Pumpkin Spice Lies: A Pumpkin Hollow Mystery, book 16

by Kathleen Suzette

  He nodded. “Yes, but they were all smudged. I had hoped we could get one clear print off of it, but we couldn’t.”

  “I hope I didn’t ruin your chances of getting one off of that one. Do you think it belonged to Hailey?”

  He shrugged. “It’s a possibility. Or it could be anyone’s.”

  “You don’t see barrettes like that in the stores anymore,” I said. Ethan hadn’t shown me the other barrette, but he described it as being something that looked vintage, and he was right. It was in good condition, but it looked like it had been around for a while.

  He nodded and took another bite of his hotdog. “Maybe we’ll get a break with this barrette.”

  I looked over at the man with the antiques booth. “Can I see it?”

  He gave it back to me, and I trotted over to the man’s booth.

  He smiled at me. “Did you come back for something else?”

  I nodded. “I was hoping you could tell me something about this?” I unwrapped the barrette but left it laying on the napkin. “Does this look vintage to you?”

  He leaned over, looking at it. “I believe those were popular in the 1960s or 70s. They aren’t worth a lot, but they’re fun to look at now. Why?”

  I shrugged and wrapped it back up. “I just wondered. Thanks for the information.”

  I couldn’t imagine why a pair of old barrettes would be near the murder scene of a young woman, but hopefully, this one would have some prints on it. I hoped Hailey Strong’s murder would be solved soon so her family could get some closure.

  Chapter Twelve

  “Guess who moved into my apartment complex?” Christy asked me as we packed up candy orders to be mailed out.

  I turned and looked at her, a roll of packing tape in one hand and scissors in the other. “Who?”

  “Frank Gillespie.”

  My mouth dropped open. “The Frank Gillespie? The one that Joey Harper said might have been trying to hit on his girlfriend, Hailey?”

  She smiled and nodded. “The one and only. I spotted him unloading a small U-Haul truck yesterday evening. I would have gone over there to talk to him, but I was afraid I’d get roped into helping him move heavy boxes into his apartment and there is no way I was going to do that.”

  I chuckled and sealed the box of pumpkin spice fudge I had just packed. “I wonder why he was moving into an apartment? I would think at his age he would have had his own house by now.”

  “He did. Remember, he used to live next door to John and me when we were first married. He and his wife made themselves scarce during the day so we didn’t talk much, but we’d wave as we passed one another on the way in or out.”

  “That’s interesting,” I said thoughtfully. “What about his wife? Was she moving in, too? Or was it just him?”

  “If his wife was with him, I didn’t see her. She could have been at their old house packing things.”

  “Did he see you? I wonder if he would remember who you were?”

  She shook her head. “No, I was peeking through the curtains so he didn’t see me.”

  “Well, I think we need to have a little chat with him. I wonder if he has anything to say about Hailey’s death. Or if he even knows.”

  She nodded and wrapped a gift tin of fudge with bubble wrap.

  “It wouldn’t surprise me if he has a lot to say about it. Not that he’d be saying it to us, of course. But I have a sneaking suspicion he might know something.”

  I thought my sister might be right. And I had to wonder if there might be trouble in paradise with his marriage. Maybe that was why he was moving into an apartment by himself.

  When we had finished packing all the orders, we got to work in the front of the store straightening, dusting, and refilling shelves. Pumpkin Hollow Days was a smashing success so far, and I couldn’t be happier.

  When Christy and I finished our shift at the candy store, I drove her back to her apartment. I parked my car, and we walked slowly up the sidewalk, keeping an eye on Frank Gillespie’s apartment. There was a car parked under the carport marked with his apartment number so he had to be home, but there was no one outside.

  “Now what do we do?” Christy asked as we stood there and stared a hole through his apartment door.

  I looked at her. “We need to bring him a welcome to the apartment complex gift. Got anything lying around your apartment we could give him?”

  She narrowed her eyes at me for a moment and then brightened. “I just happen to have something.”

