by Rosie Sams
“But your aunt was… is… a grown woman, and we are all responsible for whatever choices we make in the end. It is not your fault. Maybe he is a stellar actor, or maybe he isn’t even responsible for your aunt’s vanishing. Either way, it’s not your fault.”
Claire looked up gratefully at Mel. “Thank you so much for being so kind to me. You have no idea how much this means; to be listened to and treated like this. I feel much better, and I need to head back. I have to make a call, and maybe I’ll get in a quick nap. Ever since this nightmare started, I haven’t been able to sleep a wink.” She pushed back her seat and rose to leave, taking a moment to glance around the cozy bakery.
“Have you ever thought of expanding?” This change of subject surprised Mel, and she laughed lightly at the question.
“I totally would if I could afford it,” Mel replied. “I could then promote Kerry exclusively to cakes, me to pastries, and hire more help to do our other items.” Kerry glowed at the implied compliment.
“Just for future reference,” Claire said, “I am not without the means to assist you financially, if you ever decide to go for it. You have been so kind to me; it would be a kindness returned.”
“Don’t even think about such things right now,” Mel hastily answered. “You have enough on your mind with the terrible situation with your aunt. But I would like to send you off with a sweet reminder of your aunt from me—some of the strawberries she thought were so delicious.” Kerry beat Mel to the counter, and quickly boxed up a small sample of the De Vine strawberries for Claire to take as a parting gift.
Claire tinkled a laugh. “There you go again, being extravagantly kind to me!”
She left the shop, promising to stop by again soon, and Mel sadly closed the door behind her.
“You SO should have taken Claire up on her financial offer, Boss-Lady!” Kerry exclaimed. “Just think of all the equipment upgrades you could get… some of our stuff is literally duct-taped together!”
“We’ll be okay,” Mel said. “I just can’t entertain such an offer from a woman in her situation. I don’t feel right contemplating accepting money from the grief-stricken niece of a missing, presumed dead, Aunt Amelia.”
“The ever kind and compassionate Miss Melody Marshall once again makes me look like a greedy jerk,” Kerry quipped, sighing as she gathered up the detritus from their afternoon meeting.
Mel’s eyes strayed to Smudge, who was standing on her hind legs and watching forlornly out the front door’s window. Mel’s heart broke as she thought about the poor puppy, watching faithfully for her beloved Amelia… who was likely never to return.
Chapter Fifteen
The next day, Mel was still thinking about Claire’s offer. She knew it was probably one of the only chances she would have to grow her business, but she just couldn’t bring herself to accept the young woman’s offer. She knew that she was going through a lot and felt that accepting anything from her financially would be taking advantage of her weak state. Still, she couldn’t shake the thought of the possibilities that it could bring.
Expanding her business would not only help her financially, but it would help keep her busy. Even now, with her full schedule, Mel still found herself contemplating her constant lack of desire and passion in her life. She always felt like there was something missing. But she continued to tell herself that she wasn’t ready for another relationship.
No matter how much she tried not to think about it, she still felt a slight twinge of despair from her last heartbreak. His name was Conner, and he was from out of town. He moved here one summer, opening a fast-food franchise on the edge of town. It was one of the only new establishments around and was thriving shortly after its grand opening.
Conner came into Mel’s shop one morning, taking her breath away with his devilish good looks. He ordered half a dozen De Vine strawberries and somehow managed to get her number before he left. They went on a few dates after that. Things were getting serious between them, and before she knew it, she was moving into his condo.
Almost a year went by, and Mel was sure he was going to propose. But business called, and he had to leave their small town behind. It didn’t seem to bother him and that was what hurt the most. She had been invested, ready to make a life… he hadn’t. Mel was completely heartbroken. It was the first time in her adult life that she actually thought she had found love. At the time, she couldn’t picture herself being with anyone else. He was perfect. Even now, her thoughts still flickered back to him, though she hadn’t seen or heard from him in almost two years. Each time she heard that he was in town, he was gone before she had a chance to track him down and he never made an effort to track her down.
