Ashley Crane Cozy Mystery Boxed Set

by Laurie Anne Marie

  Ashley eagerly sat at the table, and her mom passed around the delicious food. They ate for a moment first, and then Burt spoke up.

  “We need a plan,” he said.

  “Absolutely,” April said.

  They discussed the scary events up to this point and their future plans. They agreed to check in with each other constantly throughout each day. Even though Ashley knew her parents were worried, they were trying to keep calm about it at the moment.

  Since her dad worked various hours at the garden shop, he would be home at different times. The same applied to Ashley, as her new schedule once the restaurant reopened was bound to change every few days like before. April, meanwhile, came and went between her errands and charities and decoupage club. Everyone agreed to keep their eyes open and be extra cautious.

  “How long do we have a cop tailing us?” Burt asked.

  “I don’t know. Detective Thompson didn’t tell me the exact date. He just said until things die down or until they are sure that the murderer is caught.”

  “I thought that dishwasher guy they had in jail is the killer,” Burt frowned.

  “Well, they obviously thought so, or Jimmy wouldn’t be locked up, but with this motorcycle guy out there trying to run people down, maybe they’re beginning to have doubts,” Ashley said.

  “Well, I’ve got news,” April said. “I talked to my decoupage club today, and they seem to think that the wife did it.”

  Silence. Both Ashley and Burt stared at April.

  “Why did they say that, Mom?” Ashley asked.

  “Because, some of the ladies in the club know her. Not well, but they’ve had encounters with her, and she’s always been in a bad mood. They see her around town, and they’ve heard things. And two club members said they had heard that your boss and his wife weren’t getting along and that he had recently asked for a divorce. Seems he had a little honey tucked away,” April explained.

  “A divorce? Well, that’s serious. Still, that’s not a reason to murder her husband,” Ashley said to her mom. Meanwhile, she thought to herself that it could be a very good reason.

  “I don’t know about that. If I caught your father fooling around on me after all these years, I might consider doing away with him too,” April teased.

  “Woman, it would take a lot to walk away from your cooking,” Burt said as he shoved another piece of roast beef into his mouth.

  “Mom, Dad, this is serious. They’ve got a guy in jail, but I’m sure it’s not the right guy. And there’s a loony out there coming after us. Something doesn’t add up,” Ashley explained.

  “All the more reason for you to listen to my decoupage group, honey. Focus on the wife.”

  “Copy that. Hell hath no fury like a woman scorched,” Burt said.

  “Scorned, Dad. Like a woman scorned.”

  Burt laughed. “What’s the difference?”

  Her parents went into fits of guffaws. Ashley, meanwhile, excused herself and went to bed. She wanted to be up bright and early to prepare her questions to pepper everyone with when she returned to work. She would stop at the bakery to see if Darren’s wife Julia was there again too.

  Ashley peeked out the window first and sighed in relief to see the cop car there. Thank goodness. Hopefully tomorrow would reveal some more clues she could go on to get to the bottom of Darren’s murder. As she snuggled under the covers with Charlie and Susie Q, she thought of all the possible motives everyone could have.

  “I go, and it is done: the bell invites me. Hear it not, Duncan, for it is a knell that summons thee to heaven or to hell,” Ashley recited.

  Charlie gave her a look as if to say, “What are you talking about?” and extended his paw over the pillow.

  Susie Q began to purr.

  “See, Charlie? Susie likes Shakespeare,” Ashley said. “That was from the play Macbeth. It illustrates a premeditated murder. I have to figure out who plotted to kill Darren and why.”

  Charlie yawned then curled up to sleep, no doubt to dream of tuna filet.

  “Bet you think we humans are crazy, huh?” Ashley sighed.

  Soon the house was quiet, and Ashley fell into a deep sleep.

