by Ann S. Marie
“Thanks so much for coming by to help me with the leaves uncle and auntie.”
“Hey, it’s fun. We do it every year and it’s brilliant exercise, too.” Aunt Nia had her large straw hat on with dangling earrings and her gloves and sunglasses. She looked positively adorable like a tourist. Her silk scarf was also wrapped around her neck.
Uncle Merv said he’d help with the bag. He often had his walking cane but at times would leave it behind on a good day and try to get a bit of exercise.
Dana and Katie did most of the hard work though since they were younger and gathered most of the leaves.
Dana couldn’t wait to tell her aunt and uncle about her meeting with Detective Evan.
“So it must’ve been an inside job then?” Uncle Merv calculated. “I thought so.”
“I’m wondering if Sam from Advertising had anything to do with it then? I mean he pretty much denied having an appointment with me in the beginning though he admitted it to us later, but not to the police. It wouldn’t look to nice on him if he changed his story with them, would it?”
“It could be possible. But I don’t think so.”
Dana thought about what she and Katie spoke about earlier. “It’s a small town where everyone looks out for each other. I’m willing to bet that it could have been a few people at the Gazette that Brad was blackmailing and they each covered for each other, right?”
“You know my dear, that is a good observation. They do look out for each other. But if that were the case, it would be hard to crack then. If they banded together and provided an alibi for each other that is?”
Dana tried hard not to feel discouraged but the butterflies of despair flitted about inside her.
Still, she was out in the clear, right? That was unless someone was going to try harder to push the outsider out of the small town circle while pinning the blame on her?
Back at the Cozy Cupcakes Café later in the night– customers started talking about Bianca and the picture of Mike.
Was Mike seeing Bianca? He could have had something to do with it. He had purchased a pill crusher according to Phil the pharmacist.
Mike must have wanted Bianca for himself but she was tied down to Brad. So he’d get Brad out of the way and help Bianca’s business by getting her competitor out of the way, too. Two birds with one stone.
Dana was aghast at the possibility but it all seemed plausible, didn’t it? Or didn’t it?
Evan had called her not too long ago and also told her about the police update before it hit the local news: cause of death was not poisoning but concussion.
Someone had wanted to poison Brad but he ultimately bumped his head. Was it after he ate the poison or before? He had some food in his mouth according to reports.
The question that overwhelmed her mind right now was: Did someone place it there in their effort to frame Dana really good?
Chapter 13
“Please don’t tell me. The Grand opening is being postponed yet again.” A customer approached Dana at the café after the morning rush the following day.
“Sorry, Mrs. Dawson. Just for at least another week. Is that okay?” She smiled warmly to the woman.
Her grandmother had a lot of elderly clients who enjoyed having a weekly bingo session at the side on the west veranda.
A lot of seniors gathered for some fun and R and R. It was more than just a café. Dana wanted to continue her grandmother’s vision and allow it to be a place for everyone to have fun and convene for warm gatherings as they enjoyed the eloquent art work on the cream-colored walls, the calming waterfalls at the side, the aroma of fresh baked cupcakes and coffee and tea or their favorite warm or cool smoothie of the day.
Usually a healthy smoothie with the town’s favorite berries mixed in with different textured fruits. Because berries were filled with antioxidants, it was the most requested.
“Oh, well. What can we do,” Mrs. Dawson smiled sweetly and walked away with her cane.
The woman had told Katie earlier, apparently, that she was looking forward to the grand raffle prizes they were offering at the grand opening.
Mrs. Dawson, like many of the guests, loved to play games and win prizes. It was almost like a sport or a hobby for them. Many of the long-term town’s residents were retired and looked for a little low-risk adventure every day.
Though the Cozy Cupcakes Café appealed to everyone, both young and old, retired and working, family and singles, it was still Grandma’s Place.
Dana had hesitated at first to change the name but after poor sales in the weeks following Grandma Rae’s death, she figured they knew Grandma was passed on and it wouldn’t be the same. So she still kept the old logo but added a new name.
And Dana really wanted more than anything to keep it that way—just like her grandma’s Victorian. A bit of the past mixed in with the present and the future.
Dana hid her disappointment as she worked in the back on some new cupcake recipes while she spoke on the phone with Katie and concurred with Truffles who was busy walking on an old newspaper.
She saw the article about a celebrity getting an identity change. And it hit her.
Someone wasn’t who they said they were.
Chapter 14
Later, Dana saw Troy and Evan in the national park talking and decided to move closer behind a tree. She kept quiet to see if she could find anything out by listening.
“Stay away from her, Evan.” Troy’s voice was filled with contempt, it would seem. “She’s getting too close to the case.”
“Too close?”
“You know what I mean?”
“No, I don’t Troy. Just what in God’s name do you mean?” Evan challenged Troy but Troy held his ground. What on earth was going on between them?
Just then a spider crept up near her and she froze.
Okay, it’s only a little bitty spider nothing to it. She tried to coach herself to no avail. Why were humans, so big and powerful, afraid of a little creepy crawly thing with, okay, eight legs?
But...Dana let out a scream and both men turned around.
