by Cindy Bell
“That’s your choice.” Luke gazed into his eyes. “But the sooner you tell me everything, the sooner we can get to the bottom of this and find out the truth, the better it’s going to be for you, Jeff.” He nodded to Charlotte. “Good night.” He stepped out through the door without looking directly at her.
Charlotte pushed the door shut and turned the lock.
“I’m so sorry, Jeff, he shouldn’t have spoken to you like that.” Charlotte frowned as she turned back to face him.
“I can’t believe this.” Jeff stumbled back towards the couch. “I killed him, Charlotte. I killed Martin!”
“Don’t say that, Jeff!” She sank down on the couch beside him. “That’s not what happened.” She took his hands in hers. “You said, you would have noticed if the knife was real. You believe that, don’t you?”
“It would have been heavier, right?” Jeff looked up at her. “It felt light. It couldn’t have been real. At least I think it felt light.” He squeezed his eyes shut then took a sharp breath. “What if I handed Henry the murder weapon, Charlotte? What if it’s my fault that Henry killed Martin?”
“It’s not.” Charlotte squeezed his hands and looked into his eyes. “It’s not your fault. Even if you did hand him the real knife, it still wouldn’t be your fault. But I believe you. I believe that you handed him the replica. Do you know what that means?”
“What?” He frowned.
“That between the moment you gave Henry the replica knife, and the moment that Martin was killed, the knife was switched.” Charlotte narrowed her eyes. “It means we’re one step closer to finding out who did this.”
“I hope so.” Jeff pulled his hands from hers, and stood up from the couch. “Because right now, it sure seems to me that Luke has his suspicions focused on me.” He shook his head. “I need to be alone, Charlotte. I’ll check in with you in the morning.”
“Jeff, stay.” She followed him to the door. “You don’t have to deal with this by yourself.” She reached for his hand.
“I’m sorry, Charlotte.” He met her eyes, then looked away. “But I need to.”
As he left the apartment Charlotte’s heart lurched. Was he right about being Luke’s top suspect?
* * *
As Ally walked across the parking lot to her car, she wished that Luke could come home with her, that they could comfort each other after such a tragic evening. But she knew that his mind was on the investigation, and that was exactly where it needed to be. As she recalled the way he jumped up and bolted for the stage, she was amazed by his instincts. He knew something was wrong before anyone else did. She certainly hadn’t suspected anything.
As Ally drove back through Blue River towards the cottage, she noticed groups of people at the ends of their driveways, gathered in the parking lots of shops. They had a lot to talk about. But no one knew the answer, did they? Was this an accident? Was it deliberate? Most, she guessed, were assuming that Henry had killed Martin. She couldn’t blame them for that. It was what they all witnessed, on stage, under bright lights. How could anything else be true?
Ally pulled into the driveway of the cottage and released a sigh of relief. No matter how chaotic things became outside, there was always a sense of peace she could look forward to when she stepped through that door. It didn’t sound very peaceful when she walked up to the door and slid the key into the lock. Instead she heard snorting, scratching, and meowing. She smiled to herself at the sounds. Despite the gloom of the evening, the two animals could brighten her mood in an instant.
“Hi, little ones.” Ally closed the door behind her, then crouched down to greet the pot-bellied pig and cat. “It’s so good to see you.” She laughed as Arnold nuzzled her cheek with his snout. “I missed you, too.”
Ally sighed as she stood up. “Let’s all snuggle on the couch. I could use a good talk, Peaches.” The orange cat wound through her legs and purred. She scooped the cat up into her arms and settled on the couch. Whenever she had anything on her mind, she talked with Peaches about it. Although the cat couldn’t answer in words, she always managed to help Ally figure things out. Her instincts about people were quite accurate, and Ally relied on the cat’s opinion on more than one occasion to determine whether to trust a person or not. Arnold climbed up onto the couch as well and sprawled out beside her. She patted the top of his head as Peaches kneaded Ally’s legs until she found just the right spot to curl up.
