Chocolate Caramels and Conmen (A Chocolate Centered Cozy Mystery Series Book 12)

by Cindy Bell

  “Soothes me? Yes, I definitely need some soothing, considering that you locked me in a closet!” She shook her head as she tried to wrap her mind around everything that had happened. “Mee-Maw, why did you do that?”

  “I just wanted to keep you safe, Ally. I know how stubborn you are, I knew that you would never agree to stay out of this. But I just couldn’t picture you being there with Carl, it made me so worried.”

  “Don’t you think I felt the same way?” Ally did her best to keep her voice calm. She had to fight the urge to raise it. “Mee-Maw, the whole time I was in there the only thing I could think about was what might be happening to you.” She ran her hands across her face. “You have to start seeing me as an adult.”

  “And you have to stop seeing me as an old lady.” She pursed her lips as she poured them each a cup of coffee. “Ally, I appreciate how much you love me, but don’t treat me like I might break a hip.” She thrust one of the cups towards her. “But, I love you.”

  “I love you, too, Mee-Maw.” She took the cup and then a deep breath of the aroma, which as her grandmother predicted, caused all of the tension in her body to ease. “I’m sorry if I make you feel that way, but that’s no excuse for locking me in a closet.”

  “No, I suppose it isn’t.” She burst out laughing.

  “Mee-Maw! There’s nothing funny about this.” Ally frowned. “If it wasn’t for Arnold, I would never have gotten out of there.”

  “I’m sorry, you’re right.” She tried to hold back more laughter. “It’s just that when you were growing up, especially in your teenage years, I always thought about locking you in a closet. I mean not seriously, but I was so scared for you all of the time. I just wanted you to be safe.” She sighed as the last of her laughter faded. “I guess I took that a little too far this time.” She hesitated as she tried to meet her eyes. “Will you ever forgive me?”

  “Oh, Mee-Maw, of course I will. I already have.” She walked around the counter to hug her. “Just keep in mind that I owe you one, hmm?” She gave her a gentle squeeze and smiled.

  “That’s frightening.” She laughed a little more, then closed her eyes. “I just love you so much, Ally.”

  “I love you too, Mee-Maw. Please, don’t ever do something like this again. We should both agree to work together, we work much better as a team, don’t we?”

  “Yes, we do.” She pulled away and nodded. “Ally, I really am sorry.”

  “It’s okay, Mee-Maw.” She wrapped her arms around her and pulled her into another tight hug. “I know why you did it, and I love you for it. But please don’t ever do it again.”

  “I won’t.” She sighed as she returned her granddaughter’s embrace. “But I’m not ready to give up.”

  “Neither am I.” Ally raised an eyebrow. “So where do we start? Paluo? Carl?”

  “I think we start with dinner, and a good night’s sleep. We’re not going to get any further on this today. Tomorrow, things will be clearer.”

  “Maybe you’re right.” Ally nodded. When her cell phone buzzed, she glanced at a text. “According to Luke, Detective Jenkins has already taken Carl into custody.” She breathed a sigh of relief. “At least that’s one less thing to worry about. Maybe he will confess, and all of this will be over by the morning.”

  “If he did it.” Charlotte pursed her lips.

  Chapter 12

  Ally shared dinner with her grandmother, then took her home to Freely Lakes. By the time she returned to the cottage she was tired. However, she couldn’t even think about going to bed. Instead, she set her computer up in the living room and began to sort through information about Paluo. While she did, Peaches did her best to distract her by walking across the keyboard, knocking into her leg multiple times, and even climbing up on the couch behind her to bat at the ends of her hair.

  “Hey, watch it, girl. I’m trying to figure this out.” She sighed as she ran her hand along the cat’s fur. Peaches was the best listener she knew, and whenever she had an issue it seemed she helped to clear her mind. “I thought for sure Carl was going to hurt Mee-Maw. But maybe that was because I had already decided that he was the killer. What if he’s not?” She skimmed over the details about Paluo that she had found. This was the first restaurant he had ever owned. Since it was still new, reviews and word of mouth advertising could make or break it. Marcus’ scalding reviews would definitely have an impact on the restaurant. It still didn’t add up to motive to her. She wondered who was in charge of the gun running operation. Could that person have something to do with Marcus’ death? Or someone else in town?

