by Rosie Sams
To her surprise, it was Alvin. He wore a grim expression. “Hey, Mel, got a minute?”
“Sure, what’s going on?” she asked nervously, wondering if there had been a break in the case.
“We searched most of the lake today, but there’s not much more we can do until morning.”
Mel’s heart thumped hopefully in her chest.
“I’m not sure whether to be relieved or disappointed, but we didn’t find anything. And Grant still isn’t giving up any more information. He’s convinced that Amelia is off handling business dealings and will show up at any moment. I’m still not sure if he can be trusted, but right now we don’t have any evidence against him.” Al sighed, running his hand through his thick hair. “It’s also possible that something else could be going on here, Mel. I’m not sure if we’re looking in the right direction, but a woman’s life could depend on it.”
They were silent for a moment, the air growing tense between them until Mel finally grew the courage to ask the question that had been on her mind all day. “Alvin, is there any chance that Amelia will be found alive?”
A dark shadow passed over his eyes. “There’s always a chance, but the more days that pass, the less likely it becomes. Like I said, we could be looking at the picture entirely wrong here. But we won’t know until we get more information. Right now, everyone is a suspect.”
Mel didn’t know what else to say. She wanted desperately to help find Amelia, but it didn’t seem like there was anything she could do to help. The police would handle it, she told herself. Unable to find the right words, she said, “Well… let me know if there’s any way we can help. We’ll do whatever we can to assist the investigation.” She looked him in the eyes, ignoring the sudden flutter in her stomach.
“Thanks, Mel, we will…But listen, there’s something else I wanted to ask you. I was wondering if you would want to have dinner with me.”
She opened her mouth to speak, but he held up his hand.
“Before you say anything, I’m not asking as a date. I just felt… Well, honestly, I thought that maybe you could use a friend.”
Mel smiled apologetically. “That’s sweet, Alvin, but I would really like to just head home. It’s been a really long couple of days, and I think we could all use some rest. Thank you though, I mean it. It was really thoughtful of you.”
Even though he tried to cover it with a friendly smile, she could see the disappointment in his eyes. “Oh, sure… No problem. I’ll see you around then?”
“Absolutely,” Mel replied, giving him one last hint of a smile before he turned to go.
Mel watched as Alvin turned the corner and faded from view. She wasn’t sure why she had turned him down. Maybe it was fear that was holding her back. Fear of having her heart torn out of her chest again. She knew that Alvin was a good guy, and given a chance, that he would treat her right. But she just wasn’t ready. Even though it had been almost two years, Connor was still the only man she could see herself being happy with.
Alvin didn’t deserve to be led on. And if she agreed to go out with him, that’s exactly what she would be doing.
She spent the next hour baking and listening to Ker talk about how her wedding planning was going. They planned on going on an expensive honeymoon in London, and Ker was thrilled. They had just booked their hotel and plane tickets the previous day. She claimed that George was more excited than she was, but for some reason Mel doubted that.
She was pleased for her friend. Ker deserved to be happy. And Kerry and George were perfect together. Honestly, she doubted she had ever seen anyone more perfect for each other before in her life. But there was still part of her that wanted a twenty-thousand-dollar honeymoon for herself. Again, she thought of Connor. What is with me today? She asked herself. She hardly ever thought of him, but for some reason she couldn’t get him out of her head today. Perhaps it was the thought of Alvin pining after her that made her think back to her old flame.
On their lunch break, Ker and Mel walked down to the corner café to grab a bite to eat before returning to the shop. While they were there, Ker showed her pictures of her wedding dress, and the bouquets of flowers she had picked out. It was all beautiful, Mel had to admit. Ker was getting the Cinderella wedding she had always dreamed of. And if there was anyone that deserved it, it was Kerry. She was a hard worker, and a good friend.
