Here Comes the Fudge

by Nancy CoCo

  “It’s a deal,” Liz said.

  “I don’t need to be walked like some little child,” Frances protested.

  I took a hold of her arm and put it in the crook of mine. “We know that, but there’s a killer on the loose and it’s better to be safe than sorry. Besides, Douglas would never forgive me if you walked home alone.”

  Frances made a face but allowed us to walk her.

  “Not a lot of gossip going on at Joan’s house,” I said.

  “There’s not a lot of information about what happened to Christopher,” Liz said. “The police are really keeping this quiet.”

  “They must not think the killer is a threat to anyone else,” Frances said. She glanced at me. “They must think it really was Shane who did it.”

  “Oh, come on,” I protested. “We all know that Shane would never snap and start stabbing people.”

  “So Christopher was stabbed to death?” Liz asked.

  It was my turn to give her a look. “That wasn’t announced in the police press release?”

  “No,” Liz said. “They listed the cause of death as not yet known but believed to be homicide. How do you know he was stabbed to death?”

  “It’s just a guess on my part,” I backpedaled. “When we found Shane—”

  “Who’s ‘we’?” Liz asked.

  “I’m assuming this is all on the record,” I replied.

  “It is,” Liz said.

  “Then I don’t think I should say anything more,” I said. “Rex is going to kill me for telling you as much as I did.”

  “Look,” Liz cajoled. “It’s all got to come out sometime.”

  “Later is better than sooner in this case,” I said. “Go bug the police if you want to know more.”

  Liz’s mouth flattened in disappointment. “I thought we were friends.”

  “We are,” I said. “But I’ve been told in very blunt terms to stay out of this one.”

  “I know you’re not,” she said. “I’ve been talking to Carol Tunisian.”

  “Well, then, quote her,” I said and waved my hand as if to say go ahead. “She knows everything anyway.”

  “I wanted a second source,” Liz said. “Carol can tend to embellish things.”

  “Now that’s true,” Frances said as we arrived at the McMurphy. All the lights were on and a feeling of satisfied warmth at how beautiful the place looked spread through me. I loved my family’s hotel and fudge shop. It was nice to bring it back to its original condition. Thankfully, I’d had help from family photos and the historical society archives.

  Douglas waited by the fire, Mal in his lap and Mella curled up on the top of the wing-backed chair he occupied. He stood when we entered and let Mal down. She ran toward us and stopped short a few feet away so she could slide over the wood floors and hit me in the shins.

  “How was Joan?” Douglas asked as he kissed Frances.

  “She seems out of it,” she said. “But I suspect it’s still a shock. She’s not as hardy as Maggs.”

  “I’m glad I went,” I said. “Most of the ladies were there.”

  “Shall we go home and get some dinner of our own?” Douglas asked Frances.

  “Certainly,” she said and looked at Liz and me. “Don’t do anything stupid.”

  “We won’t,” we both said at the same time.

  We watched Douglas and Frances leave. “Do you still want that cocoa?” I asked Liz.

  “Sure,” she said.

  “Want to come up to my place and get it? I do make a mean homemade cocoa.”

  “I suppose that means we can talk freely,” Liz said and followed me up the stairs. I unlocked my apartment and Mal and Mella squeezed by us to be the first ones inside. Mella went to her closet, while Mal danced around Liz’s feet.

  I grabbed a saucepan and made cocoa while Liz sat on a barstool across from the kitchen island.

  “This place looks great,” she said. “I love the paint colors.”

  “Thanks. I like soft colors,” I said. “It keeps the place feeling light and bright.”

  “I always wondered what it would be like to live in a brand-new home,” Liz said. “I inherited the cottage from my parents, who inherited it from my grandparents. It’s why my grandfather Angus lives there with me.”

  “How is Angus doing?” I asked. He’d gotten sick last fall and was in a nursing home in Cheboygan throughout the winter.

  “He’s much better,” Liz said and leaned her elbows on my soapstone island top. “In fact, he came home yesterday. It will be good for him to be here for the season. He loves the hustle and bustle of the tourists and the clip-clop of the horses as they come and go.”

