A Caffeine Conundrum

by Angela Ruth Strong

  How had Tandy gotten herself into this? She’d left the big city to have a fresh start and possibly reconnect with an old friend, but trouble seemed to follow her everywhere she went. No matter how much she wished she was wrong about Virginia, she knew from what she’d seen that the police were going to find extremely high levels of caffeine in Virginia’s blood.

  Marissa stood and whirled to face her. “What do you mean we are going to be the prime suspects? I didn’t do anything.”

  Officer Griffin peered at them from around the curtain.

  Tandy stood and motioned Marissa toward the door. If Marissa was going to cause a scene, it would be best if she did so away from view of law enforcement. “I didn’t do anything either.”

  “Then how would you know?” Marissa planted her feet.

  Tandy had only been trying to prepare her, maybe even team up with her to prove themselves innocent. But if Marissa suspected her, then the other woman would probably rather team up with the police.

  Fine. Tandy would say what she had to say then let Marissa decide what to do with it. “Officer Griffin told us Virginia made a pot of coffee, but I saw an empty jar of instant granules in the garbage can so I assumed she was making instant. If someone replaced Virginia’s coffee grinds with instant granules, knowing she would use it in her coffee pot, one cup of the brew would be equivalent to, say, forty cups. Her coffee would have been strong enough to cause heart problems in one of us, let alone kill someone in her condition.”

  Should she be right, this was no accident. It wasn’t even an act of passion. It was premeditated murder.

  Marissa’s hands settled over her mouth then slipped down to her heart. “Who would do that?”

  Tandy glanced past her shoulder to see if Deputy Griffin was watching, but he was busy tugging latex gloves over his fingers to collect the evidence that would incriminate them. “I know who the police will suspect. The two of us. We had the means and motive of revenge.”

  Marissa gripped the shoulders of Tandy’s leather jacket and leaned forward. Probably realizing how being a murder suspect might affect her chances of winning future beauty pageants. “We didn’t do it.”

  At least they were in agreement there. “Right. Which means there is a murderer on the loose in Grace Springs.”

  Marissa’s grip tightened as she craned her neck to look through the big bay window. Did she expect to find the perp peering in from the street? Only footprints in the falling snow revealed life under the old-fashioned lanterns.

  Cocoa yipped and wriggled under Tandy’s grip. He must have sensed they’d been headed outside and grown frustrated with the holdup.

  Marissa’s dark eyes returned to focus on Tandy, bringing with them an extra chill. “What do we do?”

  Cocoa shifted his weight forward. Tandy lowered him so he could land lightly on the floor then double-wrapped his leash around her wrist. “Right now I have to take my dog outside.”

  Marissa released her hold and whirled to open the front door for them. The bell rang as she swung it wide. She jolted at the sound, letting the door swing back toward Tandy’s face.

  Tandy held out a palm to catch the door before Cocoa got squished. “No worries. I’ve got it.” She shook her head. That couldn’t be farther from the truth. To think when they’d entered, she’d been imagining a puppy corner for her dog. Now she had to try to figure out who would take care of Cocoa if she went to jail. It wasn’t like she had friends or family nearby.

  “I’m sorry.” Marissa followed them out into the stinging air. A blanket of gray clouds blocked any warmth from the sun, which seemed particularly fitting for their situation. “I’m a little jumpy with the thought of a killer on the loose.”

  From what Tandy had learned of Marissa over the past hour, jumpiness was normal—unless Marissa wasn’t always this clumsy, and she was only nervous about committing murder.

  Nah. She’d fallen off a stage at a beauty pageant and also done something to cause Deputy Griffin’s mom to fire her from babysitting years ago. The woman was dangerous, but not a murderer.

  “It’s okay.” Tandy crunched through the snow as Cocoa led her toward a red fire hydrant. The town seemed so peaceful. She didn’t want to think it could be hiding a killer. The problem was that the townsfolk wouldn’t want to think there was a killer among them either, which was why she was going to get blamed for this. Unless she was able to point her finger at someone else.

