by Cindy Bell
“You didn’t have to make dinner.” Ally stepped into the kitchen and took a deep breath of the spices in the air. “Never mind, I’m pleased you did, because that smells amazing.”
“It’ll still be about an hour before it’s ready.” Charlotte stirred the contents of a pot on the stove. “I thought we could use a home-cooked meal.”
“Always.” Ally leaned against the counter and gazed at her. “I’m so lucky to have you, Mee-Maw.”
“The feeling is mutual, Ally.”
“Oh, guess who came into the shop after you left?” Ally picked up the spoon and began to stir while her grandmother sliced open a loaf of bread.
“Who? Another celebrity?” Charlotte set down the knife.
“Well, no.” Ally laughed. “Harriet Duluth, the chairman of the town planning board.” She set the spoon down in a spoon rest and turned to face her grandmother.
“What did she have to say?” Charlotte spread butter across the bread.
“Mostly, she just wanted to look around. She mentioned that she wasn’t too happy about the casino being built, so I guess she is representing the view of most people in Blue River. Maybe she was trying to gauge how the locals feel about it being built.”
“Sounds like it. That’s why we elected her.” Charlotte sprinkled some garlic and cheese on the bread. “I’m so glad you had the chance to speak to her, I know how much you like her.”
“She is so impressive. There’s a meeting at the town hall this Sunday, I think we should go.”
“That’s a good idea.” Charlotte nodded. “Something came up while you were out today, too. Rick, the man who was with Phil, the man who made the large order, he made another offer, too.”
“He did?” Ally picked up the spoon and stirred the sauce again. “What kind of offer?”
“He asked if I was interested in expanding the business, opening shops in other areas.” Charlotte took a deep breath, then met her granddaughter’s eyes. “Honestly, I turned him down. I realize now, that was unfair of me.”
“Why?” Ally raised an eyebrow.
“Ally, I’m sorry.” Charlotte gazed at her. “I didn’t even consider his offer, and it wasn’t my place to turn it down. You’re in charge of the shop now, I should have told you about it before I ever said a word to him.”
“Mee-Maw, it’s nothing to worry about.” Ally smiled. “I know you want what’s best for the shop, and I’m sure you’re right.”
“I hope so.” Charlotte shook her head slowly. “I just don’t want to hold you back.”
“You’re not, I love being here in Blue River, living in the cottage and working in the shop.” Ally busied herself with Peaches’ water dish.
“And I love that you are happy with how things have turned out.” Charlotte handed her a can of cat food.
“I am.” Ally popped the lid on the can, then winced as a bit of the gravy splashed on her hand.
“Good.” Charlotte took a step towards her. “What about your relationship with Luke?”
“Mee-Maw.” Ally sighed as she emptied the can of cat food into Peaches’ dish. “I’m going to take Arnold for a walk.” She rinsed the can in the sink, then tossed it into the recycling bin.
“Ally, I didn’t mean to upset you.” Charlotte looked into her eyes. “I know it’s not my business, but I just want to make sure that you aren’t holding back because of what happened to you before. But sometimes I pry a little too far.”
“It’s all right, Mee-Maw.” Ally met her eyes. “Things with Luke are good, and I love him. Who knows where they will lead, but I want to stay focused on the moment.” She shrugged and clipped Arnold’s leash on to his harness.
“I understand.” Charlotte bit into her bottom lip.
Ally shot her a brief look. She knew that was a sign that her grandmother had a lot more to say, but she had chosen to remain silent. Instead of pressing her, she led Arnold out through the front door of the cottage. She adored her grandmother, but sometimes she could be like a dog with a bone. She just couldn’t let it go.
“Where should we go this evening, Arnold?” Ally smiled as she reached down to pat the top of the pig’s head.
Arnold tugged on his leash in the direction of town.
“I figured as much.” Ally grinned and let him take the lead. Arnold loved to walk through town and greet all of the shopkeepers. It was just about closing time for most of them, but Ally knew a few would be more than happy to see Arnold. As they walked along, she did her best to keep thoughts of her life in the city from creeping in. Things had changed, very quickly. She was happy to be in Blue River and put all of that behind her.
