A Food and Wine Club Mystery Boxset Books 1 through 5

by Cat Chandler

  “What?” Alex shot a confused look at Nicki.

  The former restaurant chef leaned slightly forward. “Who do the police think it is?”

  Gin gave a furtive look around the cafe before she dropped her voice until it was barely above a whisper. “Brad. They had him at the station all afternoon yesterday, and Chief Thomas called earlier and wanted him to come back. He even sent a squad car to pick him up.” Gin twisted the Kleenex in her hand. “I’m sure at least one of the neighbors saw it, and it will be all over town that Brad killed Robin when he didn’t. I know he didn’t. We thought someone had shot Robin before we all came into work yesterday morning, but the chief said he was killed the night before.”

  “Well if Brad was with you that night, then there shouldn’t be any problem.” Alex nodded.

  “But he wasn’t. And the chief already knows that.” Gin set her mouth into a stubborn line. “I would have sworn he was, too, if the chief hadn’t asked us all those questions yesterday. ‘Just routine’, he’d said. Claimed he was asking everyone the same thing.” Gin’s chin quivered as her voice broke into a sob. “And Brad told him that he’d gone out running. He always goes out running at night. He says it helps to clear his head so he can sleep better.”

  Alex looked over at Nicki, her sudden worry clearly reflected in her eyes.

  “When did Brad go running?” Nicki asked.

  “About the same time he always does. Around nine thirty. He’s only gone an hour, and we live a good five miles from the business. He couldn’t have run all that way, killed Robin, and then run home again.” Gin reached across the table and captured one of Nicki’s hands.

  “Can you help us?”

  Nicki glanced from her over to Alex, who only sent her back a helpless look of her own.

  “Gin, I don’t know what I can do.

  “Alex has told me about all the murders you’ve solved,” Gin said. “I’m sure you can solve this one too.”

  “I know how hard this is,” Nicki said gently. “But I’m not a detective, and I was just lucky I could be helpful on those other cases.”

  “It was more than luck,” Alex declared, then scrunched her face up when Nicki sent her an exasperated look.

  “See?” Gin squeezed Nicki’s hand. “Alex thinks you can help too.” She turned and looked at her friend. “Don’t you?”

  “Well, I…” Alex glanced at Nicki. “That is I…”

  Afraid that Alex just might agree if only to make Gin feel better, Nicki quickly cut in over the doctor’s stammer. “I had lots of help, Gin, and most of those people aren’t here.”

  “Yet,” Alex put in. She shrugged when Nicki glared at her. “They aren’t here yet, but they will be soon.”

  “Oh good!” Gin sounded as if she’d just been thrown a lifeline.

  “And most of that help,” Nicki went on, “was from the chief of police. I don’t think that will happen here.”

  “It might. Chief Thomas will listen to you, I know he will.”

  Nicki sighed at the sudden turnaround in Gin’s opinion of the local police chief.

  “If you help me, I promise to get Alex’s wedding put together without a hitch. But I’ll need Brad to do that. He’ll have to see to the food while I work on the wedding cake.” Gin straightened up in her seat. “I can do it. But not without Brad’s help. And he can’t help if he’s sitting in a jail cell.”

  The alarmed look on Alex’s face had Nicki suddenly worried.

  “Oh lord, she’s right.” Alex turned wide blue eyes on the woman sitting across from her. “If Brad’s in jail, we won’t have a baker or a caterer. Mom will go ballistic!” As if on cue, Alex’s phone went off. She took it out of her pocket and glanced at the text on the screen before leaning over the table and fixing a determined stare on Nicki. “And that’s Mom. I need something to tell her or I’m going to march upstairs, pack, and leave before she can track me down.”

  Nicki threw her hands up in surrender. “Fine. I’ll do what I can.” She did her own stare-down with Alex. “But everyone has to help. Deal?”

  “Deal,” Alex declared. She motioned for Gin to let her out. “Mom wants me to call her. Don’t anyone go anywhere until I get back.”

  “Where are we supposed to go?” Nicki grumbled. “I’m in a hotel with water on one side and nothing but trees on the other.”

