Meg could hear how hard it was for her mom to keep from putting up some serious opposition. Beth had to exercise all the restraint she had.
Meg wanted her mom to know how much she appreciated that. “No, really. I know how difficult it must have been for you to say that. So, thanks for being so understanding.”
“Of course, I’m your mother. No one understands you better than I do.”
“I can’t argue there.”
“At the same time, I wouldn’t be your mother if I didn’t warn you to be careful.”
“Don’t worry,” Meg started saying.
Beth interrupted her. “How many times have I told you? A mother can’t help but worry.”
“True. But know I’m going to do everything in my power to stay safe.”
“Speaking of powers, while you’re sleuthing away, I’m going to have to whip up a spell for the strongest cup of coffee in the history of the universe. Not to mention a nice fake smile to give to the customers when I’m pretending to be happy about being awake at seven in the morning,” Beth joked.
Chapter Five
With her work shift covered, Meg could now focus on the details of the case. Briefly, she considered casting a séance spell to get her a lead or two. Once cast, the spell would put her face to face with a ghostly version of Walter Newman. From there, she could ask him if he had any idea who might have killed him.
The problem with a séance spell was how taxing it was. On the spectrum of stressful spells to cast and maintain, it was near the top. There was no way she could do it alone. This kind of thing was strictly a two witch job, which meant she’d need the help of her crabby mother. Getting that wasn’t likely.
More importantly, even if they could pull off the spell together, Meg wasn’t sure how much it would really help. Walter was killed from behind. Most likely, he didn’t even know what hit him, no less who hit him. That meant Meg could go through all that stress of casting the spell for nothing. Given that, she abandoned her idea, got changed, and headed back over to Walter Newman’s garage, where Connor and his forensics team were finishing up.
“Any new leads?” Meg asked.
Connor shook his head, discouraged. “Nothing you didn’t already know.”
Meg was surprised by his hound dog look. “What’s with the long face? You act like you expected to find a smoking gun.”
He snickered. “Yeah, right. If detective work was that easy, everyone would do it.”
“Then I’d be out of a job…well, side job,” she joked.
He gave her a token laugh, but she could tell he was just doing it for show.
“It’s good to know you have a sense of humor at this hour,” Connor replied.
“I didn’t realize yours was still asleep.”
“My day doesn’t truly begin until the caffeine hits my bloodstream. Unfortunately, I’m getting the feeling that I was so groggy this morning that I think I brewed a pot of decaf coffee instead of regular.”
“Ouch. I guess we’ll have to get you a real cup of coffee then.”
Connor wiped his eyes. “I’ll say.”
“In the meantime, what have you got? Your men must have uncovered something.”
Connor exhaled. “I wish. The victim died due to blunt force trauma to the back of the head from this automotive wrench.”
“Any prints?”
He shook his head. “Not one.”
“That’s not surprising. If you’re going to try to get away with murder, you’d assume you’d be smart enough to either wear gloves or wipe your prints off the murder weapon before you leave.”
“Unfortunately, smart killers don’t do us any favors.”
“Go figure, there are never enough dumb criminals around when you need them.”
Meg got her first chuckle of the day out of Connor.
“You don’t hear that very often,” he replied.
“No, but I figure we’re due for one. These murders can’t all be perpetrated by criminal masterminds, can they?”
“Was that a rhetorical question?”
“No. That was me just hoping the universe would throw us a bone on this one. I don’t know about you, but I’d love to make quick work of this case, then grab some celebratory pie to commiserate a job well done.”
“Here I thought I was the one who was half asleep. Open and shut cases are the kinds of things that only seem to exist in my dreams.” Connor surveyed the scene. “I have a feeling this one is going to be a real grind.”
Meg took a deep breath and focused on the nuts and bolts of the case again. “What was the time of death?”
“Between midnight and one.”
Meg laughed to herself.
“What’s so funny?”
“I was just thinking about that old saying of how nothing good ever happens after midnight.”
Connor nodded. “Isn’t that the truth?”
“Anything else?”
He shook his head. “Like I said, we don’t have much to work with here.”
“There may not be much evidence, but there sure are plenty of suspects,” Meg replied.
“When it comes to that, I think it’s time we compare notes.”
“Before we do that, we should get some real coffee into your system. I have a bunch of names to throw at you, and I don’t want them going over your head.”
“When it comes to getting coffee, you don’t have to ask me twice,” Connor said.
“I feel the same way about pancakes,” Meg replied.
“In that case, I know just the place that will make us both happy,” Connor said.
Chapter Six
It was hard to go wrong with Al’s Diner. The greasy spoon joint was home to good food at an affordable price. That was a most welcoming sight for the sleuths. As an added bonus, the food came out nice and quick, which was a real benefit at this point. After all, not only was the case was calling, but so were their stomachs.
Even though Meg was a regular at Al’s, she’d never been there so early before. Apparently, she wasn’t the only one. She’d never seen the place so empty. Between the servers and line cooks, there were actually more employees in the diner than patrons. That was fine by Meg. Hopefully, that meant their meals would come out especially fast.
