by Cindy Bell
“Thanks, but no.” Luke glanced back over his shoulder, into the living room. “Is she really doing okay?”
“You know Ally, she’s always strong.” Charlotte frowned. “But I think this shook her.”
“I imagine it did.” Luke looked at Charlotte. “Are you okay? I know that you knew Gary.”
“I did, a bit.” She nodded. “But I’m okay. I know the best detective in Blue River is on the case.”
“Thanks.” Luke winced. “I hope I can live up to that title.”
Charlotte started to close the door as Luke headed for his car, but another person trotted up the driveway.
“Charlotte!” Mrs. Cale waved to her. “Charlotte, is Ally in there?”
“Yes, she is.” Charlotte frowned as she blocked the doorway. “She’s resting.”
“Oh, I understand. I just want to make sure that she’s okay. Can’t I speak to her for just a minute?” Mrs. Cale clasped her hands together.
“Mee-Maw, it’s okay.” Ally approached the door. “Mrs. Cale can come in.”
“Ally! Are you okay?” Mrs. Cale rushed forward, with Charlotte on her heels. “Mrs. White told me everything that happened.”
“She did?” Ally stared at her as she headed back to the couch. “How did Mrs. White know what happened, Mrs. Cale?”
“Mrs. White was walking home and spotted all the flashing lights as they approached the scene. Oh, as soon as those sirens went off people started talking.” Mrs. Cale frowned as she studied Ally. “Mrs. White said she saw you there, with Arnold. I was so worried about you. How are you holding up?”
“I’m fine. Nothing happened to me.” Ally sighed as Mrs. Cale sat down beside her. “It was Gary Bob.”
“I know.” Mrs. Cale nodded slowly, then glanced away. “That news is spreading quickly, too.”
“The poor man.” Charlotte turned away as she spoke.
Ally noticed the tension in her face before she could hide it.
“I’m so sorry, Mee-Maw. I know you two were once friends.” Ally took her hand.
“We were never close.” Charlotte shook her head. “I was closer to his wife, Linda. Of course, she’s moved on, but this will still be difficult news for her and her children.”
“Their children.” Mrs. Cale corrected. “They might not have known him well, but they have still lost a father.”
Ally’s eyes blurred with tears at the thought. The loss of her own mother had been very difficult, and her father was never a presence in her life. After her mother passed, it had only been her and her grandmother, who she loved dearly. She hugged Charlotte again, tighter this time, and whispered beside her ear.
“We’re going to find out what happened to him.”
“Yes, we are.” Charlotte straightened up and gave Ally a determined nod. “We should start with the people we know had a problem with him.”
“That’s going to be a very long list.” Mrs. Cale raised an eyebrow.
“I’ll get us that tea.” Charlotte turned towards the kitchen. “I think we’re going to need it.”
“Coffee might be better.” Ally wiped a hand across her forehead.
“Not you, young lady. You are going to bed.” Charlotte pulled her up to her feet.
“Mee-Maw, I’ll be fine.” Ally started to sit back down.
“Not this time, Ally. This time, I’m playing the grandmother card. You’re going to lie down, and let us get the ball rolling. As soon as we come across something, we’ll let you know.”
Ally reluctantly listened to her grandmother, mainly because she wasn’t sure that she could keep her eyes open much longer.
As Ally walked towards the bedroom, she heard the two women begin to chatter about who was top on their list of suspects.
Chapter 5
“Is Ally really doing okay?” Mrs. Cale accepted the cup of tea from Charlotte, and met her eyes.
“I think so. Ally is a strong, young woman.” Charlotte sat down next to Mrs. Cale. “But that’s not something that anyone should have to see.”
“No, it’s certainly not.” Mrs. Cale took a sip of her tea. “Although, I can’t say that it surprises me.”
“No?” Charlotte set her cup down to let it cool. “You don’t find it shocking that a man was murdered in an alley in Blue River?”