“Arnold!” Eric Newland, the owner of the Blue River Bakery, called out to the pig as he stepped out through the door of his shop.
“Hi Eric.” Ally paused as Arnold rushed up to greet Eric.
“Hi Ally.” He grinned at her, then crouched down to greet Arnold. “Well buddy, you just made my night. I always love seeing your cheerful face.”
“He’s a wonderful little guy that’s for sure.” Ally tipped her head towards the closed sign in the window. “Why are you here so late? Don’t you usually close around three?”
“Ah, yes. I had some business to handle this evening.” Eric narrowed his eyes, then stood up. “It was good to see you, Ally.”
“You too.” She flashed him a smile as Arnold charged forward. Ally expected him to head straight for the pet shop, but instead he marched towards an alley.
“What’s up, Arnold? Why do you want to go back there?” Ally eyed the alley. In the day time it was a shortcut between streets. But as the sun set, it made her a little uneasy. Anyone could be behind the large dumpsters.
“I don’t think this is such a good idea, Arnold.” Ally started to tug him back.
Arnold snorted, and lunged forward in an attempt to drag her with him.
“Okay, okay, slow down.” Ally sighed as she followed after him. Arnold was quite a large, and very determined pig, and she didn’t want to fight with him for the entire walk. As he trotted down the alley, she noticed that he kept his snout to the pavement. As they neared the dumpster, he snorted, then shuffled his hooves.
“Arnold, come away from there, it’s so dirty.” Ally scrunched up her nose at the scent coming out of the dumpster. “You have plenty of food at home. Where we should be going, now.” She gave his leash a light tug.
Arnold squealed, snorted, then pawed at the pavement.
“Arnold enough!” Ally frowned as she bent down to stroke him and calm him down. As she stood up, she noticed something that sent a shiver through her body. A hand was sticking out of the dumpster. Her stomach twisted as she stood frozen for several seconds. She tried to dismiss what she had seen. It couldn’t be real. She didn’t want it to be real. Finally, she took a step forward, and carefully lifted up the lid of the dumpster. She peered inside. Her heart raced as she caught sight of what she feared she would. The hand was connected to a body, and the body was clearly deceased. She gasped as she stumbled back, and the lid fell shut. She held tightly to Arnold’s leash. She fumbled in her pocket for her phone as her mind spun. She recognized the man. She wished she didn’t, but she did. As she relayed the details to the police her heart sank.
“It’s Gary Bob.”
Chapter 4
Ally clutched Arnold’s leash as she stood at the end of the alley. The officer she’d spoken to, requested that she stay. But she wished that she could leave. She shivered as Arnold pulled on the leash. She held tight as she didn’t want him to try to head back down the alley. Seconds later, two police cars pulled up, followed by an ambulance. She stared at the flashing lights of the ambulance. Why would they send it when clearly the man was dead? She guessed it was just procedure. Her mind flashed back to the sight of the man in the dumpster. She couldn’t tell how he was killed, but he was face down, still, and there was blood.
“Ally?” Luke hurried towards her.
Ally gazed at him as he approached. Desp
ite the stress of the situation, the sight of him gave her comfort. It wasn’t just his good looks, though those were nice, too, it was the way he stared at her with genuine concern and affection.
“I’m okay.” Ally forced a small smile to her lips to prove it.
“Why didn’t you call me?” He frowned. “I had to hear it over the police radio.”
“I’m sorry.” Ally adjusted Arnold’s leash. “I was just in a bit of a panic.”
“Of course you were.” He put his hand gently on her shoulder and stared into her eyes. “Are you sure that you’re okay?”
“I am.” She nodded, then glanced down the alley. “It’s definitely a homicide, Luke, your attention is needed more there than here.”
“I’m always going to want to make sure that you’re okay.” Luke cupped her cheek, trailed his thumb along the rise of her cheekbone, then let it fall away. “I’ll get someone to take your statement so you can go.”
