Page 95 of The Mystery of the Curiosities
“Good timing,” he said, following me out.
I pointed to the plates. “Steak or mac and cheese?”
Calvin raised an eyebrow.
“It’s fancy mac and cheese,” I clarified.
Calvin looked at the steak.
I rolled my eyes and pushed him to the left chair. “Go nuts.”
“Are you sure you don’t want it?” Calvin asked, taking a seat.
“Don’t worry. I really ordered it for you,” I insisted. “I’d make some lewd comment about being sure to get my fill of protein later, but I’m tired…. Did you finish with your calls?”
Calvin nodded as he started going at the steak. “Finished,” he agreed between bites.
“Any important revelations?”
He looked up. “Spoke with Special Agent Tanaka at the FBI, per your friend’s suggestion. He put me through to Special Agent Matt O’Sullivan, who was on the original case four years ago. He confirmed the china and pistol we found tonight are indeed the two items reported as stolen by the Met the same time Earl was murdered.”
“I’ll be damned.”
Calvin nodded.
“And since the Barnum guidebook was at your place, I guess we solved it in the killer’s eyes too.”
“Seems as much,” Calvin muttered around another mouthful.
“What do we do about that? Not that this hotel isn’t swanky as fuck. I rather like it, but we can’t live here.”
“I’ve informed my sergeant,” Calvin said.
“About… just the book?” I asked hesitantly.
But I knew that wouldn’t be the case. Because Calvin was a good cop, and he’d have already put it in on record that I was the one being harassed. The book had been left at his place because the killer knew it was home to me as well.
“I told him the truth—mostly,” Calvin said as he looked up from his plate. “I told him you and your employee were visiting his friend and stumbled upon Ben Parker trying to break into an apartment. You both took it upon yourselves to try to keep him at bay until the cops arrived. When it became clear who lived there, I was called. After I finished, I brought you back to my place, because we’ve been dating for over a month, and we found the book.”
I swallowed. “Well, it’s basically true.”
“More or less,” Calvin said with a frown.
“Did he get pissed at you?”
“Yes.”
“Are you going—” I didn’t want to finish the thought.
“To lose my job?” Calvin asked for me. “No. He just chewed my ass out and threatened to suspend me.”
“Calvin!”
“He won’t, baby.”
“Jesus Christ, this is all my fault.” I dropped my fork and shoved the cheesy mess away. “Can I—should I talk to him? I’ll tell him—”
Calvin shook his head. “No. Please don’t, okay? I’ve gotten the reaming I deserved, because I shouldn’t have been involved with this.”
