Up to No Gouda

by Katherine Hayton

  She led the small group back to her store, unlocking the door and giving a startled gasp when Bocconcini leapt up to greet her. “Hey, there, boy,” she said, recovering from her fright to dance with his paws. “I hope you’ve kept this place safe.”

  “Should we wait out back?” Mia rubbed her arms. “Maybe that’s where Ben used to deal drugs or something. If you had the package the note talked about, it could be they’re expecting you out there.”

  It was a good idea, but it only took a few moments for Charlie to check. The back of the store had a couple of people smoking, but only as a break before they headed back inside the pawnshop.

  “I can get us into King Pawn after all the excitement’s died down,” Charlie said. “We can poke around and see if there’s something we’re missing.”

  “Could Allie be held in a back room?”

  Ryan’s expression was so eager, Charlie hated to dash his hopes, but she also couldn’t lie. “I don’t think so. There’s nothing but a small bathroom, a cupboard, and a locker room out the back, just like here. Unless everybody in the store is in on the plan, then Allie can’t have been held on the premises.”

  “Ben must’ve been running drugs from out of the store,” Mia said. “Nothing else makes any sense. I suppose it would be easy, too. They’d have people in and out all day so a few extra exchanges out the back could easily be overlooked.”

  Charlie closed her eyes and rubbed the back of her neck. “I can accept Ben sold drugs, but I can’t see him organising an entire operation. How did he seem to you?” She glanced over to Ryan.

  “Like he used more of the product than he sold,” Ryan admitted. “Nothing above a dime-bag dealer.”

  Bocconcini put his paws up on the side of the display cabinet, barking at the peanut butter cookies inside. After a brief battle of conscience, Charlie gave in and pulled one out. They could always go for a few longer walks once all her current worries had subsided.

  As she watched the pug chew on the cookie, Charlie thought back to Monday evening, when he’d run outside and mysteriously found one on the street. She’d told Detective Wolverton the entire incident had taken around ten minutes. Probably less, considering her heightened awareness during the event.

  Plenty of time for someone to duck into the cheesemongers to steal a towel and knife from the back.

  “When you went searching for Ben on Tuesday morning,” she asked, turning to Ryan, “did you have your duffel bag with you?”

  He pulled at his chin for a few moments, then nodded. “Yeah. It’s got my exercise gear in it. I took it along in case Allie asked me later where I’d been, so I could tell her I’d visited the gym.” Ryan flushed at the memory.

  “Why?” Mia’s keen eyes were trained on Charlie. “What does the bag mean?”

  “Did you check inside it afterwards? Once you’d found Allie missing?”

  “After she’d gone, yeah. I looked inside it and discovered the knife.”

  “But someone could’ve put it into your bag while you were out?”

  His face cleared as he understood her questioning. “They could have.”

  Mia stamped her foot. “Explain!”

  “I found the towel in the dumpster out back and Ryan’s bag had the knife after he’d been wandering around here, searching for Ben. It means whoever’s framing me is probably based around this row of shops. If they weren’t close by, they never would’ve been able to coax Bocconcini out of the shop!”

  Her sister continued to appear dumbfounded. “And that narrows it down to what? Twenty or thirty people?”

  Only one of whom had threatened Charlie, but she hadn’t told Mia that yet. “It’s a start.”

  Mia crossed to the window. “It looks like Nick’s event is winding down. How about you put your breaking and entering skills to the test?”

  They waited for a good ten minutes after the lights from King Pawn died out, then Charlie led the group to stand under the small bathroom window. “The lock’s broken,” she said, pointing to where it lay loose against the hook it was meant to hold secure.

  “How are you going to fit through there?” Mia asked in astonishment.

  For once, Charlie felt appreciative of her cheese-filled curves. “I’m not. You are,” she announced, bending down to link her hands to give her sister a boost. “When you’re ready.”

  The downturn of Mia’s mouth showed exactly what she thought of that idea but to give her credit, she stepped forward and got on with the job. There was a brief yelp followed by a bump as she disappeared through the window. When she came around to open the back door, she was rubbing her head.

