by Cindy Bell
“Call the police! Nigel is dead!” Charlotte exclaimed.
The few remaining customers that lingered by the booth scattered. Some were on their phones to call for help. Others tried to put as much distance as possible between them and the booth. Charlotte straightened up and did her best to steer Arnold away from what she presumed would become a crime scene. She knew he had probably already done a lot of damage by snorting around. There were several broken eggs on the ground which made it difficult to get Arnold to obey.
As Charlotte struggled with the leash she noticed an open bag of cookies from the chocolate booth on the shelf inside the egg booth. Before she could think much about it, a police officer brushed past her, followed by another, then an EMT. Charlotte stumbled back out of the way of the approaching men. The paramedic confirmed that the man was dead. One of the police officers crouched down beside the body and began to search for signs of foul play. From the chest wound Charlotte didn’t doubt that they would find the evidence. She pulled Arnold away and hurried back towards Ally.
Chapter Two
Ally heard the commotion coming from further down the line of booths. Her heart jumped as she saw police officers and an EMT running in the same direction. She knew that her grandmother and Arnold had wandered the same way. She rounded the booth and started towards the gathering crowd. Before she got more than a few steps away she heard Arnold as he snorted along. Charlotte held tight onto his leash and looked at Ally with wide eyes.
“You won’t believe what happened?”
“What is it?” Ally braced herself for the worst.
“Nigel Dean, the kid that was running the egg stand, is dead.”
“What?” Ally looked in the direction of the police again.
“Did you know him?”
“Not well. I think I went to school with a cousin of his. I do remember the name though.”
“It’s not surprising that you do. His family is very well-known in the area. In fact his father, Robert Dean, owns the farm next to this one. I’m not sure why Nigel would be working here instead of on his father’s farm.”
“Do you know what happened to him?” Ally asked.
“I don’t know. But it didn’t look like a natural death to me. It looked like he was stabbed with something, but I couldn’t see a weapon.” Ally gathered Arnold’s leash and frowned.
“Wait a minute, Robert Dean. Nigel Dean, is Colin Dean’s brother? I just saw him at the stand. He bought cookies.” Ally’s mouth grew dry. “I can’t believe it. No, I can’t remember ever meeting Nigel, but poor Colin.” She glanced around at the crowd. “I wonder if he’s still here.”
“I don’t know, but I’m pretty sure that they’re going to shut down the farmer’s market.”
“What good will that do? They will be getting rid of all of their potential witnesses and maybe even the murderer.” Ally crossed her arms and squinted in the direction of the police officers. “I hope they find out what happened quickly.”
“That poor boy.” Charlotte shook her head. “I don’t think he was even out of his twenties yet.”
“How could this happen in the middle of this crowd? Someone must have seen who did it. Someone had to hear something.”
“I don’t know. When I walked up to the booth there were already several people waiting. Maybe the killer attacked when there was a lull in customer traffic.” Charlotte watched the steady stream of people that headed for the exit of the farmer’s market. “I can’t believe I stood there in line while he was dead behind the booth. When I asked Harry, the man in the booth next to Nigel’s, he explained that Nigel was still getting more eggs from the barn. I guess he didn’t see him come back.”
“It’s terrible.” Ally pulled out her phone. “I’m going to call Luke and let him know what happened. Maybe he will have some information on it.”
As the phone rang Ally saw the gurney with a body bag wheeled in through the entry. Her heart lurched at the thought that Nigel’s body would soon be inside. She hung up the phone when Luke didn’t answer. The PA system crackled to life.
“We’re going to ask everyone to clear the area due to an incident. Please leave your contact information with the officer at the exit.”
Ally sighed and turned back to the booth. “I guess we better get all of this packed up.”
As Ally began to stack the cookies into boxes Charlotte clucked her tongue. “Our cookies were probably the last thing he ate. He had an open bag in the booth with him.”
“Really?” Ally pursed her lips. She tried to recall which customer Nigel might have been. “What did he look like?”
“Just like his older brother. Only he had lighter hair.”
There were many customers that morning, but Ally couldn’t recall seeing Nigel walk up to the booth. “Maybe someone else bought the cookies. I think I would have remembered seeing someone who looked so similar to Colin if they came to the booth. I remembered Colin after all.”
“Well, if he didn’t buy the cookies, then maybe it was the killer that left them there.” Charlotte’s eyes narrowed as they walked back towards their booth. “If that’s the case, then we might have seen the killer!”
“I bet I did.” Ally thought back through all of the faces she recalled. Of course, none of them struck her as a killer. But that didn’t mean they weren’t. “Hopefully, they will be able to find a fingerprint or something on the package of cookies that will point to the killer.”
“Maybe. But even if they do it doesn’t prove that whoever left the cookies was the one who killed Nigel. Someone might have given them to him. Another customer might have left them behind.”
“You’re right.” Ally bit into her bottom lip. “I know one person for sure who bought cookies. Colin.”
Charlotte waited with Peaches and Arnold by the booth while Ally took the boxes of cookies to the area where they could leave their goods and then they could drive right up and someone could help them load them into their car.