  Ally decided she needed to hear more about what happened at the restaurant when Marcus was kicked out. If the kitchen staff wouldn’t talk, maybe other diners would. Maybe she could find a way to work out who was in the restaurant at the time of Marcus’ outburst. She logged on to a social media page for Blue River and posted a simple question about who might have been in Paluo’s restaurant that afternoon at that time. To her surprise, she received a few responses right away. She recognized three of the names as people she knew fairly well. When she sent a message to each one for details she was relieved to see that they were happy to chat. Two of the people expressed the same experience. Marcus was drunk and belligerent and wouldn’t leave the restaurant. Paluo had to escort him out of the restaurant. But the third person, a young woman she knew from high school, had a different story to tell. She claimed that Paluo shoved Marcus outside and she followed and recorded it.

  Ally asked for a copy of the video.

  Minutes later she watched as Paluo grabbed Marcus by the back of his neck and twisted his arm behind his back. His face was a mask of rage as Marcus shouted threats at him, and promised to ruin his restaurant. The interaction was far worse than anyone could have described it. What really caught her attention was the moment that the two stepped outside the restaurant. Her friend followed and continued to record with her phone. The pair spilled outside on to the sidewalk.

  “You have no idea who I am!” Marcus shouted at Paluo and ripped out of his grasp. He stumbled, clearly drunk, into a couple that walked along the sidewalk. Ally’s eyes widened as she recognized the woman.

  “Mrs. Cale?” She held her breath as the man beside her caught Mrs. Cale and prevented her from being knocked down.

  “Hey, watch it!” Harold snapped at Marcus.

  The two men froze. It was odd to see in the middle of such a high energy argument. But a second later Paluo shoved Marcus again, and his next words made a chill run down Ally’s spine.

  “If I ever see you near my restaurant again, you’re dead!”

  In that moment Peaches jumped off the back of the couch and directly on to the computer. She let out a loud meow followed by a sharp hiss.

  “Peaches!” Ally gasped, startled both by the cat’s leap and her demeanor. It wasn’t often that she acted that way, but she seemed to have a special instinct about people. She scooped the cat up and held her close. “Sh, it’s okay, sweetie. He can’t hurt you.” She frowned as she turned off the video. Clearly Paluo had threatened Marcus, and she knew that the video would implicate him in the murder.

  As she crawled into bed however, another thought plagued her. Mrs. Cale had told her that she was inside the restaurant alone when the argument unfolded. But clearly she was outside with Harold. Why had she lied? The question kept her awake as hours slipped by. As she turned over in her bed for what felt like the hundredth time, she heard a low growl.

  “Peaches?” She peeked over the edge of her blanket at the cat. Peaches swished her tail back and forth and glared at her. “Okay, okay, I get it. I’m interrupting your beauty sleep.” She sighed as she climbed out of bed. There was no point in trying to sleep any longer. She grabbed her cell phone and noticed two texts from Luke. They had come in after she went to bed, she must have missed them. One warned her that Carl had been released and that she should avoid contact with him. The other came shortly after and said that he loved her and wished her sweet dreams. S
he smiled at the second message then looked back at the first.

  “Released?” She stared at the words. It was just a little after six, too early for her to text or call him for more of an explanation. Instead, she focused on what Carl being released meant to her. It could put her and her grandmother at risk if he decided to come after them. It could also mean that he would leave town as quickly as he could. If he was the killer and he took off, the crime might never be solved. With that on her mind she decided that she would just check to see if he was still at the motel. If he was, then she wouldn’t have to worry about her grandmother, and she could keep track of where he might go. After showering and getting dressed, she grabbed her keys, tiptoed past Arnold, and slipped out the door. She had no intention of being seen by, or speaking to Carl. She just wanted to see if he was still at the motel.

  As she drove towards the motel she thought again about the video she’d seen the night before. She intended to share it with Detective Jenkins, but not until she had the chance to speak to Mrs. Cale. She wanted to know exactly why she had claimed to be inside the restaurant instead of outside.

