by Lyndsey Cole
Jason got himself a plate and cut a healthy portion of the broccoli tomato quiche. “I never pass up your cooking, Leona.”
The others, except Mia, helped themselves to quiche or cranberry coffee cake. All the other food had been devoured long ago. Annie got a new pot of coffee started, cut herself some cranberry coffee cake, and joined Jason at a booth.
“What time are we leaving for the Inn?” she asked, stealing a corner of his quiche. She didn’t want Jason to guess her next plan.
“Hey, get your own,” he teased. “Actually, I have an extra-large piece so I can share with you.” He offered a forkful of the delicious food across the table toward Annie’s mouth.
She motioned for him to put it on her plate. “Yum. Leona sure knows how to make a moist coffee cake. Try this.” She added a sliver of her coffee cake to his plate.
Jason ate a couple more bites before answering Annie’s question. “Check-in is at four. How does that sound?”
She nodded her head.
“I don’t like your ‘I’ve got something on my mind’ look. Spit it out.” He lowered his voice. “I know you well enough to be worried that you’re planning to find out more about Alice Wolfe and her connection to your father. Which, I feel the need to remind you, also puts you in the path of the murderer.”
Annie leaned close to Jason and quickly glanced around the café to be sure no one was within ear shot. “I don’t like how you can read my mind, Mr. Hunter. But since you can see right through me, I figure I have just enough time to visit Mr. Fleming, with some delicious cranberry coffee cake of course, to chat about Alice.” She leaned back in the booth. “What’s the harm in that?”
Jason rolled his eyes. “Be careful. I have to go home and finish all the packing for our get-a-way. You should have a chat with your friend, Thelma Dodd, too. She must be in the same age group as Mr. Fleming. Thelma always offers good insight about the goings on around town.” He paused. “And, I won’t have to worry about you being bashed over the head by Thelma. Mr. Fleming, on the other hand . . .”
Annie cut that comment short, not wanting to hear those concerns said out loud. Having them in her head was bad enough. “You’ll have to come with me to Thelma’s house. She thinks you’re the best thing to happen to me and I can’t bear to help her with her crossword puzzle by myself.” Annie smiled and fluttered her eyelashes while she shoved the last bite of coffee cake into her mouth, more than she expected, and crumbs spewed out.
Jason laughed and shook his head. “I hope you manage better etiquette at the Heron Inn tonight. It’s a bit fancier than the café. And your fluttering eyelashes? Gets me every time.”
“Are you criticizing the Black Cat Café? This is the hottest spot in town!” Annie raised her eyebrows, pretending to be offended, but she couldn’t help but laugh at herself as she cleaned the crumbs from the table. “I’ll do my best to not embarrass you, Mr. Hunter. I’ve got a new dress I’ve been saving for a special occasion. Prepare to be dazzled!”
Annie was glad to see Mia behind the counter helping Leona prepare the food for Annie’s bridal shower. Maybe working would help take her mind off the mess she was in. Probably not completely, but it couldn’t hurt.
Annie wrapped up the last two slices of cranberry coffee cake. “I’m glad you closed the café for the whole weekend. I won’t feel one ounce of guilt while I’m enjoying my get-a-way with Jason at the Heron Inn,” she teased Leona on her way to the door.
Leona slid a tray of something that looked scrumptious into the oven and wiped her hands on her apron. “Don’t forget we’re having dinner with you tomorrow night. I’ve never stayed at the Inn so I’m pretty excited about it.” She poked Mia. “How about you?”
Mia pushed a lock of hair behind her ear. “What? Oh, yeah, the Inn. It will be fun.” Her words came out flat and Annie was more determined than ever to see what she could discover about Alice Wolfe’s past. With any luck, it would be a minor detour on her way to her getaway with Jason.
First, Annie drove to the police station, hoping to bump into Detective Christy Crank and not the Police Chief. Detective Crank had given Annie more than her fair share of aggravation when she first moved to town, but Annie managed to find Christy’s weak spot and they gradually became friends.
