“Bah. Why can’t we just wait for the police to do their job?” Liana sighed as she leaned her elbows on the counter. “All the speculation is starting to wear on me. Nobody really knows anything, yet everybody acts like an expert. It’s like listening to a broken record,” she complained. “A terrible, annoying broken record.”
“A Nickelback broken record?” Reese joked as he made a new pot of coffee.
“Yes, exactly!” Liana nodded. She liked his sense of humor, though she still didn’t quite understand some people’s intense hatred of Nickelback. It was just music, after all.
“Murder is big news,” Luke countered. “It’s no wonder people are talking about it.”
He was seated down at the far end of the counter, nursing a cup of coffee while he surfed the Internet on his laptop. It was clear he had been listening in. Truthfully, Liana had forgotten he was even there. She had been too preoccupied with Reese to pay attention to much else.
“Maybe murder is big news in this place,” Reese said.
“It would be big news anywhere,” Luke corrected him. “It’s murder. Someone died.”
“Yeah I know that,” Reese replied. “But people here are awfully preoccupied with the murder. It’s surprising to me, really. Where I’m from, murders happen often enough that no one really bats an eye. In Sugarcomb Lake, it’s the talk of the town.”
“If you don’t like it here, you could always leave,” Luke suggested.
“Luke!” Liana hissed, feeling her cheeks redden.
She had no idea why her old high school classmate was being so rude. That wasn’t like him at all. Luke was normally so polite and kind that Liana was stunned by his uncharacteristic behavior. Furthermore, what had Reese ever done to him?
She scowled at Luke...but he was too busy scowling at Reese to notice.
“Do you have a problem with me, bud?” Reese asked.
“Nope. No problem, pal,” Luke retorted in a sarcastic tone.
Liana looked from one man to the other, perplexed. They were glaring daggers at each other, locked in some sort of silent, non-physical battle. Then Luke abruptly threw some money on the counter and stormed out, leaving his coffee cup three-quarters full.
“I’m going out for a smoke,” Reese announced, pulling a pack of cigarettes out of his pocket.
“Wow!” Amy Owens laughed from where she sat a few tables away. She was an old schoolmate of Liana’s - and she just so happened to be engaged to Sam Swanson. In fact, she was the very reason the rookie police officer had moved to Sugarcomb Lake.
“You heard that, huh?” Liana asked, plunking down across the table from Amy.
“Sure did.” Amy’s cheeks were flushed and her auburn curls were as wild and fantastic as ever. “That was intense. She gave Liana a wink and added, “It was pretty hot, too. You’re a lucky girl. I’d be envious if I wasn’t already taken!”
“What are you talking about?” Liana demanded, staring at her blankly.
“Oh please,” Amy laughed. “Can’t you see what’s going on, Liana? Those two were pretty much growling at each other like wild dogs. They are in a full out territorial war, my friend. They’re competing for you.”
Liana’s eyebrows shot up. “You think so?”
“I know so,” Amy assured her. “Sam was the same way. Back when we first started dating, there was this other guy who was interested in me. You should have seen the way Sam puffed up his chest and acted all macho when the other guy was around. It was ridiculous, but also sort of cute. Don’t tell Sam I said that.”
Liana glanced out the window. She could see Reese leaning against a tree out front. He had a scowl on his face and a cigarette dangling from the corner of his mouth. His hands were shoved into the pockets of his black leather jacket.
“Reese is really gorgeous, isn’t he?” she sighed.
“He’s easy on the eyes, yeah,” Amy agreed. “Too bad his mouth probably tastes like an ashtray.”
“We all have our bad habits,” Liana replied dismissively. Even though smoking was one of her pet peeves, she was willing to overlook it just this once. She leaned forward and whispered, “Do you really think Reese is interested in me?”
“He decided to move to Sugarcomb Lake after he met you, didn’t he?” Amy replied. “The last time a guy did that for me, I agreed to marry him.” She paused then to admire her flashy diamond engagement ring. “Of course, Luke is interested in you too.”
That caught Liana off guard. “What makes you think that?”
