Chocolate-Covered Crime

by Cynthia Hickey

  Mason appeared around the corner at a fast trot, Bill on his heels. Both men stopped suddenly and glanced from us to the two men on the porch. “Truce.” Mason’s word drifted to where I stood.

  “Everyone stay put.” Joe slipped his phone into the pocket of his jeans. “You’ll all be questioned, and it’s going to take awhile. Break it up, get something to eat, but don’t leave.” He grabbed my arm and dragged me to the side.

  “I know you’ve been snooping around tonight. Aunt Eunice told me of your plans. Did you see or hear anything?”

  I handed him the note. “I found this on the ground after you pulled Edna from the water. I can’t vouch for the whereabouts of all the guests. I was only trying to keep tabs on my suspect list, all of whom were out of my sight for at least a few minutes during the time of Edna’s drowning. But not for long. It must’ve been fast.”

  “It was. She’s still—”

  “I don’t want to hear it.” I shuddered. “Someone seems to be murdering the feminine half of a couple. I’ve got to admit I’m quite freaked out here. I’m part of a couple. So are you and April and my aunt and uncle.” I clutched at him. “There’s something we’re missing, Joe. Something simple. I feel it. It’s right there, at the edge of my mind, but I can’t pull it out.”

  “Work on it. I’ll get your aunt and April. I want the three of you to stay together.” He put his face so close to mine I thought our noses would touch. “I mean it. If one of you goes to the bathroom, the other two go. I’ll send Ethan for you once I no longer need him.”

  “You’re scaring me. Ethan isn’t a cop. Why can’t I have him now?”

  Joe’s eyes narrowed. “You should be scared, and with a crowd this size, I need all the help I can get. I’ve called for backup, but these people will listen to Ethan. They like him.” He dragged me to Aunt Eunice then went to get April.

  I craned my neck looking for Ethan. He still worked crowd control. My body relaxed with the first wail of an approaching siren. “We need to get closer. I want to hear when the cops question people. Who found the body?”

  “Ruby and Mabel.” Aunt Eunice hugged herself. “They said they were just walking around, gossiping like they do, and found her upside down, white undies shining in the moonlight. What an awful way to go.” She wiped her eyes with the corner of her sleeve. “No dignity.”

  “Once the cops get here,” April explained upon joining us, “they’ll each take different people to question. How are you supposed to guarantee you’ll hear the ones you want?”

  “Well. . .” Good question. There wasn’t time, or enough of us, to listen to every person being interrogated. I stood on my tiptoes to try and see over the crowd. “I’d like to hear Mason, Bill, Larry, and Hubert.” I sat on a cement block and rested my chin in my hand. “You’re right. I don’t even know where they are.”

  “Don’t give up.” Aunt Eunice popped me on the head. “Joe just said we had to stay together. He didn’t say we had to stay in this exact spot. They’ll be taking people into the house. You know how thin these old walls are. I know the perfect place, but we’ve got to hurry. If we’re spotted, especially by your uncle, they’ll stop us.”

  April and I glanced at each other then hurried to follow a bustling Aunt Eunice.

  “Come on,” she ordered. “Help me pull up this door.”

  She’d taken us to the storm cellar. I could’ve slapped myself in the forehead. There was no better spot in the entire house than beneath it.

  The door led to a basement complete with a furnace that had made it impossible for me to have the courage to enter here as a child. But more importantly, there were floor vents in every room, giving access to the heat. We’d be able to hear whatever we wanted from every downstairs room. We could listen in on the interrogations from the kitchen, living, and dining rooms.

  “God bless old homes. Aunt Eunice, you’re a genius.” I tugged on the heavy wooden square. Aunt Eunice hissed a warning to be quiet when it slammed open.

  “If we can hear them, they’ll be able to hear us. For once, I’m glad we haven’t renovated this basement or modernized our heating.” She peered around us and scuttled down the stairs. I climbed down last, closing the door and casting us into darkness except for stenciled squares of light coming from the ornate metal vents.

  “We’ll each take a room. Give a heads-up if you hear anything interesting,” Aunt Eunice whispered.

  Dust rained down on us as feet marched overhead. “This is ridiculous!” a male voice said.

