
I passed her the folded sheet of paper and she held it up to the sun. “That could be it,” she said, pointing to a man fixing a sign above a coffee shop window. It said “The Daily Roast”and underneath that “the best coffee in town” which seemed like an overreach. “Those squiggles could be a T, a D, and an R. See how they’re curvy but artistically lacking part of the letters?”