Plotting for Murder (Cozy Mystery Bookshop Series Book 1)

by Tamra Baumann

  A bony finger points to a rolltop desk in the corner. “In one of the drawers on the top row. Never can remember which one.”

  “I’ll look for it.” Dylan grabs gloves from his back pocket and slips them on. The rolltop is lifted, exposing rows of little drawers for Dylan to search.

  Amid the banging of drawers opening and closing, the rescue team arrives, followed by the suits who took over Chad’s case. Cooper and I step out of the way as the paramedics help the Admiral. One of the suits points at me and says, “Take the dog and wait outside please, miss.”

  I want to tell the guy that the reason the Admiral is hurt is because of my mom’s note and that I feel obligated to stay and help, but the hardness in his glare warns me not to argue. Cooper and I go outside and sit on a bench on the front porch, watching people go in and out and waiting for Dylan to fill us in.

  Finally, the Admiral passes us on a gurney. He gives me a thumbs-up on his way to the ambulance. A few moments later, after all the officers are gone, Dylan locks the front door and then sits beside me. “They’re going to run some tests on the Admiral to be safe, but they think he’ll be fine.”

  The tension in my shoulders finally leaves. “I’m glad to hear it. My mom would’ve just been sick to know she caused anyone to be hurt. Especially the Admiral.”

  “Hopefully, he’ll feel well enough to meet us at the bank tomorrow morning. Never found the key, though. The intruder might’ve taken it.” Dylan stands and rests his hands on his utility belt. “Luckily, it takes a bank employee’s key along with the Admiral’s to open the box. Can I walk you to the store? I don’t want you to be alone until we catch whoever has done this.”

  “Okay.” I stand and say to Cooper, “I guess you don’t count. You’re no guard dog, but you’re always good for a cuddle.”

  Dylan reaches down and pats Cooper. His response is to roll on his back for a tummy rub. “He let you know someone was in your backyard last night, so that’s something.”

  “True.” We start walking toward my store as I run the events of the morning through my head. “I thought it was so weird that whoever broke in handed the Admiral a note until it dawned on me why. Because the Admiral probably knows whoever the intruder is, right? And might recognize a voice?”

  “That’d be my guess.” Dylan pulls a pair of sunglasses from his top pocket and slips them on. The morning fog is burning away, exposing what threatens to be a beautiful day.

  “Can the bank let the Admiral into his safety deposit box without a key?”

  “About that.” Dylan’s jaw tics. “The suits are going to file the paperwork for a search warrant. It’ll most likely get approved this afternoon or first thing in the morning. I’m sorry, Sawyer. It can’t be helped.”

  “I understand.” If they publicly expose what’s in the box, my uncle will surely hear about it. On the other hand, I don’t want anyone else to be hurt. Especially me. If I have to turn whatever we find over to the trust, so be it. I’m not here for the money anyway. And if I can keep the bookstore going with online sales, then maybe my restaurant plans will still work.

  Dylan says, “Maybe we’ll catch a break before it comes to that. You still up for book club tonight?”

  “Yes. I want this over with as soon as possible. And if it’ll help us catch the killer, I’m all in. As long as you and your gun are there, that is.”

  Dylan and Brittany are feverishly looking through book boxes in the back, and I’m at the front counter watching the store and studying the plans for my kitchen remodel. I’d grabbed them from home when I’d locked up after Ed finished with the camera install. Dylan thought the kitchen might have something to do with our mystery, but I don’t see anything unusual. Just a bunch of dimensions and lines that look just like the kitchen turned out. The appliance specs seem in order too. There might have been an opportunity to pad the bill there, but the appliances all match what’s in the kitchen now to a tee.

  Sighing, I roll up the plans and stuff them back into the tube—another dead end.

  Where could my mom have hidden something in the house where I haven’t looked? Maybe I’ll look in the garage again. And my mom’s car.

  The front door opens, and Madge jogs inside. Today’s bright blue sweater has an animal that looks like a beaver on her chest, but it’s probably supposed to be a cat.

