“I’m sorry about that.”
“So am I.”
While David’s thoughts began to drift into the clouds, I tried to bring him back down to Earth.
“What’s your take on Norman?” I asked. “You wanted to know my opinion, but you haven’t really told me yours. Do you think he’s responsible for Benjamin’s murder?”
He gritted his teeth. “It’s really difficult to say. I don’t like how he gave me a hard time. And sure, it’s suspicious that he was caught leaving town in the middle of an investigation. Even so, there’s no concrete evidence that he committed murder.”
“At least, not yet.”
“True. You never know what might happen in the future.”
My face went pale. “That’s what I’m afraid of.”
“Instead of living in fear, we should pray for the best,” he said. “Maybe we’ll be able to catch a lucky break.”
“Time will tell.”
Chapter Twenty-One
Forget about watching TV. After everything David had gone through that evening, he just wanted to get some rest. I didn’t blame him. I was plenty exhausted as well, and I had mostly spent the day worrying.
As expected, my husband crashed out shortly after his head hit his pillow. The next thing he knew, it was morning. When he got out of bed, he didn’t just have a full night of rest under his belt. He also had plenty of energy. He was ready to tackle this case again with fresh eyes.
Before I let him leave for work, I wanted to make sure he had some breakfast. I made him his favorite—scrambled eggs, bacon, and toast. He devoured the food, thanked me for the meal, gave me a kiss good-bye, and then drove over to the police station to see if he could chase down a new lead.
I, meanwhile, made my customary trip to Daley Buzz to catch up with Shannon and Kelly. After a brief but lively chat with my friends, they headed off to work.
At that point, I found myself in the awkward position of being left alone with my thoughts. Normally, having some quiet time wouldn’t be a bad thing. At this stage in the investigation, however, it filled me with dread.
I felt so helpless, standing off to the side again. Staring down an unknown future. Desperately seeking answers that remained elusive. It was a maddening experience.
I knew I couldn’t head straight home. My anxiety would get the best of me there. I needed a distraction. A way to kill some time.
As I searched my brain for a solution to my problem, a craving took hold of me. Never mind the fact that I had eaten a full breakfast. My sweet tooth didn’t care. I had a yen for chocolate pudding. And my stomach wasn’t going to stop bothering me until it got what it wanted.
This was getting ridiculous. Not just the pudding part. Although, of all the things I could have craved right then, pudding did seem like an odd choice. That said, it was a crazy time. Very little made sense. So, maybe the right question was, why not pudding?
Ultimately, what I was craving didn’t matter nearly as much as why I was having so many irresistible urges to grab dessert. Sure, I was pregnant. But this was getting ridiculous. Would things continue this way until I gave birth? Or was my stress level from this murder investigation to blame for this particular craving?
One thing was all-too clear. I had a distinct shortage of will power.
So, instead of fighting a losing battle, I gave in to my sweet tooth.
***
As I drove over to Mitchell’s Bakery, I began talking to myself.
“You wanted a distraction. You got it.” I took a deep breath before continuing, “Although, you might come to regret this.”
A few minutes later, I pulled into the parking lot of the bakery. By then, my mouth was practically watering.
This pudding would have a lot of expectations to live up to. Would it fall short? Or would it be completely delicious?
Before I had a chance to find out, I spotted something across the street that captured my attention.
It wasn’t often that I found myself drawn to a pawn shop. Then again, it wasn’t every day that I saw Vincent Maddox walking out of a place like Treasure Cove Pawn with a sour look on his face.
As I stared at Vincent, a number of thoughts popped into my head. To start, there was only two reasons why he would be there. To buy something, or to sell something. Since he wasn’t carrying any items in his hands, it was logical to conclude that he had just made a sale. The question became, what?
My mind began to race even faster when I saw Vincent walk back to his car, where a sleazy-looking man was waiting for him. It wasn’t just any man, however. His name was Tony Scalibrini. The muscular fifty-eight-year-old wasn’t just an intimidating figure. He was also well-known in Treasure Cove as being a loan shark.
If Tony’s presence at Vincent’s car wasn’t eye-opening enough, things got even more curious when Tony held his hand out.
My instincts were telling me that something big was about to happen. I wanted to be prepared. So, I reached into my purse and grabbed my phone. Whatever occurred, I would get it on camera.
I zoomed-in close and hit the record button on my phone. It didn’t take long for my decision to pay off.
Almost immediately after my camera began recording, I captured footage of Vincent pulling an envelope out of his pocket. As Vincent handed Tony the envelope, I couldn’t help but wonder what was inside it.
A few seconds later, I got an answer. Tony opened the envelope and pulled out a stack of cash. He then proceeded to count the money. Since I was so far away, it was hard to tell exactly how much was in his hands, but it sure seemed to be a few thousand dollars there.
Once Tony was finished counting, he put the cash back in the envelope and then shoved it in his pocket. From there, Tony said a few words to Vincent before walking away.
