homeless doesn’t make him a killer.”
“Not even if he took the man’s shoes?” Al debated. “Come on, kid! If you could stoop that low, you could stoop to killing to get them.”
“Mr. Cheever wouldn’t kill anyone!” Sam’s face turned red as he exploded.
Al shrugged. “I didn’t make the system the way it is. I just enforce the rules.”
Sam sighed and turned to Peggy, changing the subject. “Are you going to keep the dog after all?”
“Yes. He and his owner parted company this morning.” Peggy thought about something else. “You know, the other night when we were leaving the store, Shakespeare growled at something in the shadows behind the shop. Maybe someone was there that night but was scared of the dog. I thought it was probably rats, but after last night, I’m not so sure.”
“We’ll go over everything,” Al promised. “You don’t have to worry about it.”
Paul and Steve decided it was time for them to leave. Al stood with his mouth open as Steve kissed Peggy good-bye. Sam snickered and took the dog out for a walk.
Paul sighed and kissed Peggy’s forehead, reminding her to call him if she needed anything.
When they were gone, Al took a deep breath. “I must be out of the loop more than I realize. When did that happen?”
“Nothing happened,” she denied, not wanting to talk about Steve yet. “But there
Al took it seriously. “We have an officer who specializes in matters like this. Let me give him a heads up. I don’t know exactly what he does to track this kind of thing. It’s all I can do to get my reports into the computer every day without erasing them.”
“Thanks. Do you know about places where they can track your cell phone?”
“This is America, Peggy. Anything is possible. Until we clear this up, keep your head down and stay out of dark places. Don’t encourage this man by talking to him again on the Internet.”
“I won’t. I’m going to ask Sam to haul me around today. I have a class, and I’ll be at the Potting Shed. Let me know what I need to do for your cyber detective.”
“I’ll have him call you.” Al lumbered to his feet. “Good pancakes. I hope I can stay awake through our briefing this morning after all those carbs.”
“What about Mr. Cheever?”
“The wheels of justice turn. He’ll have his day in court like everybody else. I’m sure you’ve told that pretty, young lawyer everything you know. If she can create doubts in the minds of the jury, your friend will get off. If not, he’ll do his time. It’s the way the system works. You know that.”
“Can you investigate other possibilities?”
“I’d like to help you, Peggy, but I’ve got unsolved homicides on my desk that don’t have any suspects at all. It’s all I can do to keep up with those. You should hire a private detective. There are a few who work with the police. I can give you their names, if you like. At least you’d know they’re reputable.”
“I don’t have the money for that. And Mr. Cheever’s daughter has even less. But thanks anyway.”
Al squeezed her shoulder gently. His big, dark hand rested lightly on her for an extra moment. “As for your new beau, I think it’s great. You need someone in your life besides Paul. I know you think your plants are enough company. But John wouldn’t want you to be alone.”
She thought about what he said, grateful for his kindness and friendship. The legal system made her angry, but that wasn’t anything new. She and John had talked many times about police detectives being overworked and underappreciated.
After Al left, Sam managed to open the back door before Shakespeare pulled him through it. “Nice dog.” He was panting, glad to drop the leash. “But I think something this big should be running free in a pasture somewhere.”
“Thanks for walking him. If you wouldn’t mind, I could use your help getting around today. I don’t think I’m going to be able to ride my bike.”
“Whatever you need, you know that. I’ll have another cup of coffee while you get ready. Could you believe those pancake-eating animals? They didn’t leave any behind for me. I only had a few stacks. Got any cookies?”
“Check the cabinet.” She laughed. “But you’d better be careful. You don’t want to grow sideways now that you’ve grown up.”
Taking her time, Peggy negotiated the long stairway. Shakespeare bounded up, then waited at the top for her with his tongue hanging out of his mouth. He looked like a distorted version of Scooby-Doo. She smiled and stroked his big head. “I guess it’s up to us. If we want to help Mr. Cheever, no push off the loading dock can slow us down. Besides, I’ll have you with me, won’t I? I bet if you’d been there last night, this wouldn’t have happened.”
As if to reassure her, the dog followed her to her bedroom. He curled up on the floor in front of the door while she showered and dressed. Peggy told herself that the look on his face dared anyone to enter her room. But really, he was comical with his floppy ears and long tongue.
Feeling decidedly defiant, she wore jeans and a No Fear sweatshirt that Selena gave her for Christmas last year. Her knee was still swollen and sore, but she realized it could’ve been much worse.
She took the bandages off her palms. The scratches weren’t too bad and didn’t hurt at all. They needed some airing, as her mother called it. She always said things couldn’t heal right closed off. As old as she was, getting hurt still made her want to run home and be comforted by her mama and daddy. Of course they were too far away, and she wouldn’t want to worry them, but she promised herself a weekend in Charleston soon.
She brushed her hair and used two antique pearl clasps to hold it back from her face. There was a spark of