Amy smirked. “Are you kidding me? You’re so oblivious sometimes. He had a thing for you all through high school. All us girls could see it. I think he was just too shy to tell you. Maybe he still is.”
“Or maybe he’s not interested,” Liana countered.
“Oh, he’s interested. Trust me. He comes in here every day for coffee, doesn’t he?”
“It’s a coffee shop. A lot of people come in here for coffee.”
“Yes, but Luke always sits right up at the counter. And his eyes are always on you.”
Liana snickered. “You make it sound so creepy when you say it like that!”
Amy didn’t join in the laughter. “It isn’t creepy,” she insisted. “Luke is one of the nicest guys I know. And let’s be honest - he’s pretty easy on the eyes.”
“Luke?” Liana asked incredulously. “But he’s...Luke!”
“He was nerdy back when we were teenagers, I know. But as much as we don’t like to admit it, that was a long time ago. Things have changed. Luke has changed. Admit it, he got hot. These days he’s got a sexy Clark Kent thing going on.”
“Hmm.”
Amy looked at Liana pointedly. “Am I wrong?”
“Well...no,” Liana admitted. “I suppose not. I’ve just never thought of him that way before. But I really don’t think he’s interested in me. I’ve known him for what, almost thirty years? He’s had decades to make a move.”
“Speaking of making moves, can I give you a little advice?” Amy asked.
“Sure.”
“You’ve only just met Reese. You don’t know much about him yet. Yes, he’s easy on the eyes and yes, he makes a darn good cup of coffee. But you don’t know if you two are compatible, and that’s important. You should find out. Get to know him outside of work.”
“Solid advice,” Liana agreed. “I’ll ask him out as soon as I work up the courage.”
“Great!” Amy paused and then added, “Luke is a catch too, you know.”
Liana nodded. “I’m sure he’s the perfect man for someone.”
“But not you?” Amy sounded surprised and perhaps even a bit disappointed. She was quiet for a moment, as if contemplating whether to speak her mind. Finally she said, “Let Luke down gently, okay? He’s a good guy...one of the best, really.”
“I don’t think that will even be necessary. Honestly, I don’t think Luke’s behavior today had anything to do with me. I think that for some strange reason, he just dislikes Reese. Maybe he doesn’t like out-of-towners or something,” Liana theorized.
Amy looked skeptical but said nothing.
“Hey, Sam’s not from here,” Liana remembered. “How does Luke act toward Sam?”
“I’m not sure I’ve ever seen them interact, to tell you the truth.”
“Oh. Speaking of Sam, how is the investigation going?” Liana asked. “Are they any closer to catching the delivery guy’s killer? I can’t wait until all the buzz dies down and people go back to talking about the usual boring old things they obsess over.”
“Like Sarah Anderson’s affair?” Amy asked knowingly.
“Yes! Well, maybe not that. We’ve been hearing about that for the better part of a year!”
“Ugh, tell me about it. Oh and to answer your question, Sam’s actually been taken off the case. He has vacation time booked, you see. We both do. We’re going to Delaware tomorrow for a family reunion. It will be Sam’s first time meeting some of my relatives - eek! Anyway, since Sam won’t be here, he’s been reassigned.”
“Who’s working on the case now?”
“The entire squad, I presume,” Amy shrugged. “Or, more likely, the other cops will ignore the file completely and leave it for Sam to deal with when he gets back.”
Liana blinked. “We’re talking about a murder! This is a time-sensitive investigation if there ever was one. You can’t be serious. Are you joking? Please tell me you’re joking!”
“I wish I was.” Amy lowered her voice and confided, “I don’t know how they run things at the police station, but it sounds chaotic. From what Sam tells me, some of his colleagues are kind of incompetent and others are just plain lazy. Don’t repeat that to anyone.”
“I won’t. And that sucks,” Liana sighed. “Have the police identified any suspects?”
“I haven’t heard anything about that, so I’m guessing not.” Amy glanced at her watch and made a face. “I have to go. I didn’t realize how late it was getting and supper isn’t going to cook itself. See you around.”
