Julie’s mouth opens and closes like a fish stranded on the shore when Madge says, “And why would the sleeve on the shirt you wore last Thursday evening test positive for DDT?”
Julie blurts, “How would I know? Chad probably touched my arm that night. He must’ve had it on his hands from spraying earlier in the day. How do we know he didn’t poison himself?”
Madge says, “Because DDT is a slow-acting poison. Although his energy drink showed no traces of chemicals when tested, someone put the can in my knitting bag after Dylan searched it to throw suspicion on me.”
Julie says, “Maybe you killed Chad, Crystal, because you’re pregnant with his kid and he dumped you. Told you he never loved you. Wanted nothing to do with you ever again.”
Oooh. That was harsh, but a valid accusation. Crystal and revenge were synonymous in high school.
Crystal laughs. “I’m not pregnant. I was just messing with you in the store the other day because I think you, Wade, and Chad were up to something. Suddenly, you three had become best buds, always huddling up at Skippy’s and whispering. Then you all three join the book club. And then Chad is found dead in the back. Nowhere near the bathroom, from what I’ve heard. There are rumors that he was looking for something.”
Julie shrugs. “We’re friends, Crystal. Something you wouldn’t know much about.”
“Funny.” Crystal leans closer to Julie. “I think you and Wade killed Chad to get a bigger piece of whatever golden pie you thought you’d found because you’re both in dire financial straits.”
“How would you know anything about mine and Wade’s finances?”
“Because Chad told me how much money you both owed him. Are you guys planning to pay his estate back? His mom could probably use it to run the business now that Chad’s gone.”
Wade threads his fingers behind his head. “How do you know we hadn’t already paid him back? You and Chad haven’t been together for months.”
Crystal shoots back, “Because I asked Chad’s mom last Friday after I heard he was dead. We still talk. She confirmed you hadn’t paid him back, because he would’ve told her. She thought the three of you were up to something too.”
Wade finally sits up. “She’s like a mother to me. You had no right to upset her like that with your fantasy and lies.”
“Oh, wait!” Madge’s face whips toward me. “Sawyer, do you think Chad could’ve known about that art you found in the back before you reopened? Or the Mark Twain book your uncle is always going on about that he thinks is still hidden in your house?”
Thank you, Madge, for doing my one job here tonight. “I don’t know. My mom never mentioned the paintings before she died. I just stumbled across them.” I’d cross my fingers behind my back, but they might notice. Besides, technically, my mother never mentioned the art. Because it doesn’t exist.
The Admiral adds, “I was dating Zoe, and I had never heard her speak of those paintings in the back either. Anyone else?” His eyes scan the group of people all shaking their heads. “Crystal, do you have any facts on which to base an accusation of collusion between Chad, Julie, and Wade?”
“No.” Crystal huffs out a breath. “Except I dated Chad for a long time and knew him well. I always knew when he was keeping something from me. We fought about his sneakiness often. He was definitely hiding something from me when we broke up.”
Probably that he wanted to be with Julie, but I’ll keep that thought to myself.
Crystal points to Wade. “You’ve had a crush on Julie since high school. I bet it chapped your butt that Chad stole her right out from under you, because Chad beat you at everything, didn’t he, Wade? You pretend to be a laid-back dude, but those fights the two of you got into at the bar were always because Chad beat you at something again. Weren’t they, Wade?”
He shrugs. “Chad and I were like brothers. We fought, but we were always friends. You’re just making up stuff because you killed Chad, Crystal. We all know you did it!”
Julie and Madge are both nodding, so Crystal says, “Tell us why we shouldn’t think you killed Chad, Julie. You and Wade are clearly a team now. And you had DDT on your sleeve. Your looks aren’t going to get you out of this one like they always have before.”
Wade says, “And your bullying tactics aren’t going to save you this time either, Crystal.”
Crystal’s face is turning so red, I’m worried she might blow out a blood vessel when she yells, “When could I have poisoned Chad? I talked to him for like five minutes, and then I left!”