  Chapter Fourteen

  The rest of the week was a blur as she ran errands, darted in and out of Babycakes to try to see Julia Short, and went with her friend Lara to clean up her apartment and put everything back in order. Burt came along, too, and fixed the lock and put a timer on the lights. She wasn’t about to leave her parents’ house anytime soon, but it felt good to have the place back to normal and a light coming on every now and then. Her neighbors were full of questions, but it was Mrs. Norris who bothered her the most.

  “When are you coming back? Are they sure the guy they put in jail really did it? I heard that you were being threatened by some other strange guy. It’s not that we don’t miss you, but I hate to have someone following you back here and doing something crazy again, know what I mean? It scares the neighbors and makes it hard to rent units out,” Mrs. Norris said. She paused to take a breath after her barrage. “Other than that, how are you?” Mrs. Norris continued. She kept peering at Ashley.

  “Fine, Mrs. Norris. I’ll be staying with my parents for a while longer, thank you,” Ashley replied.

  “Oh good, such a sweet girl. Well, take care then.”

  As Ashley, Lara, and her father drove off, Mrs. Norris shouted at them.

  “Don’t forget your rent is due on the first!”

  Ashley sighed. Her dad and Lara laughed.

  “Bet you don’t miss her,” Lara said.

  “Like a boil in the middle of my face,” Ashley said.

  ***

  Ashley and Burt dropped Lara off and thanked her for her help.

  “Are you sure you don’t want to take a bakery run? My treat,” Ashley said.

  Lara smiled. “Thanks, but I have to do laundry and stuff. See you later.”

  “Nice girl,” Burt said. “Glad you’re still friends after all these years.”

  “Me too,” Ashley said.

  Ashley then dropped her father off at the house next then headed off to Babycakes. The parking lot was full, so she had to find a spot way down the street. She took in the hectic scene as she walked over. Reporters had descended on the usually quiet hamlet and seemed to be all over the place, taking their notes or on their computers and phones.

  Ashley imagined that some of the townsfolk were staring at her. It didn’t help that they whispered or talked in low tones when she passed by. Then again, they were probably reacting that way to all the people who had worked at Gratitude Café. This was big news, and the gossips couldn’t get enough of it.

  “Hey, Sean. How’s it going?” Ashley asked.

  “Hey, Ash, it's good, I think. With all these curious people descending on the town, I’m busier than ever. But I tell ya, I’m wiped out. Been getting to sleep later and later every night,” Sean replied.

  Ashley laughed. “Well, if it’s good for your bank account, who needs sleep?”

  He smiled and pushed a plate of cookies at her.

  “Snickerdoodles and peanut butter.”

  “Uh oh, can’t resist. I make good snickerdoodles, but yours are better.”

  She gulped them down then took a look around the bakery.

  “Wow, with all these people in here, how could you even see Julia Short if she came in?” Ashley asked.

  “She’s been in, but honestly, I don’t have time to notice what she’s up to these days. She comes and goes before I know it.”

  “That’s what I thought. Well, gotta get back home. Work starts tomorrow. Wish me luck.”

  “You’ll be fine. Let me know how it goes,” Sean said.

  Before he could say another word, another large group came in and pressed their noses to the pastry case. Sean scrambled to take care of them.

  “Can you believe what the paper said today? This town has some strange stuff going on,” said a customer.

  “Don’t believe everything
you read,” said another.

  “Especially the news on the internet. They rush to get a story out and don’t always fact check.”

  “I’m too old to care about that darn internet,” grumbled another.

  “But you’re not too old to want your photo taken in front of the crime scene at that restaurant,” teased another person.

  As Ashley walked out, she realized that things might never be the same around here in Comfortville. But seeing Sean and eating his cookies had helped, and soon she’d be eating another one of her mom’s home-cooked meals. She smiled at the thought.

  Just then, her phone rang. This time, she looked at the caller ID. It said “private number” again.

  She paused for a second as it kept ringing then answered. She didn’t say hello this time. As she listened to the call, she heard a slight breath. She held on and waited. Another breath. Then a click.

