“So, what do you think?” Melissa asked.
“My taste buds owe you a debt of gratitude,” I said.
Melissa chuckled. “I have never heard a compliment quite like that, but I’ll take it.”
“Did you make these?”
“Yes,” she replied. “Technically. But my mother deserves all the credit. They are her special recipe.”
“Tell her they are out of this world.”
“I will.”
I took another bite of the cookie. It was just as delicious as the first taste had been. “Not to look a gift cookie in the mouth, but what made you think of baking these for me?”
“I know that whenever I’m feeling down, nothing cheers me up quite like a fresh-baked cookie. I figured that if anyone could use some cheering up, it’s you.”
“You figured right.”
“I mean, I’m not foolish enough to think that a cookie can solve the world’s problems, but if it can make you feel even a little bit better, that’s something,” Melissa said.
“It is hard to go wrong with cookies,” I replied.
“I couldn’t agree more.”
“Thanks for doing this,” I said.
“You’re welcome,” she replied.
My instincts were telling me that there was something more going on. I glanced at her with suspicious eyes.
“I don’t want to sound rude, but I’m surprised that you did this at all. I mean, you’ve lived in the neighborhood for ten months, and you’ve never stopped by my house before,” I replied.
“I know. And I’m sorry about that. I know it’s a little late, but I figure it’s better than never,” Melissa said.
“You’re just full of surprises tonight, aren’t you?”
“Life is the one with all the surprises. But as I added up all the crazy things that have gone on in this town over the last year or so, there’s one common thread.”
“The fact that this town is off its rocker?” I deadpanned.
Melissa shook her head. “No.”
“I’d disagree with that answer. This town has gone bonkers.”
“That may be the case, but the point I was trying to make was that no matter how odd the mystery has been or how dangerous the case was, you haven’t hesitated to throw yourself into the fire,” she replied.
“No, I haven’t. At the same time, that approach has made me some enemies,” I said.
“That’s the other thing I want to apologize for. I know I have been brusque with you in the past—”
I nodded. “To say the least.”
“Well, I shouldn’t have,” Melissa replied. “But what can I say? I didn’t see the big picture.”
“And now you do?”
Melissa nodded. “Andrew Stewart’s killer is behind bars because of you. The entire secret society is locked up because of you. The way I see it, it’s not just me who owes you a debt of gratitude. It’s the entire town. You have given me peace of mind. I really appreciate that.”
“It’s good to hear. But I did have help.”
“I know. You and your boyfriend have done a good job of cleaning up the streets,” she replied. “I just wish that life would cut you a break. I mean, after all you’ve done for this town, you deserve peace, not suffering.”
“It turns out life had different plans for me.”
“I know. That’s why I decided to come by to see you. During times like this, you can use all the support that you can get,” Melissa said.
“What I can really use is some answers,” I replied.
“I’m afraid that I don’t have any of those. I just have cookies—”
“Great cookies.”
Melissa smiled. “Cookies and sympathy.”
“I’ll take as much of those as I can get,” I replied.
“Anyway, I just want you to know that I’m praying for you. I hope that the monster who killed your sister pays for what they did,” Melissa said.
“I hope so, too,” I replied. “Thank you for stopping by.”
“No. Thank you for everything you have done for me and this town. I really appreciate it,” Melissa replied.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
That night, I slept like a rock. That was one of the few benefits of being exhausted. I didn’t spend hours tossing and turning in bed, trying to silence my thoughts. Instead, I immediately crashed out.
When the sun streaked through my window the next morning, I woke up feeling equal parts refreshed and confused. Sure, it was a brand-new day, but I didn’t have any fresh ideas about how to solve this case.
After brewing a cup of coffee and taking Snickerdoodle out for a walk, I decided to take a trip over to Watterson Park. I had heard that it was a tranquil place that was perfect for quiet reflection. I could sure use some of that.
When I arrived at the park, I almost couldn’t believe my eyes. As I looked out at the lush expanse of greenbelts and gardens, it was hard to believe that this same plot of land had once been home to the dilapidated old Watterson estate.
I walked around, completely wide eyed. The city had done a stunning job. Not just with the gardens, but the playgrounds, the manmade pond, and outdoor stage as well.
Even though I had intended to head over to the Zen garden for some quiet reflection, when I spotted a pair of cute little girls playing in a sandbox next to one of the playgrounds, I stopped dead in my tracks.
The girls appeared to be five and six years old respectively, but what really struck me was how similar they looked to my sister and me when we were that age. I felt like I was watching a real-life version of one of my parents’ old home movies.
I took a seat on a nearby bench as a jolt of nostalgia hit me. My emotions swelled as a flurry of memories raced through my mind. Oh, to be young and carefree again.
The little girls seemed to be having the time of their lives just playing around. They were also too young to know the history of this plot of land. Although, in their case, that was a good thing. They could just enjoy the park without having to be reminded of the dilapidated estate that once stood here. Or the double murder-suicide that had once taken place inside one of the upstairs bedrooms.
