Gumballs and Murder (Candy Store Mysteries Book 1)

by Wendy Meadows

  Margaret knocked on Allie’s door.

  “Come in,” Allie called out. Margaret walked inside. The house, a small two-story, was similar to hers, but Allie’s house was filled with knickknacks. There were things on every space of her shelves. A row of snow globes bounced the sun beams around the living room. Allie appeared and invited Margaret back to the kitchen.

  “I just got done making some turnovers, would you like one?” asked Allie.

  “Sure, thank you,” said Margaret. A pie yesterday and now turnovers? She sat and looked at the lovely pastry with a twinge of envy.

  Allie got two mugs and poured them some coffee. Margaret thanked her.

  “Have you been to see Mary today?” Margaret asked.

  “I stopped by this morning and took her some coffee,” said Allie. “She seemed to want to be alone, so I gave her some space.”

  “I thought I would stop by later on and help her around the house,” said Margaret.

  “I am sure she would appreciate that,” said Allie. “She still seems a bit lost.”

  “I know. I can’t imagine losing either of my parents,” said Margaret.

  “Yes, it must be heartbreaking, especially since Mary and her mother were so close,” said Allie. “But, hey, how is your shop coming?”

  “It looks great, thank you,” said Margaret. “Two days until opening. I was having opening day jitters so I decided to let Zach work on the floor while I stopped by the house. I saw you were home and thought I would stop by and get to know my neighbors better.”

  Allie smiled. “Let me guess. You got the rundown of the neighborhood from Dorothy.”

  Margaret stifled a laugh.

  “It’s okay,” said Allie. “I don’t like to speak ill of the dead, but boy, was she hard to live with.”

  “Really? What was going on?” asked Margaret.

  “Well,” said Allie, “you know those sweet Navy boys? The ones that helped you move in?”

  “Yes, they were very nice. Dorothy said they liked to have loud parties on the weekend.”

  Allie laughed. “Yeah, if you call a group of about six or seven guys sitting around a pool drinking beer a loud party. They were minding their own business. I would occasionally hear them, but they didn’t bother us. Dorothy would call the police on them a couple times a month at least. It got to the point that the guys would be ready for the police to show up. They are nice guys, but Dorothy pushed their buttons.”

  “Did they ever say anything to her?” Margaret asked.

  “No, they realized she was crazy, and the police never really harassed them. It was just a pain.”

  “I understand,” said Margaret. I would be angry if she had snooped on me and called the police, she thought.

  “So, have you met Kyle?” asked Allie with a smile.

  “Yes, he helped me move in, too.”

  “Talk about the strong, silent type,” said Allie. Margaret laughed.

  “I feel bad for him,” said Allie.

  “Why is that?” asked Margaret.

  “Well, it is just him and his dog in that big house. And Dorothy didn’t make things easy for him. She would complain about his grass being too high and his dog barking too much. I never hear his dog barking, but evidently, she had super hearing, and the dog supposedly kept her up all night. Kyle is a really nice guy, but he lets his dog poop on her lawn because she is so mean to everyone. I don’t blame him.”

  “Wow. I didn’t know she did those things,” said Margaret, making mental notes and thinking the suspect pool was pretty large at this point.

  “Well, I haven’t gotten to the best part yet,” said Allie.

  “I am all ears,” said Margaret.

  “Back in the day, we had an HOA in this suburb. It was good, and the neighbors all looked out for each other. We were able to get the streets paved every two years, and the sidewalks got put in. Then somehow, Dorothy became president. She ran people out of our neighborhood. She put rules and regulations in the books that a lot of people didn’t like. But they didn’t have a choice because she was president. They either did what Dorothy asked, or they left. We wanted to put a greenhouse in our backyard. Dorothy wouldn’t have it. She said it made all the property values go down. We told her it was going to be a small greenhouse, but she still kept after us. Well, Roger, my husband, put the greenhouse up anyway one night. The next week we were informed that we had a lien on our house. We asked how this could have happened. Dorothy did it. It was awful, knowing we could never sell our house even if we wanted to as long as the lien was there. Not long after, cooler heads prevailed, and the HOA was disbanded since it was doing more harm than good. We still have our greenhouse, and we still live in the neighborhood.”