“Oh, Peaches what a day.” Ally closed her eyes as she stroked her hand through the cat’s soft fur. Immediately, she began to relax. “I have no idea what to think. Is it as simple as it seems? Did Henry plan to kill Martin, on stage, in front of a huge audience? Or was it really some kind of terrible accident?” She ran her palm across the top of the cat’s head.
Peaches gave a low purr, and nuzzled her hand.
“I know, either way it’s a terrible thing.” Ally frowned. The excitement throughout Blue River had been fun to experience, but what was supposed to be a wonderful experience for the whole town, had turned into a tragedy. As she continued to share her thoughts with Peaches, exhaustion hit her. She found it difficult to keep her eyes open. She shifted on the couch to rest her head on the arm of it, and gave in to the need to rest.
Ally had no idea how much time had passed when a knock on the door drew her out of her drowsy state. She blinked, then rubbed her eyes. Was it really a knock or just something hitting the side of the cottage? A second, firmer set of knocks, stirred her completely from her dazed state. She glanced at the clock on the way to the door and found it was still fairly early, only ten. She’d fallen asleep to Peaches’ soothing purr. When she reached the door, she peered through the opaque window. She’d recognize that blur anywhere. She opened the door with a smile.
“Luke, I didn’t know you were coming by.”
“I hope you don’t mind.” His eyes crinkled at the corners as he looked at her. “I’m sorry for waking you. I was going to let myself in, but I didn’t want to scare you.”
“Oh no, I wasn’t sleeping.” She waved her hand.
“No?” Luke grinned as he stepped inside.
“What, what is it?” She wiped at her cheek and chin. Had she drooled?
“Your hair.” Luke reached up and combed his fingers through her hair. “There you go.”
“Thanks.” Ally’s cheeks warmed in reaction to his touch. “How are you? How is the investigation going?”
“That’s why I’m here, actually.” Luke walked over to the couch, then paused. “Hm, not sure if we’ll all fit.” He glanced at her with a smile, then looked back at the slumbering pig and cat on the couch. Arnold lifted his head and snorted, then put it back down on the couch.
“I’ll get them down.” Ally reached for Peaches.
“No, don’t.” Luke caught her hand before she could disturb them. “I can’t stay long.” He kept her hand in his as she turned to look at him. “There’s something I need to tell you, Ally.”
“Okay. What is it?” Ally’s heartbeat quickened as she read the concern in Luke’s expression.
“Have you talked to your grandmother this evening?” Luke’s eyes narrowed some.
“No. Not since I got home. Why?” Ally stared at him. “Is something wrong?”
“I just want you to know, that I’m only doing my job.” He frowned.
“Of course, I know that, Luke. I wouldn’t expect anything else. Now, what’s going on?” Ally took his free hand as well.
“So far my investigation has uncovered two things. I don’t think this was an accident. And Jeff handed Henry the knife that killed Martin.” Luke’s hands tightened on hers as he spoke. “I had to speak with Jeff tonight about it.”
“Jeff?” Ally laughed as she shook her head. “That’s nonsense.”
“Maybe.” Luke licked his lips. “But it doesn’t look like nonsense right now. I have to follow the evidence.”
“What are you saying, Luke?” Ally searched his eyes. “Do you think Jeff really had something to do wi
th Martin’s death?”
“Right now, all I know for certain, is that Martin was murdered. No one saw who gave the knife to Jeff. I spoke to everyone involved with the props, and they all said that the real knife shouldn’t have been in the props room. The real knife was in the lockbox. Someone had to deliberately get it out of the box. So either, someone switched it intentionally, and it got into Jeff’s hands, and eventually Henry’s hands, or somehow Henry switched the knives himself. Or.” He looked straight into her eyes. “Jeff made sure that Henry got the real knife, either because they hatched a plan to kill Martin together, or Jeff wanted to set Henry up for the crime.”
“Do you hear yourself?” Ally pulled her hands free of his. “We’re talking about Jeff.”
“I know who we’re talking about.” Luke took a slow breath and ran his hands along his thighs.
