Hidden Secrets: Blackmoore Sisters Cozy Mystery Series Book 9

by Leighann Dobbs

  Morgan, Celeste, and Jolene all made their way over to Fiona’s workstation, ohhing and ahhing at the glittery purple gems their sister held up, generally making a show to ensure Benedict would be sufficiently interested.

  “Have you met my sisters, Mr. Donovan?” Fiona asked, making the introductions. “Morgan works here as well, running the apothecary. Jolene is an administrative assistant at a local private investigation firm, and Celeste owns the local yoga studio.”

  “Right, right. Yes, of course. Very nice to meet you all.” Benedict smiled at each of them then glanced through the front windows, as if making sure he wasn’t being watched. “Uh, please forgive me, ladies, but I must ask you to keep silent about this.”

  “Really?” Jolene raised a brow at him. “Why? Have you been naughty, Mr. Donovan?”

  “No.” The guy blushed. “It’s just that no one can know I’m here today. The bracelet is a surprise, and I wouldn’t want word getting out.”

  “Of course.” Fiona made a lip-zipping gesture. “We are always very discreet here.”

  “You’re dating Alma Myers, aren’t you?” Morgan asked.

  Benedict gnawed on his bottom lip and blushed. “Why yes. Do you know her? Please don’t mention this.” He gestured to the stones with shaky hands.

  “I might have met her in passing.” Not the total truth, but not a lie either. If Benedict knew Alma, then chances were he knew Clementine too. He was acting very jittery, and Morgan had to wonder if it was all just because he was nervous about Alma finding out about the bracelet. Then again, having met the woman, she could see why he might be afraid of her.

  Morgan narrowed her gaze on him, searching for any clue he might be hiding something. If only her intuition were working properly, all of this would be so much easier. “What a nice surprise for her, and so generous too. I’m sure she’ll appreciate it, especially after all the awful business that happened with her neighbor, Clementine.”

  Fiona gave Morgan an approving look for her smooth transition into their questioning. “Yes, such a tragedy,” Fiona chimed in, her tone appropriately solemn. “Just terrible. Were you at Alma’s the day it happened, Mr. Donovan?”

  “No, no. Not that day,” he said, fidgeting slightly now, plucking at the cuffs of his tweed overcoat. “Both Alma and I were at the church bake sale.”

  If Morgan’s intuition hadn’t been on the fritz, she’d have known for certain whether or not he was lying. As it was, she had to judge by the clues instead—his agitation, the way he didn’t really meet any of their gazes, how he constantly shuffled his feet. Based on those things, he definitely seemed to be anxious about something.

  Belladonna sat in her chair across the room, her icy-blue stare narrowed on Benedict. Morgan got a feeling the cat thought the guy was definitely suspicious. Hope flared anew inside her. Could that be her intuition reawakening? Was it coming back at long last?

  Deciding to do a little test to make sure, she excused herself and went back behind her counter to mix a fresh batch of tea. Benedict stayed and chatted with Fiona for a few minutes longer, picking out the settings for the earrings and paying for his purchase. By the time he left, Morgan had a fresh batch of herbs ground and ready to be boiled into tea. Her sisters gathered around her counter to discuss what they’d just learned.

  “So, he and Alma are an item. Guess that explains why we saw him walking on Clementine’s street in Rose’s crystal ball,” Fiona said. “He must’ve been going to see his girlfriend.”

  “Maybe.” Jolene was still staring at the door Benedict had just exited through. “But his aura says he might be hiding something.”

  “Really? You think he could be the killer?” Morgan was hopeful.

  Jolene made a face. “Not sure. I didn’t read his aura that way. More like he was worried about or keeping something from someone.”

  “The bracelet probably,” Fiona said.

  “That doesn’t make sense though. If him being there didn’t have anything to do with the murder, then why would the crystal ball show it at all?” Celeste asked. “Rose said her powers were strong. Surely she could control her visions then, direct them.”

  “I’m not sure her powers are all that strong,” Jolene said. “If they were, she’d be a full member of the paranormal community and not just an outlier. Not to mention she couldn’t conjure up any other clues except a hat. The crystal ball went blank even though she tried.”