The weak spot? Animals. And that was exactly what Annie needed to talk to Christy about before she left with Jason for Heron Inn. If Christy decided to share any details about Alice Wolfe’s murder, that would definitely be a bonus.
When she pulled into the police station parking lot, Christy was taking long strides in the direction of her cruiser. Great, Annie thought as she quickly parked and jumped out of her car. Maybe she’d be in luck and could kill two birds with one stone, so to speak.
“Christy!” Annie yelled and waved her arm. “Hold on a minute.”
Christy smiled when she saw Annie. “You caught me with a minute and a half to spare.”
“Since you’re living in my apartment over Jason’s garage during your house renovations, could you do me a favor?”
A crease formed between Christy’s brows. “Maybe. I didn’t know there were strings attached when you offered the apartment to me,” she answered warily.
“Can you take care of Roxy for me for two nights? Smokey will be fine in Jason’s house with a bowl of food and water. He definitely won’t want to be in the apartment with three dogs.” Annie tilted her head and crossed her fingers waiting for Christy’s reply.
“Sure. No problem taking care of Roxy, and I can check up on Smokey if you want me to. I was afraid you were going to ask me about the evidence we’ve collected in Alice Wolfe’s house. You know, since your mother was questioned earlier, I half expected you would show up. I’m glad you aren’t here to bug me for information that I can’t give you.” She pulled her car door open.
Annie blocked the door from opening completely. “Can you share anything? Like, what was Edwin Fleming doing in Alice’s house to begin with?”
Christy frowned. “Nice try, Annie, but I can’t share any of the information with you. I can’t stop you from asking him yourself if you want to, though.” She shivered. “He’s a bit of a creepy old guy so keep an exit plan in mind if you go in his house.”
“How did Alice die? That will be in the papers anyway.”
“Tyler did give out that info to the newspaper. Someone whacked her over the head with a black porcelain cat. Can you believe it? Shattered it into a few large pieces, and guess who got to put it back together? Me.” She slid through the half open car door. “I’ve gotta run. Good luck with Edwin.”
Annie watched the cruiser leave, her mouth hanging open. A black porcelain cat? Didn’t her mother say Alice showed one to her that Roy had given Alice?
The drive to Edwin Fleming’s house only took long enough for Annie to start to panic for her mother.
Chapter 3
Annie’s knock on Edwin Fleming’s door brought no answer. What now? She glanced at the time, her foot tapping impatiently, as she wondered where he could have gone. She desperately wanted to talk to him before she left with Jason. Did he see Mia go into Alice’s house, or did he just see her at the door?
A scuffling noise behind her made her jump.
“What do you want?” an unfriendly voice asked.
“Mr. Fleming?” Annie walked to him with her hand out. “I’m Annie Fisher. Do you have a minute to talk? I brought you some delicious cranberry coffee cake from the Black Cat Café.”
He continued to walk toward his front door, ignoring Annie’s polite gesture, his cane tapping on the brick path. “I have all the time in the world. Not much for me to do now with Alice gone.” He continued his slow pace—tap, tap, tap—until he reached his front door. “Come on in if you must. I hate cranberries but you can leave that cake in the kitchen. I’ll pick out the cranberries.”
Edwin opened the door, leaving it open but not bothering to see if Annie followed him inside. She hesitated, trying to decide if she should follow h
im or not. What would she find through that door?
Annie followed Edwin. The air smelled musty and stale, as if no windows had been opened. Ever. And it was gloomy. All the windows Annie could see from Edwin’s front entryway, except the picture window with a clear view of the front of Alice’s house, were covered with heavy drapes. The kitchen was a disaster of dirty pots, old food, and greasy plates. She made a space and set the coffee cake down. Edwin followed her, moving the coffee cake to a cutting board. He picked up a knife and poked out the cranberries.
“Maybe I’ll try this later,” he said before moving into his living room. Edwin sat, not gracefully, more like he turned and lined up his backside with his overstuffed chair before falling into it. “Ahhh. I’m pooped after walking around Alice’s house, making sure everything is in order. At least everything I can see outside all the blasted yellow police tape.” He leaned his cane against the side of his chair. “Who are you again?”