  Gin produced her first smile. “It does take some getting used to.”

  When Alex disappeared out into the lobby, Nicki sighed. She didn’t think there was much she could do to help Gin, but she was willing to try. And hopefully that would be enough for Gin, and Alex’s mom. Since Gin still had hold of one of her hands, Nicki gave hers a supportive squeeze.

  “Tell me about the night Robin was killed. You said Brad always goes out running?” At Gin’s nod, Nicki’s brow wrinkled in thought. “Does he always go running at the same time?”

  “Pretty much,” Gin said quietly. “He’s done it ever since we were married four years ago. And before that too. It’s a habit he picked up in college.”

  “Do you know if he happened to mention that to Chief Thomas?” Nicki asked.

  Gin gave her a puzzled look. “Yes. He told the chief he went running last night.”

  “But did he tell him he goes running every night at about the same time? And has for years, so just about anyone in town would probably know that?”

  “Oh.” Gin was quiet for a moment and then her face brightened up. “Do you mean if someone else was trying to make Brad look guilty, he would pick the time that Brad always went running?”

  Nicki smiled. “Something like that. Did Brad always run the same route?”

  In less than a second, the catering manager was back to looking distressed. “I don’t know. He always took his cell phone with him so I’ve never asked him. I’ve always thought if he needed something, he could just call and tell me where he was.”

  If she were to go running in the dark, she’d sure tell someone where she was going, but maybe it was different if you grew up here. Nicki set that aside for a moment to ask a question she was absolutely sure Chief Thomas had put to Brad and Gin.

  “Were there any problems between Brad and Robin?”

  Gin’s gaze skipped past Nicki to look out onto the bay. “What do you mean?”

  Not sure what to make of the brunette’s odd reaction to a simple question, Nicki tried again. “Had they been having a disagreement or argument over anything?”

  “Just the usual business stuff,” Gin said. “You should really talk to Paul. He was Robin’s best friend for decades.” Gin’s mouth barely turned up at the corners in her attempt to smile. “And Lydia. She’s the second wife, and she and Robin have been enemies for decades.” Gin let out a short laugh. “Robin always claimed that Lydia is the reason he never wanted to get married again. I can text you Paul’s contact information, anyway. And I’m sure he could give you Lydia’s.”

  Gently disengaging her hand from Gin’s, Nicki leaned against the upholstered back of the booth. Her gaze remained steady on the catering manager’s face as she rattled off her cell number, remaining silent as Gin typed it into the contact list on her own phone.

  “I’ll send you Paul’s information as soon as I get to my office. I have it on a spreadsheet there,” Gin said. “And I’d better get back to work. You can imagine the anxiety among the staff and our clients.” Sighing, she tucked away her cell phone and gathered up her purse. “I’m so grateful to you, Nicki. I’m sure you’ll be able to help Brad.”

  Nicki hesitated for a moment before she returned Gin’s smile. “I hope so.”

  Chapter Eighty-One

  Alex walked back into the cafe and wordlessly slipped into the booth. She stared at the empty seat where Gin had been sitting before shifting her gaze to Nicki.

  “Where did Gin go?”

  “To work.” Nicki took a sip of her lukewarm coffee. “What did your mom have to say?”

  “She’s glad you’re going to try to keep Brad out
of jail, but she’s pretty much gone into full damage control.” Alex propped her elbows on the table and dropped her head into her hands. “Which means she has a whole day of errands planned, where we drop in on everyone and anyone who’s involved in putting this wedding together.” She lifted her gaze enough to peek at her watch. “Starting with a visit to the events manager here in the hotel in about ten minutes.”

  “That would be Amanda?” Nicki said, recalling the name the waitress had mentioned.

  “I guess so.” Alex’s tone was glum. “I tried calling Ty to vent about all of this, but he didn’t pick up.”

  “He’s probably busy arranging for more days off,” Nicki said.

  “We should have eloped,” Alex grumbled. “Then headed straight for a deserted island.”

  Alex already disliked the fuss of planning this wedding, and with her mother rushing into overdrive, Nicki wondered if her good friend was going to get through it without throwing in the towel and calling the whole thing off.

