Chocolate Caramels and Conmen

by Cindy Bell

  “Great. I’ll be in touch.”

  He hung up the phone. She wondered if he would really call back with updates. The day became very busy as she tried to fill orders, replenish the in-store stock, and research what she could about Paluo. During a lull, she settled in with her computer and did what digging she could into Paluo’s younger years. Thanks to social media she was able to get a short timeline of his career.

  When her cell phone began to ring, she ignored it. She wanted to finish reading the information about Paluo and what his history was like. However, on the second set of rings she picked it up to see who it was. It took her a second to recognize that the number belonged to Detective Jenkins.

  “Hello?” She stepped out into the front of the shop and waved to her grandmother to get her attention.

  “Ally, this is Detective Jenkins. I managed to get the details of the couple you mentioned. They are not married, or even a couple, from what I can tell. I have reason to believe that they may be connected to the mob.”

  “The mob?” Ally shook her head. “Why would mobsters be in Blue River?”

  “I don’t know just yet, but I do know that if these people are who I think they are and have done what I suspect they have, they are extremely dangerous. I am telling you this because you need to be sure to steer clear of them, do you understand me?”

  “Yes, I do, but are you certain your information is correct? It seems strange to me that they would be here.”

  “My information is correct, and this isn’t just friendly advice. I’m warning you, if I find out you’ve been following them or in any other way interacting with them, I will find a reason to put you behind bars.”

  “Excuse me?” Ally stood up from the stool she was perched on. “You can’t threaten me like that.”

  “It isn’t a threat, Ally. It’s a promise. These characters would sooner shoot you than look at you, you need to stay away from them. If you see them in town alert me right away, do not, I cannot stress this enough, do not engage with them. Do you understand me?”

  She clutched the phone, her heart in her throat, and fought the desire to shoot back a defiant response. Underneath the authoritative tone, she understood that his intention was to keep her safe. However, that didn’t make swallowing her pride any easier.

  “Yes, I understand. Thanks for the information.” She lowered the phone as he hung up.

  “What is it, Ally?” Charlotte gazed at her with concern. “Did he really say the mob is involved in all of this?”

  “Yes, he thinks Barry and Sally are mobsters.”

  “Really? From what I’ve heard, I thought they were out of place, but I didn’t really think they could be connected to the mob.”

  “He also said that I need to stay away from them. If I go anywhere near them he’s going to find a reason to arrest me.” She shuddered at the thought.

  “That’s probably good advice.” Charlotte sighed as she leaned against the counter. “If his information is correct this couple should not be toyed with.”

  “Mee-Maw, we’re in too deep to back out now.” Ally frowned.

  “Ally, if this couple were in Blue River at the same time that Marcus was killed I think it’s pretty safe to assume that they killed him. Why they did, that’s for the police to sort out. I’d guess it might have had something to do with the gun running.” She brushed her palms off and smiled. “That’s it, the murder is solved, and we can all rest easy once they are picked up.”

  “Yes, I guess you’re right.” Ally tapped her fingertips on the counter. “So why doesn’t it feel like it’s over?”

  “Maybe because they haven’t been arrested, yet. Honestly, I won’t be calm until they are behind bars.”

  “Maybe they didn’t do it. Paluo is still a suspect.” She tipped her head towards the door. “We have visitors.”

  “Let’s try to put on a brave face for them, all right?”

  “Yes.” Ally forced a smile as Mrs. Cale stepped into the shop, followed by Mrs. White, and Mrs. Bing. Ally didn’t realize that Harold was there until he pulled the door closed behind them.

  Chapter 15

  “We’re back.” Mrs. Bing smiled proudly as she walked up to them. “With more information!”

  “Wonderful. What is it?” Ally glanced around at them. “I hope you didn’t run into Barry or Sal.”

  “We didn’t.” Mrs. White placed a small, clear plastic bag on the counter. “But we found out where they’ve been.”

  “What’s this?” Ally picked up the plastic bag and studied the slip of paper inside. “A receipt?”