“I’m Annie Fisher.”
He squinted his eyes and stared in Annie’s direction. “That name is familiar. You related to that lady I saw going into Alice’s house? That’s why I went over to check her place. She’s had some unsavory types coming and going lately.”
Annie inched a little farther into the living room.
“Sit. Sit down over there,” Edwin more or less commanded Annie as he pointed to a chair kitty corner to his spot.
The chair was occupied by an extremely huge long haired white cat.
“What’s your cat’s name?” Annie asked as she gently tried to squeeze herself in next to the cat. The cat didn’t budge. He raised his head off his paws, looked at Annie, and stretched his enormous body to fill more of the soft cushion.
“Cat? I don’t have a cat.” Edwin blustered. “Alice has a cat. A big white cat.” His eyes moved in Annie’s direction. “Not just big, but B-I-G. Never seen a cat like Snowball.” His eyes turned back to stare through the window. “I wonder where he is. Haven’t seen him since he ran outside when I found poor Alice dead.”
“Mr. Fleming? Take a look in this chair. Is this Snowball?”
Edwin leaned forward and to the side. “Well, what do you know? Why did you bring him in? Huh, I don’t know what to do about that. I’m not a cat person.” He leaned back in his chair then lurched forward again. “Is he still there?”
“He is. Do you have a key to Alice’s house?”
He slapped his thigh. “Yes. I do. Great idea. I’ll take him back where he belongs.”
“You can’t do that. For one thing, the house is a crime scene; and two, there’s no one at Alice’s house to take care of him. Why do you have a key to her house?”
“She gave it to me. You know, in case of some emergency.”
“Was there an emergency earlier today? When you went in her house?” Annie had managed to squeeze in next to Snowball and he purred as she stroked his soft fur.
“No, not really. I checked her house after she went to that funeral for her friend.” He put his fingers up, making air quotes when he said friend. “That guy, Roy, had just started coming around again. Alice said he had been away helping his mom. Whatever, I don’t stick my nose into someone else’s business. Nope. Just like to watch the world go by.”
“Right. About that, you know, watching the world go by. What exactly did you see before you found Alice?”
He put his finger to his cheek. “After Alice left for the funeral and I checked her house, I came back here, made myself some tea and talked to my daughter on the phone. She lives in Florida and calls me every Friday. She talked my ear off for more than an hour.” He rolled his eyes and sighed deeply. “She’s a chatterbox about nothing.”
“And you sit in your chair here while you talk?”
“That’s a dumb question. The cord doesn’t reach this far. I have to sit at my kitchen table. Pisses me off, too, cause I can’t see what’s going on from there. That must have been when that lady you remind me of went into Alice’s house.”
“You saw her go into Alice’s house?”
“Nope. She was walking away from the door when I finally got off the phone with Melinda, but I saw her go in yesterday and I bet you she was inside this morning, too. She scurried out so fast yesterday, it looked like she was expecting fat Snowball to chase her down the steps.” He laughed.
“Did you see anyone go near Alice’s house this morning?”
“Now that you mention it, just before the dang phone rang, a couple of women knocked on her door.”
Annie’s patience was over. “Thanks for chatting with me, Mr. Fleming.” She rose from the chair and pointed to the BIG cat. “Snowball looks like he’s right at home here with you. He’ll be good company.”
Edwin’s head was relaxed on the back of his chair and his mouth hung open.
Annie let herself out to the sound of his loud snoring. She shook her head at the thought of the police relying on anything he said. He made stuff up, he couldn’t see, and he slept while the rest of the world went by. She sure hoped that Officers Johnson and Crank had something more to go on than Mr. Fleming’s unreliable story. Anything, to make someone other than her mother a person of interest.
“Fancy seeing you here, Annie.”
Annie smiled at Officer Tyler Johnson. She knew he was most likely not happy to see her leaving Mr. Fleming’s house. Tyler would know exactly why she was there. “Hi Tyler. I just had an interesting chat with Mr. Fleming.”
“Oh? I’ve already heard his story and I didn’t think you would find it particularly interesting.”
