Ashley Crane Cozy Mystery Collection

by Laurie Anne Marie

  “I heard you. But I’m not telling Lara. Unfortunately, that’s going to have to be your job.”

  Tears started to run down Ashley’s face.

  “Hey, I’m sorry.” He put his arm around her. She had been through so much in the last few days. Just then, Ashley remembered the key ring.

  “Here,” she said and handed the key ring over to Thompson. “Test it out.”

  He stared at her. “I might have to put a car on you again. I’ll put this with the evidence.”

  “Thanks Nate, I’m going home if you don’t mind.”

  “Yeah, that’s fine. And tell Charlie good job. I swear he’s a detective in a cat’s body.”

  Ashley smiled weakly at him.

  “Hey, keep your eye out, but don’t do anything crazy like following anyone like last time. Promise?”

  “Ok,” she said.

  At the same time, Ashley knew that if the opportunity presented itself and she saw anything funny, she would try to find out what was going on. Her best friend’s brother was being arrested for drugs and might have knowledge of who killed Hartman. She was angrier than ever. And she wanted absolute resolution. Even though she was just a cook, she was going to find the killer.

  “We know what we are, but know not what we may be.” A woman said that by the way; Ophelia from Hamlet,” she said.

  “Ok Miss Shakespeare, take care,” Thompson said.

  Chapter Nine

  Ashley walked out to the car and noticed Brad Hartman on his phone in the parking lot. He was agitated and kept pacing as he talked. Ashley slowed down and pretended to be on her phone while she listened in to his conversation.

  “I told him that, but he’s suspicious of me. I can smell it. That stupid kid shot his mouth off,” Brad said.

  Ashley had to keep walking to her car, so the rest of the conversation was lost. She opened the door and slid into the seat. Just then, Brad Hartman yelled at her.

  “Hey! Excuse me,” he said.

  “Yes?” she answered.

  “Aren’t you the caterer from our party the other night?” he asked.

  “That’s me,” she said.

  “What are you doing back here? We’re not having any more parties for a while,” he said.

  “I just had to check for some leftover things from the party; that’s all.”

  He narrowed his eyes at her. “And to talk to the detective?”

  She answered calmly. “We all had to be questioned.”

  “How’s that kid who worked the bar?” he said.

  “I guess he’s fine. He was tired from working,” she answered nonchalantly. He kept staring at her.

  “Sorry about your father. Take care,” she said.

  Ashley then went to drive off.

  He put his hand out and stepped in front of her car.

  “Anything else you want to tell me?” he said.

  “Just that I’m sorry about your dad again. That must be tough. I don’t know what I’d do if that happened to my father.”

  “You obviously have a nicer dad than mine was,” he said. The anger seeped away from his face for a moment, and she thought she detected a look of hurt on it.

  “I’m sorry,” she mumbled. “I have to go.”

  “Stay out of trouble,” he warned.

  She looked in her rearview mirror and watched him get into his car while he was dialing his phone again. He turned his car in line with hers and followed a few lengths behind. She started to get nervous, but after about ten minutes, he made a sharp left into a back road. She couldn’t be sure, but wasn’t that the same road that the car who bumped into them had turned into the night of the party after Sean called 911?

  It had been dark, and they were all tired and traumatized that night, but maybe that was it. She slowed down and waited until she saw him drive out of sight, then turned around. As she got closer to the road, she made a note of the name: Blueberry Lane. Ashley was getting ready to drive up when she saw dust from a car coming down the road.

  “Not today,” she muttered. She turned around quickly and headed back to town.

  ***

  After a few minutes, her heartbeat started to get back to normal, and she noticed how lovely the scenery was. Despite all that had happened, she took in the beautiful meadows and trees and wide blue sky. The breeze through the window was sweet and fresh, with a hint of salt air coming in on the wind.