  “Jenna and Maxie will be here later today. We should all get together for dinner and have a brainstorming session on how to calm your mom down. Maxie’s always been great at that.” Nicki sighed with relief when Alex’s head came off her hands and she actually had a smile on her face.

  “Mom adores Maxie. If anyone can get her to see reason, Maxie can.” Alex flopped back against the bench seat. “Why didn’t I think of that?”

  “Because you’re the bride, and you have other things on your mind?” Nicki laughed.

  “Right now I’d be happy to trade places with you. Then you could be the bride and I could run around trying to solve a murder.” Alex rolled her shoulders back. “Speaking of which, when and where do you intend to start?”

  Nicki’s phone gave a loud ping.

  “Is that from Matt, I hope?” Alex craned her neck to try to get a look at the phone that Nicki had left lying on the table.

  Glancing down, Nicki shook her head. “Nope. It’s from Gin. It’s the contact information for Robin’s best friend.” Nicki squinted slightly as she read the message. “A Paul Franklin.”

  Alex nodded. “Franklin’s Floral Fantasies. Paul is doing the flowers for the wedding.”

  “Is there anyone in town who is not involved in this wedding?” Nicki doubted it. It seemed everyone she’d met had something to do with Alex and Ty’s big day. Even Sally had mentioned that she was always put “on alert” for any weddings so she could stock extra coffee for the next morning.

  “Doubtful.” Alex confirmed Nicki’s thoughts. “When are you going to pay him a visit?”

  “Hopefully today since you’ll be running all over town with your mom.”

  “Fortunately for me, the town isn’t that big,” Alex said dryly.

  Knowing Alex already had a lot on her mind, Nicki hesitated to ask her about Gin’s strange reaction. She finally decided to keep it to herself. At least for the moment. She hoped this “best friend” of Robin’s might know if there was any tension between the baker and his business partner.

  “Do you think the chief has already questioned this friend of Robin’s?”

  Nicki shook her head. “Chief Thomas said he had a whole list of people to talk to, and I’d guess Brad, the business partner, and Lydia, ex-wife number two, are at the top of that list.”

  Before Alex could respond, her phone beeped. She looked at the screen and sighed. “Mom’s in the lobby waiting for me.”

  “Go on. I’ll see you this afternoon.” Nicki shooed her friend away with a wave of her hand. “I’ll text you as soon as Jenna and Maxie get to the hotel.”

  “You’d better,” Alex warned. “I’ll need a serious pep talk by then.”

  It was barely an hour later when Nicki strolled down the boardwalk that was flanked by the bay on one side, and a long row of shops on the other. Each shop had two doors, one for the tourists enjoying a walk along the bay, and another at the other end for anyone preferring to use the sidewalk that ran along the main street of the town.

  She’d called Paul Franklin as soon as she’d seen a grumpy Alex off to meet her mom. Given the still early hour, Nicki had been surprised when Paul had answered the phone. He’d agreed to see her that morning, so Nicki had set the appointment for an hour later, which had given her plenty of time to walk the mile from the hotel into town.

  Franklin’s Floral Fantasies wasn’t a large shop, but the outside was both quaint and inviting with its light-blue shutters and wooden-clad veneer. The large window showcased a burst of color from all the arrangements on display. Nicki couldn’t help but stop to admire them. They ranged from the simple and whimsical, all the way to spectacular, reflecting the work of a true artist. At least when it came to flowers.

  A bell tinkled when Nicki walked through the door, and she was almost overpowered by the scents coming from every corner of the compact shop. A walk-in cooler took up most of one wall, and a long counter, with a cash register on one end, ran along the opposite side. A man with a big belly, balding head, and a splash of red across his cheeks, looked up at the sound of the bell. A friendly smile stretched from ear to ear as he skirted around the counter and came toward Nicki, one hand outstretched in front of him.

  “Hello, hello! You must be Nicki?” He gave her hand a vigorous shake. “I’m Paul. Welcome to my humble shop.” He tilted his head to one side as his smile grew even wider. “You said that you’re a friend of Ginger Ashton?”

  “Well, more of a friend of a friend,” Nicki admitted.

