The Tea Shoppe Mysteries

by Darlene Franklin

  “I’m telling you they know too much. They must have gotten some of their information from your receptionist,” Connor said. “How else would they know about the two policies?”

  “By snooping.”

  Jenkins, Brad mouthed.

  “They told me they’re working with the police. We need to end this before we end up in jail. I didn’t come here to spend time behind bars.”

  “Stop whining. The death of your old man makes it worth it to you. Jenkins did a poor job of making it look like a suicide.” That had to be Olson. “We’ll send Overson on out-of-town business. While he’s gone, we can arrange an unfortunate incident. Same with the nosy girl. The receptionist won’t be a problem either.”

  “We would have got away with it if not for that girl.”

  “The police would have figured it out, imbecile.”

  My blood chilled at how easily they spoke of killing. I’d be a sitting duck with Brad gone, and I couldn’t watch his back either. We needed to let Davis listen to the recording ASAP and get protection for Brenda. It proved these three were up to no good.

  “They asked about Rogen.”

  “If he hadn’t started having second thoughts about his involvement, he’d still be here. Slipping poison in those scones he loves so much was brilliant.”

  I widened my eyes. They had killed Rogen. Was his body lying in the same pit Sue had been dropped into?

  “We need to find those papers your father had,” Olson said. “He was always jotting something down during our meetings. We need to make sure there wasn’t anything incriminating. The safe was empty. Where would he have hidden them?”

  “I don’t know. I haven’t had time to search the building thoroughly. They’ve only recently removed the crime scene tape to allow me access. Don’t worry. If they’re in the building, I’ll take care of it.” Connor’s voice carried a sharp edge.

  “We need that money,” Jenkins said, his voice cold. “We aren’t going to jeopardize our business without you doing the same with yours.”

  CHAPTER 12

  With only an hour to spare before I had to go to work, Brad and I snuck out of the coffee shop and sped toward the police station. I waved as we dashed past the open-mouthed woman at the front desk.

  Davis frowned when we barged into his office. “I’m busy.” He motioned for the other officer he was meeting with to leave. “You two have a lot of nerve. This conversation might have been a private one.”

  “Sorry. You’ll want to hear this.” Brad set his phone on the desk and pushed PLAY.

  Davis rubbed both hands roughly over his face then picked up his desk phone. “Get some men over to the construction site and start digging. We may have a body out there.” He hung up and turned to us. “I don’t even want to know how you got this.”

  “It’s enough to bring those men in, right?” I asked. “Was Rogen married? Did he strike you as the type of man to get involved with crooks? Was he in a financial bind? Do you know where Roy Miller lived? He moved recently, I heard. Did he have a safe-deposit box?”

  “Whoa.” Davis held up a hand. “Slow down.” He suddenly looked very exhausted. “Yes, we’ll bring the men in for questioning. Keep your wits about you. It won’t be hard to figure out you’re the ones who gave us this info. Yes, Rogen is married. His wife suffered a stroke and is in an assisted living facility—”

  “Blackmail.” I glanced at Brad. “They could have threatened him with his wife’s safety to get him to help them. She’s vulnerable in the nursing facility.”

  “Possibly,” Davis said. He grabbed a sticky note and wrote down an address. “This is Roy Miller’s house. We’ve just released it from being a crime scene. We’ve gone over it and found nothing. I’ll call the bank and see about the box. If he had one, I’ll let the manager know to let you have access.”

  “Thank you.” I really didn’t expect him to be so accommodating. “Can we get protection for Brenda?”

  “We’ll do our best, Ms. Lawrence, but we’re running on a skeleton crew as it is. That’s why we allowed you to help us.” He straightened in his chair. “Be careful, and don’t go anywhere alone. Either of you.”

  “I can bunk on Ashley’s sofa for a few nights,” Brad said. “We’ll keep you posted.” He took my hand and led me from the building. “Since you have to go to work, do you want me to head to Miller’s alone?”

