by Lyndsey Cole
“Great idea. I can whip some up in no time at all. How about some placemats too?”
“Of course.” Leona looked around her café. “I’ll call Danny and ask him to build me a table next to the cash register to display your creations. Keep some for your store, too.”
Martha waved her hand. “I don’t get a fraction of the traffic through my shop that you get coming through the café. I’m happy for you to be my outlet. Besides, if I get too many customers, it cuts into my sewing time.”
“Listen,” Annie said, changing the subject. “My father is coming here tonight at eight to get that bag I found behind my photograph.”
“Roy? How’s he involved?”
“I wish I knew the answer to that question. We’re still trying to figure it out. Jake is involved too, but he said Vincent is blackmailing him and he wants to help us. I wonder if Vincent found something on my father too, but I can’t imagine what. Max must have had information he was trying to get to me before he was murdered. Danny heard arguing the night before Max was killed and he told us he recognized Roy’s voice. I bet it was Jake, Vincent and Roy arguing the night before Max was murdered.”
Martha clapped her hands together. “I bet the creepy Vincent character is the murderer. Jake can be abrasive and Roy is a jerk, but can you see them murdering anyone?”
Leona finished up the cinnamon rolls and put them in the fridge. “You never know what someone will do when they are desperate. We need to be extra careful tonight. Roy wants those drugs and maybe that will be the end of it, but if Vincent is blackmailing everyone, who knows what he’ll do to cover his tracks. Maybe we should tell Detective Jaffrey or Tyler about our meeting.”
“No, let’s keep to our original plan.” Annie said. “What could happen with so many people together? Vincent won’t be able to kill all of us.”
Martha folded the aprons and put them on the counter. “How about if I hide in my shop with the lights off and keep my cell phone ready to call the police? Just in case.”
Annie smiled. “Good idea. But don’t park your car here or that will tip Vincent off that you’re around.” She wondered what her meeting with Detective Jaffrey would reveal. She could always tell him about this other meeting if she decided it was time to trust him.
Chapter 21
Annie and Leona finished cleaning up the café and made a plan to be back early again to get everything ready for Sunday morning. With all the business and preparations for Friday and Saturday, business on Sunday could go either way. All in all, the café was already popular with the locals and tourists. Having so much set up as self-serve took a lot of pressure off Annie and Leona. Mia’s help was the touch they needed, but they didn’t know if they could count on her help in the morning after she burned her arm.
It was a short drive to the small community hospital. Jason was helping Mia walk out as Annie pulled into the emergency parking area. She hopped out of her car and waved. Mia held up her bandaged arm and waited for Annie to walk to them.
“So, how’s the patient?”
“Feeling like a complete idiot. It’s a second degree burn with a nasty blister and the doctor gave me strict orders to keep the blister clean and dry, but it should be better in two to three weeks.”
“Do you want a ride home?” Annie winked at Jason. “Your chauffer probably has something better to do.”
“Sure.” Mia thanked Jason and followed Annie to her car.
“I’m glad your arm wasn’t burned more severely, Mom.”
“I was rushing around and wondering what you and Leona were up to so my focus wasn’t on the hot trays. The accident was complete carelessness on my part.”
“What’s the deal with Jason? Leona told me he’s like a brother to her, but I don’t ever remember seeing him around.”
Leona gazed out the window. “That was around the time you came into my life and Leona and I, well, we didn’t hang around a lot back then. I heard Jason’s name mentioned, but he wasn’t part of my life. I think he’s six or seven years older than you.”
Annie pulled into the animal shelter. “Good. Karen’s car is still here.”
Mia gave Annie a puzzled look. “Why are you stopping here?”
“I adopted a dog today. When I went over to take pictures, well, I got more than some great shots.”
“Let me see. I love your photos.”
Annie handed the camera to her mother. “Is this the dog?” Mia tilted the camera so Annie could see a shot of herself with Roxy.