“What are you doing here?”
“I was, um...looking for Truffles. My kitty.”
“You took your cat for a walk?” Troy asked incredulously.
“Sometimes.” Liar. Who takes their cat for a long trail walk? She’s not a dog, you know.
Before Dana could allow them to probe any further, she nonchalantly jogged off calling out Truffles name and pretending not to be bothered by it all, her heart pounding hard in her chest.
Oh, goodness. They really must think something was wrong with her now. She left both men behind with a puzzled expression plastered on their face. Well, actually, Evan seemed a bit amused by her interruption. Not annoyed like his partner, Troy.
But at least she got out of that one—for now.
Later in town, Dana headed off to the grocery store to pick up some food for the Victorian. The fridge was looking about as bare as her bank account right now.
She spotted Troy making a phone call from a phone booth, dressed as a technician guy.
What was he doing? Didn’t most people have cell phones these days? Or perhaps, he wanted to make sure that his phone would not be bugged. As she walked, she kept glancing at him, not paying attention to where she was going when...
Splat!
She tripped and landed head and hands first into a cement tray.
“Hey, lady, watch where you’re going?” a workman called out.
“Now you tell me?”
She got up and tried to get the substance off her. “Great! I’ll need to shower all day now.”
Detective Troy looked up from where he was to see the commotion but quickly left the scene. How odd?
Was that even him?
Was he undercover for another job? Maybe he didn’t want his cover blown.
Before long, an ambulance was on the scene and luckily Dana was all right. Well, physically at least. Her emotions were spiraling out of control right now
.
At the hospital in the emergency room, she waited to see the doc and had the TV turned to the entertainment channel to get her mind off stuff.
“Darling, oh thank God you’re all right.” Aunt Petunia made her way in.
“How did you know, Auntie?”
“Oh, I’m your next of kin now remember? Besides, I bumped into Gerdie-Sue and she told me what happened.”
“That’s strange. I didn’t even see her around.”
“What were you doing darling. Walking into a cement like that? Didn’t you see the signs?”
Dana sighed and grinned. “I didn’t do it intentionally, Auntie. I was just...” watching detective Troy acting suspicious undercover.
“Just what dear?”
Dana told her aunt what she’d seen and what she’d suspected.
“Oh, darling. Anything’s possible. But why wouldn’t he send someone to do his dirty work for him?”
“I don’t know, Auntie! I wish I’d known...” Dana stopped and looked at the screen of the TV.
She saw a brief news report from the entertainment world of a supermodel, Kiatra, and her new beau, advertising executive Ramone Ranchioli, marrying off the coast of Italy.
She tried not to get emotional. Her heart exploded in her chest. She was glad she’d found out about his two-timing earlier but it was still heartbreaking.
Aunt Petunia looked up at the screen. She then reached over to shut it off. “You don’t need that garbage, Hun. Good for them. You don’t need him.”
“Thanks, Auntie. I’m actually over him and you know something. The good thing about being here in Berry Cove is that I haven’t spent a single second thinking of his betrayal.”
No, she hadn’t. That was the good thing, of course. But then again, she was busily occupied with trying to clear her name and the café’s reputation from a crazy puzzling murder rap. That would do it to get her mind off her broken heart.
Chapter 15
Dana had a talk with Katie again at the Victorian about the case the next day.
“So what on earth could they have been talking about?”
“I have no clue and it seems as if Troy was really annoyed that I’d interrupted them. Evan was apologetic though. I mean, you should have seen his cute face. But I haven’t heard back from him. He canceled our next meeting until later. He said he got stuck with some last minute stuff.”
“I’ll bet. Ten dollars says Troy gave him some last minute stuff to do to make sure he kept his distance from you.”
Dana shrugged. “It’s no big deal really. Maybe they really do suspect me and there would be a conflict of interest. Which brings me to another situation. I really hope they don’t try to pin this one on me. It’s nice to have someone on the inside who’s on your side.”
“I hear you. Do you think you should let Evan at least know about your suspicions about his partner?”
“I don’t know, Katie. I think that would be like skating on thin ice. As much as I adore Evan. I just don’t want to push it. I mean, he might just go ahead and confront Troy.”
“What would be so bad about that?”
“Well everything, for starters. Then Troy would really want to get at me. Then what would I do? What if he attacks Evan, too? Evan doesn’t have as much seniority as Troy. He’s only part time, too. Troy is full time. I don’t want to jeopardize his job. Especially with small suspicions.”
Dana realized, according to her calculations, that it was not going to be an easy investigation on her part. Yet, she frowned thinking of how much further away she was at getting at the real killer.
As if reading her mind, Katie asked, “So what did you and Mac come up with then?”
“Well, for starters, Mike does have strong motive.”
“But so does Bianca and her mother?”
“True. And I also wonder what kind of dark secret Brad had over them?”
“Hmm. That is a crazy thought. I wonder about that, too.”
Just then Truffles strutted by the dining room, swaying her bushy tail from side to side as if nonchalant. She climbed up on the sofa next to Dana and started purring. At least she wasn’t hissing, Dana knew that Truffles had some good intuition for danger and would always hiss her way into Dana’s lap if there was something she should know. So this was a good sign after all.