  “Wow, talk about a power trip,” said Margaret.

  “Yeah, we were glad when that fiasco was over. We feel bad for her daughter, Mary. She had to live with Dorothy.”

  “That’s true,” said Margaret. She finished her coffee and told Allie she had to get back to the store. Allie thanked her for dropping by and told her to stop by any time.

  “It was nice chatting with you,” said Allie. Margaret thanked her and left. She walked to her car. On the way she saw Kyle walking his dog. Sure enough, when the dog had to poop, he led it over to Dorothy’s yard. She wondered why he still did that even though Dorothy was dead. Margaret ducked into her house and called David.

  “I have some information for you,” she said. “Would you like me to stop by on my way back to the store?”

  “Okay,” said David. “I’ll listen to what you have to say. Just remember, this is my investigation.”

  “I hear you loud and clear,” said Margaret, giving him a mock salute that he couldn’t see. She got in her car and drove to the station. David was waiting for her in the lobby. He walked her back to his office, and they sat down.

  “So, what have you found out?” he asked.

  “I found out that Dorothy was not the sweetest neighbor,” said Margaret.

  “So, are you still considering yourself a family friend?” asked David.

  “Yes,” said Margaret. She thought about Mary alone in the house. “I am a friend to Mary.” Margaret filled David in on what she had learned. He told her he had been checking into some of the neighbors, and he also told her it appeared Dorothy was poisoned.

  “What?” asked Margaret. “Shot and poisoned?”

  “Yes, we took a sample of her hair and ran it through the lab. The results stated that she had been poisoned with a toxic substance.”

  “Do you know what poisoned her?” asked Margaret.

  “Arsenic. It seems she has been ingesting it for quite a while. Please don’t tell anyone about this, even Mary,” said David.

  “I won’t,” said Margaret, happy to be taken into his confidence. “You said you had some suspects?”

  “Yes. You are not one of them,” David said with a smirk.

  “Thank you. But I want to continue to help you.”

  “At this point, you have done enough, but thank you,” replied David.

  “Really? I think I can help some more,” Margaret insisted.

  “If you hear anything else, call me. Otherwise, I’ve got this under control.”

  “Fine,” said Margaret. “By the way, my shop is opening in a couple of days. Will we see you at the grand opening?”

  “I wouldn’t miss it,” said David, shooting Margaret a smile.

  Margaret left and went back to the candy shop. She was opening the door, thinking about Dorothy, when she heard someone yell, “Wait!” She stopped and looked up. It was Zach. Margaret had been about to step on the newly polished floor.

  “You would have slipped and slid into the candy case,” Zach said. “What is going on?”

  Margaret told him about her meeting with David. She said she told Allie she would stop by Mary’s place and check on her.

  “Well, there’s not much more we can do here right now,” said Zach. “The floor will take all night to se
t.”

  “It looks beautiful,” said Margaret, hugging Zach. “What did I do to deserve a young man like you?” She smiled, and he grinned back.

  “Can we stop somewhere for dinner? I’m starved,” said Zach.

  “Sure,” said Margaret. She locked the door, and they walked down the street.

  “How about the deli?” asked Zach.

  “Sure, that way dinner is quick, and I can get to Mary’s house,” said Margaret. They went inside and looked at the selections of meat and cheese.

  “This bread looks good,” said Zach.

  “It sure does,” said Margaret. They picked out some sandwich meats and bread and took them back to the car.

  “I’ll drive,” said Margaret. She drove home, and they went into the house. Margaret had a quick sandwich and then went over to Mary’s house. She knocked, and this time Mary answered. She seemed to be in the middle of cleaning, so Margaret offered to help. The house looked immaculate, but Mary insisted that they needed to dust and vacuum. She thanked Margaret for her offer and gave her a dust cloth.

