Welcome to Sweetwater (Annie Parker Mystery Shorts Box Set)

by A. J. Bromley

  “Why, Sam?” Her very quiet voice was full of emotion.

  “Bradley Westin died tonight after eating your strawberry-rhubarb pie.” Sam hated himself for being so blunt but he had a job to do.

  “Brad is dead?” Annie was too shocked to say more.

  “His receptionist found him dead in his office. Your bakery box was on his desk with a note from you. He apparently had cut a large piece and eaten a few bites.”

  “This was one of Brad’s favorite pies when we were together years ago.” Annie went on. “I never sent any pie to him. Someone is trying to set me up.”

  “I’m turning this case over to Bill because of our personal relationship. I’m sorry, Annie.” Sam couldn’t stand the hurt look in his sweetheart’s eyes.

  “Do I get to make my one phone call?”

  Bill leaned forward. “Here, use my phone Annie.”

  Chapter 1

  Annie had always liked Bill. He was a solid family man, a good husband and father of two sports crazy boys. At this moment though, she felt very disconnected from the usual friendly reception she got at the police station.

  Taking Bill’s phone, Annie made her call. It rang several times before a sleepy Kate answered. “Hi Kate, it’s me Annie. I need your help.”

  “Oh, Annie you are up late tonight. What’s the problem?” Kate yawned, stretched and then sat up on the edge of her bed. The bedside clock read 11:20 PM. Kate had spent the evening with Hank and Kevin who had a few of his friends over for a campout in the backyard. After a barbeque, the boys had gotten in sleeping bags and Hank told ghost stories to the third graders. Fully awake now, Kate asked Annie to repeat everything.

  “I said that I’m at the police station and they are saying that I killed Brad. I think I only get this one phone call so please listen carefully. I need you to call my sister and ask her to come right away.” Then Annie gave Kate the number.

  “Do you want me to call her tonight?”

  Annie let out a big sigh. Thank goodness for her dear friends. “Yes, she’s a night owl; hopefully she can be on the road early in the morning. I know Roy can handle things at the café but Sam is shutting down the bakery.”

  Kate was wandering around her bedroom. “What’s with the bakery?”

  Annie went on to tell Kate about Brad’s death. “Sam has put Bill in charge of the case. That way people won’t accuse him of favoritism.”

  “Sam couldn’t possibly believe that you are guilty of killing Brad. Annie, this sounds like a job for the posse.”

  “I think you are right, Kate. One more request. Could you bring me a couple changes of clothes and my overnight bag in the morning? Thanks Kate.” With that, she handed the phone back to Bill.

  “We need to do this by the book Annie. Sam is very worried about you but he will be more support to you by not being in charge. Besides, my wife will be happy to have me home at night for a change.”

  . . .

  “Sue, this is Kate Mackenzie, a friend of your sister. Annie needs your help; she’s in jail and accused of killing her old boyfriend, Brad.” Kate gave her a quick report.

  Sue screamed. “Brad! I haven’t heard his name in years. I know he dropped my sister and married some socialite.” Sue was unhappy to know that Brad was back in her sister’s life. “Tell Annie that I’ll leave first thing in the morning.”

  Hanging up the phone, Sue went to wake up her husband with the news.

  Chapter 2

  Sam paced back and forth in front of the Snowflake Café and Bakery early Saturday morning. He needed to talk to Roy, Annie’s long time cook. Sam had spent a sleepless night after seeing his sweetheart put in jail. He knew that he had not snuggled up on the sofa with a killer. Someone was framing Annie. Brad had been hanging around the past few months trying to win back her love.

  “Hey, Sam, you’re early. I don’t think Annie is here yet. You know Saturdays are pretty laid back.” Roy was unlocking the front door. “You look like you could use a strong cup of coffee. You and Annie have a late night?” Roy chuckled to himself as he turned on all the lights, bringing the café to life.

  “Guess you haven’t heard the news, Roy. Annie is in custody for allegedly killing Brad Westin.” Roy stopped abruptly, turned and at looked Sam.

  “What the hell did you just say?”

  Sam took a seat at the counter while he watched Roy start the morning brew. Looking around the café, Sam could feel Annie’s absence. He went on to tell Roy about Brad’s death. “Bill Keyes will be in charge of the investigation. He will be around to see you later today. I’m closing the bakery now; no one is allowed in there. The café can remain open.”

  Roy poured coffee for them both and joined Sam at the counter. “You can’t possibly believe that Annie is guilty. Sure, she really hated the guy but give me a break.”

  “Annie had Kate call her sister, Sue, for help. She will be here later today. You can expect a visit from her.” Finishing his coffee, Sam got up to leave.

  “Tell Annie not to worry about the café. Caitlyn and I can handle everything. I’ll wait for Sue to show up; Annie will probably have some plan worked out by then.”

  “Let me know if you hear any interesting gossip from the locals, Roy. Can you get a breakfast ready for Annie? I’ll send Julie for it at eight.”

  Heading to the police station Sam was thinking about the coming days. Even though Bill was in charge of Annie’s case, Sam was unofficially going to work in the background. Dennis was temporarily on the night shift.

