Peaches and Crime (Sandy Bay Cozy Mystery Book 16)

by Amber Crewes

  “Yes,” Jackie scowled. “He’s crass and rude, and I wish we hadn’t hired him. I think I would rather have had another vandalism issue than deal with this guy…”

  Meghan stepped forward. “I’m Meghan Truman, the co-owner of the barn,” she introduced, extending her hand to greet Jacob. “Thank you for installing the cameras.”

  Jacob eyed Meghan, and she felt uncomfortable. “For two pretty gals, I would happily install anything,” he grunted.

  Meghan wrinkled her nose. “Okay…so, how much do we owe you? You said you had the invoice?”

  He belched. “‘Scuse me,” he irreverently apologized. “Wow, I can taste the turkey I had for lunch in that burp.”

  Jackie shook her head. “Can you keep that talk down? I have customers who don’t want...to be disturbed.”

  Jacob laughed. “I can be fancy in a fancy place like this,” he joked as he looked around at the elegant decor of the salon. “Pardon me, madame,” he said, removing his hat and giving a dramatic bow. “The camera installation will be nine hundred fifty six dollars.”

  Jackie’s eyes widened. “Excuse me?”

  He straightened up. “You heard me,” he said defiantly. “That’s how much.”

  “What? That’s so much!”

  He narrowed his eyes. “Are you deaf? That’s the cost.”

  Meghan glared at him. “There’s no need to be rude,” she told him. “Jackie? How much was the estimate? Surely it wasn’t this expensive.”

  “It wasn’t,” she glowered. “He told me it wouldn’t be more than six hundred.”

  Jacob shook his head. “I had to charge a few extra fees,” he declared. “Sorry ‘bout that.”

  “We aren’t paying extra fees,” Jackie informed him. “I’m calling my lawyer unless you come back with a new invoice. Trust me, Jacob, I’m not one to mess with. Try again.”

  Jacob’s jaw dropped. “You think you can talk to me like that?”

  Meghan frowned. “I think this conversation needs to end,” she warned both of them. “Jacob, please revise the invoice and come back later. Jackie, let’s go back to the break room.”

  Jacob began to argue, but Meghan held up her hands. “Look, you need to calm down,” she told him. “My boyfriend is a detective, and I could easily have the police here. Please leave immediately.”

  Jacob turned on his heel and stormed out. Meghan took Jackie by the arm. “Hey,” she murmured. “Take a breath. He’s gross, and we need to just finish up our business with him and not cause a problem.”

  Jackie gritted her teeth. “I don’t understand why Lee would recommend that bozo to you,” she complained. “His company was at the top of the list Lee texted you. Why would he recommend such a jerk? That guy was so rude and loud, and I don’t want to pay him a cent. Those had better be the best security cameras we could have asked for…”

  Meghan sighed. “I don’t know why he recommended him,” she said. “I’m sure his work is just fine. Hey, I have an idea. I think we need a change of scenery. I’m not due back at the bakery till later this afternoon. Do you want to go grab a cup of coffee?”

  “That’s okay,” Jackie said. “I can’t leave the salon quite yet. Why don’t we have some coffee in the break room? Or I could make some tea?”

  The two women ventured to the break room. Jackie made tea, and the two women spent the next few hours chatting about anything and everything: Jackie’s love life, Meghan’s lack of engagement, and the scene at the ball with Lee.

  “This was just what I needed,” Meghan said as she looked at the clock and realized three hours had passed. “Girl time is so important. Thanks for hanging out with me today.”

  “No problem! I just wish we could have celebrated your big sale with the governor’s office instead of having me complain so much about Jacob.”

  “Or me about Jack not proposing yet…” Meghan sighed.

  “It sounds like if Jack doesn’t propose, Lee might,” Jackie teased. “He really likes you. He’s a catch too, Meghan. He’s handsome and witty, and with his mom passing away, I’ve heard his inheritance is pretty nice. I don’t think it’s ever a bad idea to marry up!”

  “You’re so bad,” Meghan gasped as the door to the break room flew open.

  “Jackie!” Adriana screamed. “Jackie, there’s an emergency at the barn. Someone died! It’s your receptionist on the line.”

