Charlie felt like taking off her wedding ring and throwing it in his face but she inhaled a deep breath and kept the smile fixed in place until he left the store.
“I hope he doesn’t take what happened as an open invitation to visit whenever he wants,” Mia said, wiping furiously at the counter as though Nick had left behind a trail of slime. “The only reason he should be in here is to apologise for hiring the worst bookkeeper on earth.”
“Uh-oh,” Noah said with an exaggerated eye-roll. “Here’s trouble.”
Detective Wolverton walked inside, his large coat snagging on the door. “Good morning, Ms Hewitt. I hope you’re well.”
“Better now that I’m not expecting you to arrest me at any moment,” Charlie said, then blushed as Mia caught her eye.
The bloodstained towel she’d discovered in the dumpster had been tossed out with the rubbish last Friday. Between the four witness statements saying Misty had admitted to killing Ben, additional evidence hadn’t seemed necessary. Not when it came with a long explanation and the possibility of charges.
“I just thought you’d want to know that Misty Fortmason pled guilty to the charge of kidnap. No matter what happens with the Ben Butler case, she’s going away for a very long time.”
Charlie exhaled a long breath, her chest muscles loosening at the news. “Did Allie have to testify?”
“No, but she was in court to hear the altered verdict.” He shook his head. “It’s just a pity she’ll leave our country with such poor memories.”
There was no way to argue with that statement. The Hitchmans had a rocky start in their marriage for sure.
Detective Wolverton hesitated. “I’m sorry if I appeared abrupt during the investigation.”
Charlie stared at him, unsure of what he meant.
“When you called for help with the protestors,” he clarified, then stared at the floor. “I brushed you off when really I could have passed your concerns onto a uniformed officer to help. Even though you were a suspect, it shouldn’t have meant your livelihood was put on the line.”
“Sounds more like something Gladys Philburton should say to you,” Mia said, joining Charlie at the counter. “She stirred up all that trouble then disappeared without saying a single word of apology.”
“Well, I might have something on that score,” Detective Wolverton said with a grin. “Sergeant Matthewson is holding a meeting at the community centre on the subject of neighbourhood watch and neighbourhood support.” A dimple appeared in the detective’s cheek and Charlie thought how handsome he was now he didn’t have her in his sights for murder. “Point one is on how important it is in small towns like ours to reserve judgement until all the facts are known.”
Charlie burst out laughing. “Good luck with that one! Don’t you know a small town is measured by the speed of its gossip?”
“He’s going to cite some very familiar examples during his talk.” The detective played out a short drum solo on the counter. “I think they’ll hit very close to home.”
“Please thank him from me,” Charlie said, turning as Noah knocked over a satchel in the locker room. “If a few minutes of embarrassment stop Gladys from leaping to assumptions so quickly in the future, it’ll be worth it.”
“I will.” Detective Wolverton continued to stand at the counter with a mild smile.
“Is there something else I can help you with?” Charlie asked.
“I’ll take two of the daily special, to go.”
When Noah had sorted out the sandwiches and sent the detective on his way, Mia moved out from behind the counter, peering out the window.
“What’s going on out there?” Charlie felt a pinch of concern. “Is something wrong?”
“No, just checking.” Mia stopped to pat Bocconcini before walking behind the counter again.
“I’ve been meaning to tell you, if you’d like this to become a permanent position, then the job’s yours.”
Mia smiled and shook her head. “And I’ve been waiting for the right time to tell you I’ve found another position. I’ll be working at the Hanmer Lodge, on the reception counter.” She leaned over and winked. “It seemed to me they needed someone to join their staff, so it wasn’t left unattended so often.”
“Congratulations.” Charlie pulled her baby sister into a hug, giggling as she noticed Noah’s forlorn expression over Mia’s shoulder. “I hope the first thing you do is take down the post-it note with the computer password.”
“I’m sure, within a week I’ll have the entire lodge a hundred times more secure.”
A yell from outside the store drew Charlie’s attention, and she watched in confusion as Nick went running past. “What on earth is that fool up to now?”