  It didn’t take her long to spot Carl. He stood outside the motel, a travel bag slung over his shoulder, and his eyes on his phone. Ally’s body tensed as she realized he looked like a man on the run. A moment later her suspicions were confirmed when she saw an airport shuttle pull up in front of the motel. Carl climbed on, and the van took off. Ally followed after it. There were a few different airports in the surrounding areas and she had no idea which one the shuttle belonged to. She did her best to keep a few paces behind the van all the way to one of the smaller airports located about twenty minutes outside of town.

  When she pulled into the parking lot, she saw the shuttle stop at the curb of the airport’s entrance. She parked, with the intention of calling Detective Jenkins to warn him about Carl’s plan to leave. She didn’t know if there would be anything that he could do to stop him, but she felt as if she had to try. However, as Carl opened the door to the airport, she spotted someone a few steps behind him. The sight of her made her freeze. What was she doing there? Was she just overtired? Was her mind playing tricks on her?

  “Mrs. Bing?” Ally stared through the windshield as the woman glanced over her shoulder, then continued after Carl. What was she doing? Ally’s plan to stay in the car went right out the window. She couldn’t let Mrs. Bing anywhere near Carl, especially not alone. She stepped out of the car as her heart pounded. Either Carl was going to get on a plane, or he was going to figure out that he was being followed by Mrs. Bing, and then she could be in grave danger.

  The airport was fairly quiet since it was so early in the morning. Several small airlines flew out of the airport which was not commonly used by locals. Carl apparently had the money to take a private flight, which she was sure didn’t come from being a vacuum cleaner salesman. She spotted Mrs. Bing’s bright red dress before she caught sight of Carl. He’d just joined the security line, and Mrs. Bing was only a few steps behind. Ally knew if she called out to Mrs. Bing she would get Carl’s attention as well, which could lead to her being threatened with handcuffs again. She couldn’t risk that. Instead, she quickened her pace until she caught up with Mrs. Bing. When she put her hand on the woman’s shoulder, she spun around and slammed her large purse into Ally’s stomach.

  “Ouch!” Ally tried to catch her breath as she stumbled back a few steps. When she regained her balance, she shielded her stomach with her arms. “Mrs. Bing, don’t hit me again!” She gasped as the purse swung towards her for a second time.

  “Ally? Ally! Oh my, I didn’t realize, I’m so sorry.” She gasped, then narrowed her eyes. “What were you thinking sneaking up on me like that?”

  “I’m sorry, Mrs. Bing, but you shouldn’t be following Carl. You have no idea what he might be capable of doing.” She frowned.

  “It seems to me that you were following him, too.” Mrs. Bing placed her hands on her hips as she looked at her. “Besides, I’m not alone.” She tipped her head in the direction of Mrs. White, who stepped out from behind an artificial tree. Then Mrs. Cale poked her head around a bank of telephones.

  “All three of you are in on this?” Ally crossed her arms, but her attention was drawn to Carl who had just about disappeared through airport security.

  “What does it matter, Ally? You’re letting him get away!” She pulled away from Ally’s grasp and began to run after Carl, as best she could in her red high heels. However, before she could get to him, Detective Jenkins stepped out of a hallway and directly into Carl’s path.

  Ally was stunned by the sight of him. Had he been there the whole time? She watched as Jenkins put his hand on Carl’s shoulder and steered him back towards the exit of the airport. Carl complied without much of a fight. She realized far too late that she would be in the detective’s direct eye line as they approached. When he spotted her, his expression hardened, but he didn’t attempt to speak to her. She pulled Mrs. Bing behind the cluster of telephones where Mrs. Cale hid, before Carl could see either of them.

  “It looks like the detective beat us to it.” She watched as Detective Jenkins led Carl out of the airport.

  “It’s about time.” Mrs. Bing pursed her lips. “You’d think he’d be able to lock Carl up and throw away the key by now.”

  “Maybe there just isn’t enough evidence.” Ally sighed, then looked at Mrs. Bing. “Listen to me, you can’t keep getting involved in all of this. You and your friends could really get hurt. This isn’t some kind of television special that ends well every time.”

