Crumbling Up Crooks

by Emmie Lyn

  After a big intake of air for courage, I asked, “Well, AJ. I have to ask you this—did you kill Nick North?”

  “Of course, I didn’t.” He stared at me with an unwavering look. “In hindsight, I wish I had gone straight into that backroom while Kelly was still there, though. I tried to follow her request and paced around the store trying to distract myself by looking for a gift for Maggie. So, there’s that fifteen or twenty minutes of time that someone could have snuck in through the back door. If I’d gone in right away, I’d know for sure whether Nick was still alive when Kelly left. That’s the problem. I don’t know for sure and it’s eating me up.”

  “Okay, let’s put all that aside for now. Who else had a motive to kill him?”

  “Harry Glassman,” AJ mumbled.

  “Right, and he went out for a two mile walk early this morning. It’s not hard to imagine that he walked by Creative Designs, made a detour into the back room, saw Nick and killed him in a rage. Don’t forget, we all witnessed his anger at the open house.”

  I was on a roll, but I didn’t want to hit AJ with too much information all at once. He was so upset and distracted, I had to give him time to let each piece settle, marinate, and form his own picture of what might have happened.

  “You know, AJ, just because you’re off the case, doesn’t mean you have to stop thinking like a detective. Quit feeling sorry for yourself and put that detective hat right back on,” Rose said in her no-nonsense voice.

  I knew it well from living with her for so many years. I was glad I wasn’t the only one trying to knock some sense into AJ. Plus, advice coming from Rose gave it a lot more clout. He wouldn’t dare talk back to her.

  “So, Harry is one suspect, but I want you to consider Marion Glassman, too.” I continued with my information. “Penny heard the door of the Blue Moon Inn open early this morning. Marion admitted that she went to her car to get something. Kind of vague, right?”

  AJ sat up a little straighter, and the furrows in his brow smoothed out a bit. “I see where you’re going, Dani. Marion could have gone anywhere. From the Blue Moon Inn to Creative Designs is only a few minutes at best so the same scenario you described for Harry applies to Marion, too.”

  “Exactly! Now, let’s talk motives,” I said.

  AJ pulled his detective notebook out of his pocket. Great! He was finally getting into the role he was cut out for—sleuthing. I could lead him and help him stay away from Jane’s investigation, but he had to do his share of thinking, too.

  When he stopped scribbling down his notes, he looked up at me. “Motives. Go.”

  “First, Harry,” I said. “That’s easy. If Nick did in fact steal Harry’s work, we don’t have to dig any deeper.”

  “But how do we find that out?” Luke asked. “I mean, Harry is a reputable glassblower, and it is possible that Nick stole those items. With Nick dead, how do we prove who made the reindeer and Christmas trees?”

  “I could take a little visit to his studio to see if he has any reindeer or Christmas trees on display,” Rose suggested. “Would Nick steal every single one? Maybe Harry had some packed up that Nick didn’t know about. Wouldn’t an artist keep something, seconds even?”

  “That’s kind of obvious,” I said to Rose. “And, besides, with both Harry and Marion here, the studio must be closed.”

  She gave a tiny shrug like my question was barely worth a reply. “Didn’t you know? I need a custom-made set of stemless wine glasses for my new apartment. That should get me in the door. I’ll visit the Blue Moon Inn tomorrow and talk to Marion. She seems like a reasonable person.”

  When Rose made up her mind and used her special brand of charisma, she always got what she wanted.

  “Reasonable or an excellent actress,” AJ said. “Dani, do you have a motive for Marion, too?”

  “Yes, but it’s not as clear-cut. Penny indicated that there was some kind of romance problem between Marion and Nick. She said Nick canceled his reservation at the Blue Moon Inn and stayed at the Misty Harbor Inn instead. I’m beginning to think that Mr. Nick North was a womanizer of the worst kind, breaking hearts left, right, and center.”

  AJ grumbled, “Good thing he’s already dead. I hate men like that.”

  Luke stood up and stretched. “I’m not much help here so I’m heading home before I can’t see straight. But I’ll be back bright and early to finish up your apartment, Rose. No excuses—finish tomorrow.”

