Ed kept his expression pleasant as he nodded. “Well, if you have any questions, just let me know.”
“Uh, Ed?”
Ed turned away from the customer. When he caught sight of Laura’s face, the invisible band once again squeezed the breath out of his lungs. She held the receiver in a loose grip, her eyes round with alarm.
Was it the police? His mouth dried in an instant. Surely if they’d found his hiding place for the candles they wouldn’t call to question him on the phone. Would they?
Laura dropped the phone and rounded the counter at a near run. “You’ve got to get to the hospital. There’s been a terrible accident.”
THIRTEEN
Chase zipped the pickup into the front lot of Good Things In Wax.
“I’ll grab it and be right back,” he told Caitlin. “I don’t want anyone in there to know what’s going on.” The minute they realized the candle in question was Forbidden Fantasy, Aunt Dot and Mom were sure to draw the conclusion that Korey was behind the drugs. He didn’t want to alarm them—not yet. Not until he’d had a chance to get to Korey first.
He leaped out of the truck and dashed toward the door. What if someone had retrieved the candle from the sales counter since he’d put it there yesterday? He hadn’t mentioned it to anyone. He’d intended to ask Willie to run it over to Ed Graham at the Candle Corner today. Only Willie hadn’t shown up for work.
Chase ran through the front door to the cash register. He dropped to his haunches, searching through the cluttered shelf.
There. It was still where he’d tossed it yesterday. He stood, holding the candle in his hand.
Mom came through the door. “Chase, it’s you. I’m glad you’re here. Dot is having her hair done, and I’ve got to go to the—”
Chase cut her off as he dashed around the counter with the candle at his side, out of easy view. “I can’t stay. Sorry, Mom. Be back soon.”
“But Chase!”
He ran out the door. She’d be angry with him until she found out what was going on. Then she’d understand.
“Got it,” he told Caitlin as he leaped into the seat. “Let’s get out of here. My mother tried to stop me.”
Mom stood behind the door, watching him through the window. When she caught sight of Caitlin, her scowl transformed into a smile. She waved with enthusiasm.
Caitlin returned the wave as he put the truck in reverse and backed away. “Apparently she’s not too upset with you.”
“Only because she saw you.”
He flashed Caitlin a quick grin, then sped down the road. When they were out of sight of the factory, he pulled the truck onto the grass beneath a line of blooming redbuds. This country road didn’t get much traffic, so they’d have relative privacy. He jumped out of the truck.
Caitlin joined him behind the pickup. “How are we going to melt it?”
“We don’t need to.” Chase rummaged in the tool chest in the truck bed. “Here. We’ll use these.” He held up a hammer and a heavy putty knife.
He placed the candle on the edge of the blacktop road. As he hefted the hammer above the jar, Caitlin stopped him with a hand on his arm.
“Shouldn’t you cover it up first?”
“Good point.” Chase glanced around. He needed a rag, or a towel, or … His gaze fell on a wax-splattered canvas apron in the tool box.
“That will work,” Caitlin said.
Chase wrapped the jar in the apron and set it on its side on the road. Then he smacked the bundle with the hammer. The sound of shattering glass broke the silence. Chase unfolded the apron.
He picked up the round lump of dark purple wax and knocked off a piece of glass. “Now let’s see what’s inside.”
He placed the candle back on the blacktop and set the chisel against the wax. After two whacks, the lump broke cleanly into two.
Nestled in the center of the wax was a foil packet.
“What is it?” Caitlin’s voice trembled as she searched Chase’s face.
Stomach roiling, Chase rose. “It’s heroin. Someone is planting heroin in our candles. And I’m afraid I know who.”
Chase was quiet during the short ride to the middle school, lost in his own thoughts. And no wonder. He was probably trying to figure out how to tell his mother that Willie had been killed, and that their candles were being used to distribute drugs. Caitlin couldn’t imagine what he must be feeling.
A good number of teachers’ cars still filled the parking lot, and a trickle of students with bulging backpacks exited the school. Chase brought the truck to a stop beside a sidewalk leading to the front door.
