My eyes widened. “Wait. That’s it.”
Melissa’s nose crinkled. “What are you talking about?”
My pulse quickened. “Melissa, I have to go. There’s something really important I need to do right now.”
Chapter Twenty-Seven
I hated to leave Melissa standing there completely confused, but I would explain things to her later. In the meantime, I dropped Snickerdoodle off at home and drove over to the police station in a hurry.
By the time I entered the building and walked over to David’s desk, I was practically beside myself.
“David, get up. We need to talk with dispatch right now,” I said.
David’s eyebrows knitted. “Why? What’s going on? Is everything all right?”
“Not yet, but I have a feeling that it will be soon.”
His nose crinkled. “Sabrina, you’re not making any sense.”
“The call,” I said.
He shrugged. “What are you talking about?”
“The anonymous call that dispatch got about Julie’s body. I think that’s the key to this whole case.”
He shook his head. “We already talked about this that night at Wally’s house—”
I held my pointer finger up. “Hear me out.”
He sat back in his chair. “All right. I’m listening.”
“Dispatch told you it was placed from a pay phone at the corner of Elm Street and Oak Street, right?”
He nodded. “Yes. Why?”
“I just drove by there. And guess what. There’s a mini-mart right next to where that pay phone is located.”
Confusion was still all over his face. “And?”
“So dispatch logged the exact time that the call came in, right?” I asked.
“Uh-huh,” he replied. “But I’m still not following why that is important.”
“Come with me. If I’m right, this could be the key to catching the killer,” I said.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
A few hours later, after following up on my hunch, David and I headed over to Matt Wallace’s house. It was safe to say that he did not welcome us with open arms. As he opened his front door, he actually looked puzzled to see us.
“What are you doing here?” Matt asked.
“We need to talk to you,” David said.
“You already did that. I don’t have anything else to say to you,” Matt replied.
“Fine. Then you can just listen, because we have plenty to say to you,” David replied.
Matt’s forehead wrinkled. “What’s the meaning of this?”
“A few days ago, an anonymous call was placed to the 9-1-1 dispatch center. The caller insisted that they had seen Wally Tuttle placing Julie’s body in his garden shed,” I said.
Matt shrugged. “So? That has nothing to do with me.”
David stared Matt down. “Stop lying. We know you were the one who placed the call.”
Matt shook his head vehemently. “No. You’re wrong.”
David pulled out his phone and loaded a video. He continued talking as the video played.
“This is security-camera footage from the mini-mart at the corner of Elm Street and Oak Street. And that’s you in the parking lot, talking on the pay phone at the exact time and location when the 9-1-1 call was placed. So don’t tell me you weren’t the one who placed that call,” David said.
“That doesn’t change anything—” Matt started to say.
I shook my head. “That’s where you’re wrong. It changes everything. Especially since you lied on the call.”
“No, I didn’t—”
“Matt, it’s time to come clean. You didn’t see Wally loading Julie’s body into the shed, because Wally didn’t kill her. He has an ironclad alibi for the time of her murder. You don’t. Because you’re the one who killed Julie,” I said.
Matt scoffed. “That’s ridiculous.”
“No. It’s the truth. And your call proves it,” I said.
“You’re crazy,” Matt said.
“That’s just what you want me to believe. But the fact is, there’s only one way you could have known that Julie’s body was in Wally’s shed. Because you’re the one who put it there,” I said.
Matt’s voice filled with panic. “You can’t prove that.”
“When a jury sees that security video and hears the 9-1-1 call you placed, do you really think they’ll hesitate to convict you?” I asked. “Why don’t you just come clean? We know you’re guilty.”
“For the last time, I didn’t do it,” Matt snapped.
“You can keep saying that all you want, but we know you’re lying. Although I have to admit, you had a pretty ingenious plan. Kill your ex and frame the new man in her life for the crime. You almost got away with it, too. But now you’re going down. Just admit it—you killed Julie,” I said.
Matt couldn’t keep a lid on his emotions any longer. He blew his top. “Fine. Yes. I did it. I killed her.”
“You should be ashamed of yourself,” I said.
“It didn’t have to be this way,” Matt said. “It shouldn’t have turned out this way. Julie was meant to be with me. But she wouldn’t listen to me. Well, you know what? If I couldn’t have her, then I made sure that no one would, either. Especially not some loser like Wally Tuttle.”
“Really? Wally is the loser? Because you’ll be the one spending the rest of your life behind bars,” I said.
As David handcuffed Matt, I shook my head in disgust.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Typically, it took me a number of days to restore my life to normal after solving a case. If that was true this time, I would miss out on the joy of Christmas. That was why I prayed hard that when the twenty-fifth arrived, I would be in good spirits.
Thankfully, when Christmas morning came around, I woke up in a celebratory mood. I immediately thanked God. Not just for answering my festive prayers, but for all of the blessings that were in my life. Naturally, I also took a few moments to honor Christ on his birthday. After all, there would be no Christmas without Jesus.
