by Cindy Stark
She placed a hand on his arm and looked directly in his eyes. “Something was off with her, Peter. She was upset. She came from this direction, and she had red hair. She looked and acted out of character. That’s enough to at least consider her.”
He stared at her for a long moment. “Okay. We’ll look into it.”
Satisfaction replaced some of her irritation. “Thank you.”
A touch of warmth invaded his police chief façade. “In the meantime, you know the drill.”
She groaned and rolled her eyes. Time for him to dismiss her. Saving him the breath, she parroted for him, “Go to the station and give a formal statement.”
He smiled. “Help Cora, too. She seems worse for the wear.”
Hazel nodded in agreement. “The sight of a dead body bothers her. Poor lady.”
He tipped Hazel’s chin up and placed a light kiss on her lips. “The sight of a dead body bothers most people.”
She frowned. “Are you saying I’m weird? I mean, it’s not that they don’t bother me, too.”
“I’m saying you seem like the perfect girl for me. Now, go take care of your business while I take care of mine.”
“Yes, sir.”
Hazel headed toward the gate and then stopped. “I know a way to check on Liesl and anyone else who might have been here. Valerie’s appointment book is in on her desk. I saw it earlier.”
He waved. “Got it. Don’t worry, Hazel. We’ll do a thorough investigation. If there’s something here to find, we’ll find it.”
“There are roses in there, too. The card was signed ‘Love BW’.”
“Got it.”
She sighed and nodded. Of course, he did. This was his job, and he was good at it.
Three
Early evening arrived with a brilliant orange ball hovering low in the sky. Hazel returned to the backroom of her teashop and began to fill small canisters with her latest concoction of chamomile lavender tea.
She had to do something to keep her mind off what Peter might be learning with the investigation into Valerie’s death. Though nothing she’d done that afternoon had worked well. She’d never been good at waiting, but she knew he and his men needed time to sort through the details before he’d have anything to tell her.
And, unfortunately, other than Liesl’s odd behavior that morning, she had zero ideas where she could poke about on her own. She was stuck like a tea strainer simmering in hot water.
She sighed and refocused on her work. Although she’d liked the idea of a line of lavender teas, she hadn’t expected them to be so popular. Which reminded her, she’d wanted to ask Cora what she thought of creating lemon and lavender cookies she could sell at Teas and Temptations. Hazel had tried that type of cookie in Boston once and had fallen in love.
The bell on the front door of her shop tinkled. “Welcome to Teas and Temptations,” she called. “I’ll be right out.”
She pressed a lid on the canister until it was firmly in place. She’d shelve that one and the others she’d filled before she left for the day.
Grateful for another distraction, she headed to the front of her shop.
Hazel stopped short when she found a red-faced Liesl with angry vibes buzzing like the swarms of bees that had invaded their town weeks ago. Surprisingly, Liesl’s hair wasn’t red like it had been that morning. Nor was she wearing the yellow shirt she had earlier
Hazel braced herself for the brewing storm. “Hey, Liesl. How are you? I waved this morning, but you must not have seen me.”
Liesl slammed both hands flat on Hazel’s counter, her eyes gleaming. “I have no idea what you’re talking about. But I wanted to let you know I do not appreciate you pointing to me as a suspect in Valerie’s murder.”
She swallowed. This was a side of Liesl she hadn’t witnessed before. “I didn’t point a finger at you…exactly. Chief Parrish asked who Cora and I had seen in the area this morning before we’d found Valerie. That’s all.”
Liesl released a powerful snort. “That’s all? Really? For your information, your ‘that’s all’ led to a two-hour interrogation at the police station. Thanks a heck of a lot!”
Guilt scratched at her. “I didn’t mean for that to happen.”
Unless, of course, Liesl was the murderer. Then bring it on.
“They should stop wasting time on me and question Bob Mosley. If anyone is guilty, he is.”
Hazel drew her brows together. “Why would you say that?”
