Bear Truffle Murder (A Maple Hills Cozy Mystery Book 10)

by Wendy Meadows

  “There was a weird phone call this morning, and a few minutes ago this woman walked in. She glared at me. When I asked if I could help her, she dismissed me and left the store. I would not have cared about that, but the way she looked at me…” Nikki shivered. “I thought she was going to hurt me.”

  “Was she involved with the chocolate competition?” Lidia asked. Nikki had entered and won a chocolate competition that past winter. She had also solved a mysterious death. She had made some new friends, but there were some people who had a sour taste in their mouths after she had won the contest.

  Nikki thought for a moment. “No, I have never seen her before.”

  Lidia patted Nikki’s hand. “Well, no one is going to hurt you. We are all here for you. We’ll take care of you,” she said this soothingly, and Nikki felt her muscles relaxing. It was nice not to be dismissed. Nikki felt loved, and that warmth helped her to regain her composure. She thanked Lidia, and Lidia offered to help her with her orders. Nikki thanked her again, and the two women got to work.

  Tori and Seth were wiping the counters down as Nikki was counting the register. The closed sign was on the door. Lidia had left earlier to pick up her husband. The shop door opened, and Nikki looked up. Hawk walked in. He smiled at everyone and walked over to Nikki and gave her a hug and kiss.

  “Almost done closing up?” Hawk asked.

  “Yes,” Nikki replied. She put the deposit in a bag.

  “Would you like to go out to eat after you drop off your deposit?”

  “Sure,” Nikki said, smiling at him. She grabbed the deposit bag.

  “I can drop that off for you,” said Tori.

  “Thank you,” said Nikki. “If you want to come in a little later tomorrow that would be fine. Lidia and I can hold down the fort until noon.”

  Seth and Tori thanked her. Seth told Nikki they were going to a concert that night and that it might run late. She imagined that allowing Tori to sleep in would be well received.

  “That’s fine. If you need to sleep on Tori’s couch, let me know,” Nikki said.

  “I will call or text you later,” Seth promised.

  Nikki thanked him and went back to the kitchen.

  “What are you doing back there?” Hawk asked.

  “You’ll see. Just sit down, I will be back in a minute,” Nikki told Hawk. She got the strawberries out of the refrigerator and put them in a box. She wrapped them up and took them into the front of the store.

  “These are for you,” Nikki told Hawk as she handed him the box.

  Hawk looked up at her and smiled. “What is it?”

  “You’ll have to open it and see,” said Nikki laughing. Hawk opened the box and smiled.

  “My favorites,” he said, pulling one out. “What did I do to deserve this?” he asked.

  “It’s just a thank you. I appreciate all that you have done for Seth and for me,” said Nikki. “I love that you listen to Seth and are excited by what he says.”

  “He is a smart kid,” said Hawk. “He gets that from his mother.”

  Nikki thanked him. Hawk stood up and held up a strawberry by her mouth.

  “Bite?” he asked. Nikki laughed and took a bite.

  “Are you ready for dinner now?” Nikki asked.

  “Sure,” said Hawk. “I’ll leave the strawberries here, and we can grab them after dinner.”

  “Okay,” said Nikki.

  Hawk grabbed Nikki’s jacket. She thanked him, but said she wouldn’t need it that night. It was still warm outside, and Nikki was enjoying not wearing a heavy winter coat. Hawk offered to carry her jacket for her, and Nikki thanked him. They locked up the chocolate shop and started walking down the sidewalk, hand in hand. There was a gentle breeze blowing, and Nikki noticed the other people who were walking had a slight spring in their step. Warmer weather will do that to you, she thought. Just then, Nikki noticed a car moving slowly on her left. She turned her head and saw a dark-haired woman driving. The woman looked right at Nikki and glared. Nikki slowed down and Hawk turned his head toward the car.

  “What do you want?” Nikki asked the driver loudly. The driver did not answer. Hawk stepped toward the car. The woman turned her head forward, accelerated quickly, and drove away, screeching the tires as she left. Nikki started shaking. Hawk put his arm around her shoulder and comforted her.