  “And what exactly are you doing here, young lady?” Mrs. Bing raised an eyebrow as she looked Ally over from head to toe. “I don’t recall you earning a badge.”

  “Mrs. Bing, that’s not the point. The point is, Carl could be a dangerous man. He might be far more dangerous than we suspect. It’s possible that he won’t hesitate to hurt any of you.” Ally glanced over at the other women as Mrs. White walked over to them.

  “Or you.” Mrs. White stared at her. “You know, that’s why we’re all here, Ally, because we know that as long as this man is loose in our town, none of us are safe.”

  “This is our community.” Mrs. Cale nodded as she glanced at her friends, then back at Ally. “We have to do whatever it takes to protect it.”

  “That may be so, but there are smart ways of doing it, and not so smart ways of doing it.” She walked with them out of the airport. “Besides, Carl is not the only suspect. We can’t just assume that he killed Marcus. He can’t be arrested just because he seems shady. We have to know how he did it and why. Right now, we don’t know either of those things. We have no evidence that he had anything to do with Marcus’ death.”

  “Then we need to get that evidence.” Mrs. White snapped her fingers. “What’s the holdup?”

  “I’m not sure.” Ally narrowed her eyes as she realized that they didn’t even have a cause of death, yet. Why hadn’t the medical examiner figured that out, yet? Or had Luke decided not to tell her? The thought made her head spin. Of course, he wouldn’t share it with her. It was none of her business. He didn’t want her involved. She’d almost got him in trouble the day before. Why would he tell her anything? She was sure he would have found out the cause of death even though it wasn’t his jurisdiction.

  “Ally?” Mrs. White waved a hand in front of her face. “So? What’s the plan?”

  Ally took a step back as she realized she’d just become the unofficial leader of a pack of detectives. Just like her, they weren’t going to be deterred from investigating. But perhaps if she gave them something to do, something safe that could keep them occupied, then they wouldn’t be in as much danger.

  “I have an idea. You three know everyone in town, right?”

  “Everyone.” Mrs. Cale nodded. “In fact, there’s this young couple that just bought the house down on Elmira, and they’re going to be moving in at the end of the month. Jackson and Molly, and they have a little baby named Emily. Isn’t t
hat wonderful?” She smiled at the others.

  “Wow!” Ally laughed a little. “Okay, you really do know everyone. We’ve been so focused on Carl, that we have forgotten that it could have been anyone here. The thing is, I can’t picture any of us locals as murderers. But what about any newcomers? Any strangers in town on the day that Marcus was killed? I bet you can find out who is new around here, and if we can make a list of who passed through town that didn’t belong here, then we might be able to pinpoint a new suspect. What do you think?”

  “It’s brilliant, it’s absolutely brilliant.” Mrs. White nodded with an eager smile. “We can have it by the afternoon.”

  “Great.” Ally smiled at each of them in turn. “We’ll have this solved real fast. Just do me a favor, and check in with me before you talk to any of these people. I want to be kept in the loop.”

  “Okay.” Mrs. Bing nodded. “Let’s get to it, ladies.”

  “Mrs. Cale.” Ally caught her gently by the wrist. “May I speak to you for a moment?”

  “Of course, Ally. What is it?” She lingered as her friends approached the airport exit.

  “You told me you were alone inside the restaurant when Marcus was kicked out. But I saw a video of you outside the restaurant with Harold.” Ally searched her eyes as the woman’s expression shifted from warm and friendly to cold.

  “You must be mistaken. I told you I was there alone to eat and I left when things started getting heated and ran into Harold. I was outside when Marcus was tossed out.”

  Ally opened her mouth to disagree, but the look in Mrs. Cale’s eyes stopped her. She knew that she wouldn’t be able to press the woman without creating a barrier between them. But she was certain that she wasn’t mistaken. Mrs. Cale was telling her two different stories. What she didn’t know was why.

  “My mistake, sorry about that.” Ally smiled at her.

  Mrs. Cale nodded, looked at her a moment longer, then headed off after her friends.