Books, Brownies and Murder

by Lori Woods

  “You’re a silly human being,” Marie insulted, her teeth chattering as she stuck her hands under her armpits.

  “You can be the Watson to my Sherlock.”

  “I’d rather die.”

  “Good, because we’re at the dentist.”

  The two of them stepped out from the cold into a much icier interior. The walls were lined with posters warning about the terrors of not flossing enough and the entire place smelled too clean. The phone was ringing shrilly, but they were the only people in the waiting area to hear it. The almost abandoned atmosphere raised the hair on Clary’s arm.

  “Hello?” Finn snapped into the phone.

  Clary and Marie looked at each other in alarm, the man looked awful. He had dark bags under his eyes, and he looked more like a sleep-deprived medical student than a reputable dentist. He slammed the phone down angrily and looked up at them with an impatient sneer.

  “What?”

  “Finn?” Clary asked cautiously, stepping forward when Marie shook her head and stepped backwards. “Is everything okay?”

  “Yes,” he snapped, “what do you want?”

  “See, when you say stuff like that, you don’t seem fine.”

  “Clary,” he sighed, running his hand through his hair. “I don’t have time for this. What do you want? An appointment? I don’t have time today. You can come back next week.”

  “Actually, we wanted to talk to you about Kelly.” His eyes narrowed dangerously but he didn’t say anything. This caused Clary to panic and begin rambling. “We heard that she worked here, but that you had to fire her for some reason. I just wanted to know why that was. We’re not accusing you of anything. We’re just curious, that’s all.”

  “You think I had something to do with this, don’t you?” he leaned forward with a menacing look in his eye as he spoke. Clary squeaked and took a step back. Suddenly the direct approach didn’t seem like the best idea.

  “No,” she assured him hurriedly, “not at all. We just want to get a clear picture of her life.”

  “I don’t have time for this,” he snapped again. “Get out. This is childish. Stay out of my business, and I’ll stay out of yours.” Clary gaped at him and he raised an eyebrow. This wasn’t the Finn they knew. Finn Isaac was charming, sometimes a little silly and way too invested in their flossing schedule. This man was rude and unlikeable. “Go,” he shooed her away.

  Marie pulled her by the arm and dragged her into the frigid outside temperatures, which when compared to the atmosphere of Finn’s office seemed like a balmy summer’s afternoon.

  “I can’t believe it,” Marie muttered, shaking her head sadly. “Maybe you were right.”

  “I don’t think we should’ve been so nosy,” Clary realized miserably, kicking the top dusting of snow with her boots. She felt silly for chasing after something like this. Who was she kidding? She wasn’t a detective, she owned a bookstore.

  “Don’t you dare,” Marie warned her, turning Clary toward her. “Listen. You never believed I was guilty, and you’re doing this because you want to help out. Everyone is going to tell you to stay away, but that’s because they’d rather stick their head in the sand and pretend that everything’s still okay. It’s not. Two people died, and someone needs to be out there, ready to face up to the truth. Clary, we need this.”

  “Wow,” Clary breathed, looking impressed, “that was some speech.”

  “It’s true,” Marie shrugged, turning back to the store. She took out her keys and unlocked it, her hands shaking slightly from the cold.

  “I suppose we have to take a closer look at Finn now. I’m sure other people know why he had to fire Kelly. It might be nothing, but he looks bothered by something. It could be innocent, but I think we need to cover all our bases just in case.”

  “Maybe we can get someone else to talk to him,” Marie suggested. “We put him on his guard, we need someone to catch him off guard.”

  “That’s sneaky,” Clary protested, looking hesitant.

  “It’s necessary,” Marie shrugged.

  “I suppose so, but who would do it?”

  “I’m sure Logan wouldn’t mind helping. We can ask him to take Finn out for a drink or something. They can man-bond or something. I don’t know what they do when they’re getting drinks.”

  “That’s a good idea,” Clary realized. “Why don’t you call him?” Marie nodded and went over to the phone. Clary sighed and looked out the window, wondering which other approach they could take when she noticed a bright pink shape making its way to the shop. She frowned and took a step closer, realizing with a sinking feeling that it was Erica.