As Tony made his way to his own car, Vincent took a deep breath and wiped his forehead. After that, Vincent got into his sedan. But he didn’t just drive away. Instead, as Vincent sat in the driver’s seat of his vehicle, he pounded on his steering wheel a few times. When he was done, he let out a big groan. With the frustration finally out of his system, Vincent fired up the ignition of his car and drove away.
***
If I wasn’t pregnant, I would have immediately darted into that pawn shop to speak with the owner. With a baby on the way, however, I wasn’t about to do anything that brazen.
I stopped the video recording on my phone and then dialed my husband’s number. Thankfully, he answered after the second ring.
“David, you won’t believe what just happened,” I said.
Concern was in David’s voice as he replied, “Honey, are you okay?”
“Yeah. I’m fine—”
I heard him breathe a sigh of relief. “Good. What’s going on then?”
“You’re going to want to get down to Treasure Cove Pawn Shop right away,” I said. “If my instincts are correct, I know who killed Benjamin Maddox.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
It didn’t take long for David to bolt over to my location. Before speaking with the owner of the pawn shop, I showed David the video I had recorded. My husband then followed up on my hunch. From there, he made one additional stop before heading over to Vincent Maddox’s house.
Despite Vincent’s protests, he was hauled back to the police station and put in an interrogation room that had a security camera hanging in the corner.
On the other side of the police station, I sat at a computer terminal, where the security camera footage was being broadcast live on a monitor in front of me. I watched intently as David sat down in the interrogation room across from Vincent.
“What’s the big idea here?” Vincent asked.
“I think you know,” David said.
Vincent’s brow furrowed. “I have no clue what you’re talking about.”
David stared him down. “I hate being lied to.”
Vincent’s eyebrows rose. “Are you accusing me of lying?”
“I’m accusing you of a lot more than t
hat.”
Vincent’s nose crinkled. “You’re not making any sense.”
“Let me clarify things for you.” David grabbed an evidence bag from the ground and placed it on the table in front of Vincent. Inside the bag was a signed baseball. “Do you know what this is?”
Vincent nodded. “It’s a baseball.”
David shook his head. “It isn’t just any baseball. It is signed by Ryan Maxwell. Earlier today, you sold it to Treasure Cove Pawn Shop.”
Vincent’s brow furrowed. “How did you know about—?
“I’m a detective. It’s my job to know things.” David reached down and grabbed another evidence bag from the ground. He placed the second bag on the table. Inside that bag was another baseball. That second ball looked identical to the first in every way. “How about this one? Do you recognize it?”
Vincent squinted. “I’m confused. Why are there two baseballs?”
David narrowed his eyes. “Don’t play dumb with me. I know what you did.”
Vincent shrugged. “What are you talking about?”
David pointed to the second baseball. “This is the autographed ball that we just retrieved from your brother’s mantle.”
“And?” Vincent asked.
“And the signature is fake.”
“Wait a minute. Are you saying that someone duped my brother? That he spent over a thousand dollars on a ball that wasn’t really signed by Ryan Maxwell?”
David shook his head. “That isn’t what I’m saying at all.”
Vincent shrugged. “Then what’s going on?”
David groaned. “You’re really going to make me do this the hard way, aren’t you?”
Vincent gave David a blank stare. “What are you talking about?”
“The ball with the fake autograph, you’re the one who forged the signature.”
Vincent’s eyebrows knitted. “I don’t know where you got that from.”
“Stop lying to me,” David said. “I know what you did. And why you did it.”
“I have no clue what you’re talking about,” Vincent said.
“Want me to spell it out for you?” David asked. “Fine. You love going to the race track. You keep believing that your next bet will be a winner. Unfortunately, you’ve lost a lot more than you’ve ever won. Even worse, you don’t know when to call it quits. That got you into debt with the wrong people. For example, Tony Scalibrini. Does that name ring a bell?”
“Everyone in this town knows who Tony Scalibrini is.”
“Since you know Tony, I’m sure you’re aware that when you owe him money, it had better be paid back in a timely manner. Otherwise, something awful might happen to you.”
Vincent didn’t say a word. He just stared at David with wide eyes.
David continued. “In your case, though, you didn’t have the money. So, you got desperate. You probably turned to your brother, looking for a loan. But Benjamin turned you down, didn’t he?”
Vincent stared off into the distance.
David pressed on. “With your brother refusing to give you money, you needed to come up with an alternate plan. Like selling your brother’s prized autograph baseball. Only, you couldn’t just steal the ball. That would be too obvious. Instead, you bought a regular baseball, forged Ryan Maxwell’s signature, and went over to your brother’s house, hoping you could swap the two balls without Benjamin noticing. If all went according to plan, you could steal the real ball from Benjamin’s house, sell it, and pay off your debt without anyone being wiser. Things didn’t go according to plan, though, did they?”
Vincent stared down at the ground.
“On the night of the murder, you went over to your brother’s house looking to swap out the baseballs. But Benjamin caught you in the act, didn’t he?” David asked.