“What are you going to do now?” she asked.
He glanced at the canvas bundle on the floor behind her seat. “I’m going to call Detective Jenkins and take this over to him. Then I’m going to go pay a visit to my cousin.”
Pain shadowed his eyes, and Caitlin’s heart wrenched. “I’ll say a prayer for you.”
His gaze softened. “Thanks. I appreciate that.”
She nodded and opened the door.
He looked so sad, like he’d lost his best friend all over again. In a way, Caitlin supposed that was exactly what it felt like. All those feelings were being dredged to the surface as the nightmare of Kevin’s death was replayed in the two recent murders. On impulse, she leaned across the armrest and brushed a kiss onto his cheek.
Mistake! A thrill zipped through her body as her lips touched his skin. Klaxon alarms sounded in her head. No innocent kiss between friends felt like that!
He felt it, too. A slow smile curved his lips. “What was that you were saying about a dateless year?” His voice held a husky note that sent heat into Caitlin’s face.
She jerked upright and fumbled for the door handle. “Sorry. I was just—” Just what? Shut up, Caitlin! She practically leaped from the truck. No way to make a graceful exit now. She had to get out of here quickly, before she did anything else to embarrass herself.
Before she closed the door, he asked, “Listen, are you sure you don’t need a ride after the practice?”
“Janie’s supposed to be here.” She managed to keep her voice even. “Unless she’s being questioned by the police, I’m sure she will be. Hopefully, she won’t mind taking me to the repair shop to get my car.”
“Okay, but if she doesn’t show up and you need a ride, you’ve got my number, right?”
He’d called her cell this morning to give her directions to the repair shop. She nodded. “I’ll give you a call. I promise.”
He paused. “Why don’t you reconsider dinner?” He held up a hand. “Just a quick sandwich. You gotta eat before the concert, right?”
The way her stomach was quivering right now, she might never eat again. At least not for the next year.
She opened her mouth to refuse, but Chase’s eyes stopped her. The imploring gaze he fixed on her held a mute appeal. He’d been through so much today, and the next few hours wouldn’t get any easier for him. He probably needed a friendly presence this evening. And truth be told, she’d prefer not to be alone, either. But she would not give up on the dateless year. She had to keep this attraction—which might be nothing more than rebound feelings—at bay. “Dutch treat?”
A grin replaced his worried expression for a second. “I’ll pick you up at six-thirty.”
She stepped away from the truck. “See you then.”
Chase didn’t pull away from the curb immediately, but watched Caitlin walk down the sidewalk. At the door, she turned and waved before disappearing inside.
He shifted into drive. His insides felt hollow, bereft of Caitlin’s comforting presence. In the midst of all the turmoil this day had held, she’d been a pillar of quiet strength.
And what about that kiss? No doubt at all she felt the impact of that peck on the cheek. He’d seen the shock in her face.
Which proved this dateless year of hers was probably a good thing—for both of them. Because he could see himself falling hard for her, and it wouldn’t work. She lived in Ke
ntucky. Long-distance relationships never lasted long. So just staying friends was the best all the way around.
Except, deep inside, Chase knew his feelings for Caitlin had already gone beyond friendship. And the way he felt when she’d kissed his cheek proved it.
He shoved that thought away and focused on the task at hand. First, he had to get in touch with Detective Jenkins. He slipped the card Jenkins had given him out of his wallet. After he’d punched in the number on his cell, he turned on the speaker and set his phone in the center console so he could drive with both hands.
“Jenkins here.” The detective’s voice sounded diminished through the tiny speaker, with none of the force the man commanded in person. “That you, Hollister?”
Caller ID. “It is. Where are you?”
“In the parking lot behind Graham’s store, waiting for that warrant. Why?”
“Because I’ve got something to show you. I’ll be right there.”
“That was perfect!” Seated in the front row on a metal folding chair, Caitlin clapped her hands. Her applause echoed off the walls of the empty gymnasium.
