Lavender stared at Amy for a moment. She twitched her nose. “Sure, why not. I’ve got nothing to hide, even if he does. Good for nothing. Short.” Lavender turned and retreated into the interior, grumbling expletives.
Amy and Heather exchanged a glance. “Well, well, looks like Tiny’s got a gift for turning friends into enemies,” Heather said, then stepped over the threshold of the suspected burglar’s house.
She touched the clip on her bag. She’d brought the Taser, just in case, and she pinned the tote to her side.
“That’s not a great gift to have.” Amy led Dave inside, and his claws scraped on the wooden boards in the hall. He had the sense to keep his barks to himself, for once. And he hadn’t growled at Lavender. That had to be a good sign.
Heather entered the living room. She blinked at the change in light, from the dark hall to the fluorescents, which buzzed and clicked overhead.
Lavender hovered beside a box in the corner and dumped personal belongings – a stack of Cosmos – into it.
“So, Tiny came back and then broke up with you?”
“Yeah, he was all cut up and angry. He told me that his problems were my fault. That I was too tall. Everyone’s too tall for him in life,” Lavender said, then shook her head. “I’ve only known him a couple of weeks, but he’s been super insecure the entire time.”
“I see,” Heather replied. “Did Tiny bring anything back with him?”
Lavender stopped flapping the magazines into the box. “Funnily enough, yeah. He always brings home the weirdest stuff. Yesterday was a TV, a couple of days before that was a kid’s bike. I thought maybe he couldn’t fit on an adult bike, you know? So I didn’t make a big deal out of it.”
“Where’s the bike?” Heather asked.
Lavender pointed to a door, which led from the hall. “In his bedroom.”
“I’ll call Ryan,” Amy said, then whipped out her phone. “You stay right where you are, Lavender. You need to talk to the police.”
“Whatever you say,” Lavender replied, then picked up a Cosmo. She licked her thumb and flicked through the pages. “Like I said, I’ve got nothing to hide.”
Heather hurried to the bedroom, heart pounding in her throat. Tiny had broken into Bill and Colleen’s. The bike was the last sliver of evidence.
She clicked on the light switch, and a dim yellow bulb flickered to life on the ceiling.
The bike sat against one wall. Pink tassels protruded from the ends of the handlebars, and an ‘L’ decorated the puffy, pearlescent seat.
“Yes,” Heather said, under her breath. Lilly’s bike. And this wasn’t part of a murder investigation, which meant Ryan would return it to her, promptly.
Heather’s phone alarm tinkled. “Time to head back,” she said.
“What was that?” Amy asked. She propped her arm against the doorjamb. “Hey, you found Lilly’s bike.”
“I’ve got that meeting soon, I’ve got to get back to Donut Delights. Now.”
“I’ll stay behind and wait for Ryan to get here,” Amy said. Dave will wait with me.”
“Thanks. You two are life savers,” Heather said. She gave Amy a hug, then Dave a head scratch. Two minutes later, she was out the door and down the road, nerves jangling.
Chapter 10
“Thanks for agreeing to meet with me here,” Heather said and shifted in her high-backed leather chair. The familiar surrounding soothed her nerves.
She hummed Animals by Maroon 5. It’d been on the radio this morning, and she couldn’t get the tune out of her head.
“It’s my pleasure. I wanted to get a feel for your establishment,” Ronald said. “I worried that you wouldn’t have the family atmosphere I’m after.”
“And? What have you discovered.”
Ronald Tombs straightened his silver tie and glanced around Heather’s small office. His gaze rested on the window, the view of trees beyond it, and smiled. “It’s better than what I hoped for. You have a lovely store.”
“Thank you,” Heather said, pleasure flushing through her neurons. A dopamine rush. Oh yeah, if this went well, who knew what would become of Donut Delights? “I’ve worked very hard to maintain this atmosphere.”
“That’s important in any business. One drop of lemon sours the milk,” Tombs replied. “I’ve seen employees turn against their bosses. I’ve seen customers leave because of a negative setting. I’ve seen,” Ronald paused, then chuckled. “Let’s just say I’ve seen many things.”