“I have a theory about that, Crystal.” The Admiral, who’s been watching the accusations fly, his eyes shifting left and right as if watching a tennis match, says, “It seems to me that you and Julie could have been working together. Perhaps Chad the Cheater, as he’s known around here, scorned you both? Maybe it was your job, Crystal, to distract Chad while Julie plated up and poisoned his food? It seems pretending to be enemies and both having circumstantial evidence against you would be a fine way to muddle the case.”
Crystal and Julie both send the Admiral scathing looks before Crystal says, “That’s just stupid. Everyone knows Julie and I can’t stand each other.” She turns her glare toward the others. “You call yourselves a mystery book club, but you’re nothing but a bunch of hacks sitting around reading books because you have nothing else to do with your sad little lives!”
My phone dings with a text. It’s from Dylan telling me to cut things off. Now!
I put Cooper on the floor and stand. “Okay, guys. Maybe that’s enough for—”
Loud banging interrupts me and silences the group.
I turn around, and my uncle, Mr. Black Suit, and Mr. Gray Suit from the bank are standing outside the front door. This can’t be good. My uncle must’ve found out about the note my mom left in the Admiral’s box via his daily mayoral briefings.
Cooper prances to the door ahead of me, probably eager to get away from all the screaming and carrying on. “Cooper, sit.”
His little rump hits the floor, and he waits for me to join him at the door. “Good boy.” Dylan worked with my pup on that last night, so I’m glad he listens to me too.
With a twist of the key, I unlock the door and in barrels my uncle. “Your mother can’t get around what’s legally mine with some silly riddles. What has she left you?”
The whole store has become as quiet as a tomb. Everyone is waiting for my reply.
The problem is I don’t like to out-and-out lie. I don’t mind a little innuendo that can be misconstrued now and then, or even some omission of the truth to protect people sometimes, but straight-up lying has never worked out so well for me. The facts always come out. And then I just look like a liar. “Dylan and I figured out the first clue and found a key to a storage unit. We didn’t have time to investigate what’s inside. I haven’t figured out the second clue yet.”
My uncle waggles his fingers. “Hand over the key.”
I shake my head. “My mother left the key for me. I will let you know if what I find is something relevant to you.”
“I think these gentlemen would agree that what is in that storage unit might be relevant to this case.” My uncle’s grin is a smug one.
“The storage place is closed right now, so we’ll go check it out tomorrow. I’m pretty sure the other thing of value she left is still in the house somewhere, but I’ll have to think on the clue some more to figure it out.”
“That Twain book is as much mine as it is yours, Sawyer. Or whatever else she left in the house.”
“I’m spending the night with Renee tonight, so we’ll deal with this tomorrow. Whatever Mom left has been hidden all this time. I’m sure whatever it is isn’t going anywhere.” Everyone in the store now knows I won’t be home tonight. Please don’t let my uncle ruin our catch-a-thief plans and insist we go to the house and look. “Now, if you’ll excuse us, we’re in the middle of book club.”
“Hold up, Ms. Davis.” Mr. Gray Suit moves around the mayor to stand in front of me. “We have
some business with one of your members.”
Black Suit joins his partner, and they confront Crystal. “Ma’am, will you hold out your hands, please? You’re under arrest for the murder of Chad Fellows.” Black suit slaps on the cuffs.
A collective gasp sounds. Not that most people didn’t think Crystal did it, but to see her arrested slams the reality home.
We all watch in shocked silence as Crystal gets Mirandized. Or whatever it’s called when they read you your rights.
When they’re done, Crystal says, “My father will have me out within the hour. You’ve got nothing on me!”
Mr. Black Suit says, “We’ll talk about that when we get to the station. Let’s go.”
Crystal sends one last sneer at Wade and Julie before she reluctantly lets the cops haul her out of her chair and to the front door.
As everyone begins talking at once about justice being served, I’m not so sure. Because if Crystal acted alone, who put the can in Madge’s knitting bag after Crystal left?
