by Cindy Bell
“I don’t think that will work. What we really need to know is what’s going on that she doesn’t want us to see. What if you distract her, and I’ll slip inside to have a look around? Once she lets you in, any alarms should be off, so I should be able to roam freely. What do you think?” Charlotte leaned closer to her. “It has to be me that sneaks in, Ally, she trusts you. I think she can relate to you more. She’s going to let you in faster than she’ll let me in.”
“All right.” Ally took a deep breath. “But you have to be careful.”
“I will be.” Charlotte nodded. “And you, too. If Jasmine really is the killer, she could be capable of anything.”
“Yes.” Ally looked up at the towering house. “Anything at all. When she lets me in, if she lets me in, I’ll make sure the door doesn’t close all the way. I’ll get her into the living room, that way you’ll have access to the kitchen. Text me when you’re out, okay?”
“Okay.” Charlotte nodded.
Ally climbed the stairs to the front door of the house, then took a deep breath. She knew that she had to say just the right thing. After she knocked, the door swung open. Jasmine threw her arms around Ally.
“Oh Ally! I’m so glad to see you. I’m sorry I didn’t make it to the tasting. Come in, come in.” Jasmine tugged Ally inside.
Shocked, Ally smiled and followed her in. She managed to give the door a light nudge with her foot to prevent it from closing all the way.
“Is everything okay, Jasmine?”
“Better now that you’re here.” She led her into the living room. “That detective is coming over here in a few minutes, and I need you to be here.”
“Me? Why?” Ally raised an eyebrow.
“He makes me uncomfortable, the way he stares at me. I know he thinks I did something terrible to my husband.” Jasmine sat down on the couch and placed her hands over her eyes.
“Oh, he’s just trying to get to the bottom of things, Jasmine, I’m sure he doesn’t suspect anything.” Ally wrapped an arm around her.
“I keep telling myself that, but I still get so nervous. It would be just my luck to end up in prison over Gary’s death.” Jasmine sighed. “I’m sorry.” She lowered her hands. “Why are you here?”
“I just wanted to check on you because you didn’t make the tasting. I wanted to give you some chocolates that you missed out on.” She handed Jasmine the box. “I know you’re going through a lot.”
“Thank you, Ally. That’s so sweet of you. You have been so kind. I miss him so much.” Tears began to slide down her cheeks. “Excuse me, Ally, I need to clean myself up before the detective gets here.” She stood up from the couch and headed down the hall to the bathroom. Ally stood up and walked towards the kitchen. She saw no sign of her grandmother. The only other door out of the kitchen led to the basement. She guessed her grandmother had headed down there to have a look around. A knock on the front door made her jump.
“Ally, can you answer that please?” Jasmine called out from the bathroom.
“Sure.” Ally walked over to the door, opened it, and found Luke on the other side. He had his notepad in his hand and appeared to be reviewing something. When he looked up at her, his eyes widened.
“Ally, what are you doing here?” Luke slid his notepad back into his pocket, then stepped inside the house.
“She’s just spending a little time with me.” Jasmine waved her hand and sniffled as she stepped into the foyer. “She thought I might need some company, considering that everyone else around here marched up to my door with a pitchfork in their hand, I think it’s pretty nice of her.”
“There were no pitchforks.” Luke quirked an eyebrow. “I checked.”
“Do you think there is something funny about this?” Jasmine glared at him. “I don’t even feel safe in my own home, and you’re making jokes?”
“I’m sure that he didn’t mean it that way.” Ally stepped forward and met Luke’s eyes. “Luke is a great detective, and I promise you he is working hard to find out what happened to your husband.”
“Not hard enough, apparently.” Jasmine sighed. “I’m sorry, I don’t mean to be nasty, but I can’t leave here until I find out what happened to him, and honestly, I can’t wait to get out of this town.”
“I understand, Jasmine. Ally is right, I am working hard to solve your husband’s murder. But I need just a little more information from you.” Luke pushed the door closed behind him. “Are you up for answering a few more questions?”