  “Sorry,” Charlie said, giving her sister a quick hug.

  “Don’t worry about it,” Mia whispered. “Let’s just check out everything so I can get home and take a shower.”

  Charlie let Bocconcini out onto the floor and he promptly sniffed the tiles, tracing a trail around the edge of the room to a door which he pushed open and trotted through.

  “Heel,” Charlie called out in a low voice, too late to do any good. She followed her dog through into Nick’s office—a large room with one wall curved out behind the counter of the main shop, all walled in protective panels.

  Dwayne stood in the far corner. A duffel bag similar to Ryan’s lay at his feet.

  “You,” Charlie said, her voice almost disappointed at the revelation. She’d taken three steps towards the man when Ryan shouldered his way past. He pulled out the knife he’d used on them yesterday, hidden in an inside pocket of his oversized jacket.

  So much for his pronouncement that wasn’t the type of man he wanted to be.

  Ryan pointed the weapon straight at Dwayne’s chest. “Where’s my wife?”

  Chapter Sixteen

  “I thought I told you to leave well enough alone,” Dwayne said, ignoring Ryan to concentrate his attention on Charlie. “You should never have got involved.”

  “How was I meant to stay out of this?” she demanded, stepping closer. “You murdered Ben and framed me for it. Was I supposed to just go to prison for something I didn’t do?”

  “I had nothing to do with Ben’s death.” Dwayne rubbed the wrist of his sleeve over his damp forehead. “All I want to do is make a little money so I can stop taking charity from my cousin.”

  “Is that why you stuck one of my towels covered in Ben’s blood in the dumpster? Or why Ryan has one of my store knives in his bag?”

  Dwayne’s cheeks flushed, and he dropped his eyes. “Okay, I put the knife in there but just because it turned up in Amanda’s studio. I only had a few minutes to get rid of it before a class started and you”—he jerked his chin at Ryan—“were hanging around outside.”

  “It was in Amanda’s class?” Charlie cuddled Bocconcini closer as she tried to think through the new information. Her friend couldn’t be responsible for Ben’s death, could she?

  With a shake, she utterly rejected the premise. Ridiculous.

  “How did the knife end up there?”

  Dwayne rubbed the back of his neck, smirking. “I imagine whoever is trying to frame you thought they’d chuck another few suspects into the frame for good measure. Considering my cousin won’t even let me vacuum up spiders, I hardly think she has the stomach to stab someone to death.”

  “Where’s my wife?” Ryan shook the knife, earning himself a scornful glance from Dwayne.

  “What’d you going to do with that, mate? Come another step closer and I’ll kick it out of your hand.”

  Ryan jabbed the blade towards him, but Dwayne didn’t even flinch. A moment later, the newlywed dropped his arm to his side. “All I’ve ever wanted is to get Allie back safely.”

  “I don’t have her. All I have is this.” Dwayne nudged the duffel bag with the tip of his toe. “I followed Ben into the library a week ago once I figured out there was more to him than met the eye. When I heard about his death, I snuck into the storage room and figured out the code pointing me to the old shoe factory. That’s where I found the
drugs.”

  “And somebody saw my gym bag and figured I’d taken them,” Ryan said in a shocked voice, running his free hand through his hair. “It’s my fault Allie was kidnapped. If I hadn’t gone into town to contact Ben, nobody would ever have mixed me up in this awful business.”

  As Dwayne bent over to pick up the bag, Charlie snapped her fingers to draw his attention. “But if you knew Ryan didn’t have the drugs, why did you ask him to bring the package?”

  He shot her a puzzled expression. “Eh? Until a minute ago, I thought I’d never see this fool again in my life. He was a convenient way to dispose of some falsely incriminating evidence, that’s all. I only came here to get paid.”

  “But then who—?”

  The sound of a shotgun cocking made Charlie’s blood turn to ice in her veins. She turned on her heel, looking back towards the locker room.

  Misty Fortmason stood there, aiming the barrel at her head.

  “You?” Charlie fell back a step. “You killed Ben?”

