by Lynn Cahoon
“I know you’re there. Just tell me why so I can decide if it’s worth opening my eyes or not.” Greg’s voice was whiskey-husky, making me question my resolve on a whole ’nother level.
“Don’t get mad, but Doc Ames called me because he couldn’t reach you.”
He opened his eyes and glanced at the clock. He swung his legs over the side of the bed, and Emma glared at me like I’d taken away her favorite toy. “I had my phone turned off so I could sleep. I guess I got almost four hours. What’s up? Does he want me to call him?”
“He says he knows how Alana died. He wanted to make sure you were coming into Bakerstown today.” I couldn’t hold in my interest. I sat down next to him and pulled out my notebook with the timeline. “And I’ve found out a few things about what happened to her yesterday before the incident.”
“The murder. It’s not an incident, and this isn’t something to play around with. I’ve told you many times that finding killers is my job. I’m the one with the gun, remember?” He rubbed the sleep from his face but glanced at my timeline. He pointed to the winery stop at two. “Darla didn’t tell me about that.”
“I think she just remembered.” I rubbed his back. “It was a busy day yesterday.”
He sighed and closed the notebook. “Look, Jill, I appreciate your enthusiasm. But I’m worried that one of these days, you’re going to get yourself into something that doesn’t work out. You’ve been locked in a burning building and in a remote cave, and you’ve been attacked in this house. What does it take for you to get the hint?”
“I’m naturally curious, that’s all. And you have to admit, I’ve been really successful in figuring out what’s going on.” I knew it was stupid, but I felt hurt by Greg’s words. Tears threatened to fall, and I turned my head so he wouldn’t see.
He pulled me into a hug. “Look, I’m tired and grumpy and not at my best. What I should have said was thank you for the new lead. I’ll take the investigation from here.”
“I just feel bad for her. I mean, she’d just gotten engaged at the diner a few hours earlier, and then she’s dead. Stories aren’t supposed to end that way.” I buried my face in his chest. “But you’re right. It’s not my job. I’ll try to keep my nose out of it.”
Laughter shook his body.
I looked up into his face. “What?”
“That’s a promise I’ve heard before. I guess I just have to face it. You care about people. And you like to solve mysteries. I need to get you some cold cases to work on so you stay out of the line of fire.” He kissed me. “Now I’ve got to get into Bakerstown and talk to Doc Ames. Did he say how the girl died?”
“No. Although he did say that he was running a priority tox screen.” Although I’d tried really hard to get more information out of him, the coroner had held to his privacy code. “And he also said that she couldn’t have been as drunk as you’d first believed because of her stomach contents. I didn’t press on that. I didn’t really want to know.”
He smiled. “If you’re going to investigate, you have to be willing to dig into the disgusting parts too.”
“Well, then, it’s a good thing I’m a coffee shop and bookstore owner.” I squeezed him tight, then stood up. “Can you let Emma out before you leave?”
“You let her out, I’ll let her in. I’m going to grab a quick shower.” He pulled me down into another longer kiss. “Thanks for letting me crash. I almost feel human.”
“You’re welcome.” I walked out of the room slapping my leg. “There’s still leftovers from the party if you want to grab something to eat before you go. Come with me, Emma”
What could I say? I was a caretaker. I let my dog out, grabbed the Diamond Lille’s bag, and headed out the back door. When I got to the store, my aunt glared at me.
“Here’s your lunch,” I said.
“I called the diner to have you pick up something for my dinner, and Carrie said you’d already left. That was twenty minutes ago.” She glanced at the clock to make her point.
I set the bag on the counter. “I had to go wake up Greg because Doc Ames had a break in the case. Don’t judge. It didn’t take that long.”
“You’re not an investigator, nor are you Greg’s secretary.” My aunt sighed and pulled out the container with her salad. “I’m hungry and grumpy. I’m going to the back to eat. Can you watch the front?”
“Of course.” Now I felt bad for not dropping the food off before I went home, but that would have added five blocks to my walk. Well, that was a good excuse, but really, I was excited about the case. Maybe Greg was right. Maybe I was addicted.
