Crumbling Up Crooks

by Emmie Lyn

  Kelly had been flapping her mouth open and closed as she kept trying to interrupt me. Now she clamped it tight.

  “That’s what I thought,” I said. “You both kind of sort of suspect each other. For very good reasons, I might add, and Jane won’t have one bit of trouble jumping to that conclusion, too. Unless,” I added, “we can figure out who really wanted Nick North dead.

  I pulled into the driveway next to the Little Dog Diner. The snowbanks on either side dwarfed the MG. That was exactly why Rose and I had made the decision to close the diner from December until we reopened for Valentine’s Day. With only a trickle of tourists, we decided our time was better spent preparing for my wedding, honeymoon, and getting Rose’s apartment all ship shape.

  Of course, this murder was never part of the plan, but life often throws in curve balls. So, first things first—figure out who wanted Nick dead. Easy- peasy, right? Then Luke and I could celebrate our wedding the way we planned.

  I held Kelly’s arm when she attempted to get out of the car. “So, what are you going to do next? March across the street and demand Jane tell you what’s going on? Or, come into the diner while I pack up cookies and we go across the street together with a sweet Christmas surprise?”

  Poor Kelly. Looking at her with her strawberry blonde hair framing her porcelain skin and Christmas light earrings dangling on each side of her face, I couldn’t help thinking how she’d poured her heart and soul into making this open house at Creative Designs a success. And now? Who knew what was next.

  “I’ll come with you and say as little as possible.” She said the right words, but could she follow through?

  All I could do was hope, as I gave myself a little virtual pat on my back for convincing her that less is more. “Good. Let’s go get the cookies.” I sounded much more upbeat than I felt because there was no way to know what Jane had already figured out.

  I could only hope that I wasn’t about to lead Kelly straight into an arrest.

  8

  We arrived at the Little Dog Diner just as Lily finished sorting her beautiful Christmas cookies into multiple packages. With Nick North, the main attraction for the open house dead, the cookies would have to find new homes.

  That wouldn’t be a problem.

  “You know, Lil,” I said. “We could serve the cookies at my wedding. No sense letting them go to waste.” I tried to keep a positive outlook. I didn’t want this murder to throw my wedding plans into a catastrophic death spiral.

  Lily gave me her are-you-crazy look. “How about we serve them at your Christmas day honeymoon sendoff instead. I already have your wedding cake planned. These cookies, well, they just aren’t fancy enough in my opinion.”

  I guess I had to agree, especially since the cookies were forever connected to a murder in my mind.

  Maggie rushed into the diner, slamming the door behind her. “Heads up, everyone. It looks like Detective Winter is coming this way.” She pulled Radar out of the pocket of her coat. “Since I’m going back to Sea Breeze, I thought I’d bring Radar along. Is that okay?”

  It was a brilliant idea. “You should stop at AJ’s house and get his kitten, too,” I said. “Two fluff balls and a box of cookies should help to pull him out of his funk.”

  “The only problem is, I need some help in the car to keep them from climbing all over me while I’m driving.” Maggie looked at Lily with a pleading expression. “Want to help me corral the kittens?”

  “Who wouldn’t say yes to a request like that? I’m definitely your kitty cat corralling companion.” Lily, with a big smile on her face, picked up a box and held it over her head. “With cookies for consuming.”

  “Oh, please. Enough with the alliteration.” I shook my head and laughed. I also wished I was going with them instead of waiting with Kelly for Jane to arrive. Ugh.

  Lily winked at me as she walked by. “Good luck with you know who. And do whatever you need to do with the boxes of cookies. Hope they help.”

  “Thanks, Lil.”

  Just as they were leaving, Jane arrived, shivering in her uniform overcoat and stamping the snow from her boots. Maggie made a big deal of opening the door and ushering Jane inside with a sweep of her arm. “We are on our way out, nothing personal, so don’t take offense, Detective. By the way, how’s the investigation going?” she asked, probably just to be annoying.

  Jane ignored the question and waited for Maggie and Lily to leave before she strolled to the counter. She unbuttoned her coat and sat next to Kelly.

