A Cup of Murder by Cam Larson Page A

tomorrow. I needed time to think
and more importantly, I needed to see Jacob. I had no idea if bail
was set or what was going on and I had to know.
    "I’ll write you out at your usual time,
Lily, so you will get paid your hours."
    "Don’t worry about anything, Laila,"
she said. "They will realize they have nothing on Jacob and
release him before we know it."
    I threw a weak smile her direction and locked the
back door after she left. I collected the receipts for the day.
Realizing there was no computer to enter them into I stuffed them in
an empty briefcase I found in Jacob’s office and left to collect
Thor. My laptop at home was connected to Roasted Love and I would
enter the business of the day at home.
    Once Thor was fed and had his run outside my
house, I left him to visit Jacob in jail. Dreading the moment I would
see him behind bars, I swallowed hard and drove downtown. As it
turned out, he was brought to the visitors’ room and we sat across
from each other.
    "I’m so sorry, Jacob, I hoped it wouldn’t
come to them arresting you. Did they tell you why they think you
murdered Michael?"
    "So far they have only said they found
evidence at Sunrise that implicates me. I turned it all over to my
lawyer. I’m hoping the Judge will set bail but I won’t find out
until tomorrow."
    His haggard face told me he was anxious about a
night behind bars. I told him I was going to speed my own
investigation along faster and tried to reassure him the best I
could. Knowing he couldn’t talk me out of my detective work, he
told me to be careful. I left him with a heavy heart but not before I
gave Jen’s information to the policeman at the desk about Leticia
Simms often coming to Sunrise at closing time. His reaction told me
that would not be a big deal. There was nothing unusual about a wife
meeting her husband at his place of business at closing time.
    He was right. I was aware that passing that
information on needed more substance than a wife meeting her husband
at their coffee house. Obviously, I had a different take on the
hidden meaning of a jealous wife who met her husband there after
hours than the police did. I would save that for Jacob’s lawyer.

Chapter Twelve

    Following Jacob’s policy, we did reopen the next
day. Visibility and normalcy became an imperative move for me. By now
everyone knew Jacob Weaver was in jail for the murder of his rival
across the street. I noticed the yellow tape had been removed from
Sunrise. I could see movement inside and recognized Jen Perry getting
things in order. The flashing lights were still turned off which
accounted somewhat for our full house. Apparently, the thought she
didn’t have rights to the place failed to enter her mind. I thought
she was taking a chance if she thought she could reopen Sunrise and
carry on as if her boss and former lover had not been murdered.
    "Maybe she knows Michael left it to her,"
I mused aloud.
    "What did you say?" asked Janie.
    I chose not to respond and it didn’t matter
anyway. Janie and I both rushed to meet the needs of customers who
flocked in. It was hard to concentrate on my job when frustration
reached every level in my inability to help Jacob. I rubbed my eyes
with my fingers in disappointment and pounded my fist on the counter
next to the espresso machine. A light tap on my shoulder caused more
irritation thinking a customer wanted something. My mood was not one
of hospitality at the moment but I forced a plastered smile on my
face and turned around.
    "You look a little stressed," said
Daniel Jenkins. "Come on over here and sit down with me."
    He led me to an empty table away from customers. I
hadn’t seen him since the day he gave me the ride home from Sam’s
Sandwiches in pouring rain. A relief swept over me when I realized he
was concerned. It was then that knowing he was someone I could trust
was reinforced. I told him something he was already aware of but it
was good to say it out loud.
    "Jacob was arrested yesterday for