  “Yes. From the convenience store on the corner. The girl that works there, Mandy, remember her?” Mrs. Bing grinned. “She’s the one with the boyfriend that has that awful truck that spurts exhaust fumes everywhere.”

  “Yes, Mrs. Bing, I know her.” Ally smiled.

  “Well, Mandy told us that Sal and Barry were in the store on the day that Marcus was killed. She said that when Barry opened his wallet to pay for some food, a few receipts fell out. She picked them up and was going to give them back, but the two bolted out of the store like they were chasing someone. She set them aside in case they came back looking for them. Two of the receipts were for the deli. The one near the motel where Marcus was staying. The other one was from the truck stop café out on the highway.” Mrs. Cale tapped the receipt in the plastic bag. “Look at the time on it.”

  “This is very interesting. But I’m not sure what it proves.” Ally handed it over to Charlotte.

  “Look closer.” Mrs. Bing raised her eyebrows. “They ordered three meals, not two. And three desserts.”

  “Oh.” Ally took a sharp breath as her mind calculated the meaning of that. “You’re thinking that they were at the truck stop with Marcus just an hour or so before he was found dead?”

  “Looks like it.” Harold grinned. “That’s pretty good evidence if you ask me.”

  “Only if we can get someone at the truck stop to confirm that Marcus was there with them. Otherwise, it could have been anyone eating with them. But, they don’t exactly seem like the friendly sort that would invite someone to dine with them.” Charlotte frowned.

  “It’s possible that one of them just ordered two meals and two desserts. Although, two caramel coconut squares for dessert does seem like a lot,” Ally said.

  “Barry’s not exactly skinny. Some people do eat a lot.” Charlotte tapped the receipt. “But this is a great find, and I think it warrants a trip to the truck stop café. Don’t you, Ally?”

  “Yes, I do.” Ally narrowed her eyes. “But we also need to keep an eye on Paluo. If he’s the murderer and he thinks that we’re on to him he might try to poison whoever he suspects knows. I’d love to investigate that truck stop more, though. Even if no one can identify Marcus we could find out how long they were at the truck stop.”

  “That’s true.” Mrs. Bing nodded. “I know the head waitress there, Trisha, she’s very talkative.”

  “That’s good. But one of us has to be at the shop, we can’t close it, it might tip off Paluo that we’re up to something. I think he suspects that I believe he’s the murderer after that last conversation with him, and now with Detective Jenkins all over him.” Ally shook her head. “It’s impossible for us to cover all of these places, and every minute that goes by is one more minute that the trash could be emptied, or witnesses could move on to their next destination. If only we had someone.” She smiled as she looked at her grandmother, then turned towards the three women and Harold. “What do you say? Do you want to check out the truck stop for us? Find out what you can? That way I can duck into Paluo’s restaurant while hopefully Detective Jenkin’s has him busy at the station and see if I can find out more.”

  “And I’ll keep the shop open and keep an eye out for Barry and Sal.” Charlotte glanced at her friends. “Are you sure you’re up for it?”

  “Absolutely!” Mrs. Bing clapped her hands.

  “Yes, we’ll find out every detail.” Mrs.
Cale nodded.

  “And get some good grub.” Mrs. White patted her stomach with a grin. “Detective work makes me hungry.”

  Harold held the door open for the three women. As he started to leave, he glanced back and met Ally’s eyes.

  “Don’t worry, I’ll keep an eye on them.”

  “Thank you, Harold.” She smiled at him as she recalled the way he’d protected Mrs. Cale in the video of Paluo’s fight with Marcus. She was sure he would do the same if the three wandered into any danger.

  “It’s my pleasure.” He pulled the door closed.

  “You don’t think this could be dangerous for them do you, Ally?” Charlotte continued to look over the receipt.

  “I doubt it. I don’t think Barry or Sal will go back to that truck stop, especially if they’re the killers. Plus, there are four of them, I think they will be safer if they are occupied with this and have less chance of running into Barry and Sal, or Paluo.” She shrugged. “I’m going to head over to his restaurant and speak to the staff, I’m hoping Paluo isn’t there. If he is, I’ll just have to pretend I’m there to eat.”

