Traitorous Toys (Cozy Corgi Mysteries Book 2)

by Mildred Abbott

  “Yes, I’m sure they will.” Even as I waved goodbye, I was trying to think of a way out of it. “See you Saturday.”

  After tossing the hundred-dollar bag of squirrel food in the trunk of my Mini Cooper, I got two burgers from Penelope’s to go, and Watson and I made our way to the scenic area behind the south side of the shops, where the river ran. The city had recently revamped the space to enhance the natural features. They had brought in large boulders to make small mountains on either side of the river, planted large yet charming groves of aspen and spruce—which were currently decked in Christmas lights—and spread the area with limestone paths and picnic areas flanked by bronzed statues of wildlife.

  From our picnic table, I could see the back of the block of stores that held my uncles’ antique shop. Only in Estes Park would the backside of shops be nearly as charming as the front. Even the alleyways between some of them looked more like rock-and-brick Tuscan lanes, despite a trash dumpster here and there.

  Unwrapping the smaller of the two burgers, the one without cheese, I tore it in fourths and laid the pieces at Watson’s feet. “You more than earned this, buddy. Diet or not.” He’d given me the complete cold shoulder since we left Paws, and as he turned his suddenly happy gaze on me, it looked like I was on my way back to redemption. Although I knew him well enough to be certain one burger wasn’t going to cut it. And despite feeling like he understood most of what I said, I hoped he hadn’t caught the scheduled playdate. If he had, the next couple of days were going to be full of attitude that no amount of burgers could squash.

  Despite the soft clouds covering the sky, the day was bright, and snow drifted lazily. It was cold, but with my down jacket, not uncomfortable. I supposed it would have been smarter to eat inside the bookshop, but after Paulie, I felt the need for fresh air. And I definitely owed it to Watson.

  The tourists doing their Christmas shopping were fewer on the backside of the stores, and with the winding paths and semiforested areas, I almost felt secluded in our little Christmas scene.

  By the time I was halfway through my cheeseburger and fries, I was nearly human again. Which made me think of Katie. The next stop would be to her. Maybe I would take her a cheeseburger. Though if I remembered Branson’s schedule correctly, he was supposed to be back tomorrow. Surely he would get Katie out, since I had little hope her incompetent lawyer could.

  Maybe my next stop should be going back home to my computer and searching out lawyers in Denver.

  Between the snow, branches of leafless aspens, and my thoughts, I almost missed the movement in the alley several yards away behind the shops. But when I recognized Daphne’s beautiful raven hair flowing down her back, I zeroed in on her. She tossed a large bag into the dumpster and then stood, her hands covering her face. Her shoulders shook so that even from a distance it was easy to see she was crying.

  My suspicions about her once again made me feel guilty. I’d wondered if she’d tried to kill her husband, and here she was, sobbing. Despite how horrible Declan seemed to be, apparently she loved him. As I considered whether I should go over and offer to comfort her, or move away to give her privacy, she was joined by someone else. Dolan’s hair made him just as recognizable as Daphne. His coppery orange coloring nearly glowed through the falling snow.

  Proving that he had a gentle soul like I’d heard, he wrapped Daphne in his arms, comforting her. At least she had Declan’s family for support. What it must be like to be expecting your first child and not sure where your husband’s coma would leave you…. Poor woman.

  Just as I was about to turn away, Dolan broke their embrace, pulling back slightly, as he said something to his sister-in-law. And then he kissed her. I jolted from my spot on the picnic bench, causing Watson to startle as well. I instantly began to explain away the kiss. Just a simple sign of affection between family. I myself had kissed my uncle on the lips that very morning. But then Daphne ran a hand up Dolan’s back and her fingers stroked through his hair, pulling him toward her, deepening the kiss.

  Maybe not the concerned wife after all….

  “Katie, we really don’t have to do this.” I grinned at her over the stack of books, three boxes high, between us. “It’s your first day as a free woman. Surely there are more fun things you’d rather do.”

  She shook her head, curls flying. “No. It feels good to help.” She bent, chose a few books from a box, and started arranging them on the shelf. “I got to sleep in this morning, in my own bed, praise the Lord! That’s all I really wanted.”