“Yeah, that’s Roxy. Isn’t she adorable? I met her the other day when Leona brought me here to meet the dog she wants to adopt.”
“Who took this shot?”
“Jason followed me over and he’s the one who twisted my arm and got me to say yes. He said he would love to adopt her but he travels too much. Come on, let’s get inside before we waste any more time.”
Karen was sweeping the front area but leaned the broom on her desk when Mia and Annie walked in. “I was afraid you changed your mind, Annie. Roxy is out back, curled up on her pillow acting depressed. You would have broken her heart if you didn’t show up to bring her home.”
“You’re the second person today to tell me I could break that dog’s heart.”
Karen’s eyebrow went up in question. “Who else made that observation? Was it that handsome man you were with?”
Annie felt her cheeks flush with embarrassment, making Karen and Mia laugh at her. “Yes, as a matter of fact, it was that handsome man.” She raised her eyebrows at the two women. “I can’t figure him out. He’s way too considerate and handsome,” she added, “to still be single.”
“People don’t always find their soul mate right away, honey,” Mia explained.
Annie shrugged. “I’m not looking for another relationship anyway. I screwed up my engagement with Tyler, and Max got murdered. No one will want anything to do with me with that history. Everyone will be heading for the hills once they find out about my track record.”
“I know someone who can’t wait to move in with you,” Karen said nodding toward the back room with all the kennels.
That comment brought a huge smile to Annie’s face as she headed through the door. “I’ll be right back.”
And she was. With a happy dog following, watching Annie’s every move. “Thanks Karen. I’ll be back for a photo shoot soon. Come on Mom. I’ll drop you off at home, then get this girl some food and see how she gets along with Smokey.”
Roxy jumped into the back seat of Annie’s Saab, curling up like it was her usual spot.
“You and dogs,” Mia said, smiling as she shook her head. “I’m glad you’re back. I don’t know anything about Jason but I think you found a soul mate with this girl.”
Annie reached over and squeezed her mother’s hand. “I’m glad I’m back too. It doesn’t matter so much to me anymore if I find my birth parents. You’re my mom. The rest won’t change anything. Right?”
Mia nodded as a tear slid down her cheek. “Thanks, Annie. You don’t know how much that means to me.”
“Enough of this emotional stuff. We need to figure out what Roy has up his sleeve.”
“What are you talking about?” Mia asked.
“I thought I already told you. He knows about the drugs hidden behind my photographs and we’re meeting him tonight at eight at the café. He found all but one of the bags of drugs and thinks I’m going to give him the missing one tonight.”
“Are you?”
“No. I think Vincent is behind it all and Jake said he’d help us. Vincent is blackmailing Jake and trying to make him look like he’s the murderer.”
“Maybe he is. How can you be sure you can trust what Jake tells you?”
“Well, I can’t, but if Jake, Vincent and Roy show up, Leona is hoping that one of them will rat on whoever the murderer is. We think Vincent may be blackmailing Roy too. At least, part of me hopes it is that and not something worse.”
Mia pursed her lips. “I don’t like this. Y
our plan sounds too iffy and dangerous. What’s the backup plan?”
“Martha is going to hide in her shop ready to call the police at the first sign of trouble.”
“Okay, I’ll be with Martha.” Mia got out of Annie’s car. “Be careful. I think there is more to this than you can imagine.”
Annie looked in the rear view mirror at Roxy who was now sitting like a statue in the middle of the back seat. “What do you think?”
Roxy perked her ears up.
“Okay, we’ll head home and see what you think about Smokey.”
Fatigue settled in Annie’s body. The last few days had been nonstop drama and she couldn’t wait for all that to be behind her. She wished she had confidence to leave it all up to Tyler to solve, but she was smack dab in the middle and there was no way she would let herself end up like Max if she didn’t work on finding his killer as quickly as possible. She desperately wanted to know how her father got mixed up in all of this with Vincent and Jake. What was the common denominator with all of them, she wondered.
