by Amber Crewes
“Look at the string lights,” Meghan murmured as they passed beneath a canopy of lights. “It’s so romantic, Jack.”
Jack winked. “My grandparents got engaged beneath that canopy of lights nearly sixty years ago. This festival is just full of tradition.”
“And look at the booths. They all look like little castles, Jack. It’s so sweet.”
“You look the sweetest as the queen of the hot chocolate castle, Meghan. It’s adorable watching you enjoy yourself.”
Jack and Meghan walked past a mural that had been painted just for the festival. “This is lovely, Jack,” Megan said. “I just wish it could be the festival forever.”
Jack nodded. “It goes by so quickly. I love having something to look forward to after Halloween, and the festival committee does a great job putting it all together.”
Meghan squeezed Jack’s hand and shivered. It was a bitterly cold night; the cool winds were rolling in off of the Pacific Ocean and tearing through the town, and Meghan wished she had worn another sweater beneath her winter coat.
“Are you cold?” Jack asked Meghan as she shook. “Here, come closer to me.”
Meghan’s heart warmed as Jack pulled her close and wrapped an arm around her. “I’ll keep you warm, Meghan Truman,” Jack murmured as he leaned in and gave Meghan a small kiss on the lips.
“Hey, you kids.”
Meghan and Jack turned to see Sally Sheridan, an elderly resident of Sandy Bay. She was known for her grumpiness, and Meghan groaned as Mrs. Sheridan approached, waving her cane up and down as she hobbled over to Jack and Meghan.
“That’s enough of that kissing in public,” Mrs. Sheridan lectured. “This is a family event, and we don’t need that here.”
Meghan and Jack nodded solemnly, but as Mrs. Sheridan walked away, Jack snuck another kiss. “Don’t tell Mrs. Sheridan,” Jack whispered as Meghan giggled.
The couple wandered through the rows of exhibits, both marveling at the decorations and the trinkets for sale. “This place has never looked more magical,” Meghan breathed as she glanced up at the string lights twinkling above her. “And it smells wonderful. Sandy Bay really knows how to put on a party.”
“Yes, we do,” Jack agreed. “Hey, Meghan? It’s nearly eight; isn’t it your turn to run the chocolate booth?”
Meghan nodded. “Thanks for the reminder, Jack. It’s my last shift, and I’m almost late. I will see you later?”
Jack grinned, and Meghan gave him a sweet kiss on the cheek. “Surely Mrs. Sheridan can’t object to that,” Meghan joked as she waved goodbye to Jack and walked to the hot chocolate booth.
“There you are,” Kirsty said as Meghan approached. “We’ve been waiting for you.”
“I’m not late,” Meghan protested as she looked at the town clock tower in the distance. “The clock says it isn’t even time yet, Kirsty.”
“The early bird gets the worm, Meghan,” Kirsty responded daintily as she held up her chin. “Anyway, I wanted to let you know that because it’s the last night of the festival, we will just be giving away these last batches of hot chocolate. We’ve made so much money this week, and I’m comfortable letting the town have this treat.”
Meghan smiled. “Great idea, Kirsty.”
Meghan stepped into the booth and donned her apron. “Kirsty? Where is Jacqueline? Isn’t she on this last shift with me?”
Kirsty shrugged. “She was assigned to work tonight, but I don’t see her anywhere….”
Meghan scanned the crowd in front of the booth. She pulled out her cell phone to see if Jacqueline had called, but all she had was a missed call from Trudy, her assistant. “I haven’t heard from her….”
Kirsty bit her lip. “Do you think you can manage here by yourself?”
Meghan casually waved her hand. “No problem,” she answered. “Kirsty, I can do it. If Jacqueline shows up, she can help, if not, I can hold the fort in her absence.”
“Well, if it gets too crazy, give me a shout,” Kirsty said as she walked to the door. “Thanks again, Meghan. Enjoy.”
Meghan happily manned the hot chocolate booth, enjoying the look of surprise on everyone’s face as Meghan informed them the hot chocolate was free. After a half hour in the booth, Meghan heard an announcement, and she turned to face the mainstage of the festival, peering at the structure from the little window of the booth.
“Good evening, everyone. My name is Tom Rose, and I am the proud Mayor of Sandy Bay,” called out a tall, handsome blonde man from the center of the stage.
“Mayor Rose,” Meghan said as she paused her hot chocolate making. “I haven’t had the chance to meet him, yet. I’m excited to hear him speak.”
“It’s been a true treat watching everyone enjoy their time during the festival this week. Kirsty Fisher, we know that this could not have happened without you. Everyone give Kirsty a round of applause.”
As the audience clapped, a man stumbled into the crowd standing just in front of the main stage. People turned to each other in confusion as the man bumped into people. The crowd backed away, mothers pulling their children into their arms and people looking annoyed at the man who had fallen to the ground.
“What is going on?” Meghan wondered as she squinted out of the window.
“Sir?” Mayor Rose asked. “Sir? Are you alright? Can we get some security in here? We have a man who is running into people and stumbling about. I think he may have had too much hot chocolate tonight.”
