Daley Buzz Cozy Mystery Boxed Set

by Meredith Potts

  I chuckled. “Normal? That’s funny, coming from you.”

  Jake shot me a glare. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  There were a number of different ways that I could go with my response. If Daphne wasn’t there, I would have given Jake a piece of my mind. But since Daphne was present, I tempered my response, knowing that if I ripped into Jake, it would most likely spell the end of my friendship with Daphne.

  “Calm down, Jake. I was just implying that with you being a multimillionaire, the last way I would ever describe your life is normal,” I replied.

  Jake’s temper cooled off a little. “Oh.”

  “She has a good point,” Daphne said. “How many normal people do you know own private jets?”

  “Fair enough. But just because my life isn’t normal doesn’t mean that I don’t want things to calm down around here. After all, if this craziness continues, I might have to use my private jet to escape all this madness,” Jake replied.

  Daphne threw out her arms. “How do you think I feel? I moved away from San Francisco to get away from disturbing stuff like this. And, even with this town’s troubled history, I still believed that things would be more peaceful here than in the city. Now I’m not so sure.”

  I grimaced. “I hate to say it, but a lot of people in this town are really suffering. And, more often than not, desperate people end up doing desperate things.”

  Jake jumped on the defensive again. “Why did you look at me when you said that?”

  “Because I think it’s important to remind you that people can only be pushed so far before they start to push back,” I said.

  Jake stared me down. “Why don’t you just stay out of my business?”

  Confusion came to Daphne’s face. “Jake, why are you being so hostile? Sabrina is right.”

  Jake’s eyebrows rose. “Wait a minute. You’re taking her side?”

  “It’s not about taking sides. It’s about the fact that I don’t want anything to happen to you. But I’m beginning to worry that something could,” Daphne said.

  “You should listen to your girlfriend,” I replied. “She’s a smart woman.”

  Daphne smiled. “There’s something you can never hear too often.”

  “I can say it again if you want,” I replied.

  Jake stepped in. “I get the picture.”

  “I’m not sure that you do. That’s the problem,” I said.

  “I can take care of myself,” he replied.

  “I know you believe that. But this isn’t just about you,” I said. “You’re in a relationship with a wonderful woman. You need to take care of her as well.”

  “Sabrina, you’re just full of wisdom this morning, aren’t you?” Daphne asked.

  “You should tell your boyfriend that,” I said.

  “Oh, I will.” Daphne checked the time on her smartphone. “But right now, I need to be heading off to a listing appointment.”

  Daphne leaned in and gave Jake a kiss.

  “I’ll call you later,” she said. Daphne then glanced at me. “Good to see you again, Sabrina.”

  “Bye,” I replied.

  Daphne walked off toward her car.

  Surprisingly, Jake stayed right where he was.

  Chapter Eighteen

  When Jake didn’t go off with his girlfriend, I knew that he was staying behind to give me a tongue-lashing. That said, I didn’t care. I could handle anything that Jake threw at me.

  He shot me a glare. “What did I tell you before about backing off?”

  “I was just telling the truth. It’s not my fault if you don’t want to hear it,” I replied.

  “You just love stirring up trouble, don’t you?”

  “What you call trouble, I call standing up for what I believe in.”

  He shook his head. “You’re wasting your breath. Nothing you say is going to make me change the way I do business.”

  “I think that’s a big mistake.”

  “And I think you should mind your own business. This is the last time I’m going to tell you—back off.”

  “Why are you being so hostile? Does my honesty really scare you that much?”

  He puffed his chest out. “I’m not scared. I’m annoyed. Now, mind your own business.”

  “Really? You’re going to threaten me?”

  “That wasn’t a threat. It was a warning.”

  “Jake, I have spent the last day going toe to toe with murder suspects. Why do you think I would be intimidated by you?”

  “This isn’t about intimidation. It’s about wising up. For example, if you keep pushing me, I could open a rival coffee shop across the street from Daley Buzz.”

  I stared him down. “You don’t want to do that.”

  “Oh yeah? What’s the matter? Are you afraid of a little competition?”

  “You don’t get it, do you?”

  His forehead wrinkled. “Get what?

  “How bad that would be for you,” I said.

  Jake threw out his arms. “In what twisted world is that true?”

  “Your girlfriend loves Daley Buzz. How do you think she’d feel about you opening up a competing coffee shop across the street?” I asked.

  Jake laughed. “I think you have a deluded opinion about how much Daphne cares about your shop. She’d be fine getting her drinks from McLattes.”

  “Are you sure about that?”

  “Do you really want to take that chance?”

  “Do you?” I asked. “I mean, what if you’re wrong?”

  As I looked into his eyes, I could tell that he expected me to crumble like a house of cards in the wind. When that didn’t happen, he became outraged.

  “You’re infuriating,” he said.

  “Right back at you,” I replied.

  He groaned.

  I wasn’t the only one holding strong. He was just as stubborn as I was. I knew that we could both stand there, dig in, and not give an inch all day.

  Not only would that be an unproductive use of my time, but I needed to save my energy for the murder investigation.

