Page 54 of Of Literature and Lattes
“Jeremy Miller?” The man standing next to Ryan motioned to him.
“What’s going on?” Jeremy circled the counter to cross toward the front of the store, directly in the middle of its huge plate-glass window. A few pedestrians had stalled on the sidewalk to look in.
Jeremy locked eyes on Ryan. Ryan’s eyes widened in return before he glanced away.
“We need you to come with us.” One of the three man standing with Ryan and Brendon lifted his chin toward Jeremy. The light glinted off the badge at his waist.
“I don’t understand.”
“Your employee has been selling Adderall to high school students.”
“What? The ADD medication?” Jeremy’s eyes trailed to Ryan.
“It’s an upper that carries the same high as crystal meth, and he’s been selling right outside your back door.”
“Add stealing too.” Ryan looked at Jeremy rather than the officer. “He’sstolen almost five thousand dollars from this shop.”
Jeremy startled, both at Ryan’s emphasis and at his statement. “How—?”
The officer cut him off before he could finish the question. “Is this true?”
“Yes, I mean, I haven’t been able to find the money between accounts. I...” Jeremy stalled and reddened under Ryan’s assessment.
“All right, then... We’ll discuss that too. Please come with me.”
“Me? No. I had nothing to do with this.”
“You’ve got drugs running out the back door of your establishment and money’s gone missing.” The officer’s tone rose in question, as if confused why Jeremy didn’t understand the problem. He also widened his stance. “This goes down one of two ways. You come with me now, or I arrest you and you still come with me now.” He dropped his hand to his waist and fingered the cuffs hanging there.
“I can answer your questions here.” Jeremy looked around. Several customers held raised phones pointed their direction. He felt a panic seize him. “You can’t do this here. This is my business.”
“That solves one problem.” The officer gripped Jeremy’s right arm and turned him around. The move was almost gentle, definitely practiced, and Jeremy was in the cuffs before another word could escape.
“You have the right to an attorney. If you—”
“Stop. You’re reading me my Miranda rights? Why would you do that?” Jeremy twisted to face the man again. “I’m coming. Of course I’m coming. I was just saying, I was trying to tell you—” Jeremy’s jaw dropped as something caught in his periphery.
Three customers had drawn closer, most likely to catch better audio.
Jeremy clamped his mouth shut as the officer now holding Brendon in cuffs led the way out the front door.
He stared at the recording phones, oddly unable to look away. Part of his brain knew he was giving them too much; the other part didn’t care.
Andante was finished.
Chapter 24
Nine hours and countless questions later, Jeremy climbed out of Madeline’s car in the alley between the Printed Letter and Andante.
“I’m sorry I called you. I didn’t understand what was happening.”
“They just wanted answers and were following procedure, but it can be unnerving.” Madeline reached for her purse in the back seat.
“Can I be charged with anything?”
“If what you said was true, I doubt it. If it’s determined that you should have known, there may be more questions, but with no communication on company email, computers, or phones, or drugs sold within the premises or during the execution of any of Brendon’s work duties, I can’t see this going further.”
“You’ve lost me again.” Jeremy rested his hands on the top of Madeline’s car.