  “That’s Mason!” I pointed over our heads.

  Aunt Eunice held a finger to her lips.

  “Come on, Joe, you can’t actually believe I did in that old lady!” A chair creaked. “I didn’t even know her.”

  “We’re questioning everyone, Mason. Got a guilty conscience?”

  “I’ve heard the whispering. I was in attendance at Renee’s death, and now this one. Of course everyone is pointing at me. Want to know what I think? Bill Olson. Man’s mad enough to do just about anything. He actually threatened me. Said he was going to kill me.”

  “Guess you’d better watch your back then.”

  “Are you judging me? Aren’t you going to do anything? I’m a taxpayer. I deserve protection.”

  “I could put you in protective custody.” I could just picture Joe, crossing his arms and leaning back in his chair.

  “Just get on with the questions, chief.” Joe had obviously touched on a nerve. Mason switched from first names to using professional titles.

  “When you left the dance floor, you went where?”

  “To the house. I was trying to get away from Bill Olson. I stayed there until I heard the woman scream. Ran out, ran into Bill, and now here I am.”

  “Can anyone verify that?”

  “Let’s cut to the chase. I know how this works. There’s about twenty minutes where I was alone. I’ve got no concrete alibi.”

  I wasn’t going to find out anything from Mason. I shuffled to Aunt Eunice. “Who’ve you got?”

  “Larry Bell. Very boring. He sounds like a broken record. Name, date, and he’s asking for a lawyer. Seems he’s got no one to vouch for him.”

  April joined us. “They couldn’t get a thing out of Hubert. All the man did was cry. Now they’re talking to Ruby and Mabel.” She crossed her arms. “Can we go now? I’m getting cold.”

  I couldn’t help feeling let down. I’d stake the candy store that someone from the party killed Edna. It wouldn’t be someone sneaking in from the woods. Too convenient. Still, it didn’t seem planned. Had the killer just seen an opportunity and taken it?

  We stepped from the inky darkness of the basement into a star-filled night. The backyard looked like a glittery wonderland overshadowed by a cloud of death trimmed with castoff gold decorations.

  Ethan and a police officer kept the guests in a line and filed them through the house like sheep to be questioned. Lewis Anderson fidgeted and kept glancing at his watch. His wife, a plump, harried-looking woman, did her best to keep two bored teenage boys under control.

  “Why doesn’t Joe just send everyone home and take down their names?” Aunt Eunice glared at April. “This is going to take half the night, and I’ve still got to clean up.”

  “I don’t know. And don’t give me that look. This wasn’t my idea.” April slumped next to me.

  “We’re all tired and getting testy. The murderer is here somewhere.” I scanned the yard. “I’m sure Joe believes that, too. He’ll question everyone, hoping to get lucky, and let the others go if they’ve got alibis. That’s what I’d do.” I led them to a table and took a seat, wrapping my arms around me to try and stay warm.

  I’d taken everyone’s advice and asked God to help me solve the case, but so far He wasn’t answering. I sighed. Maybe it was me. I didn’t slow down long enough to listen.

  Bill Olson barged through the back door, stormed down the steps, kicked the garbage can, and marched away. His interview obviously didn’t go well. I
turned to my aunt.

  “Did Joe say anything against our waiting in the house? Maybe there’s an empty room we can wait in. At least we’ll be warm.” I shivered.

  But there was an officer stationed at each door, and neither would grant us entry. Frustrated, we headed to my aunt’s truck and sat in the dark staring at the house. They’d have to question us, too. I settled in for a long wait. Within minutes, Aunt Eunice’s head rested on my shoulder and snores emanated from her mouth. April rustled around on the other side of Aunt Eunice and eventually grew silent.

  At regular intervals someone would exit the front of the house, climb behind the wheel of their car, and drive away. The night wound down. My eyelids grew heavy, and I slumped against the driver’s side door.

  It creaked open. I flung out an arm to keep from falling and found myself staring into a black abyss where a face should have been.

  CHAPTER THIRTY

  The wraith reached for me with skeletal hands. Okay, human hands but every bit as frightening. I leaned back against Aunt Eunice and kicked, pedaling with both legs. April screamed loud enough to bust the windows. The door slammed as she escaped out the other side.