  Out of breath, Madge lays a hand on the front counter for support. “Terrible what happened to the Admiral. But it looks like he’s going to be fine. He even wants to come to book club tonight if they release him soon enough.”

  “Then he must be feeling much better.” That’s a relief to hear.

  “Yeah. Here’s the really big news, though. The suits are searching Wade’s house right now. I overheard one of them say Wade was the only one who voluntarily agreed to a search. Julie and Crystal refused. What do you think that says about their guilt?”

  “Nothing good.” This news sends a jolt of adrenaline straight to my gut. “They’ve all had time to get rid of any incriminating evidence by now, though. Did the women say why they refused?”

  Madge leans closer. “Crystal told them her dad the lawyer advised against it. Seems that was what she was doing in San Diego. Getting legal advice. She passed the same advice on to Julie and Wade as well. The three of them were huddled up in Skippy’s last night. And get this. Wade was wearing a black team jacket that fits the Admiral’s intruder’s description, according to Skippy. I called him myself. When I told the suits, they jumped on it.”

  “Most everyone around here has the same fan gear. Dylan does too. It doesn’t make him guilty.” Or any of them for that matter.

  A memory of seeing Crystal in a similar jacket niggles my brain. She’s a jogger, and I’ve seen her running at the high school track. And the school is near the Admiral’s house. Maybe his home was a quick stop on her morning jog.

  Crystal is a big-boned woman. Tall, large chested, and could have been the one I saw running away from my house. Her red hair would be hard to miss, but not if it were tucked under a hood. Julie is small and slightly built. No way it was her. Wade is on the thin side, but it could’ve been him too. Or maybe the mystery customer.

  Madge crosses her yarn-covered arms. “Well, if they’re not guilty, why not let the authorities have a look inside their homes and cars? I might have a chat with Julie tonight at book club. Tell her how bad it’s making her look. I like her.”

  That’ll fit right into Dylan’s plan too. Besides watching their reactions when I tell them about the found paintings and the Twain book, Dylan hopes to see if anyone still wanders to the storage room anyway. We decided not to tell everyone about the new cameras here at the store. “Even though she’s not a member of the book club, do you think Crystal would come tonight too if you invited her?”

  She’s the one who interests me the most right now, and it’s her facial expressions I’d like Dylan to study.

  “Why? She’s not a reader, as far as I know.” Madge’s forehead crumples in confusion.

  Good question. Why would Crystal join us tonight? I don’t want to share my jogging theory just yet. I could be wrong about Crystal, and she already hates me. She used to make my life so miserable as a kid. I don’t need to falsely accuse her of anything and then have to endure her harassment. This town is too small. There’s nowhere to hide.

  I scramble for a coherent reason other than I think she’s guilty because she’s mean.

  A scene from a book I’ve been reading before bed—because Brittany shamed me into it after I revealed I hadn’t read a murder mystery in years—flashes in my mind. “You guys like to solve murders, right? So what if we go all Agatha Christie and reenact the crime scene tonight? Everyone will do exactly what they did the night Chad died. You can tell Crystal we’ll need her help to do that. And I’ll ask Brittany to stay for a few extra minutes too. Maybe by going through what we know, we can figure out how Chad got poisoned.”

  “That sounds amazing!” Madge’s eyes go round as sau
cers. “I’m on it. See you later.” Madge heads for the door, squeeing with pleasure.

  I probably should have cleared that with Dylan first, but I’m sure he’ll be okay with it. And what I’m going to do before book club is see if I can take a look at the high school’s camera footage. Maybe I can find images of Crystal running the track to see if she might be the one who was in my backyard and who hit the Admiral over the head. Dylan can’t ask for the footage without involving the San Francisco police and their rules, but I can.

  I don’t know where I’ve left my cell, so I pick up the store’s landline and call Gage. Maybe his aunt Betty could help me see the school’s recordings. These days, all schools have cameras everywhere. Hopefully, they have one that covers the track. Who knows? We might get lucky, and Crystal will be wearing the same outfit. I’d love to help lock whoever did this away so we can all rest easy at night again.