  Kelly shifted as far away from Jane as possible and her eyes darted around the diner, landing on everything but the detective. I guess I’d be nervous in her shoes too, but it certainly made her look guilty of something.

  “I almost gave up waiting for you to return to your shop, Kelly. Where have you been?” Jane asked.

  It was a loaded question for sure and while I waited for Kelly’s reply, I set a few cookies on a plate and slid them close to Jane.

  “Would you like something to go with these cookies Lily made this morning? Nothing like a steaming cup of coffee to help warm you up on a day like this.” I wasn’t sure anything would warm up the icy personality of Detective Winter, but it was worth a try.

  Jane picked up one of the reindeer-shaped cookies and broke it in half. I flinched. “Interesting shape.”

  “Standard for this time of year—reindeer and Christmas trees,” I said, trying to sound festive instead of morbid. “Everyone loves them.”

  “A cup of coffee would be great.” Jane put the broken cookie back on the plate without even enjoying a nibble, which worried me. “Kelly, you’re awfully quiet considering what happened in your shop this morning.”

  “Yes. A tragic situation. I’m not sure what there is to say.” Kelly answered without looking at Jane.

  So far, so good, I thought.

  “Let’s start with… oh I don’t know… when did you arrive at your store this morning?” Jane fished a black leather notebook from one of the deep pockets of her coat and held a pen ready to jot down notes.

  “I guess it was around eight. I like to have time to get organized before I open, but with the open house, I gave myself more time than usual. I wanted the shop to be perfect for tonight.”

  “Yeah, about that. Perfection’s impossible. There won’t be any open house happening tonight, or for the foreseeable future.”

  Kelly nodded. What else could she do?

  Jane picked up half of the broken cookie and stuffed it in her mouth, then washed it down with coffee. This delay only heightened the already high level of anxiety in the diner. I wanted to scream at her to get her show on the road and get going, but of course, I had to bite my tongue and be patient. Not something I was particularly good at. I busied myself by wiping the counter of nonexistent crumbs.

  “What time did Nick North show up at your shop, Kelly?”

  “He was already there, setting up, when I arrived. I’d left the back door open for him.”

  “And did anyone come with him?”

  Kelly shook her head. “He was alone. I helped him carry the rest of the boxes in through the back door of the shop.”

  I liked how Kelly snuck in the information about the back door at Creative Designs. It meant anyone, including the killer, could have gone in and out that way.

  Jane jotted all that information down in her notebook, leaned back, and crossed her arms.

  “Okay, moving on, what time did AJ arrive?”

  “Well, I’d asked him if he could be at the store while I did some last-minute errands. I didn’t think it was proper to leave Nick in the store alone. AJ arrived around eight-thirty.”

  Jane narrowed her eyes. “Let me get this straight. You arrived at eight, Nick North arrived sometime before you, alone, and AJ arrived at eight-thirty. Is that accurate?”

  “Within five or ten minutes, yes. I’m not exactly sure to the minute.”

  “Did anyone else come into your store either through the front door or the back door?
”

  Kelly glanced at me. “I knew Dani was coming to pick up her wedding rings, but she hadn’t arrived by the time I left.”

  Jane ate the other half of the reindeer cookie and drank more coffee. What the heck was she doing? How hard was it to just ask the questions for crying out loud?

  “You have something to add, Dani?”

  Great, what part of that thought had I said out loud? Apparently, I’d stuck my foot in my mouth, so I decided to jump right to the point. “Actually, I do. What do you know about Nick North? Does he have enemies?”

  Jane smiled; a sinister type of grin that made my skin crawl a little with apprehension. “I was getting to that but since you brought it up, maybe I’ll just jump ahead now and ask Kelly how AJ and Nick got along. From what I understand, the two of them weren’t particularly close, to put it kindly. Is that right, Kelly?”

  I could tell from Kelly’s reluctance to answer that she didn’t want to agree. But she couldn’t lie about AJ’s feelings, either. For all she knew, AJ had voiced his dislike to Jane at some point while they were working together.

  How would we ever mange to get AJ out of this tsunami of trouble racing straight at him?

