Candy Corruption

by C A Phipps

  Violet rolled her eyes. “I suspect it’s going to be a long afternoon.”

  And it proved to be the case. The wait was almost a physical pain for Scarlett as the minutes ticked by, and their customers came and went. Violet kept glancing speculatively her way.

  The smile on their faces was practiced, but eventually, even these faltered. Finally, disappointed at not getting any news about the book or Betty, the lingering ladies departed.

  “I was about to kick them out,” Violet retorted as she cleaned the now empty table.

  “And I’m going to lock that door, so you can tell me about the book before I explode. It won’t hurt to close early for once, and we’ve practically sold out of everything.”

  “What about Ruby?” Violet reminded her.

  “You’re absolutely right, she should be here, but I can’t wait another second, and she won’t be finished at the library for ages. Don’t make me hurt you.” Scarlett warned. “You can just tell the story twice.”

  “Alright, keep your hair on.” Violet wiped her hands down her apron, and they sat at one of the tables. “Should we first check on Betty? Every time I go in, she seems to be sleeping.”

  “Really? Let’s let her be. She managed a sandwich earlier and looks a little brighter but doesn’t feel like talking.”

  Scarlett sat beside her, but as Violet opened her mouth to speak, the kitchen door burst open.

  “Sorry to disturb you, Betty. I hope you’re feeling a little better?” Ruby sounded out of breath, and there was a pause while Betty murmured her reply, then Ruby ran inside the café. “I heard you were back.” She hugged Violet. “What happened?”

  Scarlett shouldn’t be surprised by the speed of the town grapevine of gossip, but she still sighed. “She’s just about to tell us.”

  “I’m not going to drag this out any longer.” Violet took a deep breath. “We got one hundred.”

  “Is that all?” Scarlett slumped in her chair. “I suppose it’s a done deal, but honestly, I’d rather have kept the book if that’s all it was worth.”

  Ruby squeezed Scarlett’s shoulders. “I’m sure Phin did his best.”

  “He really did,” Violet assured them. “When we got down to the last person interested, I was there during negotiations, and he was awesome. Let me say that it was darn hard to sit there and not say what was on my mind about how it was going.”

  Ruby snorted. “I can picture it.”

  Even her sister’s attempts to lighten the mood couldn’t disperse the disappointment which hung in the air until Scarlett eventually smiled.

  “One hundred dollars isn’t going to fix things, or make our lives easier, but as we’re already on the right track, we’ll be okay. With Ruby working her dream job and having employed Betty, you can still look for the right career for you, Vi.”

  Violet’s mouth gaped open. “You don’t understand.”

  Scarlett leaned over to kiss her cheek. “I promise that I do, and it’s okay that it wasn’t more.”

  “Would you stop! Listen to what I’m trying to say.”

  Scarlett was shocked, and Ruby had her hands clasped. Violet could be unpredictable, but this outburst was unexpected.

  Violet enunciated slowly. “Not one hundred dollars—one hundred thousand.”

  Ruby was the first to react. “One hundred thousand? Dollars?”

  Violet nodded.

  “Are you sure?” Scarlett forced the words out. Thinking they got little money, every inch of her was incapable of processing this amount.

  Violet kept nodding like a dashboard puppet. “You two just made me stupidly happy. And relieved. I thought with all our bills and the mortgage, it was a pittance. Maybe that was greed because it’s pretty good, isn’t it?”

  “Good? This is fantastic! I didn’t dare dream it would be so much.” Scarlett smiled fondly at her sisters. “How about we pay a chunk of the mortgage and get our own van?”

  Ruby jumped up and hugged Violet. “Well done.”

  Violet laughed. “I wish I could take the credit. As I said, Phin did all the work.”

  “You were there, and I bet you didn’t sit quietly.” Scarlett joined them in a group hug, and Violet made a strangled sound.

  Ruby sniffed. “Are you crying, Vi?”

  “What if I am? This is surely a good reason?”

  By then, Scarlett also had tears coursing down her cheeks. “Mom would be so proud,” she managed.

