Page 23 of Half Baked

“What does that mean?” he asked in confusion.

I glanced back at my mother in the kitchen, then headed out through the front door and stood on the porch. I told him about the editorial piece coming out in the paper and how the chief had put me on administrative leave.

His frustration was palpable. “That’sbullshit, Noah.”

“I know, but I can see where he’s coming from. Besides, this will give me a chance to work on Andrea Baker’s murder case.” And my chance to prove to Maddie how much I cared about her, despite the fact I’d screwed everything up. She needed closure for her mother’s murder, and I would do everything in my power to give it to her.

Plus, it helped me out of another tricky situation. “And it also gives me a chance to escape from my mother’s very attentive gaze,” I said.

“What?”

I told him about my mother’s surprise visit. “I love my mother, but the thought of spending twenty-four/seven with her indefinitely is enough to make me pull my hair out.”

“I want to meet your mother,” he said, suddenly sounding chipper.

“You can, but don’t mention the leave, or I’ll never hear the end of it.”

“As long as you’re investigating the Baker cold case, my lips will be sealed shut.” His tone sobered. “But don’t talk to Bergan without Maddie. For one thing, I’ve heard he doesn’t do well with men, which means she has a better chance of getting him to talk again.”

“And what’s the other thing?”

“She acted like she was good with us investigating this without her, but I know better. She’ll kill us both if either one of us talks to him without her.”

ChapterSeven

Maddie

Wednesday dragged on despite how busy we were at Déjà Brew. My boss Petra could tell I was out of sorts, and my coworker Chrissy, by far the saltiest of all of us, shot me dirty looks when I screwed up a few orders. The truth was, my head wasn’t in it. I was too busy trying to figure out how to question Detective Bergan. I knew Lance was probably going to try to convince me to back off, but I’d decided I wouldn’t. I couldn’t. The way I saw it, the police had had nearly nineteen years to solve my mother’s murder. It was time for me to take the lead. Even if Lance was interested now, he’d be pulled onto another case soon enough.

Since I’d been expecting Lance at the end of my shift, I was surprised to see Noah walk through the door at 2:55. Then again, it was just like Lance to try to throw Noah at me. He seemed almost as concerned about our relationship status as I was.

Still, I couldn’t say I was upset to see him. I wasn’t sure I liked what that said about me, but there was no denying he looked downright sexy in his jeans, navy blue thermal T-shirt, and brown leather jacket. My heart skipped a beat, and confused butterflies twisted in my belly.

Chrissy had left for the day, so I was alone at the counter as he walked up. He stopped in front of me, sadness in his eyes. “Hey, Maddie.”

“Hi,” I said, barely above a whisper, my emotions roiling.

“I’m sorry about yesterday.” The sincerity in his eyes convinced me he meant it.

“Emotions were high. Today’s a new day. But I thought Lance was coming, probably to make sure I don’t pay a visit to Detective Bergan on my own.”

“About that…” He grimaced. “I know he was supposed to meet you, but I’m on administrative leave, which means I have a whole lot more time than he does right now.”

My eyes flew wide. “Are you in trouble? How can getting shot beyourfault?”

He cracked a smile. “No one in the department thinks it is. The public, on the other hand…”

“What?”

“You haven’t read the paper?”

“No…”

“There’s a piece about me in the editorial section. But that’s not why I’m here right now. I’m here because I have a lot of free time, and I can finally devote the attention to your mother’s case that it deserves.”

I frowned. “If you’re on administrative leave, doesn’t that mean you’re not supposed to be working?”

He leaned closer and lowered his voice. “It’s still a closed case. As long as I don’t question people under false pretenses, I should be fine.”

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