As Dana placed her laptop on her lap she looked over some items with Truffles cuddled up by her on the quilt blanket on the sofa. They all sat by the fire enjoying the crackling sound coming from the stone fireplace.
“So, let me see here.” Dana scrolled her mouse down the screen. “We have Mike, Bianca, Mrs. Baxter, Phil, the pharmacist. Troy.”
“Troy?”
“Okay, so no, it can’t be a cop, but...he is acting kind of suspicious.”
“Do you think he had a girlfriend or sister that was dumped by Brad, too?”
“Who knows, Katie? Who knows? Trouble is, I feel as if I’m further away from the truth than before.”
Dana blew out of a puff of air, her bangs lifted off her face. “I just wish I can clear this up so this is not hanging over the Cozy Cupcakes Café like a dark cloud on an otherwise summer day. It’s awful. Did you know that a few teenagers came by the café today?”
“Oh, that lot.”
“Right. And they seemed so enthusiastic at first, taking selfies and snap shots of themselves outside. And Inga said she overheard them calling it the Killer Cupcakes Café.”
“Oh, no. That’s terrible!” Katie pouted.
“Exactly. We really need to...”
Just then Truffles whipped out of Dana’s hug and pounced on the keyboard. Her tiny little paws dance tapping away. Clearing everything off.
“Oh, no. Truffles, no!” Dana reached over to hug her little fury friend and gently moved her away from the computer but it was too late. Most of the stuff she’d typed had been deleted, probably just before the auto save kicked in.
“Oh, great! I guess I’m going to have to re-enter everything into the computer again.”
Truffles seemed to purr with satisfaction.
Dana shook her head and grinned. “Okay, little one. I guess you’re trying to tell me that I need to spend little time away from the...” Dana stopped mid sentence and stared at the laptop screen which was almost blank saved for a few letters.
“What is it?” Katie asked, anxiously.
“I think I know who killed Brad.”
Chapter 16
Dana got into her car and turned on the ignition.
“Hey, I’m coming with you,” Katie said as she slid into the passenger side.
Before pulling out of the driveway, she keyed in a few numbers on her text and entered a few numbers and sent off a text for back up support. She had to do this right, but as Evan said, she should never put her life in danger again.
Her mind then flashed back to the day after the murder and she briefly closed her eyes and swallowed hard, drawing in a deep breath...
“Hey, you’re back so soon?” Phil looked aghast and turned his attention to Mike and shook his head, giving him a tsk.
Dana looked at the mailbag on the counter. Mike probably had some more bills to give to Phil. Who could blame him for not wanting to see the mailman everyday. But that wasn’t the case, was it?
Later, Dana ended up at the Tavern & Bar in the Town’s Square, while Katie waited in the car in the parking lot.
“Hey Mike!” Dana said to the mail guy when she spotted him sitting in the bar drinking a cold beer.
“Hey, yourself, Dana. What’s going on?”
“Oh, nothing. I was just wondering if we could have a few words. You and I. I have to ask you something.”
Mike looked around. The bar was practically empty and there was no one else there.
“Sure.”
They went over to the side while Katie waited in the car with her, the ignition turned off and the lights off so that Mike would not be aware that anyone else was around outside.
“Wh
at’s this about?”
“The day that Brad was murdered. I just have a few questions. You see I have this murder mystery blog and I was hoping you can help me solve this murder that’s similar to this.”
“Oh, you’re a sly one, aren’t you? You think I don’t know the real reason you’re here?”
Dana felt uncomfortable but she was determined to hold her ground. She had some mace in her purse just in case.
“The truth is, Mike, I was confused about a tiny detail,” Dana said.
“About what?”
“You always delivered mail at 9 a.m. I went to the pharmacy on my morning break. I was at the pharmacy at 10 a.m. So I thought what gives?”
“What do you mean by that?”
“You know what I mean. It was then I realize that you couldn’t have possibly been there for mail delivery—again. Phil has a photographic memory and remembers each customer’s refill time. That’s why he shook his head and tsked you. He thought you were there way too soon. You should have had a week left of supply left. But you didn’t. And Brad was killed with the equivalent of seven digoxin tablets crushed in the pill crusher that you purchased a few days prior. You were there to refill your digoxin because you finished your 30 day supply earlier than 30 days which meant, you used a few to crush and sprinkle on the cupcake at the Berry Cove Gazette head office. But something went wrong and you struck him too.”
“So you figured it all out, did you?”
Mike’s expression darkened giving Dana chills that slithered down her spine. But Dana was determined to hold her ground. She was not going to be fearful of him—though she probably should be.
“Well yes and no.”
“Yes and no?” he said, inching closer to her.
Dana instinctively took a few paces back, slowly and smoothly.
Never corner yourself, she was taught in self-defense. Always be near a door so that you could never be cornered in a room. Thank heavens she always took that advice. Of course, she was also claustrophobic, so having a quick exit point out of a closed in space was always something she made sure of.
