Free Caffeine & Killers (A Roasted Love Cozy Mystery Book 3) by Cam Larson Page B

mild-mannered guy who had
accepted coffee and Danish from me a few mornings a week. What could
he have done to provoke such outrage in a low-life drug dealer on a
crime-ridden street?

Chapter Twelve
    My thoughts were interrupted again when my phone
rang. I glanced at it and then took a deep breath before answering.
    "Hey, Daniel. How’s it going with you?"
    "For starters, it’s a beautiful day. And
you're off work today, aren't you?"
    I couldn't help grinning. "I sure am. What
are you doing today?"
    "I'm on call for the next twenty-four hours.
But Laila, I've got some information that I think you'll want to
hear."
    That got my attention. "What information?"
I asked eagerly.
    "Well – I've got the autopsy report.
    The report! "Can we meet for lunch
someplace?"
    "One o'clock. Sam’s Sandwiches."
    Sam's was right down the street from Roasted Love.
"You bet. I'll see you there."
    # # #
    I arrived at Sam’s Sandwiches a few minutes
before one, and went straight for my usual table at the back. Sam
referred to it as my thinking table and I was sure I'd need it today.
    I hoped Daniel had not ended up with an emergency
call. I waited anxiously, and about ten minutes later he walked
through the door.
    My breath caught as I watched that tall handsome
man stroll confidently toward me with a folder tucked under his right
arm. He bent to give me a light kiss on the cheek. His eyes sparkled
like a child’s on Christmas morning.
    Out server appeared and we gave her our orders.
"I’ll take an iced raspberry tea and a chicken salad
sandwich," I said.
    "And I'll have a grilled cheese and a diet
Coke. And potato chips for both of us," said Daniel. He smiled
in my direction. "What? No watercress sandwich this time?"
The server jotted everything down and then left for the kitchen
window.
    "It's a woman’s prerogative to change her
mind on occasion," I said. "Now – hand over that report."
    Daniel slid it toward me. I flipped open the
manila folder and scanned the autopsy report.
    The first thing I saw was the name at the top.
"John Doe," I repeated. "Don’t they know his name
yet?"
    "Yes, they do know his name. But I don’t.
It's altered here since Leo Swenson didn’t want to pass around a
report with John’s real name on it. They're still investigating."
Daniel took a sip of his Coke and waited for me while I went on
reading.
    The report stated that "John Doe" died
of a heroin overdose. And then I noticed something else. "Is
'benzodiazepine' the sleeping pill you told me about?" I asked.
    Daniel nodded.
    "Where would John have gotten sleeping pills?
He was as poor as anyone I ever laid eyes on. I mean, he had no money
to pay for a prescription."
    Daniel smiled gently. "Most any pills are
easy enough to buy on the streets, as I told you. He could even have
gotten them from a trash bin. I can only tell you that that's what
they found in his system."
    "Yeah. I guess facts are facts." I was
still very doubtful, but I did have to own up to the possibility. "I
guess he could have used something like benzodiazepines on occasion.
Sleeping on concrete isn’t exactly conducive to a good night’s
sleep."
    Daniel’s eyes were gentle when he looked at me.
"No. I'm sure it isn't."
    I was finding out that I had a lot to learn about
illegal drugs. Ever since John’s death, I starting paying closer
attention to the people around West River. No one I saw appeared
homeless to me and I had to admit that if anyone I met was on drugs,
I sure couldn’t tell.
    All I did know was that it had been four days
since John’s death and the empty little spot in front of Roasted
Love still gave me a hollow feeling every time I saw it.
    "Laila, there's something else I want you to
know." Daniel paused, and then looked up at me. "John will
be buried tomorrow morning at nine o'clock."
    I sighed. "Okay. Thanks for telling me."
My shift at the coffee house didn’t start until eleven the next
day, so that would give me time to go and say good-bye to John.
    "Now,