Ally recognized the motion as his attempt to stay calm. She’d seen it many times before. It was usually a sign for her to encourage him to be calm. But at the moment, she didn’t care if he was calm.
“Then you should know he had nothing to do with this! Luke!” Ally glared at him. “You know that, don’t you?”
“I certainly don’t.” Luke narrowed his eyes. “I can’t make assumptions based on personal bias. My job is to get the facts, the evidence, and find the truth. Not to be blinded by a personal relationship.”
“Luke, this is crazy.”
“I wanted to tell you myself, Ally. I should go now, I have a lot to do.” Luke reached for the door.
“Wait.” Ally caught his hand and turned him back towards her. “I know you’re just doing your job, you’ll find the truth.” She looked into his eyes as he gazed back at her.
“Thank you, Ally.” Luke leaned close for a kiss.
Ally met his lips with her own, but as he pulled away to leave, she had to bite back her opinion of his investigation. How could Jeff be a suspect?
Chapter 7
Ally stirred melting chocolate and butter in the double-boiler and tried to get thoughts of the previous night out of her mind. She fluctuated from worrying about her grandmother and Jeff, to being angry at Luke, to being angry at herself for being angry at Luke. The entire experience left her confused. But the swirl of chocolate in the pot reminded her that things would soon be sweet again. They always were. When she heard the bell over the door, she set the spoon on the rest beside the pot and headed out into the front of the shop to greet her grandmother. She knew it would be her as she was the only other person with a key.
“Ally, I thought I was getting here early.” Charlotte laughed as she locked the door behind her. “Imagine my surprise when I saw the lights on in here.”
“I tried to sleep, I really did.” Ally shook her head, then wrapped her arms around her grandmother. “But then I thought why am I wasting time staring at the ceiling? I could be making chocolate.”
“Ah, I love that mind of yours.” Charlotte sniffed the air. “Hard at work, I smell. That smells so good.”
“Yes. I made Devil’s Food Cake, two are ready and two are still in the oven. I wanted to try out the new recipe again and I need some comfort food. I am just making the frosting.” Ally headed back to the kitchen to stir the chocolate mixture. She felt her grandmother’s presence right behind her. She also sensed the tension that flowed between them. “Mee-Maw, Luke came to see me last night.”
“Did he?” Charlotte washed her hands in the sink, not far from Ally.
“He told me about Jeff.” Ally met her grandmother’s eyes. “I’m so sorry, Mee-Maw. I know that he had nothing to do with this. I told Luke that.”
“That’s good.” Charlotte frowned as she dried her hands. “Luke has his job to do, Ally. But it isn’t easy to see him suspect someone that I care about, that I’m certain could never do something so terrible.”
“I know it isn’t.” Ally took the melted chocolate and butter off the heat and left it to cool slightly. “Which means we need to do our best to get to the bottom of this. Luke says he follows the facts and the evidence, so all we need to do is get some of those facts and evidence that prove that Jeff was not involved.”
“That might be hard to do. He’s not exactly speaking to me.” Charlotte sighed. “After Luke left the apartment last night, Jeff did, too, and I haven’t heard from him since.”
“It’s still early.” Ally measured out the confectioners’ sugar. “Maybe he’s just not up yet?”
“Maybe. But the way he looked at me.” Charlotte winced as the timer beeped. She turned it off, opened the oven door and placed a skewer in the center of a cake to see if it was cooked.
“Mee-Maw, he has no reason to be upset with you.” Ally frowned.
“I don’t think he is. I think he’s upset with himself. I’m just not sure why. He just shut down on me completely, Ally. And, I have to admit, it’s bothering me.” Charlotte closed the oven door, set the timer for a few minutes, then turned back to her granddaughter. “I didn’t think it would, but it is.”
“I can only imagine how shocked and upset he must be. It’s one thing to have accidentally handed Henry the knife that killed Martin, but then to be treated as a suspect.” Ally shook her head. “I’m so sorry, Mee-Maw.”