As was customary for me, I had a packed day in store. It would culminate, like it did every year, with a big gathering with David’s family and mine later in the evening.
Before that took place, David came over to my house to exchange some gifts with me privately. I had to admit, as much as I loved my family, it was nice to just be with David alone before all the fanfare began.
Or mostly alone. Snickerdoodle didn’t just sit idly by while David and I opened presents. My furry buddy stole the spotlight. Between batting around ornaments and diving headfirst into a pile of ripped-up wrapping paper, Doodle’s actions took center stage.
I didn’t mind. The little guy was a joy to watch. It was amazing how ridiculously cute animals were sometimes. Especially since he was wearing the Christmas sweater that I had bought for him.
What made Doodle look even cuter was the fact that the sweater happened to be a tad too short for his long body. Before I bought it, I probably should have measured it.
Oh well.
Either way, Doodle looked completely adorable.
I had a big smile on my face as I gazed at him. “Doodle, you sure know how to steal the show.”
“He is certainly a squat little superstar,” David replied.
I wasn’t sure what Snickerdoodle liked more. The rubber toy I bought him for Christmas, or the paper I had wrapped it in, which was now crumpled on the floor. Either way, he was having a ball.
He wasn’t alone. David and I were doing some reveling of our own. David sat on my couch, wearing the new Marauders hockey jersey that I had bought him. He looked as happy as could be.
I was sporting a smile of my own that stretched from ear to ear. “What a refreshingly peaceful day.”
“Especially considering how crazy things were leading up to this,” David replied.
“Don’t remind me. If only every day could be like this.”
“You’re not the only one who wishes it were Ch
ristmas all year round.”
“There’s no doubt about that. People love getting presents.”
David handed me one last gift. “Speaking of which, I hope you like this.”
My eyes lit up. “Honey, I didn’t realize you had gotten me so many things.”
“If it’s too much, I can take some back.”
“That will not be necessary,” I said.
He chuckled. “Don’t worry. I was just joking. Now, this is the last present. I promise.”
I gazed into his eyes. “Thank you.”
His eyebrows knitted. “Before you say that, shouldn’t you open it first? I mean, who knows? You might not like it.”
“I’m sure I will,” I said. “Besides, it really is the thought that counts.”
“Well, I’m interested to see what you think of this last gift. Open it up.”
My anticipation grew when I tore off the wrapping paper, revealing a small green box. When I opened the box, my eyes lit up as I gazed at a pair of diamond earrings. They were absolutely dazzling.
“Wow,” I said.
“Does that mean you like them?” he asked.
I nodded. “Of course I do. They’re beautiful.”
“Not as beautiful as you are.”
I smiled wide. “You’re so sweet to me.”
“I’m just telling the truth. No diamond can compare to you.”
“That’s very kind of you to say, but I’ve seen some pretty impressive diamonds in my life.”
“I’m sure you have. I, meanwhile, can honestly say that I’ve never seen a more impressive woman.”
“Now you’re just going over the top.”
He shook his head. “No. I’m being serious. Look at all the cases you have solved. You’re an incredible woman.”
“Well, I had help from an amazing man,” I said.
“You’re not just calling me amazing because I bought you diamond earrings, are you?” he joked.
“No. Although it doesn’t hurt.”
I looked at the earrings again. “These are just spectacular.”
“Did you have any clue that I would be getting you something like this?”
“No. I didn’t see it coming.”
“I guess it is possible to stump you,” he joked.
“If you’re going to keep giving me gifts like this, you can feel free to stump me any time you want,” I replied.
“I’ll keep that in mind. In the meantime, Merry Christmas.”
I nodded. “This Christmas definitely is merry. Especially since I get to spend it with a wonderful man like you.”
He pulled me in tight. “I love you so much.”
“I love you, too. So much so that despite all the gifts you gave me this year, the best present of all is just being with you.”
He gazed deep into my eyes. “Where’s the mistletoe when you need it?”
“Trust me. Right now, mistletoe is completely unnecessary,” I said.
I leaned in and gave him a deep kiss.
The End.
Gelato with a Side of Murder
Chapter One
“What’s this surprise you have for me?” I asked.
“If I told you, it wouldn’t be a surprise, now would it?” David Carlson replied.
My boyfriend stared back at the road without saying another word. The less he told me, the more overactive my imagination became. After all, it wasn’t like David to be so tightlipped.
Unfortunately, he’d been secretive ever since he picked me up from my house ten minutes ago. I had peppered him with a number of questions but had not gotten a single straight answer from him. While I was discouraged, I wasn’t about to give up. Like all the other mysteries in my life, I was determined to solve this one.
I looked over from the passenger seat of his car and gave him the best puppy-dog eyes that I could muster. “Will you please just tell me where you’re taking me?”
He held his pointer finger up. “Patience—”
I folded my arms. “Is overrated.”
