The Tea Shoppe Mysteries

by Darlene Franklin

  “What are they building?”

  “Apartment complex.”

  Brad unlocked the door to the trailer and ushered me inside. “Don’t turn on the lights.” He handed me a flashlight. “Sometimes, the bosses drive by to check on things. There’s a lot of equipment parked on the lot. It would be difficult to steal, but not unheard of.”

  I glanced around the one room. “Where would we hide if they came?”

  “I’d have to come up with something real quick. Maybe I brought you here for a secret rendezvous.” He shone the light on his face and winked.

  A flush rose up my neck. “That wouldn’t work if they killed Roy. They’d get rid of us just in case we were lying.” I took a deep breath to still my heart and moved to a filing cabinet near the receptionist’s desk. It was locked, but I found the key in the top desk drawer.

  I flipped through file folders until I found one labeled INSURANCE. Sea Side Construction had a two-million-dollar policy through Miller Inc. Not unusual. What was unusual was that Connor Miller was listed as the agent. My stomach dropped. The address for Miller Inc. on the policy was not the same address for the building Roy owned. Had his son started taking clients away from Roy? Why would he, when he stood to be his father’s only beneficiary, estranged or not? And did Roy know about this policy? “Brad? Look at this.”

  He joined me, reading the papers over my shoulder. “Clue number one.” He laid another file on the desk. “Here’s number two. They also had a policy under Roy.”

  My brow furrowed. “Why would they need two?”

  “I’m thinking the one under Connor is suspicious. Maybe he stands to gain if something happens to Sea Side Construction.”

  I gasped. “That means something will happen, Brad. They wouldn’t take out two policies without a plan of some sort.”

  He nodded, his mouth set in a grim line. “Fire or theft, most likely. Snap photos of these papers, and let’s get out of here.”

  I pulled out my phone and took photos of each page before returning the files to the cabinet and the key to the desk drawer. When I clicked off my flashlight and opened the door, I saw headlights penetrating the darkness and headed our way. I pulled the door closed. “Brad, someone’s coming.”

  He hurried us both outside, locked the door behind us, then pulled me behind the building, putting a finger to his lips. I crouched down and peered around the corner.

  The automobile backed up to the large hole in the ground. A man got out and opened the trunk.

  “Who is it?” I whispered.

  “I can’t tell, and I don’t recognize the car.”

  Something landed with a muffled thud. The man slammed the trunk closed, got back in the vehicle, and spun gravel speeding away.

  I needed to know what had happened. “Come on.” I waved Brad forward. “He dumped something.” I really hoped it was garbage.

  Staying low, I approached where the car had stopped and stared at something in the hole about five feet long and wrapped in canvas.

  “Did that just move?” I stared up at Brad.

  “Yes.” He slid down the embankment and turned on his flashlight. He peeled away the top corner of the canvas. “It’s Sue.”

  Oh Lord, help us. “Is she dead?”

  He felt for a pulse. “No.”

  “Why dump a live person in the hole? Check for blood.”

  He unwrapped her. “Other than a bump on the head, I don’t see anything wrong. The bindings were too tight for her to get out of alone.” His eyes widened in the beam of my flashlight. “Ashley, concrete is scheduled to be poured here first thing in the morning.”

  My blood chilled. Gagged and tied, Sue would have become part of the apartment complex foundation, never to be seen again.

  “Can you get her up here?”

  “Yes.” He scooped the unconscious woman into his arms and struggled up to where I stood.

  “I need to call the police,” I said. “How will we explain what we were doing here?”

  “Easy. You wanted to see where I worked, we observed something being dumped and went to investigate.” He carried Sue to his car and placed her in the back seat. “Always stay as close to the truth as possible.”

  Right. Less chance of getting tripped up when talking to the police or the bad guys. As I stared down at Sue, it occurred to me that, if I’d been taken earlier, there could very well have been two canvas-wrapped bodies dumped in that hole.

  CHAPTER 9

  “Where’s Rogen?” I peered around an officer I didn’t recognize.