A moment later, her ex-husband jogged back into sight and barrelled through her front door. “Do you think this is funny?” he shouted, shaking a fist while his face turned a shade closer to beetroot. “You’re driving away all my customers.”
He leapt out the door a second later as a chicken went flapping along the footpath, clucking in excitement. Charlie gave a snigger as Nick tried to catch the animal, ending up with a handful of empty air and a startled expression instead.
Mia was wiping down the counter, staring fixedly at the already clean surface. She paid so little attention to the adventure going on outside their door, Charlie frowned in suspicion. “What have you been up to?”
Another chicken squawked as it hopped past the cheesemongers, feathers ruffled and head jerking in all directions. It was soon joined with another companion and Noah ran outside, returning a minute later with a dazed expression on his face.
“King Pawn is full of chickens,” he said, waving his hands in a dramatic gesture. “Poor Nick looks like he’s about to explode.”
Charlie cast another glance at her baby sister, but Mia was busy toasting a sandwich on the grill. She shrugged and turned back to the window display. It wasn’t every day she got a free street show outside.
Thank you for taking the time to read Up To No Gouda. If you enjoyed it, please consider telling your friends or posting a short review.
Word of mouth is an author's best friend and much appreciated.
Thank you, again. Katherine Hayton.
Also by Katherine Hayton
Lykoi Larceny (Marjorie’s Cozy Kitten Café)
Chartreux Shock (Marjorie’s Cozy Kitten Café)
Calico Confusion (Marjorie’s Cozy Kitten Café)
Charity Shop Haunted Mysteries – Books 1-3
Miss Hawthorne Sits for a Spell (Charity Shop Haunted Mystery)
Mr Wilmott Gets Old School (Charity Shop Haunted Mystery)
Mrs Pettigrew Sees a Ghost (Charity Shop Haunted Mystery)
A Bed for Suite Dreams (A Hotel Inspector Cozy Mystery)
A Stay With Reservations (A Hotel Inspector Cozy Mystery)
A Job of Inn Dependence (A Hotel Inspector Cozy Mystery)
The Double Dip (Honeybee Cozy Mystery)
The Honey Trap (Honeybee Cozy Mystery)
The Buzz Kill (Honeybee Cozy Mystery)
Tea Shop Cozy Mysteries – Books 1-6
Hibiscus Homicide (Tea Shop Cozy Mystery)
Keeping Mums (Tea Shop Cozy Mystery)
Orange Juiced (Tea Shop Cozy Mystery)
Deathbed of Roses (Tea Shop Cozy Mystery)
Berry Murderous (Tea Shop Cozy Mystery)
Pushing Up Daisies (Tea Shop Cozy Mystery)
Food Bowl Mysteries – Books 1-3
You’re Kitten Me (Food Bowl Mysteries)
Cat Red-Handed (Food Bowl Mysteries)
An Impawsible Situation (Food Bowl Mysteries)
The Sweet Baked Mysteries - Books 1-6
Cinnamon and Sinfulness (Sweet Baked Mystery)
Raspberries and Retaliation (Sweet Baked Mystery)
Pumpkin Spice & Poisoning (Sweet Baked Mystery)
Blueberries and Bereavement (Sweet Baked Mystery)
Strawberries and Suffering (Sweet Baked Mystery)
<
br /> Cupcakes and Conspiracies (Sweet Baked Mystery)
The Only Secret Left to Keep (Detective Ngaire Blakes)
The Second Stage of Grief (Detective Ngaire Blakes)
The Three Deaths of Magdalene Lynton (Detective Ngaire Blakes)
Christchurch Crime Thriller Boxset
Breathe and Release (A Christchurch Crime Thriller)
Skeletal (A Christchurch Crime Thriller)
Found, Near Water (A Christchurch Crime Thriller)
About the Author
Katherine Hayton is a middle-aged woman who works in insurance, doesn't have children or pets, can't drive, has lived in Christchurch her entire life, and currently resides a two-minute walk from where she was born.
For some reason, she's developed a rich fantasy life.
www.katherinehayton.com
Up to No Gouda Page 11