“He told me he was on the phone, away from his front window, and never actually saw my mother go into or out of Alice’s house.” Annie raised her brows, expecting Tyler to be shocked.
“Listen, Annie. I know you’re concerned for your mom, with good reason,” he added. “But there’s more going on here than meets the eye. Mr. Fleming’s observations are only part of what we have uncovered so far. I’m sure you don’t want to hear this, but start looking for a good lawyer for your mom.”
“Tyler Johnson. You’ve known my mom since, forever! You can’t stand there and tell me you believe she murdered Alice Wolfe.” Her eyes blazed as she glared at Tyler.
“Annie. I have to look at the facts. It doesn’t matter what I believe. Of course, I know your mom and she’s awesome. But answer me this. Did Mia go to Alice’s house yesterday and confront her about an affair between Roy and Alice?”
Annie looked away. Tyler would know by her silence that the answer was yes.
“If you want to help your mother, and I know you do, ask her more questions. Dig up something. Anything that helps me get Mia off my suspect list.”
Annie held Tyler’s arm. “I did. She said she didn’t go in the house today.”
“Then why did we find her fingerprints on the murder weapon?”
Annie was speechless.
“Your mother went to Alice’s house after the funeral. She says she didn’t go in, but there’s no one to back up that alibi is there?” he said as he walked away from Annie.
Tyler lifted the police tape and let himself into the house. Annie couldn’t move. This couldn’t be happening. She was supposed to be planning her wedding, not looking for clues to a murder to keep her mother out of jail.
Chapter 4
Annie drove home without noticing any of the Christmas decorations flying by her car window. Her mind raced every which way trying to work out a plan, but everything smacked into a dead end.
She had to agree with Tyler. It didn’t look good for her mother. Even a calm rational person might lose their temper under the stress of what she faced. It was bad enough to have your husband die unexpectedly, but then to discover he’d been having an affair? That awful credit card receipt. Was there some other explanation?
First, she needed to talk to Jason. He would know what to do next.
The scent of wood smoke helped to clear out the mustiness that still lingered in Annie’s lungs from Edwin Fleming’s house. T
he sound of quiet piano music helped to calm her from her near panic. And the sight of Jason’s smile reinforced her decision to spend the rest of her life with him.
He carried a suitcase to the door. “How was your visit with Mr. Fleming?”
“Interesting.” Annie threw her thick fleece jacket on the back of a chair. “He’s certainly not much of an eyewitness with any credibility as far as I can tell. His story is full of holes and he admitted to me that he never actually saw Mom go into or out of Alice’s house.”
“Great. She’s off the hook?” Jason asked, obviously expecting more to Annie’s story.
“Not yet. I also bumped into Tyler as I was leaving Mr. Fleming’s house. My mother’s fingerprints are on the murder weapon.” Annie slumped onto the couch. Her hand stroked Roxy’s soft fur. “Will you walk over to Thelma Dodd’s house with me? I want to bring her some cranberry coffee cake.”
Jason couldn’t resist Annie’s pleading eyes. “Of course. Anything to help you relax so we can enjoy our time at the Heron Inn.”
Roxy heard the word walk and was at the door in a flash, wagging her tail and dancing around Jason and Annie.
“Okay. Okay. You have to be patient while we get bundled up,” Annie told Roxy as she snapped on the leash before they finally headed out the door.
Heron Lake was icy at the edges with a dusting of snow which made the trees look festive. Annie tucked her mittened hand into Jason’s strong grasp. She sucked in a rejuvenating lungful of crisp air, letting it, along with some of her worries, out in a cloud of fog.
Annie glanced up to Thelma’s window, happy to see a hand waving. “She sees us, let’s head up the path.”
Thelma was already at her kitchen door, peeking through the glass. Her mouth stretched into a wide grin when she opened the door to let them in. A rush of heat hit Annie’s face as she hurried inside, trying to avoid too much cold from following them.
“What brings you three out this afternoon? The water’s hot, help yourself to tea.” Her cane tapped along the floor on her way to the jar of dog bones. “I’ll be sitting in the living room with Roxy.”