  ***

  After the private caller had hung up, Ashley put in a call to Detective Thompson.

  “Hello, Detective,” Ashley said when he answered the phone.

  “Yes, Miss Crane?” Thompson replied.

  “I got another call.”

  “What did he say?”

  “Nothing.”

  “What do you mean, nothing?”

  “I just heard breathing. Twice. Then he hung up.”

  “It could have been the wrong number.”

  “No, I’m pretty sure he meant to call me.”

  “But how can you tell if the caller didn’t say anything and then hung up?

  “Well, you said to let you know if he called again.”

  “What I’m saying is, if the caller didn’t say anything, how do…” Detective Thompson started to sputter. “You know, that’s right, I did tell you that. And you did the right thing by letting me know. Thanks and have a good day.”

  “Okay, Detective. Thank you too. By the way, any more leads on the murder?”

  “Miss Crane, I can’t discuss that with you,” Detective Thompson said.

  “Okay, but I’m starting work again tomorrow, and I’ll keep my eyes open,” Ashley replied.

  “Well, you do that, but remember, don’t interfere.”

  “I promise I’ll do my best.”

  Ashley then hung up just as she heard him trying to say something.

  He’ll see soon enough that I’m not kidding about trying to help solve this case, she thought.

  Ashley drove home with her mind on fire and, after dinner, went to bed early for her meeting in the morning at the restaurant.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Ashley’s alarm went off at the crack of dawn, and she bolted out of bed. She threw on her clothes and stumbled to the kitchen to make a strong cup of coffee. Her mom wasn’t up yet to make her breakfast, and Ashley was too nervous to eat it anyway.

  Instead, she grabbed a cinnamon muffin from the fridge and heated it up. She spread it with a thick slab of butter and mused about work while she downed it with her coffee. Today would be a litmus test of how everyone was dealing with the aftermath of the murder. Hopefully, she could get some answers before her shift was done.

  As she walked to her car, she noticed a new policeman in the car across the street. Again, she gave him a faint smile, and he nodded back. As she pulled out, he slowly turned around and followed her. No doubt he would return and do the same with her parents. She felt comforted they were being watched over, but as she drove down her street, she caught the eyes of some curious neighbors who were going to work.

  Ashley sighed. Small-town curiosity. What are you gonna do?

  Sure enough, when she got to work, the cop car turned around again.

  She braced herself for the day and walked into the restaurant.

  ***

  Ashley’s mouth immediately dropped wide open. Where were the familiar faces? She quickly scanned a group of strangers, most looking down at their phones.

  She muttered “hello” with a weak smile and sat down at one of the tables. A few new faces quickly glanced up at her.

  Nash then strode in from the kitchen and glanced around the room.

  “Thank you all for showing up at this early hour, but as you know, this is a very important day to go over some things before we open our doors again to the public after the unfortunate tragedy that happened here,” Nash said.

  He paused and quickly scanned the crowd. “I see we are still waiting for some people to arrive.” Nash frowned. He looked annoyed.

  Just then, the door swung open, and in walked four people Ashley had worked with before. One was Sara, who gave her a quick half smile then stared like a robot around the room before sitting down. Then there was Meagan, who glared at Ashley quickly and then looked away.

  Ugh.

  Meagan was wearing another tight top again to show off her boobs. After that, Jose the line cook walked in, softly whistling to himself and glancing around nervously. He was followed by Serena Patz, who looked sad and sniffled a bit. The last time Ashley had seen Serena, she was having a meltdown in the parking lot after they found Darren’s body. Serena sat down and wiped her eyes.

  “Are you okay?” Mr. Nash asked.

  “Yes,” Serena stammered. “It’s just so sad; here we are, and Darren is gone…” She began to sniffle again.

  “It’s a loss for everyone,” Mr. Nash said.

  He didn’t look like it was a loss at all. He seemed impatient to get to the business at hand.

