The Way of the Wicked (Hope Street Church Mysteries Book 2) (6 page)

Trish and Quinton were being mentored by Warren, a thin, rather nondescript man in his mid-forties with a sandy beard. Cooper couldn’t hear Warren issue instructions, but from the look on his face he took his job seriously. Trish did her best to impress him by mentioning that her company was sponsoring an entire route for two months. And though Warren smiled warmly in response, he got right back to the business at hand. Not to be deterred, Trish began to question Warren about his current residence.

“It’s a buyer’s market, you know,” she said and launched into a monologue about the most desirable neighborhoods. Warren tried to get her to focus on packing, but she refused to be interrupted.

“Lady!”
a deep voice behind Trish roared. “It’s too damn early for all that jawin’!”

The kitchen fell silent as a man dropped a black cooler onto the counter with a thud. Without

another word, he began to fill the cooler with food trays.

Cooper scrutinized the newcomer out of the corner of her eye. He was of average height, with dark close-cropped hair and deep brown eyes. The skin of his entire right arm, which was the shade of roasted pecans, was covered by an intricate tattoo of a panther locked in combat with a cobra. The panther’s mouth was open in a fierce snarl and its claws were unsheathed into deadly points. The cobra’s fangs dripped venom as it reared back a hooded head in preparation to strike. Cooper was unnerved by the violence of the ink’s scene and couldn’t imagine why anyone would want to mark themselves in such a way.

“What are y’all starin’ at?” the man demanded, balling his hands into fists. The volunteers quickly averted their eyes, except for Eugene. Even though he was a good four inches shorter than the man with the shaved head, Eugene strutted up and punched him lightly in the stomach.

“You grumpy again, Leo? Why are you always so grumpy?” Eugene frowned. “Do you need a cookie?”

Leo’s hard face softened as he performed a mock right hook, which grazed the bottom of Eugene’s chin. “No cookie can help me. I got a lifetime of worries, little man. You
wanna
be here, but I
gotta
be here. That makes me mad. Get it?”

Eugene was befuddled. “You don’t like to help people?”

Leo shrugged. “I like to help myself to people’s stuff, but that’s about it.”

“That’s not the same!” Eugene responded indignantly. “I know you got in trouble, Leo, but it doesn’t mean you’re bad.” Eugene fixed his eyes on Leo’s tattoo. “
I
don’t think you’re bad.”

“Eugene, I’ve gotta drag my sorry ass in here for six months like the judge says, but I won’t be here a day after that, you hear me?” Scowling, Leo entered the walk-in fridge and reappeared with a wheeled cart filled with twenty rows of steel trays. Eyeing the food on the nearest tray, Leo grimaced. “Man! Not this nasty fish again. How these folks supposed to live on this crap? Why can’t they have fried chicken or pot roast or something? I wouldn’t feed this to a dog.”

“The dieticians know more than you,” Campbell said as he entered the kitchen, a clipboard in his right hand. “So don’t go insulting my flounder. It’s good when it’s heated. Has a light lemon-butter sauce and collard greens to go with it. Baked apples for dessert and a whole-wheat roll besides. It’s a solid, healthy meal, so don’t knock it.”

“Well,
I
don’t wanna look at it.” Leo pushed the cart to the middle of the floor, where Campbell stopped it from crashing into one of the stainless steel counters by blocking it with his boot-encased foot.

“Leo, why don’t you take your cheery self outside and start loading cars? I’m sure the drivers would love a taste of your special brand of perkiness this fine Saturday morning.”

“Ain’t you worried that I’ll get invited into the car of some fine-lookin’ lady who’s afraid to drive all alone into the rough parts of town?” Leo gave Campbell a challenging stare.

“I’ll take my chances,” Campbell said without bothering to look up from his clipboard.

Clearly irked, Leo grabbed the cart for route #21, flung the side door open, and pushed the cart down the concrete ramp, muttering under his breath as he went.

As soon as he was gone, the volunteers resumed their boisterous chitchat. Cooper recalled what she’d overhead in the restroom and felt compelled to speak to Penny in a hushed tone.

Leaning close to Penny, she asked, “What did Leo do? Did he commit a crime?”

