Uncommon Grounds by Mark Pendergrast

Author:Mark Pendergrast
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: Basic Books
Published: 2010-09-22T10:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twelve

The next morning while I was brewing coffee, I decided I needed to find a Watson.

Even Sherlock Holmes, in his opium-induced stupor, enjoyed talking to someone beside himself. Like Holmes, I needed a sounding board, a sidekick—an Archie to my Nero Wolfe, a Pancho to my Cisco.

Caron, who would have been the logical choice just a week ago, was tuning in and out like a car radio trying to pick up a weak signal on a country road. At the moment, having refused my help with a five-pound bag of Guatemalan, she was strewing beans all over the floor as she struggled to pour it into one of the Lucite display bins.

The cover of the bin flipped down and I moved to lift it, getting a snarl for my efforts. No, Caron wouldn’t do.

Continuing down the hierarchy of friendship, we came to Gary, who, being the police chief and all, would have obvious ethical problems with getting involved. Then there was Frank, who was a dog.

Laurel, I hated to say, was too much of a talker, much as I loved that about her. Mary, same thing.

That left Sarah. The problem with Sarah, though, was that she was a bulldozer. I wasn’t sure I could control her.

The only other person who came to mind was Kate McNamara. Hmm. No, that was ludicrous. Not only wasn’t she a friend, but she was pushy, conniving, smart-mouthed and...coming in the door.

“Morning, Kate,” I called. Just call me perky.

Kate stomped up to the counter and slapped her notebook on the bakery case.

“Well?” she demanded.

“Latte?” I hazarded a guess.

“Information. It’s your turn. What was the sheriff doing at your house last night?”

There weren’t a lot of people in the store, but the ones who were—Henry and two women in jogging suits—turned to look at me. Caron kept spilling the beans. I motioned for Kate to meet me in the office and crunched my way across the floor to get there.

Our office is so tiny the desk and a single chair nearly fill it. I perched on the edge of the desk, while Kate loomed in the doorway.

“So what’s the deal, Maggy? What did Pavlik want?” Her expression turned wily. “Or was this a personal call?”

Did Pancho ever ask, “Hey Cisco, you gettin’ any?” I didn’t think so.

“No, it wasn’t a personal call. He had some questions— nothing that you don’t already know.” Okay, so I lied. And I was getting better at it. “Have you found out why Patricia was going to see Diaz?”

Kate rubbed her nose and reflected, eventually deciding to answer my question. She was way too easy. “All he would say was that Patricia called him on Saturday to set up an appointment. She didn’t say why.”

“On Saturday, hmm? So she called him at home? Or was he at the office?”

“Home. I understand they’re personal friends.”

“So if they were friends, why didn’t she tell him what she wanted?”

Kate eyed me. “I know what you’re up to. Just like last time, you’re going to pump me for information and then take off before I get a chance to ask you anything.

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