by Emmie Lyn
I nodded and looked at Dani. A quick twitch of her eyebrows back at me made me assume she thought Ashley’s story was as full of holes as I did. Why then did Officer Walker cuff Tilly and take her to the police station?
I stood up. “Thanks, Ashley. This has been helpful in this difficult time.” I sniffled again and hoped it didn’t sound too fake to her.
“I only wish I’d been able to help your friend, but I was too afraid to barge in.”
“How would you have helped? Do you have a gun or something like that?” I asked.
“Oh, no, I’m afraid of guns.” She giggled like a preteen. “I’ve never told anyone else this, but I have a knack for accidentally on purpose bumping into Hitch. I kind of like him, and I like to see him and talk to him whenever I can. I wonder now, if I’d bumped into Tilly, maybe she would have changed her mind and not gone inside. And then that poor woman would be alive now.”
Okay. Ashley sounded more and more like a stalker. I doubted there was anything true about her story except maybe she did see Tilly go inside. But, the rest? I’d bet my new business that it was all fabricated by an obsessed woman looking for attention. Most likely, Hitch’s attention.
“I’m curious, Ashley,” I said. “Did you see Mr. Hitchner when he got home? He found the body, didn’t he?”
“I’m kicking myself that I decided to take a shower and ended up missing all the excitement. By the time I stepped out of my shower and got dressed, the police were in his apartment. I don’t know where he was. I never saw him come home or leave.”
Ashley was a completely unreliable witness, so why did Mick take Tilly to the police station?
“Thanks for your time. We can let ourselves out.”
I knew it sounded abrupt, but I couldn’t get away from her fast enough. Unfortunately, she walked us to the door. When she put her hand on my arm, my skin tingled like I’d reached into a patch of stinging nettles.
“Do you think I’m safe here?” Ashley asked. “What if there’s not enough evidence to keep that murderer locked up? Do you think she’ll come here and kill me if she finds out I heard that stuff through the wall?”
“First, Ashley, everyone is innocent until proven guilty so I’m not sure that the person you’ve accused is the murderer.”
Ashley’s mouth fell open. “You don’t believe me?”
“Let’s put it this way. There are a few gaps in your story. But I do believe you heard something and that does put you in danger. You should absolutely be concerned that you could be a target. If the killer finds out that you’ve been blabbing about hearing what you claim you’ve heard, you’re in serious danger.”
I pulled my arm away from her claw-like grip.
Her eyes narrowed like something had just clicked in her brain. “You aren’t really Ginger’s friends, are you? I’ve seen you around town. Why did you come here?”
“We’re looking for the truth, Ashley. And the killer. And you’d better hope someone finds that person before they find you.”
Dani, Pip, and I walked out. I heard the distinct sound of the door slamming closed and the lock clicking.
“That was harsh, Sunny. But I think you’re right about her being in trouble.”
I slid onto the passenger seat of Dani’s MG, patted my lap, and waited for Pip to settle in. When Dani pulled away from the curb, I said, “It doesn’t matter what we think. It’s what the killer believes that puts Ashley in danger.”
“True. It’s shocking that she never considered that angle. I wonder what she’ll do now.”
I had a pretty good idea. She’d play on Hitch’s good nature and ask him to protect her.
18
“Dani, do you have time to swing by the police station?” I asked as we moved into traffic. “After listening to Ashley’s ridiculous account of what she thinks happened, I want to find out what’s going on with Tilly. It doesn’t sound like Mick has much of anything to keep her.”
Dani grinned at me like a co-conspirator. “You read my mind. I’ve got all day to help you track down leads if that’s your plan and you want my help,” she said. “Pip and I have done stuff like this a few times before, don’t forget.”
Looking at Dani Mackenzie, with her mass of auburn curls cascading around her face, I was reminded of exactly how clever she was when she’d rescued me. I couldn’t be luckier to have her at my side when Hitch and I worked on any sleuthing activities.
Dani reached over and fluffed Pip’s ears. “What do you think, Pipster? You did some sniffing around Ashley’s apartment. Did you find anything interesting?”
