Initially, David gave me some space. But when my silence stretched on for fifteen seconds, he spoke up.
“Just when you think this case can’t get any crazier, huh?” David said.
“Yeah,” I said. “Things can calm down anytime now.”
“I hate to say it, but I don’t think the universe is listening to you.”
“Oh, I know the universe isn’t listening to me. That’s the problem.”
He held his pointer finger up. “One of the problems, at least. It turns out we’re juggling a number of tough situations right now.”
“Don’t remind me.”
“Look. This isn’t easy for me to talk about, and I know you don’t want to hear it, but it has to be mentioned—”
I interrupted him. “I know what you’re going to say. That things look awful for Diane right now.”
“They sure do.”
“That said, I still don’t see her as a killer,” I replied.
“I know you don’t want to believe that she is capable of murder, but you have to admit, she’s not exactly thinking straight,” David said.
“I can’t argue with that.”
“Good. Because I really don’t want to argue right now.”
I groaned. “I really want this case to be over.”
“I’m right there with you. Unfortunately, this investigation doesn’t seem to want to end.”
“No. Instead, it just seems to keep spiraling more out of control.”
David nodded. “Although, I’m not sure how much wilder things can get.”
“Do you really want to know the answer to that?”
David grimaced. “No.”
“Exactly.” I took a deep breath. “So what do we do now?”
“I have no clue.”
“That’s the last thing you want to hear from a detective.”
“It’s also the truth.”
“At least you’re being honest. There’s a shortage of that going around.”
“There sure is.”
We both stared off into the distance, quietly trying to make sense of this case.
A few seconds later, he put his hand on my thigh. “I’ll tell you what. Why don’t we get a snack?
My nose scrunched. “But we just ate a few hours ago.”
“When you’re in the middle of a case, can you ever have too much delicious food?” David asked.
I shook my head.
“Exactly,” he said.
“All right,” I said. “Let’s eat.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
We decided to head over to Zelda’s Diner. When we arrived at the no-frills eatery, David immediately walked over to the restroom. I, meanwhile, took a few steps toward a booth. That was when I spotted Barbara Franklin getting up from her table.
The square-faced, curvy, fifty-year-old had been a suspect in the Mark Wilcox murder investigation a few months back. Ultimately, someone else proved to be the killer. But even though Barbara was innocent of any wrongdoing, it didn’t mean that I wanted to speak with her.
Old suspects tended to hold a grudge against me for ever interviewing them in the first place. I had been chewed out a number of times in the past and wanted to avoid an incident like that from happening again. In all honesty, it would be nice to never have to worry about running into an old suspect. But Treasure Cove was a small town. It was almost inevitable that I would cross paths with suspects from previous cases every once in a while.
After all, once an investigation ended, old suspects didn’t just disappear into thin air, never to be heard from again. They were still living, breathing people who went about their daily existence, trying to cobble their lives back together. They still had jobs to go to. Groceries to buy. Bills to pay. And dinners to eat.
That said, I was going to do my best to avoid getting a tongue-lashing from Barbara.
I turned around and headed toward the ladies restroom.
Unfortunately, Barbara spotted me and called out, “Sabrina.”
Uh-oh.
So much for slipping away. There was no avoiding a conversation now. All I could do was turn around and pray for the best.
“Barbara,” I said.
I decided not to ask how she was doing or make any kind of small talk. That would only encourage the discussion to continue. There was a small chance that if I acted disinterested enough, then maybe we could keep this interaction short.
“It’s funny that I ran into you here,” Barbara said.
That wasn’t the phrasing I would have gone with. Thankfully, she didn’t immediately lash out at me. Even so, I kept my guard up. There was no telling what direction the conversation would take next.
“Look, Barbara. It’s not a great time,” I said.
“No. I imagine that it isn’t.”
“So if it’s not too much to ask—”
Unfortunately, she didn’t let me get my question out.
“Just let me say my piece,” Barbara said.
“Do we really have to do this now?” I asked.
“I’ll make it quick,” Barbara said.
I took a deep breath. “All right. If you insist. What’s on your mind?”
“I heard about what happened to Wally Tuttle and I just want to say that I’m really sorry that you’re embroiled in another murder investigation. I hope you catch the killer soon,” Barbara said.
I almost did a double-take. I was so busy preparing for the worst that it never occurred to me that Barbara was approaching me to offer her sympathy. What a nice change of pace.
While the conversation had defied my expectations so far, instinctively, I found myself proceeding with caution.
“Thanks,” I said.
Barbara looked at me quizzically. “You seem really tense.”
“Well I am in the middle of a murder investigation.”
“Right. Of course.” She stared at me again. “I feel like something else is going on. The way you’re looking at me, did you think I was going to rip into you or something?”
“You wouldn’t be the first former suspect who did.”
Barbara’s eyes widened. “Really?”
I nodded.
“Wow. I didn’t realize that. No wonder you’re so on edge,” Barbara said.
