“Did Ben Zurcher ever want to talk to you about the murders?”
Bruce shifted his feet. “That guy must’ve left me a dozen messages in the past six months. I brushed him off until one day he cornered me in the parking lot at Two Sisters. I told him the same thing I’m telling you. I didn’t kill Sandra and Todd and those kids. I adored Sandra. She was a good mother and a good daughter. I would never have hurt any of them. Can I go now?”
“Yeah. You can go. But next time I want to talk to you, don’t give me the runaround. Got it?”
Bruce nodded and got back into his truck.
“What did you think?” Lando asked Gemma after the caretaker had taken off.
“It’s not him. Bruce wasn’t the guy in the Copeland house that night. I don’t know about Ben, though. Bruce could’ve killed Ben. Bruce certainly had access to where Daniel Albrecht was found.”
“It makes me wonder why Albrecht’s SUV was found so far from this spot. Any ideas on that?”
“I think Daniel was meeting someone out here. I think he got lured out to Trask land, which might go a long way to explaining his connection to someone in town, likely to Jocelyn. If the link is that he knew her in college, then how significant is that link. It has to be the key to him getting murdered at this location.”
“Well, it’s for sure Daniel Albrecht isn’t likely to tell us what he knew about Jocelyn at this point.”
“Not unless his corpse decides to talk to Tuttle.”
“Very funny.” Lando’s cell phone pinged with a text message.
“Who’s that?” Gemma asked.
“It’s my mom. She wants us to drop by the restaurant to talk. Says she has an announcement to make.”
“Sounds mysterious. What time?”
“Suppertime.”
“We’ll eat there, right? Because I’m starving. And I’m not really in the mood to cook.”
“Sunday special is pot roast.”
“Since when?”
“Since Leia got a burr up her butt and decided it was the easiest thing to cook and serve on Sundays.”
16
The month of March along the northern coast of California could be a dreary, rainy place to call home. As night approached, heavy gray clouds rolled in accompanied by a cold drizzle.
By the time Lando parked his cruiser in the side lot next to The Crazy Daisy, the sprinkles had turned to heavier rainfall.
They got out of the cruiser and darted for the side door, huddling in the entryway until they spotted Lydia.
Still trim and fit into her late fifties, Lydia Bonner flitted around the dining room bussing tables with the energy of two younger waitresses. With a trendy, choppy new bob hairdo, Lando’s mom didn’t look a day over fifty, let alone looking down the barrel of retirement. The only clue the woman had aged at all was a few wrinkles around her warm brown eyes and a few streaks of gray in her coal-black hair.
Gemma’s eyes shot around the room, searching for Lydia’s main squeeze, Paul Eddington. But she didn’t see Paul anywhere.
Despite Lydia and Paul’s affection for each other, Gemma knew the couple still hadn’t tied the knot. A bit odd since they’d known each other for several years. But that was their business, Gemma decided. No reason to get nosy and butt in with stupid questions, especially when Lydia had been sweet enough to invite them to dinner. Gemma intended to keep her mouth shut even if she did think that one part of the equation might be dragging their feet.
Watching Lydia buzz around the dining room, Gemma began to pick up on a vibe that refused to leave, one that churned in her belly and took away her appetite.
Shaking off the “bad news” vibe, she opted to focus on the positive. It brought her full circle as her eyes landed on Luke and Lianne. That couple had already tucked themselves into a cozy corner booth, immersed in each other. They were nursing their drinks with their heads together, nuzzling each other’s neck, oblivious to anything or anyone else.
Good for them, thought Gemma.
Breaking into that sentimental moment, Zeb lumbered in behind them. He took the time to wipe his feet on the mud mat for that purpose before slapping Lando on the back. “Looks like the gang is all here. How about a beer?”
Lando nodded and followed Zeb straight to the bar area. Since Zeb had chosen to play bartender, Lando slid onto one of the stools.
Zeb opened the cooler and reached in, held up three bottles of