  The color drained from Meghan and Jackie’s faces. They ran to the phone. “What happened?” Meghan asked, putting the phone on speaker.

  “He’s dead,” Isla, the receptionist, wailed.

  “Who is dead?”

  “That workman! Jacob Chambers! He’s dead!”

  6

  “We have to go,” Meghan stammered. “Come on. I’ll drive.”

  They dashed out of the salon and jumped in Meghan’s car. “What do you think happened?” Meghan asked as she maneuvered out of her parking spot and onto the road. “We just spoke with him a few hours ago!”

  “I can’t believe it,” Jackie lamented. “And after all of the nasty things I said about him, he’s dead! I feel terrible, Meghan! I’m sure he was a good guy! I’m sure he wasn’t stupid or rude. I probably just misunderstood him!”

  Meghan nodded, trying to focus on the drive, but feeling nauseated. “I can’t believe this happened at our barn.”

  Jackie turned toward her, a dark look in her eyes. “You were the one who insisted on security cameras,” she accused. “If we hadn't had them installed, he wouldn’t have been out there, and he would still be alive.”

  Meghan’s jaw dropped. “Are you kidding me? This isn’t my fault! We hired him for a job, and he went out there to do it. I didn’t kill Jacob Chambers, and I don’t appreciate you implying that I did simply by hiring him to do a job.”

  Jackie started crying. “I am a terrible person,” she moaned as she wept. “I can’t believe I said so many mean things about a guy who is dead! I was probably complaining about him as he died. What kind of a terrible person am I?”

  Meghan was puzzled at Jackie’s outburst; she had jumped from angry to sad to accusatory so quickly. Meghan reached for her phone and dialed Jack’s number.

  “Hey,” he answered coldly. “I’m at work. What do you need?”

  “Well...hi, yourself,” she replied awkwardly. “There’s been a problem at the barn.”

  “I can’t help right now,” he said. “I am working on something. I’ll call you later.”

  “You said that at the end of the ball, but it’s been three days, and we’ve barely spoken,” Meghan replied with anger in her voice. “I need to talk to you now.”

  “It is going to have to wait.”

  “There is a dead man at the barn.”

  The phone went quiet. “Jack?”

  “I’ll be out there as soon as possible.”

  Meghan pulled into the parking lot of the barn. “Oh no,” she murmured as she surveyed the scene. There were several ambulances in the parking lot, and paramedics were running in and out of the barn. The coroner's black car was parked beside a fire truck, and several news vans were also sitting out front. “Everyone in town is here,” Meghan lamented.

  A paramedic walked by them. “Can I help you?”

  “This is my event barn,” Meghan informed her. “I own this place.”

  The paramedic frowned. “I’m sorry to hear that.”

  “Why? What happened?”

  “The accident doesn’t look…typical,” she explained, her face drawn. “I have concerns about what happened, and I think the police will echo my sentiments.

  “What do you mean?” Meghan asked. “What happened? What is going on here?”

  “A guy fell,” she told them. “It looks like he fell off of a ladder as he was doing some work on your barn. I wouldn’t tell just anyone that, but as you are the owner….”

  “What else can you tell me? I want the full story. When did this happen? When were the police called?”

  “It’s not all clear at
the moment,” she shrugged. “But to be honest, this isn’t a good situation.”

  “Someone is dead,” Meghan sighed. “Of course it isn’t a good situation.”

  “The cause of death is suspicious,” she said impatiently to Meghan. “From what we can gather, the dead guy was pushed, or someone fumbled with his ladder. His body is in a suspicious position, and it appears someone tried to move him. Do you have security cameras here? The police will probably want to see them, and you could make yourself useful by getting them ready.”

  “We don’t have cameras,” Meghan groaned. “We have a guy installing them this week.”

  “It was Jacob,” Jackie said as she came to Meghan’s side. “Jacob is dead. He was putting the cameras up, and he’s dead.”

  “I need to get back to work,” the paramedic apologized. “But good luck to you; these things aren’t easy.”

  “Let’s find out what happened,” Meghan said as Isla Ronson, their part-time receptionist, ran over to them.

