by Cindy Bell
Chapter 11
Arnold could play in the courtyard of the shop. There was a large pen for him there. As soon as Ally had settled Arnold in the courtyard, she stepped into the shop. As she began to prepare the shop for opening, she thought about what she had heard. She was jolted from her thoughts by a knock on the door. She walked to it and found it was Luke. She opened it up for him and smiled. Luke gave her a kiss and hug, then stepped inside. He closed the door behind him and followed her to the counter.
“You’re early?” She turned around and began to start the coffee pots.
“Ally, Jasmine said you might have heard Eric threaten her, is that true?”
When she turned back, she found him right in front of the counter. He gazed into her eyes with a patient but determined stare.
“I heard something.” Ally cleared her throat. “But I happen to know that Jasmine pushed him down, hard, before he said it.”
“Wait, what?” Luke narrowed his eyes. “How could you know that? Eric said you were outside with Arnold.”
“I wasn’t.” She took a deep breath. “The door was open, and I wanted to see if someone was inside. When I didn’t see anyone, I just thought I’d take a look around. Eric had said that there might be some equipment that I could use for the shop. But once I was inside, I heard Eric and Jasmine arguing. So, I hid behind some boxes.”
“You could have just told them you were there.” Luke raised an eyebrow.
“Yes, I could have. But I was curious about what they were arguing about. Then it got to be too late to just suddenly jump out from behind some boxes. How would I explain that?” Ally shrugged, then turned around again to pour him a cup of coffee. Her cheeks burned as she turned back to hand it to him. “So yes, I heard Eric say something that could be considered a threat, but only after Jasmine pushed him down on the ground.”
“I see.” Luke took the coffee. “Thanks for this.”
“You’re welcome.” Ally met his eyes again and attempted to assess whether his cool tone was related to his focus on the investigation, or him worrying that she was getting herself into trouble.
“How did you get out of there without them seeing you?” Luke took a sip of his coffee.
“I threw a penny into the kitchen to distract them.” Ally licked her lips, then turned back to pour herself a cup of coffee. “I know I shouldn’t have pretended not to be there, but I wanted to hear what they were arguing about.”
“And?” Luke rested his elbows against the counter as he studied her. “What did you hear?”
“Jasmine accused him of trying to kill her, like he killed her husband.” Ally took a deep breath. “But Eric insisted he had no intentions of hurting her. He asked her to reconsider kicking him out of the shop.” She cleared her throat. “Begged her.”
“That was it?” Luke raised his eyebrows. “Eric didn’t get angry with her? Didn’t say anything I should know about?” His eyes locked to hers.
Ally stared back at him as her heartbeat quickened. She knew, though he might not ever say it, that he was waiting to see if she would tell him everything.
“Eric accused Jasmine of marrying Gary for his money and threatened her that she would regret it if she accused him of murder.” Ally frowned. “He also said that there was some bad blood between Gary and himself when they were younger. They didn’t get along.”
“I’m looking into their history.” Luke rubbed his hand along the curve of his chin.
“Luke, I know things are tense between us, but I’m telling you the truth.”
“Tense?” He stroked his hand along the curve of her cheek, then rested his hand on the top of her shoulder. “I’m sorry if I made you feel that way, but it’s not true. I’m just busy with the investigation. I know that you’re as wrapped up in this investigation as I am, and I want you to be careful. Ducking into Eric’s shop is one thing, but then sticking around when you heard an argument, that’s risky. What if things had gotten out of hand?”
“I was careful. I was about to call you, actually.” Ally laughed, relieved to hear the tenderness in his voice. “But then, Jasmine did it herself before I could.”
“I have to run.” Luke leaned forward and gave her a light kiss on the lips.
“I’ll see you at the town hall tonight?” She smiled.
“Yes, I’ll probably be there.” Luke set his coffee cup down on the counter. “Thanks again for this.”
“And this.” Ally picked up a chocolate and tucked it between his lips. “You can’t live on coffee alone, Luke.”
