The Body in Bodega Bay Read Online Free PDF Page B

meant.”
    â€œWell, your detective friend gave me a hell of a grilling. He knew we were together—I suppose you told him that. But he talked to me like I was the one who killed him.” He sputtered with grief and anger, “I could never hurt Charlie.” He swallowed hard, his jaw working.
    Toby’s eyes shifted to the floor, in embarrassment. His voice was low when he replied. “I know that. Charlie didn’t talk much about himself, but he trusted you.”
    â€œHe trusted me? That’s a good one, after all the shit he’s pulled. Charlie wasn’t exactly an expert on the subject. Trust wasn’t his number one priority, was it?”
    â€œMeaning what?” Toby asked defensively. Tom looked away. “Are you saying he did something underhanded by moving to my shop?”
    Tom retorted, “Charlie was free to leave whenever he wanted. I didn’t keep him locked up.”
    â€œThen don’t take it out on me.” Toby put out his hand, palm up, to ward off a reply. “You know what? We shouldn’t be having this conversation now. We’re both of us too upset. If you have accusations to make against Charlie, you need to make them to Dan, not me.”
    â€œYou’re the one I need to talk to, Sandler. Look at you. You’re sitting on Charlie’s inventory—mine, really. It was my money that bought that desk you’re leaning on. And that big oak table over there, for starters. When he walked away from me, Charlie owed me thirty thousand dollars. I’m telling you, I’m going to take back what’s mine.” His chiseled jaw was set defiantly.
    Toby looked surprised. “I don’t know anything about that, but this is no time to be talking money. We can deal with that later.”
    â€œOh, yeah. You sound just like him. ‘We’ll talk about the money later.’ That was Charlie’s favorite refrain. Well, ‘later’ hadn’t come when he moved his stuff in the dead of night from our store to your shop. Later is now.” Standing at his full height of over six feet, Tom towered over Toby as he jutted a finger into his chest. Toby rocked on his heels but didn’t step back.
    â€œDon’t do that again,” Toby said in an even voice. That was all he said, but it was enough.
    I walked forward and put myself between the two men. “Hold on, guys. This is the last thing Charlie would want, you two fighting over his things. We’re all grieving. Let’s think about that tonight.” And it was nearly night by now. The sun was getting ready to set suddenly, the way it does in late winter. I stepped round to the wall to flip on the lights.
    When I turned back, Tom had pivoted away, and his shoulders were wrenching. Was he crying? I heard no sobs. I pulled up a chair for him, one of Charlie’s for all I knew. And he sat there shaking for a long time. We waited it out.
    Finally, Toby said, “I know you and Charlie were partners a long time. I don’t know what happened between you, and it’s none of my business, but he never bad-mouthed you to me. I’m not your enemy. I want to help find whoever did this to him.”
    Tom rubbed his nose with his fist and repeated, “Later, later. That was all I ever heard from him. He never wanted to confront the facts. Never wanted to settle things. Well, he sure as hell left things unsettled between us.” He slumped forward in the chair, his long arms dangling between his knees.
    â€œHow do you mean?” I asked.
    â€œI mean in every way, but never mind the other stuff. We had a business agreement that he left up in the air. When he couldn’t figure out how to pay back that thirty thousand dollars, he just took off. And you gave him a place to go, Sandler. He came to you with stock that he bought with my money, the money I loaned him, over and over, just so he could take advantage of this one unique opportunity, this one