  Sam chose that moment to appear at the café door. Ruby let him in, wiping her face with a tissue.

  “Bad news?”

  His concern was very touching. With immense effort, Scarlett mopped up her tears and hiccupped. “The complete opposite. Violet sold the book, and it’s enough to ensure the café survives.”

  “Awesome! We should all celebrate.”

  “Dinner at our place?”

  He shook his head firmly. “I wasn’t inviting myself, and I think this is deserving of a restaurant meal.”

  Scarlett sighed. “That would mean traveling out of town. Even with this wonderful news, I’m so tired I’d be asleep before we got there.” She lowered her voice, nodding at the kitchen. “And we can hardly celebrate with Betty planning a funeral.”

  Sam raised his eyebrows. “She’s still here?”

  Scarlett put a finger to her lips and pointed out to the kitchen. “I’m going to invite her to come home if that’s okay?” she asked her sisters.

  “It’s the right thing to do since she doesn’t want to go home.” Violet agreed.

  “I’m not at all surprised by that. If something that horrendous happened to me, I wouldn’t want to either.” Ruby shivered.

  Sam shrugged. “Okay, then it’s dinner at your place tonight, but as soon as you feel it’s appropriate, we’ll do something fancier. My treat.”

  “That suits me too,” Violet added. “After traveling and working all day, I’m shattered.”

  “Pffft! One day back in the café, and you’re already struggling to keep up with us,” Ruby teased.

  Violet nudged her. “Hey, you have no idea how stressful my trip was.”

  Ruby wasn’t done. “I just bet you hated every second. What with the haggling and sightseeing.”

  “Most of it was a blast—even stressing over the final amount,” Violet admitted. “And in celebration, I have a surprise for both of you.”

  “Where is it?” Ruby looked around them.

  “In my bag. You can see it tonight.”

  “You’re so mean,” Ruby said lightly before looking at her watch. “Yikes! I’d better get back to the library. It’s unheard of for it to be closed at this time of day, and sadly, not the first time I’ve done it recently.”

  “Unusual circumstances surely get you a free pass?” Scarlett suggested.

  “Not from some sectors of the community. I’ve already been told off for having animals there, and also, how dare I rearrange the shelves?” Ruby flicked a wave and ran down the street with George in her wake.

  “Can I at least bring wine?” Sam asked.

  “Sure. I think we all deserve a glass.” Scarlett locked up behind him, looking forward to the future more than she could say. For a little while, she’d felt such relief and joy, but as they headed to the kitchen, it slipped away, and she couldn’t stop a hefty dose of guilt settling on her shoulders. Betty’s battle was ongoing and would remain so until her ex-husband, was caught.

  Betty was wiping the kitchen surfaces.

  Scarlett tutted and tried to take the cloth from her. “You should be resting.”

  Still a little pale, Betty smiled. “I’ve done that all day and feel much better. You’ve been run off your feet, so let me help with this.”

  With an ulterior motive, Scarlett let her be. “You still look a little shaky, and we don’t think you should be alone. If you don’t want to go home tonight, we can offer you a bed?”

  Betty paused, her eyes shining. “I’d hate to impose.”

  “We’d love to have
you,” Violet assured her.

  “Then I’ll accept your kind offer. Just for the one night,” Betty said firmly. “And I’m glad to see you back, Violet.”

  “There’s little left in the café, but I’ll pack up the last of the pies, and we can add a salad, so we don’t have to cook. Do you think you can manage to eat that?”

  Betty smiled. “That sounds lovely. I do believe I’m feeling a little peckish. By the way, the soup was wonderful.”

  Scarlett was delighted. “I’m glad you enjoyed it and that your appetite is returning. According to our mom, it means you’re on the mend.”

  That sorted, they finished the cleaning and carried the bags out to the van. Violet helped Betty who’d gained even more color to her face.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Sitting at the table the next morning, They ate cereal and fruit in companionable silence, having talked all evening about the events.

  Betty had dark shadows under her eyes, and the bruise was turning an ugly brown and yellow. Nate called last night to say that he was chasing a lead, and he’d come by the café today to talk to Betty.