Al Gordon, the rotund, bearded, middle-aged owner of the diner, greeted Meg and Connor as they took a seat at the counter. He had the kind of smile that only a true salesman could muster at this hour. Ever the customer service maven, Al was peppy after making quick work of a pot of coffee.
“Good morning,” Al said, smiling wide.
“I wish it was,” Meg replied.
Al didn’t pick up on Meg’s sarcasm. He kept up his cheery nature. “You guys are sure here early.”
“Don’t remind me,” Connor said.
Al remained determined to be a ray of sunshine in Meg and Connor’s otherwise cloudy day. “It’s good to have you here. It’ll give you a chance to try out our boffo breakfast options.”
It was then that Connor’s caffeine-deficiency got the best of him. “Al, you know I love you, but you’re at a ten, and you really need to take your pep down to about a six,” Connor replied.
“It sounds like you could use some coffee,” Al said.
Connor didn’t hesitate with his answer. “I’ll take the whole pot. The strongest stuff you’ve got.”
“Uh oh. It’s one of those days, isn’t it?” Al replied.
Connor nodded. “It sure is.”
Al leaned in and whispered. “Are you all bent out of shape about the Walter Newman murder?”
Connor’s eyes darted wide open. His brow furrowed in disbelief. “That just happened last night. How do you know about it?”
“Detective, how many times do I have to remind you that you aren’t in the big city anymore? This is a small town. Word travels fast,” Al replied.
“Who did you get word from?” Meg asked.
She was interested in hearing his answer. There was a chance, however sli
ght, that maybe one of the suspects or someone close to them had told him. If that was the case, Meg and Connor would have a nice lead.
Instead, Al had another explanation. “Sabrina Jacobs told me.”
Meg furrowed her brow. “From Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow Salon? How did she find out?”
“She heard it from Justine Maxwell, who heard it from Mona Tidwell,” Al explained.
Al wasn’t kidding. Word traveled lightning fast this morning, so much that Connor’s head was spinning. It turned out that Al hadn’t just heard the news, it was fourth-hand news by the time it got to him.
At the same time, no wonder word of Walter’s death was making the rounds. Not only was Mona Tidwell one of Walter and Meg’s neighbors, but she was also a shameless gossip.
Connor put his head in his hands. “Small towns sure know how to get up in everyone’s business, don’t they?”
“That’s our charm,” Al said.
Connor had a different opinion. “That’s one way of putting it.”
“Charm. Insufferable nosiness. Who knew there was a fine line between those things?” Meg joked.
Connor had something else in his craw. “Al, since you already know Walter Newman was murdered, do you happen to know who killed him?”
Al grimaced. “I can’t help you there.”
“Of course not.”
“Hey, I wouldn’t want to do your job for you. If I wrapped this case up, what would you do with the rest of your day, fall asleep at your desk?” Al joked.
“Very funny,” Connor replied.
“Besides, I like my job. Speaking of, I’ll bet you could go for a nice, buttery biscuit and a side of crispy bacon with your pancakes? They’re all included with the Taste Bud Teaser Combo,” Al said.
Connor groaned. “Al, I don’t need to be upsold at this hour.”
“All right, cool your jets. I’m just trying to run a business here,” Al insisted.
“We’re just going to stick with the coffee and pancakes,” Connor replied.
“For now. I have a feeling the minute you get a whiff of the bacon my cook is frying up; no way will you be able to resist,” Al said.
Al then turned around, poured both Meg and Connor cups of coffee, and then headed off to input their orders into the computer.
Now that they were finally alone, the sleuths were able to run through the list of suspects in this case. It turned out there was a surprisingly large number.
“Should we get down to the case?” Meg asked.
Connor’s caffeine cravings took center stage. He took a nice, big sip of his coffee, stayed quiet for a moment, and then turned to Meg.
“Fire away,” Connor said.
“First, we have to start with Tabitha Newman,” she replied.
He nodded. “A jaded wife in the throes of a contentious divorce. That has motive written all over it.”
“When love has gone terribly wrong, and there are large sums of money at stake, it makes for a dangerously volatile cocktail.”
“Then you throw in the fact that more often than not, crimes like this are committed by an estranged ex.”
“If it were up to Walter Newman, he and his ex wouldn’t be estranged at all. He tried his best to win Tabitha back, but she wouldn’t hear it.”
“We’ll definitely be paying her a visit.” Connor then switched gears. “Who else have you got?”
“Tabitha isn’t the only one in the Newman family with a motive for murder. Her son, Jake, wasn’t too fond of Walter either, accusing his dad of caring more about his business than his family. At the same time, Jake had always been a mama’s boy, but when he found out about his father’s affair, he went nuclear, writing his dad off completely.”
“I’ll bet Jake was in line to receive a nice, fat inheritance too,” Connor added.
“I don’t doubt it,” Meg replied.
“Jake is going to be getting a visit from us as well. Now, what about this mistress of Walter’s?”
“Stacey Watterson? She’s more than just a mistress.”
“I’ll say. She’s the main reason Walter was about to lose half his fortune.”
“Well, there’s that. But that wasn’t what I meant.”
“Is there more?”