  The woman laughed and jerked the shotgun at Mia until she joined her sister. “That’s it. Get closer together.” Another jerk, this time at Ryan. “You, too. I don’t want anyone to have an accident.”

  “Why did you kill him?”

  The bookkeeper turned a snarl on Charlie. “Because he got chatty, that’s why. I’ve been using him as a courier for my packages for months now. Ben got paid fair and square for his part, thinking he was performing a helpful service as a spy. Then he took a closer look at exactly what it was he was ferrying back and forth.”

  Charlie tried to think of her last conversation with Ben. Something about photographing black holes. Had it been a code? If so, it had gone sailing over her head. “Why didn’t you just stop using him? Ben wouldn’t hurt a fly.”

  “Don’t you remember the old war slogan? Loose lips sink ships. Nutty Butler could’ve sunk my entire operation just by dropping the wrong phrase into the wrong conversation. I don’t mind taking calculated risks, but he was too unpredictable to work into any business equation.”

  “Something you should’ve known before you started working with him,” Charlie said, putting her hands onto her hips. Bocconcini ran over and barked at her to be picked up.

  “Shut that dog up,” Misty said. “I don’t need him yapping while I’m trying to think about what to do with all of you.”

  “Hey, I’m nothing to do with this,” Dwayne said, raising his hands. “Your drugs are right here. Give me the money and I’ll go.”

  “Nobody’s going anywhere.” Misty walked over to the bathroom and opened the door, scanning the room. Charlie felt a jump of hope in her chest. If the gunwoman locked them in there, she could boost Mia out the window the same way she’d boosted her inside.

  Misty shut the door, opening a broom cupboard instead. “Get in here,” she ordered Dwayne, standing back to give him room. The shocked man turned a forlorn expression towards Charlie before obeying the direction. With his shoulders hunched and his knees bent, he only just fitted inside.

  “You can’t fit us all in there,” Mia said in a shaking voice. “Let us go and I promise, we’ll tell no one a thing about this.”

  “Give my wife back and you can do what you want to the rest of them,” Ryan said. “We’re heading out of this godforsaken place tomorrow. You’ll never hear from me or Allie again.”

  “Get into Nick’s office,” Mia ordered, twitching the barrel of the shotgun. She walked over and picked up the handles of Dwayne’s duffel bag, giving a smile as she felt its weight. “A terrible accident is about to befall you, I’m afraid. But at least the world will think they have justice for Ben’s killers. Can you smell smoke?”

  She sniffed and Charlie’s stomach twisted in fear. “Please. We can work something—”

  “If you’d just taken the fall, everything would’ve been okay,” Misty said, cutting her off. “I didn’t even care if the police fingered you, or Amanda, or this ridiculous man here.” She pointed the gun at Ryan. “But you had to go poking your nose where it didn’t belong.”

  Keep her talking. Someone has to walk past the shop eventually. They’ll see something wrong and call the police. Just, keep her talking.

  “How did you even get hold of my teatowel and knife?” Charlie asked, not caring in the slightest about the answer. “That was clever.”

  Misty smiled. “I know your pudgy dog can’t resist a cookie. He’s been scoffing them often enough when I stop by your store.” She gave a short laugh. “And Ben was sitting at the counter while I took them. Talk about killing two birds with one stone. I made an appointment to meet him later and got all the evidence I needed to point the finger of blame squarely at you.”

  “Does Nick know?”

  “What?” Misty’s eyes widened, then she threw back her head and guffawed. “You think your ex-husband is clever enough to set this plan up.” She shook her head sadly. “I’m afraid anything beyond tending the counter is beyond his abilities. That man is too self-absorbed to take any notice of what I was doing. I’ve been running this entire operation right under his nose.”

  “You lost control of it, you mean,” Mia said, folding her arms across her chest. The look of disdain that Charlie always worked hard to avoid was plastered across her face. “Someone who’s in control doesn’t kidnap the wrong woman.”

  “Allie wasn’t the wrong woman,” Misty said, her voice growing heated. “I knew what I was doing.”