“Thanks.” Ally blushed slightly. It still surprised her when he openly showed his affection. “Luke, I’m afraid that Arnold might have contaminated some of the crime scene. He was very determined to get to the dumpster.”
“It’s all right. If it wasn’t for the two of you, we might not have even found the body before trash pick-up on Friday, if at all. You’ve given us a big head start on the investigation.” Luke gestured to one of the officers. “Get her statement taken and then give them a ride home.”
“We can walk.” Ally smiled.
“Give them a ride,” Luke repeated, and met the officer’s eyes with a meaningful look.
Ally’s eyes narrowed at the insistence. She certainly was capable of walking home. She took a step towards the officer, and the world around her spun. She gulped back a sharp breath and reached for Luke’s shoulder to steady herself.
“Easy now.” Luke pulled her close to him and murmured in her ear, “You’ve had quite a shock, Ally. Just let him drive you both home.”
Ally nodded, and met his eyes as he pulled away. She guessed that he could tell that she was more upset than she’d realized.
“This won’t take too long.” The officer gestured to his patrol car. “Why don’t you sit while we talk.”
“Thanks Bruce.” Ally sat on the edge of the seat and faced him, with Arnold settled at her feet. He was young, just into his twenties. Most of the officers on the Blue River police force were either in their fifties, or their twenties. There were only a few, as the small town didn’t require much of a police force. Luke was one of only two detectives, and he was quite a young detective. When a case required more investigation, resources were borrowed from the neighboring town of Mainbry, which had a much larger police department. She guessed that might happen in this case. She stared, dazed, towards the alley. When she saw Luke emerge from it, she caught his eye. He stared at her for a moment, his brows knitted with concern, then turned to another officer who walked up to him.
“Ally? Are you going to answer me?” Bruce tapped his pen lightly against the pad he held.
“Huh?” Ally blinked as she looked in his direction. “What did you ask?”
“I just have a few more questions for you.” Bruce crouched down some so that he could meet her eyes. “Are you sure you’re up for this now?”
“Yes, of course. I just don’t know how much I can help. I didn’t really see anything important. I called it in as soon as I realized Gary was dead.” Ally took a breath, then met his eyes. “I’m sorry, I’m listening now.”
“Did you notice anyone else in the area at the time? Maybe someone walking away? Or a car starting in the distance?” Bruce looked back down at his pad of paper.
“I didn’t, no. There was no one in the alley, I’m sure. But if there were other people around, or cars, I wasn’t really paying attention.” Ally rubbed her hands across her face. “I wouldn’t have even gone into the alley if it wasn’t for Arnold. He must have smelled something. He insisted on going down there.” She reached down to pat the top of the pig’s head.
“Do you have any idea what he might have smelled?” Bruce glanced down at the pig.
“It could have been anything. The dumpster is right there, and it stank. Maybe a lot of food trash. Arnold is a bit of a scavenger when it comes to things like that.” Ally rubbed her hand across the back of her neck. “I didn’t hear or see anything else, though. Like I said, I don’t think I can be of much help.”
“That’s all right, Ally. I can take you home now.” Bruce put his hand on the door and waited for her to slide all the way inside the car.
Ally gazed towards Luke again. He was deep in conversation with someone else. After a moment she recognized the person as Harriet Duluth. She knew he wouldn’t have time to speak with her again.
“Sure Bruce, that would be great, thank you.” Ally moved farther along the backseat of the patrol car, then Arnold hopped in next to her.
When the police car pulled up to the cottage, Ally spotted her grandmother outside. Her heart dropped as she realized she hadn’t called or texted her. She’d been gone so long, she knew that her grandmother had to be worried, especially after hearing all of the sirens.
“We’re okay, Mee-Maw.” She stepped out of the car quickly. Arnold jumped down to the driveway, and ran straight towards Charlotte.
“Ally! Thank goodness!” Charlotte hurried over to them both. “I was just about to come looking for you.”
“Thanks Bruce.” Ally waved to the officer, who backed out of the driveway. When she turned back towards her grandmother, she was engulfed by her warm arms.
“Are you sure you’re okay? I heard the sirens. What happened?” Charlotte brushed Ally’s long, light brown hair away from her face. “Are you hurt?”