Pip yipped and wagged her tail.
“Right,” Dani said. “No kitty or doggy odors for you to investigate. I don’t think Ashley will be stopping at your Kitty Castle to adopt one of the fur balls. But I wouldn’t count her out of stopping in to cause trouble.”
I straightened Pip’s lavender bandana which, ironically, was covered with kittens. “I have a strict adoption application, then a home visit before any kitten leaves my care. Ashley definitely does not fit the bill even if she wanted one of the kittens. I mean, it was a dungeon in her apartment. Do you think she ever opens the curtains?”
Dani tossed me a side-eye before returning her concentration to the road. “I think she likes to spy on her neighbor, and it works better if she keeps the curtains open just a crack for her spying. Are you going to let Hitch know about her obsession?”
“You have to ask? Of course, I will! He’s not a fan of her anyway, and maybe now he’ll keep as far away as possible.”
Dani nudged my arm. “He’s awfully handsome with those green eyes and chiseled jaw.”
I felt my cheeks heat up. I suspected that Dani had seen enough to know that Hitch and I had a complicated relationship. Heck, I couldn’t even understand it, so how could she?
“Don’t worry, I’m not going to grill you about what is or isn’t going on between you and Hitch. I’m just saying I think he’s a great friend and business partner for you. If it turns into something else? Don’t fight it.” She grinned at me knowingly. “Now, where’s the police station?”
Oh, right, I’d spaced out thinking about Hitch. “Turn left here and you’ll see it up ahead.”
Dani zipped around the corner forcing me to catch Pip as she lost her balance and fell into my lap.
“Sorry, Pipsqueak. Crazy driver at the wheel,” Dani said like she was enjoying this whole adventure.
I pointed to the police station. “There! And there’s Tilly, looking fresh as a daisy. I don’t know why I ever worry about her. She can talk her way out of a paper bag or getting locked up. Whichever comes first. Is she waiting for a ride?”
Dani screeched to a stop. I jammed one hand on the dashboard, bracing myself as I tightened my hold on Pip.
“Well, someone has ESP.” Tilly said as she gave a little wave and put her phone away. “I didn’t even make a call yet.” She opened the door and looked at the cramped space behind the MG’s seats. “You expect me to squish in there? My stuffed teddy bear would be cramped.”
“What? You love to brag about what good shape you’re in,” I said forcing myself to keep a straight face but knowing I’d lose this argument.
“I don’t think so, Sunny. I’m seventy and you’re what? Barely thirty? You get in the back, and I’ll sit up front with the Pipsqueak.”
Pip jumped out, and I huffed and rolled my eyes like I was extremely put out, but Dani and Tilly only laughed at me.
“Quit with the drama queen act, Sunny. It doesn’t suit you at all,” Tilly said once I’d stuffed myself sideways into the space meant for a small suitcase and not a hundred-and-twenty-pound female. After she was comfortable in the passenger seat with Pip, Tilly tightened her scarf around her hair and looked at Dani. “Ready to roll. Show me what this sports car of yours can do.”
Dani laughed, and I silently prayed that we’d make it safely back to Shakes and Cakes. Why did I put my life in the hands of these women who pretended they were dr
iving on a racetrack?
“I can’t risk getting pulled over,” Dani said. “I think I’ve used up all my warnings.”
That gave me a little bit of relief that I wasn’t about to become a statistic in the next fifteen minutes. She did, however, leave the parking lot with enough spin of the tires that Tilly raised her arms and shouted with glee.
“Freedom!”
I leaned between the two front seats hoping to get to the reason for Tilly’s trip to the police station. “What happened? Why did Mick cuff you?”
Tilly leaned sideways and said over her shoulder, “That man is a fool. The problem was that I told him and, big surprise, he didn’t like it. What can I say? Truth hurts.” She shrugged as if her trip to the pokey was just a little blip in her day. “And then, when I put my hands on his chest and blocked him from going into Shakes and Cakes, you should have seen his face, Sunny. It almost burst into a million pieces. He managed to hiss that I’d gone too far. Hey, I only wanted to keep him from becoming a big nuisance while you were trying to get ready to open for business. It worked, too.”
