Lakshmi clutched the slip of paper against her chest. “Only one thing would make this better. Can we order pizza?”

Caitlin laughed. “Way ahead of you.”

*   *   *

Caitlin heard the noise, went to the main room.

Mary stood in the open doorway next to an uncomfortable-looking pizza guy. “Caitlin, tell this young man I’m not trying to steal your pizza.”

“She probably was, but she’s with us.” Caitlin held up a wad of cash. “Remarkable timing, Lubbers.”

Mary waved the money away. “I don’t mind shelling out for Pizza Monster.”

She paid the young man, grabbed the pie, and shut the door behind her. The sweet, oily scent of cheesy goodness filled the room once more.

Lakshmi called from her bedroom. “Is there a monster in my apartment?”

Mary laughed. “That’s right, kid. Can you walk?”

Lakshmi emerged from the bedroom and stumbled her way to the coffee table. “Where there’s pizza, there’s a way.” She opened the box and bit into a piece, then looked up at Caitlin and Mary with cheese hanging from her mouth. “Pizza Monster doesn’t care that his daughter is a lesbian. That’s why he cuts the slices into delicious triangles of bliss.”

Mary nudged Caitlin. “Think she’ll sell us some pills?”

“Think we’d better move if we want pizza.”

They made fast work of the food. Caitlin filled in time-line gaps for Lakshmi—her and Mary’s trip back for the abandoned rental car, the surveillance of two Sunday Bro-duce deliveries, the lack of meaningful activity on the farm Monday morning, the fact that it was now Monday night.

The food sobered Lakshmi somewhat. “What about Dave?”

Mary shook her head. “No clue. We’ve seen Frodo and Gooch make deliveries, and an underclassman drop off money after a party, but no sign of Amireau yet.”

Caitlin studied the open spreadsheet on her laptop. “According to our list of sponsored events, they’ve got nothing for two days.”

“Which is good,” Mary said. “I have meetings, and Aaron has to teach tomorrow and the day after, so we can’t be around for another stakeout. Plus, there’s the helmet thing.”

“The what-met thing?” Lakshmi said.

“My dumb lover will never be a spy. Gooch flagged him down to ask where he got the helmet, said he’d seen him twice that day.”

Caitlin laughed. “Looks like I’m on my own tomorrow.”

“I can help,” Lakshmi said. “Maybe not drive—”

“Or stand.” Caitlin shook her head no. “To go to Greenwood, we still have to document David Amireau at the farm. Broken wrist or not, your restraining order means I’m going by myself tomorrow. I won’t do anything stupid.”

Mary uncapped two beers. “Famous last words uttered by anyone who ever fell off a cliff.”

Chapter 39

CHAPTER

39