“I really can’t believe we’re going to London. Can you? Oh, Mel, it’s going to be so amazing. Can you just imagine? All the old buildings and the English architecture. I can’t wait to stand on our balcony and watch the sunset on the horizon. I’ve never been out of the country before, have you?” Ker asked, sipping her coffee. Although, Mel was sure that she had had enough for the day.
Mel shook her head. “I haven’t, but I’ve always wanted to go to France.”
“Me too!” Ker exclaimed. “Maybe we should go there instead. Too bad we already booked our flight. I would love to see the Eiffel Tower. I just adore their accents over there. But I don’t know any French, so that might be a problem. But I’m sure England will be just as great. We’ll get to visit Big Ben, and the Tower of London. Oh! And Buckingham Palace! Maybe we’ll get to meet the Queen.” Ker giggled at the thought.
It sounded incredible. Even though she would never admit it, Mel was slightly jealous of Ker’s fairytale romance. Mel doubted that anything like that would ever happen to her. Even if she did get married, she doubted they would be able to afford such an extravagant honeymoon.
When they were finished eating, they made their way back towards the bakery. The two of them quickly settled in and got back to work. They had four cakes that needed to be baked and iced before the day was over. Ker was busy icing the first cake, while Mel whipped up the batter for the other three.
A couple of hours passed before Ker said, “What do you think happened to Amelia, Mel? Do you think she could still be alive?”
“Honestly, Ker, I really don’t know. Alvin said there’s always a chance but it’s starting to look pretty unlikely,” Mel said.
“That poor woman. Do you think she annoyed the wrong person? She seemed so nice. I couldn’t see why anyone would want to hurt her,” Ker added.
“I have a feeling that it has something to do with her money.” Mel didn’t know much about the woman, but she did know that she was loaded. If there was any reason someone would be out to get her, money was probably their motive.
Chapter Sixteen
Kerry had already left for the day when Melody and Smudge made their way outside to close up the shop. As Melody paused to make sure the door was locked, Smudge let out a small whimper, looking up at Melody with pleading eyes.
“Oh, don’t worry, girl. You’re safe with me, I won’t let anything happen to you.” Pulling a few butter cookies out of her purse, she leaned down to let the small dog nibble on one. Smudge lapped the cookies up happily, wagging her tail. A smug grin crept onto Mel’s face as she watched the small dog wiggle in delight.
When Smudge had finished her snack, they began making their way home. They hadn’t gotten far when a familiar voice called out to them, making Mel turn quickly on her heels. Sam was outside his shop, heading towards them.
“Hey, Mel, I’ve meant to catch up with you.” He seemed slightly out of breath, having jogged halfway down the block.
“What’s up, Sam?” she asked curiously.
“Are you still interested in someone looking for champagne? I had a customer come in yesterday evening and order a whole set. I thought maybe it was something you would want to know about.” He stood with his hands on his hips, obviously still trying to catch his breath.
“Oh! Yes, did you recognize them? Do you know who it was?” Her curiosity was piqued—this could be the clue they needed to point them in the direction of whoever was responsible for Amelia’s disappearance.
“No, unfortunately. I had never seen him before, but he didn’t look like he was from around here,” he said gingerly.
“What did h
e look like? I might know him.” Her thoughts suddenly flickered to Grant. If there was any man around here that looked like he didn’t belong, it was him. It wasn’t just the way he looked, his entire demeanor and the way he carried himself made him seem out of place in the small town.
“Well, he was a tall fellow, at least six feet. His hair was starting to grey, and his appearance was very well-kept. I don’t know where he got his clothes, but they looked very expensive.”
Yep, it had to be Grant. There wasn’t anyone else around here that fit that description. But, what would he be doing with champagne? Surely, he wasn’t out celebrating Amelia’s sudden disappearance?
“Hmm…thanks, Sam, I’ll look into it.”
After saying a quick good-bye, Sam made his way back to his store.
