“Now wait a minute Greg, you don’t think Charlie had anything to do with the crime?” I asked.
“Oh I think he was a big part of it, yes,” Greg answered.
“You say you want my wheels?” Charlie asked Greg.
Greg raised his voice so Charlie could hear. “Yes I’m going to have to take the wheelchair for a few days. I’ll get you another one from the pharmacy up the street.”
“If you have to,” Charlie replied. “I’m kind of partial to this one.”
“Don’t worry; I’ll get it back to you as soon as I can.”
“I’m lost Greg,” Stormi replied. “How is Charlie tying into this?”
Greg took off the latex gloves. “This is just a theory but I believe this is what happened to Mr. Pennington. I don’t believe it was a murder at all, but an accident.”
“How in the world do you plunge a knife into your chest by accident?” Stormi asked.
“Yeah Greg, this seems a little preposterous,” I agreed.
“Okay, let me show you,” Greg answered. He walked over to Charlie. “Charlie, do you remember leaving the shoppe this morning?”
“Yes’m. The girls left and I finished my coffee. I was going to leave out the front, but I can’t open the door by myself. I can get out the back way though because the door isn’t as heavy. That short fellow was standing behind the ice cream counter. He was very involved in whatever was in that box sitting on the counter. I didn’t want to bother him, so I thought I’d come around the other end of the counter and go out the way of the back door.”
“Which means you would have to go through the swinging door leading to the back room first right?” Greg asked.
“Yes, it’s easy to get through, although it does swing pretty hard.”
Greg nodded. “Go on.”
“I got half way in and one of my wheels got stuck and I couldn’t get all the way through. That’s when I asked if the man could scoot my chair over so I could go straight through. I heard him say something about his hands being full or something like that. I couldn’t turn around to see him. My neck and back won’t allow me to turn to far either way, but I felt him kicking the stuck tire on my wheelchair. I didn’t really want him to kick it, but he did dislodge it from where it was pushing against the door frame.”
“Let me stop you right here Charlie,” Greg said. “In which direction was the swing door? Was it pushed in towards the backroom or out into the shoppe?”
“It was pushed in,” Charlie answered. “I pushed it in with my wheelchair.”
“So the door was propped inward with your wheelchair?”
“Yes’m. Once he got the wheel around the doorframe, I backed up to straighten the chair to get through the door. Then I continued through and let the swing door fly shut behind me. I thanked him but I didn’t hear an answer so I went ahead out the back. I figured he‘d close the back door after I went through it.” Charlie shrugged. “That’s all I know.”
Greg patted him on the shoulder. “That’s fine Charlie, you did good.”
Dottie, Brandon, Stormi and I stood at the counter. “Okay Columbo,” Stormi said. “Tell us how this all fits together.”
“My theory, based on the evidence, is that Mr. Pennington was holding the cake service knife in his hand when he was helping to dislodge the wheelchair tire. After he dislodged it, Charlie said he backed up to straighten the chair so he could get through the door. That’s when I think he backed over Mr. Pennington’s shoe leaving the tire mark. The sudden pain to his foot likely made him jerk forward where his face met with the slow moving sign, causing the cut to his face.”
We all nodded. It was starting to make sense. All the pieces were falling into place. I could actually see Pennington dislodge the tire, Charlie backing up, rolling over Mr. P’s shoe and then that floppy sign cutting his face. But what about the final act?
“When Charlie moved his wheelchair, it allowed the swing door to come free. Since the door was pushed back as far as it could go, when it swung free it would carry a lot of force.”
Brandon walked around the counter. “So you’re saying Pennington was standing in the middle of the doorway, he’s not paying attention because his foot’s been run over and his face sliced.” Greg nodded. Brandon stood next to the swing door as Greg pulled it all the way back.
Brandon stood in the middle of the doorframe. “I’m Pennington. I’ve been run over and sliced in the face so I’m not paying attention. I’m holding the cake knife in my hand but it’s turned towards my chest because of everything that’s happened in the span of a few seconds.”
