East Pender Boxed Set: Cozy Mystery Series Bundle of Books 1-14

by Leona Fox

  “I appreciate you calling Jimmy.” As she spoke she searched her mind and tried to remember what he looked like, “But right now I don't think I can, I'm sorry.”

  “Please, I've never been on my own like this before and I don't want to make a mistake,” he said and his pleading tone made it extremely difficult to resist.

  Ellen contemplated her decisions for a few moments and, even though she assumed she would regret it later, she agreed to help Jimmy. The relief in his voice was palpable and Ellen wondered just why Andy would leave such an inexperienced man in charge. She finished a few things in the cafe and then made the short walk down the main street to the general store that had been broken into. The area was quiet and, on the outside at least, there were no signs that anything was amiss.

  However, once she stepped inside she saw the store owner was distraught. He was acting frantically and didn't seem to be able to stand still. He was tearing out his hair and mumbling incoherently about the unfairness of it all. Standing beside him was Jimmy, and now that Ellen saw him she remembered seeing him before. He was a thin man, tall, taller than Andy even, but without the imposing authority that the chief of police had. Jimmy had a baby face and a soft voice, and he seemed content to let the victim babble on.

  Ellen's natural instincts, along with her experience, told her to make her presence known. She strode through the store and in a loud voice proclaimed, “What's going on here?”

  Jimmy smiled at her and instantly seemed to relax when she announced her presence. It also brought an end to the victim's stream of babbling. Jimmy quickly made Ellen aware of the facts of the case as they knew them so far. Then she turned to the victim.

  “Did the video surveillance catch anything?” she asked.

  “It was cut before it could catch anything.”

  “So we're dealing with someone who knows what they're doing,” Ellen mused. “And what was taken?”

  “Money, everything that was in the till, and some other stuff but I haven't had a chance to take an inventory yet,” he said, gesturing to the mess that was all around them.

  “I can't believe this happened to me, in this town. I thought we all were friends, you know? This is going to set me back a long time. I had plans for that money and I'm going to have to waste another day of business cleaning up this mess.”

  “I'm sure the police can spare a few officers to help you with that, and to take an inventory,” Ellen said.

  After a pause she glared at Jimmy, who seemed to get her meaning. He went over to a couple of other officers and told them to help sort out the store. She turned back to the owner and placed a hand on his shoulder.

  “I'm sorry this happened to you but we'll find out who did it.”

  The owner nodded. “I'm glad you're here, though. That other guy doesn't seem to know what he's doing. Why is he here and not Andy?”

  “Andy was called away unexpectedly to handle a training course out of town. He has the utmost faith in Sergeant Lister, though,” Ellen said.

  “At least one person does,” the owner grunted. Ellen glanced over at Jimmy but didn't respond to that.

  “The police will remain here and help you get this place sorted out. If you can think of anything else that may come in handy just let us know.”

  She left him with a blank look on his face as he stared at the destruction surrounding him. Then she went up to Jimmy and pulled him aside, speaking in a low voice.

  “What did he say in his statement? Did anyone have a grudge against him?”

  “Not that he said,” Jimmy replied, leafing through his notepad as if he seemed to have difficulty finding the right page.

  His cheeks reddened and he seemed to be getting more flustered with every passing moment. Ellen wondered to herself why Andy had chosen this man to be in charge when he seemed so clearly ill-equipped for the job.

  “No, there was nobody he could think of.”

  “And what about anyone else? Did anyone see or hear anything?”

  Jimmy shook his head as he flicked to another page. “Nobody had anything to add. We might be able to figure out a motive once we know exactly what has been taken, but right now we're pretty much in the dark.”

  “That's not necessarily true,” Ellen began. “They cut the surveillance camera so we know they're not an amateur.”

  “That is right.”

  “And it happened in the dead of night. So although all this mess makes it seem as though it was frantic, the thief most likely had all the time in the world. It's not like they just saw the store and were gripped with a sudden urge to break in. This was planned, and they were looking for something specific.”

  “You're good. I know why Andy values your help so highly,” Jimmy said, although Ellen didn't feel worthy of receiving any glowing praise. Especially not since what she just had said was pretty basic.

  “I have to admit,” Jimmy continued, “I'm glad you're here. I don't think I could handle this by myself. This is the first crime scene I've handled on my own. It's a lot different when you have to call the shots.”

  “Yes, it is...If you don't mind me asking, Jimmy, why are you a sergeant if you find these situations so uncomfortable? I'd have thought you'd have had some experience at least?”

  She searched her mind and remembered him helping out with previous searches, but the more she thought about it the more she realized she couldn't remember anything of note about him.

  “Well, I joined the force because I wanted to make a difference but I didn't really think much about the future. I was just a kid, after all. And, you know, some people just have that leadership quality, like Andy, but I don't. I've tried focusing more on the logistics side of things and work behind the scenes. Frankly, I'm surprised the chief left me in charge at all, but I guess I'm the next-ranking officer so he had no choice.” His voice faltered in that instant and Ellen felt great pity for him.