“Thanks?” Was I glad about what she’d done or should I worry about her rogue tendencies? Not like I had a say in the matter.
“The best part of being at the police station,” Tilly said, looking me in the eye. She probably was afraid I’d tuned her out, but she had my attention. “I overheard some interesting conversations about Ginger’s murder. Mind you, it was only snippets here and there, but I heard Carla’s husband, Greg’s name mentioned several times. I don’t know what it means, but I know his behavior set off my alarm bells and apparently he is now on the police radar as a person of interest.”
“Dani and I talked to Hitch’s neighbor, Ashley.” I said, thinking about alarm bells.
“Oh, I forgot all about her. That was the official reason Mick used to take me to the police station. He said she’d identified me going into Hitch’s house. What did she tell you two?”
“A story full of holes.” I shifted as much as possible in my cramped space but nothing I did made me more comfortable. “I believe that she saw you go inside but she really wasn’t paying attention to anyone going in or out after that. She made a snack in her kitchen and took a shower so anything could have happened. She did say that she heard someone scream, ‘What are you doing here?’ That’s possibly true, but who was it? While Greg was driving to the Little Dog Diner, he said he saw Ginger walking on the side of the road. Did he follow her?”
Dani’s head whipped around to look at me. “This person of interest was at the Little Dog Diner yesterday? It was so busy, I probably wouldn’t remember even if I’d seen him.”
She turned into the Shakes and Cakes parking lot. “I’m still trying to figure out how Ginger got into Hitch’s apartment in the first place.”
“I don’t know,” I said. “But, when Hitch and I got to his apartment, the door was unlocked. Very unlike Hitch to forget to lock up.”
“Maybe I forgot to lock it when I left,” Tilly said. “I’ve done that before.”
“So, here’s what we have.” I ticked off the series of events. “Tilly went to Hitch’s apartment. Ashley saw her go in, When Tilly left, she forgot to lock the door. Ginger walked to Hitch’s apartment and let herself in. Ashley saw her go in.” I looked at Dani and Tilly.
“With the door unlocked, anyone could have followed her inside,” I said.
19
I waited for Tilly to get out of Dani’s car before I managed to unfold my body enough to squeeze myself out on to the sidewalk. It took a lot of grunts and groans, but I finally stretched all the kinks out.
“Geesh, Sunny,” Tilly said, “you sound like an old lady.”
I gave her a nasty glare. “Next time it’s you back there if you think it’s so comfy.”
Hitch saw us and jogged over. He pushed some stray hairs out of my face and tucked them behind my ears. “You look a little windblown. Did you have a nice ride in Dani’s convertible?”
Tilly snorted. “Sunny’s a little ornery since she was in that back space. You might want to give her some time to cool off.”
To his credit, he put his arm around my shoulder and gave me a hug. I rested in the crook of his strong arm and inhaled an aroma of chocolate mixed with coffee. Yum. If a ride squished in the back of Dani’s MG got me this kind of extra attention from Hitch, I’d do it again without complaining.
Tilly brushed her fingers through her windblown hair and fixed her scarf back in place. “Hitch,” she said before I had a chance to query him, “what’s happened around here since I got carted away?”
Before he answered, Hitch whispered, “I’m glad you’re back.” His breath tickled my neck, and I shivered delightfully. He turned to Tilly. “It’s been wild. Violet’s girlfriends showed up and parked themselves in the greenhouse with her. I don’t know how much attention they actually paid to the kittens, but Conrad checked occasionally and said everything seemed fine. Greg arrived about a half hour ago, and he’s been sitting by himself in the corner of the shop, staring at nothing.”
“Carla let him sit alone?” I asked, assuming she’d have a tighter grip on him now more than ever.
“Well, she comes out every five minutes and tries to sweet talk him, but he just grumbles something I can’t hear, and she goes back to the greenhouse looking like a whipped puppy.”
