The Throwbacks, Book 1 of The Scotland Yard Exchange Program Series

The Throwbacks, Excerpt #8

                                                                         Chapter 6

            It was day three of his big case David thought as he sat in the passenger seat of Dan’s official car.  He felt more like the Police Chief’s Scotland Yard side-kick than he did Director of the Exchange Program.  In fact, he felt rather like a character straight from an old-time mystery noir—one so old that it seemed funny to watch now.  

“We’ll have a long talk with Rick and his brother, Nick, too.  Without the Mayor there,” Dan said.  They arrived at Rick’s loft at 8 AM sharp.

“As long as we leave here with a list of people we can run down and either eliminate or put on the short list entitled ‘real suspects’,” David said as they climbed up a few steps to the front door. 

Rick had agreed to lay low at the loft for the seven days they had now to come up with the would-be killer.  The loft had been on the market but was taken off ostensibly due to the “sudden death” of his brother.  Of course Nick was holed up there too, and with Theresa, Rick’s fiancée, there too, David imagined it wasn’t a happy place.

            After a knock at the door and a check through the peep hole, they were let in.  He and Dan followed Rick up some wide-open stairs into a wide-open space.  The place was in a state of disarray. The now-unhappy couple had been packing for their post-wedding move, but clearly had not finished the job. 

Looking past a stack of boxes, the last person Dave expected to see standing in the wide open room was Grace Rogers.  She was not supposed to be here.  No one was supposed to be here—no one was supposed to know that Nick was really alive.

            “You!  What is she doing here?” Dan asked, pointing at Grace who waved at them cheerfully.  Dan looked at Rick and Nick for an answer.  David looked at them too.  This seemed like a crazy breach of their orders to keep Nick’s secret non-murder under wraps.

            “Don’t yell at them, it was all my fault,” Theresa said with a pout.  She stood next to Grace as if to protect her –maybe she knew Dan was about to throw her bodily from the loft.  After he got over his shock, David couldn’t decide if he was delighted or deeply disturbed that Grace was here.

            But there she was in all her splendor, removing newspaper from one of many large corrugated brown boxes.

            “Don’t worry—my lips are zippered,” Grace said as she mock-zipped her lips.  Then she smiled big and somehow the effect of promising to be secretive was all spoiled.  Unfortunately, David couldn’t muster the appropriate level of disapproval.  He was becoming undone by a decorator.

            “I don’t care who said what—NO ONE is to say another word to anyone and no one else comes or goes from this loft for the duration,” Dan thundered and scowled at Nick who shrugged back.

            Rick spoke up.  “It’s okay.  It’s all under control.  It was an accident—she showed up and Theresa was thrilled to see her—she needed some girl-company.”  Rick gestured for them to come in and sit.  “Do we have any leads?  Any progress?” He asked.  He took a seat at the large onyx black table centered in front of the floor to ceiling windows and under an enormous chandelier that was reminiscent of dozens of icicles dripping.  David seemed to be noticing lots of decorating details today, in honor of Grace no doubt.

            Nick saved Dan the bother of responding to his brother’s question.  “Don’t be so impatient, Rick,” he said.

            Rick, Nick, Theresa and now Dan, all took seats at the table, and looked at him expectantly.  Grace continued to unwrap china and place it on shelves.  He realized he was watching her instead of proceeding with the purpose of the visit.  Since when had he ever been this distracted from an investigation?  She looked up at him as if she knew he was watching and smiled almost shyly.  He nodded and smiled back.  Then he moved to take his seat at the table with haste.