After Ally had made three trips she picked up Peaches’ carrier and took Arnold’s leash from her grandmother. They blended into the stream of people that walked away from the farmer’s market. As they were about to reach the parking lot, Ally had to pull Arnold out of the way of a man who was in quite a hurry. She scowled as he almost tripped over Arnold. “Excuse me,” Ally said.
“Oh, sorry, sorry.” The man tried to continue past. She recognized him as someone that had bought cookies earlier in the day. Ally noticed that he wore a shirt that had an emblem on the back. She wasn’t quite sure what it was, but she knew that she had seen it somewhere before. It was a large letter D with a silver crown around it. She watched the man as he pushed past and noticed that the heels of his shoes were covered in egg.
“Look at that, Mee-Maw.” She grabbed her grandmother’s arm to get her attention. As she did, a police officer directed them both to a table to fill out their information. Ally noticed that the man who had nearly tripped over Arnold, continued without stopping at the table. Was he in such a rush because he wanted to evade the police? She knew there wasn’t enough reason to alert the authorities, but the entire encounter left her with an uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach. She noticed that at the exit to the market he was stopped by a police officer who led him over to another table. Ally entered her information quickly and then walked with her grandmother to the car.
***
Once Ally and Charlotte reached the car Ally got Arnold settled in the backseat and Peaches’ cat carrier on the seat next to him. Ally drove the short distance to the pick-up point and loaded the boxes of cookies into the trunk.
“I suppose we can take the cookies back to the shop and continue to sell them there,” Charlotte suggested when Ally started the car.
“That’s a good idea.” Ally nodded. Arnold squealed from the backseat. “But we might need to drop these two off first.”
“I have an idea. Why don’t you drop me off with the cookies. Then you can take Peaches and Arnold home to fe
ed them. I don’t think they’ve had anything to eat all morning.”
“Oh, you’re right!” Ally frowned. “And I forgot I was going to buy more pig feed while I was there.”
“Don’t worry, there’s an emergency supply under the sink. That should get him through a few days.”
“Okay.” Ally smiled. “You always think of everything, Mee-Maw.”
“Only because of the many, many times that I have forgotten everything.” Charlotte laughed. Ally parked close to the shop and helped her grandmother unload the cookies. Even though it was just past noon the street was dead. Charlotte put her hands on her hips as she looked up and down the street.
“I guess everyone did their shopping at the farmer’s market this morning. I don’t imagine that we’ll have many customers today.”
“Then maybe we should close early?”
“I’ll give it a little time. When you get back from tending to the animals we’ll decide then.”
“Okay.” Ally gave her a hug. “See you in a few.”
As Ally drove away from the shop she saw her grandmother disappear through the door. As much as she loved working with her every day, she missed living with her. Charlotte on the other hand seemed to adore living in the retirement community of Freely Lakes. Ally reminded herself that the important thing was Charlotte’s happiness.
When Ally parked at the cottage she got out and opened Peaches’ carrier. Peaches bolted straight for the door. Arnold snorted and huffed as if he might not get out of the car. Ally finally coaxed him out. She unlocked the front door and headed straight for the kitchen to take care of the hungry animals. Once she had fed them she grabbed her keys to drive back to the shop. Before she stepped out the door her cell phone rang. Ally answered right away when she saw it was her grandmother.
“Mee-Maw, I’m on my way now to pick you up.” Even though Freely Lakes was close enough to walk to from the shop it was still a bit of a hike.
“Don’t bother, I already closed up. It’s not worth staying open when I haven’t seen a single car or person come by. All of our regulars know that we were supposed to be closed today. I have a friend driving me back to Freely Lakes.”
“A friend? What friend?” Ally pressed the phone firmly against her ear.
“Never mind that. Just enjoy your evening. I’ll see you at the shop in the morning. Okay?”
“Sure.” Ally frowned. She didn’t like the idea of some stranger driving her grandmother home. She had to remind herself that Charlotte was perfectly capable of taking care of herself, and had done just that for many years after Ally moved away. But Ally was so curious that she asked the question again. “So, who is taking you home again?”
“Ally, you might want to be a bit more concerned about who is coming to visit you.”
“Huh?” Ally peered out through the kitchen window.
“Luke was here looking for you, I told him that you were at the cottage.”
“Oh thanks.” Ally laughed. “I’m sure that you didn’t encourage him to come visit.”
“Everything in life can’t be dark and heavy, Ally. Luke is your bright light, let him shine.”
“Are you going to embroider that on a pillow?”
“I am not an embroiderer.”
“No?”
Charlotte sighed. “All right maybe now and then, only when I’m very bored. But I will never ever knit.”
“If you say so, Mee-Maw.” Ally laughed. “Can you call me when you get in?”
“If you insist.”
“I humbly request,” Ally said.
“Sure you do.”
