I gave the drinks menu a quick once-over. “It’s my last night in California for a while. I’m going to go all out and have the grapefruit margarita with Milagro tequila. And salt on the rim, of course.”
“You got it. Frozen or not frozen?”
“Liquid, please.” Frozen made the flavors harder to taste, and who needed an ice cream headache with a cocktail?
“I might as well have the same,” Liz said. After Debbie left, she went on. “You said you had something to tell me in person. I’m anxious to know what it is.”
“I’m sure you are.” I spoke in my softest voice. “I feel like you should know, although you have to keep it completely confidential until you see it on the news.” Where I expected it would appear one day soon.
“Of course.”
“You put me in touch with Paul. It was you who told me he thought someone might have killed Mom. Well, I told you I’d learned my mom’s death probably wasn’t homicide, but today I found out Paul’s definitely was.”
Liz gasped. She propped her elbow on the table and covered her mouth, staring at me.
I nodded. “And it was the chemical Agrosafe makes. Someone put it in his food. The pathologist told me it was such a big dose it probably killed him pretty quickly without any external signs.”
“The poor, poor man. Killed for doing what was right, for seeking a cleaner, safer environment.” She shook her head in disgust.
Debbie arrived and set down our drinks. “Enjoy. Are you ladies ready to order some dinner or do you need a few more minutes?”
“I haven’t even looked yet,” I said. “Do you have specials tonight?”
The server blinked. “Heck, did I forget to tell you those? Sure we do. A king crab ceviche appetizer using local limes, garnished with kumquat skins from the owner’s own trees. A Carpinteria greens-and-avocado salad with Cachuma goat cheese. Avocados also grown in the owner’s backyard. Grilled locally caught red snapper with a wasabi-lime treatment served with Manchego risotto and baby haricots verts sautéed in garlic butter.” She checked her list. “Oh, and the San Andreas triple-chocolate cake.”
“Otherwise known as the earthquake cake,” Liz added.
“Precisely.” Debbie looked pleased.
“I want all those,” I declared. “Liz, split the app and salad with me?”
“You bet, and the dessert, too,” Liz agreed. “And I’ll have the regular grilled salmon for my entrée. Oh, and an order of the deep-fried hearts, of course.”
“Excellent choices.” The server beamed. “I’ll go put in those orders.”
Liz’s smile disappeared. “Debbie, wait. Zoe’s on tonight, isn’t she?”
Debbie’s expression went somber, too. “Yes.”
“Thanks. I have a few things for her. I’ll take them around back later.”
“That’s fine,” Debbie said, gazing into Liz’s face with concerned eyes. “You’re a good mom.”
Liz looked down and murmured, “I try. But it’s not enough.”
Chapter 52
“This ceviche is brilliant, isn’t it?” I asked Liz. The lime juice had essentially cooked the raw crabmeat, and the slivers of kumquat skin were sweet and crunchy. A sprinkle of finely minced red onion contributed a touch of sharpness, and I also detected a dash of a back-burner hot pepper.
“It’s superb.”
“Do you ever make ceviche at home? I mean with fish, not crab.”
“Never have. I don’t cook very much anymore.” Liz took a sip from the huge stemmed bowl the margarita was served in.
“I do cook, of course, every day, but mostly not for myself. And the only local fish I’d be able to make ceviche from would be freshwater bass or catfish. I should give it a try sometime when I’m making dinner for only Abe and myself.”
“You sounded happy when you mentioned him earlier.” She tilted her head. “Tell me more about this man of yours.”
“I kind of got lucky. He’s smart, cute, and a great cook. He supports himself and his teenage son as an electric lineman. Plays banjo and can accurately shoot a bow and arrow.” I’d seen him do exactly that to save our lives last winter. “And he can track animals in the woods.”
“Does the son live with him?”
“Not full time, because he mainly lives with his mom, Abe’s ex. But Abe has the boy regularly. He’s a good kid, and he spends a lot of time with Abe’s parents, too. Sean and I get along great, which helps.”
“Most important in all that, Abe adores you, am I right?”
“You are correct.” I blushed. “And it’s obviously mutual.”
“Then you are exceedingly lucky.” Liz straightened her knife and spoon. She took a sip of water. She blew out a breath.
I watched her, my heart tearing apart. “I’m so sorry about Zoe,” I finally said. “I hope she’ll find the help she needs, Liz.”
“You and me both, Robbie.”
“When I was on the beach this week, I remembered all the sand art she used to make, and some of her creations in high school. She’s so talented.”
“She is.” Liz shook herself a little and changed the subject. She started talking about a weaving class she was taking. I mentioned a podcast I was following. I’d finished the last artichoke heart when my phone buzzed. I pulled it out of my bag and checked the display, eyes widening to see Cody’s name. “Excuse me,” I murmured. I held the phone in my lap and slid open the text.
Finally out. Told cops Katherine’s messages showed she bribed a Zoe Stover to poison Paul’s food. Where R U?
My heart sank to my toes. A frigid stream of dread washed through me. I read the message again. I’d been afraid of this. I could not tell Liz. No way.
I tapped back a reply.
Thx. Out to dinner. Stay away from your sister, K?
But would he? With any luck, Gifford already had Katherine in custody. Cody’s text was time stamped 6:10. He’d been at the station for eight hours. Had he overlapped with Katherine? Seen her in the hall, like Grace had overlapped with him? I kept the phone hidden and sent a quick message to Jason.
News? Cody texted me KR bribed Z to . .
