Chapter Three
Joshua answered his phone on the third ring. “What’s up?”
“If you’re going near Walmart, can you pick up some groceries if I text you a list?”
“Naomi. I thought you shopped yesterday.”
“I did! But Micah says he wants to make coconut chicken for dinner, and he needs ground almonds, flaked almonds and coconut milk. Oh, and jasmine rice if you can find some. And—”
“Send me the list,” Joshua said with a sigh. “I’ve just finished up at the Office Depot, so I’m right by Walmart.”
“You’re a star, Dad. And you know how much you love Micah’s coconut chicken.”
“Yeah, yeah, just send me the list.” He disconnected the call and pocketed his phone.
Now that he thought about it, Walmart wasn’t that far from the Main Bagel Company, and he figured he deserved a coffee and a bagel if he was going to run errands.
Not that the kids knew about his liking for a well-filled bagel.
They don’t need to everything, right?
By the time he’d paid for his groceries at Walmart and was headed out the door, he was more than ready to eat something.
He’d spent all morning in his office, working on his latest software, and lunch had sort of…
missed him. It was only as he was walking toward his truck that he realized he knew the guy parked next to him, who was shutting his trunk.
“Mr. Rycliffe?”
The attorney straightened, turned, and smiled. “It’s Mr. Trant, isn’t it? Only, I thought we’d gotten to the Alex and Joshua stage.” He held out his hand. “Hello again.”
Joshua shook it. “Yeah, we had, but I figured I’d be polite.” He placed the bag of groceries inside the cab. “The kids wanted some last-minute stuff for dinner this evening, and I happened to be in the right place at the right time.”
Alex chuckled. “Or is that the wrong place at the wrong time? “
He gave a shrug. “I don’t mind so much. Besides, it gives me an excuse to grab a coffee break and a bite to eat.”
“Now there’s a coincidence. I was just on my way to do that very thing. I’m done for the day, and I was going to grab a bagel and a hot drink.” He shivered in the brisk wind. “I need one on a day like today.”
Joshua got that part. It had to be around forty degrees, and the chill breeze brought the promise of lower temperatures. Then Alex’s words registered. “A bagel, you said? I was about to head over to the Main Bagel Company.”
Alex beamed. “My favorite coffee shop. Want some company?”
“Sure.” Joshua didn’t mind that in the slightest. After a morning of staring at the monitor, he could do with some adult conversation. He smiled at the thought.
“Something amusing just cross your mind?” Alex asked.
Joshua laughed. “I was just thinking how long it’s been since I talked with an adult. Then I realized my kids are adults too, so maybe that wasn’t exactly what I meant.”
“Maybe you like the idea of having a conversation with someone nearer your own age,” Alex suggested.
Joshua nodded slowly. “That’s it.” Just then the wind picked up, and he pulled his jacket tight around him. “How about we head over for that coffee and bagel? I’ll meet you there.”
“Sounds good to me.” Alex got into his car and Joshua climbed behind the wheel of his truck.
He pulled out of the parking lot, and turned onto South Douglas Highway.
It wasn’t far to drive to the lot in front of the coffee shop, and by the time he was in its warm interior, the air filled with mouthwatering aromas, Alex had joined him.
They found an empty table and sat down. It wasn’t long before they’d ordered, and Joshua leaned back against the wooden chair, relaxed.
“This is where I escape to when I need to get out of the house,” he explained. “Not that Micah and Greg are a pain, you understand. Far from it. Most of the time, Micah’s in his studio, and Greg is on his laptop.”
“Studio?” Alex unfastened his suit jacket, removed it, and hung it over the back of his chair. He loosened his dark blue tie and undid the top button of his white shirt. “Sorry. I needed to do that. My work day has ended, after all.”
Joshua gestured to his hoodie, sweater and jeans. “And this is what I work in.” He grinned. “Gotta love working from home, right? And yeah, Micah’s an artist. He’s gonna have his first show next month, here in Gillette.”
“That’s wonderful!” Alex exclaimed. “What kind of painting does he do?”
“Mostly realism, but he’s done a few impressionist pieces too.
He’s always coming up with new ideas for canvases.
” Joshua was so proud of him. Micah had put together around eighty canvases for the show, and Greg had made fliers for the event which he’d placed in every business and store in Gillette that would take them.
“I might have to stop by and take a look. I’m always on the lookout for a new painting for the house, and a local artist’s work is even more appealing.”
Joshua had an idea. “The opening night, there are gonna be canapés and drinks, and it’ll only be for specially invited guests. Micah’s got a few art dealers coming, and we’re hoping it’ll open doors for him.” He peered at Alex. “Would you like to come along? We’d love to have you join us.”
“Are you sure?” Alex frowned. “I mean, it’s obviously an important night. I don’t mind coming along with all the other members of the public.”
“Nah, I’d like you to be there.” Just then, their coffees arrived, and Joshua dumped the contents of a sachet of sugar into the dark aromatic brew.
“To be honest? It’s gonna be full of people I don’t even know.
I’m gonna be there to support him, but it would be nice to have another friendly face there. ”
“I think I can do a friendly face,” Alex said with a smile. He sipped his coffee. “Oh. That’s what I’m talking about. Pure nectar.” He put down his mug. “So you work from home? What do you do, if you don’t mind my asking?”
“I develop software. I’ve been doing it for a while.”
“Forgive me, but going by what you said earlier… you don’t have a partner at home?”
Joshua shook his head. “My wife died just over two years ago. It’s just me and the kids.”