  Rose gave a two-finger salute to Luke, which drew a laugh from him. I stood and wrapped my arm around his waist, walking with him to the front door.

  “We’ll try to stay out of your way tomorrow,” I promised.

  I wanted the apartment finished, too. Not so much because I couldn’t wait for Rose to move out of the main part of the house, but I knew how important it was to Luke. He took great pride in his work and leaving a job unfinished, especially with so little left to do, weighed on his conscience.

  “How about breakfast together when I get here tomorrow?”

  “Perfect. Fried eggs on cheesy hash browns. How does that sound?”

  He waffled his hand back and forth.

  “Okay. Make your own breakfast, then.” I tried not to laugh.

  Luke laughed first; his breath warm on my neck as he leaned close to my ear. “Whatever you make is perfect. You know that by now, right?”

  “Perfect. Yes. This murder has to be solved so our wedding gets that same touch of perfection.”

  “Okay, Dani. I only hope AJ is being completely honest with us.”

  “I agree. It does worry me.”

  Luke kissed me goodbye and disappeared into the cold night.

  I shivered from the blast of air that swirled inside before I pushed the door completely closed. But a bone chilling cold seeped in from the possibility that AJ could be leading me down the path he wanted me to follow.

  I had to be extra observant.

  21

  Hash browns sizzled as I waited for Luke’s arrival. The kitchen in Sea Breeze, filled with the aroma of the best breakfast I could whip together. Luke would be drooling when he got a whiff of this, I thought. The coffee, just how he liked it—hot and strong—was ready as I filled my second pot of tea.

  Pip and I had even managed to get up early enough to squeeze in a morning jog on the beach. We weren’t as regular in the cold winter with this routine as we were the rest of the year, but today’s morning sun rose bright and drew us out like a magnet. The temperature felt downright balmy compared to the icy winds of the day before.

  A day of promise, I told myself. Wasn’t this the season for wishes to come true? Unfortunately, that didn’t happen without putting in lots of hard work.

  Pip ran to the door, minus her warning bark. Instead, she let me know that our favorite person had arrived by jumping on the door with a high yap, yap, yap. I smiled and wished that I didn’t have to eat and run. But Luke did have his goal of finishing Rose’s apartment. That made it a bit easier for me to concentrate on mine.

  “I brought some blueberry crumble. That goes with hash browns and eggs, right?” Luke gave my cheek a glancing kiss and set his pan on the counter.

  “Blueberry crumble? Did you bribe Lily to make it for you?”

  Luke lowered his chin and gave me a raised eyebrow expression. “I’ve been practicing my baking skills so I could surprise you. Surprise!” he said and grinned from ear to ear.

  I picked up the pan and inhaled the rich sweetness. “And, it’s still warm. You got up early to make this?”

  “Just for you, Dani.” He rubbed his hands together. “Should I set the table for two or three?”

  I looked at Pip sitting at her spot at the window of the kitchen nook.

  “Not Pip. I’m talking about Rose. Will she be joining us?”

  We heard a knock and a door opened and closed. “Do I smell hash browns?” Rose, sniffing the air, joined us in the kitchen.

  I grinned at Luke and mouthed silently, “There’s your answer.” Louder, I
said as I pointed to Luke’s creation, “And blueberry crumble.”

  He had silverware in his hand for the table. I put cheese on the hash browns and cracked eggs to fry. “It will only be another couple of minutes.”

  Luke poured himself coffee and offered some to Rose.

  “No thanks. I had mine already. And, I’m happy to let you know, in my brand-new living room with the best view on this whole property. You did a superb job designing my apartment, Luke.”

  I slid the eggs on top of the cheesy hash browns, gave it another minute for the hot eggs to melt the cheese and then transferred the mouthwatering combination to the plates. “So, nothing like starting the day with a delicious breakfast,” I said as I set plates in front of Luke and Rose. “Anyone need more coffee or tea?”

  Luke held his cup up for a refill. “You finished that in record time,” I said and happily topped his mug off before returning with my plate and tea. “Ahhh,” I said as I sank into my chair. “I’m glad the diner is closed so we can enjoy this time together.”