Chapter 17
I’m staring at the ceiling of Renee’s tiny guest room in her adorable little cottage by the ocean. The first rays of sunlight are creeping through the mostly closed curtains, and I can’t sleep. I haven’t heard from Dylan, so I don’t know what’s going on at my house, but I don’t want to call or text. In the movies, it’s always the phone making noise giving away people’s location when they’re hiding from bad guys. So I throw my covers back and get up. Cooper lifts his head from his blanket on the floor and wags his tail, always ready to start his day. I wish I had even a fraction of his enthusiasm for mornings.
I tiptoe down Renee’s creaky stairs and let Cooper out the back door. Yawning, I start the coffee and then rummage through Renee’s fridge. She’s not big on cooking. The best I can find for breakfast is leftover pizza from last night’s late-night delivery. It’ll have to do.
I don’t want to wake Gage, who’s sleeping on the couch in the living room, so when the coffee is made, I take my mug and the pizza outside to the back deck and set them on the table. The scream of seagulls scavenging for their breakfast and the cool, salty breeze from the ocean remind me why living in Sunset Cove long-term could be a good thing. It sure beats the stifling summer Chicago heat.
Cooper flops at my feet. “What do you think, Coop? Cold pizza? Or should I go inside and heat it?”
“I like mine cold.” Renee, dressed in a silk oriental robe and with her coffee mug in hand, joins me and snatches a slice from the box. “How’d you sleep?”
Renee is one of those people who can fall asleep in an instant and always wakes up looking perfect. It’s annoying. “Hardly at all. You?”
“Like a baby. Probably because of all the wine we drank last night.” Renee takes a huge bite and then swallows. “Yet, even I’d have trouble sleeping if I had two handsome men pursuing me, a murderer after my stuff, and an uncle ready to foil my restaurant plans at the slightest misstep. Much easier to casually date guys from the city and run an ice-cream shop.”
I whisper just in case Gage is up inside, “Casual dating isn’t fun anymore.” I take a long drink from my mug. “I wouldn’t mind selling ice cream all day long again, though. It’s a happy job.”
“It is.” Renee leans closer. “Perhaps your dating discontent is because of Dylan? Have old feelings resurfaced? Or are you thinking about a relationship with the hunky town lawyer who was looking at you last night like you were the last scoop of ice cream on a hot summer day?”
“Who knows?” I wave a hand and take another long drink. “Let’s talk about your dating life. It’s much more interesting than mine.”
“Don’t change the subject again. And to ensure you answer this time …” Renee grabs my mug. “No more coffee until you spill your guts.”
“Taking away an addict’s coffee is just mean.”
Renee, who’s about a foot taller than me, raises the mug over her head. “Answer my question, or this gets poured out.”
“Fine.” I cross my arms and lower my voice again. “Part of me thinks Dylan has changed and maybe we should give it another go. Another part tells me I should go on a few dates with Gage. See if there’s anything there.”
“Gage is a nice guy.” Renee replaces my mug on the table. “And Dylan I only pretend to hate on your behalf. You can’t go wrong either way, but there’s one big problem.”
“What?” I take a sip from my mug, bracing for what I’m pretty sure I know Renee is going to say about my lingering feelings for Dylan.
My pal leans closer and whispers, “One of them you still love.” She grabs another slice of pizza.
That’s the rub. “Loving someone and being in love can be two different things.”
“Or the same thing.” Renee’s lips slowly grow into a huge smile. “’Bout time you admitted it. Sort of. Maybe dating Mr. Hunky on the couch would be a good idea. It might make a certain sheriff realize he needs to step up his game.”
“If I decide to go on a date, it won’t be to play games with Dylan. I’ll talk with Dylan first. He’ll know exactly where I stand.”
Renee nods. “Assuming you figure that out. Right now, I’d say you’re sitting smack dab in the middle of the fence. But there are worse problems in life. Like running out of hot fudge at my shop.”
That makes me smile. “I know choosing between two attractive men isn’t a problem in most people’s minds, but I don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings. Especially mine again.”
“Admit it. You’re afraid Dylan will move on if you date Gage. That it matters to you speaks volumes, my friend.”