“I’m sorry. I had no idea.” Alex sighed. “All I get to see is the details of the case, and the basic information about the people involved.” He took another sip of coffee. “Micah and Greg… how long have they been together?”
“They met the night Micah found him in the snow, all beaten up.”
Alex’s eyes widened. “That was Micah? And they ended up together? How amazing.”
Joshua laughed. “If you think that’s amazing…. One day I’ll tell you how Greg ended up in Wyoming in the first place. That really will blow your mind.” He drank half his coffee and let out a happy sigh.
“I know that feeling.” Alex smiled as their server placed two plates on the table. “Yours is the cream cheese and smoked salmon, I believe. Mine is the roast beef with horseradish.”
For the next few minutes, not much conversation passed between them as they ate.
Joshua cut his bagel into four equal pieces and ate each mouthful with a great deal of pleasure.
When he was done, he wiped his mouth with the napkin and let out a happy sigh.
“Why can I never put together a bagel that tastes like that?”
“Food made by someone else always tastes better. At least, that’s my theory.” Alex finished his last piece of bagel. “Delicious.”
“How long have you been the prosecuting attorney for Campbell County?”
Alex folded his paper napkin and placed it on his plate.
“Just over four years. I’ve always practiced in Wyoming, but I moved to Gillette at the end of 2013.
I got reelected last year, so I guess I’m doing an okay job.
” His eyes twinkled. “At least, that’s what they tell me.
My read on it? No one else wants to do the damn job.
I got ten deputy county attorneys, so it’s not just me, thank God, but yeah, I have a wide range of duties. ”
“Do you enjoy it?”
Alex nodded. “Nothing beats that feeling you get when a jury returns a guilty verdict, and another bad guy—or girl—goes down. Because by the time I get in front of that jury? I’ve seen the evidence, I know the police had done their job, and that means it’s down to me to prove the perpetrators’ guilt.
” He studied his plate for a moment. “And just so we’re clear?
I think the guys who did that to Greg are nothing but scum. ”
“I hope Greg can persuade a couple of those witnesses to come forward.” It was all Joshua had thought about since the meeting with Alex four days ago.
“Me too. If we can prove to the grand jury that Greg is not their only victim, we’ve got a much stronger case. I don’t want to have to subpoena these guys. I’d rather they came forward on their own volition.”
Joshua’s phone pinged, and he pulled it from his pocket, smiling when he saw the screen. “My daughter. She wants to know where I am.” He rolled his eyes. “What she actually wrote is ‘are you going through Walmart aisle by aisle?’ Kids.”
“How old is she?”
“Twenty. Pre-med, majoring in Snark.”
Alex guffawed. “Sounds like you have your hands full there. An artist, a snarky young adult… I imagine life is never boring.”
Joshua couldn’t hold back the sigh that rolled out of him. “Just lately, I’ve been thinking about the future. Every parent knows the day will come when their kids leave the nest, right?”
“I suppose. Not that I can speak from experience, having no children myself.” He cocked his head to one side. “I take it you’re not looking forward to having the place to yourself?”
“I’ve never lived alone. And I can’t help feeling life might get a little… lonely.” His chest tightened at the thought. Then he became aware of Alex’s keen observation. Those blue eyes were focused on him once more.
“Rather than see it as an end to your way of life, see it instead as a beginning. A chance to take new roads, seek out new adventures. And no one says you have to be alone. There are lots of new friends just waiting to meet you.”
Joshua chuckled. “The only people I meet are on the other end of a phone line or in a chat.”
Alex bit his lip. “And I can hardly preach on this subject. My life revolves around that office. All my conversations are with coworkers, and always about work. This is the first time I’ve sat down and talked about something other than my workload, investigations…
.” He beamed. “There you go. You’ve already made a new friend. Me.”
Joshua had to admit he liked that idea. “I guess you’re right.”
“And you know what? We should do this again.”
He laughed. “Go for coffee and a bagel?”
“Not necessarily. But yeah, take a break from our lives. Meet up, go places. We’re going to meet at Micah’s showing, aren’t we? Well, that’s just the start.”
It was then that Joshua realized. Alex is lonely too. No kids. No mention of a wife either. Sounds like we’d be doing each other a favor. The thought made him feel a whole lot better about the situation, like he was less of a pity case.
“I like the sound of that.”
Alex’s face lit up. “Great. And I’m going to impose one rule—neither of us brings our work with us.”
Joshua snorted. “Trust me, if I started talking about my work? You’d be asleep in seconds.” His phone gave another ping, and he sighed. “And speaking of our lives…. I’d better go.” He pulled his wallet from the back pocket of his jeans, but Alex stopped him, holding up his hand.
“This is on me. You get to pay for the next one.”
“You’re on.” Joshua got to his feet. He scrolled through his phone to Contacts. “Add yourself—friend.”
Alex laughed quietly. “With pleasure.” His thumbs slid over the keys so fast that Joshua snickered.
“You’re better at that than I am. I still use my index fingers.”
Alex handed him his phone. “Send me a text before you forget. And I’ll need details for Micah’s show.”
Joshua chuckled. “Just walk into any store in Gillette, and you’ll probably see one of Greg’s fliers for it. But I’ll send them anyway.” He held out his hand and Alex took it. “I really enjoyed this.”
“Me too,” Alex replied quietly. “I think we’ll be good for each other. You get a friend who isn’t in his twenties, and I get a friend who won’t talk about the law, or cases, or the police, or—”
Joshua laughed out loud. “I think we both win.” Alex deposited a couple of bills on the table, and they walked out of the coffee shop. They said goodbye and got into their respective vehicles.
As Joshua pulled onto the highway, he realized he was still smiling.