  Almost as soon as she made the realization, Erica barreled into the store like an angry bull. She made eye contact with Clary and her nostrils flared out in anger.

  “You!” Erica seethed, pointing a finger in her face. “How dare you?”

  “What do you mean?” Clary asked, dumbfounded. She and Erica weren’t friends, but they weren’t enemies either. They usually got along well when they weren’t avoiding each other.

  “You and Marie them that I had rat poison in my salon! Who are you to come poking in my stuff? Who do you think you are?”

  “I’m sorry,” Clary said sincerely, holding up her hands in surrender.

  “Stay out of my salon!” Erica screamed before slamming the door behind her. The reverberating slam caused the windows to rattle and Clary shook her head in bewilderment. Erica’s behavior raised a few red flags, but now that Erica was suspicious of her, she couldn’t just go around asking questions.

  “What a drama queen,” Marie commented, putting the phone down.

  “That she is,” Clary admitted tiredly. “What did Logan say?”

  “He said he’ll help us. He’s going to call Finn now. Clary, are you okay?”

  “No,” Clary admitted, massaging her aching temples. “I’m going to take a nap. I’ll be down in time to tell Ronnie you can’t help her.”

  “Good,” Marie said with satisfaction. “I’ll leave early, in case there are any tears.”

  “You’re not that important,” Clary muttered, making her way to the back of the store to the staircase. As she slowly climbed the stairs, she tried to make sense of her swirling thoughts. She felt that the answer was right in front of her. The end was so close, she just didn’t know where to go and find it. She quickly reviewed all the clues she had so far.

  Kelly and Eddie were romantically involved. Their relationship was a sore point for Erica, who had rat poison in her shop. Logan hired them both, but Kelly was fired from her previous position for unknown reasons. And, how could she forget, rat poison was found in her own apartment. Put there by Marie. A sudden thought occurred to her, and she immediately turned to look at Marie.

  “Marie, where did you get that rat poison?”

  “We don’t have rat poison,” Marie intoned.

  “No, the poison they found in my apartment. That was strong stuff, I’ve never seen it in a store before.”

  “Erica brought it over,” Marie remembered, looking up from her cookbook. “She said her cousin is an exterminator and gave her some of the stuff because he got it in bulk.”

  “When?” Clary asked quickly, a thought clicking in her mind.

  “I don’t know,” Marie shrugged, “about two weeks ago.”

  “Before or after Eddie died?”

  “I’m not sure,” Marie admitted thoughtfully. “Hold on.” She reached down and took out a notebook. She flipped back a few pages and used her finger to find her place. “Ah, yes, this was the day before Eddie died. I remember because she bought fifteen brownies.”

  “What does one do with a bulk supply of rat poison and fifteen brownies?” Clary mused triumphantly. Marie froze, and Clary nodded excitedly. “Call Chief Sanchez. I have a theory.”

  Chapter 9

  “I’m so sorry Marie couldn’t be here,” Clary told Ronnie with a remorseful grimace.

  “That’s okay,” Ronnie shrugged lightly, but
there was still a tense air of disappointment around the action. She held her one arm uncomfortably and held a brown paper bag tightly.

  “She just went down to the police station,” Clary explained, trying to ease the weight of the guilt. She really should’ve checked with Marie before offering out her baking skills. Loki, oblivious to Clary’s discomfort, stretched lazily and yawned as he watched the scene with bleary eyes. Not for the first time, Clary wished she could trade places with him.

  “Did you get a break in the case?” Ronnie asked excitedly, bouncing forward on her toes.

  “You could say that,” Clary shrugged, giving her a curious glance. “it’s more of a hunch, really. I’m sure the police will find the way to the real killer. It’s their job.”

  “Sorry,” Ronnie muttered apologetically. “It’s just that nothing exciting ever happens in this town. We’re sort of starved for entertainment. Not that the murders are entertainment, I’m sorry. That was inappropriate.”