Vincent didn’t say a word.
David continued. “From there, an argument ensued. Benjamin probably told you to leave. But you weren’t going anywhere. Not without that autographed ball. Your brother wasn’t going to let you have it, though. Not while he was alive. So, in your desperation, you killed your brother. Then, before you left his house, you swapped the balls and made a quick getaway. Am I right?”
Vincent didn’t answer.
“Vincent, silence isn’t going to cut it. Like I said before, I already know what you did. I’ve talked to the pawn broker. And Tony Scalibrini. I even have video of you handing Tony an envelope filled with cash. So, just admit it. You killed your brother.”
Finally, Vincent couldn’t hold his emotions in any longer. “It didn’t have to be this way. It shouldn’t have gone down like this. I never wanted to kill Benjamin. He should have just given me a loan. Instead, he turned me down. That left me with no choice. After all, I needed that money. And taking that baseball was the only way to get it.”
David shook his head. “That’s where you’re wrong. You always have a choice. And you made the wrong one.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
With the case closed, David couldn’t wait to unwind. He wasn’t alone. I was right there with him.
“I’m so glad it’s finally over,” I said.
“You and me both,” David said.
“I imagine you’re even more relieved than I am, considering how you were the one doing the investigating,” I said.
“True. Although, from what I can gather, it was killing you to sit on the sidelines.”
I grimaced. “Are you really going to use the word killing at a time like this?”
“You’re right. What a poor choice of words.”
“I’ll let it slide this time. It turns out you’ve been under a lot of stress.”
David chuckled. “Talk about an understatement.”
“Fine. You’ve been under a lot of stress.”
“I sure have.” He exhaled and then stared into my eyes. “You’re amazing, you know that?”
A look of confusion came to my face. “Don’t get me wrong. I love a compliment. I’m just not sure why you said that. Or if that was even meant as a compliment.”
“It was.”
“Thanks then.” I squinted. “That said, I can’t help but wonder—what’s so amazing about me?”
“How about the fact that you stayed out of the fray? That you purposefully didn’t throw yourself into danger? Yet you still ended up solving this case.”
“When you put it that way, it is pretty crazy.”
“I wouldn’t describe it as crazy.”
“How would you characterize it then?”
“You’re just that good of a sleuth.”
“Or maybe I just got lucky.”
“Whatever the reason, I owe you,” David said.
I shook my head. “You don’t owe me anything.”
He nodded. “Yeah, I do. I couldn’t have done this without you.”
“I’m sure you would have caught Vincent eventually. It probably just would have taken more time.”
“Sabrina, I know you’re a humble person. But take the credit. You deserve it.”
“I’m just glad this is all behind us.”
“I couldn’t agree more.”
My eyes lit up. “Speaking of, now that this case is over, how about some celebratory pudding?”
David’s nose scrunched. “Pudding?”
“Is that a no?” I asked.
“I didn’t say that. It’s just that with all the desserts in the world, that isn’t one I expected you to suggest.”
“You can blame my stomach for that. I’m getting all sorts of wacky cravings.”
“Apparently so.”
“Honestly, you should really be thanking my sweet tooth right now.”
David’s eyebrows knitted. “Why is that?”
“Because my craving for pudding is what led me to Mitchell’s in the first place.”
“Talk about sweet timing.”
I chuckled. “It sure was. But in all seriousness, think how different things might have turned out if I didn’t have a yen for pudding this morni
ng.”
David grimaced. “I’d prefer not to think about that.”
“You’re right. That isn’t a great road to go down.”
I held my pointer finger up. “Besides, there is pudding to eat.”
“Your sweet tooth is really in overdrive, isn’t it?”
“To be fair, I didn’t get to eat any pudding earlier. I dropped everything when I spotted Vincent coming out of the pawn shop.”
“In that case, you deserve to reward yourself.”
“So, are you going to have some pudding with me or not?” I asked.
“Are you kidding? I’d be crazy to turn down dessert,” he said.
“No. Vincent is crazy.”
“In more ways than one.” David shook his head. “But enough about nutcases. Let’s get some pudding.”
Epilogue
Seven Months Later
I never used to believe in love at first sight. Then I laid eyes on my daughter. The instant I gazed at her, all the hours of labor, all the shooting pain I had experienced, and all the stress that came with childbirth, melted away. They were replaced by a feeling of unshakable joy. My little girl was so pure. So cute. So wonderful.
When I looked over at my husband, I knew he felt the same way. It was a magical time. The wait was finally over. We were parents now. And we couldn’t have been more ecstatic.
The longer I held my daughter in my arms, the more it became clear that my life would never be the same. But unlike the other monumental changes that had taken place over the years, this one had altered my life for the better. That was an important distinction. After all, the universe had pulled the rug out from under me a number of times in the past.
With the birth of my daughter, however, I prayed that the days of turmoil would be over for good. Time would tell if my prayer would be answered. That said, while it would be easy to sit there, fixating on the future, I decided to cherish the present.
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