Liesl inhaled a deep breath. “He hated her. Everyone knows that.”
Everyone except Hazel, apparently. She hadn’t been aware of that information.
“He hated everything about her,” she said vehemently. “Called her the bane of his existence. More than once, he yelled over the fence that he would shut them all up including her. I heard him myself.”
Hazel shifted half a step back. “I’m really sorry about the two-hour interview. I would hope you’d want to help find Valerie’s killer, too. The police can’t know if you saw anything unless they ask.”
She narrowed her gaze and clenched her fists. “You’re assuming I was in the vicinity. I wasn’t. Stop trying to make me look guilty. Maybe they need to take a closer look at you, too, and leave me out of it.”
Liesl turned and fled, leaving the fiery flames of an angry aura trailing behind her.
Hazel stood still for a long moment, waiting for her heart to slow.
She glanced at the clock on the cash register. Ten minutes until closing time. She wasn’t hanging around that long.
She hurried around the counter, turned the lock on the door, and flipped the sign to Closed. Then she took sanctuary in her backroom, away from anyone who might peek into the shop. Away from the livid Liesl if she decided to return and fight with more than words.
Hazel sagged against a wall and focused on her breathing.
Who knew the demure and proper Liesl could be provoked to display such anger?
Though she supposed anyone could conjure that kind of emotion if pushed.
Only question was, did that energy come from the indignity of being questioned by the police or from being exposed as the killer she really might be?
Why else would she lie about being in town that morning? Because Hazel was certain the red-haired woman on the bike had been Liesl.
Until now, Hazel had never really feared for her life in Stonebridge, despite the objection of many townsfolk to having a witch in town. She’d kept her identity hidden from all who would harm her, and, therefore, had remained safe so far.
She didn’t normally exit through the back door of her shop, but the thought of walking out onto Main Street after the altercation with Liesl left her feeling vulnerable.
After gathering her purse, she cracked open the back door, keeping her senses wide open for any hints of danger.
Nothing came.
She slipped into the quiet darkness, hurrying down the back streets toward Cora’s Café hoping for a ride home. She’d ridden her bike to work that morning and didn’t feel like being a slow-moving target that night.
When Hazel stepped over the threshold and into the café, she paused to breathe. Her heart thudded in her chest like a violent drumbeat, and fear iced her veins. Only a few evening diners occupied the space, and Hazel was grateful that Liesl wasn’t one of them.
Cora caught her attention and nodded toward what had become Hazel’s favorite booth. She headed in that direction and slid across the vinyl seat, her jeans making a squeaking noise as she did.
“Ice cream?” Cora called across the café.
She shook her head. “Tea. I need something warm.”
Cora joined her in the booth a few minutes later with what smelled like Hazel’s Sweet and Spicy tea steeping in a white mug. “Tea? This late on a humid night? You must be crazy.”
Hazel wrapped her icy fingers around the ceramic mug and leaned toward Cora. “I just had the fright of my life. Liesl came in ranting and raving about how I’d named her as a murder suspe
ct to the police.”
Cora widened her eyes. “Liesl? Seriously?”
“I think she’s gone off the deep end. First her hair, which is no longer bright red, by the way. Then angry words that came off very threatening.”
She drew her brows together in a frown. “That doesn’t seem like her at all.”
Hazel released a tight breath. “Of course, I was all alone in the shop. She probably waited for that opportunity.”
“I don’t even know what to say to that. She sounds possessed.”
She flashed a concerned look at Cora. “That’s not really a thing, is it? She couldn’t have been cursed or something crazy like that, could she?”
Cora cast an empathetic smile. “Highly unlikely.”
Hazel dropped her shoulders and tried to relax. “Okay, good. Because, so far, curses in Stonebridge have caught me off guard several times, and if I’m up against a possessed entity, I need to know it.”
Cora’s eyes brightened with laughter. “I think you’re safe.”
