Daley Buzz Cozy Mystery Boxed Set

by Meredith Potts

  “Where are you going in such a hurry?”

  “I’m going home,” she said. “Don’t you dare follow me.”

  “You don’t get to make demands,” David said.

  Linda ignored David’s statement and kept walking.

  Chapter Seventeen

  David could have followed Linda, but it didn’t seem like it would do any good. He decided not to run after her. He also didn’t immediately enter the diner after his confrontation either. Instead, he stared at Linda until she was out of sight. I knew what he was thinking. That he would love to tail her and see if she would slip up. David wasn’t about to follow Linda, though. Not with me by his side.

  At the same time, he wasn’t going to let her just walk away. He elected to call dispatch and had a deputy follow her. If she did anything out of the ordinary, the deputy would inform David immediately.

  With that matter taken care of, we were free to go inside Zelda’s. As we made our way to a booth in the corner of the diner, I expected David to vent his frustration.

  He ended up surprising me by calmly taking a seat and quietly looking at his menu.

  I could have broken the silence, but I felt it would be better for him to say the first word. A few seconds later, he put his menu down and opened his mouth.

  “Do you know what you want to order?” David asked. “I’m going to have a cheeseburger and fries.”

  At first, I was too stunned to even respond. Not because of his food selection, but rather the fact that no rant appeared to be forthcoming.

  Granted, he had the uncanny ability to be able to keep an even keel, no matter how pressure-packed things got. But to keep this level of composure was pretty incredible.

  I threw out my arms. “Are we not going to talk about what just happened?”

  “I wasn’t planning on it,” David said.

  My forehead wrinkled. “Why not?”

  “Because I just need a break from this case.”

  “Why? Because it’s gotten under your skin?”

  He nodded. “It’s driving me nuts. I mean, it has just been so frustrating.”

  “I’m sorry.” I took a deep breath. “I certainly know what that’s like.”

  He gritted his teeth. “Take that conversation I just had with Linda, for example. The entire investigation has pretty much gone like that. I haven’t gotten a single easy answer. Instead, the suspects have given me nonstop attitude.”

  “That wears you down after a while.”

  “It sure does. I mean, Linda could have run into us and not picked a fight. But no. She went and blew her top, making her look more suspicious,” David said. “Honestly, if she had behaved calmly back there, I wouldn’t be having her followed right now. With her freaking out like that, though, I’d be a fool if I didn’t suspect her of wrongdoing.”

  “I agree.”

  Rather than letting his pulse race any faster, David stared out the window and took a few deep breaths. “Anyway, let’s just order our food and go about the rest of our night.”

  “Fair enough,” I said.

  Despite David’s insistence that we talk about something other than the case, he couldn’t seem to get the investigation off of his mind. When it took a little longer than we expected for a waitress to come over to our table, David blurted out his feelings.

  “I’ll say this, though. It’s crazy how I haven’t been able to eliminate even one suspect. Now, don’t get me wrong. I didn’t expect to have this case solved by now. But I did think that things would be a little further along. Talk about being dead wrong,” he said.

  I opened my mouth to respond, but David wouldn’t let me get a word in. There were more things he wanted to get off of his chest.

  “I know that’s a poor choice of words, but it’s also a fact. Nothing about this investigation has gone according to plan,” he said.

  “That’s a real shame. I wish there was something I could say to make things better, but I know there isn’t.”

  “Anyway, I’m sorry about just dropping all of this on you. I didn’t mean to let it all spill out like this.”

  “It’s okay.”

  He shook his head. “No. It isn’t. You don’t need to hear this right now. Especially when these suspects are the ones to blame for my frustration.”

  “David, you’re my husband and I love you. It’s okay to vent. You know I’m here for you, no matter what.”

  David gazed at me. He then reached across the table and grabbed my hand. “That’s why you’re the best wife. I’m so lucky to have you in my life.”

  I squeezed his hand tightly. “I just wish I could do more.”

  “You’re already doing plenty.”

  I looked deep into his eyes. “I know things are tough right now, but I’m confident that you’ll figure this out.”

  “I sure hope so,” David said.

  Just as David finished his sentence, a round-faced, red-headed waitress made her way to our table.

  “Did I come at a bad time?” she asked.

  “No. You came at the perfect time. I’m starved,” David said.

  “All right.” The waitress pulled out a pen and a pad of paper. “What can I get for you?”

  Chapter Eighteen

  As expected, the food was wonderful.

  An hour later, David and I arrived home from Zelda’s Diner, ready to relax for the rest of the evening.

  David turned to me as he got out of the driver’s seat of his car.

  “I don’t know about you, but I’m going to sleep well tonight,” he said.

  “I’ll bet you will. That’s one of the rare perks of being exhausted. At the end of the night, you just crash out like a rock,” I said.

  “I just hope I don’t snore too loudly,” David said.

  “That’s why I’m glad I own earplugs,” I said. “But before we hit the hay, how about we do some snuggling in front of the TV first?”

  He gazed into my eyes. “I’d love that.”