“No, that part is definitely shocking.” Mrs. Cale sat back and sighed. “Who it was, is the part that doesn’t surprise me. Gary certainly had no shortage of enemies since returning to Blue River.”
“You’re right about that.” Charlotte crossed her legs and rested an elbow on her knee. As she rested her chin in her hand she stared off into space. “But which of them would be interested in killing him?”
“Which one wouldn’t be?” Mrs. Cale raised an eyebrow. “His idea of building a casino threatened the way of life that we are all used to here. He intended to go through with the plan, no matter what anyone else thought of it. He was even kicking the tenants out of the properties he owned. Including Eric’s bakery.”
“How terrible.” Charlotte narrowed her eyes. “I do believe that he had a few supporters, though.” She finally picked up her cup of tea. “Ally mentioned that he seemed upset when he discovered that the news about the casino was out already.”
“Yes, he did. Again, my guess would be that someone outed him on purpose to try to throw a wrench into his plans.” Mrs. Cale tapped her finger lightly against her palm. “He threatened the traditions of this town, the small businesses of this town, and even Harriet.”
“Harriet Duluth?” Charlotte’s eyes widened. “How did he threaten Harriet?”
“Rumor has it that he stormed her office, not long after we saw him in the shop. Obviously, I don’t know for sure, I wasn’t there.” Mrs. Cale took a breath. “But according to my hairdresser’s niece who works as a receptionist in the same office, he barged in without an appointment and demanded to see Harriet. They even initiated emergency protocol, but Harriet stopped them before they could call the police. She let him into her office and a shouting match ensued. Then he stormed right back out.”
“Wow, I wonder why she didn’t call the police. It sounds pretty risky to let someone behave like that in a government office.” Charlotte narrowed her eyes. “Unless it was more important to her that what he had to say didn’t get out to everyone.”
“Do you think he had something on her?” Mrs. Cale sipped her tea as her eyes widened. “Maybe he was trying to blackmail her?”
“I think it’s possible. The land he bought was recently rezoned for commercial use. He was able to buy large pieces of land, and when was the last time that anyone bought up so much property in Blue River?” Charlotte picked up her tea. “I think the fact that he was able to do that so easily might indicate that he had the help of someone in power.”
“You think Harriet helped him?” Mrs. Cale shook her head as she cringed. “No way. She despises the idea of a casino being built here.”
“Maybe so, but something made her let him into her office.” Charlotte frowned. “I intend to find out what. Ally said there’s a meeting at the town hall Sunday night, I’m going to be there.”
“Me too.” Mrs. Cale finished the last of her tea and set the cup down on the coffee table. “Mrs. Bing is beside herself about all of this. I’m not sure if she’s more shocked about the murder, or disappointed about the casino.”
“Are we sure that it’s not going to happen?” Charlotte stood up to clear their cups. “I’d assume that Gary’s new wife Jasmine will inherit everything. She may decide to go through with his plans.”
“I doubt it.” Mrs. Cale followed her into the kitchen. “It’s pretty well known around town how much she despises Blue River. I’ll be surprised if she even sticks around to see the results of the investigation.”
“A city girl, huh?” Charlotte set the cups in the sink, then began to tidy up the kitchen. “I wonder if there’s a reason why she hates Blue River so much, or if she just isn’t the small-town type.”
“Still?”
“Yes, I don’t think she’ll ever get over it.” Mrs. Cale sighed. “But I don’t think that she could ever murder someone. She was very angry, though.”
“So, we know that Harriet hated him, his ex-wife hates him for leaving her and the kids. Anyone else?” Charlotte washed out the tea cups, careful as she wiped the delicate handles.
“Of course, there are many local shop owners that aren’t happy with Gary. In fact, there was supposed to be a protest at the town hall. It’s all planned out. I’m not sure if they will go through with it now, after what happened to Gary, but they might if they suspect that Jasmine will pick up where he left off.” Mrs. Cale pulled out her phone and scrolled through a few texts, then handed it to Charlotte. “This is the latest.”