“Mm, delicious. Thank you.” Luke winked at her, then turned and headed out of the shop.
Ally followed after him and locked the door behind him. She needed a few minutes to gather her thoughts and to get the shop open before customers arrived. It had already been a very adventurous morning.
When Ally finally opened the shop for business, she was greeted by a steady line of customers for the first few hours. By the time it had died down in the afternoon, she needed to make more chocolates, and quick. She headed into the back to prepare some. As the chocolate melted, she peered through the side window at Arnold. He rooted around in the courtyard, quite curious about everything. Her mind shifted back to that moment in the alley when she realized that it was really a hand sticking out of the dumpster. She closed her eyes as she relived the moment. Had she overlooked something? Was there a sound? A car? A voice? As she opened her eyes again a terrible smell greeted her. She gasped as she realized that she was burning the chocolate. She turned off the heat and sighed. It wasn’t often that she made a mistake like that.
After cleaning up the mess, Ally started another pot, however the burnt smell lingered in the air. Suddenly, she recalled a similar scent. It was in the alley. It was a burnt smell, like burnt food, or even burnt coffee. She had assumed that the smell came from the dumpster, but what if it hadn’t? What if it had been coming from another building nearby? Maybe someone had moved the body, but in the process forgotten about something that was on a burner? She sighed as she realized that directed her right back to Eric’s bakery. Other than her shop, it was the only shop nearby the alley that sold food or drinks. However, there were a few houses that dotted the street behind the shops.
As Ally finished pouring chocolate into molds, she glanced through the back window. Past Arnold, and his small pen, was the back of a house that faced the narrow street beyond it. She saw Cinnamon walk towards the house. The white cat with light brown patches lived there with Carlisle. He was an older gentleman that stopped in once a month to purchase a small box of chocolates. He would often sit on his porch and Ally would greet him when she took Arnold for his walks. Ally wondered if perhaps Carlisle had heard something.
“Ally?” Charlotte called out to her in the same moment that the bell over the door rang.
“Yes Mee-Maw, I’m here, in the back.” Ally slid the molds into the cooler, then headed out to greet her grandmother. “How are you today?”
“All right.” Charlotte smiled, then opened her arms to her granddaughter for a hug. “Glad to see you, as always.”
“Me too.” Ally gave her a tight squeeze. “Would you like to do me a favor?”
“Sure, what is it?” Charlotte picked up one of the chocolates from the sample tray. “It smells good in here.”
“It didn’t a little while ago. I burnt chocolate.” Ally frowned.
“Really?” Charlotte’s eyes widened. “You must have had a lot on your mind.”
“Boy did I!” Ally shared the events of the morning with her grandmother while she put together a small box of chocolates.
“Oh, so that’s why I saw Arnold out the back.” Charlotte pursed her lips. “That’s a pretty tough morning, Ally. Though I’m glad you had a visit from Luke.”
“Me too.” Ally smiled a bit, then handed Charlotte the box of chocolates. “Now for that favor. I thought Carlisle might have heard or seen something since he lives so close to the alley where Gary’s body was dumped. You k
now he wouldn’t have said anything to the police, though.”
“So, you want me to take this to him and see what he has to say?” Charlotte nodded. “That’s a good idea, Ally. I’ll see what I can find out.”
“Thanks.” Ally glanced up at the clock. “It’s closing time in about an hour, and we can head over to the town hall meeting. I’m curious to see who shows up for it. There are plenty of other people that were quite upset with Gary’s decision to build the casino, and when they find out that the plans are still on, I’m guessing things are not going to go well.”
“Yes, it will be interesting to watch the reactions. With so little evidence to go on, it could really be anyone at this point.” Charlotte frowned. “Maybe Carlisle will know something that can point us in the right direction.”
“I sure hope so.” Ally smiled. “Tell him I say hi.”
“I will.” Charlotte glanced back over her shoulder as she headed to the door. Seeing Ally hard at work to keep the shop going always warmed her heart. She could only imagine how furious she would be if someone tried to take the shop away from them. Maybe Ally didn’t really see Eric as a possible suspect, but it was becoming harder for Charlotte not to.
