by Cindy Bell
“This is going to be a difficult investigation.” Luke sighed as he released her. “I might not have a lot of free time.”
“I understand.” Ally grabbed his favorite mug and poured him a cup of coffee. “Don’t worry about me.” She set his coffee mug down in front of him and met his eyes. “Anything I can do to help, you just let me know.”
“Thanks.” Luke took a sip of the coffee. “The medical examiner confirmed the manner of death, and also the time. It also looks like he was moved, though we can’t pinpoint from where just yet. However, with the timeline we have, it can be assumed that Gary was probably killed in Blue River or nearby.”
“I know you already thought it was a local.” Ally took a deep breath. “Apparently, he had some trouble with Harriet Duluth.”
“Yes, I have spoken to her about it. She claims that he accused her of leaking the information about the casino, but she insists that she didn’t. I don’t know why it’s such a big deal anyway, the information would have been revealed soon enough.” Luke took a long swallow of his coffee.
“Have you considered Linda?” Ally spoke in a whisper, but still checked the front door of the shop to make sure that no one was about to step inside.
“Of course. That was my first thought. Or perhaps one of their sons.” Luke met her eyes.
“Their sons?” Ally took a sharp breath. “Aren’t they only sixteen or seventeen?”
“Yes, but homicide doesn’t have an age limit, and if they had some pent-up anger towards their father, that could have got worse as they got older.” Luke finished the last sip of coffee. “However, both Linda and her sons have an alibi for the time of the murder that puts them hours away from Blue River. I’ve all but ruled them out.”
“All but?” Ally looked into his eyes.
“Murder for hire is always a possibility.” Luke arched an eyebrow. “The messy way he was killed, and the disposal of the body makes that unlikely, but it still needs to be considered.” He straightened up. “Thanks so much for the coffee, Ally.” He leaned across the counter, gazed into her eyes, then placed a light kiss on her lips. “And for brightening my day.”
“If you need a little sunshine later, you know where to find me.” Ally winked at him and smiled as he left the shop, but the moment the door closed behind him, she frowned. There were far more suspects than leads, and she knew that meant the investigation could drag out not just for weeks but for months.
Not long after Luke’s visit, her grandmother arrived at the shop.
“Morning Ally.” Charlotte smiled as she poured herself a cup of coffee.
“Morning Mee-Maw. I thought you were going to sleep a bit more?” Ally grabbed her some cream for her coffee.
“I did. I’m going to meet Jasmine, but I wanted to pick up a box of chocolates to take to her. Oh also, I spoke with Linda this morning. I just wanted to see how she was doing with the news, and she said that she hadn’t heard from Gary in years. She’s not surprised that he was killed, though. She said he’d been mixed up with some dangerous people after he decided to take off and live a new life.” Charlotte shook her head as her hands balled into fists at her sides. “I will never understand what makes someone think it’s okay to leave their family behind.”
“Me either.” Ally frowned as she considered the possibilities. “Luke said Linda and her sons have alibis for the time of the murder. Maybe in the long run it was better for them that Gary left. At least his dangerous lifestyle didn’t spill into their lives.”
“True.” Charlotte sighed and walked over to her. “I hate to say it, but it sounds like Gary won’t be very missed.”
“Even if he’s not, his kids will need to know what really happened to him.” Ally added the last box of chocolates to a stack behind the counter. “This should complete that order from yesterday. Did he say when he would be in to pick it up?”
“I left a voicemail, I haven’t heard back yet.” Charlotte glanced up at the clock on the wall. “Hopefully, we will hear from him soon.” She stepped closer to her granddaughter. “Ally, did you know that Gary was going to kick Eric out of his shop? He only gave him the minimum notice required.”
“Are you serious? Eric? He’s been there for years.” Ally frowned and lowered her voice.
“I know, I was surprised when I heard it from Mrs. Cale. I’m not sure if it’s true, but honestly it sounds like something that Gary would do.”