I put my now-cold patty melt and french fries into the microwave we kept behind the counter. At least my aunt had a cold salad. My once-crisp and salty fries would be soggy. But they’d be hot. The shop was empty, so I grabbed the book I’d been reading and took the food and it to a table to eat.
Alana’s last day just kept popping into my head. Finally, I closed the book and threw away the leftovers from my lunch. I grabbed the notebook from my tote and looked at the timeline. Maybe the clue wasn’t where she was, but who she was with. And Doc Ames was running a tox screen. Had that meant he thought there were drugs in her system? Or worse, poison? Carrie had said she’d still been carrying around the coffee cup. I wonder if Greg or the others had found it near the body.
I reached for my phone, then set it down again. I’d just told Greg I’d try to stay out of this investigation. It was less than an hour since that promise, and I’d already dived headfirst into the fray. No, if I was going to keep looking, I needed to keep my ideas to myself. Until there was something to tell him. I’d been on the beach this morning and hadn’t seen anything. Maybe Alana had thrown the cup away and started drinking again. But something made me doubt it. She’d seemed solid.
And where was Moon? He hadn’t been at the bike rental place when they’d returned the bikes. Had he gone out for a ride with them? I didn’t ask Austin how many bikes they had rented. I wrote that question down in my notebook, along with the whereabouts of the fiancé.
I’d put my notebook away and was puttering around the bookshelves when my aunt came back from her lunch break. I had a feeling she’d gone upstairs and taken in a little screen time. Or maybe even a nap. She looked better. Solid. I walked over to meet her at the counter. “Sorry I was late with your lunch. Do you want me to go down and get a dinner for you now?”
“That’s fine. Harrold called, and he’s taking me out tonight. There’s a nice little restaurant on a cliff by the ocean where he got reservations.” My aunt smiled, lighting up her eyes. “The man is so thoughtful.”
I again felt bad for Josh. He’d never had a chance once Harrold stepped into the picture. Josh was a placeholder. Someone my aunt enjoyed spending time with. But Harrold made her feel again. I could see the emotion when she talked about him. “Do you need the rest of the day off to get ready?”
Now she frowned at me. “It’s a casual date, not a formal occasion. I’ll close up the shop at five, and Harrold’s picking me up at seven. You, on the other hand, can leave now. I’ll be fine until closing time on my own.”
“Are you sure?” I glanced around the still-empty shop. I guessed people were either coffee’d out by this time or were spending the day inside, trying to nurse their hangovers. “I guess it has been pretty slow today.”
“I’m perfectly able to handle the shop for four hours.”
It was really almost five hours until we closed, but I didn’t want to argue with my aunt. She had that look. “Okay then. I need to do laundry and some house cleaning. I guess I’ll see you Tuesday.”
My aunt nodded. “Mary and I are heading into the city for some shopping on Monday. Which reminds me, I told her I’d send her over one of these green cheesecakes we have left over. Hold on and I’ll box it up for you. She’s out shopping right now, so it would have to be after four. Can you get it t
o her then? She wants to serve it for evening treats for her guests.”
I thought about my busy schedule. Which had exactly zip on it until Monday morning, when I needed to open the shop. And I did owe my aunt a favor after delaying her lunch. “Sure. Not a problem. I’ll take it home and set an alarm so I remember to come back into town. Since Greg’s on a case, maybe I’ll eat at the diner tonight so I don’t have to cook again.”
“Making tacos isn’t really cooking.” My aunt boxed up the green mint cheesecake with chocolate drizzled over the top, and my mouth watered. Sadie had really done it this time. I could attest that this cheesecake was heaven. I’d had probably eaten almost half of a full one since they’d been delivered last Monday.
I didn’t want to disagree with my aunt, but tacos were one of my main go-to dishes when I cooked. They were easy, and if Greg was held up at work, they reheated well. I decided not to make my point and took the box from her. “I’ll deliver it right at four this afternoon.”