Chapter 12
Charlotte headed around the back of the shop so that she could pay Arnold a brief visit on the way to Carlisle’s house. When she crouched down to pet the pig, he nuzzled her hand and grunted at her.
“Having a nice day out, are you?” Charlotte smiled into his big, brown eyes. “You were worried about Ally this morning, weren’t you?”
Arnold squealed, then nuzzled her hand again.
“I know, she can be a little too daring. I’m not sure where she gets that from.” Charlotte planted a light kiss on the top of Arnold’s head, then continued on to Carlisle’s house. When she knocked on the door, she was greeted with silence. This didn’t surprise her, as Carlisle rarely opened the door on the first knock. He was a bit stuck in his ways and a loner, and although he did often sit on his porch, on the rare occasions that he ventured farther he followed the same patterns and spoke to the same people.
“Carlisle? It’s me Charlotte. Can I speak to you for a moment?” Charlotte knocked again.
Seconds later the door opened a few inches.
“What do you want, Charlotte?”
“Ally asked me to bring you something.” Charlotte peered through the crack. She realized it might be more difficult to get information out of him than she had anticipated. “Can I just come in for a few seconds?”
“In?” He cleared his throat. “I don’t know.”
“It’s okay, Carlisle, I’m your friend. You don’t need to worry about anything with me.” Charlotte’s heart softened as she wondered if the man’s home might be messy. He rarely invited anyone inside. She had mentioned to him a few times the option of moving into Freely Lakes where cheap housekeeping was available to all residents if they chose, but he balked at the idea every time.
“All right, but just for a few seconds.” Carlisle pulled the door all of the way open and stepped aside so that she could enter. Cinnamon suddenly appeared and bolted inside, quickly rubbing against Charlotte’s leg on the way.
As Charlotte stepped farther inside, she prepared herself for a mess, or even a hoarding situation, instead she was stunned by the immaculate state of Carlisle’s living room. Everything was in its place, and there were very few things to begin with. He had a recliner, but no couch, a small coffee table with nothing on it, and a small television positioned in front of the recliner. Cinnamon was in the corner of the room having some food.
“Thank you, Carlisle. These are for you.” Charlotte offered him the box of chocolates.
“Oh, but it’s not time for me to get new chocolates, yet. I still have two left in the box from last month.” Carlisle eyed the box of chocolates.
Charlotte was surprised that he still had chocolates left. It would take quite a bit of discipline for her to make a small box of chocolates last that long.
“It’s an extra treat from Ally. I think she really just wanted me to stop in to see how you’re doing. She was worried that all of the commotion might have upset you.” Charlotte held out the box to him.
“Oh, all right.” Carlisle sighed. “I guess.” He took the box and set it down on the coffee table. “Do you mean all the sirens? And the body?” His eyes widened as he turned back to face her.
“Yes. Gary Bob. Did you know him?” Charlotte studied his weathered face and skin closely. She knew that he used to work as a gardener. But for many years he had been pent up in his house.
“No, I didn’t know him personally.” Carlisle sank down in his recliner and looked towards the window that faced the alley. “I knew of him, but I didn’t know him personally at all.”
“Did you hear anything else that night, Carlisle? Anyone shouting maybe? Or a strange sound in the alley?” Charlotte took a step closer to him.
“Nothing,” he muttered, then looked down at his hands folded in his lap. “I’ve lived here for a long time, Charlotte. A very long time. I can’t count how long, anymore.”
“I know.” She smiled at him. “I’m so glad that you have.”
“In all that time, I’ve never seen a person like that.” He looked up at her suddenly, his eyes sharp and his tone firm.
“A person like what?” Charlotte’s heart skipped a beat at the sudden intensity in his expression.
“Slung over a shoulder like a sack of potatoes. Like nothing. Lifeless. Like a doll,” he mumbled, then wiped at his eyes. “Never seen anything like that before.”