Once Amy was gone, Liana began to feel uncomfortable. She couldn’t shake the feeling that she was being watched, and it was making her skin crawl. She tried to ignore the strange sensation, but the hairs on the back of her neck were standing on end. Something wasn’t right.
She looked around the coffee shop.
Sure enough, Barbara Norman and Patricia Porter were staring right at her.
Liana offered them a small smile and a slight nod.
Neither woman acknowledged her. Instead, they both looked away and continued to whisper.
Perplexed, she edged her way closer to the ladies’ table. She pretended to sweep the floor so she could eavesdrop on what was being said. It was obviously the two busybodies were talking about her. Surely being in the know was better than being oblivious, right?
“She found the body,” Barbara whispered to Patricia. “She was there all alone in the alleyway, and she seemed very out of it. She was in a daze. Maybe she was having some sort of psychotic episode. I’ve heard of that happening, you know. Sometimes unstable people just snap.”
“That would explain a lot,” Patricia murmured, sneaking another glance in Liana’s direction. “She’s been under a lot of stress since she took ownership of the coffee shop, hasn’t she? Maybe she had a mental break.”
Liana’s jaw dropped. Usually she was able to laugh at those busybodies and the way they jumped to stupid, illogical conclusions. But now they were pretty much accusing her of being a murderer. They had some nerve.
“Is everything okay?” Reese asked, startling Liana as he came up behind her.
“Yeah,” she nodded. “Well, not exactly,” she corrected herself. “Can you hold down the fort for a few minutes? I need to make a phone call.”
“Sure thing, boss.”
Liana raced into the kitchen where she would have some privacy.
She was fuming. She needed to vent, yes. But she needed more than that. She needed to clear her name before everyone in town started wondering if she was a killer. That sort of speculation could destroy her reputation - and her career.
She immediately called Clarissa. She was a reporter, so she basically snooped for a living. If anyone could sniff out a murderer, it was her.
“What’s up?” Clarissa asked, answering on the third ring.
“I need you,” Liana blurted out. “Come over. Please?”
“I wish I could, but I’m out of town right now,” Clarissa replied. “Did I forget to tell you I was going away for a journalism conference? Hmm, actually I think I did. Oh, that reminds me, can you water my houseplants for me? The key is under the front mat.”
Liana rolled her eyes. “You are the most scatterbrained person I have ever met.” Then a terrible thought occurred to her. “You didn’t forget about your cat, did you?”
“No, no...the cat is staying with my aunt in Green City,” Clarissa replied.
“Phew,” Liana breathed in relief.
“What’s going on with you?” Clarissa asked.
“Huh?”
“Why did you call, and why do you sound so panicked?”
“Oh, that. It’s nothing. Well, it isn’t nothing, but I don’t want to bug you when you’re out of town. I’ll figure it out on my own,” Liana vowed. “Have fun at your conference.”
“You’ll have to fill me in on what’s going on when I get back.”
“I will,” Liana promised. “Believe me, I will. Bye.”
As soon as Liana hung up the phone, she began to wring her hands.
She had sounded self-assured when she had told Clarissa she would handle the problem herself. But it was all a front. Truthfully, Liana had no idea how she was supposed to track down a murderer and clear her name.
It seemed like an impossible feat, but she knew she had to try. Everything was at stake.
Chapter 07
It was cold, dark and late. This time of night, the small lakeside town basically shut down. Shops were closed and, due to the frigid temperatures, streets were empty. In fact, it was downright spooky.
Liana wished she was at home mindlessly getting caught up on horrible reality TV. Instead, she was driving across town to water Clarissa’s potted plants. Even so, gardening was the last thing on her mind.
She couldn’t stop thinking about the murder that had rocked Sugarcomb Lake...and wondering how she was going to find the killer.
Suddenly Liana felt hot breath against the side of her cheek.
The unmistakable sensation of whiskers on her skin gave her instant goosebumps.
She screamed and swerved the car, narrowly avoiding a light standard.
The car came to a screeching halt.
“Mew.”
“How did you get in here?” Liana gasped as Fluffy pranced onto her lap and began to purr.