Mel’s mind was showered in a hailstorm of thoughts. Thinking about the box of De Vine Strawberries that she found a few days before, she quickly turned around and headed in the opposite direction. If Grant was creeping around, perhaps he went back to cover his tracks. She made her way to the trash bin as fast as she could, knowing there was still a few hours before the bi-weekly pick up.
When she turned the corner, the trash bin came into sight. Tugging Smudge along behind her, she searched the bin as quickly as she could, not wanting to draw suspicion to herself. The nearby streets were empty, but she didn’t want to risk someone noticing her digging in the trash and the possible chance of them warning Grant that she was on his trail. Other than a few empty soda cans, and other random garbage, the trash bin was empty. Her earlier assumption had been right, Grant had been out covering his tracks. The box of strawberries was one of the only clues that hinted to the chance of foul play being involved in Amelia’s disappearance. Now, it was gone. It just proved her suspicion that Amelia was not voluntarily missing.
Anxiety crept into her again as the situation was becoming clearer. Melody wondered how she got involved in this mess. Why should she be worrying this much? Her eyes then landed on the small creature at her feet. She thought of what to do next. Would she tell this to Alvin? She knew Alvin was doing his job well, but she was afraid that she was meddling too much. But who else could understand her?
She wanted to go and find Alvin, but it was late, and he had most likely gone home for the evening. She didn’t have his number, the only way to get in touch with him would be to leave a message at the police station and hope he got it the next day. But there wasn’t time for that. Something needed to be done now. If Grant was covering his tracks and disposing of evidence, it was only a matter of time before he left town. And if that happened, no one would ever find out what really happened to Amelia.
Blinded by her sudden need for justice, she made a spur of the moment decision and decided to head to the lake house on her own. Somebody had to do something, and there wasn’t time to sit around waiting.
Chapter Seventeen
Melody had decided earlier that evening to walk home, feeling that the fresh air and exercise would be good for her and Smudge. But in light of this new information, she quickly made her way back to her Tahoe. Finding it parked behind the shop exactly where she left it, she put Smudge in the passenger seat and sped off toward the lake house. Her heart was racing, and blood was pounding in her ears. She didn’t know what she would find, but she was determined not to let Grant get away with whatever he had done to Amelia.
On her way there, her mind was a frenzy of chaotic thoughts. What would she do when she got there? What if Grant was there? How would she get in? She had so many questions, and not enough answers. But the one thing she knew was that she couldn’t let him get away with it. She should have taken the box of strawberries to the police the first day that she found it. Now the evidence was gone, unless she could find it. But most likely Grant had already destroyed it, just like he did their hopes of finding Amelia alive.
There had to be something in that house that could incriminate him in Amelia’s murder. And if there was, she was going to find it. She wasn’t going to let him get away with this. He was probably already planning to leave town, but that wasn’t going to happen if she had anything to do with it.
She parked the midnight blue Tahoe a safe distance away from the lake house. She didn’t want to alert Grant to her presence or give any surrounding neighbors a chance to warn him. Quickly and quietly, she cut the car’s engine and turned off the lights. With Smudge’s leash twisted tightly around her arm, she crept up towards the house. It was dark out now, and the only light was coming from the upper story window. Mel was thankful for the cover that night brought her. She easily made her way along the edge of the house without being noticed. When she reached the tall structure, she began to ponder ways to get in without causing alarm.
She needed a way to get into the house and investigate without Grant finding out that she was there. She could break a window, but that would make a lot of noise. She couldn’t risk it. She silently approached the large chestnut door, twisting the knob to see if it would open. It didn’t. It was locked. Sudden disappointment washed over her.
A soft noise made her jump. Looking down, Smudge had knocked a flowerpot off the porch into the grass revealing a spare key.
“Smudge! You’re brilliant!” she whispered, patting the small dog on the head. The bulldog wagged her stubby tail and licked Mel’s hand in response. Picking up the key, Mel slowly slid it into the lock. Careful not to make a sound, she quickly opened the door and slipped inside, Smudge close behind her.
