Page 30 of The Burnt (The Declan Hunt Mysteries #3)

Milo headed downstairs, dressed for work.

He preferred the evening shift over lunch.

The food was pricier and the clients drank more, which meant the tips would be better, especially if he flirted a bit.

And it didn’t matter if it was a man or a woman, Milo could tell by how their eyes grazed over his body if he’d get a good tip.

Not that they hit on him. Not often. And it wasn’t like they’d be able to track him down outside the restaurant.

The name tag he wore on his uniform never carried his real name.

His tag read “Mark”. That was the owner’s idea.

She thought it would give the staff another level of security in case the clientele got a little too drawn toward one of her servers.

Security or not, the owner did know the value of sex appeal.

She was the one who chose the uniforms which accentuated chests and bottoms.

As he turned toward the front door, he walked by the entrance to the living room. Mrs Keough was sitting in her chair in front of the fire.

“I’ll bring some more wood in when I come home,” he said. “By the way, who were those guys that were just here?”

“They said they were private investigators,” she replied, staring into the blazing fire.

“One of them phoned yesterday when you were at work. He seemed to be very interested in why my car was in Calgary last week. Apparently it was spotted near a crime scene.” She looked up at him.

“Initially I thought it was a mistake, but today they showed me a picture and it was definitely my car. I covered for you, Milo, but it does have me wondering why you drove all the way down to Calgary and parked on a street in Forest Lawn.”

Milo walked into the living room. “You said I could borrow the car anytime I wanted. I know Calgary’s a long ways away but I made sure that I filled up the tank as soon as I got back and I’ll give you some money for maintenance—how about if I pay for the next tune-up? It would only be fair.”

“Milo, dear, I don’t mind you using the car. You can drive it to Saskatoon if you want. I just hope that you’re not mixed up in anything bad.”

He smiled and sat on the ottoman near her. “I just went down to visit a guy I met at the restaurant. We’ve been chatting back and forth. I didn’t want to tell you because…well, it’s personal.”

“A new beau?” she replied. “Must be something special to drive all that way. Have you been more than once?”

He gave her a lopsided grin and shrugged his shoulders. “Maybe.”

She turned to him. “Well, as long as you filled up the tank with gas. I lied to those detectives because I wanted to find out the truth from you first, but if it’s really nothing and they ask again, I might have to be honest with them. Understood?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

* * * *

Declan had turned off the engine for the stakeout and was beginning to notice just how poorly insulated his van was.

This was the unglamorous part of being a private investigator—sitting, watching, waiting for someone to do something.

And in Alberta in winter, it usually involved freezing his nuts off.

The door of the house opened and a body bundled up in a coat made their way to the street. And it wasn’t Mrs Keough.

Declan started his engine, put the heater on full then pulled out his cell phone.

“Hello,” Charlie answered.

“Where are you? I have a body on the move.”

The van door opened and Charlie slid in.

“Some detective you are. What if I’d had a knife?” Charlie asked.

“I’d have done this,” he said, stepping on the gas and throwing Charlie back in his seat.

“Hey. I’ve got coffees!”

Declan reached over and took one. “Thanks.”

“So, who do we have? I’m assuming it’s not Mrs Keough?”

“Not sure, but I’m pretty sure it’s the owner of the large boots. Let’s see where they’re going.”

* * * *

Charlie and Declan carefully followed the person who had left Mrs Keough’s.

The suspect strode confidently around the corner and headed toward Jasper Avenue.

As Declan’s van approached the main street, traffic started to build and their suspect started to gain ground.

Charlie said, “I’m getting out. I’ll follow them on foot.

If they pop into some place while we’re backed up in traffic, we’ll lose them. ”

Without waiting for Declan to respond, Charlie slipped out of the van and hurried down the street.

As he got closer, Charlie was able to make out that the suspect appeared to be a young man.

He was moving fast. And who could blame him?

It was fucking cold out. Charlie’s ‘going for a car ride’ sneakers weren’t the best footwear for the job.

He prayed that this guy would reach his destination before Charlie froze his toes off.

Charlie rounded a corner and saw the man walk up to the side door of a restaurant. He kicked his boots against the wall, dislodging the snow they carried, then flipped back the hood of his parka and went in.

The young man had shoulder-length black hair.

Coincidence?

Charlie waited fifteen minutes, then went around to the front of the restaurant. The person of interest was serving tables inside.

Charlie looked around, then pulled out his cell phone and called Declan. “I know where we’re going to eat tonight. I’ll be in front of the Christmas Store next to a restaurant called the Tonquin Bistro. You can’t miss it.”

Declan pulled up and Charlie hopped in.

“Christ, you must be frozen,” Declan said.

“Would it be bad to pour coffee on my feet?”

“You just need to get inside someplace warm,” Declan replied. “You said you were hungry. Shall we go for dinner now?”

“I thought you’d never ask.”

Declan parked the van and they made their way to the entrance of the restaurant.

The Tonquin Bistro was plainer than the name suggested—a faux log structure designed to fit the town’s architectural theme.

Charlie wondered if it was designed to mimic the Jasper Park Lodge, the grand-dame of Jasper hotels not far away.

