Death by Chocolate

Chapter Two

Chapter Two

I opened the door to see two cops on the front porch-a Suit and a Uniform.

The Uniform looked like a nice guy...young, pleasant expression, a little apologetic as if he hated to interrupt somebody's Sunday morning. In contrast, the Suit's face was a study in sharp angles. He did have nice eyes, though, even if they weren't blue. His were hazel, like trees in the early spring when they're ready to explode with leaves and even though they're still winter-brown, you can see a green shimmer.

The Suit flashed his badge. "Police," he said, as if I couldn't recognize the uniforms-both of them.

I lifted my chin and looked down my nose at him. "Chocolatier." I couldn't help myself. Blame it on the Coke and cookies. With all that sugar and caffeine, I was feeling ten feet tall and bullet proof.

The Uniform looked puzzled but one corner of the Suit's mouth quirked upward as if he wanted to smile but knew he shouldn't.

He looked me over from my messy hair to my bare feet, so I did the same to him-not that I could tell much from the blue suit, sedate tie and white shirt. Well, the tie was knotted a little crooked and the white shirt was kind of rumpled. Add all that to the trees-in-spring eyes, the way he'd almost smiled at my joke, and I was prepared to like him...unless he wanted to write me a speeding ticket.

"Are you Paula Walters?" he asked.

"No." I felt reluctant to volunteer any information, and not just because of my paranoia about traffic tickets. I could sense waves of fear emanating from Paula who remained on the sofa behind me. She was always a very careful driver, so careful I sometimes wanted to lean out the passenger door and push off with one foot to make her go faster. This wasn't about a speeding ticket.

"Is Paula Walters here?" the Suit asked, exasperation evident in his voice. The angles of his face seemed to become even sharper than before.

"Yes," I answered.

He waited.

So did I.

"Could we speak to her?" He was practically gritting his teeth. Now I was the one who had to suppress a smile. It's not often I can frustrate a cop though I always make an effort.

Reluctantly, I turned back to my friend. She was standing now, holding Zach tightly, her knuckles white. I'd thought her face was pale before, but now she could have been an understudy for Casper the Friendly Ghost. Her eyes were wide, the pupils pinpoints.

I suddenly felt helpless, as though I were turning her over to the executioner. Damn it, I should have found some way to make her tell me those secrets so we could have fixed whatever was wrong.

Yeah, right, like I'd fixed my own life.

She marched bravely toward the door, handing Zach to me as she passed. Zach pointed at the men and smiled. "Pees man!"

"That's right," I said. "Policeman. Policemen are our friends." At that moment I didn't really believe that any more than I believed it when one of them stopped me on the highway, but I was trying to score some brownie points with them. I had a feeling Paula was going to need a few of those.

Paula moved directly in front of the door and straightened her spine. "I'm Paula Walters." She was standing tall but she sounded tiny and weak.

"Can we talk to you for a minute?" the Suit asked.

Paula darted a quick glance behind her as if looking for an escape route, and I remembered her question that first day about whether the house had another exit.