and waited. Apparently that was his best answer. One quick glance at Taylor showed he was politely refusing to laugh. Andi had no idea how long that would hold out or what would happen to her temper if he did laugh. It was definitely time to get to the bottom of this.
“Jackie, why don’t you show me what’s missing? And walk me through your arrival.”
He hopped down from the bench and pushed open the door. The small group followed him in and froze in the doorway. Winning twelve chili championships means lots of trophies. A man like Jackie puts those trophies front and center so all who enter his restaurant may be astounded by his performance. And now Jackie had a big, empty trophy case with faint outlines of where the trophies used to live.
Andi waved her hand vaguely over the large case. “All right, so your trophies...they’re missing?”
Jackie’s glare was intense, but what bothered Andi was the sight of Taylor taking notes.
“Listen, Sheriff, the trophies are important, but they aren’t nearly as valuable as the safe. This week’s receipts, all my recipes—” Jackie rubbed his forehead and for the first time Andi noticed that he was worried “—and some important papers, things of mine and Mona’s...they’re all gone! Worse, somebody’s got ’em!” He was more agitated than usual.
Andi wished she’d spent more time mainlining hot black coffee before attempting the day. “Show me the safe, Jackie.”
The whole group followed him through the swinging door and crammed into his small office. The safe door was hanging open, and the safe was empty.
“I won’t rest until I have everything back and whoever stole it is rotting in jail,” Jackie said. Andi didn’t doubt he meant what he said.
He turned to glare at Taylor. “If it’s not the no-good newspaper man, then this girl here—” he motioned disdainfully at Wanda, who looked like she’d never been inside the Country Kitchen or any other establishment that served fried food in her life “—she knows who was here. She’s got a guilty look about her.”
In reality, she looked mildly revolted as she surveyed the diner and tried to make herself as small as possible, as if the fat in the air might attach itself to her thighs somehow. Taylor was amused. Oscar was bored. None of them seemed interested in trophies or recipes. It was hard to rule out an interest in money. “How much do you think was taken?” Andi had no idea how much business the Country Kitchen did, but any loss would be hard to absorb.
Jackie shrugged. “Have to check my ledger, but I think I had about eight hundred dollars and some change on hand.” He shook his head and strangled the spotless white towel in his hands. “Those papers are priceless, Sheriff!” Jackie grabbed her wrist and waited for her eyes to meet his. “I mean it. Those papers...they’re important.”
Andi spent a lot of time being annoyed at Jackie. It was an automatic reflex at this point, but the look on his face said he was worried and maybe a little...sad. She smiled with confidence, hoping to encourage him. “All right, Jackie. Let’s find them then.”
With a sigh, she settled down at the counter. “First, I’m going to need a big, steaming cup of black coffee, and keep it coming.”
Jackie crossed his arms over his chest and shot her an evil glare. “Sheriff, I’m losing business until you secure this crime scene.”
Andi silently counted to ten. Coffee was pretty much the only forensic aid she had at her disposal. “Of course you are, but coffee helps me think. While you get the coffee, I’ll take some pictures and a closer look, maybe dust the trophy case for fingerprints. Then, after you get the next cup, I’ll quickly interview everyone over there at that booth.”
She turned to point at the booth she always sat in when she came to Jackie’s. From there, she could see both the sidewalk and the kitchen, allowing her to time the arrival of her food and anticipate any unexpected visits from the mayor or Ray Evans, the former sheriff. He’d been forced to drop out of the last election after a heart attack, but he was back in fighting shape now, fifty pounds lighter and at least twice as mean—but only to Andi. Since she’d taken office, he liked to shoot her dismissive looks, make snide comments under his breath and generally act as a thorn in her side.
Jackie stormed off as Andi approached the trophy stand. He might be hard to please, but he kept a spotless place. Wanda didn’t have much to worry about in the Country Kitchen. If fat left any residue, Jackie had ruthlessly eliminated it along with any other dust and dirt. The imitation wood grain of the six-foot-tall trophy case was almost spotless. The sliding glass doors that normally kept prying fingers away were open and moved to one side. There didn’t appear to be any scratches on the wood or smudges on the glass. Figuring out how a person could manage that would be a gift to humanity.
“Sheriff, I gotta say it’s an unexpected pleasure to run into you this morning. May I say you’re looking lovely as always.” Andi could see Mark Taylor’s face reflected in the glass and did her best to appear perfectly unaffected yet slightly annoyed. Despite her best effort, Mark Taylor’s husky voice that close to her ear sent a shiver down her spine. In a good way.
“Annoyed” was her number-one defense. If she spent too much time around him without it, she started to think about how handsome he was and how long it had been since she’d had dinner with a man, good-looking or otherwise. Thoughts like that distracted her from how dangerous he was, how easy he made it to trust him. And that was the last thing she needed. The only time she wanted to wind up on the front page was when she won this election.
She didn’t turn to face him, but he stood close enough that she could smell clean clothes and warm man. It was a good smell. Andi licked her lips and said, “I am busy here, Mr. Taylor. We can chat momentarily.”
When she braved a glance his direction, his lips twitched and he gave her a small salute. “I live to serve, Sheriff. Although I am going to enjoy having the shoe on the other foot.”
“What do you mean?” Andi asked.
“I mean you’ll be the one asking questions this time. Maybe I’ll be easier to work with than you are.” He crossed his arms over his chest and waited for her answer.
She forced her shoulders back down to their normal spot and fought the urge to fidget with her shirt. “Of course, the fact that I wear a badge and gun will help you make a decision.”
He whistled and went to sit at the counter.
Rolling her eyes at how easily he distracted her, Andi thanked her lucky stars Jackie’d been preoccupied.
Andi took out her phone and snapped a few pictures of the case and the sparkling glass before she walked over to check the door. There were no signs of forced entry on the inside. There were no scratches on the lock outside the door, either. No marks on the door. No broken glass. She went back to the office to snap pictures of the safe and Jackie’s spotless desk. The safe had an electronic keypad, but it was just a good, basic burglar-and-fire safe. Whoever had broken in had spent the time to get it open instead of hauling it away. But why take the trophies? This didn’t feel like a random theft.
Andi made a quick trip to her SUV to pull up the field kit. As she did her best to find clear, unique fingerprints on the door, the trophy case and the safe, she cataloged questions and what she knew. And just as she’d expected, she couldn’t find a single print she’d call evidence.
She stepped back into the dining room and propped her hands on her hips, taking one last look to make sure she hadn’t missed a thing. Every table in the restaurant looked to be perfectly placed, neat and set for the morning’s service. The white counter and stools along the front of the room were absolutely spotless. The black-and-white linoleum looked clean enough to eat off of. A small crowd stood outside on the sidewalk. Andi opened the door and gestured for them to come inside.
As they entered, she handed each one a menu. “Morning, folks. You’re welcome to sit anywhere. Someone will be over to get your breakfast order in just a minute.”
Jackie didn’t need to