“I’m very protective over Donut Delights and my customers. I’ve started expanding online, but I wanted to preface this conversation by telling you that nothing will change my mind on one issue.”
“And what’s that?”
“I want the small town feel in my store for the rest of my life. I won’t skimp on service because that’s what I’m known for. My creative ideas are my own. I won’t change my recipes for anything.”
“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” Ronald said and patted the air. “That’s more than one thing. Let me assure you, Mrs. Shepherd, I have no intention of changing your business’s ethical code or the value of the products you put out.”
“Then what are you interested in?” Heather asked, and held her breath. This was it. The moment she’d been waiting for. An entire week since he’d stormed into her shop and suggested he invest. Now, she’d finally know why and what for.
Ronald Tombs grasped an invisible ball, then expanded it. “Scaling. I want to help you take your business from online and local, to national, perhaps even international one day.”
“I don’t know how I’d manage that. We’re just a bakery.”
“You’re just a unique bakery serving a quality product which brings your customers back, time and time again,” Ronald said. He grabbed his mug of coffee then drew fluid into his mouth. He swallowed, noisily.
Heather’s stomach sank. “Look, I had an order for five hundred donuts last week, and I barely managed to complete it. I had to close down the store to local customers for a day because of it.”
“That’s where I come in,” Ronald replied. He scrunched forward on the chair. “What if I told you that I could help you fill orders that size, even bigger, say a thousand? And still keep the store open to the residents of this fine town?”
Heather’s jaw flapped up and down. “I’d say, well, I’d say… where do I sign?” She burst into laughter. Her nerves had reached their peak and had been replaced by excitement.
“Wonderful. I’m going to set up a formal meeting back at Tombs Towers. We’ll discuss this fully, draw up a contract, go into details about costs of expansion and the amount to be invested.”
“This is huge,” Heather said.
Ronald Tombs rose from his seat and checked the sleeves of his suit. “Donut Delights will be huge. Thank you for your time, Mrs. Shepherd.”
Heather leaped from her seat and stuck out her hand. “Thank you, Mr. Tombs. You’re the one who deserves all my gratitude.”
He shook on it, another of those firm, respectable grips, then turned on his heel and let himself out of the office.
Heather stared after him. Unbelievable. She’d been scared of alienating her local customers, and this man had appeared out of nowhere to help her out. She walked out of her office and through the bustling interior of her favorite place in the world.
She stopped at Eva’s table – empty for once – and looked out at the street, eyes glazed over. Wonderment pulsed through her soul.
A new and improved Donut Delights.
Heather’s gaze roved the street. She froze and did a double-take. A white Ford Fiesta was parked directly across the road from her store. Windows tinted. Headlights on.
The engine purred to life, and the car tore out of the parking space, then disappeared down the road, leaving fumes in its wake.
What on earth? That’s looked just like Davidson’s car. The same Detective Davidson who’d tried to arrest her for a crime she hadn’t committed.
Heather’s excitement fizzle
d out.
The murder case had only begun, and she didn’t have a real lead. Success in one arena didn’t equate to success in every other. Heather’s phone buzzed. She whipped it out of her pocket, swiped through to her messages, then groaned.
On my way back to your house. Be ready for leg day. Ryan’s taking the bike to Lilly. I can hear you groaning, by the way. – Ames.
Chapter 11
“No,” Heather said. She lay on the floor and stared at the ceiling, sucking in deep breaths through her mouth. “I refuse.”
“Come on, just five more squats and we’re done for the day.”
“I see your five more squats and fold. How about five donuts instead?” Heather asked.
Amy adjusted her headband and flicked her short, blonde hair. “Heather, you were doing so well.”
“I never agreed to this level of torture. I’m telling you, woman, I refuse.”
Dave barked from the sofa. He’d spent their entire workout session, staring and whining.
“That bark better have been in my favor, Dave.” Heather didn’t have the energy to wag her finger at him.
“Fine, lie there. Be lazy. But just so you know, you’re looking thinner and healthier than ever.”