“Oh no.” Ally clasped her hand over her mouth and sighed. “I saw Eric, right before I found Gary in the alley. He seemed a bit evasive.”
“Ally, are you suggesting that Eric might have had something to do with Gary’s murder?” Charlotte’s eyes widened.
“I don’t want to suggest it. I like Eric, you know I do, but I can’t ignore that he clearly had a motive.” Ally glanced towards the door to make sure that no one was about to step inside. Then looked back at her grandmother. She was sure that Eric would never do anything to hurt anyone. Eric was the first to volunteer to help anyone in need. He always showed up for fundraiser events and was more politically minded than she would likely ever be. “Eric was going to lose everything. Now, at least he’ll probably not be kicked out, or he’ll have the opportunity to buy the shop, more than likely. So, he did benefit, but even if he isn’t able to lease or buy the shop, he could have committed the murder out of pure rage or a need for revenge.”
“Eric?” Charlotte’s mouth dropped open, then she shook her head. “I can’t see him doing such a terrible thing.”
“I agree.”
“But it’s hard to predict who will do what.”
“What do you think I should do, Mee-Maw?” Ally shifted from one foot to the other. “I think I better mention it to Luke.”
“Yes, Luke needs all the information to solve this. You better make sure he knows as soon as possible.”
“You’re right.” Ally tugged her phone out of her pocket. “I should give him a call. Let me know if you hear about the large pick-up. I can always deliver if he prefers.”
“Okay, I think I’ll give him another call.” Charlotte headed for the store telephone.
Ally stepped out through the kitchen door into the parking lot. She dialed Luke’s number and waited. If he was busy, he wouldn’t answer. She expected he might be, with the investigation being as intensive as it was. Just when she thought she should hang up, he picked up.
“Hi Ally.”
“Hi Luke. Do you have a minute?” Ally shifted from one foot to the other as she still wondered if sharing the information with him was the right thing to do. Eric had been so kind to her, how would he feel if he thought that she suspected him?
“For you, of course.” Luke laughed, then gave a quick order to someone near him. “I need that as fast as possible. I don’t care if you have to go to Mainbry for it.” He cleared his throat. “What’s up?”
“Oh, you’re busy, I can call you back.” Ally felt some relief at the thought of postponing the admission until later.
“No, I’m right here. What do you need?” Luke’s tone became firm.
“Okay.” She took a deep breath and realized that now he was curious, and he was not going to let it go. “Just before I found Gary, Arnold and I stopped to speak with Eric, the owner of the bakery.” Ally paused and listened to his shift in breathing.
“That wasn’t in your statement.”
“I know.” Ally closed her eyes. “I didn’t think about it at the time. I just remembered. It must have skipped my mind because of the shock of finding Gary.”
“Is there anything else you have to tell me. It’s a murder investigation, you need to tell me everything.” Luke took a slow breath.
Ally recognized it as an attempt to calm himself down. She braced herself for the possibility of his frustration. Luke was a very mellow person most of the time, but when it came to an investigation, he could get a little wound up.
“I’m sorry, no there’s nothing else.” Ally knew he was right she needed to tell him eve
rything, but if Eric was innocent, what did it matter?
“Ally, just tell me everything about seeing Eric.” Luke cleared his throat.
“It’s nothing really. He just seemed a bit evasive. He was there later than usual, and I mentioned it. He said that he had some business to handle. I’m sure he had nothing to do with the murder, but it was unusual, and now that I remembered the conversation, I just can’t get it off my mind.” Ally took a sharp breath. “Luke, it wasn’t my intention to hide anything. I just didn’t think of it. I know that Eric had some trouble with Gary, and I hope assumptions aren’t made.”
“I don’t make assumptions. You know that. I follow the evidence.” Luke’s cool tone wavered some as he continued. “This is important information. Especially since it looks as if Eric has given a false alibi.”
“What?” Ally’s heart began to pound. “What do you mean?”