  “What was that about?” asked Hawk.

  “I honestly don’t know,” said Nikki. “She showed up in the shop earlier today and glared at me the whole time.”

  “Did she buy anything?” asked Hawk.

  “Yes. Tori waited on her. When she looked at Tori, she smiled. When she looked at me it was like I had killed her cat or something.”

  “That’s weird,” said Hawk. “Did she look familiar to you?”

  “No, why? Did she look familiar to you?”

  “No, I just wanted to make sure there were no hard feelings out there about the candy contest or something.”

  “Lidia said the same thing. I didn’t recognize that woman, though. I have never seen her before today,” replied Nikki. “Do you think you can look into this?” she asked Hawk.

  “Sure. I will get on it first thing tomorrow morning. It looked like a local rental. I can call the shops and ask if anyone matching her description has rented any cars lately.”

  “Thank you,” said Nikki, giving Hawk a hug and kiss. “I feel safer with you around.”

  “You can take care of yourself,” Hawk reassured her.

  “I know,” Nikki said. “But, it is nice to have you by my side.”

  Hawk looked into Nikki’s eyes. He pulled her close and kissed her again. “There is no need to worry. I have your back. Now, let’s get to the diner and eat something.” Hawk put his arm around Nikki’s shoulder and walked with her to the diner. They opened the diner door and the owner told them to take a seat. Hawk picked a comfy booth and ordered some coffee for them. They ordered their dinner and talked while they were waiting for their food. Nikki told Hawk again how much she appreciated him taking Seth under his wing.

  “It’s really been a pleasure for me,” Hawk told Nikki. “Seth is intelligent and eager to work. The chief loves having him around. He sorted through a box worth of old files today. The chief had wanted me to do that, but I’ve been too busy with my own paperwork. So, believe me, I’m glad to have Seth around.”

  Nikki smiled and sipped her coffee. She looked out the window at the park and was happy to see the new green leaves on the trees. Spring was in full bloom, and summer was right around the corner. The waiter came by and gave them their dinner.

  “Dig in,” said Hawk, reaching for his fork.

  “Will do,” smiled Nikki.

  Chapter Three

  Hawk and Nikki were just finishing dinner when Nikki’s phone rang. It was Seth.

  “Mom, you need to come by the shop. The window in the door is broken, and it looks like someone robbed the store.”

  “Wait, weren’t you and Tori going out tonight?”

  “We were. We stopped by Tori’s to eat something and on our way out of town we drove by the shop. I noticed the glass was broken. I’m in the store right now. The money you keep in the register is still here. I thought I would look in the kitchen.”

  “Get out of there. Do not go into the kitchen,” Nikki demanded. Hawk looked up. Nikki pantomimed paying the bill. “Call the police. We’re on our way.”

  Hawk was waiting to pay the bill, and Nikki told him what had happened. The owner overheard them and told them to get out of there, dinner was on him. Nikki thanked him, and she and Hawk ran out of the shop. Hawk called his father, Chief Daily, and filled him in. Nikki and Hawk ran down the street toward the chocolate shop.

  When they arrived, Seth and Tori were outside. Seth told Nikki he had called the police, and they all heard sirens coming their way. Hawk told them to wait there. He pulled out his gun and went into the shop. Nikki waited anxiously. She did not enjoy waiting. A few minutes later, he reemerged.

&nbs
p; “It’s all clear. There’s no one inside,” he reassured Nikki.

  Nikki let out a breath she didn’t realize she was holding and thanked him. She told Seth about the woman from earlier. Seth was concerned, but Nikki told him it probably wasn’t related to the break-in. She just wanted him to be aware of the situation.