As she pulled into her apartment she was happy that she had about an hour before she needed to go back to the café. She had enough time to get Roxy settled in with Smokey and stretch out on her couch and take a short nap before she called Detective Jaffrey. “Come on girl. On to a new adventure for you.”
Her photographs on the walls, the view of the lake, and Smokey and Roxy for company would make this apartment into a home, Annie thought as she walked inside. Smokey took one look at the four-legged intruder with Annie and hid under the couch. Roxy followed the kitten and poked her nose down to investigate, only to be met by a black paw smacking her. Roxy backed up, wagging her tail and sat down to wait for Smokey to make the next move.
Annie couldn’t help but smile at the kitten’s antics, until her smile was replaced with a gasp as the bathroom door opened with a squeak. Her body tensed. “Who’s here?”
Chapter 22
Detective Jaffrey walked out of the bathroom. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you.”
“What are you doing here already? I said I would call you.” She stood next to Roxy, watching the detective and feeling glad to have the dog at her side. “Your car isn’t outside, how did you even get here?”
Detective Jaffrey flicked his wrist. “I rented a boat to do some fishing and I want to get my money’s worth before I return it tomorrow.” He pulled an envelope from his pocket. “Don’t you want to read what’s in here?”
Annie nodded.
“Well, I need something from you first.” He carefully held his arm. “I hurt my arm and I need some antibiotics or something like that. I checked in your bathroom cabinet, but it’s empty.”
Annie moved closer to him. “Let me see. Roll up your sleeve.”
The detective gingerly pushed his sleeve up to reveal a red and pus-filled wound.
Annie touched around the redness. “This is badly infected. Have you thought about going to the emergency room?”
“I hate doctors. Don’t you have something?”
“I haven’t put all my stuff away yet. It’s probably in my backpack still.”
She returned with a tube of antibiotic cream. “I don’t think this will help much at this point, but here you go.”
Detective Jaffrey smeared the cream on the wound and pulled his shirt sleeve down. “Thanks.”
Annie watched as Smokey peeked out from under the couch and pounced on Roxy’s tail.
“Roy told me that Max hid drugs inside your photographs.”
Annie’s gaze left the kitten’s antics to settle on the detective’s face. “Why would my father tell you?”
“Didn’t you know?”
Annie checked the time on her watch. “Listen, I need to be somewhere soon so can you please spit out whatever it is you want to tell me?”
He smirked. “I’m working for your father. He hired me to find you.”
Annie put two and two together from the information her mother had found in Roy’s desk and tried to hide her anger. “How long have you been following me?”
The detective settled onto the couch. “I thought that would get your attention. Oh, I found you right after you left two years ago, but Roy wanted me to keep an eye on you. He wanted to make sure you were safe. And it turns out, you hooked up with some shady people.”
“So, you’re a private detective?”
“Yeah. Everyone assumed I was working with the police department and I never bothered to correct anyone. I doubt I can keep it up for much longer though, now that your ex fiancé, Tyler, is starting to ask questions about that knife you found at the café.”
“Is it the murder weapon?” Annie whispered the question.
“Yeah, it sure is.”
“Jake murdered Max?”
“It’s his knife. Listen, Annie, I need those drugs, so where are they and I’ll get out of your life.”
Annie’s mind raced. She had to get to the café where there would be more people. “Roy already found them.”
“What?” The detective stood up and paced around the room. “He’s double crossing me, that piece of scum. He was supposed to find out what you knew since my charm wasn’t working on getting any info. ‘Get the info and give it to me.’ That was his plan.” He ran his hands through his hair as he continued to pace.
“What difference does it make? He can just turn it over to the police.”
“Sorry to disappoint you, but nothing is getting turned over to the police. Vincent and I worked too hard getting this drug distribution going for everything to end because you decided to run away from your boyfriend.”