Unfortunately, those details were the kinds of things that I would never forget. But just because something horrific had happened here decades before didn’t mean that this plot of land was cursed forever.
This park had made me a believer in the power of change. After all, for the longest time, I had avoided going by this entire area because I didn’t want to have to drive by the Watterson estate. But now that I saw how beautiful this park was, I actually looked forward to coming here again.
That was especially remarkable because this park was bucking the trend that I was seeing with my hometown lately. So much of Treasure Cove seemed to be changing for the worse. But this patch of land had taken a huge stride for the better. And if one of this town’s greatest eyesores could be turned into a beautiful park, perhaps there was still hope that the rest of Treasure Cove could turn around as well.
As I contemplated that possibility, a familiar face from the past approached me.
“Sabrina Daley? Is that really you?” a male voice asked.
I pulled my head out of the clouds and saw Xander Watterson walking my way. When I spotted the square-faced, muscular thirty-nine-year-old, I almost did a double take.
With good reason. It had been nearly a decade since I had last seen Xander. The days of him being a regular at Daley Buzz were long gone. Surprisingly, other than having a few extra years under his belt, his appearance hadn’t changed very much.
“Xander. Wow. It’s been a long time,” I said.
He nodded. “It sure has. It’s crazy running into you here.”
“I couldn’t agree more,” I replied. “I never thought I’d see you in Treasure Cove again.”
When Xander left town almost a decade ago, I got the sense that he never intended to come back. I didn’t blame him. He had gone from living a life of luxury to becoming an
orphan in one of the most horrific ways imaginable.
It was the most infamous story in Treasure Cove history. A little more than twenty years ago, Xander’s father, Joe Watterson, came home early from work one afternoon and walked in on his wife having an affair with their pool boy. In a fit of rage, Joe shot his wife and the pool boy before turning the gun on himself.
After the double murder-suicide, Xander had tried to pick up the pieces of his life and carry on in Treasure Cove, but this town had just brought him too much misery. So he packed up and left, looking like he would never return. Yet, now, here he was. Even more, he wasn’t just back in town. He was standing at the site of his former home. So it was only natural for me to wonder what had brought him back here.
Xander had something else on his mind. “I just wanted to tell you that I’m so sorry about what happened to your sister.”
“Thank you,” I replied.
“It’s a real tragedy,” he said.
I couldn’t wait any longer to satisfy my curiosity. “Xander, don’t get me wrong. I appreciate the sympathy, but what are you doing here?”
“It’s simple,” Xander said. “I heard some incredible things about this park. So I decided that I had to see it for myself.”
I gazed at one of the gardens, which was beside the playground. “It’s pretty amazing, isn’t it?”
Xander nodded. “I’ll say.”
“Why don’t you sit down?” I asked.
“Are you sure?” he asked.
“Of course.”
Xander took a seat beside me on the bench. “So, how are you holding up?”
I exhaled. “I could be better.”
Xander nodded. “I certainly understand that.”
“My question is, how are you holding up, being back at the site of your old house?” I asked.
“Sabrina, we were talking about you.”
“I know. But here’s the thing. As sympathetic as people are being to my situation, most of them have no idea how much anguish I am really going through right now. You do, though.”
He nodded. “Yeah. Unfortunately, I do.”
“That’s why it would be really helpful to hear how you are feeling right now,” I said.
Xander took a deep breath. “To tell you the truth, I’m pretty emotional.”
“I’ll bet.”
“But I haven’t had a breakdown, so I consider that to be a win.”
Xander fell silent and became very pensive.
“Xander, can I ask you something?” I replied.
“Sure. You can ask me anything,” he said.
“Does it ever get any easier? Do you ever think you’re going to feel whole again?”
He exhaled. “I know what you want me to say. That over time the scars heal. But if you want the truth, the fact is that even now I can’t help but feel like part of me is missing. There’s still this ache inside me. It’s not as strong as it used to be, but it’s there. And it probably always will be.”
I stayed quiet, absorbing everything he had just told me.
“I’m sorry. I know that’s not what you wanted to hear,” he added.
“No. You were being honest. I appreciate that,” I said. “Is there anything else you can tell me?”
“You know, I used to constantly ask myself, what if things had gone differently. What if…” Xander trailed off as his emotions got the best of him.
I put my hand on his shoulder. “I ask myself a lot of ‘what if’ questions too.”
He composed himself. “But here’s the thing. They don’t do any good. The past is set in stone. Obsessing over it isn’t going to change anything.”
“Isn’t that the truth,” I replied.
“You can’t live in the past. Otherwise, what kind of future do you expect to have?”
“Don’t get me wrong. I understand what you’re saying. I’ve probably read a dozen quotes about this exact topic. But knowing what I should do and actually doing it are two very different things.”
He nodded. “I know. I’m still very much a work in progress when it comes to that. But I just try to remind myself how important it is to look forward rather than backward. That’s actually one of the reasons I’m here today.”