“Of course, but I don’t know how much I can possibly help. I’ve already told you everything I know.” Jasmine wrapped her arm around Ally’s. “If I’m answering questions, she stays.”
“Sure.” Luke glanced at Ally, then followed Jasmine into the living room.
Ally listened as Luke gently questioned the woman beside her. She noticed his respectful tone, and the careful way he phrased his questions.
“Did you ever see your husband with Harriet Duluth?”
“No.” Jasmine’s arm tightened around Ally’s. “I know they had a bit of a tiff over the casino. But he only ever saw her in her office as far as I know.”
“Do you know if Harriet ever threatened your husband?” Luke narrowed his eyes. “Did she call here, or visit you?”
“No, like I said before I had nothing to do with his business.” Jasmine frowned.
“But you did meet with one of his business associates, Rick? You had dinner with him, right?” Luke made a note.
Ally’s chest tightened as she thought about the false alibi.
“I was trying to get him to stop harassing me. That was all. He wanted to get in contact with my husband, and he wouldn’t leave me alone. I like to handle my own problems. Really, I can’t do this anymore.” Jasmine wiped at her eyes. “Please excuse me.” She headed for the bathroom, again.
Ally stood up and looked around the room, anywhere but at Luke.
Chapter 18
Charlotte picked her way through the basement. Luckily, the house was recently renovated and cleaned so the basement wasn’t grimy, but there were quite a few boxes stacked up along the walls. She found it a little strange that Gary had accumulated so many things in the short time that he lived in Blue River. Perhaps they were possessions from a previous home. Or maybe they were his father’s things. There wasn’t time to look through them, as she knew that at any second Jasmine could open the basement door. Instead, she looked into the darkest, most recessed areas. She guessed that if Jasmine had anything to hide it wouldn’t be out in the open for all to see. However, all she succeeded in finding were a few spiders and some dust.
As Charlotte neared the other side of the basement, she noticed a chill. It wasn’t ice-cold, but it was a different temperature than the rest of the house. It felt just about the same temperature as it had outside. The days were still quite chilly. She brushed the thought away and focused on the sensation. It wasn’t unusual for basements to be cooler than the rest of the house, but why was one section of it so much cooler? She noticed there weren’t as many boxes in the area. What boxes were there, were a bit smaller. Charlotte pressed her hands against the wall, curious if there might be some moisture gathered on the cement. Instead, it just felt cold.
As Charlotte started to turn back, her foot caught on one of the small boxes. She pulled her foot back, but not before the box slid a few inches. She held her breath as she wondered if the scraping sound was loud enough to reach the upstairs living area. Her concern vanished, replaced by shock as she noticed something sticking out from beneath the edge of the box. It looked like the edge of a door, something that didn’t belong on the floor, or built into the floor. Was it possible that the house had a subbasement? A crawl space? She carefully lifted the box out of the way and set it down as quietly as she could. Once it was moved, she could see that it was a door, a small, square door, built right into the floor. When she hovered her hand over the edge of it, she could feel cool air coming up through it. She ran her fingertips along the smooth s
urface of the wood until she found a half-hidden handle. Did she dare open it?
Charlotte glanced up at the ceiling. She’d already been in the basement for quite some time. How long would Ally be able to keep Jasmine occupied? What if the door made a loud noise as she opened it, or even set off an alarm? She looked back down at the door, uncertain what to do. But as she stared at it, she realized that she would probably never have the chance to open the door again. This was the only opportunity she had to find out what might be hidden beyond it, and if Jasmine was going to hide anything anywhere, she guessed this would be the place.
Charlotte closed her hand around the handle and eased the door open. With each inch she braced herself for a squeak, but the door moved in silence. From the hardware she could see that it was well cared for, not a hint of rust or wear. But then the entire house was recently renovated, so that was not too surprising. A rush of cool air greeted her as she leaned over the opening. It was too dark to see anything. She fiddled with her phone until she was able to get the flashlight turned on, then shined it down into the darkness.