  “Ransoming her for the return of her husband’s mouldy gym socks? Yeah. That’s a master plan right there.”

  “So I identified the wrong bag. So what? Once I recognised my mistake, I corrected it.” She shook the duffel bag in her hand.

  “Where’ve you been holding her?” Mia took a step forward, cocking her head to one side. “I presume she’s still alive?”

  Ryan’s breathing sounded loud in the room. He choked back a sob as Misty grinned. “Not for much longer.”

  Bocconcini barked again and launched himself at the duffel bag. He landed squarely in the middle and bit down on the hand holding it.

  As Misty shrieked and turned to field him off, Ryan stuck his hunting knife deep into her shoulder. The shotgun fell from her spasming fingers, blasting a hole into the front window when it landed.

  The world filled with the sounds of breaking glass and screaming.

  Mia kicked the shotgun into a corner while Ryan pushed Misty to the ground. “Where is she?”

  Bocconcini ran from the room, barking furiously. Charlie followed him, pausing briefly to release Dwayne from his cupboard prison on her way past.

  “What is it?” she called out to the dog as he danced near Misty’s car. Bocconcini rose on his hind legs, placing his paws on the boot.

  “Get her car keys,” Charlie yelled as she tore back inside. Misty was almost lost under a crush of bodies holding her pinioned to the floor.

  “Here.” Mia tossed a set of keys to her. “And when you get a minute, could you call the police?”

  As she unlocked the boot, Charlie pulled her mobile out and dialled 111, then put the phone. Allie’s frightened face collapsed into tears of gratitude as she grasped her bound hands and pulled her free of the small prison.

  “Police,” Charlie shouted when the call connected. “And Ambulance. There’s been a murder, a kidnapping, and a stabbing.”

  “And a rescue,” Allie called out from between sobs. “Is Ryan okay?”

  Chapter Seventeen

  “Now I have to find a new bookkeeper,” Nick said, folding his arms and glaring at Charlie.

  “I don’t know why you’re telling me,” she grumbled, checking the street in the faint hope she could catch the eye of a passing pedestrian and turn them into a customer. “Believe it or not, I wasn’t the one who turned your employee into a drug kingpin.”

  “You touched her last.”

  Mia snorted with laughter as she brought a tray of cheese from the cold store to the counter. “I can’t for the life of me imagine wh
y you two broke up.”

  “It’s nothing to do with me,” Charlie insisted, trying to shoo Nick out of the store and failing for the third time in a row. “You’d be better off explaining your woes to the recruitment agency. They’re the only ones you can help you out of this mess.”

  “You used to be considerate,” Nick complained. “What happened to the woman who used to listen to me and offer good advice?”

  “She died waiting for you to reciprocate.” Charlie flapped her hand. “Was there something you needed or did you just come in here to complain?”

  “I wouldn’t mind a hundred grams of your oldest cheddar and maybe a slice or two of stilton.”

  Charlie frowned, waiting for the punchline. “What for?”

  “Eating. What else do people use your cheese for?” With a sudden wide grin, Nick held up his hand. “Don’t answer that. I don’t want to know.”

  “You’ve never bought my cheese before.”

  “There’s a first time for everything.” The corner of his mouth drew down. “I thought the supermarket tray would be fine for my last event, but I don’t think it went down too well. I’ve got two potential clients dropping by later this afternoon and thought something fancy might help to impress them.”

  Charlie raised her eyebrows but said nothing. If her ex wanted to talk himself into purchasing her finest cheese, who was she to say no? She cut off amounts according to his directions, bundling the selection in a nice cloth tied with ribbon so he could simply untie it and have the lot artfully arranged.

  “What about a discount?” Nick asked as she rang up the order. “Given our relationship and everything.”

  “I can do twenty percent on top plus an extra point for every time you refused to help with the laundry.” She offered him a sweet smile, hands paused above the till. “Is that what you meant?”

  “Fine.” He slid his credit card through the machine and took the package. “I’ll remember this when you want to pawn all your jewellery to keep this store afloat for another month.”