Penny glanced at the door. “He was arrested for disorderly conduct. I know he had to pay a pretty steep fine and he has to volunteer here every Saturday for the next six months. He just started a month ago. I don’t know what kind of work he’s in, either, but I get the sense he has to make payments toward that fine every month.” Penny glanced at Eugene and sent a warm, maternal smile in his direction. “Eugene’s the only one Leo will talk to. The rest of us have tried to be kind to him, but as you can see, he’s not interested in making friends.” She gave an amused shake of her head. “But he sure keeps Saturdays lively.”

“I bet,” Cooper mumbled as she watched Leo reenter the kitchen. “Lively” was not the word she would have chosen to define Leo’s demeanor. She loaded a cooler onto a roll cart and embarked out the side door, in search of the driver of route #4.

Hostile is the word I’d use,
she thought.
But even so, he can’t be the thief. Mrs. Jensen’s missing necklace was the fourth item stolen over the summer. Leo’s only been here a month. Maybe he’s got a partner. I think he bears watching.

Cooper pushed the cart to the curb, where rows of cars filled with volunteers waited to collect food for the Door-2-Door clients. Seeing them, Cooper felt her heart swell with happiness.

“Wouldn’t this be a great photo for the front page of the
Times-Dispatch
?” she said to Nathan as they headed back up the ramp. “I’m sick of reading stories about drug busts, arson, and crooked politicians. Wouldn’t it be nice to read a headline about places like Door-2-Door?”

Nathan grinned. “Personally, I’d like to read a story about a woman with one green eye and one blue eye. Would such a woman care to have dinner with a boring,
Star Wars
–obsessed Web designer this evening?”

Cooper beamed. “I’d love to.”

“I really want to spend time alone with you, but I was also hoping you could help me get a feel for this new client of mine. He’s the one I told you all about in Bible study last week.” Nathan gave her a pleading look. “Would you be willing to meet him?”

“The guy with the muscle-building vitamins?” Cooper asked, trying to mask her disappointment over not being asked out on a proper date.

“His name’s Tobey Dodge and he’s from L.A.” Nathan parked his cart inside the kitchen and began to load it with the food for another route. “I just don’t speak his language, you know?”

“I don’t speak L.A., either,” Cooper said. “I’ve never had Botox or been in a tanning salon.”

“Of course not. I just feel calm when you’re around, Cooper. I can think more clearly if you’re sitting beside me.” He smiled shyly at her.

Cooper flushed with pleasure. “I’ll be there,” she said softly. “Right beside you.”

Resuming her work, Cooper thought about how lovely the phrase “beside you” sounded. It made her think of a bride and groom standing at the altar, or a couple married for fifty years seated next to one another on a porch swing. It spoke of companionship and maybe, just maybe, of love.

• • •

Cooper spent the afternoon taking Grammy to Tom Leonard’s Farmer’s Market so she could

purchase bacon and pork chops from the butcher counter. Grammy fussed at the butcher while he chopped and trimmed to her specifications. “I ain’t payin’ for fat, young man,” she warned.

Grammy took a long time perusing the loaves of bread. “I don’t want any of that low-fat crud,” she told Cooper, tossing a loaf back onto the shelf. “I want my bread to taste like bread. The last time I let your father buy it, he got some healthy stuff that tasted like corkboard. I told him
he’s
got the big belly, not me.”

Finally, Grammy selected some oatmeal bread and, after insisting on buying a bagful of peaches for Cooper to give to Nathan, they returned home. Grammy dumped her purchases in the kitchen and went to her room for a catnap while Cooper headed to her greenhouse to feed and water containers of young chrysanthemums, sedum, and asters.

When she was done caring for the plants, she showered and dressed in a chocolate-brown, knee-length skirt and a chartreuse sweater set. After placing her butterfly pin through the cardigan’s silky material, she gave herself a spritz of perfume and left the apartment.

Nathan was waiting for her outside the restaurant, looking dapper in a fawn-colored button-down and a checkered blazer. His tie was a shade of deep mustard stitched with russet leaves. Each leaf was cupped like a hand and appeared to be falling down the length of the material. It reminded Cooper that autumn was right around the corner.

“You’re lovely,” Nathan said, holding open the heavy wooden door to Hondo’s, one of Richmond’s finest steak restaurants.

Cooper smiled at the compliment.

“Tobey won’t be here for another half hour,” Nathan said, leading her to the bar. “I wanted to spend time alone with you first.” He brushed her hand with his and then perused the wine list. He ordered a glass of Merlot for himself and then asked Cooper what she felt like drinking. Unsure, she reread the cocktail menu, but nothing seemed to grab her interest.