  “If Andy chose you to take care of things in his absence then he did so because he trusts you and he has faith in you. He doesn't do things just because the guidelines say so. You're here because he wants you and because he knows you can do the job.” Jimmy smiled appreciatively.

  “But can I offer a little piece of advice?” Ellen added.

  “Of course! I'd love to hear anything you have to offer. You and Andy have worked on so many cases and we're all so impressed with the way you handle things. I'd love to learn as much as I can.”

  “Okay, in that case you need to learn how to take control of a situation. Like it or not, you're the one in charge and everyone is going to look to you for guidance, and I don't just mean your fellow officers. The victims, the witnesses, they're all going to take their cues from you and if you're not in control then that is going to affect how they act.”

  “I appreciate that, really I do, but people have been telling me the same thing throughout my life. They always said I had to speak up more at school, be louder and more confident, but it's not that easy to do. It's not like there's a switch I can flick on and off.”

  “I understand that, really I do, but for the sake of your job and everyone you're working with you're going to have to learn. The best thing to do is just fake it, act like you're confident, and eventually you'll be confident.” Ellen spoke true words but Jimmy remained unconvinced, although he thanked her nonetheless.

  Ellen made her exit and told him to notify her if he needed her help with anything else. Although, truth be told, she hoped he wouldn’t and that she could go back to the cafe and take a break from everything.

  Stepping out onto Main Street, the town was becoming alive as people went about their daily business. Yet she had been investigating crimes for so long now that she only could see the nightmares behind the façade. She wondered to herself if she ever would be able to see the humble town again, or if she was cursed to see the darkness.

  Trying to push that particular thought from her mind she wanted to return to the cafe, to her safe haven, but before she did so she wanted to have a
good look at the surrounding buildings herself. The lure of a crime was too much for her to resist. However, the adjacent buildings didn't seem to show anything. So she walked down a little farther, inspecting the sidewalk and the nooks and crannies in the walls, just to see if, by chance, a clue had been left. Unfortunately, it was not to be the case.

  On her way she saw that a building that had been empty for a while had been bought. Out of curiosity Ellen walked up to the building and peered through the window. The insides were covered with sheets and it was very much a work in progress. There was a woman inside on all fours, wearing overalls. Ellen knocked on the window and the woman turned around with a startled look on her face. She wiped her glistening brow, for what she was doing was hard work, and opened the door for Ellen.

  “Hello, I'm Ellen. I just was passing by and was curious about what you're doing here.”

  “I'm Maggie, good to know ya,” the other woman said, holding out her hand and shaking Ellen's with a firm grip.

  She was about Ellen's age, with flame-red hair tied back into a tight ponytail. Her cheeks were flushed red and they were peppered with freckles, but otherwise her skin was unblemished. She had green eyes and a shapely figure, and from Ellen's guess Maggie was around the same age as she was.

  “I've just moved here. I'm opening a cafe.”

  “Oh, how strange! I actually own The Chrome Cafe along the road.”

  “Really?! People I've spoken to have said only good things about it. Are you busy at the moment? Would you mind if I picked your brain about a few things?”

  “Of course not, would you like to come to the cafe and we can have a chat there?”

  “Sure thing, just give me a few minutes to get myself cleaned up and I'll be right out.”

  She disappeared into the back of the cafe, leaving Ellen to stand in the empty building. For now, it didn't look like much but soon enough that all would change. Already she was envisioning what she would do to the place, and wondered if her plans aligned with Maggie's. The building was a little smaller than her own cafe, and while there was a part of her that didn't welcome the competition, overall she was glad to have a similar business around. A rising tide lifts all boats, after all.

  Maggie promptly returned looking fresh-faced. She locked the door and the two of them made their way to the cafe.

  “How have you found living here?” Maggie asked.

  “It's fine. The people are lovely and they'll soon become your friends if you treat them right. This place fosters a real community. I can tell by your accent that you're not a local.”

  Maggie laughed at this, a deep, throaty laugh. “It's that obvious, huh?” she said in a singsong voice.

  “Yeah, well, life never quite turns out the way you think it will. Mine certainly didn't. Never thought I'd end up in some place like this but here we are,” she said.

  They reached the cafe and Ellen showed her around. Maggie looked at everything with interest as Ellen described some of the more involved things to do with the business.

  “What challenges did you have?” Maggie asked.

  “Well, at first the biggest challenge was just getting people in. Luckily, I already knew most people because I had been around for a while, and they were curious to try something new.”

  “I hope you don't mind me picking your brain about this stuff, by the way. I am the competition, after all.”

  Ellen laughed it off. “There's plenty of room in town for the both of us. What brought you to East Pender anyway?”

  “That is...well, there's a long version and a short version. The short version is I was married, he ran off with a woman half his age, I got a generous settlement in the divorce and figured I'd get away from it all. Looked on a map, pointed somewhere random and here I am!”

  “I think someday you'll have to tell me the long version of that story. Sounds like a big change. I had a similar thing myself when I came here. I'd been living in the city for a long time before I decided to come back.”