“In my line of work, you can understand why I’d rather be safe than sorry.”
“Absolutely.” Barbara put her hands up. “I come in peace.”
“You seriously don’t hold a grudge then?”
She shook her head.
I look deep into her eyes. “Is that the truth?”
She revised her story. “Okay. So I don’t hold a grudge anymore.”
“Which means you did at one point.”
“I admit it. My emotions were pretty raw during the case. And for a number of days after the investigation ended. But eventually, I turned a corner.”
“What prompted your attitude change?”
“I realized that you were just doing your job. You didn’t have some personal vendetta against me. You just wanted to nab the killer.”
“I’m glad you came to that realization.”
Barbara nodded. “And when I did, instead of being resentful, I became very appreciative that someone like you lives in this town. I mean, there’s no denying that the streets are safer because of you.”
“You mean, the streets were safer,” I said. “There’s a different killer on the loose right now.”
“True. But if you hadn’t caught Mark Wilcox’s killer, there would be two murderers at large.”
I grimaced. “What a terrible thought.”
“Exactly. It would be a complete nightmare. Which is why I’m glad that you’re so good at what you do.”
“Thanks for saying that. But right now, I don’t think I live up to that compliment.”
Barbara grimaced. “Are things not going well?”
“That’s one way of putting it.”
“I hope the answer you’ve been looking for comes to you soon.”<
br />
“That would be nice. I could certainly use a break.”
“Who knows? Maybe you’ll get lucky.”
I crossed my fingers. “Stranger things have happened.”
“Especially in this town.”
I laughed nervously. “So true.”
Barbara then walked out of the diner.
Once she was out of my sight, I breathed a huge sigh of relief.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Once David and I finished our meal, we headed home and called it an early night. The following day, we woke up refreshed and ready to tackle the case again. Unfortunately, leads remained in short supply. We spent the morning trying to figure out what to do next. By the time the lunch hour came around, I was as desperate as I was hungry.
We decided to head over to Luigi’s to grab some pizza. As David parked in a spot in front of the pizzeria, he instructed me to go inside and order. He wanted to make a few quick phone calls in the car before joining me inside.
As I entered Luigi’s, I spotted a familiar face sitting at one of the tables. It was Gavin Zeller. But the rotund forty-seven-year-old wasn’t alone. There was a slender middle-aged blond woman sitting at the table with him. They were laughing and having a good time.
When Gavin saw me, he called out my name.
“Hey Gavin,” I replied.
He waved at me. “Come over here. There’s someone I want you to meet.”
I approached his table.
He then pointed at the woman who was sitting beside him. “Sabrina Carlson, meet my girlfriend, Angela Hummel.”
I outstretched my hand. “It’s nice to meet you.”
“Likewise,” Angela said. “You know, Gavin has told me a lot about you.”
“Oh really?” I said.
Angela nodded. “He shared a number of interesting stories with me. From what I hear, this town owes you and your husband a huge debt of gratitude.”
“We just want our daughter to grow up in a safe place,” I said.
“Gavin also told me how humble you are,” Angela said.
“If living in this town all these years has taught me anything, it’s that having a big ego is a good way to get yourself killed,” I said.
“In that case, I’m glad you’re so humble. This town needs you,” Gavin said. “Now more than ever.”
“Well, what I need right now is a little luck,” I said.
“Why? Is the Wally Tuttle case not going well?” Gavin asked.
I grimaced. “Let’s just say that I figured David and I would have put the killer behind bars by now. Instead, that’s far from the case.”
“I’m sorry to hear that,” Gavin said.
“Enough about me, though. I want to know about you. How did you two meet?” I asked.
“It’s funny that you should ask. We’ve actually known each other for a while,” Gavin said.
My nose scrunched. “Really?”
“We went to college together,” Gavin said.
Angela pumped her fist in the air. “Go Dragons.”
“That’s great,” I said. “How did you two reconnect after all these years?”
“My company transferred me to Treasure Cove,” Angela said.
“What line of work are you in?” I asked.
“Advertising,” Angela said.
“How interesting,” I said.
“Some days it is,” Angela said. “Other days, not so much.”
I laughed. “I’ll bet.”
Gavin smiled wide. “Anyway, when I heard that Angela was moving to Treasure Cove, I offered to show her around.”
“That was nice of you,” I said. “Although, I hope you only showed her the good parts of town.”
“Of course. I didn’t want her to get a bad impression of our hometown,” Gavin said.
I glanced at Angela. “Yet with Wally’s murder, I’m sure you’ve gotten a bad impression nonetheless.”
“This is certainly different than any other small town I’ve ever been to,” Angela said.
“I’ll bet. I hope you’re not thinking of transferring out of here,” I said.
Angela shook her head. “Not a chance.”
“A brave soul,” I joked. “I like that.”
“It’s not about bravery. It’s about wanting to be here with Gavin,” Angela said.
I smiled. “That’s so sweet. You two must really be hitting it off well.”