  David’s response brought a smile to my face. Over the years, I had learned how important it was to cherish the simple things in life. The quiet moments. The relaxing evenings in front of the TV. Peace was a luxury sometimes. Especially during the middle of a murder investigation. Which made it even more important to treasure this occasion.

  In my mind, there was never a better time to lounge in front of the television. I also couldn’t wait to get out of my regular clothes and to change into a pair of sweatpants. From there, I would make some popcorn and curl up next to my husband on the couch.

  Or so I thought.

  Apparently, the universe wasn’t a fan of our plans for the evening. Instead, life decided to throw a curveball our way. Just as David and I were walking from the driveway to the front door, my husband got a call on his police radio.

  “Detective Carlson,” a male voice said on the radio.

  David looked at me. “That’s Deputy O’Toole. I have to take this.”

  I nodded. “I understand.”

  David spoke with the deputy on the radio as I went inside.

  I didn’t know how long my husband would be on the radio with O’Toole, so I went about my business. The moment I opened the front door, I saw our corgi, Snickerdoodle, in the entryway gazing adoringly at me. His tongue was out and his tail was wagging. While I loved the enthusiastic welcome, I knew he wasn’t doing it just because he loved me. The little guy also wanted me to give him some treats.

  I wasn’t about to say no to him. The stumpy little cutie had me wrapped around his paws. I always gave him what he wanted—and he knew it.

  I made my way to the kitchen and Snickerdoodle scampered behind me. I then gave him a few pats before putting some treats in his food bowl.

  While Doodle wolfed down the treats, I headed to the bedroom to change my clothes.

  Before I had the chance to grab my sweatpants from my dresser, David darted into the room with bulging eyes.

  “I hate to bolt on you, but I’m needed across town,” he
said.

  I held my hand up. “Wait a minute. Don’t leave me in the dark. What’s going on?”

  “Deputy O’Toole had an eye-opening update for me.”

  “What happened?”

  “As you know, O’Toole has been keeping tabs on Norman Burke’s movements.”

  “I know,” I said. “And?”

  “A few minutes ago, O’Toole caught Norman trying to skip town.”

  My eyebrows rose. “Are you serious?”

  “I know it’s hard to believe, but yes.”

  “That’s crazy. What kind of a suspect tries to leave town in the middle of an investigation?”

  “I’m about to find out. O’Toole pulled Norman over and is detaining him,” David said. “I’m heading out to Route 32 to question the suspect.”

  “Norman has some serious explaining to do.”

  “I’ll say. But how much do you want to bet he will be evasive?”

  “You’re probably right.”

  “I know you’ll do your best to get the truth out of him, though.”

  “That’s the plan.”

  “Wow. I’m so glad that you assigned that patrol car to keep tabs on Norman. Imagine how far he would have gotten if a deputy hadn’t been following him.”

  “I don’t even want to think about that.”

  “Right. It’s probably best if you don’t.”

  David pointed at the door. “Anyway, I really have to go.”

  “Of course.” I leaned in and gave him a kiss. “Good luck.”

  “Thanks,” he said.

  Chapter Nineteen

  I felt bad for my husband. It had been such a long day for him. Then, just when it seemed like he could take a break, this happened. Although, perhaps the call from Deputy O’Toole was just the break he had been looking for in the case. Time would tell.

  Now that I was left alone again, I found myself having to muster some patience. That was easier said than done. Unfortunately, there wasn’t much to go around.

  While I could have just kicked back in front of the TV, relaxation wasn’t a possibility. My mind was whirring and I wanted answers. So, whatever reality show was airing on the tube wouldn’t be captivating enough to keep me from thinking about the questions that were bouncing around my head.

  That didn’t keep me from trying. I turned on the TV, in hopes of proving myself wrong. Unfortunately, as I flipped through the channels, nothing really grabbed my attention.

  David was usually the one who took Snickerdoodle out for his nighttime walk, but that evening, it was almost a relief when the dog barked at me to bring him outside. Taking Snickerdoodle on a stroll around the neighborhood gave me something to do other than impatiently wait for David to arrive back home.

  “Go ahead, Doodle. Sniff every fire hydrant you want,” I said. “I’m in no hurry to head back home.”

  Snickerdoodle milked his walk for all it was worth. I didn’t mind in the least. As far as I was concerned, he could take his sweet time strolling around.

  Once the walk was done, I plopped down on the sofa again. When I looked at the time on my phone, I couldn’t believe that only forty-five minutes had gone by since David left. It felt like it had been much longer than that.

  I wish I could tell you that things got easier from there. That wasn’t the case. Time felt like it was standing still.

  Finally, a little over an hour after David left for Route 32, he returned home.

  ***

  “So, how did it go?” I asked.

  As much as I wanted this case to be over, that was clearly nothing more than wishful thinking. The moment David came through the door, I only had to take one look into his eyes to know that things didn’t go well.

  The disappointment was all over David’s face. If anything, the question became, how poorly had things gone?

