Diana Orgain - Bundle of Trouble

Kiku smiled. “Babies R Us.”

Great.

If she had shopped at a neighborhood store, I might have been able to check her alibi, but there was no way with a megastore. Everyone’s anonymous.

I arrived home exhausted but felt exhilarated when I saw Jim seated on the couch chatting to Mom and holding Laurie.

He stood when he saw me. I rushed over to him and embraced both him and Laurie. “You’re home, home, home!” I squeezed him tight, holding on to him and breathing him in.

“I’m so sorry, honey,” he said into my hair. “I shouldn’t have let George get to me like that. If I had kept my cool, none of that would have happened.”

I shushed him. “Don’t worry.”

He pulled away to look into my face. “I do worry. You’re totally stressed out. . or. . or depressed.”

I glared at Mom, who raised her shoulders and gave me her best I-couldn’t-help-it look. “The nurse called a little while ago.”

“I’m not depressed!”

Jim hugged me. “I know. I know. Overwhelmed .” I nodded. He continued, “I hated putting you through that.”

“And me,” Mom piped in. “You put me through it, too. I worry, too, you know.”

Jim smiled down at Mom, who was still seated comfortably on the couch. “Thanks.”

Mom waved her hand in a gesture that said it was nothing. As if on cue, Laurie wailed.

Jim patted her. “I know. You, too.”

“It’s almost six. I think she’s hungry,” I said.

“I’ll second that,” Jim said, handing Laurie to me. “It’s Friday night. How about I take us all out for pizza?”

Mom winked. “That’s a nice idea, hon, but I have a hot date tonight.”

“Oh, Mom, can you ask Hank a question about Valium for me?”

Jim and Mom looked at me curiously.

“It’s nothing, really. At least I hope not. Ask him how many five-milligram tablets are a lethal dose when combined with wine.”

Jim and I decided to celebrate his homecoming with an outing to our favorite Italian pizzeria. It was relatively close to our home, but not walking distance, so we circled endlessly looking for parking.

Finally, Jim pulled to the front of the building. “You and Laurie jump out and I’ll find a spot.”

I was more than happy to take him up on the offer. My legs were aching from running around all day, and besides, I was famished. I grabbed Laurie and her car seat and entered the restaurant.

Tony, the son of the owner, greeted me. He had been acting as host for as long as Jim and I had been coming here. “Kate! Long time no see. Now I know why. She’s beautiful, like her mommy.”

Although Tony was in his thirties like me, he looked twenty. He was tall and slim, with dark curly hair and a permanent smile.

“Always the flatterer. I see you haven’t changed.”

He grinned as he ushered me to a booth. “Where’s Jim?” he asked.

“Looking for parking.”

He nodded, letting his lips form a thin line. “He may be a while, then. What can I get you to drink.”

“I’ll have a ginger ale. Oh, and a high chair please.”

Tony looked puzzled. “Isn’t she too small to sit in a high chair?”

“I know a trick.”

He returned with my soda and the high chair. I flipped the highchair over so it was upside down and placed Laurie’s bucket car seat securely on top of the legs.

“I’ve never seen that before,” he said.

The restaurant door flew open and a flustered Jim made his way in. Eyeing Tony up and down, he threatened his usual, “I’m going to stop coming here unless you do something about the parking situation.”

Tony laughed. “Good to see you, too.”

As soon as Tony was out of earshot, I leaned across the table. “Have you noticed he doesn’t age?”

“Do you have the hots for him or something?” Jim asked through a smile.

“No. Just for you, because you’re so lovable.”

“And free.”

“Yup. Men with a record really turn me on.”

Jim laughed in spite of himself. His face looked drawn and his eyes were bloodshot.

I reached across the table for his hand. “Was it awful?”

“The conditions? No. It was remarkably clean and quiet, actually. But it still sucked being away from you and jelly bean. And stressing over whatever the hell George has gotten himself into.”

I squeezed his hand. “So what happened at the lineup?”

“Not much that I could tell. They told me to walk into a room with four other guys. We stood there, turned around, posed. I prayed.”

“Did you see the witness?”

Jim shook his head.

I fingered the menu. “After everything that’s happened, I was scared, you know, scared that they would actually try to build a case against you or something.”

“God, me, too. Crane made it sound like the wrong person is identified more often than not. But even so, he told me the cops probably couldn’t hold me even if they did get a match, because it would have been circumstantial evidence, and I guess they need more than that for a homicide arrest.”

“Like a smoking gun.”

Jim raised his eyebrows and nodded. I filled him in on George’s story about the missing gun. Jim’s face was grim as he listened.

Tony appeared with an antipasto, compliments of the chef, his father, who peered at us from behind the pizza oven and yelled, “Beautiful baby, it’s about time!”

Tony asked, “What will it be tonight, the usual or something else?”

Jim glanced over at me. I nodded. “The usual.”

Jim dipped his bread into olive oil. I continued my George story and ended with the impending birth.

“Is he going to marry Kiku?” Jim asked.

“He says he doesn’t know yet. And when I went over there to give her this bracelet, she said it wasn’t hers.” I pulled the silvery metal out of my pocket and showed Jim.

He took the bracelet from me and read it. “Where’d you get this?”

“It fell out of one of George’s bags. Do you think he’s seeing someone else?”

Jim shrugged his shoulder. “God, honey, with George, who knows?”

He scooped salami into his mouth, looking miserable. He motioned to Tony and ordered a beer. I poured olive oil on my bread plate and dipped the bread in silence. Laurie cooed and ah-gooed from her bucket seat, determined to get our attention.

After a few pulls on his beer, Jim said, “You know I care about George, Kate. But all my life he’s always been more trouble than he’s worth. It breaks my heart. You gotta know that. Here’s the person who’s the most genetically similar to me on the planet and. . if he’s like that. . I can’t be too far-”

“Stop. You know you’re nothing like him. Genetically, okay, I get that. But come on, you guys are totally different.”

“It didn’t feel that way today, sitting in jail and then having to do a lineup. It was the low point of my life.”

I scooted out of my side of the booth and slid in next to Jim. He put his arm around me and squeezed my shoulder. “How do we get out of this, honey?”

“Mrs. Avery hired me to find out who killed Brad. I can solve this, Jim.”

He smiled. “Leave it to my lovely wife. She’ll get us out of the hole by digging deeper.”

“I can solve this.”

“I’m sure you can, what with all the experience you have.” He grinned in spite of himself. “You know, I’ve got to admit it, honey, if you really want something, you keep on insisting until you get it.”

“I really don’t want to go back to the office.” I rubbed his back. “How can filing drawings, managing schedules, and making coffee compare to being with you and Laurie? Plus I really want to keep you out of jail.”

Jim smirked. “Tell me your best theory.”