  Ashley turned into the main thoroughfare of her quaint little town and rode by the school and its playground. She saw moms and their kids playing in the park. The houses were small but pristine. They had tidy yards and flower boxes. She loved this part of the country. Even though she had visited back east and seen wonderful sights, it was here that she felt the sky was bluest, and the ocean was the most welcoming.

  Her phone rang, breaking her reverie. “Hi Lara.”

  Her friend’s voice sounded raw. “They’ve arrested Will for drug possession and dealing.”

  “I’m sorry, Lara. I really am. What can I do?” Ashley said.

  “Talk to the detective and find out how he’s going to deal with this. I don’t expect favors, but I’m hoping that they will try to give him treatment. He’s a good kid at heart. A good kid who’s done stupid things. Mom and dad are devastated,” Lara said.

  Ashley heard her crying. “I could, but you know, it’s better if you all do as a family. He knows we’re close, and he will try to help as much as he can, and the law will let him.”

  “You’re right. We had already planned that. Can I come over for dinner tonight?”

  “Sure. I’m heading to my parents. Sean will be there. Want to join all of us?”

  “No thanks, can’t do more than one on one right now. Not feeling sociable. Maybe see you tomorrow?”

  “Yeah, that’s good. Lunch. I’ve got another catering party interview coming up. I’ll go over it with you.”

  “Ok. Hey, Ash?”

  “Yeah?” Ashley replied.

  “Do you think everything’s going to be ok?”

  “Of course. Hang in there. See you,” Ashley replied.

  Ashley stopped at her apartment to check on Charlie and Susie Q before heading over to her parent’s house. Before she could get up the stairs, one of her neighbors, Mary Gilden, stepped out of her apartment and greeted her.

  “Hello Ashley, how are you doing dear?”

  “Oh I could be better, but I’m hanging in there,” Ashley answered.

  She gave her neighbor a smile. Mary Gilden was a sweet lady who always tried to help Ashley if she was having a down day. It’s as if she could sense it, which is why she had probably stepped out of her doorway just then. A lot of people called her “Magic Mary” for her ability to make people feel better. That, and for her nearly psychic ability to know what was bothering people in the first place.

  “What’s wrong, dear? Something I can help you with?” Mary asked.

  “I don’t think so, but thanks for asking. Have a good rest of the day, Mary.”

  “I will, and thank you. Remember, always look at what’s happening out in left field. A good baseball term that is very useful in life.”

  Mary smiled at Ashley and went for her walk.

  Ashley looked at her as she rounded the corner. As usual, her neighbor had dropped something to think about on her. She always did. She was a gentle soul who helped out in charities and with the neighborhood beautification group. She also had a subtle sense of humor that Ashley loved.

  When Ashley got upstairs, she noticed that Charlie and Susie Q had turned the place upside down. One of them had partially dragged the couch blanket onto the floor, their toys had been batted all over, and the food bowls were upside down with the kibble scattered across the kitchen floor. She had an inclination to blame Charlie when these things happened as he was the boisterous “dog” of the two, but as Susie Q was getting bigger these days, she was turning into quite a little trickster.

  Together, they were a formidable team. Just then, Susie Q came
scuttling around the corner and did a crab sideways pounce across the rug. Charlie was hot on her heels and raced up the curtain before coming to a stop right in front of her. They both looked at Ashley as if to say ‘mom’s home!’ then took off at a race into the bedroom and back. Ashley swept up the kibble and reloaded their food bowls. They streaked into the kitchen and started meowing for their wet food.

  “Ok, ok, ok. Wow, you two are terrible together.”

  The cats gobbled up their food as Ashley got ready to go to their parents. Sean was bringing dessert, and she had offered to bring a side dish. She set up her cutting board and started to chop fresh vegetables. Onions, zucchini, yellow squash, butternut squash, tomatoes, and yellow and red peppers. She tossed them in olive oil with salt, pepper, and fresh chopped garlic, then put them in the oven to roast until they caramelized.