With a sigh, she shoved her thoughts of him into the back of her mind. She didn’t have time to worry about her love life. There were more important things to focus on.
When she got to the shop that morning, Ker was already shuffling around busily. By the looks of the coffee mug sitting on the counter, and the empty pot, she had already had her fix of caffeine.
“Good morning, Mel!” Ker said when she noticed her standing by the doorway, Smudge at her heels, wagging her tail eagerly.
“You seem cheerful this morning.” Though, that wasn’t out of the ordinary for Kerry.
Ker flashed her an award-winning smile. “George and I had an amazing night last night; do you want to hear about it?” She grinned mischievously.
“I think you can spare me the details,” Mel said, putting on her apron and making herself busy. The truth was that thinking about Kerry’s perfect relationship with George made her thoughts flicker to the absence of romance in her own life. Even though she has been telling herself that she wasn’t ready for anything serious, her thoughts seemed to linger on Alvin. She caught herself smiling as she thought about the way he got flustered when she was around. She had to admit, it was kind of nice having such a strong effect on a man. Especially a handsome, well-accomplished man like the sheriff.
The sound of Kerry’s voice pulled her from her thoughts. “You know, I’ve been thinking a lot, and I feel like there’s something we’re missing,” Kerry said. “Everyone assumed that Grant is responsible, but what if Amelia’s disappearance really doesn’t have anything to do with him? What if he’s just as clueless as we are? I’ve been watching a lot of mystery dramas on television, and it’s always the person you least expect. If Grant isn’t guilty, then we’ve steered Alvin in the wrong direction. He could be wasting his time investigating an innocent man while the real suspect is out there, doing who-knows-what.”
Ker had a point that Mel hadn’t considered. What if they were all looking in the wrong direction? If Grant wasn’t the one responsible for Amelia’s disappearance, then who was? And, where were they?
“You could be right… But I’m sure Alvin knows what he’s doing. Whoever is responsible, he will find them. I’m sure of it.” She was confident that Alvin would get to the bottom of it, but the question was, when?
The day went by slowly, and the only thing that kept her from spending the whole day swept away in her thoughts was Ker’s constant jabbering. As she prepared a batch of muffin mix, she heard the familiar ding that signified that someone had just entered the shop. Wiping her hands off on a nearby towel, she went out to see who had come in.
To her surprise, it was Alvin. He wore a grim expression. “Hey, Mel, got a minute?”
“Sure, what’s going on?” she asked nervously, wondering if there had been a break in the case.
“We searched most of the lake today, but there’s not much more we can do until morning.”
Mel’s heart thumped hopefully in her chest.
“I’m not sure whether to be relieved or disappointed, but we didn’t find anything. And Grant still isn’t giving up any more information. He’s convinced that Amelia is off handling business dealings and will show up at any moment. I’m still not sure if he can be trusted, but right now we don’t have any evidence against him.” Al sighed, running his
hand through his thick hair. “It’s also possible that something else could be going on here, Mel. I’m not sure if we’re looking in the right direction, but a woman’s life could depend on it.”
They were silent for a moment, the air growing tense between them until Mel finally grew the courage to ask the question that had been on her mind all day. “Alvin, is there any chance that Amelia will be found alive?”
A dark shadow passed over his eyes. “There’s always a chance, but the more days that pass, the less likely it becomes. Like I said, we could be looking at the picture entirely wrong here. But we won’t know until we get more information. Right now, everyone is a suspect.”
Mel didn’t know what else to say. She wanted desperately to help find Amelia, but it didn’t seem like there was anything she could do to help. The police would handle it, she told herself. Unable to find the right words, she said, “Well… let me know if there’s any way we can help. We’ll do whatever we can to assist the investigation.” She looked him in the eyes, ignoring the sudden flutter in her stomach.