  We headed to her apartment, and she unlocked the door and let us in.

  “What is it? You can’t give him something used.”

  She chuckled. “It’s not used. Not yet, anyway.” She picked up a small gift tin from the candy store. “There was some leftover pumpkin spice fudge yesterday. I accidentally packed up a half-pound tin instead of a one-pound tin. I didn’t have any more orders for a half-pound, so I brought it home. It got too late to snack on something this sweet late last night, so I never opened it up.”

  “Well, thank goodness. That’s the perfect welcome gift,” I said. “Let’s go see how Mr. Gillespie is doing.”

  She nodded, and we headed back out the door and over to his apartment, and she knocked on his door. While we waited, she held up the tin and sniffed it. “I really hate to give this away.”

  “You can make more tomorrow. This one is needed right now.”

  She nodded, and the apartment door opened. Frank Gillespie looked at us, perplexed. “Can I help you?”

  Christy grinned. “Hello, Frank. How are you doing today?”

  Frank still looked puzzled. His eyes went to the tin in Christy’s hand, then back to her face. “I’m fine. I’m sorry, do I know you?” He glanced at me.

  Christy nodded. “Yes, we were neighbors six or seven years ago. Over on Autumn Avenue.”

  His eyes went wide as recognition dawned. “Of course. You are—I’m sorry your name escapes me. My memory isn’t what it used to be.”

  “That’s okay, I’m Christy Jordan, back then I was Christy Green. This is my sister, Mia Jordan. Our parents own the candy store over on Spooky Lane, and I noticed you moving in yesterday, so we decided to bring you a tin of pumpkin spice fudge. I hope you like pumpkin spice. And fudge.”

  His eyes went to the tin again, and he smiled. “Well, that’s kind of you. I love the fudge at your candy store. I just don’t get over there often enough to get some.”

  Christy handed the tin to him. “Our mother makes the best fudge in the world.”

  He nodded, looking the tin over. “Pumpkin spice, did you say?”

  She nodded. “Yes, pumpkin spice. We only make it during Pumpkin Hollow Days and for fall, during the Halloween season.”

  “This is a nice apartment complex,” I added. “I’m sure you’ll be happy here.”

  He looked at me and smiled. “Yeah well, I’m afraid I came under not so happy circumstances. My wife and I split up.” He shrugged. “This place will do until I figure out what I want to do with myself.”

  “I’m sorry to hear that,” Christy said. “My husband and I got divorced, too.”

  He smiled now. “Oh? So you’re single?”

  I didn’t like how he jumped to that question so quickly, and I sensed that Mr. Gillespie might have an eye for younger women.

  Christy shook her head. “No, I’ve been seeing someone for quite some time now.”

  Frank looked disappointed. “Figures. The pretty ones are always taken.” Then he looked at me. “How about you? You single?”

  The question surprised me. I shook my head. “No, I’m getting married in a few months.”

  He frowned. “Oh. Figures.”

  Christy crossed her arms in front of herself. “So, are you still teaching at the college?”

  He nodded. “Oh yeah. I’m sure I’ll do that until I retire. It’s a nice little school, and I always enjoy the kids.”

  “I bet it’s a nice place to work,” Christy said. “Did you hear what happened
to one of the students there? Hailey Strong?”

  He frowned again, and I watched him carefully. Was that a flicker of something I saw in his eyes?

  He nodded. “It’s a shame; she was a good girl. I had her in one of my classes last year. She was a good student, and I hated to hear what happened to her.”

  She was a good student? That made me wonder. According to Polly’s sister, she was troublesome when she was in high school.

  “I just can’t imagine what could have happened to her,” I said sadly.

  He looked at me and nodded. “It seems crazy, doesn’t it? I hope the police are taking a close look at her boyfriend.”

  “Joey Harper?” I asked.

  He nodded. “He was so controlling of Hailey. Hailey complained about him from time to time. I told her a girl like her didn’t need to waste her time on a relationship like that, and she should break up with him.” He shrugged. “I don’t know if she ever did.”

