“Is he going to be okay?” I asked.
“They’re taking him to Mercy Hospital, but he wasn’t breathing when the ambulance left,” the older police officer said.
“We did what we could officer,” Stormi cooed. “I gave him CPR.”
Paige gave her a look. Well, she did give him chest compressions between snorts of laughter. Funny what stress can do to a person. We didn’t mean to laugh, but the pressure of the situation caused us all to go into fits of inappropriate laughter. I just hoped no one saw it.
“That’s good, ummm Stormi is it?” The young officer asked.
“Yes, Stormi Rogers…ummm officer….?
“Officer Jeff Manning, maam,” he answered.
“Do you have a card officer Manning. I might remember something that could be useful for your report.”
Paige rolled her eyes as Sam and I looked on. We all knew how Storm liked to flirt.
“Of course,” he said pulling a card from his pocket. Stormi took it with delight.
“Well that’s all we need from you ladies tonight so we‘ll be going,” said the older officer.
Stormi watched as they walked out the door. “Isn’t the young one cute? Manning? He must be new around here.”
“Have you already forgotten what just transpired here tonight?” Paige scolded.
“Lawdy, how could I forget,” Stormi answered. “I’ll probably have nightmares for years. I’ll never look at a double chocolate sundae the same again.”
“Well, let’s get out of here,” I said. “Tomorrow is another day.”
And sure enough, it would be a day to remember.
*****
The next day before heading off to work, I received a phone call from the police department. I had a sleepless night of tossing and turning, reliving the previous night’s events and hoping Mr. Jenkins pulled through. It had to be a heart attack. What else could have caused him to drop over like that?
“We need you to come down to the station and answer a few questions about what occurred the previous evening,” Officer Manning said. “We’re having the other two women who were at the Shoppe come in as well.”
Stormi will like that I thought.
“Is everything alright?” I asked as I gathered my keys and purse.
“I’m not sure if you’ve heard or not,” Officer Manning continued, “but Mr. Jenkins died last night.”
“Oh how horrible,” I said. “I knew he was in bad shape last night but I hoped once the medics got there they could help him.”
“He was beyond help at that point,” Officer Manning stated. “So can you come in?”
“Of course, I’ll be right there,” I said as I hung up the phone.
What did he mean he was beyond hope by the time the medics arrived? Possibly nothing but I had a seed of unrest growing in my stomach.
Once I arrived at the police station, Paige and Stormi were already there sitting on one of the old benches within the police station. The station was quite old and dark with only a few windows located high up on the wall. The atmosphere was bleak and it didn’t help the uneasiness I felt traveling to my chest.
“Do you know what’s going on?” Paige asked as I walked up to them.
“No, but maybe they’re simply wanting to know how it all occurred,” I said.
“What else is there to know,” Stormi stated. “He took a face dive into the sundae. Although I am happy to see Officer Manning again.” Stormi had a way of shifting seamlessly from one subject to another without batting an eye.
“I don’t know…something is up,” Paige worried. “Why would they need all three of us in here? Don’t be surprised if they split us up.”
And sure enough, she was right. Three different officers came and took us into various areas of the station to take our statement. Stormi was giddy with delight that Officer Manning escorted her to his desk. I wanted to be happy for her but something was gnawing at my insides.
The older officer from yesterday walked me over to his desk. His name was Officer Jerry Burkle. He motioned for me to sit down in the old wooden chair next to his desk. I was afraid the chair might crumple to the floor with me in it. I gingerly sat down on its seat.
“Ms. Beckley, can you tell me what occurred last night from the time Mr. Jenkins arrived at your store to the time we arrived on the scene.”
I explained to him exactly what happened; leaving out the part about our uncontrollable fits of laughter when Stormi was administering CPR. I didn’t think that tidbit needed included in the statement.
Once I was finished Officer Burkle asked, “Is there anything else you’d like to add to your statement?”
“No, I don’t think so,” I responded.
He leaned back in his chair and said, “A passerby happened to see commotion in your Shoppe at approximately the time after the 911 call came in. This person said that three ladies surrounded a man on the floor and that they were all laughing.”
I knew my face was turning into a ripe tomato.
“So is there anything you want to add?”
“Well, I didn’t think it mattered…I mean…” I stammered. Just come out with it Tara!
“Yes we laughed but it was from nerves,” I admitted. “Stormi gets the giggles when she’s really nervous and well, we were all upset and nervous so her snorting and laughing…well it was contagious. Stormi was performing chest compressions. We were trying to help.”
Officer Burkle nodded his head. “It seemed a little odd given the circumstances and his manner of death.”