  She took out her fresh ricotta ravioli from the farmers market and put it on the stove to lightly boil with a pinch of salt, then drained it except for the last bit of pasta water and returned it to the stove to stay warm. When the vegetable mix was done, she tossed it with the ravioli, added a bit more salt, and then let it sit on the stove to stay warm while she got changed. The whole apartment smelled wonderful. Cooking was therapy. Cooking calmed her down. She felt better already. And hungry.

  Her phone suddenly rang. It was her mother.

  “Hi Mom, be there soon,” Ashley said.

  “Great, but I called to tell you to bring bread,” April replied.

  “Ok, I’ll swing by the store and get some.”

  “Don’t you have bread at home, honey?”

  “Mom, I rarely leave bread at home. Hello? This is your daughter here. I can eat a whole loaf with butter by myself.”

  “Ok then, pick some up. Whatever you think. Bye.”

  Ashley thought she’d get a ciabatta. It would go great with her side dish, and her mom was making roasted fish, so the Italian theme would all tie in. Sean was bringing his cannolis; no one in her family could get enough of those. She got changed and headed to the door.

  “Bye Charlie, bye Susie, see you later.”

  The cats had finished their food and started streaking around again, bumping into things and racing up her curtains. She laughed at their antics and started to lock the door when she saw Charlie dragging something across the carpet. It was another Hartman brass key ring.

  “Charlie! Where did you get that?”

  He looked at her as if to say, ‘don’t you know where it came from?’ and dropped it before running off with Susie Q again. She got a kitchen glove, then bent over and picked up the key ring and put it in a bag.

  Where could this have come from? The only one in her apartment since the party was Sean, and he said he had never gotten one at the party as he was too busy working. Had someone else been in her apartment when she was out? First the key ring outside, and now her cat had found one inside. She resisted the urge to keep from having a meltdown.

  ***

  Ashley called Nate Thompson.

  “Detective? This is Ashley Crane. Please get back to me as soon as possible.”

  She grabbed the pasta and left a light on, then locked the door and headed to her parents. The apartment complex was quiet. Not even Mrs. Norris was out and about. She thought about asking Mary Gilden to keep an eye on her place, but the thought better of it. It might scare her neighbor, and that was the last thing she wanted to do.

  She headed to her car and noticed the street was really quiet too. Usually, folks were out walking their dogs at this hour before dinner. The trees swayed in the early evening breeze. One short gust of wind rustled by her and blew her hair sideways. She felt a few raindrops on her head; then the sprinkling quickly turned into a downpour. She made it to her car just in time.

  Ashley drove off with a lot of mixed feelings. She really needed to talk to Thompson. She called him again.

  “Detective? Please call me. Second call. Ashley. Thanks.”

  ***

  The rain really picked up. It thundered on her car roof and splattered on the streets. Everyone else must’ve read the weather report. That’s why she hadn’t seen anyone on the street.

  Just then, her phone rang. It was Thompson.

  “Hi Nate. Thanks for getting back to me. How are you?” she asked.

  “The question is, how are you? What’s up?” Thompson replied.

  “Not good. Charlie found another one of the brass key rings handed out at the party.”

  “Where outside this time?”

  “Not outside. In my apartment.”

  There was a long pause, and then Thompson cleared his throat and coughed.

  “Could someone who worked with you from that night have dropped it?” he asked.

  “My friend Sean was in my apartment, but he said he never got one that night. No one else has been inside. At least that I know of,” she said.

  He cleared his throat again. Then another big cough.

  “Are you sure? Maybe he got one and forgot that he did, then accidently dropped it.”

  “I’ll ask him again, but I know Sean. He would’ve remembered if he had one. That leaves the question, do you think--”

  The detective knew exactly where she was going with this. “If someone was snooping around in your apartment and dropped it? That could be Ashley.”

  She was silent for a moment. Think Ashley, think.