“Make it fifteen after. Mary’s usually running a few minutes late.”
I hid my grin until after I’d left the shop. My aunt’s version of “on time” was at least ten minutes early. Mary was always five minutes late. That was probably why the two of them stayed friends over so many years. They balanced each other.
I hurried home and put the cheesecake into the fridge. Then I started a load of laundry. I looked around the kitchen. It wasn’t that dirty. The notebook where I’d put my investigation notes sat on the table, beckoning me. I glanced at Emma, who had just come back in from her tour of the backyard. We’d already run today, but maybe a walk on the beach wouldn’t be out of line. I had eaten a lot of cheesecake this week.
I pulled on my walking shoes and grabbed her leash. I swear she smiled as I clicked it on. Before we left the house, I put a large baggie into the back pocket of my jeans. Just in case I found the CBM cup.
The weather was beautiful. Seventy-something degrees. The sun was shining, but not baking like it did on a summer afternoon. And I had the entire beach to myself. Well, except for a few gulls. And I thought I saw some sea lions sunning themselves farther down the coast. We wouldn’t get too close. They could be aggressive, and Emma didn’t like them anyway. Something about a large lump of gray mammal got her on edge. I couldn’t blame her.
We casually walked toward the area that Toby had cordoned off last night. The breeze had broken the crime-scene tape, and it flopped in the wind. Greg would send someone down tomorrow to clean up the area once he made sure they’d gotten everything they needed. Crime-scene techs must have come in from Bakerstown sometime last night because I saw a few unclaimed markers in the sand.
I stood outside the marked-off area and took my phone out of my pocket. I snapped several pictures from several angles, but it just looked like a cliff and a beach. Nothing besides the crime scene tape showed that a woman’s life had ended here less than twenty-four hours ago. And, worse, there was no CBM cup lying on the sand.
Emma nudged my leg, wondering why we were just standing. I leaned down and patted her head. “Sorry, girl. I guess I went off on a wild-goose chase.”
We headed back to the house. Either the cup had blown away or someone had picked it up. Or Alana could have thrown it away anywhere between here and Diamond Lille’s. I just hoped if someone had picked it up, that someone was either Toby or the crew of crime-scene techs. I mean, it was their job, right?
I decided to leave the investigating to the professionals and headed home to get some reading in before I had leave to take Mary her cheesecake.
Chapter 6
Darla sat on my front porch typing something on her smartphone. She grinned when she saw me coming up the driveway. Emma woofed a greeting. She liked Darla. Well, Emma liked almost everyone. “I was just texting you. I’ve got some blanks to fill in on your timeline.”
“You realize you should be telling this to Greg and not me, right?” I was trying to hold on to my resolve. I’d only made the promise to myself a few minutes ago, standing on the shifting sand of the beach. But it had been genuine. Still, the universe must want me to work on this, or Darla wouldn’t be here. I didn’t often use the universe as an excuse for my bad behavior, but this seemed like the right time to do it. I climbed the stairs and opened the door. “Come on in. Do you want something to drink?”
“Iced tea would be great.” Darla followed me into the kitchen, ignoring my question. She plopped into one of the seats at the table. Pulling my open notebook over, she studied the timeline. “Looks like you’ve gotten a lot further since we talked.”
I poured the tea. “I guess. I’m just following her through her day. It’s making me kind of sad. actually.”
“She accepted Moon’s proposal at the diner?” Darla looked up from my notes. “Whoa, now that’s a new development. No one else has said anything like that.”
“I know. Isn’t it the worst? She finally says yes, even though he’s not Irish, and then her life is over. Like poof.” I set the two glasses on the table with a box of cookies I’d brought home for the party yesterday. I examined one of the chocolate chip ones and took a big bite. “This definitely wouldn’t be a romance if this story was a novel.”
“I do like my romance stories. Especially the ones with Highlanders. There’s nothing sexier than a man in a kilt.” Darla pulled out her phone and took a picture of my timeline. “I need to hurry up. I still need to finish the story for tomorrow’s paper. The Gazette is putting out a special edition this week, just on the murder. The winery opens at five today for Sunday customers. Although I believe we’ll be a little slow today, so I should be able to finish it while I’m working.”