“I feel like I’ve got one foot in the grave.”
Amy grabbed her water bottled off the coffee table and glugged back some aqua. “That’s just how healthy people feel.”
“I’d prefer the donuts.”
Amy tapped her on the knee, then shuffled to the sofa and sat down. Her bestie adjusted her loose shirt and shorts, then sat back and closed her eyes. “I’m feeling it now.”
“I refuse!” Heather reiterated.
“Relax, we’re done for the day,” Amy replied.
“Just checking.” Heather rolled onto her stomach and stared at the window behind Dave’s head. The afternoon had sunk its faded yellow claws into the landscape outside. Warmth radiated from the street. The last throes of summer.
“So? What have we got so far?” Amy asked.
“Huh?”
“The case, I mean. You’ve done a bit of sleuth work. What have you figure out thus far?”
Heather managed a half crawl, half shuffle to the sofa. She dragged herself onto it, and Dave promptly laid his head in her lap. “I’ve got nothing.”
“What? Impossible. Heather Shepherd, sleuth extraordinaire without a lead? I refuse to believe it. You're just negative because of all the squats.”
“My legs are on fire,” Heather muttered. “But I'm not negative. Think about it. We have two main suspects. Karly, who clearly despised her sister and didn’t seem all that unhappy about her death.”
“Yeah, and the thief. Her son.” Amy whipped her headband off and dropped it onto the sofa cushion next to her. “I don’t see how a son would kill his mother.”
“Really? Pops Polinski killed Jelly, his own daughter. Last week, we had a guy kill Randy because he’d called an exterminator on his rats. I don’t think any motivation will surprise me. People are loco.”
“Cuckoo for cocoa puffs.”
“Precisely,” Heather replied. “But you bring up a good point. I don’t have any evidence which connected Tiny with the crime.”
“What about that velvet you found in Geoff’s store?” Amy asked. “Karly had on black velvet when we spoke to her. That’s technically a lead.”
“Tenuous at best,” Heather replied. She scratched the back of Dave’s neck, and he flopped his tail back and forth on the sofa. “We need more evidence.”
“More evidence, huh?” Amy wriggled her nose. “Maybe you should speak to Geoff again. He’s a suspect, too.”
“I guess.”
Amy sat bolt upright and grabbed her headband. She crumpled it up, then let it fall again. “Thief!”
“That’s uncalled for. You’re the one who stole precious hours of my day for squats and lunges and those horrible uppy down things.”
“Burpees,” Amy replied, “And that’s not what I meant. Tiny’s a thief, right? Proven, for sure. And someone stole the fudge balls from Geoff.”
“I used the word ‘tenuous’ already, right? I’d hate to repeat myself.” Heather shook her head. “Ames, that’s a vague connection. That’s like saying Dave likes donuts. Therefore he ate all the donuts out of my fridge yesterday. We both know that was you.”
“I deny all allegations,” Amy said. “But I get your point.”
Dave’s head popped up, and he sniffed the air for the scent of fresh-baked or fried donuts. No luck. It was all carrot sticks, water, and protein powder today.
“More evidence.” Amy swiped up her headband and flopped it against her palm. “More evidence.”
“Unfortunately, saying it won’t make it materialize.” Heather sighed and leaned her head back on the sofa. She stretched her throat and eased breaths in and out of her nose. An Amy Yoga trick.
“But what if it does? Let’s break it down.”
“All right. Karly and Tiny are out main suspects. Geoff can wait,” Heather said, then waved a palm. “He’s too panicked to bother for now.”
“Tiny’s missing. Absent without leave.”
“Right. And that leaves Karly,” Heather replied. “What do we know about Karly?”
“Karly hated Bernie. She lives in a brick-faced building. She wears black velvet. She likes hazelnut cappuccinos,” Amy said, then chuckled. “Yeah, that doesn’t help much, does it?”
“Wait a second, what did you just say?”
“She wears black velvet?”
“No, about the coffee.” Heather sat straight and met Amy’s gaze. “How do you know that?”