  ***

  And that he did. He went over everyone’s duties and what was expected of them. He emphasized protocol. He told everyone that he would not only be the new owner but the general manager as well. Then he laid down some new rules which Ashley thought were a bit excessive, but everyone sat in rapt attention as he spoke.

  “And most importantly, I’ve added more staff so we don’t find ourselves coming up short when it comes to customers’ expectations. We not only will continue to serve great food in the restaurant, but we will also become known again for our great service as well,” Mr. Nash declared.

  Ashley took a quick look around the room again. There were a lot of people to get to know. But more importantly, she had to quiz the old staff to see if they had heard anything or knew anything about the night of Darren’s murder.

  “Any questions?” Mr. Nash said.

  A flurry of hands went up. People wanted to know about their schedules, some of the rules and what they meant, questions about the menu, were the hours the same, and so on.

  Ashley only had one concern. Who would be the other cooks, and how hard were they going to work? She didn’t want to go back to “call Ashley to come in and cover” on her days off anymore.

  After all the questions were answered and the new people had introduced themselves, everyone went to their stations to get ready for the doors to open. She headed back into the kitchen.

  Here we go, she thought.

  Now she would find out a lot about her new kitchen coworkers when the breakfast rush hit them. She sighed as she tied on her apron. Jose gave her a nervous smile and jerked his head towards a tall and skinny dark-headed guy who was putting on his apron at the end of the kitchen. Ashley started to ask him what he was gesturing about when Jose put up his finger to his mouth and uttered a soft “ssshhh.”

  Ashley looked over at the new cook. She froze. Wait a minute. Was that the guy? The one who had tried to run her over? She wasn’t a hundred percent sure as far as identifying his face, but he was tall and skinny, and she instantly got a queasy feeling in her gut.

  Ashley couldn’t believe it. Could that really be him cooking here in the restaurant?

  Suddenly, the tall and skinny guy turned and looked at her. She finally got a good look at his face. Plastered on it was a sickly and menacing grin.

  How would she be able to work here now if her tormentor was employed here? On the other hand, how could she absolutely prove it was him?

  Jose kept glancing nervously between the other cook and Ashley. Did Jose know him?
>
  What is going on? she thought.

  ***

  Ashley decided she would call Detective Thompson on her break. The morning shift was very unsettling. Every time Ashley had to get close to the new cook, he glared at her threateningly. She couldn’t wait for a break. She said she had to use the restroom then ran outside to use her phone.

  “Detective Thompson, please,” Ashley whispered urgently, to the desk officer.

  “Who’s calling?” the desk officer replied.

  “Ashley Crane. Please tell him it’s urgent.” She only had to wait a few seconds.

  “Detective Thompson,” the voice answered.

  “Detective, I think the man that’s been making those threatening phone calls to me and then tried to run me over with his motorcycle is here working at the restaurant!” Ashley said.

  “What? Why would he show up to work at your restaurant? That’s crazy. Are you sure it’s him?”

  “Not a hundred percent, but eighty-five percent. He’s tall and thin like that guy was.”

  “I need more to go on than that. Can you give me a better description?” Detective Thompson asked.

  “Well, like I told you, the day when he tried to run me over, I never got an exact look at his face, but his body fits the description, and he’s been glaring at me all morning.”

  “Look, I understand that you’re unnerved, but maybe this guy only resembles him. You said yourself that it happened so fast that you never got a chance to really see him. It doesn’t make sense that he would risk getting caught by showing up as an employee.”

  “I have a bad feeling about him. Something is really telling me it’s the same guy. Can you at least check him out?” Ashley said.

  “Okay. I will. Get me his full name, and I’ll find out what I can.”

  “Thank you, Detective. I really appreciate it. And thank you again for the car. It’s been a relief to see it following us and parked outside the home. Can you make sure it’s here when I leave to follow me home? I’m off at two thirty p.m. today.”