The cat headbutted her chin in response.
“You little devil - you nearly gave me a heart attack!” Liana chuckled.
Despite having only just met, she was becoming quite attached to the affectionate cat. Fluffy was sweet-natured, good-tempered and kind of dumb. His greatest loves in life seemed to be eating, napping and making new friends. He was a simple little thing, but he was great company.
Lately she had noticed that Fluffy seemed to have very strong feelings about hats. At least it seemed that way. The last few times Liana had put a knit hat on to go outside, Fluffy had arched his back and hissed. She still wasn’t sure if it was the hat or the fact that she was leaving that had set him off.
Suddenly Liana remembered she was wearing a pink knit hat with a big white pom-pom on top.
She looked down at Fluffy, who seemed oblivious.
“See? Hats aren’t so bad.”
Fluffy looked up at Liana. Then his eyes grew wide as he gawked at the knit hat on her head. He scrambled off her lap so fast that he fell over the armrest and tumbled into the backseat of the car. Thankfully his furriness cushioned his fall.
“What’s the matter? It’s just a hat,” Liana told the startled cat.
Fluffy hissed in response.
“I swear, it isn’t trying to eat my head,” Liana tried again.
Fluffy arched his back and scowled in dismay.
“Fine, you win. I won’t wear it,” Liana sighed as she pulled the warm knit hat off and tossed it into her purse. “But if I catch a cold, it’s on you!”
The rest of the drive was uneventful. Liana managed to keep the car on the road. Fluffy remained in the backseat, glaring at her skeptically from the shadows. It was hard to say for sure what his problem was. All Liana knew was that he was one weird cat.
She pulled up outside Clarissa’s cozy craftsman-style house. It was dark and vacant looking. The cottage-like home was located at the very edge of town and was backed by a heavily wooded area. It was a very scenic area in the daytime, but a bit creepy at night.
Liana got out of the car.
“You wait for me here,” she told Fluffy. “I’ll leave the car running for you so you stay nice and warm. I’m only
taking in the mail and watering Clarissa’s plants, so I’ll just be a minute.”
The cat didn’t growl. But he still didn’t look very pleased. He regarded Liana with caution, suspicious and on edge. Then, with an angry look on his face, he captured his rapidly flicking tail between his two front paws. He pinned it down.
When his tail escaped his clutches, the expression of anger on Fluffy’s face intensified. He spun in a circle in a futile attempt to recapture his arch nemesis. He had absolutely no idea how cute (and dumb) he looked.
Liana smiled to herself. She could see that her companion would be preoccupied for quite some time. From what she could tell, he didn’t quite understand that his tail was a part of him. She just hoped he wouldn’t try to bite it in his quest to make it be still.
She shut the car door and hurried inside, snow crunching beneath her feet with every step.
She found the key exactly where Clarissa had told her it would be. She collected the contents of the overstuffed mailbox, dropping it in a heap on the kitchen counter. Then she dutifully watered her best friend’s potted plants.
A few minutes later, Liana emerged from the house. She turned the porch light on so she could see. Then she tucked the house key back under the doormat where she had found it. Just as she straightened up, she heard something in the trees.
It sounded close.
She froze and peered into the darkness, her heart racing for no good reason. Maybe her intuition was kicking in. Or maybe she was simply startled to hear something out in the middle of the woods on such a frigid, miserable night.
“It’s probably just a deer or something,” she whispered to herself, her heart racing.
Then she saw it.
It wasn’t a deer.
A single, solitary light bobbed amongst the trees. Liana squinted and determined that a tall, shadowy figure was walking through the woods while carrying a flashlight. Judging by the figure’s build, it was a man.
And he was headed her way.
Liana glanced at the car, which was still idling in the driveway.
Should she run or should she hide? Or was she overreacting entirely?
As she grew more fearful, Liana decided to make a run for it. She would dash to the car, jump inside and drive away to the safety of her house. That seemed like a good plan. It certainly seemed like a better idea than hanging around to find out what was going on.
Red Velvet Cupcakes to Die For (A Liana Campbell Cozy Mystery Book 1) Page 4
