52 Barn Street

◾CHAPTER VI◾

Joe's Java was roughly an eight minute walk from the precinct.

It was a small café with a homey touch and design to it.

The café's brick walls were designed with artistic murals of trees and birds. It was the first thing that caught the eye once one walked in.

Several potted plants were placed at wall corners. The owner must be a big fan of nature and greeneries. The café had a lot of those. The overall ambience of the café was pretty and cozy.

The aroma of cinnamon and freshly baked pastries wafted through the air causing my stomach to growl in response-I had barely had breakfast.

"This place is just... wow." My eyes roamed around, drinking everything in.

We sat at a table at a corner. Officer Conway had a simple smile playing on his lips.

The waitress, a petite woman with curly, coppery hair that cascaded down her back in beautiful waves, walked up to our table with a dimpled smile.

"Conway, so nice to see you here again."

"Hi Rosie. I was just telling Danica over here about your wonder pastries."

The waitress, Rosie, rolled her eyes but retained a fond smile.

"Welcome to Joe's Java!" Rosie turned her attention to me. " Here's the menu." She placed a rectangular shaped paper on our table. "But," she continued, "I'd have you know that today's special is our chocolate muffins."

"I think I'd have the chocolate muffins." I replied. Officer Conway agreed to have same.

"And you are going to love it." Rosie placed emphasis on the word, love. She took our orders and promised to be back in no time.

"I take it that you're a regular here?" I tucked a piece of my kinky, dark-brown hair behind my ear.

"I stumbled across this place when I first moved to Aldewell and the rest is history." He shrugged.

There was a comfortable silence for a moment. I played with my fingers, contemplating what next to say.

Officer Conway broke the silence. "I must have said this before but, I'm really sorry about your Dad."

I bit my lower lip.

"If I'm being honest, it's hard. And it's scarier to the think that there's a possibility that my Dad's killer would never be found or brought to justice." I gulped and kept my eyes glued to the hardwood table between us.

"Perhaps the case needs to be looked into by someone else. A fresh opinion always comes in handy."
I lifted up my eyes. "You think so?"

"We may be good at our jobs but we're humans and a minute detail which may be overlooked can turn out to be pivotal for the case."

"I'm starting to lose faith as the days go by and I don't-"

Rosie came back at that exact moment with our orders. She carefully placed my order, a plate of chocolate muffin and a tall glass of iced tea, in front of me.

"And a jelly doughnut and cup of black tea with with a little sugar." She placed Officer Conway's order in front of him.

"Call me if you need anything else." She left, softly humming a tune.

"Doughnuts, huh?" I couldn't help the smirk that graced my lips.

"I just so happened to be a cop and I also happen to love doughnuts. Quit the stereotype." He chuckled.

"Whatever you say, Officer." I clicked my tongue. Amusement danced in his honey brown eyes.

I had a bite of my chocolate muffin and it was pure bliss.