“Wow, people are really saying this?” Charlotte’s voice wavered as she read over the harsh texts. “Who can be happy about a murder?”
“I don’t think they’re happy as much as they are relieved.” Mrs. Cale took her phone back. “Charlotte, you and Ally are lucky. You have the shop, you own the property, and you have each other. But not everyone in Blue River is as lucky as you are.”
“That may be true, but I still can’t imagine anyone being this cruel.” Charlotte stood up and wrung her hands as she began to pace. “We need to figure all of this out before things get any more out of hand. I’d hate for Jasmine to be treated this way, or to find out that people are speaking about her husband this way.”
“Hopefully, Luke will find some kind of evidence to go on.” Mrs. Cale stood up. “Let’s touch base tomorrow, Charlotte. I’ll let you know if I hear anything else of interest.”
“Thank you.” Charlotte walked her to the door, with Arnold trailing at her heels. “Please, let me know if things start to become more unsettled.”
“I will.” Mrs. Cale blew her a kiss as she stepped out the door. “Don’t worry, I will stay on top of things.”
Charlotte pushed the door closed, then took a deep breath. Normally, she would head back to her own apartment, but she didn’t want to leave Ally alone. Instead she dialed Jeff’s number.
“Hi Charlotte. Are we still on for our walk tonight?”
“I’m sorry, Jeff, I can’t make it.” Charlotte paused. She’d kept things casual between herself and Jeff. They were good friends, and occasionally things had a romantic leaning. “I wanted to ask you something.”
“Sure.”
“Do you know a man named Gary Bob?”
“Gary? Sure. We did some business together in the past. Why?”
Charlotte’s heart skipped a beat as she realized that now she would have to tell him about what happened to Gary. As she filled him in as gently as she could, she could hear his breathing grow uneven.
“Is Ally okay?”
“She’s fine.” Charlotte frowned. “I’m sorry for your loss, Jeff.”
“We weren’t too close, but I am sorry to see him meet this kind of end. What a terrible thing. Do you want me to come over?”
“No, it’s okay. I think a quiet evening is just what I need. Thank you, though.” Charlotte hung up the phone before he could protest. She decided to watch some television in the living room before she went to bed. She got a blanket from her room. Ally had left Charlotte’s room furnished so she could sleep over whenever she wanted to.
As Charlotte stretched out on the couch, Arnold sprawled out on the floor beside her. She trailed her fingertips along the length of his back. “It’s okay, Arnold, we’re going to figure this out.”
When Ally opened her eyes the next morning, she felt the weight of the night before like an elephant’s foot on her chest. Yes, Gary was still dead, and the memory of how she found him played through her mind before she could even assess what time it was. The hint of sun that glowed through the blinds in her bedroom window indicated it was still fairly early. She stared up at the ceiling and tried to slow her mind down. Peaches stirred next to her. Ally heard a faint purr as the cat stretched her paws into her side and stomach.
“Ow, Peaches.” She scrunched up her nose and shifted out of the cat’s reach. As she swung her legs over the side of the bed an ache carried through her shoulders. She had slept so deeply she hadn’t moved much. She stretched her arms above her head, took a deep breath, then reached for her phone. As she checked for any messages she might have missed, she noticed a text from Luke that came in the night before. He had wished her goodnight. She smiled at the idea that despite how busy he was, he took the time to text her. She sent a text in return to wish him a good morning. She had no doubt that he was up already, if he had even slept at all. Luke would dig into the case until he solved it, forgoing any other personal needs. She crept into the kitchen, uncertain if her grandmother had spent the night or not. When she caught sight of her on the couch, she felt some relief. Her presence was quite a comfort.
“Ally?” Charlotte pushed the blanket down away from her chin and glanced in the direction of the kitchen. “Are you up, sweetheart?”
“Yes, I’m sorry if I woke you.” Ally peered into the living room. “Did you sleep okay? Why didn’t you sleep in your room?”