  “It’s horrible,” Isla cried, wrapping her arms around Jackie, then Meghan. “I was working on our summer events calendar inside when I heard a loud thud. I ran outside to find Jacob on the ground. He had been working on a ladder, and he must have fallen! The body was in such a gruesome position. Oh, girls. I’ve never seen anything more shocking in all of my life!”

  Jackie patted Isla on the shoulder. “I’m sorry you had to see that,” she comforted her.

  Isla sobbed. “You don’t understand,” she wept. “Jacob was my boyfriend! We moved here from Florida together last autumn. We’ve been sweethearts forever.”

  Meghan’s eyes widened in shock. “You were with him?” she asked in surprise. Isla was a petite, meek thirty-five year old woman from Pensacola. She wore thick glasses and sweaters she knitted herself. She was polite, dependable, and the epitome of professional; she had been hired a few months ago to manage the barn as a part-time receptionist, and Meghan and Jackie thought highly of her.

  “I loved him,” Isla cried. “We were going to get married soon! He had a ring; he was waiting for the right time to ask me.”

  Meghan hugged Isla. “I am so sorry,” she whispered into her ear. “Isla, do you know how it happened? Was anyone around?”

  “I don’t think so,” she replied, wiping her runny nose on her pale blue sweater. “You’ll have to excuse me, ladies. I need to pull myself together before I talk to the coroner.”

  They watched as Isla walked off. Meghan felt her throat grow dry, and before she knew it, her eyes were filled with tears. She couldn’t imagine Isla’s pain; she was sure Isla loved Jacob the way she loved Jack, and even though things were tense between them, she couldn't stand the idea of losing him. She sniffled, and the tears began to pour from her eyes.

  “Hey,” a voice behind her said softly. Meghan’s heart fluttered; Jack had arrived. She felt an arm go around her shoulder, and she leaned into the embrace.

  “Hey, you,” she said, turning around with a smile. Her stomach turned. It was Lee. She pulled away roughly. “What are you doing here?”

  Lee shuffled uncomfortably. “I was out here to check on those cameras,” he explained. “I recommended Jacob, and I wanted to make sure he was doing a good job for you. I got out here a bit ago, and as I was walking around the barn, I heard ambulances. Isla told me he’s dead. What a tragedy.”

  Meghan nodded. “It is a tragedy,” she agreed. “Poor Isla.”

  Lee hung his head. “It’s a terrible thing to lose someone you love,” he told her as he stared at his feet. “This has brought back memories of my mom passing away. It’s pretty upsetting.”

  Meghan saw his shoulders slump, and she felt the need to comfort him. She reached out her hand to touch him gently on the shoulder. “I’m so sorry,” she whispered. “This must be painful for you, especially with all of the emergency personnel here. Is there anything I can do to help?”

  He shrugged. “Grief is a tricky thing,” he explained in a soft voice. “Some days, it doesn’t even cross your mind, but other days, it’s all you think about.”

  Meghan squeezed his shoulder. “I know I give you a hard time,” she said. “But I’m here for you. If you ever want to talk or need a friend, I’m here for you.”

  Lee turned to hug Meghan, and she returned the embrace. “Thank you,” he murmured into her ear. “Thanks for being a friend.”

  “What is this?”

  They broke apart, both turning to find Jack standing before them. His face was dark, his hands were on his hips. “Is this a joke? You call me frantic and I show up to find this loser here with you? Seriously, Meghan?”

  Lee stepped forward, standing chest-to-chest with Jack. “Back off, man.”

  Jack shoved him. “You back off of my girl.”

  “Stop it, you two!” Meghan begged. “Jack, leave it alone. Lee and I were just talking.”

  “I saw you hug him,” Jack argued. “Dude, why can’t you keep away from my girl?”

  Jack lunged for Lee, only stopping when screams filled the air. Isla raced over. “Detective Irvin! You’ve caught him! That’s him!”

  Jack paused. “Him? What do you mean?”

  “That’s the man who was with Jacob before he died! I saw them talking! It’s him!”

  Meghan turned to stare at Lee. “Lee?”

  His face paled. “I don’t know what she’s talking about.”

  Jack scowled. “It’s my lucky day, buddy,” he growled. “The lady says you were with him before he died, and that gives me enough reason to take you in. Lee Shepard, you are under arrest!”

  7

  “What?”