  9

  Detective Winter made a big deal about slamming her little black notebook closed and tucking it and her pen into her coat pocket. “One last question, Kelly,” she asked after she’d slid off the stool at the counter. “Did you know about the alleged accusation against Nick North that he stole all the items he brought to your store from another artist?”

  I cringed. No secrets in this town.

  “Yes. It just recently came to my attention.”

  “And, by any chance, did you ask Nick about this allegation?”

  “Yes,” she said again. Although this time it sounded like she had to force the word out.

  “I wonder, was it this morning that you asked him?”

  I held my breath during this rapid-fire question and answer interrogation. Would Kelly lose her temper and say something she shouldn’t?

  “Yes.” Kelly swiveled on the stool to face Detective Winter. “He denied it.”

  “You believed his denial?”

  Kelly seemed to freeze without answering.

  I walked around the counter and stood next to her.

  “Now that you ask, Detective, it makes me wonder. If the accusation is true, it would be a motive for Harry Glassman to murder Nick North,” I said feeling like I’d successfully moved the focus off of Kelly and AJ onto the person I believed Jane should put under a microscope.

  Jane turned her glare to me. “Not that I asked for your opinion, but since you felt the need to butt in, I’d say it gives both Kelly and AJ a motive to murder Nick North. And, they were both at the shop.” With that statement, she made a perfect pivot and left the diner. A chill settled where she’d been standing.

  A loud rap on the door made us both look in that direction. I don’t know about Kelly, but I wondered if Jane was returning, maybe to say just kidding or something equally implausible. Pip dashed to the door with her stubby tail wagging and her friendly I-know-who-it-is yip.

  It wasn’t Jane. Instead I saw the smiling face of my friend, Sue Ellen Baer, as she sashayed inside dressed in her long red wool coat, white knitted hat with green Christmas trees, and red leather boots.

  “What was Detective Winter in here for? Some iced coffee to go with her frosty personality? She didn’t even say hello, never mind a cordial nod of her head when we passed each other. Now, could I beg you for some coffee and maybe a teeny tiny sweet treat?” Sue Ellen graced us with a wide smile.

  I couldn’t help but chuckle at Sue Ellen’s description of the detective while I fixed her a mug of coffee just how she liked it—black.

  “Oh, bless your heart, Danielle, and aren’t these the most adorable Christmas cookies I’ve ever seen. Lily’s been hard at work, I guess.” Sue Ellen helped herself to a reindeer, taking no time to make it disappear.

  “Now, tell me the latest. Something has to be going on.” She finally seemed to notice Kelly sitting stone-like at the counter. “Kelly? Why are you here and not getting ready for that amazing open house tonight? I can’t wait to see Nick North’s Christmas collection. I left a special spot in my living room to create a magical, twinkling scene with his glass reindeer and trees. I’m sure they’ll sell out quickly.” She bit into another cookie, looked at me, and raised her eyebrows. “Well?”

  “The open house is canceled, Sue Ellen.” Kelly couldn’t have sounded sadder if she’d tried.

  “What are you talking about?” Sue Ellen looked at me for clarification but didn’t wait to hear an explanation. “Everyone is looking forward to this event. Misty Harbor needs a distraction from the cold winter weather. What better way than a gathering in your gallery with music, delicious desserts, and a refreshing glass of bubbly, of course. I can’t wait to browse the incredible collection of fine craftsmanship you’ll have for sale.”

  I could tell Kelly was in no shape to explain the situation, so I took over. “Here’s the problem, Sue Ellen. Nick North was murdered. At Creative Designs.”

  Sue Ellen’s hand flew to cover her mouth. Fortunately, she’d just managed to swallow before a fountain off black coffee could spew across the counter.

  “Murdered? That’s why Detective Winter was here? And, silly me, I thought she came over for a quick chat with you wonderful girls.”