  “I’m glad he’s doing better,” I said. “That’s great news.” I stirred the cocoa in the saucepan to heat it gently. “Listen, I need to place an ad for a new assistant fudge maker. Can I do that tomorrow?”

  “For this week’s paper?”

  “Yes,” I said. “I need them asap so that they don’t all get snatched up by the other fudge shops on the island.”

  “Sure,” Liz said. “Are you going to tell me what you know about Christopher’s death?”

  “I’m sure Carol told you everything,” I said.

  “She does like to spin a tale,” Liz said. “She embellished with a full moon and a ghoulish Shane standing over Christopher with a knife in his hand that was dripping blood.”

  I had a sudden flashback to finding Shane in the alley. Carol’s embellishments weren’t too far off. I turned off the stove, grabbed two mugs, and set them on the island. Then I poured cocoa from the pan into each mug, added marshmallows, gave the first mug to Liz, and picked up my own. “Let’s sit in the living area.”

  “Your new couch is pretty comfy,” she said as she sat with her cocoa in hand. Mella jumped up to sit between Liz and me.

  “I like the velvet covering,” I said and ran my free hand along the nap of the back of the couch. “It’s also easy to clean, which is a good thing because I have pets.”

  “How is Shane?” she asked and sipped her cocoa.

  “I’m not sure,” I said and wrapped my hands around my warm mug. “He’s not talking.”

  “He never was much of a talker,” Liz said. “Not shy, just keeps his opinions to himself.”

  “He’s not even talking to Jenn much right now,” I said. “And their wedding is next weekend.”

  “That’s not good,” Liz said. “As her bridesmaid, I’m concerned.”

  “Me, too.” I nodded my agreement. “So, what are you going to write for the paper?”

  “I need to talk with Rex,” she said. “I don’t have enough details yet to go into depth. But you will give me the whole story once a killer is arrested, right?”

  “Sure,” I said. “Now, let’s talk bridesmaids. Do you need to get your dress fitted? I’ve got an appointment for Jenn to get a final fitting at Sara Grant’s house. Because we are the only bridesmaids, we need to look really elegant. Victorian elegance is her theme, you know.”

  “I’m surprised she’s doing it at the Arch and not in a church then,” Liz said.

  “Jenn loves the color of the natural stone arch and wanted it as a backdrop for her ceremony. Douglas is making a gorgeous rectangular trellis. We’re going to decorate it with blush-colored flowers.”

  “When is the fitting?” Liz asked.

  “Tomorrow at two p.m. Shall I put you down as well?”

  “Might as well,” Liz said. “Then we can see what we look like all together.”

  For our bridesmaid dresses, we both got to pick out the style of pink or blush knee-length dress we wanted. Then the seamstress had created long, sheer overskirts made of the same lace as the skirt of Jenn’s ball gown. The overskirts were full length. Then we were to wear a nude shoe. The idea was that we could use the dresses for events after the wedding. The long overskirts made them match for the wedding. I personally loved the idea of a sheer floor-length skirt over my dress. It certainly took a simple blush dress to ano
ther level. We finished our cocoa as Mal curled up in a ball between us sleeping.

  “I should get going,” Liz said and stood. “I’ve got a police officer to interview.”

  I glanced at my watch. It was ten-thirty. “Kind of late for that, isn’t it?”

  “As Grandpa Agnus likes to say, ‘Got to keep him on his toes,’” Liz said and gave me a quick hug. “I’ll keep you posted on what I find out.”

  “Thanks,” I said and walked her to the back door of my apartment. “Rex and Shane are trying to keep me out of trouble.”

  Liz laughed. “As if anyone could.”

  Chapter 7

  Monday

  I was up at five a.m. the next morning making fudge. I had a heavy load of online orders, plus, with the ferries running regularly now, we had more tourists coming, so I liked to keep my fudge shop display cabinet full. It was a good strategy because most days I sold out.

  I thought a long time about why Shane might have missed his dinner with Jenn and how he ended up in that alley. I would have guessed that Becky texted him and asked him to meet her. That would make sense, but the fact that he hadn’t texted Jenn that he would be late meant that theory was probably untrue.