  “Didn’t like the cots in the jail, huh? If I remember correctly, Barry thought they were the height of luxury.”

  She cringed, then cocked her brow. “Nothing against Barry, but you have met your stepfather, correct?”

  I chuckled and shelved some more books for my side of the room. While I was a control freak, when Katie suggested helping with inventory, I couldn’t turn her down. We were starting in the main room, though. I was going to keep the mystery room for myself.

  “Speaking of elderly white guys, did you call the one I found for you down in Denver? I was so mad I could have strangled Officer Green last night when she wouldn’t let me visit you, but it did give me time to research decent lawyers.”

  Katie hesitated and then shrugged. “No, I didn’t. I don’t think I need to go down that road. At least Sergeant Wexler made it seem like Officer Green had been an idiot to suspect me. I really think it’s over. And I’m saving up to try to get a spot for my bakery, as you know. The last thing I want to spend a small fortune on is a lawyer. After all, there are two empty shops beside you. Maybe one of them will end up being mine.”

  I’d known it had been Katie’s hope. Unfortunately the property had been left to some of Lois and Opal’s long-lost family in Oklahoma, who were now squabbling about what to do with their inheritance, so the stores sat vacant.

  As I spoke, I kept my attention firmly away from Katie. “I’m so glad that Bran—Sergeant Wexler showed up last night and got you out of jail. I didn’t think he was coming back until today.”

  “Well, it was nearly one in the morning, so technically….” I could feel Katie’s gaze on me. “Haven’t heard from him yet?”

  I shook my head. “No. No reason that I should.”

  “Right.” She snorted. “No need to pretend with me, remember? Nor for you to call him Sergeant Wexler.”

  I cast her a glare.

  Katie merely shrugged again. “What? It’s true. And let me tell you, he was a real knight in shining armor last night. The way he came storming in there. I had the impression he had barely gotten back to Estes and came directly to the station when he heard about me.” Katie’s tone was heavy with innuendo. “And we both know he didn’t do that for me.”

  “Of course he did. He’s a good police officer. Anyone who knows you knows you couldn’t kill someone.”

  “Sergeant Wexler doesn’t really know me, as you are aware, Fred.”

  “Maybe so, but he’s not an idiot. As if in those three minutes it took me to catch up with you at the toy store you went in, entered some state of rage, and attempted to kill a man twice your size, only to have me walk in and you switch courses.” Despite my protestations, the thought that I’d been the reason Branson had hurried down to the police station in the middle of the night made my heart do things that simply annoyed me. “It didn’t have anything to do with me.”

  Katie gave another snort but didn’t press the issue. She shelved a few more books, and then her tone switched from teasing to irritation. “I didn’t tell you. Guess who gave me a good talking-to as soon as I woke up.”

  I turned to her. “I have no idea. Who?”

  “Carla!” Katie bugged her brown eyes at me. “Can you believe it? She said she heard that I got out of jail and wanted to know why I hadn’t shown up for my shift this morning.”

  I nearly laughed, then realized Katie wasn’t joking. “You’re serious?”

  Katie nodded. “Dead serious. And I thought Opal had
been a hard boss.”

  Maybe I’d have to reconsider and start driving the farther distance to get my coffee across town. “You deserve better than that. I sure hope things get cleared away with the stores next door. It would be so wonderful to have you as a neighbor, and you living your dream as a baker. Wouldn’t that be perfect? Me in my dream bookshop and you in your dream bakery?”

  She paused, giving me a strange look, and when she spoke, her voice was hesitant. “Actually, about that… I’ve been thinking—”

  She was interrupted by a knock at the door. We both turned, and my heart skipped a beat, betraying me utterly.

  “Well, speak of the devil. A handsome devil.”

  I ignored Katie’s jibe, took a breath, and headed over to unlock the door and let Sergeant Wexler in. It’d been a couple of weeks since I’d seen him.

  He smiled at me warmly, and for a second, I thought he was going to give me a hug. Probably would’ve if I hadn’t stiffened. “You’re a sight for sore eyes, Fred.”