“Maybe so, but you’re going to need some.”
I groaned. “You’re really not going to tell me?”
He shook his head. “No. But don’t worry. We’ll be there soon enough.”
I scratched my chin as I looked out the window. “Hmm. What restaurants are close to here? It’s definitely not going to be Home Away From Home Cooking—”
“Sabrina, why don’t we talk about something else?”
I shrugged. “Like what?”
“How was your day?”
“It was totally fine until you picked me up without telling me where we’re going.”
“I’m glad to hear there was no trouble brewing at Daley Buzz,” he joked.
I squinted at him. “Are you just avoiding the subject now?”
“I am happy to report that I had a pretty quiet day on the beat,” he said. “Crime is really down of late. I hope that trend continues.”
I stared long and hard into his eyes. “You can keep trying to change the subject all you want, but you know how I am—”
“Stubborn, you mean?” David asked.
“I was going to say determined.”
“Determined to be stubborn?” he joked.
“Very funny,” I said. “But I’m sticking with determined.”
He laughed. “You do that.”
“Since you know how dogged I can be, why don’t you just tell me where you’re taking me?”
“Fine.”
I exhaled. “Good. It’s about time you stop leaving me in suspense. So, where are we headed?”
“Right here,” he said.
***
David pulled his car into the parking lot of Antonio’s Ristorante. Talk about a complete surprise. This was the last place in town I thought he would take me.
On the nights that we went out for dinner, we typically headed to one of the casual restaurants in Treasure Cove. Antonio’s, meanwhile, was one of the most upscale places in town.
David parked his car while I stared at the restaurant with my mouth agape.
“Antonio’s? But we never go here,” I said.
“Would you rather I take you somewhere else?” he asked.
“No. This is great. I’m just wondering what the special occasion is.”
“How about the fact that I love you?”
“That’s reason enough for me.” I leaned in and gave him a kiss. “I love you too.”
“What a delicious kiss.”
“Speaking of delicious, I can’t believe we’re here.”
He smiled. “See. Even after all these years of dating, I can still surprise you.”
I nodded. “You sure can. Although, you didn’t need to keep me in quite as much suspense.”
“I disagree. The look on your face when I pulled in here was priceless. You had no clue where I was taking you.”
“Can you blame me for being floored? I can count on one hand the number of times in my entire life that I have eaten here.”
“In that case, you were long overdue to come back.”
“My taste buds agree.”
“I don’t know about you, but I could really go for some chicken parmigiana.”
“That sounds fantastic. But I’m going to look at the menu before I make any decisions.”
“Fair enough,” he replied. “Now, let’s go dine in style.”
I opened the passenger side door of the car.
Before I had a chance to take a step out of the vehicle, David’s phone rang.
My heart sank. I got a terrible feeling in my gut that our ritzy dinner was about to be rescheduled.
David gritted his teeth, in no mood to answer the phone. Despite his resistance to checking his phone, he knew he couldn’t just ignore the call. A police detective was on call twenty-four hours a day, whether he liked it or not.
He groaned and reluctantly checked the caller identification screen.
“It’s work, isn’t it?” I asked.
He g
rimaced. “Unfortunately. And, as you know—”
I let out a sigh. “You have to take it.”
“But look, hopefully it will just be something small.”
David was just trying to make me feel better, but I couldn’t help but fear the worst.
***
As he answered his phone, my eyes wandered. I stared out the window, hoping for the best.
That was when I spotted something in the parking lot that caught my attention.
About thirty feet away, local commercial real estate developer, Jake Williamson, was in a heated argument with a middle-aged, bearded man.
It was no surprise to spot Jake outside this restaurant. The slender, slick-haired fifty-one-year-old was a regular at Antonio’s. As a matter of fact, he ate here so often that I was surprised he didn’t have an ownership stake in the place.
It also didn’t give me any pause to see Jake arguing with someone. His penchant for buying up local businesses and replacing them with chain stores had ruffled a lot of feathers in town. With all the family-run shops that he had shut down in the last few years, there was an argument to be made that Jake was the most unpopular man in Treasure Cove. Just don’t tell him that. In his mind, this town owed him a debt of gratitude for the way he was transforming it.
Even though Jake was no stranger to arguments, the one he was currently engaged in was more rancorous than I was used to seeing. So when Jake turned his back to the bearded man and began to walk away, I breathed a sigh of relief that things hadn’t gotten out of hand.
Unfortunately, Jake was only able to take a few steps back toward his car before all that changed.
It turned out that while Jake was done with his conversation, the bearded man was nowhere near finished with Jake.
As Jake continued walking to his sports car, the bearded man pulled out a large knife from a sheath that was attached to his belt.
Even worse, judging by the way the man started walking toward Jake, the bearded guy had every intention of stabbing Jake.
I grimaced, knowing that I was too far away to stop the man from attacking.
Daley Buzz Cozy Mystery Boxed Set Page 86