  She sighed and looked up from her pup to scan the street. In cop shows, there was always a bank nearby with cameras that would catch the criminal, but all she could see from her spot on Main Street was a restaurant, knitting shop, salon, law office, and another antiques store. Maybe someone in Mama’s Kitchen had witnessed a…

  Her gaze returned to the other antique store with its black shutters and gingerbread trim. Grandma’s Attic. That would have been Virginia’s competitor. Of anybody in town, the owner might benefit the most from Virginia’s death.

  Marissa stepped into her line of site, wrapping gloved fingers around a lamppost. “Should we tell Lukey—I mean, Deputy Griffin—about the instant coffee? Or should we wait until he gets the results on Virginia’s blood? Because if you’re wrong, then we’re going to freak everyone out for no reason.”

  Marissa didn’t believe her? Probably didn’t want to believe her. But if such a belief kept Marissa from talking to the deputy, Tandy was okay with that. It would give her a little more time to investigate before the murderer was alerted that they were onto him. “We should wait.”

  Marissa’s shoulders relaxed away from her ears. “I was hoping you’d say that.”

  Tandy pressed her lips together. She might be better off snooping around without Marissa. It was hard to act covert when working with someone known for bumping into things.

  She scooped Cocoa’s shivering little body into her arms and headed toward the crosswalk. “I’ll let you get back to sticking your head in the snow and avoiding the truth.” Oops. She’d only meant to say goodbye.

  “What?” Marissa’s feet slipped. She wrapped both arms around the lamppost and hugged it to stay upright. “Where are you going?”

  “Grandma’s Attic.” Tandy wasn’t too worried about the other woman trying to follow. Not with the drop in temperature freezing what had been melting snow. Marissa would have as much luck as Bambi trying to walk across ice in her high-heeled boots.

  “Why?” Marissa called after her, likely hoping Tandy was only going to Grandma’s Attic to look for some vintage Nancy Drew novels to read in case she got snowed into her apartment that night.

  Tandy paused at the street to stay out of the way of a giant blue pickup tossing chunks of snow as it passed. It rumbled to a stop at the curb, allowing her to answer without yelling. “‘Grandma’ is on my suspect list.”

  “Billie isn’t a murderer,” Marissa hissed. “Wait for me.” She tentatively let go of the post with one hand and extended a leg. Finding solid footing, she pushed away.

  The truck door squeaked then slammed shut. Marissa shot a quick glance over her shoulder as if afraid the truck driver was a serial killer and now after them.

  Should Tandy go back and take her arm to steady her or send her home where she was safer? Cocoa shivered. She needed to get him indoors. “It’s okay, Marissa. I’m only going to ask a few questions. It’s not like I have the power to arrest anybody.”

  Marissa held her arms wide like a circus performer on a tightrope. She continued toward the street and even leaped a small snowbank. She grinned up triumphantly. “I know, but—” Both feet shot forward, sending her flying backward. At least she’d have that snowbank to land in.

  The man from the truck stopped Marissa’s fall with an arm behind her back and one under her knees. He squatted to catch his balance then straightened with eyes locked on hers.

  Tandy rolled her own eyes. Of course. The beautiful woman would get caught by a strong man wearing a Sherpa lined flannel and a cute trucker hat.

  Maris
sa glared into Connor’s gorgeous gray eyes, which glinted with pride at his heroics and humor at her predicament. Even if he smelled like pine and felt like granite, she would have rather landed in the snow. He was the whole reason she’d tried to run on ice in the first place.

  “What are you doing here?” she demanded, though if she was going to make demands, she should have demanded he put her down. Because now they were going to have this conversation with him holding her in his arms. And he might mistakenly conclude she was okay with that.

  One corner of his lips curved up, revealing that he was, indeed, concluding things. “I heard Hidden Treasures was being sold, and I thought I’d offer my remodeling services to the new owner.”

  She grimaced. He’d apparently found out she was planning to buy the place, and as much as she wanted to rub it in his face that were she the new owner, she would never in a million years hire him for a remodel, that wasn’t the biggest tragedy of the day. “Put me down, Connor.”