  “Talk about a frustrating evening.” He groaned. “I can’t wait for this night to be over.”

  “Why don’t you sit down and tell me what happened?”

  He grimaced. “Instead of telling you, how about I just show you?”

  ***

  David hooked up his body camera to his laptop and played the footage that had just been recorded. In the video, Norman was unruly in the back seat of O’Toole’s squad car.

  Norman was a muscular square-faced twenty-six-year-old. He had jet-black hair and a goatee. But what really stood out to me was the intense look in his blue eyes.

  “You have a lot of nerve,” Norman snapped.

  David fired right back at Norman. “I could say the same thing about you, considering how you were trying to skip town—”

  “What makes you think you can hold me against my will?”

  “After what you just pulled, we have every right to detain you.”

  “I didn’t do anything wrong.”

  “That’s incorrect. When I spoke with you earlier, I told you to stay in Treasure Cove until this investigation was over. Yet here you are, outside of city limits.”

  “I can explain.”

  “I sure hope so. What did you think you were doing?”

  “Going to see my cousin,” Norman said.

  David’s nose scrunched. “That’s your story?”

  “It’s not a story. It’s the truth.”

  “It’s also not a valid reason to disobey a direct order.”

  “Are you going to let me finish my point?”

  “Fine. Let’s hear it. Why were you going to your cousin’s house?”

  “Because he knows some people who might be able to hook me up with a job.”

  “Do you have some interviews lined up?”

  “Not yet,” Norman said. “He told me to come to Moss Grove and he would see what he could do for me.”

  David’s brow furrowed. “That doesn’t make sense. Why wouldn’t he set up some interviews first before you drove all the way out to Moss Grove?”

  “He just operates a little differently than the rest of us. There’s nothing wrong with that,” Norman said.

  “But there’s a chance you could drive two hours for nothing.”

  “That’s not true.”

  “How do you figure?”

  “Even if he couldn’t hook me up with an interview, I’d still get to see my cousin.”

  David grimaced. “Your story is really fishy.”

  “Hey, if you don’t believe me, call my cousin.”

  “I don’t need to.”

  Norman stared blankly. “Why not?”

  “You already admitted that you don’t have any interviews lined up. And frankly, it wouldn’t even matter if you did,” David said.

  “How come?”

  “Because I told you not to leave town during this investigation.”

  “It isn’t fair, making me stay in Treasure Cove like this. I had nothing to do with Benjamin’s death.”

  “That is getting harder to believe.”

  “Says you.”

  “Norman, you can’t pretend like you didn’t have a reason for wanting Benjamin dead. The man fired you,” David said.

  Norman opened his mouth to reply, but David didn’t let him get a word out.

  “I know what you’re going to say. That being fired wasn’t a big deal.”

  “It wasn’t.”

  “Yeah? Then why were you in such a hurry to look for a new job? And out of town, no less. You must be really desperate for money if you were willing to leave Treasure Cove to chase down new employment.”

  “I wouldn’t say I was desperate.”

  “You can describe this situation in whatever terms that you want. But to me, the fact that you were in such a rush to leave town, speaks volumes.”

  “Don’t get me wrong. I know things don’t look good for me right now.”

  “You’re right. They look awful.”

  “That said, I’m innocent.”

  “If only you had a way of proving that,” David said. “Unfortunately, your alibi is flimsy.”

  “You know, you can keep thro
wing around accusations all you want. But you have no proof that I’m guilty. So, unless you’re going to arrest me, you need to let me go,” Norman said.

  Chapter Twenty

  David turned off the footage and looked at me. “What do you think?”

  “I’m glad he was detained in the back of that squad car,” I said.

  “Because you think he’s guilty?”

  “I meant, because he looked like he was going to blow his top,” I said.

  David nodded. “His emotions definitely weren’t restrained. The question is, do you think he is guilty?”

  I shrugged. “I don’t know. He certainly doesn’t look innocent, though.”

  “I agree. At the same time, looks can be deceiving.”

  “But are they in this case?”

  “That’s what I’d like to know,” David said. “What’s your take on this? Are your instincts leaning one way in particular?”

  I scratched my chin. “I hate to say it, but I’m not getting a strong feeling in my gut.”

  He grimaced.

  I continued. “Although, one thing does stick out about that interview.”

  “What is it?”

  “Norman was awfully confrontational for someone who claims to have had nothing to do with the murder.”

  “He sure was.”

  “And you know my general philosophy about murder suspects,” I said. “If you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to worry about.”

  “Norman doesn’t seem to believe in that philosophy.”

  “No. I’m pretty sure his philosophy is to deny everything.”

  “I wish I could tell you he’s the only suspect who thinks that way.” David took a deep breath. “Unfortunately, they have all been behaving that way.”

  “Which makes me wonder, what if they are all hiding something?”

  He winced. “What a mess that would be.”

  “I wish I was joking, but I can’t rule it out as a possibility.”

  “That pretty much sums up this entire case. This deep into the investigation, I figured that I would be able to rule out at least a few things. But I just can’t.”