“He told the police that he left his shop at closing time and went to his house and didn’t leave again. Let me double-check.” Luke paused, then continued. “Yes. The statement he gave says that he left at closing time, and he did not see Gary Bob. He also doesn’t mention seeing or speaking to you. I suppose he was counting on you not to speak about it either. Did he tell you to keep this quiet, Ally?”
“No, of course not. I would have told you that, Luke.” Ally narrowed her eyes as she attempted to make sense of what he said.
“Of course, it’s important that you told me this, Ally. Thank you.” Luke hung up the phone.
Ally stared at her phone. She wondered if she had upset him by not telling him the information straight away. She had definitely made Eric a target of the investigation. Was it possible that he really was the killer? Could someone as normal as Eric seemed, murder someone, and then have a friendly chat while he petted a pig? It seemed impossible to her. She paced through the parking lot as minutes slipped by. She tried to imagine a scenario where Eric could have murdered Gary, then dragged his body out into the alley and put him in the dumpster, just in time to greet her and Arnold in front of his bakery. If he was in a rush it could explain why the hand was sticking out. The very thought made her head spin. She decided to take a short walk to clear her mind.
As Ally started to walk back towards the shop, she noticed someone open the front door. The sight of Eric stepping into the shop made her freeze where she stood.
Chapter 7
Was she ready to talk to Eric? Uncertain, Ally slipped as quietly as she could through the back door into the shop. From the kitchen, she could hear her grandmother greet him.
“Eric, hi.” Charlotte offered him a warm smile as he walked towards her. “How are you doing?”
“How am I doing?” He shook his head as he paced the length of the counter. “Not well, actually. Is Ally here?”
“Right here.” Ally stepped out of the kitchen and behind the counter. Although she managed a small smile, she couldn’t bring herself to look directly at Eric.
“Ally.” Eric paused in front of her and frowned. “I guess you told the police about our conversation.”
“What she did or didn’t tell the police, is not really something to be discussed, Eric.” Charlotte stepped closer to Ally.
“Don’t worry, I’m not here to argue.” Eric sighed and ran his hand back through his hair. “To tell you the truth, I forgot all about our conversation, Ally. I’d had such a rough day, and I didn’t really know what time it was when I left. When the police asked me about the murder, I knew they might suspect me. So, I just said I closed at normal time so that they wouldn’t think I had anything to do with it.”
“I had to tell the truth, Eric.” Ally’s stomach twisted as she saw his chin tremble. “I didn’t want to get you into any trouble, but I had to tell the truth.”
“I understand.” Eric sniffled and turned away from both women. “I would never want you to lie. I just honestly forgot. I should have been honest from the start. If I was, I would at least look less suspicious than I do now.” He glanced back at Ally. “You know I didn’t do it, don’t you?”
“Of course.” Ally took a deep breath. “Eric, I know that you were having a tough time with Gary, but you’ve never been anything but kind to me. I didn’t tell the police because I suspected you, I just told them because it’s very important for them to have all of the information when they investigate.”
“Ally, you don’t have to explain yourself.” Charlotte placed her hand on Ally’s shoulder.
“No, you don’t.” Eric sighed. “I’m the one that needs to explain myself. I doubt that the police are going to believe me at this point, but I am the only one to blame for that. I shot my credibility by lying to them in the first place.”
“It’s going to be all right, Eric.” Ally stepped around the side of the counter and walked over to him. “You’re innocent, and Luke is going to be able to prove that when he finds the real killer.”
“Right.” Eric offered a wry smile. “I hope that’s the case. But that’s not why I came here. I thought you might be interested in some of the equipment I have in my shop. You can come by and take a look if you want.”
“Your equipment?” Charlotte raised an eyebrow. “Are you closing down?”