  “Be careful, Ally, and keep in touch.”

  “I will. If Barry or Sal come in here call Luke right away, promise?” She looked into her eyes.

  “Promise.”

  As Ally stepped out of the shop and around the corner towards the parking lot she texted Detective Jenkins to see if she could find out if Paluo was at the police station. When someone called out her name she almost dropped her phone. The sight of Carl as he ran towards her, made panic bolt through her. She started to turn back towards the shop.

  “Wait, please!” Carl grabbed her elbow and tugged her back towards him.

  “Let go of me!” She gasped and spun around, ready to strike.

  “Please, just listen to me for a second.” His eyes widened as he released her and took a big step back. “Look, I knew about the guns, okay? Marcus and I both did. We would hide the guns in the cases and deliver them to people who had purchased them from our boss. Our, other boss. Marcus must have accidently given you the wrong case.” He winced. “If I’m going to go to jail for the guns, fine. But I can’t go down for murder. I can’t.”

  “What about Marcus? Who killed him?” She crossed her arms as she studied him. She knew that she should be trying to get away from him, but her instincts told her she needed to hear what he had to say.

  “I didn’t kill him, Ally.” He looked straight into her eyes. “I know you don’t believe me, but I didn’t kill him. Whoever did, is probably going to come after me next.”

  “Then, I guess you had better figure out who the killer is.” She took a step back as he took a step towards her. “Back off, I’m warning you.”

  “I’m sorry.” He held his hands up and stepped back again. “But you need to understand, if I’m in prison for murder, the killer is still going to be free to kill whoever he pleases. So, when someone else in this town dies, don’t wonder why, know that it’s because they put the wrong man behind bars!”

  “If that’s the case, Carl, then you have to tell me something.” She narrowed her eyes with determination. “You knew Marcus best! You can’t tell me that you have no idea who killed your partner, your friend! Who were you running guns for? What did Marcus do to cross him?”

  “No, it wasn’t like that. That was a low-risk business. I’ve only been involved in it for a couple of weeks. Marcus had been involved for a lot longer. The guy we delivered the guns for, he never threatened us. The only thing I know for sure is that Marcus wanted to come to this area for a reason. He said that someone he was looking for was rumored to be in the area. I didn’t tell the cops this because they’re not going to believe me, anyway.” He shook his head, then rubbed the back of his hand across his nose. “None of this was supposed to happen.”

  “Who was he looking for? I need a name.” She shocked herself by taking a step towards him. She wasn’t sure if she believed him or not, but she wanted to know who Marcus was looking for and why.

  “I don’t know the name, all right? Marcus wouldn’t tell me, and I didn’t really care. But we went to this one address. We sat outside in front of it for a few hours, but as far as I know he never saw the guy he was looking for. Or if he did, he didn’t tell me. That’s all I have. I was afraid to give it to the cops, because they might use it against me. I know you just want a murderer off the streets, but Ally, that’s not me.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a piece of paper. “This is the address.” He glanced over his shoulder, then back at her. “I’ve got to stay out of sight.”

  Before she could say another word, he took off.

  Chapter 16

  Shaken by the confrontation with Carl, Ally headed back into the shop. Paluo’s restaurant would have to wait. The address was the best lead they had.

  “Ally, you’re back so soon?” Charlotte gazed at her from behind the counter.

  “Mee-Maw, it’s closing time soon and I have a lead. You’re right, we work better as a team.” She decided against telling her how scared she was when Carl grabbed her. It was enough to make her realize it was better to have someone else with her, and she didn’t like the idea of her grandmother being alone, either.

  “Okay, let’s do it.” Charlotte nodded.

  As they closed up, Ally shared the information that Carl gave her.

  “Do you believe him?” She followed Ally towards the door.

  “At this point, I don’t see how it would benefit him to lie about that. At the very least it’s worth looking into. If we can find out who Marcus was looking for in Blue River we might be able to discover who killed him once and for all.” She held the door open for her grandmother, then locked it.