  “Maybe the ball was just showing the general vicinity of the murder, and Benedict happened to be there at the time.” Fiona shrugged. “I mean the ball did show Belladonna first, and she was here at the shop with us the entire day that Clementine was killed. Maybe that crystal ball of hers takes time to warm up. Belladonna didn’t go anywhere with you after I left the shop that day, did she, Morgan?”

  Morgan looked up from her work, eyes wide and throat dry. Not trusting her voice, she just shook her head. She’d concocted her story about being here at the shop that morning. If, in fact, Belladonna had snuck into her car that day when she’d had her appointment with Clementine, then it would need to remain a secret just like all the others.

  “Well, I think our next step needs to be verifying that both Benedict and Alma were at the bake sale the day Clementine was killed,” Jolene said, thankfully steering the spotlight away from Morgan. “When we’re working on a case at the PI office, we work through the clues and information systematically to make sure we don’t miss anything. Checking Benedict’s alibi would be the next logical step. Did you pick up anything odd from him, Morgan?”

  “What? No.” She set her tools aside and wiped her hands on the thighs of her jeans. “I mean, it was obvious something was up with him though. He was acting awfully nervous for a man with nothing to hide.”

  “True.” Jolene unwrapped a piece of anise candy from the jar near Morgan’s register and popped it into her mouth. “Celeste, don’t you know the woman who runs the sale?”

  “I do. Harriett Fletcher.” She took a piece of candy too. “She started teaching seniors’ yoga at my studio.” She checked her watch. “Her morning class lets out in a half hour. Why don’t we all head there and talk to her?”

  “Morgan, you go with them. I’ll stay here and tend the shop,” Fiona said, heading back to her workbench and holding up the amethyst stones. “I can’t take any more time off now that I have an additional pair of earrings to make.”

  CHAPTER TEN

  They reached Dharma Yoga Studio just as Harriett’s class let out. The studio itself was a squat cinder-block building with colorful lotus flowers and Hindu symbols painted on the exterior and a large LED sign out front. The parking lot beside the place was filled with various white-haired ladies in all manner of yoga pants and T-shirts peeking out from beneath their winter coats, some holding their rolled-up mats beneath their arms, all sloshing through the fresh snow that had fallen during the night.

  “There she is,” Celeste said from the front seat of Jolene’s SUV, pointing toward a tall, thin woman with buzz-cut gray hair and a peace symbol emblazoned across the front of her heather-gray top beneath her waist-length bright-pink parka. On the bottom she wore black yoga pants that highlighted her toned legs and the shaggy black fur of her UGG boots. The woman had to be in her late sixties if she was a day, but she looked fit enough to join the Navy SEALs.

  Morgan got out of the car and waited for her sisters near the front of the vehicle. The sky above was perfectly blue today, and the wind had died down a bit, making it seem a bit less like the north pole, even if the temperatures were still subzero. Together, she and her sisters approached Harriett Fletcher. She was loading yoga mats and towels into the back of her Subaru.

  “Harriett?” Celeste said. “I’m glad we caught you. We were hoping we could talk to you about the church bake sale.”

  The woman turned to face the three sisters, her skin tanned and her blue eyes sharp with interest. “Anything for you, Celeste. Missed seeing you in the hot yoga classes last week.”


  “Yes, well, I’ve been busy.” Celeste gestured toward Morgan and Jolene. “These are my sisters.”

  Once introductions were made, Jolene got down to business. “We were wondering if you remember seeing Alma Myers or Benedict Donovan at the bake sale.”

  “Oh, sure. Yep. They were there together, in fact. Alma makes the best cinnamon coffee cake around,” Harriett said, slamming the trunk of her SUV. “Can’t forget something that good. Seriously. It’s to die for. I don’t go out of my way looking for carbs these days, but that’s one food I make an exception for. She sells out every year. Plus, the way she packages them is so cute—all those perfectly matching parcels wrapped in pink cellophane with a tiny bow on top. She’s so meticulous about wrapping them, all exactly alike. Makes a great display.”

  “Wow. Sounds like she goes all out,” Morgan said. “Do you happen to remember exactly what time you saw them that day?”