  Was I? “Oh please, you just returned from a two-week vacation. I’m sure I can’t compare to whatever sundrenched beach you were on.”

  He twisted his lips. “I wouldn’t exactly call it a vacation.” He stepped the rest of the way in, so I could close the door, and shot another smile at Katie. “Heard you broke out of the big house last night.”

  “Thanks to you.” Katie’s smile was easy, and though she found him handsome, it was clear he didn’t have the same effect on her as he did on me. “Thanks for coming to my rescue, Sergeant.”

  He let out an annoyed sigh. “Don’t thank me for that. You shouldn’t have been there to begin with. Just sorry I wasn’t here when you two needed me.” Those green eyes flashed toward me again. “Can I help unbox some books?”

  Like he had once or twice before, his offer only served to discombobulate me. The men in my family, my father and uncles, Barry, and even my stepbrother-in-laws, were always gentlemanly and kind where their wives and female relatives were concerned. And even though I’d been divorced for many years, I somehow expected to be treated like a servant by any man who wasn’t part of my family. I was constantly on guard against it, truth be told.

  “That would be great. Thank you. But aren’t you on duty? I don’t know how the city would feel about their tax dollars for your salary going to getting the Cozy Corgi ready.”

  With a wink, he walked over to the box Katie was emptying and joined her. “Well, I can multitask. I’m not just here to unbox inventory. I’m here on official police business.” He shrugged. “Well, sort of unofficial police business.”

  Katie straightened. “Please don’t tell me you have to take me back in. Even for questioning. If I never see the inside of another police station, it will be too soon.”

  Chuckling, he patted her shoulder and shook his head. “No. You’re good. Although—” He glanced back at me. “—as ludicrous as the situation was to consider Katie a real suspect, I can’t completely blame Officer Green for what she did. Did you know the only fingerprints found on that hideous nutcracker were Katie’s and the members of the Diamond family? I’m not saying Katie would do such a thing, especially with you being mere moments behind her, but one would expect there to be other fingerprints, don’t you think?”

  “You did say you found fingerprints of some of the other members of Declan’s family. Maybe one of them….” All of a sudden it hit me. Branson had come here, to us, to me. And was discussing facts of the case which he most definitely shouldn’t be. “Wait a minute. What’s going on here? Why are you telling us this?”

  He shelved another book and then turned fully toward me, the emotion in his eyes unnameable. Or at least something I was uncomfortable naming. “We may not know each other all that well, Winifred Page, but I’d bet my badge that the moment your friend was accused of attempted murder, you took matters into your own hands.”

  I hesitated, trying to determine if I was getting set up. “You made it very clear, Sergeant Wexler, that I was to keep my nose in my own business. Leave the police work to the police, if I recall.”

  He smirked, the expression somehow making him even more dashing. “And I seem to remember you telling me you don’t like being told what to do. And that if you got it in your mind, you could probably solve a case quicker than any of us.”

  “I don’t know if those were my exact words.”

  Another smirk. “So you want me to pretend you haven’t been going around asking questions?”

  I wasn’t sure how to answer him. I knew my uncles hadn’t called to complain. And I was highly doubtful Paulie would either. And I hadn’t gotten a chance to ask anyone else. After I’d been turned away from seeing Katie, I’d spent the rest of the evening finding a decent lawyer for her. That had seemed more vital at the moment. “Nobody’s called you. You’re just guessing.”

  “I wouldn’t call it guessing. I think I’ve got your number.”

  “Now you listen here.” Katie’s voice rose in temper as she rounded on Branson. “Anything Fred might have done, and I’m not saying she’s done anything, was to help me. You’ve pretty much said yourself that the police were making a mistake by arresting me. What do you expect—”

  “Whoa, whoa.” He held up his hands in surrender. “Number one, I wasn’t complaining.” He glanced my way again. “And you’ve already proven to me you have a quick brain and you’re a natural. As long as you’re not breaking any laws or intentionally hampering a police investigation, I’m not about to stand in your way.”

  I balked, completely thrown off guard. “You’re not?”