“You saw someone carrying Gary?” Charlotte’s voice trembled. “Did you see who it was, Carlisle?”
“A man, the shadows in the alley, they made him one big shadow. I couldn’t see his face. Maybe he wasn’t even real.” Carlisle sighed and sat back in his chair. “Then he scurried away like a rat, right into a hole.”
“A hole?” Charlotte narrowed her eyes. “Do you mean he ran off?”
“No, he went into his hole.” Carlisle shook his head. “Just like a rat.”
“It was a man?” Charlotte kept her voice as calm as she could. It was clear to her that Carlisle wasn’t completely lucid.
“I think so. Maybe. All I saw was darkness.” He ran his hand along his face. “Nothing but darkness.”
“Maybe the person wore a mask?” Charlotte crouched down in front of him. “Is that what you saw?”
“Maybe.” Carlisle chewed on his bottom lip, then frowned. “Doesn’t matter now, he went into his hole.”
Charlotte narrowed her eyes as she stared at him. Yes, he might be confused, but she didn’t think that he would speak complete nonsense.
“What hole did the rat go into? A building?” Charlotte looked at him. “Did you see him go into a house or a building?”
“No!” Carlisle sighed as he stared up at her. “I told you he went into his hole!”
Charlotte sensed his frustration and smiled. “Thank you, Carlisle, you’ve been a big help. Enjoy your candy, okay? If you need anything just let me or Ally know.”
“I will.” Carlisle picked up the box of chocolates, then frowned. “It’s too early for this. Now I’ll have to eat one every day.” Carlisle paused, then smiled. “I guess that wouldn’t be so bad, would it?”
“No, it wouldn’t.” Charlotte smiled, then let herself out through the front door. As she started down the driveway, she noticed a figure at the end of it. He stared at her for a long moment, then headed across the street to his parked car. Charlotte casually strolled towards the sidewalk as if she hadn’t noticed him, but it only took her a few seconds to recognize him. Phil. What was Phil doing standing at the bottom of Carlisle’s driveway? There were shops in the street. Maybe he was just walking past. Maybe she was being paranoid. She wasn’t sure what he was up to if anything, but she intended to find out.
As Phil settled in his car, Charlotte made her way to the parking lot of the chocolate shop. She could still see
the back end of Phil’s car as the brake lights lit up. She turned on Ally’s car, eased out of the parking lot, and lined up a few car lengths behind Phil’s vehicle. As she trailed after him, she noticed that he drove straight towards Mainbry. It occurred to her that he likely had a purpose for being outside of Carlisle’s house, but when he saw her, he decided to leave. There was only one reason she could think of that he was watching Carlisle’s house. Maybe he wanted to find out what Carlisle had seen or heard, too. The possibility made her uneasy, because it meant two things. One, Phil was likely the murderer, and two, Carlisle might be in danger.
Charlotte pulled the car to a stop in the parking lot of a motel, a few spaces away from where Phil parked. She sent a quick text to Ally to say she had borrowed her car, then looked around the parking lot. She noticed Rick’s car. It was easy to spot because of the rental license plate on it. Charlotte watched as Phil walked into the motel room marked with a number three. She presumed that it was the room Rick was staying in. Did they kill Gary together? As she stared through the windshield, she wondered what she should do next. Yes, she needed to know what Phil was up to, but how far was she willing to go? She glanced in the rearview mirror and gave her hair a light fluff. Satisfied that she was presentable, she stepped out of the car. When she knocked on the door, she plastered a wide smile on her lips.
“Yes?” Phil pulled open the door.
“Hi Phil, I’m so glad that you’re here.” Charlotte smiled.
“Charlotte.” His eyes widened slightly. “I was just eating a piece of your candy, it is so delicious.”
“Well, thank you, but I can’t take all of the credit.” She laughed. “Anyway, I just wanted to stop by and thank Rick again for that wonderful order, and to invite you both to a private tasting of some brand-new chocolates we are going to be adding to our assortment.” She peered past him into the motel room. “Is Rick here?”