Diana Orgain - Bundle of Trouble

Hey, why not? I was always hungry now anyway.

I settled myself on the bed, at Kiku’s feet, and cooed at Robert. George couldn’t let go of him. Looking at him holding his baby made me miss Laurie. How could I miss her so quickly?

Kiku dozed off.

Now was my chance.

“George, we gotta talk.”

George looked up from the baby and bit his lip.

“Where have you been? Are you behind these murders?”

His eyes grew wide. “Come on, Kate. ’Course not.”

“I found ledgers showing monkey business at Heavenly Haight and El Paraiso.”

George’s shoulders drooped. He exhaled and shook his head back and forth. “So, you know then.”

Know what?

Without giving it a second thought, I blurted, “I can help you.”

George moved toward the corner of the room, away from Kiku. He motioned with his head for me to follow.

“Rich’s been looking everywhere for those ledgers. We figured Michelle was keeping records. But we didn’t know where.”

I wanted to shout, “What does it mean?” but bit my tongue.

“I never wanted to sell dope. But I was on the streets, so in exchange for a place to crash, I sold a little for Brad, you know?”

Cash deposits to Michelle, bags at the pier, secrecy about everything. Now it was starting to make sense.

I kept my voice steady. “After Brad was killed, you worked for Michelle. Now you work for Rich, huh?”

George nodded, misery showing on his face.

“You were selling drugs for Michelle. She denied you were at her place the night Brad was killed because she didn’t want the police to make the connection between her and the drugs, right?”

George sighed. “I was over there to drop off the cash from that night. I had no idea anything was going on with Brad. I knew he and Michelle were having problems, but, you know, everyone has problems. I didn’t think he’d end up in the bay.”

“Is the pier your drug drop?”

George nodded.

“Rich was looking for those reports because they show how the money is being laundered, right?” I asked.

“Through Heavenly Haight,” George said.

“So, Svetlana was in on this, too?”

“No!” George said emphatically. “She was clean. I was trying to get her to help.”

“It was you. At her house. The day she was killed!”

George’s eye opened wide. “Well, yeah, but I didn’t kill. . I was just there for help. I thought I was being followed. I thought she’d know what to do.”

“Who was following you?”

“I don’t know. .”

“Jennifer Miller?”

“Who?”

“Jennifer Miller was arrested for Brad’s and Svetlana’s murders. Michelle’s, too.”

George looked puzzled. “Jen?”

“Did she know you had a gun?”

“Not that I know of.”

“It was your gun, George, the ballistic report confirms it now. Jennifer was released by the DA for insufficient evidence, so whatever you know, you better cough it up right now, because guess who’ll be the next person the cops come after.”

“It wasn’t me.”

“Who then? Rich?”

George brought his hands up, covering his ears with them. “Geeze, Kate. Rich didn’t kill anybody. Is that what you think?”

I waved my hand in despair, motioning him for a better idea.

George shook his head. “Rich is just a stoner at heart. He didn’t want the business to get busted. In fact, we’re thinking of getting a medical marijuana license and going legit.”

Now I’d heard everything.

George continued, “Rich wouldn’t kill anybody.”

“Somebody did. Somebody killed them with your gun, George! Who knew you had a gun?” George stared at the floor. “Think. Come on.”

George remained despondent.

“Does Rich have a girlfriend?” I asked.

George shook his head. “No. I don’t think so.”

I glanced at Kiku, who was still asleep. I dug into my pocket and pulled the bracelet out, using my last-ditch effort to get George to talk. “Whose is this?”

George frowned. “What’s that?”

“It fell out of your bag.”

Fear flashed across his face as he examined the bracelet. “It’s not mine. I’ve never. . I’ve never seen it before.”

Jim and I rode home in silence, both of us caught up in our own thoughts. Jim had another meeting scheduled with Dirk Jonson later today and I imagined he was rehearsing it in his head. He also had a couple of interviews scheduled for full-time work. I said a little prayer that Jim would land something soon.

I filled him in on George’s activities. He convinced me to give Mrs. Avery an update. Especially since she was now the sole owner of both the restaurant and the shop on Haight.

At the very least she needed to know what was going on. If she wanted to press charges against Rich and George, so be it.

When we got home, we found Mom hovering over Laurie, putting something red and green on her head.

Another cap?

“What are you doing, Mom? What’s that?”

“It’s her Halloween costume! I needed to try it on before I sew the last of it. Halloween’s only a few weeks away, you know.”

“What is it?”

Mom could barely contain her excitement. “She’s going to be a strawberry! I saw the pattern in a magazine. Isn’t it adorable?”

The look on my face must have betrayed me, because Mom pursed her lips. “What did you want her to be? A pumpkin? That’s so overdone. You’ve got to be original, darling.”

Mom packed her craft supplies, gave Laurie a final squeeze, and departed. Jim got dressed and left for his appointment. I collapsed onto the bed exhausted and slept with Laurie for about an hour. I dreamt a huge strawberry was chasing me, then the strawberry turned to a wash of red blood. I woke up with a start when the doorbell rang.

I stumbled down the hallway and peered out the peephole.

Jennifer?

Tears were streaming down her face.

Should I open the door? I thought of Laurie in the back of the house. No way.

“What’s up?” I asked through the door.

“Kate?”

“Um-hum.”

Jennifer looked at the door nervously. “Can you open the door?”

“Uh, I’m not dressed,” I lied.

What are you doing on my doorstep, you pothead?

“I’ll wait,” she said.

“What do you want, Jennifer?”

“I need to talk!”

“About what?”

“I need your help! I was arrested. They think I killed Brad and Michelle and, God, my boss even! I didn’t do it, Kate! I need your help. You’re a PI, right? I didn’t do it!”

Sounded good, but how could I trust her? I’d meet her in public.

“All right. Go to the little café on the corner. I’ll be there in a bit,” I said.

I looked through the peephole as she wiped her nose on her sleeve and nodded. “Okay, I’ll wait for you there,” she said.

I watched from the front window as Jennifer made her way down the street. Then I packed the diaper purse and got myself ready. Finally, I placed Laurie into her stroller and took off toward the café.

Jennifer was seated at a booth, sipping a latte. I ordered a green tea and maneuvered the stroller next to the table.

Jennifer peeked in on Laurie, who was studying the hanging doll attached to her stroller.

“Thanks for meeting me,” Jennifer whimpered.

I nodded.

“I was framed,” Jennifer continued.

Now I had really heard everything.

I took a deep breath to keep my cool. “By whom?”

“Mrs. Avery.”

I let my jaw drop. “You think Mrs. Avery framed you?”