  “Did she say anything in particular about their relationship?” I asked him.

  He looked at me a moment, then nodded. “Yeah, he accused her of cheating on him, and she swore up and down she never had. And I believe her. Like I said, she was a good girl, and I just can’t imagine her doing that.”

  It bothered me that he kept referring to her as a girl. She was a young woman.

  “I didn’t know Hailey well,” Christy said and glanced at me. “It’s just sad that somebody so young was murdered. Her life just cut off the way it was.”

  He nodded and glanced back over his shoulder. “Say, would you girls like to come in? I could maybe order a couple of pizzas.”

  My eyes went wide. No way was I going into his apartment. There was something about him that I didn’t like. “I’m sorry, I’ve got to get home. We just wanted to stop by and say hello and welcome you to the apartment complex.”

  Christy nodded. “Yes, my boyfriend is coming over in a few minutes. Thanks for the offer though.”

  He nodded, looking disappointed. “Of course. Maybe another day.”

  Christy smiled but didn’t agree to pizza with him on another day. I didn’t either. There was something about this Frank Gillespie that bothered me. A lot.

  “Well, thanks for the fudge.”

  We said our goodbyes and headed back to Christy’s apartment.

  “I don’t like him,” Christy whispered.

  “Neither do I. You better keep an eye on him.”

  She nodded. “Believe me, I will.”

  I didn’t know about Frank Gillespie. He put off a vibe that made me feel not so safe around him.

  Chapter Thirteen

  “I love the fudge you sell here,” the woman in the princess costume standing in front of me said. She looked to be in her late fifties, but she wore the princess costume well.

  “Thank you,” I said nodding, and went back behind the front counter. “We love to hear that. Fudge is one of our specialties, and we all love to indulge in it as well as make and sell it.”

  She chuckled and peered into the display case. “Oh my goodness, you’ve got pumpkin spice fudge back?”

  “We do. You had better get some of it because it’s only here for another week or so, and then it won’t be back until the Halloween season starts.”

  She nodded and looked at me. “I’ll take a pound of it. It’s my favorite. I’d also like half a pound of peanut butter fudge. I think that’s my second favorite.”

  “I’ll get that for you right now,” I said, opening up the display case and removing the two trays of fudge.

  She began humming as I got to work cutting the fudge and wrapping it for her. “Are you enjoying Pumpkin Hollow Days?”

  She nodded. “I love it. I’m so glad that you all added this event to the summer months. But I’ll be back during the Halloween season, too. Probably two or three times.” She chuckled. “And that means return visits here to the candy store.”

  I smiled and put her fudge into paper bags. “We love hearing that, too. Return customers are our favorite kind of customers.”

  I rang up her fudge, and she paid for it and left the shop.

  I turned and looked at my mom as she came out of the kitchen, her apron dotted with bits of fudge.

  “It’s getting hot back in that kitchen.”

  “You need a rest. You’ve been on your feet all morning long.”

  “You know what? I think I’m going to take a short walk and stop by Amanda’s and pick up a coffee. Can I get you anything?” She untied her apron, folded it, and brought it over to me to put behind the counter.

  “I would love a pumpkin spice latte. I can’t get enough of it. Can you get it iced for me?”

  “One iced pumpkin spice latte coming up. I’m going to go back to the kitchen and see if Linda and Christy want anything, and then I’m going to go for that walk.”

  “Take your time,” I said. “We’ll handle everything here.”

  She grinned and headed back to the kitchen.

  I looked up as the front door opened, and a young woman walked through the door. She smiled at me and headed to the front counter.

  “Hello,” I said, turning to her. “Is there something I can help you with?”

  She nodded, beaming. “Yes, I heard that you all might be hiring. Can I get an application?”

  “Sure.” I pulled out a printed form that my mother had made up and slid it across the counter to her. “I know my mother has hired several people, but I think she was still looking for one or two more.”