“Probably. It looks like I don’t have much of a choice. At this point, I am a murder suspect, and beyond that I have no idea what Gary’s wife is going to do about the shop. My lease has been terminated. She owns it now, and as far as I’ve heard she’s only interested in selling off everything so that she can get as much money out of it as possible. I can’t afford to buy it. She’s made no secret about the fact that she can’t get out of Blue River fast enough.” Eric shook his head. “I know she’s had a great loss. I doubt that she’s going to be the least bit concerned about a stranger living in a town that she despises.”
“Let’s hope that’s not the case.” Charlotte gave him a light pat on the shoulder. “If she does sell it, maybe you can lease it from the new owners.”
“I hope so. Thanks Charlotte.” Eric met Ally’s eyes briefly, then turned and left the shop.
Ally stared down at her feet as she heard the door swing shut.
“Ally, you didn’t do anything wrong.” Charlotte walked over to her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders.
“Then why does it feel so much like I did?” Ally sighed as she looked up at her grandmother. “Eric is upset with me.” She looked through the front window of the shop. “It looks like Eric’s done. His bakery is probably going to be shut down, and he’s only the first. Who else is going to disappear from Blue River?”
“I don’t know yet, Ally.” Charlotte took a deep breath. “Maybe Jasmine isn’t as unreasonable as people are assuming. Maybe her husband’s death will inspire some compassion in her. I’m going to go talk to her and find out.” She grabbed a box of chocolates from the shelf behind the counter. “Let me know if Phil’s friend shows up.”
“I will, Mee-Maw. Can you check on Arnold and Peaches on the way, please?”
“Of course.”
“Let me know how it goes with Jasmine.” Ally waved to her grandmother as another customer stepped into the shop. She tried to focus on the task at hand, but her thoughts returned to Eric. If he was innocent, he might be losing everything, through no fault of his own.
After going to the cottage to check on Arnold and Peaches, Charlotte drove towards Jasmine’s house. As she did, she drove past several stores that had been open as long as she could remember. Even when businesses hit hard times in Blue River, the community would rally around them in an attempt to keep them open. Unless there were some very poor financial decisions made, or the owner of the business was no longer interested in keeping it open, most of the businesses not only survived, but turned around to thrive. However, it didn’t look like that would happen with Eric. He could possibly look for another space to rent, but there weren’t many, if any, options left in Blue River. Gary owned or bought whatever was for sale, and the rest had renters that she doubted would be in
terested in moving. Eric could move on to Mainbry or another town, but she knew it would be difficult for him to survive without his local customer base.
Charlotte pulled into the driveway of the large house at the end of a dead-end road. For a moment she stared at it. It wasn’t long ago that the locals had been debating whether it should be knocked down. It had spent many years empty, and there was some concern about its structure. But now it looked nothing short of glamorous. It had been repainted, the front porch had been rebuilt, and the landscaping reminded her of the grounds of a palace. How could Jasmine not want to live in that? She took a deep breath and reminded herself not to instantly judge the woman. She had just lost her husband, and likely didn’t have any friends or family nearby. The last thing she needed was one more person to put pressure on her. Charlotte didn’t want to do that, but she did want to see if she could suss out Jasmine’s intentions for Blue River and the people that lived and worked in it.
As Charlotte approached the steps, she checked to be sure that her hair was tucked behind her ears and her button-down blouse was straight and smooth. She climbed the steps to the front door, then knocked lightly on it.
A moment later, the door swung open.
“May I help you?” Jasmine stared at her. She was remarkably young. Her youth almost took Charlotte’s breath away. She reminded her in that instant of Ally. When Ally returned to Blue River after her divorce, Charlotte had been so concerned about her. Yes, Ally was strong, but was she strong enough to handle betrayal and heartbreak at such a young age? Now she wondered the same about Jasmine.
“I’m so sorry for your loss, Jasmine. My name is Charlotte.” She met her eyes. “I hope you can forgive the intrusion.”
“Charlotte, like from the candy shop?” Jasmine smiled some. “I had some of your candy, and they were so good.”
“I’m glad you liked them.” Charlotte offered her the box of chocolates. “Just something I thought you might enjoy.”