“Would you like to try an autumn margarita?” the bartender asked. “It’s made with fresh cranberries, cranberry juice, and Grand Marnier.”

“That sounds perfect,” Cooper said gratefully.

“So what did you think about your first day at Door-2-Door?” Nathan asked as his wine was placed in front of him. “I liked everyone, but I’d rather not be partnered with that angry Leo guy.”

“He is a bit intimidating,” Cooper agreed.

Nathan sipped his wine. “I really had a good time this morning. I’ve been so busy with work that months have flown by without my having a social life. I didn’t realize until this week have much I’ve missed my friends.”

The bartender placed a hand-blown martini glass filled with crimson liquid on a coaster. Cooper sipped, enjoying the blend of fresh cranberries and lime. It was sweet and tart and utterly refreshing.

“Cooper.” Nathan lowered his voice. “I wanted to call you so many times over the past few weeks. I feel like we had something growing between us, and then I let work interfere. If I take Tobey on, it’s going to be even crazier, but I’d like to see more of you.”

The sincerity and hopefulness in his warm brown eyes made Cooper want to reach out and touch him, to trace the curve of his strong jaw. She felt such a powerful urge to kiss him that she leaned forward, closing the gap between their bodies.

“I’d like to see more of you, too,” she whispered, parting her lips and closing her eyes.

At that inopportune moment, someone called Nathan’s name. A short, stocky man swaggered into the restaurant dressed in a silver suit with a metallic sheen, an eggplant-colored shirt, and black shoes polished to a high shine. He wore more gold than Trish, including a gold watch, a gold link bracelet, and a gold pinkie ring.

Unaware that he’d interrupted a romantic moment, Tobey pumped Nathan and Cooper’s hands in greeting, complained about the traffic on Broad Street, slipped off his jacket, and ordered a Jack and Coke from the bartender without pausing for breath.

“What’s with all the Jesus fish on people’s cars in this town?” he asked Nathan while the bartender fixed his drink. “I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. Los Angeles is a different kind of city. It’s way bigger. Glitzier. Totally hip. And we have tons of gorgeous women. Kinda like you.” Tobey smiled warmly at Cooper.

Cooper acknowledged the compliment with a slight nod, and then the hostess appeared to show them to their table. When they were seated, Tobey gestured at the heavy, leather-bound menus. “Order anything you’d like. The meal’s on me.”

Cooper thanked him, silently noting that the cost of her meal would equal half a week’s grocery bill. When their waitress returned, all three of them ordered the shrimp cocktail. Nathan and Tobey also chose the cowboy-cut rib eye with Caesar salads and roasted mushrooms, while Cooper opted for the petite filet and the house salad.

Digging into the breadbasket, Tobey turned to Nathan. “So here’s the rundown. I sell natural muscle-building vitamins and herbs called Big Man Products. I’d like a website called BigMan.com and I want a cool video showing before-and-after footage of a guy who used my stuff to build bulk. I have just the male model in mind, too. He’s pretty skinny, like I used to be, but I’m going to swap him free merchandise in exchange for his appearing in the video.”

“Do your vitamins work fast?” Cooper asked as their shrimp cocktails were served.

“Hey,
I’m
my own client!” Tobey held out an arm, unbuttoned his sleeve, and pushed the fabric toward his shoulder as far as it would go. He then performed a bicep curl. Cooper watched in repulsed fascination as branches of blue veins popped into relief against the bulge of his muscle.

“Whoa!” Nathan was clearly impressed. “Didn’t you have to lift weights to get that kind of result?”

Tobey shrugged. “Some, but not as much as I’d have to without my Big Man pills. I used to weigh one-twenty-eight and was as weak as a kitten.” He bit a piece of shrimp in half and chewed with gusto. “I want guys who look like total wimps to be able to hold their heads up high. They just need to know how to get their hands on my stuff and their lives could change forever.”

“I didn’t realize that natural herbs and vitamins could really change someone’s muscular makeup,” Nathan said as their appetizer dishes were cleared and their salads were served. “Are they safe?”

“I wouldn’t have used them if they weren’t. Believe me, there are tons of phony health-care products in L.A. That’s why I relocated. This is a fresh market. It’s not overloaded with merchandise that glitters like gold but won’t do a thing to change how you look.” Tobey skewered a stack of lettuce leaves and shoved them into his mouth until his cheek bulged like a chipmunk’s. “This is
so
good.”