  Pip, back on her window seat and curled up on her pillow, suddenly lifted her head and jumped off her perch.

  “Someone must be here,” Rose said. “Anyone care to make a guess?”

  Luke looked at me and shook his head. “We were both way off last night when AJ arrived.

  “I’ll go out on a limb. Pip isn’t acting like we’re about to be ransacked, so I’m going to make a prediction that Maggie’s here, worried about AJ. Whoever it is has to take care of themselves because I don’t plan to let anyone interrupt my breakfast.” The aromas, on top of my jog on the beach, had my appetite revved up. I dug in.

  The door opened. “Can Pip reach the door now?” Luke asked.

  “No. I let myself in. Hope you don’t mind,” Maggie said, as she walked into the kitchen with Pip in one arm, giving her face a wash, and a cat carrier in her other hand.

  Luke winked at me and whispered. “You win. Sort of. You didn’t predict the kittens.”

  “Win what?” Maggie pulled out a chair and made herself comfortable. “Hope it’s something good like what’s on your plate maybe?”

  I pulled my plate out of Maggie’s reach, not sure she wouldn’t just help herself to it.

  “Is that a hint?” I asked.

  “Um… any chance you could whip up one of those egg thingies for me? Pretty please?” Maggie put her hands together and gave the most pathetic expression I’d ever seen. I couldn’t help but laugh.

  “I need something after all that Champagne I drank last night,” she added.

  “After I’m done eating. Help yourself to coffee for starters, Mags.” I enjoyed another bite of my breakfast, telling myself not to rush for her sake, but to savor every delicious, eggy bite.

  Maggie opened the carrier giving Radar and Leo their freedom. “Hope you don’t mind. AJ dumped Leo on my doorstep this morning. What could I say?” She pulled the pan of blueberry crumble closer. “What about this for starters? It looks amazing.”

  “Well, thank you,” Luke said with a big smile plastered on his face. “I’ve been practicing some culinary creations. “I’ll get you a plate and you can be the number one guinea pig, Maggie.”

  “I’ve been called worse,” she mumbled.

  Uh-oh, I thought. Maggie had something on her mind, and we were her captive audience. I assumed it was safe to think it involved AJ, and not in a good way. I poured myself more tea and settled in for her tale of woe.

  “Do tell,” Rose said.

  “Well,” Maggie began with much too much drama in her voice, “AJ, like I already said, showed up at the crack of dawn with Leo.”

  The two kittens, by now, had left the safety of the carrier and were chasing each other around the kitchen. Pip had settled down on the floor watching them and making quick dashes if they came close. Apparently, it was a game that the three of them understood since it had no rhyme or reason as far as I could see, except they were having the time of their lives.

  “He didn’t even ask if I’d take care of his kitten, he just dumped Leo in my apartment and said he had to be prepared.”

  “Prepared?” I asked, pulling myself away from the entertainment running circles around, and occasionally over, Pip. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “That’s exactly what I asked him.” Maggie stuffed a big bite of blueberry crumble into her mouth. Thankfully, she’d forgotten about the hash brown and egg concoction. She slugged down some coffee before she continued. “He said he had to get prepared in case Jane showed up to arrest him.”

  “You think that’s going to happen?” Rose asked, her voice expressing real concern.

  As tough as Maggie liked to pretend she was, tears filled her eyes. Sounding defeated, she said, “AJ thinks Jane might be setting him up to get rid of him and have the top detective spot here in Misty Harbor.”

  I picked up my plate and carried it to the sink. “That’s not going to happen, Mags. AJ has an unblemished record and a history here in town. And, well, it’s just ridiculous to even say out loud.”

  I knew I sounded more confident than I was. Deep inside, I held a little niggle of suspicion about AJ’s innocence only because I knew he’d do anything to protect his little sister.

  All I knew for sure was that someone murdered Nick North.

  I was determined to help figure out who the real murderer was… even if it turned out to be AJ.

  22

  With our stomachs satisfied, I reluctantly cleared the table knowing I couldn’t procrastinate any longer.