  “What made you return?”

  “Oh, my parents were very ill. They died. That's how I was able to afford to get this place up and running, actually, with the money they left me.”

  “I'm sorry to hear that. I'm sure they'd be proud of what you've done with the place, though.”

  “Thank you. I hope they would be.”

  Ellen and Maggie continued talking for a while. They got along famously and soon were laughing heartily together. Maggie had a sharp wit, wasn't afraid of giving voice to what was on her mind, and had much to say on a range of topics. Her presence was like a breath of fresh air and while they were talking Ellen was able to forget about her problems. The hour flew by until Maggie checked her watch and gasped in horror.

  “Ellen Thatch you are a wicked one, keeping me from doing all the things I need to do!”

  “Oh no, you figured out my master plan!” Ellen said, holding up her hands in mock surrender.

  Ellen showed Maggie the door and waved goodbye to her new friend. Ellen was glad for the company, especially in light of Andy and Kelly's absence, but she started thinking that perhaps East Pender wasn't going to be as lonely as she feared. At least Maggie, unlike the other residents, had no preconceptions of Ellen, and Ellen looked forward to their next meeting.

  Chapter 3

  In the dead of night, a lithe figure dressed in black hopped through the shadows of the buildings. With steady hands they picked the lock and disabled surveillance camera, then moved their way through the empty store. They emptied the till and thrust all the cash into a bag, then moved along the shelves causing disarray, until they found what they had been looking for. They gathered those up and then left the scene of the crime as silently as they had appeared, and as soon as that was over they began planning their next caper...

  Ellen was sitting in the cafe with her head in her hands after the call from Jimmy. There had been another burglary, and again East Pender was looking at the presence of a serial criminal. Jimmy had sent over a list of what had been stolen from the first store, and now she waited for a list from the second store to see if there was a pattern. But soon enough her peace was interrupted by a group of business owners who all flooded into the cafe. They were the merchants guild, and all looked out for one another. A long time ago Ellen had agreed to become the spokesperson, for many of the town residents could be hotheaded, especially when they felt threatened.

  “What are you going to do about this, Ellen?” they demanded.

  “I'm not sure I know exactly what you expect me to do?” she replied.

  “That's not good enough! Two of our own have been broken into. Who is going to be next? We can't stay up all night keeping watch over our shops. These are our lives you're talking about. None of us are rich and we can't afford to lose all this money.”

  “The police are working on the case and it'll take time. You know what these things are like.”

  “The police,” one of them scoffed, “you mean that little boy that's in charge? Where's Andy when you need him?”

  A few of them murmured in agreement. Ellen bristled at the mention of Andy, not least because it reminded her that he was gone and she was missing him dearly.

  “Sergeant Lister is the ranking officer and he is performing his duties to the best of his abilities.”

  “The boy is a buffoon!” someone called out, and to Ellen's dismay many in the crowd agreed with the sentiment.

  With a heavy sigh, she said, “What would you have me do? It's all well and good to come here and demand that I do something, but what?”

  “Take the matter to city hall. We're the backbone of the economy here. If we all fail, then the town will crumble. Get them to do something, call in the National Guard to keep watch over our stores, start a manhunt. You have to do something to protect us.”

  Ellen's head started to throb and, as much as she didn't want to deal with this, she found herself agreeing just to put an end to the matter.

  “Fine. I will arrange a meet
ing with the mayor but you must promise me to go back to your stores and not create a fuss. I know we're all worried right now because any of us could be next. So let's try remaining vigilant, but we have to have faith in the police as well.”

  Many of them grumbled on the way out but they seemed satisfied. However, Ellen was not looking forward to her visit to city hall.

  City hall was an impressive building in the heart of East Pender. It was one of the first buildings in town ever to have been built and much of the town’s pride was centered around its longevity. Inside was the local library, as well as the council, who presided over local matters. Deep in the building was the mayor's office. Ellen had to make her way through long corridors to get to her destination. Once there she was greeted by a fresh-faced secretary, who instructed her to wait.

  Ellen sank into a plush leather seat and stared at the dark wooden-paneled walls. There was a long coffee table with recent issues of the local newspaper laid out, including ones that had her interview. This only served to remind her of her failure and she pinched the bridge of her nose, almost glad for this ordeal with the merchants so she could distract herself. There were a number of books around as well and these she flicked through as she waited. The secretary took a few calls while Ellen waited, and she was lost in thought when the secretary called over to her and told her she could go in.

  Pushing against the heavy wooden door, Ellen walked into the office. The mayor was sitting at his huge desk, leafing through a number of files. The gray-haired man looked dapper as always, and welcomed Ellen into his office.

  The two of them hadn't always gotten along famously but the mayor was a decent sort, he just seemed to like the sound of his own voice a little too much for Ellen's liking and he seemed best in small doses. His attitudes toward women also seemed to be stuck in the Dark Ages, and Ellen tried to ignore his wavering eyes as they sank down to her bosom.