  “No, I’ll let Georgina know I’ll be late today. I told her we were helping with the investigation. She may call in someone to take over my shift for today.” I hated to let her down, but things were coming to a head in Roy’s murder, and I didn’t want to lose our momentum.

  Georgina assured me things were fine at the shop. “I have to get a new phone,” I told Brad. “We need to be able to reach each other if we get separated.”

  “Agreed, but we’d better make sure we stay together.” He squeezed my hand. “I don’t want anything to happen to you, and these men play dirty.”

  “I don’t want anything to happen to you either.” My throat clogged. “The phone is just a precaution. I plan on staying right by your side.”

  By the time we’d replaced my phone, Davis had texted Brad to let him know that Miller had a safe-deposit box and that the bank manager was expecting us. We grinned at each other like goons and raced down the sidewalk to the bank. Confident we’d find the information we needed to bring Roy’s killer to justice, optimism bubbled in me like sea-foam.

  The manager frowned as he met us at the door. “This is unorthodox, but since the chief of police approved it, I suppose you can have access to the box.” He handed us rubber gloves. “Officer’s orders in case you find something.”

  I appreciated Davis’s professionalism and willingness to work with us. I pulled the gloves over my hands as the manager led us to a vault of safe-deposit boxes.

  He pulled one out and set it on a table. “I’ll be outside when you’re finished. Do not take anything with you. If you find something, I’m to have it sent to the department.”

  I was already reaching for the box. Inside lay a stack of papers with Sea Side Construction’s logo on them and an envelope with one sheet folded inside. Bingo!

  I removed the pages and spread them on the table. “He’s been taking notes on your bosses for quite a while.” I tapped the page from the envelope. “Look. He suspected Connor. Right here, he wrote that his son was wanting the business, or at least a large sum of money. Oh wow. He left his house to the city. It doesn’t belong to Connor at all.”

  “Daddy refused and son found a way.” Brad leaned over my shoulder.

  I don’t think a man ever smelled as good as he did. No cologne today, just the fresh scent of soap.

  As if he knew what I was thinking, he chuckled and pulled back. “Let’s tell the manager to get these to the chief immediately, and then we’ll head over to Roy’s place.”

  Face heated, I nodded and put the papers back in the box. I hated to leave them in someone else’s hands, but having them in our possession would be too dangerous.

  After we arrived at Roy’s home, I knew why he hadn’t willed the house to his son. The historical house was a Victorian work of art. Something to be cherished and cared for. This was the type of house I’d like to own someday. “How will we get in?”

  “Let’s try the back door and windows.”

  I followed Brad to the rear of the house and into a yard that reminded me of photos I’d seen of English gardens. Yep, I was in love with the place.

  My prayers were answered. A small kitchen window sat open a few inches, enough for Brad to get a hold of and push up.

  “I’ll have to hoist you. There’s no way I’ll fit.” He cupped his hands.

  I stepped into his hands, and he lifted me up and through the window. Once inside, I took a moment to appreciate the charming but up-to-date kitchen before opening the back door. Since I still wore the gloves the bank manager had given me, I wasn’t worried about leaving fingerprints in case the department decided
to make another run through the house.

  “Let’s take it one room at a time,” Brad suggested, “although I doubt we’ll find anything more than what we’ve already discovered.”

  I agreed. We already had enough to put the three men behind bars. Still, I wouldn’t miss a chance of exploring my dream home.

  I heard sirens wailing and glanced out the front window to see smoke rising in the distance. After saying a quick prayer for the safety of all those involved, I headed up the winding staircase to the second floor.

  Roy had taken great care of the historical house. Updating, but keeping the old charm. I wondered whether the city would sell me the place if I agreed to take the same care. Oh, who was I kidding? I’d never be able to afford the place. But there was always a maybe, and I’d be a forensic scientist soon. I’d hold on to hope.

  I wandered through bedrooms, looking in drawers and under beds, in closets, and running my hands over the walls in search of hidden passageways. In a room lined with bookshelves and large leather furniture, something clicked when I touched a cherub on the fireplace mantel.