  Besides, an idea came to me.

  Above all, Jake was a businessman. A man who made deals for a living. So I had an offer for him.

  “I’ll tell you what. Back off on the hostile takeovers, and I’ll stop giving Daphne nothing but family-run business recommendations,” I said.

  “What makes you think I’d make a deal with you?” he asked.

  “Because you’re an intelligent man. You know how stupid it would be to keep arguing with me. If you really want me to back off, then here’s your chance. But those are my conditions.”

  He gritted his teeth. “You’re more stubborn than I thought.”

  “Do we have a deal?” I asked.

  He stared deep into my eyes.

  A few moments passed.

  “Fine,” he replied.

  “Smart move,” I said.

  He groaned then walked away in a huff.

  I took a deep breath, relieved at the truce we had just made.

  Chapter Nineteen

  “Did I really just hear that right?” Elizabeth Daley asked.

  I nearly jumped out of my shoes. I didn’t realize that my mother was standing behind me. When had she stepped outside Daley Buzz? And how long had she been looking over my shoulder?

  With my mother so eager to make conversation on the sidewalk, it was clear that there would be no time for any quiet reflection. Instead, I was thrust into a whole new conversation when I just wanted a few minutes to process everything that Jake had said.

  I instinctively put my hand over my chest as my heart began to beat out of control. A few deep breaths later, I was able to calm myself down enough to whirl around and reply to my mom.

  “Were you listening in on our conversation?” I replied.

  My fifty-six-year-old jet-black-haired mother waggled her pointer finger back and forth.

  “That’s not the phrasing I’d go with,” Elizabeth said.

  My eyebrows
rose. “How would you describe it?”

  “I just wanted to make sure that Jake didn’t step out of line,” Elizabeth said.

  “That’s very sweet of you, but it doesn’t change the fact that you were listening in on our conversation.”

  “Okay. So technically I was. But to me, that’s the least important part of what just happened.”

  A smile crept across my face as I thought about the two distinct sides of my mother’s personality. When she wanted information out of someone, she was as direct as anyone I had ever met. Unfortunately, she was significantly more tight-lipped when answering questions. She had a way of dancing around issues that was both skillful and maddening.

  Normally, when she tried to give me the runaround, I would force the issue. At that particular moment, it just didn’t seem worth it. Not with Jake’s stunning words still bouncing around in my head.

  “There’s certainly a lot going on,” I replied.

  “I’ll say. I can’t believe you actually got Jake to agree to a truce.”

  “I’m still in shock myself,” I replied.

  “I’m really proud of you for standing up to him.”

  “The way I figure, someone had to do it.”

  “I don’t disagree. A lot of people in town have been wanting to put Jake in his place.”

  I nodded. “It’s safe to say that he’s not going to win any popularity contests.”

  “No. But you might. After all, despite all of the complaints about Jake that I have heard, you are the only one who has stood up to him.”

  I did not let myself get overcome with excitement. “Don’t get me wrong. Kudos are always welcome here. But you’re not going to see me patting myself on the back quite yet.”

  “Honey, there’s nothing wrong with taking credit. You have sure earned it.”

  “I don’t deny that,” I said.

  Her forehead wrinkled. “Then why the hesitation?”

  “I just can’t help but wonder if Jake will keep up his end of the bargain,” I said.

  Worry filled my mother’s eyes. “Do you really think he might go back on his word?”

  “Hasn’t that thought crossed your mind?” I asked.

  “Of course it has. This is Jake Williamson we’re talking about. The man is about as trustworthy as a politician.”

  I grimaced. “Or a sleazy defense lawyer.”

  My mother looked disgusted. “How about a lawyer turned politician?”

  I cringed. “Very few things can make a greasy used car salesman look good, but that is one of them.”

  Elizabeth shivered. “Talk about a dubious comparison.”

  “I’ll say. But the crazy part is, other than Jake’s custom-tailored Italian suit, he actually has far more in common with the average car salesman that he would like to admit.”

  “That is sad but true.”

  “It’s also a reason for me not to take his words completely to heart.”

  “Of course, there’s a chance that I’m worried about nothing.”

  “That chance is pretty slim. I think we both have a good reason to be worried about Jake staying true to his word.”

  “Worries aside, what are your instincts telling you?” she asked.

  I winced. “Are you sure you want to hear this?”

  Elizabeth’s face tensed up. “Am I not going to like what you have to say?”

  I reached out to my mother. “Now don’t start panicking.”

  “That’s never a good start to a sentence.”

  “I’m afraid you’re not going to like the end of that sentence either.”

  Elizabeth exhaled. “That’s what I was afraid of.”

  “Like I said, though, you shouldn’t panic.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because I don’t have a great read on the situation.”

  “Is that so?”

  I nodded. “Between Jake Williamson and this murder case, I don’t really have a great read on anything. All I can say is that time will tell.”

  “That’s not quite the answer I wanted to hear, but with all the crazy things that have happened in Treasure Cove over the last three years, I guess it should come as no surprise that answers are hard to come by.”

  I let out a nervous laugh. “I know, right. There’s never a shortage of mysteries around here.”

