Ouna Bay Cozy Mystery Boxed Set (4-Book Bundle)

by Deany Ray

  “Of course they’ll believe you. Everything’s gonna be fine,” I said as we walked through the bank doors.

  “I keep telling myself that too,” Rosalie said. “Now let’s see what we can get out of our visit here.”

  As we walked in, we saw that many of the employees were gathered around in a circle in the foyer. A line of customers was waiting to complete their various transactions. The police were allowing the cashiers and front desk attendant to work at their stations. However, the rest of the bank was closed so the police could continue their investigation.

  Because she was such a sweetheart, Rosalie was loved by her co-workers who were thrilled to see her. I thought this would give her an advantage over the police officers as they would be more likely to talk to her about what they knew.

  Rosalie walked up to the lady who worked at the front desk. “Hi Mel. How’s it going?”

  “Rosalie! It’s so nice to see you again. We miss you around here,” Mel said with a soft voice. She looked to be in her forties and had short, blond hair and a perm that would have looked great in the eighties.

  “Thanks Mel. Is Mr. Haggerty's secretary here?” Rosalie asked.

  Mel shook her head. “Ms. Violet Landry. No, she called in sick.”

  “How convenient,” Rosalie said, sharing a look with me.

  “Poor Mr. Haggerty,” Mel said. “I can't believe he's actually dead. And murdered no less!”

  “Yes, it's definitely awful,” Rosalie replied.

  “He's had something on his mind the past couple of months,” Mel told us. “I wonder if that had anything to do with his murder.”

  I cocked my head to the side, wondering what she meant. “How do you know that?” I asked.

  “It comes with the job. I see all the employees when they come in and I always see their faces for a second. I can spot any change in their facial expression and I can always tell when something is bothering someone. I’m certain Mr. Haggerty's had something on his mind,” Mel said.

  Rosalie nodded. “That's interesting. Thanks for the information, Mel.”

  As we walked away, Rosalie looked at her watch.

  “Hon, it’s already late and I can take care of business here,” she said. “I wouldn’t want you to be late opening the café just because I was late this morning.”

  She was right. I needed to head off to work.

  “Are you sure you can handle everything here?” I asked.

  “Sure, hon. I’m gonna go catch up with the bank people and see what they can tell me about Mr. Haggerty.”

  “Aren't you worried about the police swarming the place?”

  She shrugged. “Heck no. I'm allowed to talk to my former co-workers, aren't I?”

  We hugged and I left for the café.

  After I unlocked the front doors, I headed into the back to get started on the baking. It was Monday so it was time for a new cake of the week. I decided to treat my customers with a polenta-pear upside-down cake. I had read about it in one of the magazines I bought from Dev’s and thought I’d give it a try, twisting the recipe to give it that extra something.

  Just a few minutes later, Maia showed up to start her shift. It was a surprisingly normal day. About halfway through, Houston called to find out how things were going.

  “How's Dallas?” I asked him.

  He sighed. “It's all right. I'll be meeting with the clients today and I'm hoping we can figure out what we need to do so that I can come back early.”

  “That would be wonderful.” I smiled. It would be nice to have him back though I was hoping we'd have the murder investigation wrapped up by the time he was done in Dallas. Figuring that there was no reason to worry him, I'd already decided not to tell him about our amateur sleuthing or the fact that Rosalie’s fingerprints were on the murder weapon.

  He asked me how the investigation was going, so I told him that they still hadn't figured out who the killer was or come up with a motive. I added that Rosalie was supposed to meet with the police again that day.

  “I miss you,” he said.

  Knees getting softer, heart beating faster.

  “I miss you too,” I told him.

  “I've got to go for now,” he said. “I'll call you tomorrow, okay?”

  “Okay. Have a good day. Bye.”

  “Bye,” he said and my phone beeped in my ear, signaling he had hung up.