  “It’s okay,” Clary held up a hand to get her to stop talking. She knew what rambling looked like and knew that it could go on for quite a while if left unchecked. “I understand. Anyway, Marie insisted that you get some free brownies for your troubles.”

  “That’s so nice of her,” Ronnie said sincerely, taking a seat by the counter, to Clary’s surprise. She had hoped that Ronnie would take the brownies and leave. Clary still had some stock that she wanted to unpack. When it became apparent that Ronnie was going to stay for a while, she quickly put the box of books down on the couch closest to the fireplace, causing Loki to give her a lazy glare. She chuckled at his cuteness and ruffled his fur before walking up to the counter.

  “Is everything okay?” she asked when she noticed Ronnie’s frown.

  “Yeah,” Ronnie smiled, showing off the laugh lines around her eyes. “I’m okay.”

  “You know,” Clary said conspiratorially, “reading is a lot of fun, but it also teaches you a lot about people. For example, an author does a lot of research about body language and facial expressions. This means that they can show you how a character’s feeling without telling you. When you put the book down, that doesn’t go away. You start looking for those cues in real life. Sort of like now. I can tell something is bothering you.”

  “That’s pretty cool,” Ronnie said slowly, playing with her fingernails. She avoided Clary’s gaze, and Clary stepped back to make herself a cup of coffee. Her strategy worked, because a minute later, Ronnie spoke again. “I feel like a failure.”

  “Why?”

  “I was studying through the mail, but then I decided to stop. Now my mom is mad at me.”

  “Why did you stop?” Clary asked curiously, surreptitiously checking her phone to see if Marie was on her way back yet. She heard Ronnie sigh, and quickly dropped the device back into her pocket, hoping that the pocket’s fabric and the phone’s sensitive touchscreen wouldn’t cause havoc.

  “I met someone,” Ronnie admitted shyly. “I always thought that I had to be this career-oriented woman to be a success. But now, and I know this is wrong, I want to be a wife and mother.”

  “It’s not wrong,” Clary defended. “You’re allowed to do what makes you happy. I think your mom just wants you to feel that you accomplished something. If you want to put your career on hold to start a family, then you should do it. Although, you have to be sure.”

  “I’m sure,” Ronnie said resolutely. “He’s special, and he can look after a family. It’s weird, I feel like this is what I want to do with my life, and there’s no better way to spend it. That’s why I want to learn how to bake better. So that I’ll have the best brownies for my kids.”

  “That’s sweet,” Clary commended. She didn’t know what to say. She was a big believer in following one’s passions, no matter how unconventional. Ronnie did seem passionate about her family dream, but she also seemed a bit naïve and impulsive.

  “I’ve even been practicing,” Ronnie admitted shyly.

  “You have?” Clary asked, feeling pleasantly surprised.

  “Yeah, I brought some for Marie to taste. I was hoping she could give me some tips,” Ronnie shrugged mournfully. “I understand why she can’t. Maybe I can leave some that she can taste? I don’t mind coming in tomorrow.”

  “That would be a great idea,” Clary praised, keeping a careful eye on her box of books. Loki was sniffing around, and he loved to cause mischief. If the box fell backwards into the fireplace, there would be a fire, and he’d gleefully let half the shop burn down. Not the whole shop, though. There were some parts that he liked.

  “Thanks so much, Clary,” Ronnie said gratefully, putting the brown paper bag on the counter. “This is so great.” She didn’t let go of the bag, but rather looked down and frowned. “Although… No, never mind.”

  “What’s wrong?” Clary asked curiously.

  “It’s just that I’m really nervous. Do you think you could taste one? Then tell me if it’s good enough for Marie?”

  “Any brownie is good enough for Marie,” Clary joked. Ronnie gave her a pleading look and Clary sighed. “Fine, I’ll try it.” She took one of the brownies out of the bag and took a big bite and found that they were surprisingly good. “Well done, you’ve achieved your life’s ambition. These are good brownies.” Ronnie clapped in delight and sat down again.