“I slept well. I thought I’d lie here for a bit before going to bed and I must have fallen asleep.” Charlotte sat up on the couch and gazed into the kitchen. “Come and sit with me for a minute.”
“Gladly.” Ally sat down beside her, then pulled her feet up onto the couch.
Charlotte draped her blanket around Ally and snuggled close to her.
“How did you sleep?”
“Very deeply.” She wiggled her shoulders. “I don’t think I moved a muscle all night.”
“I’m so glad. I was worried that you wouldn’t be able to sleep very well.” Charlotte rested her head against Ally’s. “I know today might be hard. Why don’t you let me run the shop?”
“No way. I can’t wait to get in there. I’m sure that there will be all kinds of news about what’s going on around town, and what people think about what happened to Gary. I don’t want to miss any of it. There might be some clues hidden in all of that gossip.” Ally flipped on the lamp beside the couch. “How did your visit with Mrs. Cale go?”
“She had some interesting ideas.” Charlotte shared the details of what she and Mrs. Cale had talked about the night before.
“He threatened Harriet Duluth?” Ally shook her head. “She’s such a nice person. A bright light in our community. Why would he be so angry at her?”
“I don’t know, but I think it would be a good idea for us to find out, don’t you?” Charlotte took Ally’s hand. “That and I’d like to pay a visit to Jasmine myself. I’m curious about how she might be handling all of this.” She raised an eyebrow. “A lot can be discovered about a person in the way that they grieve.”
“I think that’s a good idea.” Ally smiled as Arnold stuck his nose into the palm of her hand. “I guess it’s time to feed these guys. Why don’t you get a little more sleep, Mee-Maw? I’ll open up the shop and you can go visit Jasmine.” She stood up from the couch. “I’ll walk to the shop, you can take my car.”
“I’ll just rest my eyes for a few more minutes.” Charlotte nodded then slid down on the couch.
Ally smiled to herself as she draped the blanket over her grandmother. She knew that was code for falling sound asleep.
“I’ll see you later today.” Ally leaned down and kissed the top of her head.
Chapter 6
After Ally fed Arnold and Peaches, she walked out onto the driveway. The sun had risen higher in the sky. At a little after seven, the neighborhood was filled with the morning bustle. People heading off to work, school, and other act
ivities. She watched them for a minute as she started walking down the driveway. What had Gary’s mornings been like? Did Jasmine make him breakfast? Did he leave while she was still asleep? Did he stop anywhere on his way to work? Ally closed her eyes as she considered all of the possibilities. If there was one thing she knew about getting to the bottom of a mystery, it was that getting to know the person in the center of it would almost always unravel it.
Ally walked to the shop with this thought still on her mind. How could she get to know a man who had only returned to Blue River a few weeks before? She didn’t remember him from when he had previously lived in Blue River. She barely recalled Linda, and the kids, who were a few years younger than she was. All she did remember was the shock that rippled through the community when he took off on them. She could recall the expression on her grandmother’s face when Linda showed up at the shop one day in tears. But she didn’t understand the conversation the two women had, and her grandmother had sent her into the kitchen when things got too heated.
Ally unlocked the shop and stepped inside. There it was, instant comfort, a feeling of coming home. She soaked in the familiarity of it, then began the daily routine of opening up for business. Minutes after she unlocked the door, the bell rang out, and she looked up to see Luke step inside.
“Hey there.” Luke smiled as he walked up to the counter. “Seeing you is a great way to brighten my day.”
“Is that so?” She smiled in return and walked around the side of the counter.
“Absolutely.” Luke slid his arms around her waist and looked into her eyes. “I thought I’d come by and check on you.”
“And maybe get some coffee?” Ally grinned as she gazed back at him.
“Maybe.” Luke placed a light kiss on her lips. “Or a few kisses.”
“And a few kisses.” Ally replied and kissed him again. For a few seconds as she lost herself in the passion of the kiss, she could imagine that nothing bad ever happened in Blue River. Then he pulled away and reality came flooding back.