The crowd gave a good-natured chuckle, and Meghan saw Jack approach the stumbling man. Before Jack could reach him, the man collapsed, falling motionless to the ground.
“Security? Ahhh, Detective Irvin, can you help our friend, here?” Mayor Rose said softly into the microphone as Jack bent down to check on the man.
Meghan saw the color drain from Jack’s face as he touched the man’s wrist. Jack placed a hand on the man’s forehead, and then reached for the walkie-talkie in his back pocket. He pulled it to his mouth and spoke into it, his face frantic. Meghan saw his mouth move, and she wondered what was going on.
“Detective Irvin?” Mayor Rose asked.
Jack rose to his feet. “He’s dead,” Jack informed the mayor as the crowd began to scream. “This man is dead, Mayor Rose.”
4
As the autumn winds howled outside, Meghan snuggled in her warm bed with Fiesta and Siesta resting on her lap. She nervously plucked a stray thread from her plum-colored turtleneck, wishing she had not been present to see the man fall over dead at the festival. As Meghan recounted the evening, she felt tears brim in her eyes; Jack had jumped straight into the investigation of the man’s death, and many people at the festival were interviewed, including Meghan. She had finally arrived home at nearly two in the morning, and after the intense questioning, Meghan was exhausted.
“I can’t believe no one knew who he was,” Meghan murmured to Fiesta as the dog licked her cheek.
The dead man was a stranger to Sandy Bay; no one knew who he was, or why he was in town. The police had already begun to flood the town’s social media outlets with pictures of the man, asking for any information to help identify him, and Meghan could not ignore the deep sense of dread in her stomach each time the man’s face flashed before her eyes as she browsed through her phone.
“If they show another picture of this man again on the internet, I am going to have nightmares,” Meghan fretted as an alert flashed across her screen.
The next morning, as Meghan was cleaning tables in the dining area of the bakery, she heard the familiar chime of bells, alerting her that someone had entered her shop. She looked up to find Kayley Kane, a local real estate agent.
“Can’t believe what happened at the festival,” Kayley said as she examined the counter filled with fresh pastries. “It’s like we can never get a quiet stretch in this town.”
Meghan yawned. “I know, Kayley,” she agreed. “When I decided to move here, I didn’t expect a small town in the Pacific Northwest to have so much action.”
At the end of the workday, Meghan realized she was running low on eggs. “Trudy?” Meghan called to her assistant.
“Yes, Meghan?” Trudy replied.
“We’re low on eggs. I need six dozen to start prepping the treats for the morning breakfast crowds. Do you mind running to the grocery?”
Trudy frowned. “I have a doctor’s appointment, remember? I need to get out of here early today.”
Meghan shrugged. “I’ll go. It’s fine. I will run out right now and will be back to send you off to your appointment in fifteen minutes or so.”
“Thanks, Meghan,” Trudy said gratefully. “I’ll see you in a bit.”
A few minutes later, Meghan arrived at the grocery and fetched the eggs, but just as she was leaving, she heard shouting in the aisle behind her. Kirsty Fisher was screaming, and Meghan left her cart at the checkout line to see what was the matter.
“You will not cancel future fall festivals,” Kirsty declared as she glared at Mayor Rose. Meghan peered around the corner, her mouth agape.
“Kirsty,” Mayor Rose said cautiously. “Someone died at the last festival! Public safety is of the utmost concern to me, and if cancelling the festival will save lives here, then so be it.”
“Do you not understand how much I give to this town?” Kirsty asked, pointing a finger at the mayor and then driving it into his chest. “I give and give and give, and my favorite event to put on is this festival. You can’t take this away from me because some stranger happened to die at the event. It’s preposterous.”
Meghan’s heart beat quickly in her chest as she watched the mayor’s face darken. “Take your finger off of me,” he ordered Kirsty as she narrowed her eyes. “Ms. Fisher, I happen to have an excellent attorney who will go to town with the news that Kirsty Fisher assaulted the mayor in public. I advise you to step back and get yourself together. I have not decided for sure if we will cancel future fall festivals, but if you have an issue with that, you may make an appointment at the courthouse like everyone else does.”
Kirsty folded her arms across her chest. “I don’t see what the point of cancelling the festival would be,” she continued. “One little misfortune should not ruin things for everyone, Mayor Rose.”
The Mayor’s jaw dropped. “Kirsty, listen to yourself. Someone died at the fall festival, and you are more concerned about throwing your event. I’m surprised at you.”
Kirsty rolled her eyes. “Well, I’m surprised at you. For someone who begs Sandy Bay residents to participate in town events, and for someone who begged my ex-husband and me for financial support during his reelection campaign, I am shocked that you are open to the idea of cancelling my fall festival. But, if you want to bring your lawyer into this, then I can too. I’ll be calling your office first thing in the morning, Mayor Rose, and don’t think that I won’t.”
Meghan watched as Kirsty held her head high and stormed out of the grocery store. The other patrons were staring at the mayor, and Meghan could hear their whispers as she returned to her cart.