  “We’ll come over and check for fingerprints,” he said. “Maybe whoever it is, is also behind Bob Hartman’s murder.”

  Ashley shuddered at the thought.

  “Speaking of, do you have any more info on the case?”

  “None that I can divulge now.”

  “How’s Will doing?”

  “He’s not talking anything but the drugs. But I got a funny feeling. Something’s got to give.”

  “By the way Nate, I’ll take the car.”

  “Ok, one cop car coming up. Take care of yourself.”

  “Thanks, I’ll try.”

  Just as her phone call with Detective Thompson ended, another call came in. It was her mom again.

  “Hi mom, sorry, running late. Be right there!” Ashley said.

  “Ok dear, but please hurry. Everyone’s here but you. We’re hungry,” April said.

  Ashley stopped by the Bread Basket in town first and grabbed a nice fat ciabatta, then drove to her parents. Just before she turned right towards their street, she saw Noel White and Mark Laughlin getting into a car together. The rain was coming down, but neither one had a raincoat on or were holding an umbrella that might have blocked their faces.

  Walking down the street to meet them was a figure waving for them to stop. That person was completely covered up and hunched over with their head down. Just before the person got into the car, his head went up as he flipped off his hood. It was Brad Hartman.

  Chapter Ten

  Ashley thought about turning the car around and following them, but she was already late for dinner, and the detective’s words rang in her ears.

  “Don’t get silly and follow anyone,” the detective had said.

  At the same time, this was a very interesting development. What were all three of those men from Hartman’s Dealership doing together? From what she had heard at her catering job, it hadn’t seemed like Mark Laughlin, Noel White, nor Brad Hartman would be on the best of terms. Why did they seem so buddy buddy now? Thompson would love to hear this news.

  She called him again.

  “Nate, hi. Guess who I just saw downtown getting into a car together? Noel White and Mark Laughlin from the dealership. And walking down the street towards them and waving was Brad Hartman.”

  “Strange. You told me you witnessed arguing and back stabbing between these guys at the dealership when you were there. I wonder what they all have in common now.” Thompson wondered.

  “With Bob Hartman gone, maybe they are all out for the piece of the dealership pie now.”

  “Maybe. But Donna and Brad Hartman have that all loc
ked up by being next of kin.”

  “Yes, but the place will still need a general manager and salespeople, so maybe there’s some hand greasing going on,” Ashley said.

  “Could be. I’ll check it out. They might still be downtown.”

  They said their goodbyes and Ashley high tailed it to her parents. She might be stressed out, but she was also hungry. Good food would help her think. Good food would calm her down.

  ***

  Ashley pulled into her parent’s driveway, and Sean was at the door, huddled out of the rain, looking for her. He gave her a wide smile. She felt warm in his gaze, comfortable, simply happy. She knew that life would never be too complicated with Sean. He would always take care of her heart.

  “So, why don’t you make a commitment soon then?” she thought. “Time to stop waffling.”

  As she dashed up to the door under her spindly umbrella, Sean spread his arms wide. He couldn’t stop grinning.

  “You know, I was just about ready to tell your mom that we had to start without you. As much as I care about you, my stomach was making a good argument for food. Basic needs, you know?”

  She laughed. “Hey, I would’ve done the same thing.”

  She handed him the casserole and bread.

  “Hope nothing got wet.”

  As soon as she stepped in the house, fragrant smells met her. She picked out basil, thyme, and tarragon. She scooped the casserole in a serving dish and laid the ciabatta on the table.

  “Ashley dear, we almost started without you. Oh, that casserole looks wonderful. Should we heat it up?” April asked.

  Ashley’s stomach started to rumble. “No need, it’s room temperature. All the flavors will be just perfect like that. Tell me what you made.”

  April beamed with pride. “Well, I roasted a fish in olive oil, basil, and thyme, then made roasted potatoes with tarragon and lemon, then a green salad. I also made green beans with shallots.”