  “Are you sure this needs dusting?” Margaret asked Mary.

  “Absolutely,” replied Mary. “My mom always told me that we should dust before the dust appears. If she saw a speck of dust she would demand I dust the entire room. If there was a leaf on the floor, I had to mop the entire thing. Mom wanted her house to be perfect.”

  “I see,” said Margaret, frowning a little while running the dust cloth over the mantel. It sounded like Dorothy went a little overboard on the cleaning. The house was spotless. She helped Mary for a while longer until Mary sat down.

  “Phew, that does it,” said Mary. Everything sparkled, and Margaret thought about her own house. She had only been there a few days, and it was already messy. Mary thanked her for her help. After Mary assured Margaret that she would be fine, Margaret left and went back across the yard. On her way there, she saw a car parked near her driveway. Recognizing the driver, she walked over and tapped on the glass on the passenger side. The person inside jumped and rolled down the passenger window.

  “Get in,” he hissed.

  Margaret opened the passenger side door.

  “What are you doing here?” she asked David.

  “I am staking out your neighbor’s house,” he replied.

  “Why?” she asked.

  “Kyle Davidson is one of our suspects,” said David. “I want to keep an eye on him and see what he’s up to.”

  “He’s harmless,” said Margaret.

  “I am not sure about that. I heard he was not happy with Dorothy. He seems suspicious to me.”

  “But hardly anyone liked Dorothy. You should be staking out this whole neighborhood in that case,” Margaret insisted. “And if you’re going to stake him out, you should do it in my house.”

  “What are you talking about?” asked David.

  “My house. It is right there.” Margaret pointed to her house. “See, my front window looks right onto his property.”

  “A proper stakeout is held in a car,” replied David.

  “Maybe, but my house is more comfortable. Besides, I can help you watch Kyle. Also, your car in my driveway is less suspicious than being in the street.”

  David reluctantly agreed that the house would be more comfortable. He was smiling, though, as he pulled his car into Margaret’s driveway and got out. They went into her house, where Zach was watching television.

  “Hey, Mom, I’m in the living room,” Zach called. He got up when Margaret and David walked into the room.

  “Oh, hey, I didn’t know we had company,” said Zach, picking up his plate and cup.

  “Thank you, Zach, but you are fine. This is Detective David Graham. He is looking into Dorothy’s murder. David, this is my son, Zach.”

  They shook hands, and then Zach said he would go up to his room. He didn’t want to be in their way.

  “Okay,” said Margaret. She and David sat down, and she offered him some coffee.

  “I would love some,” he said. He sat down and looked out her window. Sure enough, there was a clear view to Kyle’s house. “This will be a better place to scope out the neighborhood,” he said. She smiled and walked into the kitchen. She filled two mugs with coffee and brought them back to the living room. David was looking out her window with binoculars.

  “We should turn out a light so the neighbors don’t get suspicious. I’ll leave the kitchen light on,” said Margaret.

  “That sounds good,” said David.

  Margaret turned off the light and sat down next to David. She watched him watching the house and taking notes. Margaret had to admit that it was nice having him near her on the sofa. She was getting bored, though. David continued to watch Kyle’s house. He made a note when Kyle walked his dog. He also noticed when Kyle let the dog poop on Dorothy’s yard.

  “Are you sure you don’t want to follow him on his dog walk?” asked Margaret. She was being just a bit sarcastic.

  “I would much rather sit with you,” David said.

  “Good answer,” said Margaret. She sipped her coffee and decided it was too quiet.

  “So, what kind of music do you like?” she asked David.

  “Country,” he said, while he sipped on his cup of coffee.

  “Old or new?” she asked.

  “Both,” he said. Margaret got up and put on some music.