“Thanks, Mel, we will…But listen, there’s something else I wanted to ask you. I was wondering if you would want to have dinner with me.”
She opened her mouth to speak, but he held up his hand.
“Before you say anything, I’m not asking as a date. I just felt… Well, honestly, I thought that maybe you could use a friend.”
Mel smiled apologetically. “That’s sweet, Alvin, but I would really like to just head home. It’s been a really long couple of days, and I think we could all use some rest. Thank you though, I mean it. It was really thoughtful of you.”
Even though he tried to cover it with a friendly smile, she could see the disappointment in his eyes. “Oh, sure… No problem. I’ll see you around then?”
“Absolutely,” Mel replied, giving him one last hint of a smile before he turned to go.
Mel watched as Alvin turned the corner and faded from view. She wasn’t sure why she had turned him down. Maybe it was fear that was holding her back. Fear of having her heart torn out of her chest again. She knew that Alvin was a good guy, and given a chance, that he would treat her right. But she just wasn’t ready. Even though it had been almost two years, Connor was still the only man she could see herself being happy with.
Alvin didn’t deserve to be led on. And if she agreed to go out with him, that’s exactly what she would be doing.
She spent the next hour baking and listening to Ker talk about how her wedding planning was going. They planned on going on an expensive honeymoon in London, and Ker was thrilled. They had just booked their hotel and plane tickets the previous day. She claimed that George was more excited than she was, but for some reason Mel doubted that.
She was pleased for her friend. Ker deserved to be happy. And Kerry and George were perfect together. Honestly, she doubted she had ever seen anyone more perfect for each other before in her life. But there was still part of her that wanted a twenty-thousand-dollar honeymoon for herself. Again, she thought of Connor. What is with me today? She asked herself. She hardly ever thought of him, but for some reason she couldn’t get him out of her head today. Perhaps it was the thought of Alvin pining after her that made her think back to her old flame.
On their lunch break, Ker and Mel walked down to the corner café to grab a bite to eat before returning to the shop. While they were there, Ker showed her pictures of her wedding dress, and the bouquets of flowers she had picked out. It was all beautiful, Mel had to admit. Ker was getting the Cinderella wedding she had always dreamed of. And if there was anyone that deserved it, it was Kerry. She was a hard worker, and a good friend.
“I really can’t believe we’re going to London. Can you? Oh, Mel, it’s going to be so amazing. Can you just imagine? All the old buildings and the English architecture. I can’t wait to stand on our balcony and watch the sunset on the horizon. I’ve never been out of the country before, have you?” Ker asked, sipping her coffee. Although, Mel was sure that she had had enough for the day.
Mel shook her head. “I haven’t, but I’ve always wanted to go to France.”
“Me too!” Ker exclaimed. “Maybe we should go there instead. Too bad we already booked our flight. I would love to see the Eiffel Tower. I just adore their accents over there. But I don’t know any French, so that might be a problem. But I’m sure England will be just as great. We’ll get to visit Big Ben, and the Tower of London. Oh! And Buckingham Palace! Maybe we’ll get to meet the Queen.” Ker giggled at the thought.
It sounded incredible. Even though she would never admit it, Mel was slightly jealous of Ker’s fairytale romance. Mel doubted that anything like that would ever happen to her. Even if she did get married, she doubted they would be able to afford such an extravagant honeymoon.
When they were finished eating, they made their way back towards the bakery. The two of them quickly settled in and got back to work. They had four cakes that needed to be baked and iced before the day was over. Ker was busy icing the first cake, while Mel whipped up the batter for the other three.
A couple of hours passed before Ker said, “What do you think happened to Amelia, Mel? Do you think she could still be alive?”
“Honestly, Ker, I really don’t know. Alvin said there’s always a chance but it’s starting to look pretty unlikely,” Mel said.
“That poor woman. Do you think she annoyed the wrong person? She seemed so nice. I couldn’t see why anyone would want to hurt her,” Ker added.