  The day at the café was slow and I found myself constantly worried about how it was going for Rosalie at the police station. I knew she had nothing to hide, but the police didn't know that and they were clearly suspicious of her.

  Finally, after several hours, she called. I jumped when the phone rang and grabbed it off the counter.

  “Hey hon. I'm finally done,” she said.

  “How'd it go?” I asked.

  I could hear her sigh. “I don't know why they needed me to come in again. I couldn't tell them anything more than the last time. I don't have any idea why Mr. Haggerty had my check or what the message was supposed to mean.”

  “What did they say?” I asked.

  “Well, they seemed to accept that I didn't know anything,” she told me. “They asked me why my fingerprints were on the envelope opener and I explained to them about how it was a gift for Mr. Haggerty and I hope they believed that. They said they were going to have to ask the other employees to verify the story.”

  “Well, at least once they talk to the other cashiers they'll know you're telling the truth,” I said.

  “Very true,” she replied. “Also, I saw Dwight there. You know, the cutesy.”

  “How can you think of a man at a time like this?”

  “I can’t control who I find attractive. There’s no off switch there,” she said. “Anyway, I talked to him and asked him out for a drink tonight.”

  “Good Lord,” I said, rolling my eyes. How could she be so nonchalant during a murder investigation?

  Rosalie laughed. “After I asked him and he said yes, he turned bright red and banged his head against the wall after he turned around. He missed the doorway. It was adorable.”

  “Adorable? He's adorable? He's a good six feet, five inches and as slim as a tree limb!” I said with a chuckle. Dwight had light brown hair and his cheeks seemed to always be red. “I hate to break this to you, but I doubt he'll ever be anything else other than an assistant at the station.”

  “Yeah, that's probably true,” Rosalie told me. “But he seems authentic and he's clearly sweet. I like him.”

  “You think it's a good idea to mix business and pleasure?” I asked her.

  “I don't think it'll be a problem. He's cute, but it may also help us learn more about what the police find out about the murder. I highly doubt Roger is going to call us every time they uncover another clue,” Rosalie said.

  I rolled my eyes again. She certainly was the kind of girl to go after what she wanted. “Well, let me know what you find out after you go out tonight,” I said. She agreed to call the next morning and we hung up.

  Chapter Six

  I got up early the next morning unable to sleep. I didn't feel like stopping at Dev's kiosk so I drove straight to the café and parked in front. It was a business tactic I’d learned from a friend. People are more likely to come in if they see others parked at the café. I did it mainly for the tourists since the natives would recognize my car.

  Because it was early, I hadn't heard from Rosalie about her date with Dwight. I was anxious to know if she had learned anything important about the investigation. While I waited for her to call, I started on some muffins. A short time later Maia came in to start her shift.

  A few minutes after that Rosalie appeared. Handing her a blueberry muffin with a crumble top, I asked, “How did it go with Dwight?”

  Rosalie smiled from ear to ear.

  “It was great. He seemed really anxious at first and he told me he was nervous that we were going out so soon after I'd asked him. He said he usually has more time to prepare himself mentally, but it didn
't take long for him to calm down. I have that effect on men sometimes.”

  I raised an eyebrow. “Sounds like a nervous type of guy.”

  She shrugged. “He's really cute. And his personality’s even cuter. We went to the pool bar because I thought it would be more relaxed than some uptight kind of restaurant. We had a lot of fun and ended up laughing most of the night. He's not a very good pool player, but that didn't seem to bother him. And he has a nice butt.”

  “Good to know,” I said.

  “It is good,” Rosalie continued. “A nice hiney is important. And Dwight’s is real tight and just a little bit…”

  “Okay, stop!” I shouted. “I really don’t need to know about Dwight’s butt.”

  “Well, fine,” Rosalie puffed. “Anyway, I felt like a lady yesterday. He opened the car door for me and asked me what I would like to order instead of ordering for me. Some men do that, you know? It’s like they believe they have to think for us. And I can think for myself, thank you very much.”