  David smiled. “I like this song,” he said. They sat and sipped their coffee and watched Kyle’s house. Kyle had returned home with his dog, and through his open blinds it appeared he was doing something at his dining room table but they couldn’t tell what.

  “How long have you known Patty?” Margaret asked.

  “Almost all my life,” David replied. “She’s not my family, but she might as well be. She has always looked out for me.”

  Margaret heard a car horn down the street, and a moment later Kyle’s door opened.

  “Hey, look,” she said. She pointed to the house, and David looked. They saw Kyle step out of his house. He was holding a shotgun. It was not cocked, and it looked like he was in the middle of cleaning it. He looked up and down the street and went back inside.

  “That seems to be enough evidence for me,” said David.

  “Wait,” said Margaret. “It’s not illegal to have a gun. I think he is a former Marine. He would have a permit to own that gun.”

  “Maybe, but he is now my number one suspect,” David said.

  “Listen. I know he is gruff and that he was not happy with Dorothy and that he let his dog poop on her lawn, but he is a nice guy,” insisted Margaret. “He helped me move in here.”

  “Just because he seems nice it does not mean that he is,” David said. “Look, I am not arresting him; I am just keeping him on my radar.”

  Margaret accepted that. David was just doing his job. Besides, she got to spend some quality time with him, so it was not all bad.

  “I have to say, this was the best stakeout I have been on.” He smiled at Margaret.

  Margaret calmed down a bit. “I’m glad you came inside. I had fun, too.”

  “Well, I am going to call it a night. It seems that Kyle is going to bed, and I need to head that way myself.”

  “Okay,” said Margaret. “Would you like some coffee for the road?”

  “No thank you. That will keep me up all night,” said David.

  They both got up, and Margaret went to shake his hand. David had opened his arms. They met in the middle. Margaret giggled, and David laughed. Clunkily they hugged and said good night.

  Margaret went up to bed and thought about Kyle. She didn’t know him that well, but he seemed like a nice guy, and she knew he was no murderer. Then she thought about David. She found herself giggling while thinking about the hug. Margaret had not intended to get close to any man—at least not for a long time—but after tonight she felt she could trust David, and that was a big issue for her. She had lived too long with a man she could not trust. Margaret smiled thinking about David’s sm
ile. She frowned, though, when she remembered what David said about Kyle. Margaret decided that she would change David’s mind. For now, she would get some sleep and put this behind her. She had things to do the next day, and she needed to be well rested to accomplish everything.

  Chapter Six

  The next day, Margaret devoted her time to getting her store ready. She bought streamers and small bags for candy giveaways. She had made some posters, and she hung them around town. Most people were happy to put her posters in their windows. She even got cranky Mr. Stewart to hang one after she promised him a goody bag.

  “I have to be in my shop all day. I don’t have time to wander around getting goody bags,” he protested. Margaret smiled and told him Zach would bring one over that day. Mr. Stewart agreed, and Margaret hung a poster on his door.

  “Thank you, Mr. Stewart,” she cooed as she left the store. Margaret was excited that her shop was finally about to open. She skipped across the street to the store and went inside. The shop was fashioned like an old-style candy store. The candies brightened up the wood interior. Margaret smiled. It looked perfect. Zach was sitting down blowing up balloons. Patty was hanging more streamers.

  “It looks like we are about ready,” said Margaret. “I hope people come out for the opening.”

  “People will show up,” Patty reassured her.

  The door opened, and Stacy walked in. “I thought you might like to offer your customers some complimentary tea,” she said. She had a large container of homemade sweet tea and an urn to put it in.

  “What a great idea. Thank you so much,” said Margaret. “I’m sure they will love your tea.” Margaret put the container in the refrigerator in the back. Stacy told her how nice the shop looked.

  “You did a lot in such a short time. I think your business will thrive here.”

  “I hope so,” said Margaret. She thanked Stacy for dropping by as Zach and Patty put the finishing touches on the decorations.