  She grinned. “That’s great. I only need a part-time job, because I’m going to college in the fall. I don’t think I could handle more than twenty or twenty-five hours a week.”

  I nodded. “That’s a good number of hours that my mom can work with. She usually hires part-time help, and they usually work between twenty and thirty hours a week.”

  She held her hand out to shake mine. “Shayna Gates. Pleased to meet you.”

  I felt my eyes widen, and I hoped she didn’t notice. “Mia Jordan. Pleased to meet you.” I shook hands with her. “Oh, Shayna, do you have any experience in the candy-making business?”

  She chuckled and shook her head. “Unfortunately, no. But I’ve worked at a diner, so I understand about handling food and being careful with it, and I used to work down at Betty’s Closet.”

  Now was my chance. “Oh my gosh, did you hear that one of the employees at Betty’s Closet died?”

  Her eyes went wide now, and she nodded. “Yes, Hailey Strong. We were best friends.” Her eyes teared up, and she looked away for a moment, then she turned back to me. “I just can’t get over it. I can’t imagine who would want to kill Hailey.”

  “I’m not sure that I knew Hailey,” I said carefully. “But I can’t imagine anybody murdering under any circumstance.”

  She nodded again. “What kind of crazy person would do something like that to her? I heard she was buried at the park. Who thinks of something like that? Why would they do that?”

  I shook my head. “I wish I knew. So do you still work at Betty’s Closet?”

  She shook her head. “No, I quit last Christmas. Things were just crazy down there. I hate to speak badly of a former employer, but the owner there, Betty Mays, is really difficult to work for.”

  I thought she was probably telling the truth about Betty. There was something about her that suggested she was high maintenance, and I thought working for her probably wasn’t a lot of fun.

  “What do you mean by difficult?” I asked.

  She shrugged and glanced at the display case. “You just couldn’t make her happy. She was always complaining about everyone’s work and sometimes she would encourage animosity between the employees.” She looked at me. “Oh, sorry, I really shouldn’t be saying these kinds of things. You’re going to think I’m a terrible person and that I would be difficult to work with, but I swear I’m telling the truth.”

  “It’s okay, some jobs aren’t so great. I’ve had a few of them in my past. How did she
encourage animosity between the employees?” This was interesting. I wondered if Betty Mays had caused problems between Hailey and Shayna.

  She sighed. “She would tell one person that one of the other girls was complaining about her when she wasn’t around. So, of course, that made them upset and they would go and confront the other girl, who of course, would say that she never said anything about her to begin with. We all finally got it worked out that Betty was just making things up at times. Not always, but sometimes.”

  “I wonder why she would do that?”

  She shrugged. “I don’t know. Honestly, Betty Mays is just a high maintenance person.” She chuckled, but it sounded forced. “It seemed like she liked to stir up drama at work.”

  I nodded. “So was Hailey still working there before she died?”

  She nodded. “Oh yes, she’d been working there for a couple of years.” She glanced over her shoulder, but the candy store was empty besides the two of us. She turned back to me again. “Between the two of us, it wouldn’t surprise me if Betty had something to do with her death.”

  Now we were getting somewhere. “Oh? Why do you say that?”

  She shrugged again. “Maybe I shouldn’t say something like that. But there’s just something about Betty that I’ve never trusted. And she and Hailey had issues. You see, nobody knows about this except for me, but Hailey caught Betty cheating on her husband. And she held it over Betty’s head.” She frowned. “I told her she was going to regret doing that, but it didn’t stop her.”

  I was shocked, to say the least. “How on earth did she catch her cheating on her husband?”

  “She happened to run into her having dinner with some guy over in Truckee. I guess Betty thought she was safe since they were meeting out of town, but when she saw Hailey, she about fell over herself trying to come up with an excuse why she was there with this guy. Hailey said she probably wouldn’t have thought much of it except for the way that Betty acted. She started getting nervous and claiming that it was her cousin. The guy looked at her like she was out of her mind when she said it, and Hailey put two and two together and accused her the following day.”