  Aunt Eunice bent over me, flailing her arms in an attempt to punch the silent attacker. “In the name of Jesus! Be gone! Be gone! Angels protect us. Heaven help us!”

  Red eyes glowed from beneath the hood.

  Red eyes?

  When its hands closed on my ankles, it felt like ice shackles burning into my skin. A nightmare from hades come to torment me. The evil monster from every horror movie I’d watched without permission as a child. Why hadn’t I listened to my elders and stayed in bed? Too many times, I’d sneaked downstairs after my aunt and uncle were in bed and huddled in front of the television.

  The thing pulled and dragged me by the feet from the truck. My head bounced off the seat, banged against the rim around the door, and I landed with a jolt on the gravel driveway. The air left my lungs in a painful whoosh. The demon continued to drag me over the gravel drive. Rocks sliced into my hands as I fought to grab. . .anything.

  Small as I was, I never considered myself weak. I’d always compared myself to Mighty Mouse, but this silent aggressor hauled me as if I weighed nothing. My heart lodged in my throat. I locked onto the shape of my aunt’s face as a safety anchor.

  My shrieks joined Aunt Eunice and April. Aunt Eunice launched herself toward my attacker, missed, and fell with a cry to the ground. She pushed to one elbow and pointed. “Unmask yourself. Show your face like a man.”

  Then, like the phantom it resembled, the black-shrouded figure disappeared.

  “Hey!” Ethan sprinted toward us. Sparing a glance to the departing attacker, he helped me rise. “Are you all right?”

  “I’m—fine. Other—than having—a heart attack.” My breath shuddered. Get a grip, Summer. “Go after him. If you catch him, we’ll have solved our mystery.” I grabbed his hand and tugged.

  “Summer, you’re bleeding. You’re scraped. We aren’t going anywhere.”

  “My hands are cut, too.” Aunt Eunice held them up from her position on the ground. Ethan pulled her to her feet.

  He cast one more glance to where the phantom disappeared into the trees. Desire to give chase clearly fought with staying to care for us. Ethan sighed. “Come on, ladies. Let’s get you cleaned up. April, you can stop hiding now.”

  She poked her head around the front of the truck. “I wasn’t. I was getting ready to run for help, but Joe told us to stay together.”

  “Good thing we did.” Aunt Eunice straightened her shirt. “If I wasn’t here to save Summer, she’d be a goner for sure. April just screeched like a cat who’d got its tail stuck in the screen door.”

  “I think I handled myself pretty well, considering the attacker woke me,” I mumbled. Except for the freaking-out part and reliving a nightmare. When my adrenaline subsided, my hands stung. Small pebbles were embedded in my palms. The bone at the base of my spine ached, and I knew I’d be walking like an old crone for the next few hours. I lifted a hand and winced at a bump rising on the back of my head.

  Ethan herded us toward the house and into the kitchen. “The officers finished questioning everyone, and I had headed outside to look for you when I heard the screaming.” He turned on the faucet and stuck my hands beneath the flow. “Joe’s going to be—”

  “What?” Joe entered the room. “I’m going to be what?”

  “Livid,” I answered. “The three of us stayed together like you told us and took refuge in Aunt Eunice’s truck to stay warm because your officers wouldn’t let us come in the house.”

  The water soothed my scraped hands. “Someone dressed in a black, ghost-looking robe thing dragged me out. A wraith, I think. I’m lucky to be alive, you know.”

  Joe’s mouth gaped. “Right under my nose? With police officers in the house?”

  “He’s either brave or foolish.” Aunt Eunice took my place by the sink. “I’m pretty positive it was a man. I know they wore a robe, but there weren’t any, uh, you know—up top.”

  Ethan’s eyes widened. A dimple winked in his cheek.

  Joe’s face reddened. “Good grief, Aunt Eunice.”

  “I’m just telling you what I noticed.” She dried her hands on a clean towel. “It helps, doesn’t it? Knowing you can rule out women from your suspect list?”

  “Did you notice anything?” Joe turned to me.