  “Oh, gosh. I was so busy trying to keep everything organized and running smoothly.” Harriett frowned and pursed her lips. “Sorry, no. The bake sale is always super busy and chaotic. I know I saw them right when the sales started, so that would have been a bit after noon. And she was there when I made a second round about an hour later. Alma had a line at her booth and was trying to handle all those people by herself.”

  “Where was Benedict?” Celeste asked, frowning. “You said they were there together, right? Didn’t he help her run her booth?”

  “You’d think he would, huh? That’s a good question.” Harriett crossed her arms and tapped the toe of her boot against the slush-covered asphalt, her expression thoughtful. “You know, now that I think about it, maybe I did only see Alma that day.” She crossed her arms and sighed. “No. That’s not true either. Because I distinctly remember the two of them having a tiff. Maybe that’s why she was working her booth alone, then. They fought, and he stormed off. I suppose she took off after him a bit later because I noticed her booth was empty. The must have made up because they were together again by the end of the sale.”

  “A tiff?” Jolene asked. “About what?”

  Harriett sighed. “Don’t know for sure. I didn’t hear them directly, only found out about it later.” Then she looked around and leaned closer to Jolene. “But from what others told me, I think Benedict might’ve had his eye on someone else.”

  “Really? Who?” Celeste whispered, leaning in closer.

  “No idea. He’s a bit of an odd duck, if you ask me. Not exactly boyfriend material in my book.” Harriett shrugged and pulled her keys out from her pocket to click the automatic starter. The engine roared to life, and the acrid stench of exhaust filled the air. They moved a bit to the side. “But some women like that bookish, nerdy type. Anyway, the scuttlebutt around the yoga studio is that whoever this new woman was who Benedict had taken a shine to didn’t return his interest. My opinion? I’d say Benedict should stick to what he’s got. Alma’s a sure thing.” She straightened and narrowed her gaze on the Blackmoore sisters. “Why are you asking anyway?”

  “Oh,” Celeste said, slinging her arm around Morgan’s shoulders. “We were just wondering what kind of baked goods sell best. My sister here is thinking of branching out into herbal muffins at the shop, so we’re doing some field research for the shop and heard Alma’s stuff was really popular.”

  Morgan stared at Celeste. She’d come up with that so quickly, and it sounded so natural. Maybe lying ran in the family.

  “That’s fantastic!” Harriett grinned. “People do love Alma’s stuff, but it’s all full of sugar and white flour. I’ve been meaning to talk to Celeste here about adding a holistic snack bar to the yoga studio. Healthy stuff. Juices and protein shakes and bars and the like. Maybe we could do a trial run of selling your baked goods in here too. Bet the ladies would love them.”

  “That would be great!” Morgan gave Celeste a thanks-a-lot look then plastered on what she hoped was a polite smile as she lied through her teeth. “I’m still in the early planning stages at the moment, but I’ll definitely keep that in mind for future development. Speaking of my shop, we, uh, need to get back there before our other sister gets swamped with customers. Thanks again for the information and the invitation.”

  As she backed away, Jolene rolled her eyes. Celeste appeared to be biting back laughter, and Harriett just looked confused. So much for smooth reconnaissance.

  “You could’ve warned me before you threw me under the bus like that back there,” Morgan hissed to Celeste once they’d reached Jolene’s vehicle once more. “I had to scramble fast to come up with a lie to get out of it.”

  Celeste giggled. “You did fine. It was fun to watch. You’re a pretty good liar, sis.”

  Morgan grimaced at that statement but did her best to play it off. Her sisters had no idea how much practice she’d been getting lately.

  “Hey, ladies,” Jolene said, tossing the keys to Celeste. “Go ahead and get in. I’m going to run inside and use the bathroom before we go. Be right back.”

  Morgan’s spirits lifted as she watched her sister jog back toward the yoga studio. Maybe her herbal tea had finally worked and her gifts were returning at last. She glanced at Celeste, hoping that she, too, would have to use the ladies’ room, but she didn’t. Darn, maybe her tea hadn’t worked, and it was just nature calling. She and Celeste climbed into the car to wait, Celeste in the front passenger seat and Morgan in the back again.