Perhaps if it looked like the lodge, the food would be as good.

Through the window, he saw the young man with the long dark hair. He was dressed in a white shirt, tight-fitting black trousers and a matching black vest, as was the young woman he was standing with.

“You go in first,” Declan said. “Make sure you’re seated in his section and try to get a feel for what he’s about. I’ll join you in a few minutes.”

Charlie went in and soon found himself seated at a table.

“Hello,” the server said. “My name is Mark and I’ll be taking care of you this evening. Will you be dining by yourself?”

“Uh…no,” Charlie stuttered. Stop looking at his crotch! “A friend will be joining us, I mean me.” Charlie didn’t know what else to do, so he moved his glance upward which didn’t help. Mark had the most beautiful emerald-green eyes.

“Very good. May I bring you a drink while you wait?” The server leaned in and added softly in Charlie’s ear, “Don’t fall for any of the upper-end vintages. They’re not worth the price and most people can’t tell the difference from the house wines.” He punctuated the sentence with a wink.

“Well then, I’ll start with a glass of the house red and we’ll see what my partner—friend,” he quickly corrected, “will have when he gets here.”

Mark brought him the glass of wine and a tray of appetisers. “Smoked salmon bites and olives. On the house.”

“Thank you,” Charlie said, thinking that he would come here more often if it wasn’t such a long drive away.

Mark smiled, then bowed discreetly and left Charlie in peace.

As the restaurant began to fill up, Mark brought Charlie over a glass of water, slipping it above the cutlery to his right.

Charlie was sure that as he was departing, the server flexed his buttocks.

After almost an entire glass of wine, he didn’t mind for an instant.

It was clear that the server knew how to get good tips.

The door to the restaurant opened and Declan walked in.

Charlie stood and raised his hand slightly so that Declan could see where he was. Declan passed the host his coat, which was immediately hung in a closet. Why did I bring mine to the table? I look like such an idiot.

As the detective made his way across the room, all eyes were on him and his glorious physique. He got to the table and made no attempt to hide the kiss he laid on Charlie’s lips.

The server was there in an instant to pull out Declan’s chair and seat him.

Declan looked up at him, “Thank you…?”

“Mark,” both the server and Charlie answered in unison.

“I’ll have what Charlie’s having,” Declan said, pointing to his glass.

“Certainly.”

“And I’ll have another,” Charlie said.

Once the server had left them, Declan asked, “So, how’s it going? Any feelings as to what this guy is all about? It is the guy we followed from Mrs Keough’s place isn’t it?”

“Oh, it’s him, all right and he’s spent every moment he’s been around flirting up a storm. It’s interesting. He matches the description the kid from Banff gave of the guy who paid him to deliver the note to Simon. But it doesn’t look like the aged-up photo of Milo.”

“Maybe it’s someone who’s working with him,” Declan offered.

Charlie shrugged. “Where do we go from here?”

“No need to rush,” Declan replied. “He’s not going anywhere. Let’s enjoy dinner.”

When Mark returned, Declan asked for a recommendation and ordered a Swiss fondue with coffee and dessert.

The server was attentive, and when the meal was finished, Mark returned and asked, “I hope everything was to your liking?”

“It couldn’t have been better. Thank you, Mark.”

“Then will there be anything else, gentlemen? An after-dinner drink, perhaps?”

“No, I’m afraid we have to hit the road,” Declan replied.

“I hope you don’t have to drive too far. The weather looks like it’ll be a bit treacherous tonight.”

“All the way back to Calgary, I’m afraid.”

Mark raised his eyebrows. “Oh.”

“Have you been down there?” Declan asked.

“A few times, but never in conditions like this. And certainly not at night. My car wouldn’t take it.”

A grey Impala, perhaps , Charlie thought.

“So, were you born here in Jasper?” Declan continued.

“No. Long story,” Mark said. “Not very interesting. Well, we’d better get you back on the road.”

“Yeah. Work calls,” Declan replied.

“And what sort of work are you in?”

Charlie answered, “We’re private investigators.”

It was all Charlie had to say. The smile dropped off of Mark’s face.

“I’ll bring you your bill. Will that be all on one?”

Declan said, “That would be fine. Thanks.” He gave the server what would have been a heart-melting smile, except Mark was a little preoccupied at the moment. Charlie doubted it had anything to do with the bill.

Mark left the table and headed to the corner of the restaurant where he started an intense discussion with a beautiful young female server who kept looking over at their table. Declan discretely snapped a picture of their server with his phone then turned to Charlie. “What’s wrong? You look upset.”

“I thought we were going to spend the night in the hotel,” Charlie said.

“Oh, we are. I just told him we were leaving tonight to keep him on edge. Did you see how he reacted when you told him we were private investigators? He’s hiding something. I can’t wait to see what he does when we show up on his doorstep tomorrow.”

Charlie said, “Should we wait that long?”

“I don’t see that there’s any rush. He thinks we’re leaving town. In the meantime, you can use your computer to see if the picture I took matches any persons of interest online.”

Declan looked out of the window. “The weather’s closing in. I don’t think he’s going anywhere tonight, and neither are we.”