“Because I served her at the store? Remember?” Amy blinked at her. “What, you look like you’ve seen the ghost of donut past?”
Heather hopped off the sofa. Dave scrambled up with her. She groaned and gripped her thighs, then hobbled to the entrance to her living room.
“What’s going on?”
“The cameras,” Heather said. “I installed cameras in the store. We might be able to get something from them. It’s not much, but it’s a lead.” She hunched over and stumbled to the entrance hall table, then snatched up her keys.
“All right,” Amy said, then grabbed the car keys from Heather’s outstretched palm. “But I’m driving.”
“Good. I don’t trust my legs to work. Did I mention this is your fault?” Heather asked. Dave licked at her ankles, but she didn’t have the will to bend down and stroke him on the head.
“Only like a billion times. Let’s go, bestie.”
Chapter 12
Heather squished herself into her office chair, then dragged the laptop across the desk.
Amy tugged the chair from the front around to her side. “I’m tingling with excitement. That might be the after exercise glow, though.” She plopped into her chair.
“Or, you know, the lactic acid raging through our muscles,” Heather replied.
Amy nudged her. “Come on, let’s check it out. I can’t wait another second.”
Heather bit her lip. Crickets chirped outside the window, and a soft, breeze twirled through the office, bringing the scents of late afternoon and early evening. An amalgamation of residential smells and dark earth, green leaves.
Serenity.
“Did I stutter?” Amy asked.
“Oh relax, I’m getting there,” Heather replied. She clicked through to the copies of the surveillance ‘tapes’ from the last week.
Truthfully, nothing was taped in the traditional sense anymore. The cameras in Donut Delights were linked to a hard drive or a drop box account or – she couldn’t begin to sound smart. Ken had sorted the whole system out for her.
Heather scrolled through the files, then found the one from the Monday. “This is it.”
“They came in bright and early. It shouldn’t take too long to find.” Amy clasped her hands together and rested them against the edge of the desk. “I’m nervous. Why am I so nervous?”
“You’r
e not used to the pressures of an investigation,” Heather replied, sagely.
“Whatever,” Amy said. “I managed the whole disgusting rat thing, just fine.”
“True.” Heather clicked through the first hour or so of surveillance after Jung, Ken and Angelica had come in for work.
Amy appeared on the screen. She gave Maricela a thumbs up, then disappeared into the kitchen.
“Stealing donuts?” Heather asked.
“Hey, you give us an allowance of one a day,” Amy replied. “And I may have bought two others that morning. Who’s judging?”
Heather chuckled, then focused on the screen. “Oh, here they come. Here they are!”
Bernie and Karly entered the store. Karly burst through first, chattering nonstop, and dearly departed Bernadette followed, nodding once or twice. They took a seat at the table beside Eva’s.
“Oh, and here’s the part where Karly sees me,” Amy muttered.
On screen, Amy froze mid-order behind the register. She raised a hand, waved, then dropped it to her side.
“I’m already quaking in fear at this point.”
“Drama, drama,” Heather muttered.
Onscreen Amy hurried to the table and placed two cappuccinos or coffees in front of either woman.
Karly gave her the once over.
“I hate it when she does that,” Amy muttered.
Bernie got up from the table and walked out of sight, probably to the ladies room. Karly whipped out a flask and poured clear liquid into Bernadette’s coffee, looked around once, then stowed the flask back in her pocket.
“What the –?”
“She spiked her.” Amy slammed her hand over her lips. “Now, do you see why I’m terrified of the woman? She spiked her drink!”
“I saw it.” Heather nodded. “I saw it all right. Looks like we’re going to have to pay Karly Belushi another visit.”
“And forward this to Ryan, right?” Amy asked.
“That’s right.” Heather whipped out her phone, then swiped through to her messaging application.
Got new evidence in the Belushi murder case. File too big to email. Will bring laptop home. Surveillance from the store shows Karly poured something in Bernie Belushi’s drink.
Green Velvet Murder: A Donut Hole Cozy Mystery - Book 16 Page 4