Page 16 of Whispers of Sin
There was a very large clock hanging on the far wall. Michael should have arrived ten minutes ago, which was why Sylvie had remained inside Theo’s Jeep for an extended period of time. She’d wanted to observe Michael from afar, but then she’d thought there was a chance she’d missed him while she’d been speaking with her father’s hospice nurse.
To say that the last week had been an adjustment was an understatement. She’d gone a very long time without seeing her father. She’d all but forced herself to visit him in prison twice early on in his sentence, but he hadn’t seemed even the slightest bit guilty over the harm that his actions had caused several families.
Nigel Hubert Deering had committed fraud, and a jury of his peers had found him guilty of that crime, along with several others. He’d ruined so many people’s lives…and hers. All those cherished memories that she’d had of going into his office and coloring at his desk, eating lunch with him on a picnic blanket during a conference call, and allowing her to press every button in the elevator without a complaint…they had all been tarnished by what he’d actually been doing all those years.
“Are you in line?”
“Sorry,” Sylvie mumbled as she stepped aside and allowed an older gentleman to go in front of her. “I’m still looking over the drink menu.”
Sylvie waited a moment longer before joining the small line. She hadn’t needed to peruse the menu at all. The moment that she’d spotted Chai tea, she’d made her decision. Once she stepped up to the counter, she placed her order while fishing out her wallet. She paid before claiming a table near the window where she could keep an eye on the entrance.
Not sure how long she would be waiting for Michael Davis to make an appearance, she removed her jacket and hung her purse from the back of the chair. Since she’d worn a pair of brown jeans and a cream sweater, her waistband holster was noticeable. A few curious gazes had landed on her firearm, some of them with concern, which was the reason that she’d also looped her credentials over her belt.
“Sylvie!”
She retrieved her Chai tea and then reclaimed her seat. There was something very quaint about Harbor, but a lot of the charm came from the Chesapeake Bay. It was unfortunate that the café faced the opposite direction.
Movement on the sidewalk caught her attention, but it wasn’t Michael Davis. Two women walked in carrying multiple shopping bags. Their smiles told of their day in finding good deals and most likely Christmas presents for friends and family. She wrapped her hands around the cup, attempting to push aside the fact that this holiday would be her dad’s last.
What kind of daughter chose to spend part of that time working and not sitting at her father’s bedside?
A faint chime could be heard over the holiday music coming from the overhead speakers. Sylvie reached behind her and pulled out her cell phone. Bit had sent her a text, and it was a short video of a cat attempting to steal a slice of pizza. It was his way of telling her not to return to the rental cottage without a large pepperoni pizza. The light-hearted clip was exactly what she’d needed to take her mind off her personal problems. She replied that she wouldn’t let him starve before sitting back and making herself comfortable.
Fifteen minutes later and her Chai tea pretty much consumed, Sylvie couldn’t help but notice the younger barista, who was probably in her mid-twenties, wiping down one of the tables.
Only the woman had been wiping the same table for the last three minutes.
Sylvie followed her gaze.
Theo was standing near the art gallery, but he wasn’t alone. A beautiful brunette was speaking with him, and it appeared as if they were in a serious discussion. Hopefully, Theo was having more success than she was in the interview process. The longer she sat in the café, the more likely it was that Michael Davis wasn’t going to show. On the plus side, she had received Theo’s text regarding Michael and Bella’s relationship that could come in handy should she ever get to speak with him today.
“Excuse me,” Sylvie called out, garnering the barista’s attention. “Would you mind if I ask you a few questions?”
The woman tore her gaze away from what was taking place across the street.
“Have you worked here long?” Sylvie asked as she leaned forward and rested her forearms on the table.
“About two years.” Her nametag revealed that she went by Emily. Her gaze lowered to Sylvie’s weapon. “Are you a police officer?”
“I work for a private investigations firm that consults with the FBI.” Considering that this case had nothing to do with the Bureau, Sylvie probably should have left off that last part. Only she didn’t think that she would get very far otherwise. “We’ve been hired by Lorelei Jameson to investigate Bella Kadel’s death.”
Sylvie had done her best to keep her tone low so as not to capture the attention of the other patrons. She hadn’t done a good enough job, but at least they hadn’t forgotten their manners.
“Bella worked at the gallery across the street. Did you know her?”
“Bella was a few of years older than me, but we went to the same high school.” Emily held the wet hand towel as she closed the distance between them. “It’s horrible what happened to her. And all anyone has talked about this past week has been Piper Zimmer. Is it true that she was killed by the same guy who killed Bella?”
“As I said, we were hired to investigate Bella Kadel’s death,” Sylvie reiterated, knowing full well that Brook believed the two murders were related, but they needed access to Detective Hartley’s case files. The team had to trust that Brook would figure out a way to convince Hartley to work in tandem. “Your name is Emily?”
“Emily Park.”
Sylvie had expected the barista to offer up a little more information. Emily had a nervous quality about her, and that was confirmed when she glanced over her shoulder toward the counter.
“Is there anything else? I really should be getting back to work.”
“Did Bella come in here often?”
“Almost every day.”