  The police arrived and cordoned off the sidewalk in front of the shop. Nikki and Hawk took advantage of the cordon and went into the shop to look around. The counters were still intact, and the register was not opened. The trophy from the candy competition had been moved and other things on the shelves had been pushed out of the way. Hawk’s chocolates were on the floor. They looked like they had been stepped on. There were boxes and papers all over the floor. Nikki dreaded going into the kitchen, but she bravely opened the door. There was flour and sugar strewn all over the tables and floors. Some canisters had been pushed aside and dumped. The refrigerators were intact, but the shelves had been messed up. Some candies were ruined, but most were left untouched. Nikki was glad she locked most of her candy in the shelves in the front. She had intended on putting them in the refrigerator after work. Thinking about it, Nikki realized most of the loose chocolates would keep in the display overnight. Nikki could feel the tears well up in her eyes, but she stubbornly wiped them away. There was too much going on for her to start crying. Hawk came up behind her and took her hand. He gave it a squeeze and gave her a hug. Nikki and Hawk went back outside. A young officer was talking to Seth, and Seth turned when Nikki came out of the shop.

  “Are forensics here yet?” Hawk asked the officer.

  “Not yet, Detective Daily, but they should be here any minute,” the officer responded.

  “Okay. I want them to dust for prints,” Hawk said.

  “I will let them know,” said the officer.

  The forensic team pulled up, and the officer walked over to them. An older, graying woman got out of the car and the officer proceeded to fill her in. The woman was wearing a suit and carried a black bag. She carried herself as if she were in charge. The woman looked over and saw Hawk. She walked over to where Hawk and Nikki were standing.

  “Good evening, Hawk,” she said and held out her hand.

  “Hi, Leah,” he replied, shaking her hand. Leah said hello to Nikki. Leah was the head of the forensics department. She had worked for the department longer than Hawk, and she knew what she was doing. Hawk learned everything he knew about forensics from watching her and listening to what she told him. Nikki knew this because Hawk would go on and on at dinner some nights discussing the different aspects of his cases. Her name came up quite a bit.

  “I heard the address over the radio and thought I should come on by and make sure everyone was okay. Also, your dad called me to make sure I was on my way.” She laughed at Hawk.

  “Thank you for coming, Leah. I already went in. We were careful where we walked, and we didn’t touch anything. It looks like a break-in but not a robbery,” Hawk said. “Either way, I would like it dusted for prints.”

  “That’s fine, but I have to tell you, you might not get any leads in a case like this,” Leah replied. “There are so many people coming in and out of the store, it could be hard to figure out just who broke in.”

  “I understand,” said Hawk, “but if anyone can do it, you can.” He smiled at Leah, and she laughed.

  “Okay,” Leah said. “My guys are in there dusting right now.” She turned to Nikki, “Could you give me a list of employees who worked today and customers who came in?”

  “Seth, Tori, and Lidia were all in today. I can look at the receipts and give you a list of customers. There was one, though, that I did not know.”

  Leah looked at Nikki with a raised eyebrow. “Really?” she asked.

  “Yes. All of the other customers were from town, but she was not. I didn’t recognize her, and she paid with cash.”

  “She may have been scoping the place out,” Leah suggested. “Was there anything else of value in the shop?”

  “Not really,” said Nikki. “It seems like whoever did this was looking for something. They didn’t mess with the cash register. I don’t know what they were looking for. Nothing is missing. It is all just a big mess,” she told Leah.

  “Okay. Let my guys do their magic, and you get me that list as soon as possible, please.”

  “I will,” Nikki assured her. Leah went over to the shop to see how her forensic team was progressing. As she walked in, Hawk and Nikki could hear her barking out orders. Hawk turned to Nikki.

  “I’m glad Leah is on the case. Do we have everyone’s fingerprints down at the station?” he asked Nikki.

  “Yes, you do,” said Nikki. There had been a few other incidents since Nikki had moved to Maple Hills, and all of her employees had been fingerprinted at one time or another.

  “Who would do this?” Nikki asked. Hawk put his arm around her comfortingly. She could feel her eyes watering up. “I’ll make you some more chocolates tomorrow.”