“You have nothing to be sorry for. And, neither does Luke.” Charlotte took a deep breath. “In fact, I probably owe him an apology for the way I spoke to him last night. He is not facing an easy task, and my reaction probably made it even more difficult. But Jeff insists that the knife he gave Henry was the replica, and I believe him.”
“Then maybe that’s the place to start.” Ally poured the chocolate mixture into the bowl for the mixer. “Maybe we start with Abraham, the man who provided the knife in the first place. He might have some answers. I’m going to go check out his shop. I’ve never gone inside.”
“I have often been in his shop before, when it was in Freely. He has some beautiful pieces, but he’s not very organized.” Charlotte sighed. “I wish all of this could turn out to be just an accident.”
“According to Luke, it wasn’t an accident. He said there was no way the two knives could have been mixed up. But I still think it’s possible.” Ally set the pot in the sink. “If you can frost these cakes, I’ll head over to Abraham’s shop now.”
“Do you think he’ll even open up this morning?” Charlotte checked the cakes again as the timer beeped.
“I’m not sure, but if not, the break will do me good. We’re not supposed to open today, anyway.” Ally pulled off her apron. The shop was closed for the day. They were only there to catch up on baking and preparing chocolates.
“If you don’t mind, I think I’ll open up for a few hours today. I’m sure we’ll get some customers, and with customers comes gossip. Maybe Mrs. Bing, Mrs. White, and Mrs. Cale will come visit if they walk past on the way to the diner.” Charlotte frowned. “I never even had a chance to check on any of them. I hope they are handling this okay.”
“You’re right, opening today is a good idea. I’ll be back to help soon.” Ally gave her grandmother a quick wave, then stepped out of the shop. As she took a breath of the early morning air, she heard what sounded like an argument. Her attention shifted to the sidewalk across from the shop. There, stood two women. One she recognized as Jill, and after a moment, she recognized the other as Leanne.
“I know you were jealous,” Jill snapped. “But you took things way too far.”
“You’re nuts. I didn’t do anything! You don’t get to murder a man just because he breaks up with you, Jill.” Leanne shook her head as she backed away from Jill. “That’s right. He told me the two of you were over when he came to me before the play. Did you know that? Is that why you killed him?”
“I had nothing to do with it and you know it.” Jill growled. “Don’t you dare try to pin this on me.”
“I guess we’ll just have to let the police figure it out, won’t we?” Leanne stalked off down the street.
“Jill!” Ally called out to her and started t
o cross the street.
Jill took one look in Ally’s direction, then bolted off down a side street. Ally decided not to chase after her. It was clear that her old friend didn’t want to talk to her. Leanne and Jill had both accused each other of murder. Could one of them really be the culprit? She continued down the sidewalk towards Abraham’s antiques shop. From a distance, she could see his open sign lit up. It seemed to her that maybe he hadn’t been able to sleep the night before either.
* * *
The front window of the antiques shop was cluttered with random pieces. Vases, dinner plates, a pile of golf clubs, and a few old toys lined the shelves. As Ally stepped inside, she was greeted by a scent that she couldn’t quite place. Dust, and copper? Her gaze swept over various items as she made her way through the shop. A soft cough drew her attention to the counter in the back of the shop, where Abraham stood. He looked younger than she expected, despite his stark white hair, and the wrinkles around his eyes.
“Hello, let me know if I can help you find something.” Abraham’s lips twitched as if he might smile, but instead, they only trembled.
Ally met his eyes as she walked towards him.
“I’m just taking a look around.”
“Come to gawk at the murderer?” Abraham looked down at his hands, which were pressed firmly against the top of the counter.
Ally’s heart skipped a beat. She didn’t expect him to be so open about his involvement in Martin’s death.
“What do you mean?” She paused in front of the counter as she assessed his expression. If she played ignorant, he might tell her more than he intended to in the first place.
“Don’t pretend as if you don’t know. The whole town was there last night.” Abraham stared back at her, his pale blue eyes hard as they locked to hers. “I know you were there, I know you heard about what happened.”