  It seemed the only way to crack the case would be to figure out what Shane did from the time he left the ferry. So I would start with the ferry crew. The first ferry came in at ten a.m.

  Frances and Douglas got to the McMurphy at eight a.m. I had a few hours to pack my fudge and prepare my questions.

  I had my questions ready and had finished packaging up my online orders when Frances stuck her head into the shop. “Good morning,” she said. “Looks like you have a lot of online orders.”

  “It’s record-setting,” I said. “And that’s something, considering that Christmas is high season for fudge.”

  “We have a cart in the basement if you want to use it,” Frances said. “I don’t see how you’re going to carry all those boxes without one.”

  “I was going to make trips,” I said. “But a cart would be perfect.”

  “I’ll have Douglas go down and get it.” She went to Douglas, who was at the coffee bar making them both a cup. I watched him nod and go down to the basement. He came back with a nice foldable cart, brought it to me, and unfolded it.

  “Do you need help loading it?” he asked.

  “The cart? No, no thanks. How’s the arbor going?”

  “It’s done,” he said. “I’m going to take it to the florist’s. They’re going to put the flowers on it twenty-four hours ahead of time and then bring it to the park the day of the wedding.”

  “Sounds great, thanks,” I said.

  Mal barked and I glanced up to see what she was looking at. It was Jenn, coming down the left-hand steps. She was dressed in jeans and a boatneck sweater. Mal went running. Jenn picked her up and gave her pets.

  “Good morning, Jenn,” Frances said.

  “Hey all,” Jenn said. She was strangely okay, considering her fiancé wasn’t speaking to her.

  I loaded the cartons and called to her. “Jenn.” She came over and stood in the doorway. “What’s on your plate today?”

  “I’ve got a lot of people to check up on for the Wilkins wedding,” she said. “They decided to go with a cake from the Grander Hotel.”

  “That’s good,” I said. “It helps when we can give business to locals. Don’t forget we have fittings at two p.m. today.”

  “Oh right,” Jenn said absently. She made a note on her smartwatch. “Thanks for the reminder.”

  “Hey,” I said and caught her arm. “Are you okay?”

  “I’m fine.” She grimaced. “Trying to pretend it’s going to be all right. I mean, it is going to be all right, isn’t it?”

  “Yes, it is,” I said and patted her arm.

  “I’ve got to run over to Tallulah’s Gifts and More. She’s got some gorgeous beachy centerpieces that light up to put on the tables.”

  “Okay,” I said. “Has Shane said anything more to you about that night?”

  “No,” she said, her mouth forming a thin line. “He seems to want to pretend it never happened.”

  “Don’t worry,” I said and patted her arm again. “We’re going to figure this out before Rex arrests him and ruins your wedding.”

  “I can’t even think about the nightmare that would be.” She hugged herself and rubbed her forearms.

  “I won’t let that happen and Rex won’t, either,” I said. “Don’t you worry.”

  “I keep trying to push worrying thoughts away,” Jenn said. “Shane and I are going to meet for dinner again. This time at our renovation cottage. I’m going to pick up dinner from the Irish Steakhouse and he’s going to bring lanterns and a blanket.”

  “Sounds like fun,” I said.

  “It’s a good thing there’s a fireplace because we don’t have heat yet and the nights are still a bit cool.”

  “Yes, I think thirty-four degrees Fahrenheit would be chilly to have dinner in,” I said, putting on my jacket and grabbing the cart handle. “Well, everyone, I’m off to shipping. Frances, how many guests do we have coming in today?”

  “We have five,” she said. “I’ve got them all on the second floor.”

  “Thanks!” I said and pulled the cart out the door while Jenn held it open for me. She went her way on Main toward the fort and I went in the opposite direction to the shipping store. I was texting Rex to see if there were any updates when I ran smack into a well-muscled chest. “Oops, sorry,” I said and removed my hand from it.

  It was the very handsome Harry Winston. “You do have a habit of running into me,” he said as his eyes sparkled.

