by Cindy Bell
“Are you?” He swept his gaze over her face, then nodded. “I’ll figure it out, don’t you worry.”
As he stepped out the door she wondered why his words sounded more like a threat than a promise. She noticed that Ally hadn’t emerged from the kitchen. She turned the lock once more, then headed into the back.
“Ally? Ally, are you okay?” She spotted her granddaughter near the sink, with the water on, though she was not washing dishes. She was staring into the distance. “Ally?” Charlotte said with more insistence. Ally jumped at the sound as if she had been snapped out of her dazed state.
“I’m sorry, Mee-Maw.” She looked into her grandmother’s eyes. “Now that detective thinks we might be involved. I never should have accepted the free trial. Now we’re in the middle of this mess and it’s all because of me.”
“Ally, you didn’t do anything wrong. The truth is, it’s a good little machine. There was no way you could have known that there was a gun hidden in there, and honestly, you finding it might just crack this case.” She placed her hand on her shoulder and leaned close. “What did that detective say to you?”
“It wasn’t so much what he said, but how he said it, how he looked at me.” She shook her head. “It’s hard for me to explain.”
“I understand. He gave me a look on the way out that made me uneasy, too. Let’s get out of here, hmm? We’ll go to the cottage, do our best to get to the bottom of this, and spend some time with Arnold and Peaches. That always cheers us both up, right?” She rubbed her shoulder.
“Yes, you’re right. Let’s go.”
As they left the shop Ally double-checked to make sure the doors were locked. She swept her gaze around the parking lot, more aware of her surroundings than she usually was.
Charlotte noticed how nervous she was and frowned. This wasn’t the way she wanted either of them to live.
Chapter 7
When Charlotte and Ally arrived at the cottage, Charlotte was even more determined to solve the murder and put it behind them. Once inside and after receiving an enthusiastic greeting from Peaches and Arnold, she dropped her things on the table and began to pace.
“Of course, the first person that they look at is the person closest to the victim. As far as we know that was Carl. He was certainly here with him, and he might have had a motive if they were business partners. I’d say we should try to figure out how deeply the two were connected and whether there was any bad blood between them. If we can find any, that might be something to contribute to the police investigation that Mainbry has started.”
“Yes, you’re right. Like the detective suggested, based on the discovery of the gun, they were probably criminals. Maybe they crossed the wrong person?” Ally wrung her hands for a second then turned to retrieve her computer from the desk.
“Ally, are you doing okay?” Charlotte frowned as she watched her granddaughter fumble with the computer.
“Honestly no, Mee-Maw. We were just talking to Marcus yesterday. It just seems so unreal that he’s gone now. And in such a strange manner.” She opened up her computer. “I mean, we don’t even know the first thing about him, other than that he was a salesman.”
“A very charming and insistent salesman.” Charlotte sat down at the table with her. “He’s not someone that a person would easily forget. That should help us find out a little bit about him. Maybe if we find out more about him, we can get an idea of who might have wanted to do this. If we find out more about the company that he worked for, we can figure out if there might have been a financial angle.” She reached over and patted Ally’s hand. “We are going to get to the bottom of this.”
“Yes, you’re right. We will.” Ally entered a few details into a search engine and began skimming through the results. “You’re right, he does seem like a very popular guy. He has a lot of pictures online. It looks like he belonged to quite a few dating sites as well.” She sat back in her chair, then shook her head. “But that doesn’t tell us that much about his personal life.”
“A jealous boyfriend maybe?” Charlotte raised an eyebrow. “Someone he met online might have had a stalker that didn’t like him being involved with her?”
“That’s possible. But would someone follow him all the way here? We actually don’t know when they came into town. I’m going to call the motel in Mainbry. I think they were most likely staying there. If they were I’ll try to find out exactly when they checked in.” She began to search for the phone number.
“That’s a good idea, Ally. If it is a local that killed him, they must have interacted at some point in order for him to become a target.” She opened up a notebook on the table and began to jot down a few notes.
As soon as the phone was picked up Ally was relieved to hear a familiar voice.
“Hi, Shirley it’s Ally.”
“Hi, Ally how are you?” Shirley’s cheerful voice indicated she was happy to hear from her.
“I’m doing okay, thank you. I’ve been meaning to take you up on that offer to go out for coffee, but I’ve been busy with the shop.”
“Oh, it’s okay, I understand. But when you get a free minute I’d love to catch up. What can I help you with?”
“I was wondering if you could give me a little information about Marcus Carse and his stay with you.” She thought it was best to pretend that she knew they were definitely staying there. Then she would have more chance of getting the information.
“Oh wow, isn’t that terrible? I can’t believe that he was staying here. The police still aren’t sure what happened. It’s spooky. You know his friend is still staying here, we put him in a different room, though, because the police roped off the other one and no one is allowed in. Poor guy, he was so shaken up. I don’t think he’s left his room since.”
“I can only imagine how upset he must be. They seemed to be close. When did they check in?”
“Just a few days ago, three to be exact. Yes, that’s right. They’re not supposed to check out until the end of the week.” She paused, then her voice shifted to a lower tone. “Ally, why do you want to know so much about these guys? Do you have a hunch or something about what happened?”
