Peppermint Mocha Murder (A Molly Brewster Mystery Book 1)

by Pam Moll

  “Good morning, again,” I replied. “Or afternoon. It’s been a long day already.” I added.

  He nodded and smiled. “Do you have time for coffee?”

  “Are you asking me out for a cup of coffee?” I laughed and tossed my head back.

  “Yes, what’s so funny about that?”

  “Well, I do happen to own a café.”

  “True. I was thinking about now, on this side of town.”

  “Sure. Where did you have in mind?” I tilted my head. Stop it. It’s only coffee, not a date. But he was so cute.

  I’m not addicted to coffee, we’re just in a committed relationship.

  ~ Anonymous

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  Twenty minutes later over coffee, I decided it was about time to get more information out of Deputy Lucky. Ironically, he was doing the same with me.

  I was happy Lucky invited me for coffee after my statement. Apart from unwinding after a bad start to both our days, I welcomed the opportunity to get to know him a little better. He had changed at the station out of his uniform and into a checked shirt, faded jeans and flip flops. I wasn’t sure I’d ever seen him without a uniform on. I liked the look.

  I had wanted a coffee date with this cute cop for over six months, and now here we were. Even though it was more an inquiry into the body I found on the beach, we did get to know more about each other.

  “How does the young lady who sells coffee for a living take her coffee?” Deputy Lucky asked as he removed the lids from both cups of coffee sitting on the creamer bar.

  “I like mine with low-fat milk, sweetener or sugar and sometimes a touch of cinnamon.”

  Deputy Lucky carefully stirred sugar in both. “Hmm, I took you more of an exotic coffee drinker.”

  “Why?”

  “Because you’re a coffee guru.”

  I laughed. “I didn’t used to be. My parents drank tea growing up, like granny, and I didn’t develop a coffee habit until college. And then I would go to the library on campus and drink the world’s worst lattes.”

  “And how did they taste?” He arched his eyebrow.

  “Scorched.”

  We both laughed.

  After preparing our coffees, we settled at a table outside in the shade of a green striped umbrella. Even though it was lunchtime, we had bought a plate of scones to split with our coffee.

  Before getting to the business of the body on the beach, we talked about our favorite books, mine Agatha Christie mysteries, his noir novels. His favorite movie genre was horror, mine was anything on the Hallmark channel. Even with our differences, we seemed to click.

  “So, Deputy Lucky or should I call you Deputy Drew? What did you want to discuss?” I knew he was dying to ask about the dead fisherman. In fact, I was fairly certain this was his first dead body investigation.

  “Call me Drew.”

  “Okay, Deputy-Lucky-call-me-Drew, I know you want to discuss the body I found.”

  He shrugged.

  “What happened to Jim? It wasn’t a random or accidental drowning, right?”

  Drew stared at me. “Why would you say that?” His tan hid his blush.

  I paused. If I was to start a relationship with this guy, I needed to be honest. Was I seriously calling this coffee meet-up “a start of a relationship?” Geez, I sounded like Granny.

  “Off the record? “

  “You’re watching too much TV.” He smiled when he spoke, drawing me in with his warmth.

  “Well?” I tidied a few fly-away strands of my wild curling hair.

  “I’d prefer on the record.”

  “And I’d prefer to be Martha Stewart. Off the record?”

  “Fine.” He nodded, then seemed to be about to say something, but instead gave me an appreciative gaze.

  I paused again. Oh, what the heck. “The seaweed. The body position. The plants.” I blurted out.

  “Plants?” He raised his eyebrows. His face flushed, confused.

  “You first. Tell me how he died?” I knew it wasn’t from drowning, but I wanted to hear it from him. I smiled reassuringly and waited. Man, was he cute.

  He sighed and rolled his eyes and let out a deep breath. “Okay. I guess news will travel fast in our small town, so I’m probably not saying anything that won’t be gossiped around here soon enough.”