“That fall festival should be cancelled. Someone died! Kirsty Fisher is so selfish.”
“We can’t cancel the festival. That festival is a town event, and it has been for over a hundred years.”
“We have enough festivals in this town. Let’s just get rid of this one.”
“That man is dead, and all Kirsty can talk about is her event? That’s shameful.”
Meghan paid for her eggs and walked home, the tight, hot feeling of dread growing in the pit of her stomach. She felt anxious as she ventured back to the bakery, shuddering at every shadow and cringing at any unexpected noises. “Kayley was right,” Meghan muttered to herself as she recounted the altercation between Kirsty and the Mayor. “It’s like we can never get a quiet stretch in this town, that’s for sure.”
5
“I just wish someone would identify him,” Jack complained to Meghan as they sipped on tea at the bakery. “How can no one know who he is?”
Meghan nodded, stirring her earl grey tea with a little silver spoon. “It’s a shame,” she said sadly. “Can you imagine if one of your loved ones had died and no one told you? He must have someone out there who loved him and needs to mourn him. It’s just terrible.”
“We’ve spoken to nearly everyone in town, too,” Jack told Meghan. “Almost everyone in Sandy Bay was out and about that night, and no one seems to know anything.”
Meghan thought back to the night of the man’s death. She remembered her shift in the hot chocolate booth, and then, she recalled Jacqueline’s absence.
“Do you guys think it was a murder?” Meghan asked Jack, her body growing cold.
Jack paused. “We don’t know yet,” he admitted as Meghan’s eyes widened. “But his death was so odd; no one noticed him before he stumbled into that crowd, and then, before we all knew it, he was dead.”
Meghan pursed her lips. She didn’t know if Jacqueline was connected to the man’s death, but it did seem odd that she hadn’t shown up to her shift. Meghan had even called Jacqueline the next day, and Jacqueline did not respond.
Jack glanced at his watch and nearly fell out of his chair. “Oh no,” he murmured as he rose from the table. “It’s past my lunch break, Meghan. I talked for too long. This case just has me feeling frustrated. I really hate that no one has come forward to provide information about this guy. Thanks for listening to me.”
“Any time, Jack,” Meghan replied sweetly as she also rose from the table. She leaned up to give Jack a little kiss on the cheek. “I’m glad you spent your lunch hour with me. It was good to see you.”
“Of course,” Jack said as he put an arm around Meghan. “Seeing you makes my day, Meghan.”
Later that afternoon, Meghan paid a visit to Jacqueline’s salon. She had been thinking about the man’s death, and she wanted to see if Jacqueline had the answers the police were looking for.
“Hello?” Meghan called as she walked inside. She tugged on Fiesta and Siesta’s leashes; she had brought the dogs along for company, but they were now hopelessly tangled around Meghan’s legs.
“Meghan?” Jacqueline called out as she emerged from the back of the salon. “What are you doing here?”
Meghan smiled. “You didn’t show up to the hot chocolate booth,” she explained. “I was worried about you, and with that man dropping dead….”
“Oh my,” Jacqueline said as she fanned her face dramatically. “When I heard that news, I was so happy I stayed away that night. With those rough crowds in town for the festival, I can’t say I’m surprised something happened. I’m just terrified someone is going to break into my salon again!”
Meghan tied the dogs’ leashes to a chair and let them play, settling into a salon chair and spinning around to face Jacqueline. “Can I ask why you stayed away that night? We were supposed to run the booth together, Jacqueline.”
Jacqueline paused, and Meghan saw her face darken. “It’s really none of your business,” Jacqueline snipped at Meghan.
Meghan folded her arms across her chest. “I’m just curious, Jacqueline. A man turns up dead on the night you bail on our hot chocolate booth? It just seems strange.”
Jacqueline glared at Meghan. “You want to know where I was? Fine! I’ll tell you. I flew home to my parents in Memphis to ask them for some money. My business is not picking up, and I needed some assistance. I have my flight records if you want to see them, Meghan.”
Meghan’s heart sank as Jacqueline burst into tears. “I’m sorry I intruded,” Meghan said softly, walking over to Jacqueline and placing a hand on her shoulder. “Forgive me. I didn’t mean to be callous, Jacqueline.”
Jacqueline blew her nose on her sleeve. “I just want to make something of myself, you know? I want to gr
ow this business and make it something huge.”
Meghan nodded. “I get it,” she said, running a hand through her long, wavy hair. “Growing a business from the ground up is difficult, but know that you’re doing good work here, Jacqueline. I told you that you gave me the best hair I’ve ever had. Just believe in yourself and your dream.”
“Thanks,” Jacqueline said, wiping her tears and smiling weakly at Meghan. “I’m sorry I snapped at you. I’m just a little embarrassed at having to borrow money, and I didn’t know what to say.”
“It’s all good,” Meghan replied, throwing her arms around Jacqueline. “Just keep working hard and believe in yourself. It will all get better, I promise.”