“We were dead at the coffee shop. Any tourists who are still in town must have been asleep.” I took back my timeline and tapped my pen on it. “So you got your info. What about mine?”
“Since talking to Tilly was a complete bust, I called the bartender who worked that shift. Jenn says that one of the couples was fighting outside. The man had gone to the restroom, and when he came out, the woman pulled him out the back door. Jenn could see them in the patio area because we have cameras out there so they can watch to make sure the customers are getting service.” Darla shrugged. “It felt a little big brother to me, but I have to say revenue has gone up from the patio tables.”
“Sounds like a good system. So was it Alana and Moon who were fighting?” I made notes about the winery stop as she told me the story.
Darla shrugged. “I’m not sure. Well, I guess I am sure it wasn’t Alana. Jenn had seen the picture in the paper this morning, and although she remembers Alana being at the winery, she wasn’t the woman who pulled this guy outside to yell at him.”
“So it had to be Carla. Carla and the other guy were fighting when they dropped the bikes off too. Mostly about money. The guy was ticked that Alana hadn’t brought her bike back with them to close out the rental.” I frowned, looking at the timeline. “So what could they have been fighting about before they even rented the bikes?”
“Some couples just fight.” Darla stood and grabbed two more cookies. “I know, you’re shocked, being in the perfect relationship with Greg. But I see couples at their worse. They get a few too many into them, and every slight becomes a big deal. I don’t know why they even stay together.”
In my opinion, alcohol never brought out the best in people. Especially a lot of alcohol. “Maybe…”
Darla went on as if she hadn’t heard me. “And I found out who the third guy was. He’s a local. Jen says he lives down the highway near Bakerstown. His name is Keith Anderson. That piece of information I already sent Greg. Although I don’t think he’s killer material. The guy teaches at the elementary school.” Darla stood and tucked her notebook into her oversized tote.
“I’ve heard of teachers being arrested for murder.” I was trying to think of one example, but I couldn’t quickly find one.
“Yeah, but this guy teaches fifth graders and coaches pee-wee football.” Darla grinned. “And he teaches Sunday school and helps with his church’s Boy Scout troop. I wouldn’t be surprised if someone tells a story about him helping old ladies cross the street.”
“You’re saying he’s Mr. Perfect.”
Darla shrugged the tote’s strap onto her shoulder. “If he’s not, I don’t know who is. Greg’s stopping by the guy’s place today to interview him. I’ve agreed to keep names and innuendos out of my article. Even though it pains me to hold on to anything.”
“I bet he appreciated that.” I grinned. Darla was always preaching about the free press and her responsibility to the newspaper-reading public, but deep down, she knew not to release something that might ruin someone’s life. Especially if he was innocent. “Thanks for stopping by. I’ll look forward to your article tomorrow.”
“Thanks, doll. If you find out anything before six, call me. That’s the deadline for this week’s paper, and I’m taking advantage of every minute to find out all I can.” Darla made her way out of the house, and I stood by the door, watching her drive away.
One couple had been fighting. The other had been celebrating the most precious moment in their lives, an engagement. Talk about opposites. I glanced at my watch. If I left now, I should be just a little early to drop off the cheesecake to Mary.
I let Emma out for a bit before I left. I set my tote and the box with the cheesecake on the table, then checked my hair in the downstairs bathroom mirror. I reset the messy ponytail, knowing the wind would have me looking like I hadn’t done anything by the time I reached town, but at least I tried.
As I walked toward town, I thought about Alana. I hoped Greg found her killer soon. The girl deserved to have someone watch out for her. Dustin Austin was sunning himself in a lawn chair outside his shop in his usual Hawaiian shirt and cargo shorts. He had his head leaned back, a pair of John Lennon shades over his eyes, and his long gray hair was done in his usual braid down the back of his neck. I paused, trying to decide if he was asleep or awake when he spoke and startled me.