Understanding began to dawn in Annie’s brain. “Was Max involved?” Annie held her breath, not wanting to hear the truth if she had completely misjudged Max.
Detective Jaffrey laughed an evil laugh. “We couldn’t get him on board; he was too honest and was always worrying about helping all the poor starving artists.”
Annie picked Smokey up and patted her soft fur as she sank down into the cushions of her chair. She wanted to keep Detective Jaffrey talking until she understood what was going on. “If Max wasn’t involved, how did the drugs get behind my photos? He did the matting and framing.”
“Vincent screwed up. He put it there after Max finished but he didn’t know Max was going to come back and put the photographs in your car. He must have figured out what was going on.”
“And my father?”
“He wanted to keep you safe. He had the brilliant idea to burn down your aunt’s café to get you to go back to Catfish Cove and get you away from the gallery. When you left without telling anyone, taking the photographs and the drugs, you led us all here.”
Annie’s head was spinning. Roy burned down the café? Her father wanted her to come back? Why didn’t he just tell her? She knew it wouldn’t have convinced her but he could have tried. “I don’t believe this. Are you going to show me that paper?”
Detective Jaffrey remembered the envelope he held in his hand. “Oh, yeah. Here.”
Annie held the paper lightly, as if it might burst into flames. It shook in her trembling hands. She searched in the detective’s eyes, hoping to see some indication of what might be on the paper before she unfolded it. His cold eyes gave her no clues.
She unfolded the paper and saw a seal from the court of New Hampshire at the top center, not an adoption agency letterhead which was what she was expecting. She read that the record of her birth information was sealed and it was signed by Judge Warren Hunter. “What does this mean?”
“Sorry, it’s the dead end that Max came to. Your birth information is not accessible.”
She read it again. Judge Hunter? Was he related to her landlord, Jason Hunter? The same judge who got Leona out of jail all those years ago? She would try to track him down with this document and demand an explanation.
Annie looked up at Detective Jaffrey when he stood and stretched and his words broke through her thoughts. “I’m tired of explaining. I want the drugs.�
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She felt trapped and struggled to keep breathing. “They’re at the café.”
Detective Jaffrey smacked his head. “I knew it. I should have torn Leona’s cafe up from top to bottom instead of just dumping the chili to try to scare the two of you. Let’s go. You drive.”
“I need a few minutes.” Annie hustled around her apartment fixing a bed for Roxy, checking that she was comfortable, and thinking. If she hadn’t been so stubborn, she told herself, she would have told Tyler the plan. Now she had to figure out how to stay in control of the situation. Detective Jaffrey wanted something she had so she would dangle it like a carrot.
The detective took Annie’s arm before she was ready but he was sick of her stalling tactics. “Let’s go.”
It only took five minutes to drive to the Cove’s Corner building but it felt like an eternity to Annie. From the parking lot, the building appeared to be dark and deserted but as they walked to the entrance off the deck, lights shone through from the café.
His grip on Annie’s arm tightened. “Looks like something’s going on inside. Are you bringing me into some kind of trap?”
“You said you want the drugs, and this is where they are. You’re not the only one after them.”
“Alright, but you’re staying with me.”
Detective Jaffrey walked into the café keeping Annie in front of him. Leona stood behind the counter while Roy, Jake and Vincent argued with each other.
“Why did you bring him?” Roy asked Annie with a scowl on his face.
“He didn’t exactly give me a choice. So, Dad, this fine detective you hired thinks you’re double crossing him. And it was you who burned Leona’s café down?”
Leona’s face went white. “You?” She pulled out her cell phone.
Detective Jaffrey twisted Annie’s arm behind her back. “Drop your phone Leona, unless you want to hear her scream when I break her arm. Let’s not get sidetracked away from the main attraction. Roy, Annie tells me you found something I’ve been looking for. Hand it over and your little girl here won’t get hurt.” He pushed Annie’s arm higher and she gasped as she stood on her tippy toes to relieve the pressure.