Gavin beamed. “I’d say so. I haven’t been this happy in a long time.”
Angela smiled at him. “Neither have I.”
I looked at Gavin. “That’s great to hear.”
“It has been a long time coming,” Gavin said. “And much-deserved after everything life has thrown at me.”
“I can’t argue with that. You have lived a unique life,” I said.
“Like you should talk. It turns out your life has been pretty one-of-a-kind as well,” Gavin said.
I nodded. “For both good and bad reasons.”
“Let’s hope those reasons are nothing but good from here on out,” Gavin said.
“Fingers crossed,” I said.
Chapter Twenty-Five
David and I ate our lunch and then walked back to the car, full of energy. But instead of my mind being focused on the case, I found myself thinking about Gavin’s new relationship.
“It’s nice to see Gavin happy,” I said.
David nodded. “Especially after that brutal divorce he went through a few years ago.”
“Exactly. But look at him now,” I said. “With Angela in his life, it appears that he has hit the romantic jackpot.”
David chuckled. “You just can’t ever resist making a lottery reference when talking about Gavin, can you?”
“It’s so hard not to.” I held my hand up. “Speaking of the lottery, there’s a multi-million dollar drawing tonight and I haven’t bought a ticket yet.”
“Sabrina, we’re in the middle of a case here.”
“I know that. But it will only take a few minutes to drive over to the gas station and get some tickets. Besides, it’s not like we have any burning leads right now.”
David groaned. “Don’t remind me.”
I scratched my forehead. “You know, now that I think about it, playing the lottery is a lot like investigating a murder case.”
David looked at me like I had two heads. “How do you figure?”
“If you just keep at it, eventually you end up catching a break.”
“When it comes to investigating, I agree with you,” he said. “But I feel a little different about the lottery. I mean, you’ve been buying tickets for decades and have never come close to hitting the jackpot.”
“In my mind, that just means I’m long overdue.”
“All right. I’ll tell you what. If you’re so determined to get a ticket, I’ll drive you over to the gas station.”
“Good. Because I’m feeling lucky.”
“I wish I felt the same way,” David said.
“Look. You’ve made your opinion about the lottery pretty clear. But my instincts are telling me that something about the drawing tonight is going to be different,” I said.
***
David and I made our way over to the gas station on Elmhurst Road. As we arrived, we spotted Jennifer Hollenbeck walking away from a green sedan. She headed inside the mini-mart.
“Very interesting,” I said.
David nodded. “Especially considering that this gas station is on the edge of town.”
“And that Jennifer doesn’t live anywhere near here.”
“Nor does she work around here.”
“Plus, that’s not her car.”
“It sure isn’t.”
“Which makes me wonder what she’s doing here,” I said. “And where she got that car from.”
David looked around. “Those aren’t the only things I’m wondering right now.” He squinted. “Where’s Deputy Wilson? He’s supposed to be keeping tabs on Jennifer.”
I scanned th
e area. “Are you sure he’s not around here somewhere?”
“There’s one way to find out.” David grabbed his police radio and spoke into it. “Wilson. This is Detective Carlson. What’s your current location?”
A moment later, Deputy Wilson replied over the radio. “I’m in front of the Centennial Theater.”
“What are you doing there?” David asked.
“Keeping tabs on Jennifer Hollenbeck, like you ordered me to,” Wilson said. “She’s inside the theater, watching a movie.”
“No she isn’t,” David said.
“Sure she is. I just saw her walk into the theater twenty minutes ago,” Wilson replied.
David’s eyes widened. “She must have snuck out the back.”
Confusion filled Wilson’s voice as he replied, “What are you talking about?”
“Jennifer isn’t at the theater. She’s at the gas station on Elmhurst Road,” David said.
“Are you serious?” Wilson asked.
“Dead serious,” David replied.
“I’ll be right over,” Wilson said.
David got off the radio.
By then, Jennifer was exiting the mini-mart.
David and I got out of our car and approached her.
“Miss Hollenbeck. You have some explaining to do,” David said.
Jennifer’s forehead wrinkled. “What are you doing here?”
“I was just about to ask you the same thing,” David said.
“It’s none of your business,” Jennifer said.
“That’s where you’re wrong. Of all the gas stations to come to, this one is located on the furthest edge of town. As a matter of fact, if you were to head even one mile north of here, you’d be violating the terms of your parole.”
“Except that I’m not headed north.”
“Where are you going?” David asked.
“I don’t have to tell you that,” Jennifer said.
David switched his focus from Jennifer to the green sedan. He spotted a number of bags in the backseat.
“I’ll say this. Judging by those bags, it’s pretty clear that you’re looking to skip town,” David replied.
“You can’t prove that,” Jennifer said.
“If those bags aren’t evidence enough of your plan, how about the fact that you gave one of my deputy’s the slip?” David asked.
Mysteries of Treasure Cove Cozy Mystery Boxed Set Page 35