  An ambulance pulled up behind him. Two paramedics got out and rushed to Sue’s side.

  “Gone.” The officer’s clipped tone left no room for questions, but I pressed on anyway.

  “During an investigation? May I see your badge?” I wasn’t trusting anyone at that point.

  His badge told me his name was Officer Davis. “I’m well aware of who you are, Miss Lawrence, Mr. Overson. You’ve been the talk of the precinct ever since Rogen brought in your notes and photos. Even though I’m impressed with what the two of you discovered, I second Officer Rogen’s opinion that you stay out of what is now my case.”

  I glanced at Brad, who shrugged. “The woman is Sue Moore from Miller Inc.” He went on to tell Davis of us witnessing her being dumped as Brad showed me around the site.

  “Why were you here in the dark?” Davis speared us both with a sharp gaze. “Wouldn’t you be able to see more in the daylight?”

  “We both work during the day,” I said. “Besides …” I snuggled up to Brad, very much liking the way he felt. “This is way more romantic.”

  “Ma’am, it’s a good thing you’re taking forensics classes.”

  “Why’s that?”

  “Because it means that someday you’ll be snooping into murder cases legally. I’d like the two of you to come into the station first thing in the morning to fill out reports. Go home now and let the police do their job.” He turned and marched back to his car.

  “Finally, an officer who realizes telling us to stay away is a losing battle.” I glanced to where the paramedics loaded the still-unconscious Sue into the ambulance.

  “Maybe it’s more like he sees we can be an asset,” Brad said. “I’d like to visit Sue tomorrow after we go to the station. Hopefully she’ll be awake by the time our class is finished.”

  The next morning, irritable from lack of sleep, I stopped at Tea by the Sea and purchased scones for Professor Lyons. I plopped the bag on his desk and shuffled to my seat only to be called back to his desk before my rear hit the chair.

  “Is this a bribe, Miss Lawrence?”

  “Nope. I thought you might need sweetening up, that’s all. If it is a bribe, it’s to keep you from badgering me today.”

  He tilted his head, amusement crossing his face. “But you’re so much fun to torment.”

  Slapping my hands flat on his desk, I leaned close. “Look. I was almost kidnapped trying to catch a killer in order to get a good grade on this assignment. I don’t need grief from you.” I gasped. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have been disrespectful.” Lack of sleep was no excuse for poor behavior.

  “I do not expect you to put yourself in danger for a grade.” He smiled. “I have a friend in the police department. I’m well aware of what you and Mr. Overson have been doing, and I also know that my friend, not to mention the new chief of police, is impressed with your work despite the headaches you give them. Please take your seat so I can attempt to teach you something else to help you as you hinder a police investigation.”

  I returned to my seat, wishing I could go home and catch up on lost sleep. I’d reluctantly taken the afternoon off work in order to go to the police station and then to the hospital. Davis would have to forgive me and Brad for not showing up first thing in the morning. I was paying for this course and wouldn’t miss any more days unless it was an emergency. The money I’d been saving for years was for a down payment when the perfect house crossed my path.

 
; Professor Lyons spoke on fingerprints and DNA until I wanted to pull out my hair and die. This was stuff we’d already gone over, which meant a test was coming up. I’d never felt so old, even though I was only twenty-five, until going back to school. I retained things I heard well, but digging into Roy’s death left little time for actually studying a textbook.

  When the bell rang, I practically raced from the room and out of the building. I leaned against the warmth of the redbrick wall and waited for Brad.

  “You’re out of sorts today,” he said, joining me.

  “You don’t seem to be in a hurry to leave.” I glared up at him. “We have things to do today. Things that most likely won’t help us find Roy’s killer.”

  “Come on, grouchy pants.” He took my hand and led me to his car. “We’ll come back for yours later. And, for the record, I’m hoping Sue is awake and able to talk to us. She might be another step forward.”

  “I’m sorry. Too many late nights and not enough fun.”