  “I was too busy trying to survive, but, considering the strength in those hands, I’d say it’s a man. In a Halloween costume. He didn’t seem to have a face, and the eyes were red.”

  “Of course it’s a costume!” Joe rubbed his head. “Wraiths don’t roam the streets of Mountain Shadows. Especially without a face. The killer must be getting desperate to attempt abducting Summer with people around.”

  “Everyone was in the house. Except for the three of us in the truck. And we were sleeping.” I gasped. “Maybe he meant to sedate me, but I woke up too soon.”

  Uncle Roy bolted in to join us and rushed to Aunt Eunice’s side. “Are you hurt? Did we catch ’em? Do I need my gun?”

  “We could’ve used it a bit ago. Almost lost our lives to that killer who likes to split up couples. And, no, he got away.” Aunt Eunice laid her head on his chest. Uncle Roy wrapped his arms around her and murmured.

  “I’m going to make coffee.” April reached for the pot, apparently realizing she could actually be useful.

  I mentally chastised myself. She couldn’t be blamed for going all paranoid. The faceless wraith shook me up, too. I smiled. “That would be great.”

  Joe ducked into the hall for a minute and returned with an older officer sporting a salt-and-pepper crew cut.

  “This is Officer McHale. He’s going to take notes so we can make sense of this madness. Summer, you first.” Joe pointed to a kitchen chair. “I need to know anything you might have gathered by snooping tonight.”

  “Nothing, really. Like I told you earlier, all my suspects were out of sight during the time Edna was murdered. The last person I saw her with was Hubert. Then he came outside still expecting to be playing some lovers’ game of hide-and-seek. That could just be a ruse, of course. But”—I smiled a thank-you to April when she handed me a mug of coffee. The warmth seeped into my aches—“Bill Olson’s fired up. I think he knows about Renee’s affair. Mason scattered as soon as he laid eyes on him. He could be angry enough to commit murder. Maybe Edna got in the way.”

  “My turn.” Aunt Eunice practically shoved me from the chair to take my place. “I learned you don’t take naps in an unlocked vehicle during a murder investigation.” She crossed her arms. “I also learned that Larry Bell doesn’t spill his guts when questioned, and that Hubert cries like a girl. No offense, he did just lose a loved one. When we eavesdropped from the cellar—”

  She froze, her mouth forming a perfect O.

  I rolled my eyes. The woman never could keep a secret. Joe stabbed me with his gaze. I threw up my hands. “It wasn�
��t my idea. I just wanted to gather info. Aunt Eunice suggested the basement.”

  Officer McHale’s lips twitched. Very few people on the face of this planet escaped being entertained by a few minutes in the company of my family. I’ve often thought script writers should model a sitcom after us.

  “The only thing we know for sure is that Sherry is missing and someone likes to send threatening letters with words cut from magazines.”

  I lowered my face over my mug. I’d just remembered where I’d seen a stack of magazines. And not just one. Since my brain was on a roll, I wondered whether Sherry had a computer and an alias.

  I glanced up to see Ethan watching me. It wouldn’t take much for him to figure out I was up to something. Hopefully, he’d be willing to go with me, if for no other reason than to watch over me.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

  “‘Do not steal. Do not lie. Do not deceive one another.’ Leviticus 19:11.”

  The pastor’s words scraped across my spirit. I’d been trying. Honestly. I’d hardly skirted around any questions asked about my investigative plans. But, and it was a big but, I knew Ethan would be busy after church today with the men’s luncheon. The perfect time for me to do more snooping.

  Ethan’s presence beside me confirmed my decision. I flipped over the church notes and wrote, “I’m going back to Sherry’s apartment after church, okay? I think we missed something.”

  He grabbed the pen from my hand and answered, “Don’t go alone.”

  “I won’t. I’m also going to—”

  Aunt Eunice tapped me on the shoulder and handed me a slip of paper. “Writing notes in church like a teenager. The two of you ought to be ashamed.”

  What did she think she was doing? Not passing notes? Ethan winked and straightened in his seat.

  Right before the closing prayer, Ethan rose, whispered in my ear that he’d see me later, and left to finish preparations for the luncheon. After the prayer, I grabbed Aunt Eunice’s arm to prevent her from leaving.