  His cheeks dimpled, emphasizing his rugged jaw. This was what a man’s jaw was supposed to look like. Not that she was looking.

  “Only after you thank me for catching you.” He tilted his head in admonishment. “You know your grandmother would be horrified to see you not using your manners.”

  How dare he bring Grandmother into this? She shoved against his shoulder in an effort to force him to put her down. His hold remained firm, which irked her even more. Cocoa would have a better chance of leaping out of Tandy’s arms than she would have of escaping Connor.

  Tandy clicked her tongue from the curb. “I’m not sure what’s going on here, but it looks like you two have some things to work out, so I’m going to go give a different grandma the third degree.”

  Marissa scrunched her eyes closed. She didn’t want to look at Connor. She didn’t want to think about Connor. He may have rescued her from falling into a snowbank, but he couldn’t help her out with any of her other problems.

  “Who was that?” Connor asked, and Marissa opened her eyes to find him watching Tandy cross the street.

  She huffed. Not that she cared if he was interested in Tandy, but he was still holding her while asking about another woman. “She’s my competition.”

  Connor’s gaze dropped back to hers. His eyes narrowed in confusion, and his grip loosened. “What do you mean?”

  She took the opportunity to swing a leg to the ground.

  Connor lowered her other leg until she was standing, but he kept one arm behind her back. He’d likely claim it was to stabilize her, but they both knew it was to throw her off balance.

  She planted her hands firmly on his chest to keep from falling into it. Things hadn’t worked out so well last time she’d fallen for him. “I mean she was my competition. She also put in an offer to buy Hidden Treasures, and Virginia Pierce, the shop owner, brought us both in for a bidding war.” Marissa twisted away from Connor’s warmth to catch up with Tandy. “Then Virginia died.”

  Connor didn’t follow though he kept his arms out in case Marissa slipped again. Was he frozen with shock? Good. That would give her a chance to get away and rescue Billie from Tandy’s misguided assumptions.

  “Did you say the store owner died?” Connor trailed after her.

  Marissa pulled her beanie down tighter so it didn’t fly off as she hopped from dry patch to dry patch to cross the street. Why had she worn her boots with heels again? “Yes. Heart attack.”

  “Oh man. You okay?”

  No, but she could pretend. That’s what Alexander women did. “Fine, fine.” She waved him away. “Go talk to Lukey Griffin inside the shop. He can give you more info.”

  She chanced a glance over her shoulder to see if Connor had taken the bait. Instead, he strode into the street after her. “Why would I want to talk to Lukey?”

  Marissa stepped safely onto the sidewalk. She’d made it this far at least. “He’s a deputy now.”

  Connor stopped in the middle of the road and scratched his head, looking back toward the bay window of Virginia’s shop. “Little Lukey? He can’t even beat me in the Ho-Ho-Holiday Run, so how’s he gonna catch any bad guys?”

  “That was my reaction too. But maybe that’s why he returned to Grace Springs after college. There’s not usually many bad guys here.”

  “Not usually.” Connor turned to face her again, and she realized she’d stopped as well. Not good if she wanted to get away. She pivoted on her toes then angled her feet out like a penguin to waddle safely down the sidewalk.

  “What are you going to do now?” He caught up in a few long strides so that they were walking side by side.

  How did she get rid of him? It wasn’t any of his business that she didn’t have a job and might be charged with murder. Besides the fact that he’d put her in this position.

  Marissa stepped under the overhang of the other antique shop that Tandy had already entered. She reached for the brass doorknob. “I’m going into Grandma’s Attic.”

  A bell rang as Marissa tugged the door open and entered the warmth of the cinnamon apple-scented shop. This was what an antique store should look like. All festive and welcoming with a tree in the center, wreaths on the windows, the clickety-clack of a toy train circling the room, and oh crud, mistletoe overhead.

  Connor stomped off snow next to her. He grinned and pointed to the mistletoe attached to the bell on the doorframe. He wouldn’t seriously expect her to kiss him, would he? He had to be taunting her.