  “Not from me, it won’t.” I shook my head. But would I tell Granny? Or Aurora? It didn’t keep me from prying for more. “He was already dead, right?” What extent of my own investigation should I share? I wondered if by not divulging everything I knew, was in my best interest.

  If he was taken aback by my question, he didn’t show it. But curiosity got the better of me. “Well, am I right?” I asked.

  He stretched his arms across the table and leaned forward in his seat. At this moment, I became aware of Lucky on a level of being a policeman more than a friend having coffee. “Look Mo, you need to share with me what you know. If I keep what I know from you, I’m doing my job. If you keep what you know from me, that could be construed as obstruction of justice. Now what is it you’re trying to tell me?”

  “Are you using your badge to badger me into telling you what I suspect?” I said and laughed hoping to break the tension that had built up between us.

  He smiled. “I guess, but I like you. In fact, I like you a lot, and we need to work together.” He used his thumb to wipe away a little pastry crumb from the corner of his mouth, his eyes full of mischief. At this point in one of his investigations, I’m sure all his female suspects gave in.

  “I know he didn’t drown in the bay,” I said quietly. “And I think you and the paramedics knew that too.” I thought I’d take my chances with Drew now versus having to talk to Detective hard-as-nails Lacey again.

  He leaned back in his chair. “The fact is, we have an idea about how he died. But you’re right, he didn’t drown. In fact, he didn’t spend more than a few hours in the water, if that. Paramedics on the scene thought there probably wasn’t any water in his lungs because he was already dead, but the autopsy results will confirm that.”

  “Does that mean it was a homicide, and not an accident?”

  “Pending the autopsy results, it probably does no good to speculate at this point on the cause of death. We’re running tests, but what made you suspect he hadn’t drown.”

  I nodded, more to myself than him. It confirmed that this would be a murder investigation. Why else would his dead body have ended up in the bay.

  “You don’t act surprised, “he said.

  I sighed and wondered how much I should tell him? I knew I could trust him. He was a deputy, after all, and it was my duty to follow the rules. But I wasn’t ready to tell him everything I knew. Not yet.

  “You’re treating this like a murder,” I said.

  Lucky hesitated, as though considering what to tell me. “He was likely poisoned,” he finally said.

  “Are you sure?” Wouldn’t it have taken time to test for that?

  “We have ME students, ah, medical examiners,” he clarified, “working in the station this week. They ran preliminary tests. We’re sure about the poison and he definitely didn’t drown. We think he was already dead from some form of cyanide poisoning when he was tossed into the sea.”

  I was processing what he told me when he asked, “why aren’t you surprised?”

  “I’m surprised he was poisoned, but not surprised he was already dead. I saw the green plants in his hand.” I didn’t mention I had a baggie of it in my backpack.

  “So?”

  “Well it wasn’t seaweed.”

  “You know this, how?”

  I shrugged and crossed my arms becoming a little defensive. “I’m a gardener. I grow herbs in my apartment loft and in my grandmother’s backyard.”

  “Well, we’re determining the type of plant and then will work to find out where it came from. It’s suspicious to us that he had a handful of it.”

  “But many Bay Isle’s residents grow mint,” I said.
<
br />   “I didn’t say mint.” Lucky lowered his cup of coffee.

  Oops.

  His squinted eyes were on me like a hawk.

  “It’s not what you think,” I gulped.

  “Look Molly,” he said watching me earnestly, “you need to come clean. Stop hiding information from me.”

  Now I’m Molly.

  I nodded. “On the beach when I checked his pulse, my fingers touched the green seaweed in his hand.” Not exactly the truth, but it was close enough.

  “And?”

  “And, well I touched my hands to my face later,” I said trying to remember if I ever told him I was allergic to peppermint.

  “You could smell it after it was diluted in the sea?”

  “Well, here’s the thing. If I tell you what I discovered this morning, will you answer a question for me?”

  “We aren’t playing games here,” he said sternly. “You can’t withhold anything.” He was staring at me, waiting for my next move. I flipped my hair behind my ear.

  “I know. But I don’t want to throw out strange accusations unless I’m sure.”