  Elizabeth squinted as she changed the subject. “Speaking of, what’s the deal with Daphne?”

  I gave her a quizzical look. “What do you mean?”

  “Talk about a head-scratcher. It’s a complete mystery to me how a sweetheart like her ended up with shark like Jake.”

  I ran my fingers through my hair. “I have been wondering that myself.”

  “Do you have an answer?” Elizabeth asked.

  I shrugged. “Honestly, I’m kind of stumped.”

  “Coming from a sleuth like you, that is saying a lot.”

  I took a deep breath. “All I can think of is that old saying about how opposites attract.”

  “They may attract, but it doesn’t mean they will live happily ever after.”

  “Are you predicting that Daphne and Jake are going to break up?”

  Elizabeth scrunched her nose. “I can’t really say. It depends.”

  “On what?” I asked.

  “If there’s a softer side to Jake that we don’t know about,” Elizabeth replied.

  “What do you think the chances of that are?”

  “I would say ‘slim’ but I think the real answer is ‘none’.”

  “Those are some pretty terrible odds.”

  “What can I say? History is not in their favor,” Elizabeth replied.

  “How do you figure?” I asked.

  “Through the years, I have known a number of women who have dated men like Jake. Do you know how many of those relationships are still going?” Elizabeth replied. “None.”

  My eyebrows rose. “Not one?”

  “They all crashed and burned,” Elizabeth said. “To me, that’s more than just a coincidence.”

  “You’re probably right. Ultimately, time will tell.”

  Elizabeth nodded. “Leave it to life to keep us in suspense.”

  I let out a sigh. “Yeah. Just what I need—another mystery in my life.”

  “I’m sorry this case is really frustrating you.”

  “That’s why I’m hoping that Jake will honor our truce. The last thing I need is more aggravation.” I narrowed my eyes. “That said, if he does go back on his word, I won’t hesitate to give him the business.”

  Elizabeth chuckled.

  I quizzically looked at my mother. “What’s so funny?”

  “It’s just amazing how much you sound like your grandmother sometimes.”

  “I don’t know if you meant that as a compliment, but I’m going to take it as one,” I said.

  Elizabeth laughed again. “It’s funny that you should say that. I can picture your grandma uttering those exact same words if she was here right now.”

  I scrunched my nose. “Speaking of, where is grandma?”

  “Funny you should ask,” Elizabeth said.

  “Uh-oh. What did she do now?”

  “You’re not going to believe this.”

  “I don’t know. This is grandma we’re talking about. She is delightfully unpredictable.”

  “True.”

  “So, where is she?”

  “At Costlow getting free samples of Halloween candy,” Elizabeth said.

  A baffled look came to my face as I looked at the time on my phone. It was a little after nine in the morning. “She’s getting candy at this hour?”

  Elizabeth nodded. “According to your grandma, it’s never too early for candy.”

  “I didn’t even realize Costlow was open right now.”

  “Trust me. Your grandma wouldn’t have skipped her yoga class if Costlow was closed.”

  “What a delicious discovery,” I replied.

  I gazed out into the distance with longing in my eyes.
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br />   Elizabeth folded her arms. “Sabrina, are you thinking about candy right now?”

  “Can you blame me?” I asked.

  Elizabeth shook her head. “Oh dear. Not you too.”

  I held my pointer finger out. “Hey. It’s not my fault. I’m powerless when it comes to sweets.”

  Elizabeth squinted. “Even at nine in the morning?”

  I shrugged. “My sugar craving doesn’t care what time it is.”

  Elizabeth chuckled. “You really do take after your grandmother.”

  “So you’re saying that I keep good company, then?”

  “That’s one way of putting it,” Elizabeth replied.

  “Besides, two of the best words in the English language are ‘free’ and ‘candy.’”

  Elizabeth shook her head. “Oh dear. I don’t even know what to say to that.”

  “I do.” I took a few steps toward my car. “I should be going.”

  “To work on the case, right?” Elizabeth asked.

  “Uh-huh.”

  Elizabeth stared at me. It was impossible not to detect the disappointed tone in her voice as she replied, “You’re stopping for free candy first, aren’t you?”

  “Don’t judge me,” I replied.

  “Tell your grandmother she’s a bad influence.”

  “I will,” I replied. “But she’ll probably be too busy enjoying her candy to care.”

  Chapter Twenty

  Costlow seemed more cavernous than ever that morning. That was probably because there were more employees in the store than customers. In all the times I had been there in the past, that had never been the case before. Then again, I had never wandered the aisles shortly after the place opened, either.

  The hundred-pack of toilet paper and the fifty-can mega case of tomato soup were practically begging to be thrown into a cart. But right then, any urge I had for a deep discount on bulk goods would have to wait. After all, I was on a sweet-toothed quest for Halloween candy.

  When I began walking down free sample row, I saw my feisty, eighty-two-year-old grandma, Betsy Daley, grabbing a chocolate square from one of the displays.

  While Betsy was as joyous as could be, the same could not be said for Linda, the short, twenty-three-year-old sample clerk who stood across from my grandma.