  Within minutes they reached the address on the piece of paper. It was on the border of Mainbry.

  “This is the place.” Ally parked in front of the large house. She looked towards the front door. “It’s a big place.”

  “Yes, it is, and lots of cars are parked here, too.” Charlotte looked over the cars. “I honestly can’t say who lives here, and that’s pretty unusual for me.”

  “Let me look it up.” Ally began to investigate the address on her phone. As she did, she felt Charlotte’s hand close over her forearm with a firm squeeze.

  “Ally, it’s Harold. I thought he was with Mrs. Cale, Mrs. White and Mrs. Bing?”

  “I thought he was, too. Maybe he changed his mind?” Ally looked up from her phone and saw a man walking towards the house. It was definitely Harold. Her eyes widened as she watched him walk up to the front door of the house, pull it open and step inside.

  “Marcus was here to find Harold?” Charlotte looked over at Ally with surprise. “I hadn’t even considered Harold as a suspect.”

  “Me either. But he did arrive in town shortly before Marcus.” Ally tapped her fingertips against the steering wheel. “Should we go in and have a chat with him?”

  “I don’t know. If we tip him off, then he might decide to run. We need to handle this carefully. If we accuse him of something he didn’t do, and Mrs. Cale finds out, she will be very upset. We have to be sure before we approach him.” Charlotte watched as another man walked towards the house. “Besides, it looks like he has company.”

  “Yes, it does.” Ally snapped a picture of the man that approached the house. “Do you know him, Mee-Maw?”

  “No, honestly he doesn’t look familiar to me.” She frowned. “Maybe he’s from out of town, too?”

  “Wait a minute.” Ally looked back at the search screen on her phone, and searched again. “This isn’t a residence, this is a boarding house.” She looked back up at the house. “Harold is probably just staying here temporarily.”

  “That’s right, I remember now, the ladies mentioned a new boarding house in Mainbry. I didn’t realize it was actually on the border of Blue River. Maybe we should go in and find out if there is a list of everyone staying there.” Charlotte popped open the door. “We can pretend we have no idea that
Harold is here, that way he won’t think that we suspect him.”

  “Do we suspect him?” Ally followed after her grandmother towards the house.

  “I’m not sure what to think at this point.” Charlotte glanced back over her shoulder at her. “But he is at this address, and this address is the one that Marcus wanted to visit. There is a connection here, and we need to find out what it is.”

  As they entered the house, Ally looked around. There was a small reception desk in the corner. She walked over with her grandmother behind her. There was no one there. She peered over the desk. As she had hoped, taped to the desk was a list of room allocations. She quickly looked around to make sure no one was watching and leaned over to snap a photo of the list. As she turned back she saw a young man walking towards the door. Ally recognized him from Paluo’s restaurant.

  “Hey, can I talk to you?”

  The man bolted back down the hallway.

  Ally and Charlotte chased after him. Ally stuck her foot in the door of his room before he could slam it shut.

  “I just want to talk to you, that’s all. Please?”

  He sighed and opened the door. The two filed in as he slumped down on the edge of his bed.

  “You’re Rod, right.” Charlotte remembered his name from when Paluo shouted at him. “From what I understand you work for Paluo? Is that right?” She studied him closely as she continued. “In his restaurant?”

  “Yes, I wash the dishes.” He looked between the two of them. “Why do you want to know?”

  “Has Paluo ever asked you to do anything extra? Something outside of work?” Charlotte crossed her arms and watched as the man’s lips began to twitch.

  “I don’t know what you mean. I just wash the dishes.” He rubbed his hands along the knees of his torn jeans.

  “It’s okay, Rod, we’re not here to cause you any trouble. If Paluo asked you to do something, and you did it, he’s still responsible for asking you to do it. This isn’t the time to try to protect your boss. Now is the time to focus on what you can do to protect yourself.” Ally softened her expression as she took a step towards him. “Of course, you want to do whatever your boss asks you to do.”