“No, I’m not hurt.” Ally hugged her grandmother again. “It’s Gary Bob.” As she filled her grandmother in on what she and Arnold had found, Charlotte’s eyes widened with every word.
“Oh my, oh no.” She pressed her hand against her chest. “Ally, what a horrible thing to have to see.”
“It was.” Ally nodded slowly and took a breath. “It wasn’t easy that’s for sure. But Arnold and I are okay.” She looked towards the cottage. “I think I just want to get inside and rest a bit.”
“Of course.” Charlotte held the door open for her. “I still have the food warm, do you want something to eat?”
“I’m sorry, Mee-Maw, I know you worked so hard, but I just don’t think I can eat anything right now.” Ally settled on the couch. Peaches immediately jumped up into her lap. She purred as she swished her tail across Ally’s face.
“It’s fine, Ally, don’t worry about it.” Charlotte sat down next to her and took her hand. “You just rest now.”
Ally closed her eyes as she soaked in the comfort of her grandmother’s presence, and the lingering aroma of the food that she’d cooked. Peaches’ steady purr caused her muscles to relax as she stroked the cat’s fur.
A knock on the door jolted her out of her peaceful state.
“Stay here, I’ll get it.” Charlotte stood up and walked over to the door. When she pulled it open, she found Luke on the other side. She knew Ally had given him a key, but he rarely used it.
“Hi Charlotte.” Luke smiled and then peered past her, into the cottage. “Is Ally available?”
“Sure, she’s in the living room.” Charlotte stepped aside and watched as Luke headed for the living room. She could detect the concern in the tightness of his expression. One thing she never had to worry about was his desire to keep Ally safe.
“Hey sweetheart.” Luke sat down on the edge of the couch beside her. “How are you doing?”
“I’m all right.” Ally smiled as he took her hand.
“I’ll just make us all some tea.” Charlotte stepped back into the kitchen and filled up the tea kettle.
“I just wanted to give you an update on what I know so far.” Luke slid back farther on the couch and wrapped his arm around her shoulders.
“Thanks, I appreciate
that.” Ally nestled closer to him on the couch.
“It looks like he was stabbed. Probably within the last hour or two, but the medical examiner will have to confirm that.” Luke stroked the back of her hand. “I know it’s a lot to take in. Anything you can remember might help us.”
“Stabbed?” She stared at him as her heart skipped a beat. “How terrible. Right there in the alley? Wouldn’t someone have heard the struggle? I already told Bruce, I didn’t see or hear anything.”
“My guess, and this is just from observing the crime scene, I can’t say it for sure, is that Gary was killed elsewhere, then taken to the alley and placed in the dumpster. And it looks as if someone hosed down the area to cover their tracks. The alley was quite damp.” Luke sighed as he sat back against the couch. “Unfortunately, that successfully destroyed any evidence that we could have collected.”
“Luke, are you saying what I think you’re saying?” Ally narrowed her eyes as the thought formed in her mind.
“Yes. It was likely someone local, someone who had access to a nearby hose.” Luke lowered his voice. “We will be starting with the houses and shops closest to the alley.”
“I saw Harriet Duluth speaking with you. What did she have to say?” Ally met his eyes.
“She just wanted to check what was happening.” He shrugged.
“I’m sure you have places you need to be. Thanks for taking the time to come and see me.” Ally turned to hug him and rested her head against his shoulder.
“Always.” Luke kissed her cheek, then ran his fingers through her hair. “I’ll check in with you in the morning, okay?”
“Thank you, I’ll be fine. But I would love to see you.”
“I should go.” Luke leaned his lips to hers. She leaned in and felt comforted by his closeness. He pulled away from her. “I’ll be in touch.”
“I’ll walk you out.” Ally started to get up.
“No, you stay here.” He gently guided her back down onto the couch. “I know the way. Love you.”
“Love you, too.”
“Thanks for stopping by, Luke.” Charlotte followed him to the door as the tea kettle began to whistle. “Are you sure you don’t want any tea?”