The light revealed a deep recess in the floor, far deeper than she expected. But there were walls on either side of it. It was deep enough for a person to fit down into, and just wide enough for someone not to get stuck. What could be the point of it? She shifted the flashlight beam to the right, and gasped as she realized that there was no fourth wall. Instead, the light faded into darkness.
“A tunnel?” Charlotte’s eyes widened at the thought. “Why in the world would Gary’s house have a tunnel underneath?” She glanced up at the ceiling again. She knew her time was up. Ally would be worried. But how could she not explore the tunnel? Clearly, Gary was up to something he shouldn’t have been. Whether it was what got him killed or not wasn’t as important to her as where it might lead. What if he’d been up to something illegal and the town was at risk because of it?
Charlotte took a deep breath, then looked down into the hole again. She had to find out what was down there, even though she knew it was a foolish risk. As she eased her way down into the hole, she found a string on the underside of the door to pull it shut. She swallowed hard as her feet touched solid ground. Then she reached up and pulled the string. The door closed with a subtle thump. Charlotte’s heart jumped as she wondered if she’d been heard. If she had, it was too late to turn back. She pointed the beam of light down the tunnel. She could only see a few feet ahead of her. The tunnel remained low and narrow, but at least she could walk upright. As she started down the tunnel, she wondered just where she might end up. After some time, and some twists and turns, she saw light breaking through a small square ahead of her. She hurried to reach it. With the light from her phone she was able to find a small latch on the inside of the square. When she released it, the square fell inward, and she looked out into an alley. After a few seconds she realized where she was.
“The hole,” Charlotte whispered. The tunnel led directly from Jasmine’s house, to the alley where Gary’s body had been left. Carlisle saw the rat scurry back into its hole. She climbed out of the small opening and turned to find Eric’s shop right in front of her. Had Eric been involved after all?
“Where is she?” Luke stood a few inches behind Ally as they both waited for Jasmine to return from the bathroom.
“Who?” Ally glanced over her shoulder at him and noted the faint gleam in his eyes. What could he find funny about the situation?
“Charlotte.” Luke looked into Ally’s eyes as he grabbed her hand and pulled her closer. “I know that she’s around here somewhere. I also know that you didn’t come over here just to keep Jasmine company.”
Ally cringed, she didn’t want to keep things from him, she wanted to tell him what was happening. She was about to when Jasmine returned from the bathroom. Luke dropped Ally’s hand just before Jasmine entered the room. He looked from Ally to Jasmine.
“Thanks for your time, Jasmine. I’ll be going now.”
“Please let me know if there are any developments in the investigation.” She walked him to the front door. “I really do hope that you’ll be able to turn up something soon.”
“I’ll do my best.” He locked his eyes to hers, then offered his hand. “I promise, Jasmine, I won’t stop until I find the truth.”
“Thank you.” Jasmine took his hand and patted it once, then released it. “I know that you mean well, I do. It’s just that waiting has never been my strong suit.”
“Hopefully, you won’t have to wait much longer.” Luke glanced past her, towards Ally, offered a brief smile, then stepped out through the door.
Ally took a breath as Jasmine closed the door. She hoped that her grandmother was okay.
“Jasmine, would you like to take a walk down by the water? You have such a beautiful piece of land here. When I was younger, there was a spot I used to sneak down to, it has a spectacular view of the trees across the river. Would you like me to show you?” Ally glanced back towards the basement door and wondered if her grandmother would know that they had left.
“Sure, I guess it couldn’t hurt. I could use some fresh air.” Jasmine plucked a light jacket from the coat rack by the door, then hung it back up a second later. “It’s probably not cool enough for this.”
“Shouldn’t be too bad.” Ally raised her voice a bit. “We won’t be gone long, it’s not far.”