  Branson smiled, almost gently. “Should I? Is it what you expect, for me to tell you that since you’re not a police officer you don’t know what you’re doing? Or that just because your father was a detective doesn’t mean you inherited his innate skill? Or do you expect me to simply tell you to leave it to the big boys? That it’s man’s work?”

  Yes, to all of it. It was exactly what I’d expected. And though I didn’t say so, I knew my answer was clear in my eyes.

  He studied me for a moment. And while it made my cheeks heat, it wasn’t an entirely unpleasant experience. Finally, with Katie glancing back and forth between the two of us, he continued as if nothing had been said. “If you have any information that would help, I’d appreciate it. Like I said, it was ludicrous to think Katie had anything to do with this, given the circumstances, but I can’t entirely blame Officer Green—as much as I might like to—given the fingerprints.”

  Okay, it looked like we were actually going to do this. I swallowed and then began. “You said there were other prints on the nutcracker, those belonging to Declan’s family. Maybe it was one of them.”

  He tilted his head, and I could tell from his expression it wasn’t a revelatory thought to him. The corner of his lip turned into a grin. “Very true. But the problem is, the other problem, there were only two types of blood present at the scene. Declan’s and Katie’s. If another member of his family had tried to kill him with that garland, their blood would be there too.”

  “Well, I hadn’t thought of that.” Katie glanced at her hands, which she’d mentioned were still tender. “There’s no way anybody could wrap that garland around his neck and not get cut themselves.”

  That answer was obvious. “Unless they wore—”

  “Hello! Hope I’m not intruding.”

  I turned toward the voice, and for a moment didn’t recognize the woman standing in the doorway. I guess I’d forgotten to lock the door after letting Branson in. The blonde’s smile faltered when she noticed Branson and Katie.

  “Sorry. I guess I’m intruding. I just needed a break from the shop and thought I’d talk to you about the logo. But I can come back.”

  And with that, it clicked—the woman from Rocky Mountain Imprints. “Peg. I’m so sorry. In all of the chaos, I’d forgotten all about the Cozy Corgi logo.” I turned to Branson and then Katie. “You remember me mentioning that right? Maybe turning the second
floor into Cozy Corgi merchandise.”

  Katie’s grimace surprised me, but it turned to a quick smile. “Yes, I do.”

  “Sounds like a good idea.” Branson nodded toward Peg. “Nice to see you, Peg. Everything going well with you and Joe?”

  She nodded. “Of course.”

  “Good. I’ll actually be stopping by later this morning. I know you two already gave statements to the police, but since you’re right next door and I’m playing catch up, it would be great if I could have a moment of your time. You never know when someone might know something, even if they’re not aware of it.”

  “Sure.” Peg shifted a few pieces of paper to her other hand, different products that would be used for the logo, I assumed. “Whenever you want to come down, Sergeant, Joe and I will be ready for you. You’re always welcome.”

  It suddenly felt like four was a crowd. “Peg, do you mind showing the sketches to Katie? Let me finish up with Brans… er… Sergeant Wexler?”

  Peg was just as tiny as a pixie, like she’d been before, and just as quick. Her eyes widened at my slip. She cast a quick glance toward Branson. I needed to be more careful. I didn’t know Peg, but if she was even half the gossip as my uncles, there would be more fun rumors flying around town by the afternoon.

  “Oh, of course. Plus, it looks like you got your hands full here. I have a strong husband back at the shop that I can loan you for a few hours this afternoon if you need to expedite getting all the books unpacked.”

  Branson snorted. “You’re the one who earned all those trophies for the softball team, not Joe.”

  Pride sparkled in her eyes. “True, but he can bench-press more, so he gets to do all the heavy lifting.” Peg refocused on me. “He really wouldn’t mind helping.”

  “Thank you, that’s very kind, but I wouldn’t dream of imposing.” I glanced at Katie. I wasn’t sure why she seemed not to like the idea of the corgi merchandise, but I hoped whatever sketches Peg had would change her mind. Likewise, I wasn’t entirely certain why Katie’s opinion on the issue mattered all that much. I wasn’t in the market for a new business partner. “See what you think about them, Katie. Let me finish up with Sergeant Wexler, and I’ll be right over.”