“No, nothing like that. We were thinking about buying one of their vacuum cleaners, but now we’re not sure what to do. I don’t even have a number to contact Carl, but I still have his machine.” She glanced over at Charlotte and raised an eyebrow.
“Oh dear, I see that is a problem. He’s been talking about checking out soon, too. Let me give you the number to his room. He’s in room 104. I’m sure he’s in there, like I said, he hasn’t left since the police arrived.”
“Okay, thank you so much, Shirley. I appreciate your help.” She jotted down the direct number.
“No problem. Oh, and those vacuums are great, I’d buy one, but they’re pretty pricey. Bye, Ally.” She hung up the phone before Ally could say another word. As she and her grandmother jotted down what information they had found out, she considered the last few comments made by Shirley.
“He might be trying to leave town. I’m sure the police will discourage it, but without any proof that he’s involved, I doubt they will be able to hold him here. We should probably see what we can find out from him.” She tapped a pen against her notes. “But he’s not going to be very talkative.”
“Maybe if we pretend it’s about the vacuum?” Charlotte shrugged. “We don’t know for sure that Carl was aware of the gun hidden inside the case, but if he was, then he would want it back. I don’t know why he hasn’t tried to get it back. Maybe he doesn’t know that we found the gun or turned it in. We can use that to our advantage.”
“Yes, we can.” Ally smiled. “You’re so clever, Mee-Maw. I’ll call him right now.”
“Just be careful, Ally. We don’t know if he’s the killer, or a criminal, or just some poor sap caught in the middle.”
“I will be.” She picked up the phone and dialed the number, while her grandmother continued to write all of the details they knew.
The phone rang several times before Carl finally answered. When he did, his voice was hoarse.
“Yes?”
“Carl?” Ally hesitated. She was suddenly aware of how invasive her call would seem. He had just lost his friend, and he may not have had anything to do with the crime.
“Yes, this is Carl. If this is another reporter I have nothing to say to you.”
“No, it isn’t, Carl. My name is Ally, from Charlotte’s Chocolate Heaven, remember?” She paused. The salesmen had hit some other shops and Carl had lost a friend, so there was a chance he might not remember her, at least not right away.
“Oh, Ally right.” He sighed. “Yes, I remember.”
“I’m very sorry for your loss.” She bit into her bottom lip and waited for him to respond. Would he ask about the vacuum first?
“Thank you. It’s quite a shock. I’m sure you’re calling about the vacuum.”
“Yes, I am. I’m sorry. But I thought you might be going back home soon and I wasn’t sure what to do with it. This is awkward, I apologize.” She frowned as her heart pounded.
Charlotte gave her arm a slight nudge with her elbow and nodded at her with reassurance.
Ally spared her a brief smile in return and felt stronger as she listened to Carl’s response.
“It’s all right, I understand. I was surprised when you accepted the trial, actually. If I don’t bring it back with me the company will charge you the full fee so it’s best if you do return it. I’d like to leave in the next day or two, but of course I want to help the police with whatever they need in the investigation.”
“That’s good of you, Carl. Should I bring it to the motel?” She glanced over at her grandmother.
“No, I don’t think that would be a good idea. Things are crazy here. There are a lot of reporters and police coming and going. It would probably be best to meet somewhere else. Where would you like to meet?”
“How about at the shop?” Ally winced. She wasn’t sure if that was the best idea, but it was the only thing she could think of at the moment. “Sometime this afternoon?”
“Evening would be better. Say five?”
“Sure, five would be fine.” She jotted down a note to her grandmother about the meeting time and location.
Charlotte’s face paled, but she didn’t say a word.
“Great, I’ll see you then.” He hung up the phone before she could say anything else.
As she looked over at her grandmother she shook her head. “I’m not sure if that was such a good idea. I just didn’t know what else to say.”
“What are we going to do when he realizes we don’t have the case?” Charlotte sat back in her chair. “I don’t think he’s going to be too happy about that.”
“No, he probably won’t be.” Ally chewed on her bottom lip.
“Well, we have until five o’clock to figure it out. I think we should try to find out a little more about the company. Maybe we can find a clue there. I’ll look into the company, you keep looking into Carl and Marcus.” She pushed her notebook aside.
After a bit of searching Charlotte was able to find a phone number for the company, Equis Sales. She dialed the number, not expecting anything more than a recorded menu. After a few rings the line was picked up.
“Equis Sales, this is April, how can I help you?”
“April, I’m trying to reach someone to discuss a salesman that came into my shop. Is there someone I can speak to about that?”
“Sure, did you have a complaint about the salesman?”
“No, I’d just like a little information about him.”
“Okay, I’ll connect you with the personnel department. Hold please.”
Charlotte listened to the hold music and waited for someone to pick up. She was pleasantly surprised when only a few minutes slipped by.
“This is Chad, how may I help you?”
“Chad, I’d like to talk to someone about one of your salesmen.”
“What is the salesman’s name?”
“Marcus Carse.” She braced herself as she wondered if the staff would be aware of Marcus’ death, yet.
“Hold please.” There was no further explanation as the music began to play. When the line was picked up again, a different voice greeted her.