“I’m sure it did seem unusual to anyone looking in but we…ummm his manner of death?”
Crap, he didn’t die from whipped cream inhalation I thought stupidly.
“Mr. Jenkins was murdered. Someone poisoned him.”
My hand shot up to my mouth. “Oh my gosh!”
Officer Burkle shifted in his seat. “So you can see we must talk to everyone who saw or interacted with him prior to his death.”
“Yes, I understand,” I gulped. “But you can’t think we had anything to do with it.”
“We took the remaining ice cream and dish and had it tested. There was no poison found.”
“Well I could have told you that,” I said feeling slightly agitated.
“Yes, but someone could have slipped something into the ice cream after you served him.”
“But no one else besides us were in the Shoppe,” I added, then realized maybe I should keep my mouth shut.
“You can have a seat back out front with your friends,” he said motioning me back to the bench where Paige sat waiting.
I sat down next to her and compared notes.
“Good grief, Mr. Jenkins was murdered!” Paige whispered in my ear.
“Yes I know…that gives me the creeps. I mean what if that person was in the Shoppe right before he came in. Do you remember anyone strange that day?”
“Besides Stormi, no.” Paige stated. “Did they ask you about the laughing?”
“Oh yes. That was not one of my best moments,” I grumbled.
Stormi walked over to us from Officer Manning’s desk.
“Well that was embarrassing. I had to confess to chortling as I performed chest compressions. I’m sure Officer Manning won’t be dialing my cell anytime soon. Who was out there watching us? When I find out I’ll give them a piece of my mind!”
“Stormi!” Paige scolded. “Keep it down…we are in a police station and the last person we served at the Shoppe died of poisoning. We don’t need any more grief.”
“Fine…whatever,” Stormi sulked.
Officer Manning and Burkle walked over to where we sat on the dilapidated bench.
“Ladies, your stories are the same and we have no reason to believe any of you are linked to the poisoning of Mr. Jenkins,” Officer Manning stated.
“Thank goodness,” Paige declared. “But do you know how he was poisoned?”
“It was with cyanide,” Officer Burkle announced. “We’re in the
midst of testing various items from his home.”
Suddenly I remembered something I forgot to tell them. “Wait…I remember Mr. Jenkins asking for water with his sundae.”
“That’s right,” Stormi chirped. “He wanted several cups so he could take his medicine or something like that. Did he have any pills on him?”
“He did have a bottle of high blood pressure pills which the lab is testing now. We’ll put a rush on it. Thanks for the information,” Officer Burkle offered. “If you think of anything else, don’t hesitate to let us know.”
“We will,” we all said as we got up to leave.
After we left the police station Paige said, “I bet the poison was in his pills. Who would have access to them?”
“Heck if I know,” Stormi answered as she pulled car keys from her bag. “I want to know who ratted us out!”
“Who cares about that,” Paige groaned. “There’s another murderer on the loose and the victim died in Tara’s Shoppe. In fact we were almost pegged for the murder.”
“Well, it didn‘t look good, us laughing and all,” I said sliding on my sunglasses. “But someone tattled to the police. I mean it could have been the killer.”
As soon as those words left my lips, I froze.
“Okay, that gives me the heebie jeebies,” Stormi replied.
“Well, I need to get to the Shoppe and open it,” I said getting in my car. “I just hope we have customers today. Storm you coming in at noon?”
Stormi walked over to her small SUV. “I shall be there.”
We all parted ways and Paige promised to bring Sam in that evening. I shouldn’t have worried about the lack of customers. Seems that murder is the best advertisement in town.
*****
It was so busy in the Shoppe I almost called Stormi to come in early, but by noon, things had slowed down. I guess people thought it better to eat a sandwich or salad for lunch rather than ice cream, although from 10 until 12 I was busy making shakes, root beer floats, and taking ice cream cake orders. Of course, everyone wanted to talk about what took place the night before. In this small town, a murder was big news, especially when committed in the local ice cream Shoppe.
I finally had a chance to catch my breath when Dan and Teresa Parker of Parker’s Tractor Supply came in. The couple were in their 40’s with two boys attending college in Atlanta. However, they were home for the summer and Dan and Teresa had left them in charge of the store to come by and see me.
“Tara, we wanted to come by and see how you are doing after hearing about what happened last night,” Teresa said as she came around the counter to give me a hug.
“Oh I’m fine,” I replied. “It was certainly crazy here last night, but we’re all doing okay.”
“I take it Stormi was here as well last night?” Dan asked.
“Yes and Paige too,” I answered.
“How did it happen?” Teresa asked.
“Well, he just sort of slumped over. We found out later from the police that he was poisoned.”