  “What are you trying to tell me?”

  “I knew immediately that the green seaweed was mint. Or, well, my nose knew.”

  He cocked his head.

  “Not by smell. I’m allergic to it. It makes me sneeze.”

  There was that awesome smile again and it drained the tension away that had built up between us.

  “I knew he didn’t drown,” I continued. “If he had mint on his fingers, and if he had been in the salt water very long, it would have been washed away.”

  “His face could have been under water and not his hands. People can drown in a few inches of water.”

  “An expert swimmer and fisherman like Jim?” Someone wanted it to look like he had drowned or had hoped the body would have floated away.

  He nodded, and I saw what I thought was a look of admiration in his eyes.

  I couldn’t help but smile. I was on to something, and I knew I was good at it.

  With the familiar Christmas song, Jingle Bell Rock playing in the background, I glanced at my watch. I had a few Christmas gifts to pick up before going back to Granny’s to get Snickers. I was reluctant to leave, but I couldn’t think of a reason to stay longer.

  “I have some Christmas shopping to do.” I finally said to Lucky, unenthusiastically.

  “You don’t sound too excited.”

  “I love the holidays, but the stress level goes up this time of year. My customers seem more in a hurry than usual.” Not to mention there’s a murderer in town, I thought.

  “Are you ready for the holidays?”

  I shrugged. “Just about. I volunteered to head up the Holly Fest this year, so there’s been a lot of meetings and things to do to prepare. How about you? Are you finished with your Christmas list?”

  “Me?” He looked sheepishly at me. “My list just got a little longer.”

  “I get it. Decorate the house. Wrap presents. Solve a murder.” I guffawed at my joke. I hope I made his list. I really liked this guy. Another thought came to me. “Hey, did I hear that you install tile?”

  He smiled. “I do. It’s sort of a hobby. I make a few bucks here and there. Why?”

  “The tiles in the kitchen at my café are loose. I noticed yesterday.”

  “I can help with that. Does tomorrow afternoon work?”

  “Perfect.” And it was.

  Coffee. Chaos. Wine. Bed. Repeat.

  ~ Anonymous

  CHAPTER NINE

  After a quick stop at Doughy Delights to ask Felix a few questions, I ran errands.

  While speaking with Felix, he mentioned I should stop and see Jack at his house. I had a few questions regarding the fishing tournament. I recalled how Felix had blushed a lot when I asked him about the free cupcakes. I thought he might have a small crush on me or maybe Erica.

  Within fifteen minutes, I was in front of Felix and Jack’s house. As I began to walk up to their driveway, I caught sight of the back of a familiar person down the sidewalk.

  “Kate?” I yelled. “Is that you?”

  Kate Hawkins turned around and walked, practically skipped, up to me.

  “Hi Molly,” she said. “Nice day isn’t it?” If she was surprised to see me, she didn’t act it.

  “Um, hi,” I said, straightening up. I self-consciously reached up and smoothed a few loose curls of my hair. “How are you?” I asked awkwardly, not really knowing what else to say.

  “Well,” Kate said raising her eyebrows as she shoved her hands into her warm-up jacket pockets, “worried, as you can imagine.”

  I nodded. “Our first murder that anyone can remember. Bit of a shame.” Another awkward thing to say. Why was I nervous? I couldn’t control what was escaping my mouth.

  “I know, isn’t it terrible. I heard that you were there when it happened.”

  “Nearby,” I corrected her. “I didn’t see it happen.”

  “Hmm.”

  I kept staring at her pink shoes. I needed to shake the feeling that I was self-conscious about finding the body.

  “So, what are you doing here?” I asked.

  “I was out for a stroll and decided to visit a friend.”

  “Ah,” I said, twitching nervously.

  I looked at the number of the brick house we were standing in front of and realized it was the Doughty brothers. “Do you know Felix and Jack?” I asked.

  “Oh course. We all live in the same town.”

  “Of course.” But I wondered what her connection, if any, was to Felix and Jack since she was standing in front of their house.