“This is Rick, may I ask why you are inquiring about Marcus Carse?”
“I recently agreed to a trial for a vacuum that he was selling and he was quite convincing. I was impressed with his work, but I just wanted to find out more about the company and make sure that the salesmen are legitimate and really working for the company.”
“Okay. I’ll see if I can help you.”
“I found it a little strange that Carl and Marcus came to a small town like Blue River to sell vacuums.” Charlotte listened as she took some notes. She asked some questions about the company and found that Rick answered them as thoroughly as he could. “I appreciate this information.” She paused as she heard a strange catch in his breathing pattern. “Are you okay, Rick?”
“No, I’m sorry, I’m not. Marcus recently passed away, and he was one of our best salesmen.”
“I’m very sorry to hear that. I hope I haven’t upset you too much with these questions.”
“No, it’s fine. You just reminded me of how much he’s going to be missed. Is there anything else?”
“Did Marcus have any family? Perhaps someone I could send flowers to?”
“I’m afraid I can’t give out that kind of information, but it is quite considerate of you.”
“I understand. Thank you for your time.” Charlotte hung up the phone and looked over at Ally. “So, it sounds to me like the company is a legitimate sales company, but they sell far more than one product. They hire salesmen from around the country and give them a territory to work in. However, Carl and Marcus were what they termed roamers and had a bit more freedom to sell where they preferred.”
“What earned them that freedom?” Ally tapped her pen against the pad of paper that she had been taking notes on.
“Apparently, they had been with the company for some time and made quite a few sales. Marcus had won awards for selling tough products in tough markets.” Charlotte pursed her lips. “I wonder why? He was quite pushy.”
“Yes, he was. But this shows that both were good at their jobs, and they had been working together for some time. They seemed to be friends, not just partners.”
“Apparently, they chose to travel together when they didn’t have to. However, what I still don’t understand is what would draw two high-selling salesmen to a little town like Blue River. They couldn’t have expected to make big sales here.”
“Why would they choose to come here?” Ally tapped her fingertip on the table. “We really don’t get many salesmen in this area because it’s a small area, and not on any direct route to a large city. Your theory is that they might have been drawn here by someone or something?”
“It’s possible. I mean maybe they were involved in something criminal. Maybe they were illegally selling the guns in the vacuum cases. Maybe there was a buyer here. Or, I don’t know.” She sighed and shook her head. “Maybe, I’m just letting my imagination run away with me. They might not have even known the gun was in there. Maybe someone else hid it there.”
“It’s possible.” Ally frowned.
“Honestly, I feel like we’re just running into dead ends here.”
“Yes, we are. I didn’t find out anything much about Carl and Marcus other than they certainly were friends. There are a lot of pictures on social media of the two of them together. However, Carl isn’t on the dating sites, like Marcus was. I also can’t find any hint of a girlfriend in his posts or pictures.” Ally shrugged. “But as far as personal information, there wasn’t a lot to find. I don’t see any criminal connections, but it’s not like that is something anyone would advertise.”
“True.” Charlotte rubbed her hands together. “We should get out for a walk, and clear our heads. We know a bit about these two men, and it hasn�
�t led us to any big conclusions. Our brains need a break.” She laughed as the moment that she mentioned the word walk, Arnold squealed and darted towards the front door.
“It looks like someone agrees with you.” Ally laughed, then stretched as she stood up. “It’s a good idea. I hate to walk away without knowing a little more, but we’ve hit a dead end, a little change of atmosphere could help.”
Chapter 8
Charlotte and Ally walked in silence for the first few minutes, but as they got into town, Arnold became more adventurous. All of the sights and smells of the town made him tug forward and lunge in an attempt to be set free.
Charlotte held tightly to Arnold’s leash as he pulled against it. His snout wiggled as he lurched towards the nearby deli.
“Settle down, Arnold.” She frowned as she looked down at him. “You’d think he was starving.”
“He definitely isn’t.” Ally shook her head, then looked in the direction of the deli. “Hey, there’s Mrs. Cale.” She narrowed her eyes. “It looks like she’s with Mrs. Bing and Mrs. White.”
“No surprise there.” Charlotte chuckled as she followed her gaze. “Those three love to travel as a pack.”
“We should go say hi.” Ally started to walk towards the deli. The moment Arnold realized this, he began to snort with excitement. All of the fuss he made drew the attention of the three ladies, and all of the other customers seated at the deli.
“Sorry everyone, he can be a little rambunctious.” Charlotte frowned as she grasped the leash even tighter. “Maybe this is a bad idea, Ally. I’ll walk him up the street a bit, you go ahead and say hello.”
“It’s okay, Mee-Maw, he’ll settle down if we give him a treat.” Ally reached for a bread roll that Mrs. Bing held out.
“No, no. He needs to learn his manners, and giving him treats won’t teach him that.” Charlotte steered Arnold away from the deli.
Ally watched her go with some surprise. She wasn’t usually so strict with Arnold, who was only ever friendly. But as she looked back at the table, she realized why her grandmother might have decided to walk away. Mr. Michaelson had just joined the ladies at their table.