“Sheesh. What if it had blown up?” Carla groaned. “Would she feel bad for killing an innocent bystander?”
“I doubt it,” Shiv commented.
“The point is, it didn’t blow up. In fact, she had no intention of destroying the evidence. She only hoped that the open valve would throw us off the scent of a possible murder. Unfortunately, she didn’t do enough homework. If she had, she would have known that methane and carbon monoxide aren’t the same thing.”
“But, how did she know to plan the murder here at my shop?” Bert asked.
“Luckily, Peacock is talking, uncovering all the secrets that Bradford and Bradford had buried. I can tell you, this case is making the Feds happy. They’ve suspected something was up with that company for a while now.”
“So, they’d planned to sabotage me even before I refused to buy?” Bert gasped, all too unhappy to be the target of foul play.
“Seems so. I guess they made a habit out of forcing successful startups to sell at a low price to them. Rats, mice, cockroaches, mold, whatever they could think of to make a shop desperate to sell at a lower rate than originally quoted.”
“That’s disgusting,” Carla sneered.
“But I was right. That hole in my wall wasn’t there before.”
“Nope. It wasn’t. Meanwhile, Delila has a record of larceny, which made her good material for the Bradford’s to bring on as a personal secretary.” Harry finally took a seat next to Carla at the table. “Kenner Bradford is denying knowing anything about these sketchy goings on and claims it was all his brother. I doubt the Feds will believe that.”
“Well, that’s enough talk about murder and sabotage,” Bert insisted, walking over and opening a cabinet. Reaching inside, she pulled out a cellophane-wrapped package. “Ta-Da,” Bert sang as she set the package in front of Detective Mannor. “Happy Valentine’s Day.”
“What is this?”
“My present to you.”
“You were planning something,” Carla exclaimed, pointing a finger at her friend.
“Open it,” she encouraged the detective.
Harry obeyed, tearing off the pink heart patterned cellophane and revealing the pie beneath. Under the personal heart-shaped pie dish was a book. “The Devil in Blue Shoes,” he read the title out loud.
“I know you mentioned enjoying horror movies when you took me to that sci-fi movie, and this is one of our most popular bestsellers in the horror genre. It’s about a jazz singer who has a demon following him around.”
“I do enjoy horror movies. Never really read a horror novel. Should be interesting. Thank you,” he beamed.
Bert knew the detective wasn’t a big reader, but she had a feeling she could change that.
“As a matter of fact, I have a surprise of my own,” he announced, standing up. However, before he could tell everyone his news, there was a knock on the pie shop’s door.
“Who’s that?” Shiv asked.
Carla’s jaw dropped. “Why, it’s Kenner Bradford!”
Rushing over, Bert answered it, feeling the impulse to give him a piece of her mind and to tell him to get lost. She never got a chance to say anything as the man held up a flat hand for her to be quiet. “Before you jump all over me, let me just apologize for my brother’s actions.”
“Your brother’s actions?” Bert scoffed.
“Please. Let me just come in and hear me out.”
“Why should I?”
“Because I owe you my life. The paramedics were able to save me because you made that call at the right time. You saved my life.”
Groaning and rolling her eyes, Bert decided to at least give him a minute. “Make it quick.”
Stepping into the shop, he clasped his hands behind his back. “My sincerest apologies for this whole ordeal. I cannot answer for my wife’s actions, but I can hopefully make restitution for Chase’s.”
Somehow, Bert doubted that.
“My brother and I were stopping in here at Culver’s Hood for some business and we were looking over the successful startups in the area. After reading some of the newspaper reviews of Pies and Pages, I made a bet with my brother that he couldn’t buy your shop.”
“You made a bet on my shop?” she gasped. This new development wasn’t helping his case at all.
“That’s right. It was why he showed up so unexpectedly that morning. He was trying to squeeze you in around our other appointments.”
Bert puckered her lips in a sour expression. Somehow, she felt like she was being fed more lies. The planned sabotage on her shop was clearly planned out further ahead than a last-minute bet.
“To make it up to you, I would like to personally invest in Pies and Pages.”
“I’m not interested in any deals,” Bert pointed out in flat refusal.
“No, no. I think you really have something here. The delicious pies, the book selection. I’d love to be a part of it.”
Bert looked over at Carla and Harry with a disgusted expression. They both shook their heads in silent protest.
“Tell you what, Kenner. I’ll accept you as an investor on the day pigs fly,”
“Very well,” he whispered, pocketing his checkbook. “In that case, seeing as it is Valentine’s Day, would you grant me the honor of taking you out to dinner this evening? It’s the least I can do.”
She saw right through him. This was his way of trying to get her not to speak out against him when the Feds potentially interviewed her.
Thankfully, she didn’t have to make a retort.
Harry stood up from his seat with a proud smile on his face. “I’m afraid, she has a valentine already.”
“Oh, you, Detective?”
“That’s right. She doesn’t know it, but I have a lengthy date planned, with dinner, a movie, and even a ride through the tunnel of love at our local amusement park.”
“You do?” Bert exclaimed.
Harry winked at her to let her know he was telling the truth. “Been planning it for weeks.”
Instantly, the man’s demeanor changed. His smile tightened uncomfortably. “Very well, then. Perhaps I will stop by when I’m in town next time.”
“Don’t plan on it,” Carla chimed in.
He was clearly biting the inside of his cheek to keep from saying anything scathing that could be used against him further. “Thank you all, again. Have a wonderful day.” Turning, he headed out the door.
Once he was gone, they all couldn’t help but laugh.
KILLER COCOA PIE Page 7