  “Well, I need to run,” She said, looking at her watch. “See you at the café tomorrow.”

  “Okay, see you then.” I stood there a few minutes and watched Kate bounce down the sidewalk, wondering what street she lived on.

  After my encounter with Kate, I thought it was probably best not to go to Felix and Jack’s house unannounced. I would go later. While I walked away, it dawned on me that Kate didn’t ask me why I was at Felix’s house.

  It was almost dark when I made my way back to Granny Dee’s.

  I noticed I had a missed call from my mom. Oh, and then there’s that to deal with. I had been so busy working on theories, about Jim Grist I didn’t have time to think of my mom’s visit.

  Snickers greeted me like I had been gone for weeks. I felt like I had. I needed a good meal, a shower and my bed, and maybe a glass of red wine.

  I was just in time for dinner. Henrietta asked me to get Granny and bring her to the dining room.

  Granny’s bedroom was on the first floor in a separate wing, at the end of a long hallway, about as far as it could be from the living room and still be in the same zip code. The only exit from her bedroom was into her in suite bathroom or the adjoining sunroom.

  “Granny, are you there?” No answer.

  Had she snuck out through the sunroom? “Dinner can begin as soon as you’re ready?”

  I knocked again. “Grandmother,” I said as I opened the door, peered in and winced at how tidy it was. I had to give Granny Dee credit. Each of the mansion’s bedrooms had its own personality, and her master suite was no different. A cast stone fireplace and its mantle filled with photos made the bedroom bright and inviting, and her old-fashioned floral prints in mauve, cream and jade covered the bedding and drapery. A green holly wreath hung above the mantel with mauve ribbon laced through it.

  “Grandmother?” My heart pounded. I felt my nose tickle from the faint order of her expensive, heavily-applied fruity perfume.

  I stepped further in the room and spotted her sitting in a lounge chair on the sunroom’s patio with the TV blaring. No wonder she couldn’t hear me.

  “There you are,” I said loudly. She didn’t turn around. Sneaking up behind someone sleeping was never a good idea, but especially a seventy-nine-year-old, some-what grumpy grandma.

  “Grandmother, are you alright?” I said as I got close
r to her.

  She didn’t move. When I came around to give her a hug, I saw her blue eyes were glued to the TV.

  “There you are. Dinner’s …”

  “Shhh.” Granny pointed at the TV and motioned for me to sit next to her. Her eyes glued to the five o’clock news. And why shouldn’t she, since it showed a news reporter standing on the beach behind my apartment.

  “Oh no, I bet it’s been a circus at the Bean all day.”

  A tall blonde held a microphone up to her lips and said, “This is Leslie Dallas with breaking news. In the tight-knit community of Bay Isles, a body was discovered today by an early morning jogger.”

  “Thank goodness, they didn’t mention my name,” I said.

  Granny nodded. “It’s just a matter of time, dear.”

  I watched the news with a worried frown on my face.

  A local jogger stumbled upon the body of a fisherman this morning. The Palma County Sheriff’ office has said a crime scene has been established near the village, and the northern end of the beach had been roped off by police for a few hours.

  Palma Chief police Jameson has said, “We are looking at all options, but at this stage there’s nothing to suggest concerns for the community although the death appears suspicious.”

  Bay Isles doesn’t have a forensics unit. However, visiting Medical Examiners to the county have begun an assessment. The police investigation is active and ongoing at this time. We will report more information as it becomes available.

  The discovery comes just weeks away from one of the biggest days of the Bay Isles calendar—the Annual Holly Fest.

  The annual holiday event and parade dates back to 1931 and is held on the second Saturday every December. It’s one of the longest running events in Bay Isles.

  The anchor went on to say, “An anonymous source from the Palma County Sheriff’s office confirmed that they consider the death of the local fisherman suspicious due in part to evidence found at the scene.”

  Evidence? What did the detective find? Who was the newscaster’s anonymous source?

  “Well, well,” Granny said. “Looks like we have a murder to investigate. And right before the holidays.”