Up on a stage behind the basketball net, Nicky lowered her flute to her lap and beamed. “I didn’t run out of breath, either.”
“See, proper breath control really does make a difference, doesn’t it?”
The girl’s ear-to-ear grin brought a lump to Caitlin’s throat. Oh, Lord, hold off the news until after the concert tonight. She deserves some joy before her world crashes.
Caitlin rose and went to stand at the edge of the stage while Nicky stored her flute in its case.
“I wonder where your mother is.” Caitlin glanced at her watch. Four thirty-five. Janie had said she’d be here to watch the lesson. Was she being detained by the police?
Nicky didn’t seem concerned. “She probably got tied up at work. Sometimes the next server doesn’t show up on time and Mom gets stuck covering her shift.” She handed Caitlin her flute case, dropped down to sit on the edge of the stage, and hopped to the floor.
“I hope she gets here soon. My car’s in the shop, so I can’t drive you home. In fact, I’m hoping she can give me a lift.”
The wooden basketball court magnified the clack-clack of Caitlin’s sandals as they made their way to the doors. Nicky scuffed her sneakers on purpose to make the loudest possible squeak on the polished floor. In spite of her gloomy thoughts, Caitlin grinned. Some things never changed.
Nicky pushed open the door and held it for Caitlin. “She’s probably waiting for us out front now.”
She wasn’t. Only a few cars remained in the parking lot, and Janie’s Camry wasn’t among them. Nicky piled her backpack and instrument case on a bench near the front door and dropped onto it, unconcerned. Apparently, she’d been left waiting before. Caitlin glanced at her watch again. Uneasiness pricked at her. What would she do with Nicky if Janie were being detained by the police?
“Maybe we should call her,” Nicky suggested.
“Okay.”
“You’ll have to use your phone.” Disgust drew her features into a scowl. “I’m not allowed to have one until ninth grade.”
Caitlin hid a grin as she retrieved her cell phone from her purse. “What’s her number?”
She punched it in as Nicky recited it. But the call went straight to voicemail. She left a message explaining that they were finished with their lesson, and disconnected.
“Your mom must have her phone turned off,” she told the girl.
“That’s weird.” The first hint of unease drew a line between Nicky’s eyebrows. “She leaves it on all the time, even at work.”
Caitlin remained silent. She doubted the police allowed you to have your cell phone on while you were being questioned.
The girl’s mouth twisted sideways as she chewed on the inside of her lip. “Let me try my brother.”
Caitlin handed over her cell phone and watched as Nicky pressed the numbers and then listened. The line in her forehead deepened. “He’s not answering, either.”
Her worry now fully apparent, she punched in another number. After a couple of seconds, she lowered the phone. “Dad’s phone went straight to voicemail, too.” Her voice wavered. “I’m not supposed to bother him at the store unless it’s important.”
Uh-oh. Caitlin couldn’t let Nicky call the Candle Corner and hear that the police were there, searching the place. She held out her hand for the phone. “I can call. What’s the number?”
Nicky swallowed before she gave it. Caitlin listened to the line ring, her shoulders tensing more with each second that passed. Someone finally answered on the fourth ring.
“Candle Corner, how may I help you?”
A woman’s voice. Caitlin flashed a quick smile at Nicky. “Yes, I’m trying to reach Mr. Graham, please.”
“He’s not here right now. May I leave a message for him?”
“Do you know where I can reach him?” She matched the clerk’s pleasant tone. “His daughter and I are waiting for his wife to pick us up, and she’s overdue.”
A pause. “I—I don’t know if I should—” Caitlin’s heart stuttered at the sudden worry in the woman’s voice. “Actually, Ed and his wife are both at the hospital.”
Shock whipped through Caitlin. Aware of Nicky’s gaze glued to her face, she fought to keep her expression from changing. “I see.”
“It’s their son. Drew has been in a serious accident. Ed got a call from Janie and ran out of here, and I haven’t heard from him since.”
Oh, Lord, poor Nicky. Poor Janie. If Caitlin turned around to hide her face from Nicky, the girl would know something was wrong. She managed a quick smile. “How long ago was that?”