“Well, I’m glad that I ran into you. Are you glad that you came?”
“I’m more relieved than anything. I was really worried that I wouldn’t be able to keep it together. That I would completely freak out.”
“You seem to be all in one piece.”
“And that’s how I intend to stay,” he replied. “As you know, for the longest time, I avoided coming here. I tried to keep as far away from this town as possible. But that didn’t make my pain go away. So I decided to try out a new tactic. To tackle my fear head on.”
“I have been trying to do that,” I said.
“Keep at it. I mean, now that I’m sitting here calmly, I wonder if maybe this is what I needed all along. Perhaps there’s strength in confronting what scares me the most and living to tell the tale.”
“That’s a bold approach,” I said.
A smile came to Xander’s face. “It seems to be working. Not only am I holding myself together, but I feel a new sense of hope. After all, if my parents’ old house can be transformed into such a beautiful park, then who is to say that I can’t make a stunning change of my own?”
Chapter Twenty-Nine
I was feeling renewed as I left the park and walked toward my car. My conversation with Xander had been just what I needed. But before I had the chance to think too much about what he had said, my attention was pulled elsewhere.
I spotted Alyssa Carpenter as I reached the sidewalk. Alyssa was out taking a morning jog. As she headed my way, a number of questions formed in my mind. Unfortunately, I wouldn’t get the chance to ask any of them.
The moment that Alyssa spotted me, a horrified look came to her face. She stopped dead in her tracks and turned around.
I called out to her. “Alyssa.”
She acted like she didn’t hear me. Clearly, Alyssa wanted nothing to do with me. She darted off back in the direction that she had just come from, determined to get as far away from me as possible.
“Why are you running away?” I asked.
My question fell on deaf ears. She completely ignored me and continued to dash away.
I would have gone after her, but I knew that I had no chance of catching up to her. Besides, even if I did chase her down, I couldn’t force her to talk. After all, I was just an amateur sleuth. It was David’s police badge that truly got murder suspects to answer questions. And even then, there were limits to how effective David’s badge really was.
As I watched Alyssa sprinting away from me, I couldn’t help but feel highly suspicious of her.
Perhaps David and I needed to pay her another visit at her workplace.
***
I pulled out my phone and called my boyfriend. David listened intently as I told him what had just happened. When I was done, he gave me his thoughts on the situation.
“I can’t help but wonder why she was so quick to run away from you,” David said.
“That was my thought exactly,” I replied.
“She can run, but she can’t hide. We know where she works.”
“And where she lives.”
“It sounds like we need to pay her another visit today,” David said.
“It sure does,” I replied. “Speaking of suspects, do you have any other new leads?”
“Unfortunately not,” David said.
“What about the deputy that you assigned to keep watch on Eric Tilden?” I asked.
“That seems like a dead end right now. Apparently, Eric hasn’t left his house once since we started watching him,” David said.
“That’s not exactly surprising,” I said.
“No, but it doesn’t help us, either.”
“True,” I said. “So is that it?”
“Unfortunately. I wish I had better news for you,” David replied.
>
“I’ll tell you what. Why don’t I drop my car off at the police station? Then you and I can pay Alyssa Carpenter a visit together.”
“Sounds good,” David replied.
“All right. I’m on my way over.”
“Actually, since you’re out already, could you swing by Rick’s Donuts?” David asked.
“Don’t you have donuts at the station?” I replied.
“We had donuts. They’re all gone now.”
I chuckled. “You cops and your donuts.”
“What can I say? It has been a stressful morning at the station.”
“It has been a stressful morning over here, too,” I said.
“All the more reason to pick up some donuts,” David replied.
***
I couldn’t argue with that. I jumped into my car and drove over to Rick’s Donuts. By then, I was getting a yen for a chocolate-glazed treat.
There were no parking spots open in front of Rick’s, so I ended up parking in front of Brooke Boswell’s Bridal Boutique. As I turned off my car, donuts suddenly became the last thing on my mind.
When I looked into the front window of the bridal boutique, I saw something that made my jaw drop. Kyle Lipinski was inside the boutique, arguing with Lyndy Walsh.
Lyndy wasn’t just an employee of the boutique. She was also Kyle’s ex-girlfriend. But that wasn’t all. Lyndy was also the one who had confirmed Kyle’s alibi for the time of my sister’s murder.
I couldn’t help but wonder what they were arguing about. After all, according to Kyle, they weren’t dating, and hadn’t been for a long time. So what were they so worked up about? I was desperate to find out. Unfortunately, since I was outside, I couldn’t hear what they were saying.
But I could snap a picture of them in the heat of their disagreement. That was exactly what I did. And just in time, too. I was barely able to grab my phone and take a photo of them before Kyle stormed out of the shop.
Thankfully, Kyle was so distracted by his anger that he did not notice me in my car as he bolted away from the boutique. I kept a close eye on him as he made his way to his green sedan, which was parked a few stores away.
Daley Buzz Cozy Mystery Boxed Set Page 66