Ally could hear the warmth in her grandmother’s voice as she hung up the phone. She left her cell phone on the kitchen counter and hurried to her room. She knew that she still smelled like farm. She changed into fresh clothes then tugged a comb through her hair. She was glad that her grandmother had warned her about Luke’s visit. When she returned to the living room she was surprised that Luke hadn’t arrived yet. She checked her phone to see how long it had been since her grandmother called. When she did she found a text from Luke.
Was on my way over but got a call. Will stop by soon.
Ally was a little disappointed as she put down her phone. But her thoughts soon returned to the death at the farmer’s market. She sat down at her computer and began surfing the local news sites to see what had been reported about the death. There were many photos of Robert, Nigel and Colin. The family resemblance was uncanny. The headlines all declared that the mysterious death of a prominent farmer’s son had rocked the small community. However, as she read the articles the murder didn’t seem so mysterious, at least not who two possible suspects might be. Most of the articles explained that there was a family feud and that there was bad blood between family members especially between Robert and Nigel. Some mentioned the bad blood between Colin and Nigel as well. But none went so far as to explain the reason for the family feud. Ally assumed it must have something to do with why Nigel was working at Tyler’s farm.
Ally closed her eyes and recalled her interaction with Colin at the farmer’s market. Not for an instant did she suspect that he had ill intentions. When she spoke to him was it possible that Nigel was already dead? A knock on the door disrupted her from her internet search. She stood up and walked towards the door. When she opened the door, Luke greeted her with a smile.
“I hope it’s not too late,” he said as Arnold rushed over to say hello. Luke awkwardly patted the pig on his head.
“No, not at all. Would you like to come in?” She stepped aside from the door.
“Thank you.” He crossed the threshold and closed the door behind him. “I just now got off work, and I wanted to check in with you. Well, the truth is, I wanted to see you.”
“I’m glad you came by. Do you want a glass of wine?” She gestured to the couch as she walked past it towards the kitchen. “Are you hungry?”
“A glass of wine would be great. I had dinner on duty. Actually, I got together with a few of the local police for dinner. I hoped maybe they had some luck getting some information about the case.” He settled on the couch. Ally paused in the entrance to the kitchen and admired him for a moment. Even though he sat down and pretended to relax, his shoulders were tight and his knees were bent as if he was prepared to jump up. Luke was never off duty.
Ally walked over to him with two glasses of wine and handed him one. “Did they?”
“No. Mainbry is being very territorial. Thanks for this.” He took a sip of the wine. “I’m sorry I wasn’t able to get to you earlier. Things were pretty hectic today. Are you holding up okay?”
“I think so. The funny thing is that I spoke with Colin Dean today.”
“You did?” He sat forward some on the couch. “How did that happen?”
“He bought some cookies from the booth. I remembered him from when we worked on a play together in school. He remembered me, too. It was a nice, short conversation.”
“Did you know his brother?”
“No, I don’t think I ever met him,” Ally said. “From the research…”
“Research?” Luke raised an eyebrow.
“Yes, I just looked at the local news and it looks like there was a feud in the Dean family. So, Colin and Robert look like possible suspects.”
“I think that’s very likely.”
“It makes me uncomfortable to think I could have been so friendly with a murderer.”
“We don’t know anything for sure yet.” Luke leaned back on the couch and looked up at the ceiling. “I wish I could get my hands on this case.” He gripped the wine glass a little tighter.
“So do I.” Ally smiled.
“Then you could get the inside scoop?”
“Yes. I mean Colin must be a suspect. The news sites seem to think that his family feud would give him a motive. He also had plenty of opportunity. He was probably one of the last people to see Nigel alive.”
“I would assume the same. Not only that, but sibling rivalry is
often a big risk factor when it comes to murder. If there is bad blood between siblings, the grudge tends to be much worse than with someone who is not a relative.” Luke set his glass of wine down on the coffee table and turned on the couch to face her. “But let’s not spend all of our time talking about crime. Why don’t we talk about you dancing with me?”
Ally looked away from him as a familiar heat rushed through her body. She hadn’t expected him to be so direct. “I’m still thinking about it.”
He reached out and took her glass of wine. He set it down on the table next to his. Then he took her hand in his.
“Ally, you don’t have to hedge around it. If you don’t want to, it’s fine.” He searched her eyes. “I thought maybe this was something we might want to explore. Maybe I have the wrong impression.”
She withdrew her hand from his and alternated between a smile and a grimace. “It’s not that I don’t want to. I’m just a little rusty at all of this.” She turned back to look at him and took his hand. “Luke, this is definitely something I want to explore. I don’t want to give you the wrong impression. I just don’t know if this is the right time. I have a lot on my plate with the shop and Mee-Maw getting settled into Freely Lakes.”
“I understand that.” He brushed his thumb across the back of her hand. “I’m not trying to rush you. You let me know when you’re ready. But just because you might not be ready to explore a relationship, I hope you know that I still value our friendship.”
“Thank you, Luke.” She smiled at him and felt a sense of relief. Luke always found a way to put her at ease.
“But you know, friends do dance together.” He grinned.
“Good point.” She laughed.
“In fact, I often dance with my friends.”
“Oh? Like the guys at work? Somehow I can’t picture that.”
