“Pepper, can you help me with this?” came a shout.
“I’ve got to get back to work, Dad. Talk to Mom,” I urged, kissed his cheek, and took off toward the woman.
It wasn’t until I almost reached her that I forgot to ask my dad about what he learned from Todd Smith, the bank robber. But then my parents’ marriage was more important than the bank heist. Right?
I smiled when I stopped in front of the woman. “How can I help you?”
The late afternoon lull had finally settled over the garden center. The sun dipped just enough to take the sharp edge off the heat, and the plants under the shaded trellis seemed to sigh in relief. Customers had thinned to a trickle.
I was refilling a tray of watering cans when I spotted a familiar patrol vehicle easing into the lot and wondered what my dad was doing here for the second time today.
My dad stepped out, adjusting his hat, scanning the space, and smiled when he spotted me.
“Please don’t tell me you’re still hiding from the mayor?” I said when I met him halfway.
“No. I’m here to buy a couple of echinacea plants for your mom. She lost a couple this year and talked about replacing them. So, I thought I’d surprise her.”
“A peace offering before you ease into the conversation you need to have with her,” I said and nodded. “Good thinking, Dad.”
He beamed with pride in himself.
“It’s quiet now, so let’s grab some peach iced tea and I’ll help you pick out the plants.”
“Perfect,” my dad said, looking relieved. “I knew I could count on you.”
“Always,” I assured him.
We filled two plastic cups from the drink bar and carried them over to a bench tucked beneath the shaded trellis where ferns, hostas, and a few late-season impatiens thrived out of direct sun.
Dad lowered himself onto the bench with a tired exhale.
“So,” I said lightly. “Todd Smith.”
“You just can’t help yourself.”
“And whose fault is that? Watching endless mystery shows with your daughter and teaching her how to solve a crime, and discussing cases with her when she got older. You can’t just cut her off cold turkey.”
He concentrated on taking a long sip, avoiding the obvious—I was right—before answering.
“Todd Smith wasn’t particularly helpful.”
“Meaning?”
“Meaning he really did hire on at the last minute,” Dad said. “He didn’t know much about the other guy who carried out the heist with him. Claims he never even knew real names.”
I leaned back against the bench. “You believe him?”
Dad nodded slowly. “I got the impression he was kept in the dark. Used for the job and nothing more.”
“Expendable,” I said, confirming it to myself.
“That’s one way to put it.” He took another sip of tea before he continued. “Whoever planned this, they compartmentalized. Todd knew only what he needed to know to get through that one job.”
“And that’s dangerous,” I said. “It means the real players are still out there.”
“Which is why,” he said firmly, “you are staying out of it.” He stood, his way of saying the conversation was finished. “Now help me with those plants.”
I didn’t argue. I had learned what I needed to. “This way.”