  “You’re under arrest!”

  Meghan gasped as Jack whipped out a pair of silver handcuffs from his belt. He slapped them onto Lee’s wrists. “You’ve gotta be kidding me,” Lee protested. “Man, these cuffs hurt. Can you loosen them up, please?”

  Jack grabbed Lee by the shoulders. “Shut it,” he growled. “You’re coming with me.”

  Meghan followed along behind. “Jack? Seriously? Is this necessary?”

  He paused and narrowed his blue eyes at Meghan. “I’m just doing my job.”

  She shook her head. “You are taking out your own feelings on Lee. Cut it out, Jack.”

  Lee turned his head. “Yeah, buddy,” he pleaded. “Listen to your lady. This is insane.”

  Jack glowered. “Shut your mouth,” he advised as Meghan’s dark eyes widened. “Meghan, please get out of the way. I need to do my job.”

  Later that day, Meghan sat with Jackie and Karen, one of her dearest friends, at Roast, the new coffee shop in Springville, the next town over. They adored trying new coffee shops, and Meghan was particularly impressed with the aesthetic at Roast. Patrons lounged in big, thick yellow armchairs, and the walls were painted a pleasant shade of pink. “This place is adorable,” she commented as she took a sip of her Americano. “I needed some time to relax, especially after the nightmare at the barn today…”

  Jackie’s face darkened. “It’s bad enough that Isla’s man died,” she said. “But to have Jack act like such a fool?”

  Meghan buried her face in her hands. “He was so nasty to Lee,” she moaned as Jackie patted her back. “I’ve never seen him act like that before.”

  Karen raised an eyebrow. “Do you think perhaps he was just doing his job? Isla said she saw him talking with Jacob...what if he had something to do with his death?”

  Meghan scowled. “Either way, a detective shouldn’t treat someone with such indignity,” she insisted. “Jack acted like a monster.”

  Jackie pursed her lips. “You know,” she began, her voice dreamy. “I think I would like to date someone who can be rough in the right situations, you know? Like, if someone bumped into me at the club? Or if someone was rude to me? I’d like a man who could stick up for me.”

  Meghan shook her head. “It’s one thing to be assertive,” she told Jackie. “It’s another thing to be a barbarian. Besides, it seemed out of sorts for J
ack to arrest someone based on Isla screaming and pointing. She was really out of it when we spoke with her. Carting Lee off to jail because of her accusation at the crime scene just doesn’t seem right.”

  Karen shrugged. “There’s nothing we can do about it,” she sighed. “Did either of you know that guy well? How long had he been working at the barn?”

  “I didn’t know him,” Meghan said. “Jackie hired him. I only approved the payments.”

  “I didn’t know a lot about him either,” Jackie informed them. “I didn’t even know he was with Isla. I feel bad; we’ve known her for a few months now, and we had no idea she had a fellow…”

  “What a rough way to go,” Karen murmured. “I’m sure he was terrified as he fell off of the ladder.”

  Meghan shuddered. “It’s even worse that Isla found him. I can’t imagine finding Jack in such a state…”

  A gust of wind blew Meghan’s hair off of her shoulders. She looked up and saw the front door closing. She gasped. Lee Shepherd was walking toward their table.

  “Lee!” she exclaimed, jumping up to give him a hug. “Are you okay? I am so sorry about Jack. I’m glad they let you go so quickly.”

  Lee pulled away from the embrace. Meghan saw a gash on his forehead. “What happened?” she whispered as she pointed at the wound. “That looks like a nasty cut. Did someone mess with you at the police station?”

  He sighed, putting his hands in his pockets. “It was your boyfriend,” he told her. “Jackie Boy decided to rough me up when he was putting me into the police car.”

  “He did that?” Meghan shrieked. “My Jack?”

  “Your Jack,” he confirmed. “I didn’t expect him to keep up the tough guy act after you left, but he sure managed to give me a nice cut on my forehead…”

  Meghan crossed her arms over her chest. “I can’t believe it,” she muttered as Lee looked down at his shoes. “Karen? You’re a nurse. Come over here and check this out.”

  Karen rose from her seat. “Retired nurse,” she corrected, winking playfully. “But I’ll give it a look. Here, honey, have a seat….”