  As Gage’s phone rings in my ear, the front door opens again, and my heart nearly stops. Michael Jones, the mystery customer, is walking straight toward me. It’s him for sure. His head tilts in that particular way that made him stand out to me in the first place.

  And he looks mad enough to hurt me.

  Chapter 14

  As a scowling Michael Jones, aka the mystery customer, storms toward me at the bookstore, my heart pounds so hard, it’s difficult to draw a deep breath. Gage’s voice mail echoes in my ear, so I hang up the store’s phone—in case I need to dial 9-1-1. Dylan is in the back. If I knew where my cell was, I could’ve texted him. Shouting out might let the guy get away.

  There’s a pair of scissors on a shelf below the phone, so I wrap my hand around them. “Hi. Can I help you?” my voice barely squeaks out. Dylan said to act normally.

  This is as normal as I can get with a potential murderer two feet in front of me.

  He places both hands on the counter and says, “I’m looking for someone.”

  “Who?” My hand is sweating on the scissors, but I grip them even tighter.

  “The sheriff. I got a message that he was looking for me. Someone told me he’s here. Is he?”

  Relief whooshes through me. Michael hasn’t come to kill me. Not at the moment, anyway. “Yes. He’s in the back. I’ll go get him.”

  Doing a sideways shuffle around the counter and trying to keep my pace in check, I head for the storage room. As soon as I cross the threshold, I run. “Dylan!”

  Dylan looks up from the boxes of books he and Brittany are rifling through. “What’s wrong?”

  “He’s here.” I cock my thumb over my shoulder. “Mystery customer. Michael. Said he got a message. He wants to talk to you. He seems agitated.”

  “He must’ve finally checked in with his work. Thanks.” Dylan takes off at a jog, and Brittany, Cooper, and I follow behind. I’m braver now that a man with a gun is leading the way.

  Dylan stops and holds up a hand. “Wait back here. I need you to call Madge and tell her what’s going on.”

  “I can’t find my phone.”

  Brittany whips hers out. “On it.”

  Dylan nods and then heads through the door to the showroom.

  I plaster my ear to the door to listen while Brittany talks to Madge. Michael is telling Dylan he’s pressed for time and to please tell him what this is about.

  Brittany presses her ear on the door too. She whispers, “Madge said two men are on their way.”

  We both strain to listen but can’t quite make out what they’re saying. They must’ve moved closer to the front door—something about Michael’s mother and an operation.

  Cooper flops on my feet and is making chewing noises. I haven’t given him a rawhide, so I crouch to take whatever he’s stolen from the wastebaskets again. “Cooper! No!” It’s my phone he’s chewing on. It must’ve fallen to the floor, fair game as far as my dog is concerned.

  I hit the app to connect to my cameras so we can see and hear what’s going on out front. Dylan is taking notes when the two suits come through the front door and take Michael away to be questioned.

  Brittany, Cooper, and I hurry to the front to join Dylan. “So? What do you think?”

  Dylan slaps his notebook closed. “He says he just stopped in for a book on the way to his mother’s house down south for her to read while recovering from her surgery scheduled for last Friday. He knew who her favorite author is, but then wasn’t sure she hadn’t already read it, so he left without buying the book. Said he was running into the city today to take care of something at the office, and then he had to get right back to his mom.”

  Sounds reasonable enough. “So now what?”

  Dylan tucks his pad into his top pocket. “They’ll run him and check out his story. Then we’ll see. What research I’ve already done on him doesn’t show any connection to Chad. Or gardens and DDT.”

  Brittany asks, “Did he hear what Chad and Crystal were arguing about?”

  Dylan nods. “It jibes with what Crystal told me. I have to go to my office for a few minutes. I’ll be back as soon as I can.” Dylan’s eyes zero in on mine. “Keep your phones on you at all times, please.”

  I lift mine so he sees I’ve found it. “Will do. See you later.” That reminds me. I need to call Gage again to see if his Aunt Betty can look through her school surveillance files. Maybe we’ll get lucky and find that Crystal went for a jog today. Better yet, I’ll send Gage a text and explain what I’m hoping to do.

  After I slip my phone into my pocket, Brittany blows out a long breath and says, “And then there were three.”