“That’s what we heard as well,” Dan said. “We’re supposed to head down to the police department to answer a few questions.”
“Why?” I asked. “I mean we were called in because we witnessed his collapse.”
“I’m sure it’s because of the lawsuit he had against us,” Dan replied. “I guess that would make us suspects since without him around there’s no legal battle.”
“Anyone that knows you has to understand that you’d never do something like this,” I said.
“Yes, but the police can’t leave a stone unturned,” Teresa concluded. “I understand the reasoning, but it’s still quite scary.”
“Don’t you worry Teresa,” I said rubbing her shoulder. “I’m sure they’ll just take your statement like they did us girls and that will be it.”
“I hope so hon,” Teresa said. “We’re heading down to the police station right now to get it over with.”
“Good luck,” I said as they walked out the door.
There was no way this nice couple could be involved in something so heinous I thought. Could there be? I shook my head to toss the thought out of my brain.
By 1pm, Stormi came in.
“Have you heard…they’re questioning the Parker’s at the police department,” she said as she looked at her hair in the big mirror on the back wall.
“Yes they were just here and told me they were heading to the police department,” I said.
Just then, Brandon walked in.
“How are you ladies getting along after all the hoopla last night?”
“I could do without that kind of excitement thank you very much,” Stormi replied.
“I hear you gave Mr. Jenkins a new kind of CPR,” Brandon kidded his sister. “The kind that involves howls of laughter.”
“Wow, news travels fast around here.” Stormi threw a wet towel at him.
“You know how small towns are,” he replied.
“People must think we’re loons,” I said, although no customers mentioned it this morning.
“No, actually everyone thinks it’s a hoot,” Brandon said with a big smile. “Mr. Jenkins didn’t endear himself to anyone so just the fact you attempted CPR on him, along with snorts of laughter, has made you all heroes in the eyes of this town.”
“That’s good to know,” I said as I wiped off the tables. “It certainly hasn’t hurt business today. I was busy right up until noon and I’ve had a few customers since then. Of course, many of them wanted to see where the murder took place. Asking me which table Mr. J. sat at.”
“Hey, that reminds me,” Brandon broke in. “I’m stopping by here at closing time to make sure you girls get to your vehicles safe and sound.”
“That’s sweet of you Brandon, but unnecessary,” I said. “Surely the murderer wouldn’t come around here.” Of course, I wasn’t so sure about that.
“You never know and I’d feel better if I stopped by. It’s dark by the time you close and there’s not a whole lot of street light out here.”
We heard the front door tinkle and Paige came in.
“I know, I’m early but I can’t sit around the house alone. Sam went swimming at the city pool with a friend and Bruce is still gone on his business trip.”
“You’re welcome here anytime Paige, you know that,” I replied.
“Hey Brandon,” Paige said as she laid down her purse. “What’s going on in the world of construction?”
“Not as exciting as the ice cream business,” he answered. “I was just telling Storm and Tara I would come by tonight at closing to make sure you ladies got to your vehicles safely.”
“Why don’t you guys come over and spend the night tonight…well, minus you Brandon..sorry!”
“Darn, I was hoping for an invite to one of your hen fests,” he jested.
“Come on you two,” Paige said ignoring Brandon. “It will be fun. We’ll get a pizza, drink a bottle of wine, and try to figure out this whodunit.”
“You had me at pizza and wine,” Stormi replied.
“Alright,” I said. “Sounds good to me.”
The rest of the day was uneventful except for customers streaming in to talk about Mr. Jenkins and the Parkers. Stormi, Paige and I discovered several more tidbits from customer gossip and promised to compare notes later that evening. Stormi and I each left the Shoppe separately to round up pajamas and a change of clothes for the sleepover at Paige’s house. It made me feel young again, like the pajama parties I attended in middle school. Wow, that seemed so long ago.
I was actually happy at this stage of my life. I had my own business that I never thought possible only a few years ago. I loved my friends and while my family didn’t live around here, I knew they always had my back. The only thing missing was a partner. Although I knew I could handle life on my own, it did seem like something was missing.
Unfortunately, it’s difficult to allow yourself to open up to another person once you’ve been burned. The emotional pain burrows deep i
nside you and the thought of letting another person in is terrifying. But the thought of not allowing someone in is also frightening as you might allow a special person to slip through your grasp. Of course, there were no prospects at this time, or so I thought. So right now, I was set to concentrate on my business and to figuring out who killed Mr. Jenkins in my ice cream Shoppe.
A Frozen Scoop of Murder - The Bundle Edition (Books One to Six): Cozy Mysteries Page 6