Meg nodded. “When news of the affair came out, Walter immediately broke things off with Stacey, trying to explain away their affair as nothing more than a mistake.”
“Let me guess, Stacey believed they had much more than just a fling?”
“Exactly.”
Connor snickered. “It sounds like Walter had two bitter women in his life. Is that it?”
“I wish it was,” Meg replied.
Connor’s eyes opened wide. “He had more enemies?”
Meg nodded. “Of the work variety. He was getting ready to open a second Discount Dachshund grocery location off of Oak Parkway. There were two men up for the promotion. Of course, only one of them got it.”
“And the other one feels burned for being passed up.”
“Exactly. I’ll bet Owen Anderson is holding a serious grudge that he didn’t get the promotion.”
“Please tell me those are all the suspects,” Connor said.
“For now,” Meg replied.
“Right, because you never know what secrets a little sleuthing might dig up.”
“I’m guessing this is just the tip of a very deadly iceberg.”
“Here’s hoping you’re wrong.”
Just then, Al returned with a plate filled with pancakes, bacon, and a biscuit.
“I’ll tell you where you can’t go wrong, with my pancakes,” Al said.
Connor laughed as he shook his head. “Ever the entrepreneur.”
“I was just on my way to delivering this Taste Bud Teaser Combo to table five. I thought I’d show you how appetizing the warm, buttery biscuits and crispy strips of bacon are this morning. It’s not too late to upgrade to a combo,” Al suggested.
“Al, we already told you we’re good with just the pancakes,” Connor insisted.
Al exhaled. “Tough crowd.”
While Connor stayed as firm as ever, Meg found herself waffling. The sight of such delicious-looking bacon made it difficult for her to keep her mouth from watering.
Finally, she lost her last shred of willpower. “Give me the combo.”
Connor was in disbelief. “Meg, what are you doing?”
“Giving into the magic that is crispy bacon.”
“You realize what a slippery slope you’re going down. If you let Al keep upselling you, before you know it, you’ll be leaving here with a milkshake and a slice of pie,” Connor warned.
“Is it too early for pie?” she joked.
Al saw an opening and took it. “I like to believe it’s never too early for pie. Especially when it’s a slice of hot apple pie right out of the oven.”
Connor laughed. “See, this is exactly what I’m talking about. Al, is there anything you won’t sell?”
“Of course. You don’t see kale chips or quinoa on the menu, do you? Now, hash browns on the other hand, you can’t go wrong with that,” Al replied.
Meg turned to her boyfriend. “Will you just get the combo with me, already? It’s going to be a long day, and we need all the protein we can get. Besides, you can’t go wrong with bacon.”
Connor narrowed his eyes at Al. “See, now you’ve got Meg doing it too.”
Al shrugged his shoulders, acting innocent. “Hey, she’s a smart woman with really good taste. You should listen to her.”
Connor shook his head. “Nice try, Al. Just the bacon for me.”
It took Connor a second to release he’d misspoken.
Al immediately called him out. “Uh oh. Someone has bacon on the brain.”
“I meant, pancakes.”
Al held out the combo plate with the pancakes, bacon, and biscuit in front of Connor’s face.
“Are you sure?” Al asked.
It was no mistake that it was called the Taste Bud Teaser Combo
. Up close, it was nearly impossible to resist. Connor was finding this out firsthand.
Finally, Connor realized it was no use. He sighed and gave in. “Fine, give me the combo.”
Al rejoiced. “Coming right up.”
Chapter Seven
After making quick work of breakfast, Meg and Connor had just the energy they needed to get down to business. Connor opened up his wallet to pay the bill as they regaled over their meals.
“That hit the spot,” Connor remarked.
“Go figure, in an ever-changing world, Al’s food never disappoints,” Meg said.
Connor nodded. “Yup. You’ll hear no complaints from my stomach.”
“Be honest, as much of a fight as you put up, that bacon Al pushed on you was worth it,” she said.
“For now, at least. Will it be true when I have to do an hour on the treadmill later?”
“A word of caution. Don’t waste time belly-aching about eater’s remorse. That bacon is already in your stomach, savor the delicious flavor.”
“Speaking of wasting time, let’s get to work.”
“Now that you mention work, we should really have Al question suspects. Imagine the information he’d get out of him with his fast talking determination.”
Connor’s eyebrows raised. “I think we already have enough people freelancing on this case.”
Meg squinted at her boyfriend.
Just as Connor and Meg got up from the counter to leave the diner, Stacey Patterson entered. What a fortuitous turn of events. As Walter Newman’s mistress, Stacey was at the top of Meg and Connor’s list of suspects. They were going to track her down at her house later, but now, they didn’t have to.
Even odder than the timing of her showing up at the diner just as Meg and Connor were there was the fact that Stacey looked like a wreck. She was in her mid-forties but had the look of a hung over twentysomething that morning. Her blue eyes were bloodshot. Her long brown hair was in need of some brushing. She was wearing a pair of mismatched sweatpants and hoodie over her lean figure. Makeup was completely absent from her angular face. It was clear she hadn’t slept very well.
Stacey told Al her order at the cash register.
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