  Now that was a statement. I didn't think I had ever heard Rosalie talk so enthusiastically about any man before.

  “Sounds like you have quite the crush on Dwight. Or maybe you're already falling in love?” I said.

  Rosalie waved her hand, dismissing my comment. “Oh, it’s just a crush. I barely know the man.”

  She picked at her muffin while I studied her. I still thought it might be something more, but I decided to let it go.

  “So, did he talk about the murder?” I asked.

  Shaking her head, Rosalie finished chewing. “Unfortunately, no. Dwight says that his supervisors don't really share much about their investigations with him since he's just an assistant.”

  “That's too bad,” I said as I wiped down a counter.

  “All he knows is that they're asking the other employees at the bank about the envelope opener. But we're going out again on Thursday night. Maybe there will be more information that he can tell me then.” She popped another bite of muffin into her mouth.

  I tried not to chuckle at her. At that point I was pretty certain that the only reason she was going out with Dwight again was for her pleasure and that it had nothing to do with the investigation.

  “Okay, so what’s the plan now?” I asked.

  “I don't really know,” Rosalie told me. “We're kind of at a dead end.”

  I nodded my agreement. “Well, let's recap what we know.” I ticked facts off on my fingers. “Mr. Haggerty was murdered with his envelope opener Friday evening and by the time we found him the weapon was missing. Two days later it was found in a trash can on Highland Street.”

  Rosalie interjected. “Anyone could have driven there and dumped the weapon, so that leads us nowhere.”

  “Yes, unfortunately,” I replied. “His wife says he was working a lot and lately he had been staying until late in the evening. She also said that the secretary would stay late with him. Thanks to Mel, we know that her name is Violet Landry. Also, according to Mel, Mr. Haggerty had something on his mind for the last couple of months.”

  Nodding, Rosalie said, “I have two thoughts. First, he was having an affair with the secretary. Two, whatever it was that had been on his mind was probably what ultimately led to his death. But what on earth was it that had him so worried?”

  “I don't know,” I said, shaking my head. “Ms. Landry called in sick yesterday and we weren't able to talk to her. She would probably know what it was.”

  “You're right!” Rosalie said. “You know what that means?”

  “We absolutely have to find Ms. Violet Landry,” I said, grimly.

  Rosalie nodded. “Yep. Let me call the bank and see if she showed up at work today.”

  She got out her phone and punched in a number. I listened as she said, “How are you, sweets? This is Rosalie.” She waited a moment. “I'm doing as well as can be expected, I suppose. Listen, I'm wondering if Ms. Violet Landry came in today?”

  While she listened, she pulled a notepad and pen out of her purse. “Really? Interesting. Is there any way you could give me her address? I'd like to make sure she's okay and maybe take her some soup.” Rosalie winked at me and wrote down an address. “Thanks, sweets. I'll see you later.”

  Hanging up the phone, she looked at me. “She called in sick again today, but I have her address right here.”

  “That was some detective work you just did,” I teased.

  “I know. Maybe I missed my calling. Maybe I should think about a new career,” she said with sparkling eyes.

  “Or maybe you could work here.”

  “Oh yeah. I couldn’t leave you hanging, hon,” she said smiling.

  “Thanks, I appreciate it.”

  “Besides, I can do all the detective work before or after my shifts at the cafe.”

  Oh boy. I could see Rosalie staring at the floor and dreaming about her detective work.

  “So, I guess our next step is to visit Violet Landry,” I said.

  “Do you think we could go after you close the café tonight?” Rosalie asked.

  I nodded. “That should work.”

  “Great. I'll come back around seven thirty,” Rosalie told me as she stood.

  Walking her to the door, I said, “Sounds like a plan.”

  She turned around before she left.

  “Do detectives have to take an oath?” she asked.

  “I really don’t know. Why?”

  “Just thinking that it might be a lot of pressure, you know? Always having to act by certain guidelines. I’m a free spirit and I need my space.”

