Part 14 (1/2)
”Yes, I do.”
He laughed.
”I'm not teasing. This is my usual table. And watch. She'll bring me my usual drink.”
Noah chose the two chairs with backs against the wall. Jordan noticed and thought that taking such measures was second nature to him now. Noah, she believed, would never be caught unaware.
Angela hurried over to the table with a gla.s.s of iced tea and two gla.s.ses of iced water. Smiling at Noah, she asked, ”Now, what can I get for you?”
”I'll have iced tea.”
She left to get his drink but paused in the doorway. Her gaze was on Jordan when she tilted her head toward Noah and gave the thumbs-up.
”I guess she doesn't realize I can see her,” Noah remarked. There was laughter in his voice.
”She means well.”
Jaffee hurried out with menus. ”Hey, Jordan,” he called from across the room.
”Hey, Jaffee.”
”Who's this?” he asked bluntly as he handed them their menus.
Jordan introduced Noah. ”You're FBI, aren't you?” Jaffee asked.
”Yes, that's right.”
Jaffee nodded. ”Is your brother going to be joining you?” he asked Jordan.
”You know about Nick?”
”Sure I do,” he answered. ”Did you forget what a small town this is?”
”Nick got called back to Boston.”
”Are you her bodyguard?”
Jordan answered. ”He's my friend.”
”A friend with a gun?” Angela remarked as she joined the group.
Jordan took it all in stride when both Angela and Jaffee pulled out chairs and sat down.
”Start at the beginning, hon,” Angela said. ”Don't leave anything out.”
”I'll bet you know more than I do,” Jordan replied.
”Probably,” she agreed. ”But I want to hear you tell what happened. It must have been something finding what you did in your car.”
”They ought to be able to eat their dinner in peace first,” Jaffee said. ”Then she can tell us what happened.”
Angela nodded. She pushed the chair back and stood. ”Deputy Joe Davis came in.”
”He's Chief Davis now,” Jaffee reminded her.
”That's right, he is. And it's about time too,” she added with a nod. ”Chief Davis came in here to check on your whereabouts, Jordan, and we told him you were here until almost ten, and then Jaffee walked you over to the motel.”
”We told the truth,” Jaffee said, shooting a look at Noah.
”We didn't have to lie,” Angela said.
Noah nodded. ”That's good to hear.”
”You two go ahead and look over the menu. I've got a real nice pot roast if you're interested.”
As soon as Angela and Jaffee returned to the kitchen, Noah said, ”Joe Davis asked me to go with him to Professor MacKenna's house tomorrow morning. He's hoping I'll see something he missed.”
”Could I go with you?” She sounded so eager.
”I don't see why not. I doubt Joe will mind. The detectives from Bourbon have already been through the place, but they didn't find anything significant. Tell me, what did you think of the professor?”
”I guess you want the truth.”
”Yes, I want the truth.”
”He was a disgusting, gross, opinionated bore.”
He laughed. ”Don't hold back on me.”
”I'm not exaggerating,” she insisted.
She then told him about the dinner she'd suffered through, stressing the professor's appalling table manners.
”I understand you were arguing with him?”
”Where did you hear that?”
”The waitress at the restaurant mentioned to Joe that you were shouting, and he mentioned it to me.”
”I was not shouting. Oh, wait. Yes, I was. That is, I raised my voice. I didn't shout though. The professor was being horribly insulting to the Buchanans, and I felt it was my responsibility as a Buchanan to defend our good name.”
”You think maybe you overreacted?”
”No, I don't. I'll read you a little of his research, and then you can make up your own mind. His slanted research,” she thought to add.
Angela carried out their dinner, and they were left alone to enjoy their meal. Noah couldn't believe how great the food was. ”Jaffee could make it anywhere,” he said. ”I wonder what keeps him in Serenity.”
”Chocolate cake.”
”Yeah?”