  “It’s so weird how life works out. A few months ago I was determined to get my degree. Now I want to settle down, have kids and make brownies.”

  “Make the most of it,” Clary shrugged, putting the brownie down. It was good, just not as good as Marie’s brownies. They weren’t all that different, but Ronnie’s brownies were lacking in the flavor department. “You’re here one day, then gone the next.”

  “Like Kelly and Ed,” Ronnie said mournfully, looking down at her hands.

  “Yeah,” Clary sighed, “but we’ll know who did it soon enough.” Ronnie looked down quickly, her eyes filling with tears. “Is everything okay?”

  “Yeah,” Ronnie nodded quickly, but when Clary gave her an incredulous look, she smiled ruefully. “It’s just that… I think I know who did it.”

  “Who?” Clary asked, frowning.

  “I was snooping through Dr. Isaac’s files. After yesterday, I was curious about why he fired Kelly. It turns out that while she worked there, Eddie accused him of… you know, flirting with Kelly. Apparently, his wife got really angry. She’s always so angry, you know? She also accused me of flirting with him.”

  “I’m sure she didn’t mean it.”

  “No,” Ronnie shook her head vigorously. “You don’t understand. She’s crazy jealous. Sometimes she watches from her car. She wants to make sure that nothing is happening.”

  “Wait,” Clary said slowly, holding her hand up. Her head was spinning, and she was getting a little confused. “Are you saying Jessica Isaac killed Eddie and Kelly?”

  “Thanks for this, man,” Finn said gratefully, leaning back in his chair with an open beer. Logan nodded, and raised his own bottle in recognition. The two sat in relative silence for a moment.

  “I figured we could use a break from all this craziness,” Logan shrugged. “You know, when I decided to move to a small town, it was because I thought it would be peaceful.”

  “Welcome to Valley Springs,” Finn said sarcastically, “home of the restful and quiet.”

  “That’s a good one,” Logan chuckled. “I just wish it was true. They should put a warning sign up before you drive into town. What is it? Do the people here thrive on drama?”

  “It feels like it,” Finn said tiredly, leaning against his desk.

  “It looks like it,” Logan commented. “You look exhausted. Been getting into trouble lately?”

  “Let me guess,” Finn said slowly, leaning back in his chair, “Clary sent you over here to ask me if I killed those two?”

  “No, she didn’t,” Logan smiled, “Marie did. They told me to bring some beer and butter up the dentist. I thought I’d give it a shot; besides, I need some co
mpany besides the police. They’ve been driving me crazy.”

  “Good job, detective,” Finn teased good-naturedly.

  “See, if you’d just been like this earlier, then Clary wouldn’t have told me to come over. Did you really need to make them all suspicious?”

  “A man needs his fun,” Finn shrugged, but it was an empty gesture. Any fool could see that the man was tired and worn. It looked like he had aged overnight. His sleep-deprived demeanor didn’t suit him well.

  “You do have your hands full with this office,” Logan said sympathetically, looking around at all the dental equipment around them. It was like a little shop of horrors. Logan shuddered.

  “It’s easy, most of the time,” Finn shrugged, “but I need a good assistant.”

  “Why don’t you get one?” Logan teased.

  “Believe me,” Finn put his head in his hands. “It’s just my wife thinks that they’re all flirting with me. She gets all jealous, and then I’m miserable, and it’s just not worth it.”

  “Has she been giving you trouble with your latest assistant?”

  “Yeah, it all started about a year ago. I used to have this sweet old lady who would help me out, but then she retired. Then I hired this young girl. Kelly Moyes? She’s the one who died. All the trouble started then.”

  “Your wife didn’t like her?”

  “No, she said Kelly didn’t have any brains and that I just hired her because she’s pretty. Where does she get that idea?”

  “So, you fired Kelly?”

  “No, there was no reason to. Kelly was busy with this other guy. The one who died?”

  “I bet your wife was pretty upset.”

  “She was, but then I spoke to her about it. We went away for a weekend, and she apologized.”

  “I don’t understand. I thought you said the trouble started with Kelly?”