  “Here’s an idea. This Saturday you sleep in, and I’ll pick you up at noon for that walk on the beach.”

  “Really?” I turned in my seat. “What about our assignment?”

  “We’ll either have an ending for it or we won’t. Your health is more important, and if you keep going this way, you’ll make yourself sick.” He patted my shoulder then drove us to the police station.

  Officer Davis scowled when we stepped into his office. “I thought I said first thing.”

  “We had class.” I sat in a chair across from him. “I already took off work today to come in.”

  He sighed and handed each of us a form. “Fill these out to the best of your ability. The construction site is now a crime scene, Mr. Overson, so you for one won’t need to worry about going there to work.”

  “No, sir, but I supervise other sites.” Brad took his form and started writing. “My bosses, on the other hand, will not be pleased.”

  “You should look into them,” I said to Officer Davis. “I won’t tell you why, because it’s pure speculation, but those two are fishy.”

  Brad nudged me with his knee.

  “If the information you’re withholding is part of this investigation,” Davis said, “you’re obligated to let me know.”

  “I’m not sure if it is at this point.” I handed my form back to him. “I wouldn’t want to cloud your judgment by telling you we suspect them of insurance fraud.”

  “I get it.” He set the forms in a tray then folded his hands on top of his desk. “In time, you will, I guarantee it, especially if you keep getting into trouble and need to be bailed out. Oh, and the chief would like to speak to the both of you.” He grinned. “Seems what I think best isn’t the same as his thoughts on the matter.”

  Well, snickerdoodle. We’d finally crossed the line and were getting a talking to from the big guy.

  I knocked and peered into a less sterile-looking office than Davis’s had been. The chief seemed to warrant a wooden desk rather than a metal one, and an expensive leather chair. “Sir?”

  “Please. Come in and close the door.” The big man with his gray hair cut into a military style waved toward a couple of vinyl chairs. A brass plate on his desk said CHIEF WILEY. “Relax. You aren’t in trouble. I have a proposition for you.”

  I exchanged a curious glance with Brad and sat down. “Sir?”

  “As you know, we’re a small police force here in Sea Side, and this murder is running us ragged. After speaking with Officer Davis and going over your impressive notes and photographs regarding Mr. Miller’s murder, I would like to ask the two of you to work with us on a consulting basis. Well, more than that actually. I’d like your help in solving this case.”

  “You mean we won’t be interfering in an investigation?” I asked.

  He shook his head. “You’d be in a legal capacity to snoop.”

  I glanced at Brad, who looked as shocked as I felt. “I’m—we’re—honored. Will we be getting paid?”

  “Not on a full-time basis, but there will be compensation.”

  Thank you, God. I should know better than to worry about money. God had always looked out for me in the past.

  “What about safety?” Brad spoke up. “Someone attempted to kidnap Ashley yesterday, and Sue Moore was abducted and dumped last night.”

  “Do you intend to stop your investigation, Mr. Overson?” The chief leaned back in his chair. “Because if the answer is no, what difference does it make if you work for me or go out on your own? Doing so in an illegal capacity could result in your arrest. This is for your protection against prosecution.”

  Brad stood and thrust out his hand. “We accept.”

  “That was weird,” I said once we stepped outside. “Is this type of thing normal?”

  “With Rogen disappearing, I don’t think the department has much to go on other than what we found. He could have hidden any evidence if it pointed back to him.” Brad opened the passenger door for me. “They’re desperate.”

  “Obviously, since we’re just average citizens.” I slid into the car and buckled my seat belt. While danger still hovered on the horizon, we could at least investigate now without the threat of arrest. “Where do you think Rogen is?”

  “I believe your thinking of him being a dirty cop had him fleeing for fear that we’d figure him out.”

  I exhaled heavily through my nose. “Something about him says there’s more to him than just being a bad cop.”

  “Maybe. Let’s go see if we can talk to Sue.”