  “I’ll help again this morning, if you need me,” Ruby offered.

  Betty stood and took her bowl to the sink. “No need, dear. I’m happy to get back to work.”

  “I think you should take another day off,” Scarlett advised. “And Violet’s here.”

  “Now that I’m able to focus better, all I’d be doing is sitting around, thinking about Jimmy, and what made him behave the way he did. Although, I guess he’s probably miles away by now.”

  “If he wanted money from you, why’d he let you go?” Violet asked.

  This had also troubled Scarlett, but she’d decided to speak to Nate about it instead of upsetting their guest. Betty tilted her head, seemingly unfazed.

  “I keep wondering about that very thing. It was a question the sheriff asked more than once, but as I told him, I had no idea. The only logical explanation is that he thought I still had some money. When I told him everything I had was gone, Jimmy was so angry that he went crazy. Perhaps, when he had the chance to calm down, he realized I must be speaking the truth and couldn’t bring himself to kill me—like he did my brother.”

  Scarlett had come to this conclusion long ago and wasn’t surprised that Betty accepted her ex-husband was the culprit now. “You think he killed your brother for money too?”

  “Saul had no money,” Betty explained. “It makes more sense that Jimmy wanted to know my whereabouts, and when he saw Saul in town tried to get that information from him. Don’t you think so?”

  “I guess.” Scarlett was busy putting 2 and 2 together, and it wasn’t making 4.

  “And, Jimmy was in town when the murder happened,” Betty insisted.

  Scarlett raised an eyebrow. “Do we know that for sure?”

  Betty’s face reddened. “I know it sounds bad, but I didn’t want to tell anyone that Jimmy contacted me before he came to my house.”

  Shocked Betty would lie about such crucial evidence and that she would have had anything to do with her ex-husband after all she’d said, Scarlett wondered what else Betty had omitted to tell them. “But why would you protect your ex from the law if he really did kill Saul?”

  Betty’s bottom lip quivered. “Initially, I couldn’t believe Jimmy would ever harm Saul. I admit that there was no love lost between the two of them, but as mean as he could be, Jimmy wasn’t physically abusive. Until now. He must have been desperate.”

  Scarlett shuddered. For all her recent honesty, it sounded as though Betty was still making excuses for Jimmy. “You’re going to have to tell the sheriff everything. He’ll appreciate the truth going forward, but might be a little upset about it not being forthcoming until now.”

  Betty hung her head. “I can see that I’ve not been thinking clearly. Once Jimmy broke in and hurt me, I should have told the sheriff that he wanted to meet up, and that I refused to see him. Naturally, it’s put a whole new slant on things and what he would or wouldn’t do for money. You must think I’m a foolish woman.”

  “You’re not foolish,” Ruby insisted. “More like misguided. You loved and wanted to trust him. That’s kind of romantic.”

  Violet raised an eyebrow. “Is it?”

  Ruby glared at her, then stretched. She’d given up her bed for Betty because she was small enough to sleep on the couch. Only, the sofa was old, and a little lumpy and Scarlett felt sorry for her.

  Betty ignored Violet but frowned as Ruby rubbed the small of her back. “Thank you all for letting me stay, but I should go home tonight.”

  “Are you sure it’s not too soon? Even if Nate gives you the all-clear, your place might still be a mess,” Scarlett reminded her.

  “The sheriff seemed okay about it yesterday.” Betty shrugged. “And if I stay here a day or a week, the house won’t change. Yesterday it was all so fresh in my mind that I did feel terrible and anxious. Today I’m more positive that the sheriff will find Jimmy, and that will be that. Plus, I have to focus on Saul’s funeral.”

  “Then one of us will walk you home and make sure you’re okay to stay. You are more than welcome to change your mind at any time. Meanwhile, let’s call the locksmith and get all the locks changed as soon as they can so that you’ll feel safe.”

  “That will get me off to a good start.” Betty wiped the corner of her eyes. “You girls are so lovely to me, I don’t know how to thank you.”