  “Don’t even worry about the chocolates. I appreciate them, and they were delicious. I love you and thank you. I don’t know who would do this to you or why. I’ll look into that woman with the dark hair tonight,” Hawk reassured Nikki. “If she rented that car anywhere near here I will know about it by tomorrow morning. I have most of the rental store owners’ home phone numbers. It’s one of the benefits of living in a small town. I think my dad goes fishing with one of them. When I go to the office, I’ll see if he’s willing to reach out to him.”

  “Thank you. It is just disconcerting not knowing who she is,” Nikki said.

  “Do you want me to stop by the house later tonight?” asked Hawk.

  Before Nikki could answer, Leah was there. She apologized for interrupting.

  “Well, we got what we need,” she said. “I will start processing this tonight. Chief has already announced we will be working overtime on this.”

  “Thank you, Leah,” Nikki said.

  “I just hope we catch whoever did this to you,” Leah answered. She shook hands with Hawk and Nikki, and she turned and walked to her car. She drove off toward the station, the forensic team following in her wake.

  “I need to call Lidia,” Nikki said. “I don’t want her hearing about this from someone else, or walking in tomorrow morning and finding the store looking like this.” She called Lidia and explained what happened. Lidia offered to come over and help clean up, but Nikki told her to stay home. She said she had enough help with Seth there.

  “So, can I start cleaning up now?” Nikki asked Hawk.

  “I suppose so, but don’t you want to go home and get some rest?” he asked Nikki.

  “I thought about that,” she replied, “but I don’t want to give whoever did this any satisfaction. Also, I’m not sure I would be able to sleep after this. I can open tomorrow, right?”

  “Yes, you can,” Hawk said.

  “Okay then. I am going to stay and get the shop in order. Seth, could you help me clean up?”

  “Sure, Mom,” Seth replied. He walked over to Tori and spoke to her. She nodded, hugged him, and got into her car.

  “What did you say to Tori?” Nikki asked.

  “I told her I needed to stay with you tonight. She understands. I told her to find a friend to take to the concert. There was no reason we should both miss it.”

  “Are you sure?” Nikki asked. “I can get this cleaned up by myself.”

  “I know you could, but I want to be with you, Mom. I am willing to help, and I do not want you to be alone tonight,” Seth insisted. Nikki thanked him and told Hawk what was going on. Hawk smiled at Seth and thanked him.

  “I’m going to the station then,” Hawk told Nikki. “If you need anything, just give me a call.”

  “Thank you, Hawk. We should be fine here.”

  They hugged, and Hawk took his car to the station. Nikki turned to Seth.

  “Okay, first we get a garbage bag and cover the door. I don’t want anyone getting cut on the sharp edges,” Nikki s
aid.

  Seth agreed, and he walked into the shop and got the bag. Seth held the bag to the door, and Nikki duct taped it. After they finished with the door, Nikki got two brooms and some cloths. They started wiping the counters and picking up the things that had been moved. Nikki picked up the candy she had made for Hawk. At least he got to taste it, she thought. An hour later, they were still cleaning.

  After what seemed like forever, the front of the store was almost done.

  “I think I can start in the back now,” Nikki told Seth. “I am going to grab a mop and bucket. Would you mind mopping this floor while I start cleaning off the tables in the kitchen? It will be better to clean the flour and sugar with something dry before we mop in there.”

  “Okay,” Seth replied. “After I sweep in here, I’ll mop and then be right with you.”

  Just then the phone rang. Nikki wondered who would be calling so late. She moved to answer the phone and suddenly Seth bounded over saying, “Maybe it’s Tori.” He picked up the phone. He listened for a second, and he seemed to turn a bit pale. He sat down hard on a nearby chair. “Dad?” he asked.

  Chapter Four

  Nikki practically jumped over the counter to get to the phone. She grabbed it out of Seth’s hand. Seth looked at her in wonderment.

  “Who is this? Why are you calling here?” she demanded.