  The heat of a blush reached my cheeks. “I guess I shouldn’t text and walk at the same time,” I said. “How long have you been back on the island?” Harry had left after Christmas to help his parents move to Florida.

  “I got in on Friday,” he said. “I’ve been opening up the bed and breakfast, airing it out and looking at what needs to be done first.”

  “I was in that boat last year when my Papa Liam passed on and I had to open the McMurphy all by myself. Then I took on the challenge of a remodel. It was tough, but I got it done before the June first season opening.”

  “So you think I’ll be fine,” he stated.

  “I do,” I said with a smile.

  “I’ve seen your remodel and it’s impressive,” he said. “Why don’t you come by the bed and breakfast and take a look at mine. I’d like to get another hotelier’s take on what else needs to be done.”

  “Sure, what time?” I asked.

  “Say four-thirty today?”

  “I have a dress fitting for my best friend Jenn’s wedding, but that’s earlier in the afternoon. You met Jenn, right?”

  “Yeah,” he said. “Gorgeous girl, long straight hair and legs for miles.”

  “That’s her,” I said, trying not to be jealous. “She’s marrying Shane Carpenter.”

  “The CSU guy,” he said. “Right?”

  “Very good,” I said. “I’ve got to get these packages to the shipping store before the morning mail flight goes out. See you at four-thirty?”

  “See you, then,” he said and walked away. He wore jeans that hugged his backside and a black T-shirt that showed off his muscles. It was chilly enough that I needed a jacket, but he seemed to be perfectly comfortable.

  I turned back toward the shipping office before I ran into someone else. My thoughts went to this time last year, when Papa Liam died and I was left on my own to make the McMurphy work. I’d been so proud to get approved to bring the lobby back to its original Victorian look. After this fall’s fiasco, I was able to save what I’d done in the lobby, but the third and fourth floors had to be completely rebuilt.

  By the time I arrived, the shipping store was bustling with people who were dropping off and picking up packages. I waited in line until I got to Sandy Seacrest. “Hi Sandy, you look busy,” I said.

  “It’s the first week of the season,�
�� she said. “Historically one of our busier times.” She spotted all my boxes of fudge. “Looks like this is your busy time as well.” Sandy was an older woman with white hair and turquoise streaks. She was a librarian and bought the shipping store after she retired for something to keep her busy.

  “I think word is spreading about our fudge,” I said as I placed the boxes on the counter.

  Watching her put labels on the boxes and mark them in, I wondered if she might know something about Shane. Sometimes if you ask new people questions, you get better answers, or at least clearer ones. “Did you hear about Christopher Harris?”

  “I did. Such a shame,” she said. “He was a very nice guy. The world needs all the nice guys it can get these days.”

  “Was he connected to Shane at all?” I asked. “I mean, they probably knew each other, but was it more than a passing acquaintance?”

  “They were in the same grade,” Sandy said and tucked her hair behind her ears. “But while Christopher lived on the island and went to the island public school, Shane went to St. Ignace. They were in all the same sports, so I think it would be fair to say they had a friendly rivalry.”

  “But nothing adverse,” I said.

  “No, everyone around here gets along for the most part,” she said.

  Of course, my experience was different because I’d seen some pretty terrible murders in the last year. One would think the tourists would be the ones doing it, but so far it was mostly islanders.

  I shook away my thoughts, paid for the shipping, and dragged my cart out the door. Ahead of me, walking down the sidewalk, I saw Shane. Maybe if I got him alone, he’d let something slip. I hurried to catch up with him. “Hi, Shane,” I said as I got close to him.

  He glanced at me. “Allie, how are you?”

  “I’m good; big orders today and then Jenn, Liz, and I are getting our final dress fittings this afternoon. How are things with you? Are you on a case? I mean, you’re usually in St. Ignace on a workday.”

  “I’m on suspension,” he said. “Until they find whoever killed Christopher Harris.” He kept walking, and I walked with him.

  “Even though you did nothing wrong?” I asked.

  He peered at me through his thick glasses with their black frame. “How do you know I’m not guilty?”