  “It’s looking that way. When Dylan gets back, I’m going to run to the grocery store for book club.” And hopefully, Gage and Betty will get back to me by then. “Any requests for snacks tonight?”

  Before Brittany answers, the door opens again. It’s Renee. Even better, she’s brought ice cream from her shop.

  She smiles at Cooper, who has run to greet her. “Hey there, Cooper. We haven’t actually met yet.” She gives Coop a rub all over.

  I ask, “Heard from either of your weekend dates?”

  Renee smiles. “Both of them. I’m surprised you’d even feel the need to ask.”

  True. Renee explains to guys she doesn’t want commitment, and it has the opposite effect. They take it as a challenge and sometimes get a little clingy. Why this works is a mystery to me.

  When Renee’s had enough doggie love, she hands over a bag with two mint chocolate chip sundaes inside. Then she leans her elbows on the counter and lays her chin in her hand. “What’s new, ladies?”

  Brittany’s face lights up. “Ice cream for lunch? So much better than turkey sandwiches! Thanks, Renee.” Brittany and I both dig in.

  “Welcome. Where are we in Chad’s investigation? Who are the remaining suspects?”

  Brittany and I practically inhale the minty chocolate and whipped cream. I finally say, “As far as we can tell, Wade, Julie, and Crystal are the three suspects left. Or a combination of them.”

  Renee frowns. “Crystal is the obvious choice. She has a wicked temper, but Julie has been acting distant. We’re friends, but I didn’t know she’d been dating Chad until you told me the other day in my shop, Sawyer. If I had, it’d make me wonder why she and Wade have been running together all of a sudden. That girl doesn’t like to sweat, but I saw them almost every morning before I left for my convention last week.”

  This makes my antennae tingle. “At the high school?”

  Renee shakes her head. “The trails in the woods. North of town. I don’t like the track. It’s boring. I mostly saw them in or around Wade’s truck, but I did see them actually running a few times. If you can call what Julie was doing running. It was more like a fast walk.”

  Brittany licks the last of the chocolate syrup from her plastic spoon. “Did Chad run?”

  Renee says, “Not that I knew of. Wade just started in the last few months.”

  I finish off my treat too. “Apparently, Chad didn’t stick with women long. Maybe Wade was setting the groundwork for
when Chad got bored?”

  “Maybe. You want to come bunk with me for a few days, Sawyer? Until this blows over?”

  Brittany says, “She has Gage to protect her.”

  I haven’t said anything to anyone about Dylan guarding me instead, and I think I’ll keep it that way.

  “Gage, huh?” Renee’s full lips tip into a mischievous grin. “Do tell.”

  Brittany adds ever so helpfully, “She made him dinner last night.”

  “The way to a man’s heart. Or ice cream works too.” Renee leans closer, making her long dangly earrings ting. “Anything happen after dinner?”

  “No.” I hold up a hand. “Stop. We’re just friends. My dad asked him to stay with me.” That’s all true. I’ll leave out the part about who actually stayed.

  Renee pushes off the counter. “I have to go. Want to come over later? I brought back some amazing wine from my weekend adventures.”

  “Can’t. We have book club tonight. Soon, though.”

  “Yep.” She reaches her long arms over the counter and hugs me. “Be careful. Think some more about staying with me, please.”

  “Okay.” I squeeze my pal. “I’m glad you’re back in one piece.” If you listen to the news, it’s filled with dating dangers.

  “Glad to be back in one piece, but you worry too much, Sawyer. Bye, Brittany.”

  “See you.” Brittany lifts a hand and sighs as she watches Renee saunter out the door with her usual attitude. “She’s so cool. How are you two even friends?” Brittany’s lips tilt at the corners as she teases me.

  “No idea. Now get back to work, please.” Maybe Brittany and I are becoming friends too. She never used to tease me. She hardly talked to me.

  “Fine. Nachos. And sliders. Maybe some chili cheese fries.”

  “For tonight?” That’s gross teenager food. I did ask her, though, so maybe I’ll keep the goodwill going and comply. “You got it.” Although it might be fondue rather than processed cheese on chips.