I was glad to see people leaving Shakes and Cakes with bags of pastries, tall drink cups, and beautiful orchids while more customers arrived and went inside. Regardless of the drama playing out behind the scenes, our business continued as if everything was normal.
“Ready to go inside, Sunshine?” Hitch asked. “I told Conrad I’d be right back.”
“You bet I am, and the first thing I plan to do is talk to Greg. Tilly said she heard his name mentioned several times while she was in the police station.” I looked at Tilly and Dani. “Can you two help Hitch for a bit?”
“Of course,” they both said as one.
Once we got inside, I headed straight for Greg. I didn’t expect an invitation to join him, so I pulled out a chair and sat down. His shirt was wrinkled, and he hadn’t shaved. But worse than that was the blank expression around his red-rimmed eyes.
“Greg,” I said and tapped my finger on his arm.
He lifted his eyes to meet mine like it was the hardest movement he’d ever made. “You know,” he said. “I should have stopped and given Ginger a ride yesterday when I saw her on the road.”
I patted his hand like we were friends, even though I wasn’t even sure if he remembered seeing me at Violet’s house yesterday. “How could you have known what was going to happen.” Or, did he?
“I suppose that’s true, but I’m also not surprised.”
My heart beat faster as I wondered where this conversation was going. Was he about to confess to something? I looked around our shop. I was glad people were close by, and I wasn’t alone with this man. He seemed to be holding some dark secret.
“Why?” I asked.
“Ginger is… was…” he dropped his head onto his hands.
“Ginger was what?”
He lifted his head, his steely eyes boring into me. He let out a kind of manic sound. “She was someone with the kind of personality that could pull you close. Do you know what I mean?”
I nodded, not sure I did but wanting him to continue.
“Then boom.” He slammed his hand on the table. I jumped. “She’d discard you like a piece of trash.”
I didn’t have to ask if he was talking about himself; it was more than obvious. Instead, I said, “Ginger came here yesterday morning looking for protection. Do you have any idea who she was afraid of?”
“She came here? You knew her?” His eyes closed into suspicious slits.
“No, I never met her before, but she’d met my partner in New York. She wanted his help.”
I heard footsteps approaching.
“Greg! Pull yourself together.” Carla stood, with her hands on her hips
, glaring at her husband. “You’re acting like you lost your best friend when we all know that Ginger didn’t want anything to do with you. Now, this may sound harsh, but we don’t want to just sit around moping all day, so we’ve decided to still go on the Blueberry Bay boat tour and you’re coming with us.”
Greg pushed himself off his chair. “You’ve decided you don’t want to sit around and mope? My goodness that shows Ginger the respect she deserves. But, why am I surprised? You all pretended to like each other when in reality you couldn’t wait to gossip and throw knives at each other’s backs as fast as you could pick them up.”
Was it my imagination, or did Carla stamp her foot? “I don’t know what’s gotten into you, Greg. I know you and Ginger were close in the past, but that was years ago.”
“Listen, Carla,” he sneered. “I didn’t want to come this weekend. You nagged and said it would be a nice romantic weekend for us. You made me feel guilty. A romantic weekend? Ha. What a joke. All you do is giggle and preen and watch my every move. I don’t want anything to do with you or your girlfriends. I’m going to get my stuff from the Bayside Bed and Breakfast and I’ll find another place to stay.” He stepped around her and walked out.
Awkward!
Carla stood frozen in place. Her mouth hung open as red bloomed from her neck to her forehead. Was she embarrassed or angry?
“I’m gonna kill him,” she muttered.
I put my money on embarrassed and hoped she wasn’t serious about the killing part.
But what did I know?
Did Greg need to be warned?
20
Carla looked at me, all remnants of her normally bubbly manner long gone. “What are you staring at?”
“Are you okay?” I asked, ignoring her hostility.
“Of course, I’m not okay.” She scanned the shop area, to cool down I think, “My friend is dead. My husband just walked out on me and, I’m afraid he might be a murderer.”