“I have a feeling that it has something to do with her money.” Mel didn’t know much about the woman, but she did know that she was loaded. If there was any reason someone would be out to get her, money was probably their motive.
Chapter Sixteen
Kerry had already left for the day when Melody and Smudge made their way outside to close up the shop. As Melody paused to make sure the door was locked, Smudge let out a small whimper, looking up at Melody with pleading eyes.
“Oh, don’t worry, girl. You’re safe with me, I won’t let anything happen to you.” Pulling a few butter cookies out of her purse, she leaned down to let the small dog nibble on one. Smudge lapped the cookies up happily, wagging her tail. A smug grin crept onto Mel’s face as she watched the small dog wiggle in delight.
When Smudge had finished her snack, they began making their way home. They hadn’t gotten far when a familiar voice called out to them, making Mel turn quickly on her heels. Sam was outside his shop, heading towards them.
“Hey, Mel, I’ve meant to catch up with you.” He seemed slightly out of breath, having jogged halfway down the block.
“What’s up, Sam?” she asked curiously.
“Are you still interested in someone looking for champagne? I had a customer come in yesterday evening and order a whole set. I thought maybe it was something you would want to know about.” He stood with his hands on his hips, obviously still trying to catch his breath.
“Oh! Yes, did you recognize them? Do you know who it was?” Her curiosity was piqued—this could be the clue they needed to point them in the direction of whoever was responsible for Amelia’s disappearance.
“No, unfortunately. I had never seen him before, but he didn’t look like he was from around here,” he said gingerly.
“What did he look like? I might know him.” Her thoughts suddenly flickered to Grant. If there was any man around here that looked like he didn’t belong, it was him. It wasn’t just the way he looked, his entire demeanor and the way he carried himself made him seem out of place in the small town.
“Well, he was a tall fellow, at least six feet. His hair was starting to grey, and his appearance was very well-kept. I don’t know where he got his clothes, but they looked very expensive.”
Yep, it had to be Grant. There wasn’t anyone else around here that fit that description. But, what would he be doing with champagne? Surely, he wasn’t out celebrating Amelia’s sudden disappearance?
“Hmm…thanks, Sam, I’ll look into it.�
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After saying a quick good-bye, Sam made his way back to his store.
Mel’s mind was showered in a hailstorm of thoughts. Thinking about the box of De Vine Strawberries that she found a few days before, she quickly turned around and headed in the opposite direction. If Grant was creeping around, perhaps he went back to cover his tracks. She made her way to the trash bin as fast as she could, knowing there was still a few hours before the bi-weekly pick up.
When she turned the corner, the trash bin came into sight. Tugging Smudge along behind her, she searched the bin as quickly as she could, not wanting to draw suspicion to herself. The nearby streets were empty, but she didn’t want to risk someone noticing her digging in the trash and the possible chance of them warning Grant that she was on his trail. Other than a few empty soda cans, and other random garbage, the trash bin was empty. Her earlier assumption had been right, Grant had been out covering his tracks. The box of strawberries was one of the only clues that hinted to the chance of foul play being involved in Amelia’s disappearance. Now, it was gone. It just proved her suspicion that Amelia was not voluntarily missing.
Anxiety crept into her again as the situation was becoming clearer. Melody wondered how she got involved in this mess. Why should she be worrying this much? Her eyes then landed on the small creature at her feet. She thought of what to do next. Would she tell this to Alvin? She knew Alvin was doing his job well, but she was afraid that she was meddling too much. But who else could understand her?
She wanted to go and find Alvin, but it was late, and he had most likely gone home for the evening. She didn’t have his number, the only way to get in touch with him would be to leave a message at the police station and hope he got it the next day. But there wasn’t time for that. Something needed to be done now. If Grant was covering his tracks and disposing of evidence, it was only a matter of time before he left town. And if that happened, no one would ever find out what really happened to Amelia.