  Julie was already at her desk when Sam arrived. He had phoned her the night before to work extra today. She knew how to keep the place from falling apart. “Good morning, Sam. Thanks for calling me. Sure beats having to take my mother shopping. Have you ever been to the mall on the weekends? Here are a bunch of phone messages for you.” Julie gathered up the slips of paper and handed them to Sam.

  “I appreciate you helping out today Julie. I need you go to the café at eight to pick up Annie’s breakfast. Roy will have it ready.” Then he headed back to his office.

  Deputy Sid Morris was finishing his night report. He was a relief deputy, filling in on weekends and vacations. After a brief and boring retirement, he had begged Sam for part-time work. “How was your night, Sid?” Sam always enjoyed visiting with this friendly old timer. Sam had learned a lot from him when he first started in the job as chief of police.

  “It’s been quiet, Sam. I’m sorry to hear about Annie. Anybody with a lick of sense knows that she didn’t kill that lawyer.” Sid put his night report on Sam’s desk. “You’re still running this place, right? Bill said you put him in charge of this case.”

  “Bill is going to take over for me. I know he will do a thorough investigation. You had better get on home. Your wife will be making your breakfast before she heads out to the yard sales.”

  “You’re right. Stella starts to worry if I’m late. See you around, Sam.”

  Sam had finished returning phone calls when Bill stopped by his office. “I have set up the conference room with photos from the crime scene. Dennis did a good job.” Sam motioned for Bill to take a seat; he was certain that his deputy had a lot more on his mind.

  “Okay what can I do to help without jeopardizing the case? You have my full support and cooperation.”

  Bill sighed. “I’m glad to hear that, Sam. Last night things were moving so fast that I didn’t think everything through.”

  “So what’s happening today?” Sam relaxed back in his chair.

  “I have the receptionist, Lindsey Turner, coming in at nine. I’d like you to sit in on that conversation. Dennis said she was a wreck after finding her boss. Later I’m going to be checking Annie’s bakery.

  “I’ve told Roy to stay out of that area. I wish you would go after the café closes at three.” Sam said.

  “No problem. I had Dennis take the pie to the crime lab in Boulder. We should have a report sometime next week.”

  Julie popped her head in the doorway. “I�
��m taking this breakfast to Annie and Kate is here with some clothes for her. Abby, the reporter from the Sweetwater News is waiting by my desk for a statement.”

  “Well, Bill, it looks like the fun is beginning.” Sam leisurely picked up his coffee mug and went to get a refill.

  “One moment, Sam.” Bill paused and cleared his throat. “I want to call in outside help.”

  “Do you have someone in mind?”

  “Sarah King. She’s a detective now in Colorado Springs. You may remember her; she put in for a transfer shortly after you came here.”

  “Oh, yeah, I remember Sarah; a bright attractive woman on her way up in law enforcement.” Sam gave Bill a warm smile then continued. “Why don’t you see if she is available?”

  “Well, Sam, I already talked to her this morning. She’s waiting for your okay and she will be here.”

  Chapter 3

  “Morning, Annie. I brought your breakfast and Kate’s got your clothes and a bunch of other stuff.” Both Julie and Kate trooped into the cell.

  Annie slowly opened her eyes and stretched out her arms and legs trying to ease the overall soreness. Last night she had not noticed how depressing this small windowless room was. Now she could see the drab green paint on the walls with small cracks everywhere. She tried not to think about all the previous occupants that had slept here.

  “This place sure isn’t the Hilton.” The aroma of fresh coffee and Roy’s special, an omelet with cheese, peppers and onions got Annie up and moving around. “I’m starved; thanks Julie.” Annie slathered raspberry preserves on a piece of whole-wheat toast.

  “It is so good to see your friendly faces this morning. Last night was a nightmare. “I didn’t like having Brad in town, but I didn’t want him to die.”

  Kate started setting out the different outfits she had brought. “Oh, Annie, anyone who knows you, couldn’t think that you are guilty.” On a nearby metal shelf, Kate put the rest of the items, “Hope I brought everything.”

  “You are a gem, Kate. Now I need you to get the posse together to meet here at 10 tomorrow. I have been working on a plan for the group.” Annie sighed as she ate some of her breakfast. “I don’t think there is any restriction on my visitors.”

  Julie started walking to the doorway. “Well, I’ll leave the two of you to plan your strategy. I had better get back to my desk. Sam called me in to work extra today. The phones never seem to stop ringing.” Julie overheard Bill talking to Abby as she returned to her desk.

  “… too early yet to give you any facts on the case. We’re going to be working all weekend; I’ll call you as soon as possible.”

  “Do you really think Annie Parker killed him?” The reporter had her pad and pencil ready for the answer.

  “No comment, Abby. That’s all for now.” Bill was polite but firm. He started walking away when Lindsey Turner arrived. Abby tried to question her but Bill quickly took the woman to the back.

  Lindsey had lived most of her life in this small town. In her 30s and single, she was waiting for Mr. Right. She was dating an accountant from Boulder and working for the new lawyer. Life was good until the tragic death of her employer. Sitting in this small room at the police station, Lindsey thought back to yesterday.