  “Are you planning your wedding by any chance?” He gave her a wink. “You’ll certainly be a beautiful bride.”

  Nicki felt herself blush as she shook her head. “Thank you, but no. I’m here for the Kolman-Roberts’ wedding.”

  She almost smiled at the suddenly cautious look on the florist’s face.

  “Ah, Nancy Kolman. Lovely woman, simply lovely.” He hesitated for a moment. “Is there something wrong with the flower arrangements? I can certainly accommodate any minor changes.”

  “No. I’m sure the flowers are fine.”

  He breathed an audible sigh of relief. “Wonderful! I know there have been a few issues with the cake.”

  Glad to have an opening to discuss the baker, Nicki smiled. “Gin told me that you’re good friends with Robin Boral, the owner of Robin’s Catering?

  Paul sighed. “We’ve been friends since we took our first breath. His company and my shop do all the weddings at the St. Armand. We’ve been working together ever since we both opened our doors.” He pursed his lips and made a humming noise. “That would be more than twenty-five years ago.”

  “A long time. You must have known each other very well.”

  “We did.” Paul’s forehead crinkled when Nicki raised an eyebrow. “Something tells me you already know about Robin being murdered, and you aren’t here to talk about flowers.”

  “Guilty,” Nicki said with a small apologetic smile. “What can you tell me about him?”

  “Oh, a great deal. I only have one chair in the shop, and I don’t have to open until I feel like it. One of the benefits of having your own business.” He shrugged, his head swiveling around is if he was looking for something. “Why don’t we go and sit on a nice bench looking out on the harbor, and I’ll tell you more than you probably want to hear about Robin.”

  It only took a few minutes for Paul to lock up his shop and guide Nicki to a bench not far away. Just as he’d promised, they had a wonderful view of the bay.

  “I never get tired of sitting here,” Paul said before he turned his head to look at Nicki. “Now, what would you like to know? Where was I at the time of the murder? Did Robin have any enemies or some kind of secret life?”

  Nicki waited until the florist had wound down before smiling at him. “Did he? Have any enemies, I mean.”

  Paul nodded. “Oh several. Robin had a big personality, and he tended to rub people the wrong way. He was also extremely stubborn, incredibly stubborn as a matter of fact, often to the point the
re was no reasoning with him. And he never, ever changed his opinion about anything, no matter how fair or logical an argument he was given.”

  Nicki was a little taken aback by the passion in Paul’s voice. “Did you argue with him often?”

  Paul gave a start and sucked in a deep breath before he shook his head. “No more than you’d expect between friends.”

  “What about his business partner?” Nicki asked quietly. “Did he argue a lot with Robin?”

  “Since Robin and I were no longer formal business partners, I assume you’re talking about Bradley Ashton?” At Nicki’s nod, Paul’s mouth turned down at the corners. “Bradley is a very nice young man, but an ambitious one. He helped Robin grow his company from a one-man shop to a full-service catering company, so I imagine he and Robin butted heads quite a bit. Robin also had words with the events manager at the hotel.”

  “Amanda?” Nicki asked.

  “Amanda Peterson,” Paul confirmed. “A wonderful woman, truly wonderful. But she can be just as stubborn as Robin. And he told me on a number of occasions that the two of them had exchanged some pretty serious words. But I’m sure it was nothing compared to the blowouts he’d had with Lydia.”

  “His second wife,” Nicki supplied.

  “That’s right.” Paul nodded. “The two of them were like oil and water from the first time they said ‘hello’ to each other. I have no idea why Robin married that woman, much less stay married for almost ten years.”

  Nicki tucked that tidbit of information away, then circled back to Paul’s relationship with Robin. After all, it wasn’t every day she met someone who’d had a friend practically since birth, and he’d seemed genuinely disturbed with the victim’s stubborn personality. “Did you and Robin grow up in Henley Bay?”

  Paul chuckled. “Oh heavens, no. This place would have bored us both to death when we were kids. No, we both moved here when the St. Armand was bought and being completely refurbished, and the new owners declared they would be using the local businesses as much as possible. Given the lack of competition in town, it seemed like a wonderful opportunity.”