  “By not taking any more chances and keeping Nate informed if Jimmy contacts you,” Scarlett smiled to take the edge of the bossy tone. “Nate will no doubt have people watching the house until Jimmy’s in custody.”

  “I’m not sure that’s necessary. I think he’ll be long gone, but I’ll feel better knowing that.” Betty went to collect her things.

  Scarlett and Violet quickly packed bags while Ruby got the animals fed and into the van.

  Going back to her room to get a tie for her hair, Scarlett noticed the wardrobe door open. This was unusual because she hated open cupboards and doors. Unless she was taking something out or putting something in, they were shut.

  Maybe with everything going on, she’d simply forgotten.

  “Is everybody ready to go?” she called a few minutes later, and they filed into the van.

  From the back, George peered over the seat, but retreated to Ruby’s lap, while Bob’s thumped on the flour at Violet’s feet.

  Betty, wearing her clothes from yesterday which Scarlett laundered last night, leaned across from the passenger seat to pat Scarlett’s jean-clad thigh.

  “I was so happy to hear about the sale of the book. You girls deserve a break, and it sounds like you’ll be able to keep the café. Will you put the money in the bank while you decide how to spend it?”

  Scarlett couldn’t answer for a moment. She didn’t remember discussing this with Betty. The café wasn’t huge, so perhaps they’d spoken more loudly than she thought.

  “We’re pleased with the outcome. I checked first thing this morning, and the money’s already been deposited. Phin had it paid into our account the day before yesterday, less his fee.”

  Betty’s mouth pursed. “I hope it was worth hiring him, and he didn’t take too much of a cut?”

  It was sweet that she was concerned on their behalf, but from the back seat, Violet, who enjoyed her time with Phin and thought he was terrific, was defensive.

  “We didn’t have the first clue in dealing with that kind of sale, so it was definitely worth his fee. He treated me very well and was very professional.”

  “Then it’s all behind you. Well done.” Betty chuckled.

  “Thanks. I can’t tell you how happy we are knowing that we won’t lose the café anytime soon. It’s the best outcome.” Scarlett cringed at her lack of empathy.

  “Now, don’t you go feeling sorry for me,” Betty told her. “We must celebrate good things when they happen. Otherwise, the bad things always hang over us.”

  Scarlett smiled. “I co
uldn’t have said it better. You’ll get through this, Betty. Just remember that we’re here if you need us.”

  “I wish I’d known your mom better. I bet she’d be soo proud of you all.”

  “Me too.” Scarlett patted Betty’s hand. “I know you would have got on well.”

  Betty sniffed and stared out the window. “That’s sweet of you to say so.”

  Since there were three of them to bake, Scarlett dropped Ruby at the library. It was far too early, but she was still cleaning out the previous librarian’s files, and this was a perfect opportunity to do some more of that.

  They flew through the morning’s preparation even with Betty working slower than usual. Having Violet back made all the difference and gave Scarlett a chance to start on a birthday cake for the next day.

  Nate arrived just before opening and sat at the kitchen table with Betty. Scarlett stayed near to give her assistant courage when explaining the situation.

  There was horrible silence while Nat digested Betty’s admission of lying about hearing from Jimmy. Then the sheriff coughed. “Could you give us a minute, Scarlett,” he dismissed her gruffly.

  Taking a tray of cupcakes into the café, Scarlett could still hear the conversation. This was a relief as it meant that Betty must have innocently heard them talking about the book. Plus, she did want to listen to what Nate was going to say about Betty’s lie and didn’t have to wait long.

  “I’m not impressed that you didn’t tell me about your ex-husband contacting you. I also want to understand how you got away from your kidnapper.”

  “But I didn’t get away,” Betty protested. “Jimmy simply let me go.”

  “Was he alone?” Nate asked

  “You asked me that yesterday.”

  “I wonder if you might see things a little clearer today, as you have with other things.”

  Scarlett knew censure when she heard it and could imagine him tapping his notepad with a pen. Slowly, and as quietly as possible, she loaded up the cabinet with the cupcakes while Violet filled the salt and sugar shakers, just as quietly.

  “I can try. Although my head does still hurt.” Betty explained, plaintively.