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that was eleven years ago. My record is clean ever since then. I
learned my lesson and have no intention of putting myself in a
position that means jail time ever again.”
    I hoped Jacob wouldn’t lose his temper. Chairs
scraped against the floor again. A minimal amount of shuffling ensued
and both officers left out the back door knowing they had nothing on
Jacob to arrest him. The door to the office was ajar. Jacob sat at
his desk with his face in his hands. I knocked gently on the oak
frame. He looked up and commented about the ordeal in brief terms. He
fumed and I realized that his anger was the last emotion the cops
observed in him.
    “Why don’t you go on home and recoup?” I
said. “We can handle it from here.”
    “I want to remain visible. I think it will help
keep down some of the gossip.” His head returned to hands and his
body slumped.
    Janie appeared. “A man who said he was here
yesterday has a couple of paintings he wants you to look at, Jacob.”
    Her face relaxed when she saw Jacob as he emerged
from his office. His anger a minute ago was in check. He knew how to
put on a good front. I followed Jacob to where the artist stood
shifting from one foot to the other. The paintings were interesting
to say the least but I personally didn’t see much quality in either
of them. I thought they should be something more eclectic than stiff
still life scenes. I knew Jacob would give Pierre a chance anyway and
find a spot for them once price and information were provided.

Chapter Six

    My eyes diverted to a car across the street. The
politician, who was in Roasted Love the day before, got out of a blue
BMW and approached one of the officers looking around the front door.
He was slim and fit with blond hair that was cropped close. There was
something familiar about him that I couldn’t put my finger on. They
spoke for several minutes and one cop accompanied the man into
Sunrise. Lily wiped a table down near me and I asked her if she knew
who that man was.
    “I wasn’t paying attention. Maybe he was an
insurance representative or someone like that.”
    I told her I was sure he was a politician who had
run for office in the last election. She shrugged her shoulders which
told me she most likely had not voted or she held no interest in
politics. I was curious about him and why he was allowed to go into
Sunrise unless he was someone with close ties to the police, as well
as people in politics. Though he seemed very familiar to me, I
decided the stress we were all under kept me from placing him. He had
not returned to Roasted Love, to my knowledge.
    I thought about asking Jacob ,but from what I
could hear, he was dropping things right and left in the kitchen.
Pierre had left, minus two paintings that leaned against the back of
the counter, again ordering nothing. When I went back to see what was
going on, Jacob threw his hands in the air and stalked to his office.
I took him a cup of his favorite coffee drink, a simple black
espresso with no flavors, or as he put it ‘no fanfare.’ He
mumbled thanks and told me he needed to be alone and then he looked
up at me.
    “You do believe I had nothing to do with Michael
Simms’ murder, don’t you, Laila?”
    My split second hesitation caused a renewed fury
in him. This time he ordered me out of the office. I pulled the door
closed. Foreboding crept through me once again. I found I was on a
seesaw with him. There was no honest answer I could possibly have
given him. It was simply a question that once again had no definitive
answer in my mind. His mood changes didn’t help the situation. It
was at that moment that I decided, one way or another, I had to prove
Jacob was innocent or guilty. Either way, the outcome would have to
be accepted.
    Getting back to work helped somewhat, but by now
Lily and Janie were both on edge. The unrest in Roasted Love began
taking its toll on all of us. Customers drifted in and out until the
busy time sank into a lull. Janie was ready to