  “Brad!”

  Footsteps thundered as he raced up the stairs to join me. “A hidden passage.” A grin spread across his face. “Isn’t this place wonderful?”

  “Like a dream.” I stepped into the passage and reached up to pull a chain illuminating the tunnel with light. “What do you think it was used for?”

  “Smuggling, most likely. This house has to be over a hundred years old.”

  “Do you think Connor knows about the tunnel?”

  “No way to know.”

  We followed the tunnel to a room carved into the hillside. Someone had definitely been there before us, because Rogen sat propped up against the wall, very much dead. Strawberry scones, covered with mold, lay scattered around him. I put a hand over my nose to stifle the smell of death and swallowed past the nausea.

  “I think they know about the tunnel. Do you think they planned on coming back for him before the site was off-limits?” I asked.

  “Maybe.” Brad glanced at his phone. “Oh no. Miller Inc. is on fire.”

  “That’s what the sirens were for.” Connor’s way of “taking care of things” was to burn the evidence. I prayed the papers at the bank had been delivered safely into Davis’s hands.

  “Do you smell smoke?” Brad turned toward the entrance.

  “The house!” I pushed past him into the library and down the stairs. The beautiful front door was ablaze, flames reaching long fingers under the door and licking at the curtains on the windows. “Help me, Brad.”

  “We have to get out of here.” He wrapped his hands around my waist and tried to pull me toward the kitchen.

  I slapped his hands. “I can’t let my house burn.”

  “Your house?”

  “Someday. Maybe.” I slipped from his grip and yanked a curtain from the window, then another and another, until the windows were free of flammable fabric. “Get a bucket or something.”

  Shaking his head, Brad mumbled something about getting ourselves killed and sprinted for the kitchen. He returned a moment later with a bucket of water. He tossed the water on the door. “Not enough. I’ll have to go find a hose or something. Call the fire department.”

  I quickly called 911 and resumed a mad dash back and forth from the kitchen to the front room, dousing everything I could. Repairing warped floorboards would be easier than rebuilding a one-of-a-kind house.

  I heard the sound of water spraying against the door and windows and knew Brad had found a hose. We might not be able to put out the fire, but maybe we could prevent it from doing too much damage before the fire department arrived.

  “Hey!” Brad shouted.

  I glanced out the window to see Connor approaching the porch, a shovel raised over his head. Choosing Brad over the house, I grabbed a fire poker and rushed out the back door to his rescue. By the time I got around to the front, the two men were throwing punches and rolling on the ground. I raised the poker and stood over them.

  “Stop it, Connor, or I’ll lay this across your head. Not only for Rogen, but because you tried to destroy my house.”

  The man’s eyes widened as a fire truck stopped in the driveway. Behind them, Officer Davis jumped out of his patrol car, a look of fury on his face. Within seconds, Connor’s hands were cuffed behind his back and the fire was put out.

  “Good job, you two. Anyone hurt?” Davis glanced back and forth between us.

  “No. Rogen’s body is in a secret passage of the house,” Brad said, sagging against a railing of the porch, trying to catch his breath. “He’s dead.”

  “I’ll take you to him.” I led Davis to the room, confident Brad was all right, although he’d be sporting a black eye by morning. “Did you find Jenkins and Olson?”

  “Seems the two have skipped town. Miller’s business is a loss. Connor must have gone there first.”

  “At least the house isn’t a pile of rubble.”

  Davis nodded toward the moldy scones. “Guess Tea by the Sea really does have scones to die for.”

  “Not funny.”

  “Trying to lighten things up.” His expression sobered. “Be careful, Miss Lawrence. Jenkins and Olson will surface, and they will come after you.”

  Of that I had no doubt.

  CHAPTER 13

  We didn’t believe it was safe to stay at either of our houses, so we rented two motel rooms connected by a bathroom. Brad ordered me to prop a chair under the doorknob of my outer door. Sleep didn’t come easy, and I again awoke gritty-eyed and less than charitable.