  Both Sam and Bill came in, introduced themselves and took chairs across from her at the small wooden table. “I have asked Sam to sit in on our talk.” Bill turned on the video recorder. “I’ll be handling the case.” Then he asked Lindsey to tell about finding Bradley Westin.

  Chapter 4

  Lindsey was starting to regret wearing her new lime green summer dress with short sleeves. Being nervous always caused her to perspire. She could feel increased moisture under her arms and going down her back. She took a big swallow of the bottled water that Sam had given her in hopes of cooling down. Then she began.

  “Fridays are pretty relaxed. I don’t schedule any appointments. Brad and I go over the cases for the next week. Yesterday I took my mother to the doctor’s, so I left at 10. After that, we had lunch at Rose’s Deli. Brad always had Friday lunch with friends in Denver and would return to the office mid-afternoon. The doctor’s office had called in a new prescription to the pharmacy in Carl’s Grocery; I went to pick it up after dinner. That is when I saw Brad’s car still at the office.

  “I parked my car and went inside. The front door was unlocked so I knew Brad was there. I called out to him but got no answer. Knocking on his partially open door and going into his office, I saw Brad on the floor. His face had a look of sheer panic, his eyes were wide open and his hands were grabbing at his throat. When I touched his skin, it was cold and lifeless. The room was a wreck; drawers and file cabinets were hanging open and the contents spilled all over the place. Then I saw the bakery box on his desk containing a pie. Brad must have started to eat some because there was a partial piece on a paper plate.”

  “Do you have any theories on what may have happened?” Bill asked.

  “He must have eaten something that caused his allergy to flare up. I don’t know where his medication went. It was always in his desk drawer. I didn’t see it next to his body.” Lindsey slumped in her chair, weary after reliving that scene in Brad’s office.

  “I have only a few more questions. Are you okay with that?” Bill relaxed back in his chair, giving Lindsey time to collect herself. After a few moments, she looked at him and nodded. “I’ll be fine. I want to get this done.”

  “Please tell me about working for Brad,” Bill asked.

  “Brad hired me when he opened his office in March. Before that, he was commuting to Denver. He was tired of that ‘rat race’ as he called it. Brad was happy working on his own. He hired me because I knew the locals. I would give him advice on how to handle some of the clients, especially the older ones.”

  Bill saw how on edge she was. “Relax, Ms. Turner. You are doing fine.”

  With an uneasy smile Lindsey continued. “This job was a godsend. My mother developed a heart problem a year ago, so I left my work in Boulder to be here with her. Fortunately, she is improving.”

  “Did Brad ever talk about his personal life?” Bill had heard rumors about this big city lawyer. He glanced at Sam who was writing what looked to be like list of questions.

  “No, Brad was a very private person. We didn’t spend much time on small talk. He was excited about his house on Apple Blossom Lane and he would tell me about all the furnishings. He was always trying to impress people. The interior decorator, Rachel Sandifer, from Boulder did the whole place. Then Rachel decorated his office. I’ll admit she did a great job but spent more time trying to get Brad to notice her. She was really wasting her time.”

  Then Lindsey looked directly at Sam. “Brad wanted only one woman and that was Annie Parker. He was always stopping by the bakery to buy goodies with hopes of seeing her.”

  Sam couldn’t resist asking a question. “Did Brad ever date anyone since he moved here?”

  “The only one that I know about was Lisa Romero, the owner of Just Desserts. She made quite a play for Brad, wearing skintight jeans and seductive blouses. Lisa is divorced and her ex-husband was behind on child support. Brad was helping her get back payments. She has two teenagers.” Lindsey gave a little chuckle as she told about the first meeting Brad had with Lisa.

  “Lisa arrived with a small box of treats from her shop. I immediately heard yelling when she first went into his office. ‘Get those things out of here now!’ She came tearing out of his office all upset, carrying chocolate cupcakes with the peanut butter frosting.” Looking at Sam and Bill, Lindsey continued. “That’s when I discovered that Brad was allergic to peanuts. He explained to Lisa and me about the epipen that he kept in his desk drawer at all times. ‘This is my lifesaver. Don’t ever move it.’ He seemed embarrassed to share this personal flaw.”

  Sam was busy writing on his pad. He wanted to ask Annie about Brad’s allergy.

  “What happened next?” Bill asked.

  “When everything calmed down, Brad
did meet with her. After a couple of sessions, Brad had taken care of the problem with her ex. Since she was no longer a client, he invited Lisa to the Spring Fling. He told me later that he did that to make Annie jealous.”

  Bill turned off the video recorder. “Sorry to put you through all of this. We may have some follow-up questions but that’s all for now.” Then Bill guided Lindsey to the front door.

  Sam made only one comment to Bill when he returned. “Someone knew about Brad’s allergy and used it to kill him. We need to talk to Annie now.”

  Annie was eating her lunch that Caitlyn had delivered. A turkey and avocado sandwich with sweet potato fries and a large iced tea were on the small metal table in front of the cot. Caitlyn had given Annie a quick update on the café. “Everyone is asking about you. They’re outraged that you’re in here.” Annie was pleased to know that her customers had faith in her.