She wished she could laugh about it, but the incident was too fresh in her mind. “Sure doesn’t feel like it.”
Hazel paused for a sip of tea and allowed the heat from it to warm her insides. Then she pinned Cora with a gaze. “That was Liesl this morning, wasn’t it? She did have bright red hair, right? She even denied she’d been in the area.”
Cora nodded, causing her ponytail to bob. “Yeah…it was her.”
Something in Cora’s voice caught her attention. “You don’t sound positive.”
She stared at Hazel for a long moment. “No, I’m certain it was her. You know how you can recognize someone by the way they hold their body or the tilt of their head? I’m sure it was Liesl. If not, then I don’t know who else.”
The reassurance helped to ease her stress. “After Liesl’s outrageous reaction, I’d started to question myself. What if we were wrong? What if telling Peter about seeing her caused her all kinds of grief today that she didn’t deserve. You know how people in this town talk. Maybe we shouldn’t have said anything.”
Cora’s attention faded to something past Hazel’s shoulder, triggering her internal alarm.
“What is it?”
She shook her head. “Nothing, really. I was just thinking… I do recall one time where Liesl’s raspberry jam didn’t take first place, and she overreacted. Come to think of it, Valerie was the winner that year.”
Hazel straightened in her seat. “There’s been bad blood between them before?”
Cora tilted her head from side to side. “Not exactly. Liesl definitely pouted, but she’s been going to Valerie for years to get her hair done. If there was serious bad blood, she wouldn’t have.”
Hazel sipped her tea, allowing her thoughts to churn. Then she exhaled. “She was so angry. She said the police should be questioning Bob Mosley instead. Or me, for that fact.”
Cora flicked a glance across the café before she met Hazel’s gaze again. “Why Bob?”
She pulled a sarcastic face. “Haven’t you heard? Liesl says everyone knows. Bob has threatened Valerie in the past because he’s tired of her dogs barking and running free.”
Cora didn’t seem convinced. “Bob Mosley? No. I mean he can be prickly, but I can’t see him committing murder.”
She paused and then pinned Hazel with a questioning look. “Bob?”
Hazel shrugged. “I really don’t know him well enough to have an opinion about what he’s capable of.”
“I guess you could ask him.”
Interest sparked inside Hazel. She itched to learn more details about the goings-on in Valerie’s life. “I can’t exactly go knocking on his door. Do you know where he works? Maybe I could manage that angle.”
She snorted. “You won’t need to. He’s sitting in one of the back booths right now eating a slice of apple pie.”
Hazel’s excitement jumped to life, and she glanced in Bob’s direction. From her vantage point, all she could see was his black ball cap.
She slid toward the edge of the booth. “Perfect timing. He might not appreciate the intrusion, but I’m not passing up this chance.”
Four
Cora grabbed Hazel’s hand and prevented her from heading toward Bob. “Hang on. You can’t just rush over and give him the third degree.”
Hazel gently slid her hand free. “That’s not what I’m planning to do.”
She didn’t seem convinced. “What exactly are you planning then? He can be a cantankerous cactus sometimes.”
She gave her friend a confident smile. “I’m planning on getting to know someone in town that I haven’t had the chance to meet before. Nothing wrong with that.”
Hazel stood and strode in his direction before Cora could stop her. Just before she reached his booth, she glanced back at Cora who watched with an uncertain look, and then she shook her head as though removing herself from whatever was about to happen.
Which was nothing. Cora needed to give her more credit. She’d honed her people skills all her life.
Hazel stopped next to the last table on that side of the café and waited for Bob to look up from his newspaper.
Instead of glancing at her, he pushed a nearly-empty coffee cup in her direction and grunted, indicating he’d take a refill.
“Hello, Mr. Mosley.”
He met her gaze then, his eyes a faded shade of unfriendly blue. Deep wrinkles stretched across his forehead and lined his cheeks. “Do I know you?”
