Chapter 8
A few hours later, I found myself walking up the steps of Eleanor's porch. I stooped down and picked up a newspaper. The Carmel Pine Cone. Perfect. I looked at the drive way and saw Margarita sitting there, making me laugh. I walked into Eleanor's house, as was my custom. Eleanor loved me like the granddaughter she never had due to the fact that she never married. I walked in and was instantly blasted with a burst of cold air. It felt like heaven.
"Eleanor?" I hollered out. "It's Suze!"
"Suze dear, we're in the kitchen!" I heard her holler back. I walked into the kitchen, which was very 70's retro. The walls where sunshine yellow and the table and chairs was made out of plastic.
Jesse was leaning against the counter eating one of Eleanor's famous chocolate chip cookies, wearing a pair of jeans and a red t-shirt. Even though it's been awhile since he's been alive, it was still weird for me to see him in modern clothes rather then what he wore when he was a ghost.
"Hey querida." He said when he saw me and preceded to hand me a cookie.
"Gracias." I replied and took a bite of it. That was about the extent of my Spanish knowledge despite the fact Jesse tries to teach me.
"De nada." He replied.
"How's the cookie Susannah?" Eleanor asked. She was standing in front of the sink washing the dishpan. She dried it and wiped her hands on her apron.
"Yummy, as usual."
"Oh did you bring in the paper?" She asked noticing it under my arm.
"Yes I did. I was wondering if I could read it?"
"Of course dear. I don't have time to read it now anyway. I'm off to bingo, and then I'm going to a movie. I don't remember the last time I've been to a movie." She took off her apron and hung it up on a hook. "You two stay out of trouble."
Eleanor left the two of us alone in the kitchen. We both stood their happily eating our cookies as we listened to her gather up her purse and holler a goodbye.
Jesse came up to me and gave me a kiss on my forehead.
"What was that for?" I asked picking up another cookie. I was starving.
"Just because. Now, why are you here so early in the day? I thought you'd be at work with your mother." He said.
I stuffed the cookie into my mouth and unrolled the paper. Sure enough on the front page was "Carmel's News Anchor Poisoned: Accidental or Murder?" I winced; I guess my mom would know about him being murdered now, and skipped down the article to see who wrote it.
"Well, I asked for the day off so I could follow Jake and I found myself in a messy situation." I replied.
I hadn't looked up from the paper as I said this, but I knew he was frowning at me. Like any over protective boyfriend, he hates it when I get into trouble.
Finally I found out whom it was written by. At the end of the article it said, by, Anna Hallowell. CeeCee's editor.
"What happened?" He asked his voice full of concern.
I put the paper down, looked at his gorgeous face and told him about these mornings events.
When I was through he muttered, "Nombre de dios. Now where is Paul?"
"Keeping an eye on Larry."
After we abruptly left a very confused London and Larry, Paul and I ended up in the Rambler talking. I guess now Paul was in on investigating the murder as well. He had asked me what our next move was, and I told him that he needed to keep Larry from ending up dead. After whining about why I couldn't do it, and this and that, he reluctantly agreed. So, I drove him to his house (a mere two streets away) and he got into his convertible (his parents/grandfather are extremely wealthy) and went on babysitting duty. I drove from there to Eleanor's house hoping to catch Jesse.
"I bet he's enjoying that." Jesse replied.
I rolled my eyes and muttered a yeah.
"So what are you going to do now?" He asked as we walked from the kitchen into her living room. Her living room was a 70's retro style as well. The couch was a bright orange with lime green pillows. This was not really my style, but it suited Eleanor perfectly.
"I would really like to know how Anna found out Eric was poisoned. So I figured I'd go down to the Carmel Pine Cone. Would you like to join me?" I asked as we plopped down onto the couch.
"I would love to. But I can't…your stepfather called asking me if I wanted to help him out today with a construction job. He need's help dry walling." He replied as I snuggled up to him.
Sometimes it scares me when my boyfriend works with my stepfather. I'm constantly paranoid with what they talk about while they do their job. I hope it isn't me.
"Sounds good." I said and smelled his cologne. Yum.
"Well, I really better get going." He said looking at the clock on the coffee table. "I need to be there in an hour."
"Ok. I won't keep you any longer." I replied and kissed him on the lips.
A little bit before lunchtime, I found myself walking into the Carmel Pine Cone looking around for CeeCee. I spotted her sitting in her cubicle editing an article on her computer.
"CeeCee." I said and walked up to her desk. I sat down on the edge of the desk.
"Hey Simon." She smiled at me. "What's up?"
I smiled back at her and raised my eyebrows.
"Oh man…what do you need now?"
Cee knows me so well. I tend to raise my eyebrows when I want something.
"Ok. CeeCee I need to know who Anna was talking to when she found out Eric was poisoned. I figured you could lore her out of her office and let me sneak in and check her caller ID?"
She sighed.
"Simon…" She began. "Don't you think the police are investigating this? I mean, if it were murder they would be right? So what does it matter how Anna found out Eric was poisoned?" She asked.
"The police don't know everything I know…" I replied whispering to her.
"And what do you know?" She whispered back.
"I know London is probably having an affair with Larry. I know that Eric and Larry fought hours before Eric had a heart attack." I replied, still whispering.
CeeCee digested this information.
After a long pause she said, "Alright Simon. I'll help you. And after words, I'm going to do some investigating of my own."
I suppose it was time do to a little breaking and entering. I just hope this plan works.