“About forty minutes.” The woman hesitated. “I hope Ed will call with an update soon. If you want, I can give him your number.”
The police hadn’t arrived at the store yet, then. “That will be fine.” Caitlin recited her phone number, then disconnected the call.
Lord, what do I say to this girl? I can’t tell her that her brother is in the hospital. That news shouldn’t come from a stranger. And I certainly can’t tell her that her father is going to be detained by the police any minute.
“Your dad had to leave to run an errand.” That was true. “She’s going to have him call me as soon as he gets back.”
Nicky studied her face for a moment. “Okay. So we just sit here and wait?”
What a time to not have a car. Though she hated to bother Chase, given everything he had going on, she didn’t have many options. She had to think of Nicky. And he did say to call if she needed anything.
“Let me call my friend,” she told Nicky.
But Chase’s phone went to voicemail, too.
He was probably busy pulling Willie’s employment paperwork for the police. Or maybe he was talking to his employees, trying to pry some information out of them.
Maybe she should call a taxi. But before she did that, she’d try Chase one more time.
She pressed 411 and asked for Good Things In Wax. The operator connected the call directly, and a familiar female voice answered the phone.
A wave of relief forced Caitlin to the bench beside Nicky. “Hello, Mrs. Hollister. This is Caitlin Saylor. Is Chase available to come to the phone?”
“Caitlin!” The woman almost gushed. “How did you like the concert last night?”
So, apparently Chase’s mother had not heard the news yet. “I enjoyed it very much, thank you.” Did she sound too abrupt? She hoped not, but she didn’t have the patience for pleasantries right now.
“And you’re going to another concert tonight, I hear.”
If Caitlin’s situation weren’t so serious, she might have laughed at the delight in Mrs. Hollister’s voice. “Yes, ma’am.” She paused. “Um, is Chase there? I’m in kind of a bind. My car is in the shop, and I’m stranded over at the middle school with a student. He mentioned if I needed a ride that I should call him, but he isn’t answering his cell phone.”
“I’m s
orry. I haven’t heard from him since he ran out of here. I thought he was still with you.” Her tone became fretful. “I’d come get you myself, but my sister is having her hair done and my nephew isn’t here, either. I can’t leave the factory with no one in charge. And we’re shorthanded, too. Even our deliveryman didn’t show up today.”
Caitlin gulped. She definitely hadn’t been told the news. “That’s all right. I can call a taxi.”
“Oh, dear. I hate for you to do that.”
Nicky’s face grew more anxious with each passing minute. Caitlin nodded at the girl as she spoke. “We’ll be fine, Mrs. Hollister. If you talk to Chase, please ask him to call me.”
Caitlin disconnected the call. “I think we’d better call a taxi,” she told Nicky.
The girl’s face was pinched with worry. Caitlin’s heart sank as she realized she wouldn’t be grabbing a sandwich with Chase this evening, unless it was in the hospital cafeteria. And they wouldn’t be alone. Without a doubt, she’d be tied up with Nicky this evening. And it definitely wouldn’t involve any flute solos.
FOURTEEN
Chase pulled into the Candle Corner’s rear lot and parked beside Detective Jenkins’s car. Two deputies in cruisers pulled in behind him. He grabbed the canvas bundle and hopped out of the truck.
“I found a heroin packet in a candle,” he announced without preamble.
Jenkins eyebrows rose. “What candle?”
“I’d pulled one out of the box yesterday afternoon before the shipment was delivered here.” He jerked his head toward the store.
The detective’s face went hard. “And you didn’t tell me?”
Chase gulped. “I didn’t remember until after I left Willie’s house, so I went and got it. Take a look.”
He set the bundle on the trunk of Jenkins’s cruiser and carefully unfolded the wrapping. Shards of glass tinkled, and the two chunks of wax gaped apart. The foil packet lay embedded in one of them.
Jenkins glanced at one of the deputies. “Matthews, got some gloves?”
Murder in D Minor Boxed Set Page 46