Brandon held an imaginary knife in front of his chest. “Okay, let go of the door.”
Greg released the door and it swung hard into Brandon’s hand, forcing it into his chest. “Wow!” Brandon exclaimed as he looked at us. “I can see how the force would push the knife into his chest.”
“So it was an accident right?” I asked Greg. “Charlie didn’t mean for this to happen.”
I could tell Charlie could barely hear what we were saying without his hearing aid. Likely, why he didn’t hear Pennington fall from the knife wound.
“Of course,” Greg answered. “There will be no charges. It was an unfortunate accident. It’s amazing how everything came together though. Driving over his foot, then the slice to the face with the slow moving sign, and then the final push with the swing door. Charlie really did a number on him without even knowing it.”
Brandon looked at Charlie. “I wouldn’t want to meet him in a dark alley.”
“Okay, let’s wrap this up,” Stormi announced. “It’s been a long day. Charlie let’s get you some new wheels. Only for a few days though, then I’ll make sure Greg gets your wheelchair back to you.”
Charlie steered himself over to Dottie. “Miss Dottie would you like to accompany me and help choose an interim wheelchair?”
“I would be so inclined,” Dottie said. “But first let me have a second with my daughter and her fiancé.”
Dottie walked over to Stormi and Greg. “I think I should head back to Atlanta and let you lovebirds plan your own wedding. I stuck my nose in where it didn’t belong and I don’t want to continue to make a mess of something that should be the most wonderful time of your lives.”
Stormi grabbed her mother’s hands. “Momma, I want you to stay and help me this week. But I only want you, not some person who thinks they know better than me what I want. I’ve always dreamed of having you by my side, helping me pick out my wedding dress, the cake, and the flowers, all of it. But just you, I…and well of course Tara and Paige too.”
Dottie had tears in her eyes. “Are you sure darlin? I know I’ve made such a mess, and Greg must be fearful of what kind of mother-in-law he’s getting after he’s heard of all my meddling.”
Greg took Dottie’s hand in his own. “If you’re just like your daughter, we’ll get along just fine.”
Dottie’s other hand flew up to her mouth to hide her giggle. “Oh I can see how my daughter fell for you. You’re such a charmer.”
Greg smiled. “I’ve heard the same about you.”
Dottie giggled again.
“Okay everyone, let’s get out of here and get Charlie’s new wheels,” Stormi announced.
Everyone headed out and I locked the door. The lights from the street lamps were already lit. Suddenly Brandon grabbed my hand and pulled me to a bench under one of the lights.
“Aren’t we going with them?” I asked.
“In a minute,” Brandon said. “I want to show you something first.”
Before I knew it, he held a small box in his hand. He lifted the lid and there it was. The brightest, most exquisite ring I had ever seen. It was a round diamond, with small blue sapphires surrounding it. My hand flew to my mouth.
“I hope you like it,” Brandon said. “It’s not your usual engagement ring, but I thought you deserved something exceptional and out of the ordinary, just like you.”
Tears spilled down my cheek
s. He caught me totally by surprise. I was not expecting this at all…but I knew what my answer would be.
“So Tara, will you marry me?”
*****
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You can read my books for free with Kindle Unlimited. These books are all from the Caesars Creek Mystery Series.
A Frozen Scoop of Murder (Caesars Creek Mystery Series Book One)
Death by Chocolate Sundae(Caesars Creek Mystery Series Book Two)
Soft Serve Secrets (Caesars Creek Mystery Series Book Three)
Ice Cream You Scream (Caesars Creek Mystery Series Book Four)
Double Dip Dilemma (Caesars Creek Mystery Series Book Five)
Melted Memories (Caesars Creek Mystery Series Book Six)
And my new mystery series: Sweet Home Mystery Series
Creamed at the Coffee Cabana
Triple Dip Debacle: A Cozy Mystery (Caesars Creek Mystery Series Book 7) Page 5