The tone of his voice suggested that he didn’t and wasn’t interested in rectifying that fact.
Hazel turned her lips into her friendliest smile. “We haven’t met formally, but I’ve seen you around town. I’m Hazel Hardy. You may have noticed my shop just down the street. Teas and Temptations?”
The look in his eyes remained cool. “Nope.”
She was certain that was a lie. Stonebridge was a small town, and he wasn’t a recluse. She doubted he could have missed her brightly colored awning after all these months. “Oh. Well, no worries. I haven’t been in town for long, but I have been trying to meet as many people as I can and invite them in to sample some tea.”
He lifted a dubious brow.
Her tactical advances weren’t working, so it was time to change strategies.
She sighed and sank down in the seat opposite him. “Okay, fine. You seem like a man who appreciates honesty, so I won’t continue to insult your intelligence by beating around the bush.”
He tipped his head in agreement, and the tension coming from him lessened.
She leaned closer as though including him in a conspiratorial discussion. “You’ve heard about poor Valerie Lindquist, I assume.”
He scratched the gray and white whiskers covering his jaw. “Everybody has.”
She nodded. “Of course. Stonebridge is a small town. What I’m not sure that you know is that I’m the one who found her body this morning.”
A smidgeon of tension returned. “Is that right?”
His voice sounded calm, but she sensed underlying emotions building again. “Cora and I were having tea in front of my shop when Valerie’s dogs came gallivanting down the road. Cora called, but Valerie didn’t answer, so we headed over to her house to check on her.”
He dropped his gaze and shook his head. “Her and those uncontrolled dogs. A menace to the neighborhood.”
Ouch. His accusations seemed a little harsh considering the circumstances.
She didn’t want to come right out and say she’d learned he’d threatened Valerie in the past, but she didn’t want to redirect the conversation, either. “I heard that you were neighbors.”
He expelled an exaggerated breath and rolled his eyes.
She chewed on her bottom lip and then plowed ahead. “Doesn’t sound like you had a great relationship.”
He pinned her with a sharp look. “Would you if you had to listen to those dogs bellering day and night? I can’t tell you how many times I gathered them up for her when they ran free and how many times I a
sked politely if she’d keep them from pooping on my lawn. She couldn’t be bothered.”
Hazel sent him a commiserating look. “That could drive a person crazy.”
Depending on a person’s basic personality, it might be enough to send someone over the edge.
“It’s hard to keep asking nicely if the other person won’t meet you halfway,” she continued.
He pointed a finger at her and nodded, and for the first time, she sensed a decent connection between them. “You understand.”
She shrugged. “I can’t say I’ve been in your exact shoes, but I know full well what it’s like to have someone in my life who can’t stay on her side of the line, who’s constantly in my business, and who makes my life harder.”
He tipped his head in agreement. “It’s not hard to be a decent human being. You mind your stuff, and I’ll mind mine, and we’ll get along just fine.”
She rested an elbow on the table and dropped her chin into her palm. “Unfortunately, it seems not everyone was born with the same common sense.”
He shook his head, disappointed. “Some don’t seem to have a lick of it at all.”
She widened her eyes and gave him a sarcastic look. “Isn’t that the truth?”
He smiled for a few lovely moments but then narrowed his gaze. “That still doesn’t tell me why we’re having this conversation.”
She leaned back against the seat and tried to act casual. “I suppose I’m nosier than I should be, but I can’t help but wonder what happened. Did you see or hear anything?”
“You mean other than barking dogs?”
“They were barking?”
“They’re always barking.”
She sighed. “I just worry that there’s a killer on the loose, you know?”
A cunning smile curved his lips and flashed a set of yellowed and silver teeth. “Oh, I see things clearly now. You’re wondering if that killer might be me.”
She quickly denied his accusation with several shakes of her head. “No, not at all. I’m just a naturally curious person, and I’m wondering out loud.”