  Luckily, she was awake and allowed visitors. I hardly recognized her without the heavy makeup and teased hair. The Sue in the hospital bed was a lot more attractive, in my opinion.

  “How are you feeling?” I sat in the chair on one side of the bed, and Brad pulled a chair from the unoccupied other half of the room.

  “I’ve got a headache. Concussion, the doctor said.”

  “Can you tell us what happened?” Concern crossed Brad’s face.

  She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, then opened them again. “I came out of the bookstore, my arms full of books. A van stopped in front of me. A man in a mask dragged me inside, and that’s all I remember until I woke up here.”

  “Nothing about being wrapped in a sheet of canvas and tossed in a hole?” I glanced up at Brad. The look on his face told me he didn’t think I should have said anything about that.

  “No!” Sue’s eyes widened. “I could have died.”

  “But you didn’t.” Brad patted her hand. “Ashley and I were there to get help. Can you remember anything about your captors?”

  “There were two. One driving the van and one that grabbed me and put a pillowcase over my head. Then he hit me.” She glanced from Brad to me and back to Brad. “That’s all. They never said a word.”

  “You know something that has them worried, Sue. The same people tried to take me yesterday.” I took her hand. “I understand you’ve been attacked and are scared. Help us find who did this.”

  “Except for the loud voices I heard coming from Roy’s office, I don’t know anything.” She groaned and lay back on the pillows.

  “Were you aware that Connor Miller was also selling insurance and that Sea Side Construction had a policy under him and one under Roy?”

  Her brow wrinkled. “I told you I’d never seen Connor before the funeral.” Her eyes widened. “Do you think he killed his own father?”

  “We don’t know,” Brad said. “We suspect Jenkins and Olson were in on it with him to commit fraud.”

  “And Roy found out.” She did the glancing back and forth thing again. “You will find his killer, right? Before he strikes again?”

  “We’re doing our best.” Brad got to his feet. “You rest and be careful.” In the hall, he turned to me. “We need to ask the chief to put an officer outside her room.”

  CHAPTER 10

  Saturday morning I slept until nine and stretched like a very satisfied feline before getting out of bed. Not only had I slept we
ll, but I would be spending the day with Brad, not investigating. A day of fun!

  I lounged around until time to get dressed and then put on shorts and a flowered top. Casual, but with my hair bouncing around my shoulders in a ponytail, I felt pretty. Brad had said he would bring a picnic lunch. My contribution was dessert—strawberry scones.

  When his car pulled up outside, I locked my door behind me and skipped to the curb. “Good morning.”

  He laughed as he opened the passenger door. “I guess you really were looking forward to a day off.”

  “Oh yeah.” I kept my window open as we headed for the coast, closing my eyes and letting the ocean breeze rejuvenate me. Nothing better than sun and surf to raise a girl’s spirits.

  When Brad pulled off the road and parked the car, I saw a set of stone steps leading down to a small beach. Not far away, a red and white lighthouse rose against an azure-blue sky. Waves crashed against rocks as seagulls dove for their food, filling the air with their cries.

  After retrieving a cooler and blanket from the trunk of his car, Brad led me down the steps. “How’s this?”

  “Gorgeous.” I glanced around in surprise. “There’s no one else here.”

  “Nope. I know the lighthouse keeper. This isn’t a public beach.” He grinned and set the cooler on the ground before unfolding the blanket. “You wanted peace, you got it.”

  What a guy. I removed my phone from my pocket and sat on the blanket, stretched my legs out in front of me, and leaned back on my arms. I could stay there all day watching the waves kiss the sand.

  Brad stretched out beside me. “Sleep well?”

  “Yes. You?”

  “Surprisingly so after the events of the last two days. I called the hospital to check on Sue. Officer Davis will be escorting her home today.”

  “You must be the most thoughtful person I’ve ever met.”

  He turned on his side. “It isn’t hard to be nice.”

  “Sometimes it is.” The ease with which he thought of others filled me with remorse. “Take Rogen, for instance. That man rubbed me wrong from the moment we met.”