  I shuffled sleepily into class the next morning, ignoring Lyon’s curious gaze, and took my seat. It wasn’t until the tests were passed out that I groaned and laid my head down. Today had to be the worse day for a semifinal, and I hadn’t studied a bit.

  “Relax,” Brad said. “You’ve got this. You’ve been living these questions.”

  True. I picked up my pencil and got to work. Once I’d finished, the professor said I was free to go. Go where? Brad was still taking the test, and I’d been warned not to leave him. Sitting outside wouldn’t be safe, so I headed for the college cafeteria. I sent Brad a text of where I’d wait for him.

  While I waited at one of the round tables, nursing a soda, I pondered our next move. We didn’t have one. We’d solved the case. I grinned, mentally writing the final paper that would earn me my degree.

  All that was left was for Jenkins and Olson to join Connor in prison. “We did it,” I whispered. Justice was being served.

  Footsteps behind me caused me to smile. “About time you finished the test.”

  “Get up real slow.” Something poked me in the back. “You wouldn’t want one of these innocent students to die now, would you?”

  I tossed my soda hard over my shoulder and ran, expecting a bullet in my back any second. “Call the police,” I shouted at the cafeteria staff.

  Curses followed as whoever threatened me gave chase. I wasn’t going to slow down long enough to see whether it was Jenkins or Olson.

  I bypassed the bathrooms, not wanting to be cornered, and took a left, barging out a side door of the building. I turned the corner and ran smack dab into Jenkins and his gun.

  “Smart little thing, aren’t you?” He motioned the gun toward the parking lot.

  Olson joined us, soda still dripping from his hair. “Shoot her now.”

  “No. We need to get out of here before the police arrive. I know just the place for her.”

  The two men ushered me to the same van that stopped me the day I was almost abducted. Tied up inside, rope around his mouth and one eye quickly bruising, was Brad. Jenkins must have grabbed him while Olson went after me.

  “Where are you taking us?” I glanced back as I climbed into the van.

  “Somewhere your bodies won’t be found.” Olson slammed the back door and opened the passenger door. “A place needing a foundation poured.”

  “Shouldn’t we tie her up?” Jen
kins asked.

  “She ain’t going anywhere.”

  “Still …”

  The door opened again, and Olson zip-tied my hands behind my back.

  I glanced at Brad. “Are you badly hurt?”

  He shook his head. “No.”

  I slumped down next to him. “We can’t stay tied up,” I whispered.

  “I know how to get out of these. I’ve watched plenty of videos. Besides, there’s a loose screw in the panel behind me. I’ve got it unscrewed enough I can use it to help me with these ties.”

  “I never thought they’d be brazen enough to take us from school.”

  “Neither did I. By the way, I saw your score when I turned in my test. You aced it.” He grinned.

  Small consolation when I was about to die. I wouldn’t take dying easily. I might be small, and a girl, but I’d fight as long as I could. I glanced to where a mesh curtain separated us from Jenkins and Olson, wanting to strangle them.

  “Shut up back there,” Olson growled over his shoulder, “No amount of whispering is going to get you freed.”

  I scooted around the dim back of the van as quietly as possible in search of a chain or a strap. Anything I could use to get the numbers down to two on our side and one on theirs. Since Jenkins drove, Olson would be my target.

  “What are you doing?” Brad hissed.

  “I’m going to choke Olson once you get us freed.”

  “For crying out loud.” Brad started sawing his hands behind his back. “You’re going to get us shot if we don’t crash first.”

  “Shhh.” A crash was what I counted on. My fingers grasped a roll of thin cording. Hopefully it would be strong enough.

  Once his hands were free, Brad took the cord from me then cut the ties around my wrist with a piece of metal he’d found. “You be ready to reach around Jenkins and grab the wheel. The minute the van stops, fling the door open and run. I’ll be right behind you.”

  I nodded and quietly got into position. Jenkins chose that moment to glance in the rearview mirror. “Hey!”