Ally could only hope that her grandmother was able to hear her through the floor. Or perhaps she was by the basement door, listening for the opportunity to come out. Either way, she was going to at least give her a chance to escape. She led Jasmine down the stairs in the direction of the walkway that wrapped around the side of the house.
“Ally, I hope you don’t take offense to the fact that I’m not entirely thrilled to be living in Blue River. It isn’t that I don’t appreciate its beauty, and I’m sure that it’s a lovely community in general. But it’s not what I’m accustomed to. I am used to the city life, and I’m not sure if that will ever change.” Jasmine glanced over at her.
“I can understand that, Jasmine. I know it must be tough for you being here, in a new place that you aren’t fond of, and losing your husband.”
“It is.” Jasmine’s eyes filled with tears again.
Ally looked down at her phone as it buzzed. When she saw a text from her grandmother, she felt some relief. However, she didn’t understand the message.
Ally, I’m safe. Meet me at the shop.
Ally glanced back at the house. The car was still parked in front of it. Maybe her grandmother had decided to walk to the shop? It wasn’t that long of a distance, but Ally had no idea why she would decide to do that instead of waiting for her to pick her up around the corner.
“Jasmine, it’s been so nice visiting with you.” Ally tucked her phone back into her pocket. “I’m afraid I have to go, though. Maybe we can take that walk another time.”
“Oh? Life of a candymaker, hmm?” Jasmine smiled. “You’re always in demand.”
“Something like that.” Ally nodded. “Please, call me if you want to talk, okay?”
“Yes, I will.” Jasmine met Ally’s eyes. “I can’t thank you enough for being so supportive of me. Oh, I had something to give you.” She snapped her fingers. “Would you come back to the house with me, just for a minute?”
“Sure, of course.” Ally followed her back towards the house. The last thing she wanted to do was go back inside. She wanted to make sure that her grandmother was actually safe, and find out what happened. But she didn’t want to alarm Jasmine either. As she followed Jasmine up the stairs to the front door, she wondered what the woman might want to give her.
“It’s just down in the kitchen, follow me.” Jasmine flashed a smile at her over her shoulder, then led her down the stairs to the kitchen.
Ally’s eyes locked on the basement door. Had her grandmother left it open a crack? Left anything behind to indicate that she had been there? She didn’t notice anything. The door was shut, and looked as if it hadn’t
been opened.
“Oh darn, you know what?” Jasmine frowned. “I thought it was up here, but it must be in the basement. Come with me, I’ll show you my wine collection, you’re going to love it.” She gestured for Ally to follow her as she reached for the basement door.
Ally’s heartbeat quickened. She watched as Jasmine turned the knob on the door. It was silly to be nervous. Her grandmother was safe at the shop. But what if she had left something behind in the basement? It would be better if she found it, than if Jasmine did.
Ally followed Jasmine down the stairs into the basement.
“Wow, this is nice.” Ally smiled. “Do you entertain down here?”
“I thought we would, but Gary refused the idea. He said he wanted it to be his man cave.” Jasmine rolled her eyes. “As if the whole house wasn’t his to begin with. It’s back here.” She gestured to the other side of the basement, which appeared to be used more for storage. “I’m going to have to find someone to haul all of this stuff away. Gary just wouldn’t stop collecting stuff. We had just moved in, but I told him pretty soon, we’ll run out of space, but he just said we would buy a bigger house and told me to stay out of the basement.”
“It sounds like he wasn’t very open with you.” Ally frowned. “That must have been tough.”
“It was. I thought over time he would relax a bit, let me in more, but that never seemed to happen.” Jasmine approached the far side of the basement, where the carpet ended, and the ground became concrete to match the walls. Lots of boxes were stacked up.
“Is your wine back here?” Ally frowned as she didn’t see any place it might be.
“Oh.” Jasmine stopped in front of a pile of boxes and stared down at a door in the floor. “It’s down farther. It’s important to keep it cold.” She continued to stare at the door.