  “I know that,” I said with a chuckle.

  “Hmm…definitely something I gotta think about first,” Rosalie said to herself.

  The café was pretty busy that day and I was surprised when I realized it was time to close. Just as I had finished sweeping, Rosalie walked through the door. “Are you ready?” she asked.

  “Yes,” I told her, nodding. “I just need to lock the doors.”

  We decided to take my car so Rosalie climbed into the passenger seat. It didn't take long to reach Ms. Landry’s house and I parked at the curb. It was a one-story house with flower beds that flanked the steps leading to the porch. We walked up to the door and Rosalie rang the bell.

  “This is so exciting,” she said. “I can’t wait to see the woman who had an affair with Mr. Haggerty.”

  “We’re not sure she had an affair. We just assumed she did. I would give her the benefit of the doubt.”

  “Sure, whatever. Still, it would be more fun if she did,” Rosalie said with a grin.

  I raised an eyebrow and wondered at her idea of fun.

  After a second, a woman answered the door. She was short and round with thick-rimmed glasses and a messy bun. A very messy bun. I guessed she was in her forties. She had big bags under her eyes and looked as though she hadn't slept in days. Rosalie leaned into my ear and whispered, “I don't think Mr. Haggerty was having an affair with his secretary.”

  “Shh,” I said to her.

  Ms. Landry gave us a weary look.

  “Who are you?” she asked, clearly annoyed. “What do you want?”

  Rosalie looked at her. “I'm Rosalie and this is my friend Becky. We just have some questions about Mr. Haggerty, if you wouldn't mind helping us out.”

  Sighing, Ms. Landry said, “The police have already been here and I've told them everything I know.” Then she slammed the door in our faces, leaving us stunned.

  “Well, that was curious,” Rosalie said.

  “Maybe we should have actually brought her some soup so we could have least gotten into the house,” I said.

  Rosalie knocked on the door again. “Ms. Landry! Please talk to us!” she shouted. “We don't have a hidden agenda! We just want to talk to you for a minute! Ms. Landry?”

  The door remained shut and after a few minutes, we decided to give up. She clearly wasn't going to answer the door again.

  As we drove back to the café to drop Rosalie at her car, we talk
ed about what had happened. “That was really weird,” Rosalie said. “I don't understand why she acted that way.”

  I nodded. “I’m guessing it’s a normal reaction if you suddenly have two strangers at your door asking about a murder.”

  “Nah. It’s something else. She's got to be hiding something,” Rosalie said, tapping her lips as she thought.

  “What do you think it is?” I asked.

  Rosalie shrugged. “I don't know, but I'd really like to find out.”

  We arrived at the café and before Rosalie climbed out of the car, I asked her what she planned to do next.

  “I don't know. This detective work is tough. Apparently not everybody’s cooperative.”

  “That’s true. It’s not easy being a detective,” I teased.

  “You said it, sister. I think I’ll just go home and go to sleep. I’m exhausted. Oh, and I have to pick out an outfit for my date with Dwight on Thursday.”

  “That’s two days away. You need to pick out an outfit today?” I asked.

  “Of course, hon. A lot of planning and trying on clothes goes into a successful date.”

  “Of course,” I said.

  “I wonder where I put my baby pink dress with the V-neck,” Rosalie said, growing thoughtful.

  “You lost that too?” I asked.

  “I haven’t lost it,” Rosalie rolled her eyes. “I just don’t know where it is.”

  “Right.”

  “I probably should look for it before I try on anything else.”

  “Probably,” I said smiling. I loved the problems Rosalie had. They were so refreshing.

  We said our goodbyes and I waited until she got into her car before I pulled away. As soon as I got home, I changed into my pajamas and climbed into bed so I could get a good night's sleep. I hoped Rosalie would do the same.

  ***

  I was chasing Violet Landry in a dream when my phone woke me up. Without opening my eyes, I placed the phone to my ear.

  “Hello?” I said sleepily.