She stood in the middle of an extravagant entryway, the house seemed dark and empty. Careful not to make any noise, Mel and Smudge make their way through the lower part of the house. A moment later, Mel found herself in the most incredible kitchen she had ever seen. The space was huge and was equipped with the most modern appliances. Under different circumstances, she would have taken a moment to enjoy being surrounded by such a magnificent kitchen. But there wasn’t time for that.
Grant could come in at any second, and she didn’t want to be here when he did. Not sure what she was looking for, Mel swept through the kitchen looking for anything that could be used as evidence. She was about to give up and search another room when she noticed something taped to the refrigerator. Taking a step closer, Mel realized it was a travel itinerary for two. This is it, she thought, Grant is planning to leave the country.
Sudden realization hit her. She was standing in the home of a murderer who could come back at any second. Fear rose in her throat, but she bravely pushed it down. She had to find out what happened to Amelia, even though she felt sure that she already knew. Amelia deserved justice. She wasn’t going to let Grant getaway.
Carefully, she made her way up the elaborate staircase. When she reached the second platform, she looked around for the bedroom. The light that she had noticed earlier seemed to be coming from the master bedroom. She was pretty sure that Grant wasn’t home, but she still peeked quietly into the room just in case. Seeing that the coast was clear, she stepped into the room.
On the bed were several suitcases and travel bags. Opening one, she found two passports. “Smudge!” she whispered excitedly. “This is it! We have to get this to Alvin.” As the words left her mouth, she heard a growl stir next to her. Pulling her eyes away from the passports, she looked up to see a silhouette standing in the doorway.
Chapter Eighteen
Her heart froze in her chest, and her breath caught in her throat. There was nowhere for her to run. She was busted. Grant had caught her. What would he do to her? Would she suffer the same fate as Amelia? Would there be an investigation into her disappearance? Would they ever find her body? Mel’s mind raced with horrible thoughts as she watched the shadowy figure before her. Smudge began barking viciously at the figure, pulling at the leash. Drawing courage from the small bulldog, Mel found her voice.
“How did you do it, Grant? How did you escape? Surely, Alvin suspected you, so how did you get away with it?” Thankfully, her voice sounded stronger than she felt.
&
nbsp; The figure stepped into the light, causing Mel to gasp in astonishment. The person standing before her wasn’t Grant at all, but Claire Reed.
“Claire, what are you doing here?” Mel asked. “And what is your passport doing with Grant’s things?” She was confused, unsure of what was going on.
“Funny, I could ask you the same thing, Melody. You shouldn’t have come here. But of course, you had to go sticking your nose in where it doesn’t belong. Everything was finally falling into place, until you and that friend of yours began poking around in things that didn’t concern you.”
There was a cruel grin locked across her face, and her eyes twinkled with mischief. Her eyes flickered down to Smudge, who was in a protective stance in front of Mel. The bulldog was still growling viciously, there appeared to be something about the long, dark jacket that Claire was wearing that bothered her. Then Mel realized what it was. It was Grant’s jacket that she was wearing.
Not knowing what else to do, and knowing that she was in danger, Mel shoved past Claire and ran down the stairs to the kitchen. Panicking, she grabbed the only thing she could find which turned out to be a canister of flour. Smudge growled as Claire came into sight, not long after.
The young woman, the spitting image of Amelia, let out a wicked laugh. “What’re you going to do, Mel, bake me to death?” She took a step toward her, Smudge barked, and Mel threw the canister of flour in Claire’s face. Disoriented, the woman tripped over Smudge and fell to the floor, her head slamming against the cold marble.
Mel stood there for a moment, making sure Claire was unconscious before dragging her unmoving body over to the supply closet and locking her inside. She fumbled for her cellphone, finally pulling it from her back pocket, and did the only thing she could think of— she called the police station in hopes that for some reason, Alvin was still there.