Renee’s right. She knows me way too well. I’m not ready to make this decision. “Let’s not forget that I have to see Dylan every national holiday if I want to spend them with my family. There’s a lot at stake here.”
“I know.” Renee leans over and wraps me up in a hug. “Listen to your heart. Then do what it tells you. No pain, no gain as they say. And I’ll take whichever one you don’t choose.”
“You would’ve already had one of them by now if you’d wanted either one, you man-eater.” I lightly swat the back of Renee’s head before I release her. “Must be a curse to be so good-looking and perfect. Brittany asked how we were even friends because you’re so much cooler than I am.”
Renee smiles. “Feed her free ice cream for dinner as I do, and you’ll quickly surpass me in the coolness department.”
“Do you do that often? Feed her ice cream for dinner?”
“Yeah. Or I share my ‘leftover’ pizza with her.” Renee shrugs. “I feel sorry for the kid. I offered to let her stay with me, but she refused. Don’t say anything, especially to Dylan, but her mom took off with a guy a month ago. Brittany has no idea where she is. She’s terrified she’ll have to go into foster care if anyone finds out she’s on her own.”
This news hits me like a punch to the gut. “No wonder Brittany was so worried about the bookstore closing. Her livelihood depends on it now.” And maybe it’s her mom who keeps disappointing her. Her father took off years ago.
“Not to mention she’s still grieving for your mom. Brittany adored Zoe, but please don’t let on that you know. Brittany thinks her mom will come back eventually. She has in the past.”
“Okay, but keep me posted. I’ll threaten her job if I have to so she’ll stay with me. She shouldn’t be on her own.”
Renee’s eyes twinkle with amusement over the rim of her mug. “That’s the reason I told you. I knew you’d come to the rescue. You’re a sucker for anything lost or broken.”
“You’re just afraid those deeply buried motherly instincts—that you deny having—almost surfaced there.” Renee has vowed since high school that she’ll never have kids, mostly because her childhood wasn’t all that great. “Feeding Brittany and being her confidante shows your resolve is slipping.”
Renee shakes her head and is stuffing her mouth with pizza when my phone dings with a text. “It’s from Dylan. No activity at my house last night. He’s
going into his office for a few minutes, and then he’ll pick me up so we can go to the storage unit together as soon as it opens.”
Renee says, “Maybe the cops arrested the right person if nothing happened last night at your house.”
“Or the other killer got spooked and is lying low.” I still don’t see how Crystal could’ve killed Chad alone. And if that’s true, why would she protect her partner in crime?
I’m sitting on the couch reading email while Gage and Renee are getting ready upstairs, trying not to get too excited about what we’ll find in the storage unit. I say to Cooper, “Chances are my uncle will claim rights to whatever we find anyway, right, Coop?” Which just makes me sad.
A knock at the door interrupts my scrolling. Must be Dylan. Cooper is barking as I set my phone on the coffee table and open the door.
Wade is standing on the other side. “Hey, Sawyer. I was hoping I’d catch you before you left this morning. I found some crown molding on sale that’s almost an exact match to your existing wood. We need to jump on it at this price.” He throws a thumb over his shoulder. “I have a sample in the truck. Want to come see?”
“Yes!” We’ve been looking for something with a similar pattern for a long time with no luck. I feared we’d have to have it custom-made.
I close the door behind me and follow Wade to his truck. He opens the driver’s door, then grabs my arm and pushes me inside. “Don’t scream, or I’ll hurt you.” Wade picks up a gun from the floorboard and points it at me. “Slide over.”
It was Wade all along?
Cooper must’ve slipped out behind me. He jumps in too and is in my lap by the time Wade closes the door and starts the engine. My heart is beating triple time as Wade takes off. “What do you want with me, Wade?” Maybe I can jump out at the next stop sign.
He keeps his gun pointed at me from the far side of his body. “Someone at the bank told me you and Dylan read the letter in the Admiral’s box.”
Plotting for Murder (Cozy Mystery Bookshop Series Book 1) Page 19