I moved on to our map drawer and found nothing helpful except a nail file, clippers, and a bottle of hand moisturizer. What were these items doing in our map drawer?
Where was the menu for Dragon House?
I wandered through the house. I stopped in the kitchen. On the refrigerator staring at me from under a cookie magnet was the pink menu.
Sometimes I could miss my own nose.
How would I ever solve a triple homicide if I was so oblivious? Had I missed clues that had been right in front of me?
I dialed Dragon House and ordered chow mein, pot stickers, and sweet-and-sour prawns.
“Anything else?” the clerk asked.
I ignored the pang of guilt as I added Peking-style spareribs to the order. I reasoned that Jim should be home at any minute and would be starving. Besides, I needed the extra five hundred calories a day for Laurie.
After replacing the receiver on the hook, it immediately rang back.
Hopefully, it wasn’t the restaurant calling to tell me my credit card hadn’t gone through. Or worse yet, the sheriff’s department with bad news about Jim. I pushed the thought from my head and reminded myself to stay positive.
“Kate? It’s George.”
“George! Where are you?”
“Is Jim there?”
“No. He’s still-”
“I really need to talk to you about something, Kate.”
“That makes two of us.”
“I’m on your corner. Can I come up?”
I felt ready to explode at him, but checked my anger. If I blew up at him for causing all this mess, I might not hear what he wanted to tell me.
In a matter of seconds I heard George making his way up my front steps. I scooped Laurie off the floor and opened the door.
George’s face broke into a smile when he saw us. “Can I hold her?”
I hesitated momentarily. What was I afraid of? George had never been anything but a gentleman with me.
George noticed my hesitation. “It’s cool. I don’t have to hold her. But, I mean, I won’t drop her or anything.”
I laughed. “I know.” I handed her off to him and sank into an easy chair. “What’s going on?”
“Things are all messed up, Kate. I don’t know what to do.” He looked at Laurie then back at me. “I met a gal at the restaurant and, well, she’s expecting our baby.”
I hid my surprise. I had expected to have to beat the information out of him. Why was he suddenly forthcoming?
“When is the baby due?” I asked.
“Pretty soon. I’m getting kinda nervous.”
“Are you going to marry her?”
George paced the room, bouncing Laurie in his arms. “I don’t know, Kate. I like her a lot. . well, hell. . I love her. She’s great. It’s just that, well, you know, she’s pushing me to commit. . and I’m not good at providing and. . being responsible.”
“It’s time to step up to the plate. A baby is a big responsibility. You don’t want your baby out there without a father.” I tried not to think of my own husband currently behind bars. “It’d be like a rowboat with only one little oar in the water. Spinning in circles. Kids need both oars in the water to go places.”
George gazed at Laurie. “You’re right. I know you’re right.”
“So, what’s the problem?”
“She doesn’t know about. . you know, about my being on the streets. When I saw her at the restaurant. . Damn, she was so cute. Brad knew I had a crush on her. He helped me clean up and make an impression, you know?”
I nodded. “If you’re worried about my saying anything, don’t.”
George looked relieved. “There’s something else, Kate. On Monday, when I was going to Michelle’s to make the drop. .”
“Drop?”
George looked at me sheepishly. “I mean, you know, the money or whatever.”
Anger flared inside me, and I jumped up from the easy chair. “Whatever, what? Were you dropping off money at her house? Or something else? Or what?”
George took a step back and said firmly, “Money.”
I raised my voice. “Why? Why not deposit it straight into the bank?”
George matched my tone. “I just do what I’m told.” We studied each other a moment. He continued, “Anyway, what I wanted to tell you is that I saw someone. I saw who Michelle was with that morning. I’m scared, Kate.”
“Who?” I pressed.
“She was with my girlfriend.”
I took a deep breath, hoping it would slow my galloping heart. “What?”
“My girlfriend was over there visiting Michelle.”
“Kiku?”
“You know my girlfriend?”
“What was she doing at Michelle’s place?”
“Well, she didn’t kill her, if that’s what you’re asking.”
“Why are you scared? What do you think she was doing there? Did you ask her? Did you interrupt them?”
“No. I left. Because, see, that’s the thing. I don’t know what she was doing there. What could she have been doing at Michelle Avery’s place?”
“Have you asked her?”
He stared at the ground. “No.”
“Maybe we should talk to her together,” I said.
The doorbell sounded. George jumped. “Are you expecting someone?”
I opened the front door, hoping for Jim, but was greeted by the Chinese food delivery guy. I clutched the pink plastic bag and peeked inside. White steaming containers peered back at me. My mouth watered.
I closed the front door and turned to George. “You’ve got to try this. The best in town.”
I popped opened a box, pulled out a pot sticker, and handed it to him.
George sank his teeth into the pot sticker. “Pretty good,” he said through a mouthful. “Hot.”
I nodded, biting around the corners of my pot sticker, letting most of the heat steam out before popping it into my mouth. “Let’s meet up tomorrow, talk to Kiku.”
His face fell. “Can’t we do it today? I’ve been avoiding asking her all week.”
“I can’t today. I’m. . I’m waiting for Jim to come home.”
“Doesn’t he normally get home around five? We’ve got plenty of time.”
My stomach flip-flopped.
“Sit down. Let me get us plates.”
I made my way to the kitchen and scrambled for a couple of place settings and napkins. Obviously, George didn’t know about Svetlana. Where had
I returned to the living room to find George staring down at Laurie.
“She sure doesn’t cry much.”