  Luke promised to keep an eye on the two kittens, which shouldn’t be a problem since having tired themselves out, they’d curled up together on the couch. Trouble had decided he preferred Rose’s new apartment where he didn’t have to put up with any kitten shenanigans.

  “Be ready to be dazzled when you come back. I’ll be giving a private tour of the finished apartment at six,” Luke promised. “And, I’ll have dinner ready, too.”

  At least that was a bright spot to look forward to, I told myself. The tour for sure… dinner could go either way. I’d have a backup plan, just in case.

  Rose pulled on her multi-colored wool hat with a floppy brim, slung her hobo bag over her shoulder, and looked at Maggie. “What’s your next move?”

  She shrugged, but I could tell she was hoping to tag along with one of us even without knowing what we were up to.

  “I’m going to talk to Marion Glassman,” Rose said. “I’m angling for a tour of Harry’s studio, and I think if I approach her alone, I’ll have better luck.”

  Clever on Rose’s part. That left me to have a tag-along. “Want to come with me, Mags?” I asked. “I’ve got some of Luke’s blueberry crumble to drop off at Alice’s house, and then I was planning to visit with Penny’s neighbor, Sadie Hicks.”

  “Alice? The person who adopted that sweet dog, Misty?”

  “The one and the same. Pip and I like to check on her and make sure everything is going ok.”

  “Maybe I’ll help Lily at the diner,” Maggie said without much enthusiasm. “When I poked my head in earlier, she and Sue Ellen were busy getting a head start on the food for your wedding.”

  I must have made some kind of surprised noise without realizing it.

  “What? Don’t look at me like that, Dani. I know I’m not the most talented person in a kitchen, but I’m sure they can find something for me to do.”

  I held my hands up before she had a chance to get any more defensive. “They’ll find something. Just don’t complain if it’s scrubbing pots and pans or washing and peeling vegetables.”

  Rose chuckled. Probably at the thought of anything connecting Maggie Marshall and a kitchen. Maggie had a lot of talents, but domestic talent was definitely not on the list. “Maybe Lily will teach you how to boil water,” Rose suggested.

  “Thanks a lot, you two. I’m trying to help and all I get is a reminder of how inept my food preparation skills are.” She even sniffed a little.

 
“Oh, Mags.” I couldn’t help but feel a little sorry for her even if her self-pity at the moment was way out of proportion. “Accept your weaknesses and strengths. How about you come with me? Alice loves company and somehow she always knows more about what’s going on in town than just about anyone else.”

  “Okay. I thought you didn’t want me tagging along.” Maggie still sounded put-off, but the sniffs stopped, clueing me in to the distinct possibility that they were fake noises with the sole purpose of gaining sympathy.

  There was that, but also, Maggie, with her talent for investigating would be a lot more useful coming with me than getting in Lily’s way. I didn’t want any guests at my wedding to end up with food poisoning, after all.”

  “Food poisoning?” Maggie’s eyebrows disappeared under her black bangs.

  Rose could barely contain her laughter and a very unladylike snort snuck out. “Really, Dani. You have to get that bad habit of letting your thoughts fall out of your mouth under control. One of these days, it will get you into some real trouble.”

  Didn’t I know it? “Until that time comes, I guess everyone will just have to put up with hearing what I’m thinking. Is that so bad?”

  “Sometimes,” Maggie grumbled.

  I looped my arm through hers. “Quit feeling sorry for yourself. You’re starting to remind me of someone else.”

  “AJ? It’s all he’s been doing lately. There’s nothing worse than a big hunky man pouting and moping. I sure don’t want that rubbing off on me. So, let’s get going to Alice’s house and see where that leads us.”

  I knew my comparison would shake her out of the doldrums. “Are you following me, or do you want to drive together?” I asked.

  Pip without her sweater and with a candy cane covered bandana on, wagged her tail and pranced impatiently.

  “That’s settled,” I told Maggie. “Pip wants you to come with us.”

  “I’m feeling better already. Thanks Pip.” Maggie bent down and picked up the wiggly terrier and got another face washing in the bargain. “Eww,” she shrieked, but laughed, too.