Robert B. Parker’s Buried Secrets

Seventeen

As soon as the mayor and the DA left, Jesse rubbed his eyes, then drank more coffee. Then he picked up the phone and dialed Suit’s house. All Paradise cops were required to have a landline in case of emergencies. Power outages could take out cell towers, mobile phones had batteries that could run down, and, most important, mobiles could be turned off, like now, when Suit was probably out cold.

Elena, Suit’s wife, answered.

“Luther is sleeping, Jesse. You kept him out two nights in a row.”

Only Elena and Suit’s mother regularly called Suit by his given name.

“I’m sorry, Elena. It’s not like we were out gambling.”

“You need to let him sleep. He’s no good to you dead.”

“I know that, Elena. If there were anyone else who could do this, I’d ask. I promise.”

“Fine,” she said, in a tone that indicated it absolutely was not. The phone went silent as she got her husband.

Elena loved Suit more than anyone in the world, and Jesse was on her list somewhere in the top ten for the times Jesse had saved Suit’s life. But Jesse also put Suit in danger simply by continuing to employ him, which complicated things.

There was a clunking noise on the line as Suit picked up his phone. “What?”

“Rise and shine. I have a job for you.”

“Isn’t it enough I pulled you out of a burning building?”

“Pretty sure I made my own way out.”

“Well, at least I was there,” Suit said.

“Listen. The mayor and Ellis have decided we’re keeping the money from the Burton house in our station.”

There was a long pause on the line.

“You’ve got to be kidding me.”

“There’s a piece of paper and everything.”

“Jesse, where would we even keep it?”

“The cells.”

“They want us to lock up two million dollars in cash in the same cells where we put drunk drivers every weekend?”

“That’s their plan. They want someone to go pick up the money ASAP.”

“Jesse. Come on. Surely you can find someone else to do this.”

“Actually,” Jesse said. “I can’t.”

Heavy sigh. “Why not?”

Jesse explained what Armistead and Ellis wanted, then he explained what he needed. Then he said, “I need someone I can trust, Suit.”

Another long pause.

“Okay,” Suit said. “I’ll get dressed. But don’t blame me if I take the cash and Elena and run away from all of this.”

“Honestly, Suit,” Jesse said. “If Elena says yes, I’d give you a head start.”

Daisy sent Jordyn home after the lunch rush. The kid was learning. Sort of. He’d spilled a couple of drinks on customers. But he hadn’t squirted the soap into anyone’s food while washing dishes in the back. Definitely an improvement over last week.

She cleaned the counter, scrubbing at a spot Jordyn had missed, when she felt someone’s eyes on her.

Daisy was a woman and she was gay and she had learned the hard way to be aware of her surroundings. She’d been jumped once in a parking lot in her twenties, after a long night of dancing with her friends. A group of men had waited outside, hiding behind the cars, and rushed them when the club closed. She’d been punched in the head and kicked when she was down, and had managed to get up and throw a punch herself before one of her friends pulled her away. She didn’t even realize she was missing a tooth until she was home and the shock and adrenaline wore off. She felt the crown with her tongue all the time, as a reminder.

When she looked up, she was surprised, but not shocked, to see Derek Tate standing at the front door, looking at her sign from the other side.

He made a show of reading it, moving his lips and his whole face, so she could see him sounding out the words.

Then he opened the door. Slowly.

Daisy held on to the edge of the counter so her hands wouldn’t shake.

When the door was all the way open, she said, “That’s far enough.”

He held up his hands. He smiled. He didn’t step inside.

He looked friendly. She didn’t buy it.

“I just came over to see if I could get some lunch. Maybe as a way to clear the air.”

“No,” she said flatly. “You are not allowed in here.”

His eyes went cold, but he tried to keep the smile on his face. “Come on. Let’s talk it out. It was a misunderstanding. We can end this.”

“This only ends when Jesse finally gets smart and fires you.”

That might have been a mistake. The skin on Tate’s neck flushed red. His mouth set into a scowl. He wasn’t trying to look friendly anymore.

“I didn’t know you were a friend of the chief’s—”

“That shouldn’t matter,” Daisy said. “You should treat everyone in this town with respect. No matter who they know.”

“Sure.” He didn’t sound convinced. “I’ll just say ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ to every fucking scumbag who might pull a gun on me.”

“Jesus Christ. Do I look like I have a gun?”

“No,” Tate said. “No, you don’t. But you might. Anyone might. How am I supposed to know? Sometimes you have to draw first and take the consequences.”

Daisy didn’t like the way he said it. He stood at the threshold of the café. Like he was waiting for something.

“Well, I don’t have a gun. I don’t like them.”

“Maybe you should get one. If you’re going to be crapping on the police. Maybe there won’t be anyone to protect you.”

Daisy’s mouth went dry.

“Like, this is a cute little sign.” He flicked it with one finger. “But I don’t think it’s going to stop anyone from coming inside your place.”

He put his foot over the threshold. Kept it right above the floor, holding it there.

“You stop,” Daisy said, and was proud her voice didn’t quiver at all. “You are not allowed in here.”

Tate smiled at her again. It was not a nice smile this time.

“Really? Who’s going to stop me? What are you going to do about it, Daisy?” he asked. “Call a cop?”

Then, smiling, he turned and walked away.

Tate strolled happily down the street, feeling pretty good about the start of his first day on patrol. He’d done just what Stone had asked: gotten out into the community. Introduced himself to the people. Told them what they could expect. He’d managed to keep the red mist in check.

Hell, he’d even obeyed the stupid sign.

He’d never set foot in Daisy’s café.