  She narrowed her eyes then left him behind to head toward Tandy and Billie at the counter. Billie wore her normal contagious smile, so she must not have been accused of murder yet. That was good.

  Connor’s footsteps indicated he’d followed. Marissa snuck a peek to find him standing next to her with his hands in his pockets, obviously out of his element in the midst of all the throw pillows and quilts and soft things that made him appear even more masculine…if that was possible. Would a kiss have made him feel any better?

  “Are you putting an offer on this place instead?” he asked.

  “No.” She tossed her long hair. He’d always loved her hair. “But even if I were, I would not hire you to remodel.”

  His eyes scanned the room, seeing it through a contractor’s eyes. “It really wouldn’t need that much work.”

  Entirely not the point. “Then I definitely wouldn’t want to hire you because that would give you the chance to destroy it.”

  His eyes hardened on their way back to meet hers. “I’m not the one who destroyed our relationship.”

  “Yes, you are.” Why did he have to look at her like that? As if he was the one who’d been hurt. He should be apologizing, not blaming her. “What did you think was going to happen when you signed the contract to tear down Grandmother’s house?”

  He squared off and crossed his arms. “Nothing, because I didn’t realize it was your grandmother’s house when I signed.”

  “When you realized it, you should have reneged.” They’d been through all this before. Did he think she was going to suddenly give up everything she believed in to be with him? “I can’t trust you if you don’t put me first.”

  He stilled. “But if I was the type of man who reneged on my word, then nobody could trust me.”

  Sure they could. It would mean he’d seen the error of his ways and was making the changes to improve. For example, if he’d agreed to help someone steal the Rare Ohio Diamonds, he shouldn’t break the law to keep his word. But it was pointless to say any of this to him because he’d heard it already. Multiple times. What he didn’t know was the situation he’d put her in. So she’d tell him.

  “Reneg is short for renegotiate. That’s not a bad thing. If you’d renegotiated your contract, then I would have had the time to get my loan and buy Grandmother’s house from the bank. I would have not only saved a piece of history but had a location for my teahouse.” Her voice rose, attracting attention from Tandy and Billie. But she couldn’t stop now. She was having a tough day, and Connor was making it worse.
Maybe he’d leave if he knew this was all his fault. “Because of you, I had to go up against this city girl in a bidding war, which is why the police are going to suspect me for murder if they conclude Virginia died of a premeditated caffeine overdose.”

  Connor blinked. His expression wasn’t one of blame anymore, but he still looked innocent. Which wasn’t fair. Not when it was his fault she could go to jail.

  She poked him in the chest, frustration tensing her fingertips. “I have no fiancé, no job, no chance at regaining my good name, and…” She waved her arm toward the other two women in the store, accidentally knocking a vintage ornament off the tree. “Now I’m following Tandy around to keep her from accusing people like Billie here of killing off her competition!”

  Chapter Four

  Tandy couldn’t take her eyes off Marissa. It was like watching a figure skater miss a landing. The beauty queen wasn’t only clumsy physically but also careless with words.

  “I’m being accused of what?” Billie’s tiny hand adjusted her red plastic glasses.

  Oh boy. Tandy gave her best remorseful smile. She’d been planning to investigate, not accuse anyone of murder, especially after meeting the little Chinese shop owner. The sweet woman had short, spiky hair that had lightened with age to be the color of creamer and a laugh that overflowed like a cappuccino with one too many shots of espresso. “I think what Marissa was trying to say is that—”

  “I heard what she said.” Billie stumbled backwards and sank into a creaky rocking chair. “Virginia is dead. I can’t believe it.”

  Even if Tandy had been suspicious before, she wouldn’t be now. Billie was clearly in shock.

  Marissa rushed over, hair flying, hand on her heart. “Billie, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean for all that to come out.” She wove her way behind the counter and dropped onto her knees at the woman’s side.

  Tandy let her take over. This was her mess. She could clean it up. Besides, Marissa knew Billie better than Tandy did. Tandy had barely met the woman before she’d been offered a piece of homemade apple cake and told stories of growing up on an apple orchard and how apples were exchanged at Christmas time in China as a symbol of goodwill.