  She thoughtfully devoured a Christmas tree cookie. Then she grinned like she’d just solved every problem in the whole of Blueberry Bay. “I have the perfect solution, Kelly. Since the diner is closed, how about,” she looked at the two of us with a satisfied chuckle, “we move your open house across the street and set it up right here? I know it won’t be the same, but at least everyone who planned to go to your open house can get their mind off this terrible tragedy and enjoy Lily’s delicious baking. “

  You could have heard a cookie drop. Move the party? Once Sue Ellen got started, you couldn’t stop her.

  “I’ll provide the drinks,” she said, her enthusiasm rising, “both hot and cold. Somehow, we’ll have to sweet talk the detective into letting you pack up your inventory to bring along—Kelly’s traveling shop. I mean, with Christmas right around the corner, people need someplace to get unique handcrafted gifts, right? What do you girls think?”

  She dabbed a few crumbs off the corner of her mouth with her red handkerchief, ready for action.

  Kelly stared at Sue Ellen with her mouth open. Apparently, she wasn’t used to Sue Ellen’s energy, quick thinking, and generous nature.

  Sue Ellen rarely surprised me anymore. I thought the idea was fabulous. “All it will take,” I said, my excitement matching Sue Ellen’s, “is a sign with an arrow telling people to walk from Creative Designs, across the street to the Little Dog Diner. Let’s go talk to Detective Winter, right now.”

  “What about AJ?” Sue Ellen asked. “He’s so much easier to work with. Especially since we’re talking about helping his own sister. He’d never have the nerve to say no.”

  “He’s off the case,” I said. “He was at the store when Nick was murdered.”

  Sue Ellen flicked her wrist like she was batting a snowflake away. “AJ could no more kill someone than I could.” She eyed me quickly so I knew she remembered how I’d suspected her once before but that was all in the past. “Where is he now?”

  “At Sea Breeze, still feeling sorry for himself, I imagine,” Kelly said showing no sympathy for her brother.

  Sue Ellen slid off the stool. “Come on, Dani. We’re marching right across the street to have a word with Detective Winter. You too, Kelly. It’s time you stand up for your rights.”

  This would be interesting. Sue Ellen who didn’t take no for an answer against a detective who was a woman who wouldn’t tolerate anyone questioning her decisions.

  I grabbed a box of cookies. No sense in leaving this delicious bribe behind. Even if Jane wasn’t interested, I was sure the rest of the invest
igating team would love a snack. “Are you coming, Kelly?”

  “Yes. Of course, I am.” Her voice gained a strength I hadn’t heard all day. “Now that all the drama has settled a bit, I’m ready to head into the fire. I know I didn’t kill Nick, so I have to stop acting like I’m hiding something.”

  She bundled herself up while I did the same. I attached Pip’s leash, not wanting her to get in the way. We had to fly under the radar and convince Detective Winter to let Sue Ellen move forward with this alternate plan for Kelly’s open house. It wouldn’t be the same. Not even close. But it would be a distraction and, who knew… maybe we’d learn some interesting details from the people in attendance.

  Let the show begin.

  10

  Creative Designs bustled with activity, just not the kind that usually filled Kelly’s gallery. Fortunately, almost everyone was hard at work in the back room and didn’t see us bribing the policeman at the door with Lily’s Christmas cookies to let us inside. It probably helped that he was a good friend of AJ’s. I suspected, he wasn’t overly fond of Detective Winter, but that was just a hunch.

  Sue Ellen marched inside first. “That wasn’t so hard now, was it?” she said as she looked at all the stunning displays. “This is amazing, Kelly. I love all the little twinkling lights that make the reds and greens pop out everywhere. And your silver shimmery icicles? Just gorgeous.” She leaned close to Kelly’s ear and whispered, “So, where’d you find the body?”

  “Dani found him. In the back room,” Kelly said. “I’d already left on some errands. AJ had come to watch the store for me.”

  That elicited a raised eyebrow from Sue Ellen. I could see pieces falling into place in her mind that explained why AJ was off the case.

  Before we could find Detective Winter, Pip apparently had exhausted her store of patience and good manners and lunged toward the back room. She timed her escape for when I least expected it, but Sue Ellen made a leap to corral her, only to trip on the leash and crash to the floor. Pip bounded off with her leash trailing behind and disappeared into the back room.