  “Looks like Alma and Benedict were both at the bake sale when Clementine got killed.” Celeste said after jamming the key into the ignition for Jolene and starting the engine so the car could warm up.

  “Yeah. Except Harriett didn’t seem certain that Benedict was there the whole time.”

  “But where would he have gone? And how would he have gotten there? If he came with Alma and they had a fight, they probably took one car.” Morgan would have loved nothing more than to pin the murder on something nonparanormal, but she didn’t think Alma or Benedict was it. What was the motive? No, her best bet was to find out about the tarot card that was burning a hole in her pocket. If she could only ditch her sisters long enough to go back to visit Rose.

  Jolene got into the car a few minutes later, and they headed back toward Sticks and Stones, discussing the case and the new information. “Alma and Benedict were at the bake sale just like they said, so that’s one thing off our checklist.”

  Jolene tilted her head sideways. “Well, Harriett did say she was fuzzy on the timing.”

  “Yeah,” Morgan agreed. “But what motive would they have?”

  “I know!” Celeste turned in her seat to look at Morgan. “Harriett said rumor had it that Benedict had his eye on someone else. Maybe the person he had his eye on was Clementine.”

  “Then why kill her?” Morgan asked.

  “Harriett also said the rumor was that the woman did not return his feelings,” Jolene said.

  Morgan pressed her lips together, trying to picture nerdy Benedict Donovan killing someone because they didn’t return his affections. “Really? You think Benedict would kill someone because they turned him down for a date?”

  “Yeah, hard to picture that.” Jolene tapped her fingers on the steering wheel. “Though that would explain why he was shown in the crystal ball.”

  “Eh, I’m not so sure Rose’s crystal-ball powers are that good.” Celeste faced forward again.

  “You know, there’s one thing we haven’t taken into account yet in all this,” Jolene said.

  “What’s that?” Morgan asked, her pulse kicking higher.

  “The mark the ME found on Clementine’s wrist.” Jolene slowed for a red light, and Morgan exhaled slowly. “We didn’t get a chance to see it, but it could be from paranormal activity.”

  “Do you think Jake could get a photo from the cops?” Celeste suggested.

  “I doubt they’d just hand that over,” Morgan said. “Besides, we don’t want Jolene to get into trouble. Given I’m not exactly Sheriff White’s favorite person, we should probably avo
id the cops as much as possible right now.”

  “I can ask him anyway. Won’t hurt anything,” Jolene said. “Thanks for thinking of me though. Besides, Sheriff White hasn’t been back to follow up on her accusation since that first day, right? And she hasn’t charged you with anything else either. That tells me she doesn’t have a leg to stand on. We know you didn’t do anything, so I doubt they have any evidence to support her theory. Maybe they even dropped their investigation into you.”

  “I hope so.” Morgan sighed, not believing it for a second. When Sheriff White got her teeth into something, she was like a poodle with a ham roast. “What about your Toyota search? Anything turn up there?”

  “Several cars showed up like yours in the area. I’m narrowing it down to see if any of the owners have any paranormal inclinations or knew Clementine or had connections to her business. It takes a while though.” Jolene signaled to turn onto the street where the shop was located. “But if Sheriff White isn’t accusing you of anything anymore, then maybe I should let that go and focus on the beach energy instead. That could be related.”

  “We should look at all angles, though I’m not sure it’s smart to start something with strangers. Especially paranormal ones.” Morgan straightened, clasping her hands in her lap to keep them from shaking. “We’ve got enough trouble to deal with as it is.”

  “That’s exactly why I think I should switch my research time over from the cars to these other two avenues instead.” Jolene parked her SUV in front of Sticks and Stones and cut the engine. “There are only so many hours in the day, and this way I can do a little background checking on possible paranormal suspects before we engage. I mean, we did sense two paranormals at Clementine’s even though we didn’t sense any bad intent.” At Morgan’s sharp look, she amended her statement. “Fine. If we engage. What’s got you so spooked these days, sis?” She met Morgan’s gaze in the rearview mirror. “Everything okay?”