East Pender Boxed Set: Cozy Mystery Series Bundle of Books 1-14

by Leona Fox

  “Hey! Must have just missed you. Tried to work things out with the time difference but it really confuses me. Right now we're just leaving to sit on a beach all day and drink cocktails! This place is paradise. I don't know where Matthew found it but it's incredible! I'm having so much fun. The only bad thing is you're not here to enjoy it with me. Anyway, just wanted to say hi and that everything is fine. I'm not sure if I'll get the chance to call again because it's super expensive but I'll be back before you know it. Hope you're not missing me too much!” and then the line went dead.

  Ellen cursed Jimmy for calling at the exact same moment that Kelly had called, and felt aggrieved that she just missed her best friend. But perhaps it was for the best since Kelly was on her honeymoon and didn't need to know all about Ellen's problems.

  With little else to occupy her mind Ellen went through the rest of the day as if on autopilot. Scampy attempted to cheer her up with his usual antics, and while they brought a smile to her face it did not last long. The general fear that permeated her existence faded somewhat, and although there was still an uneasy quiver when she was alone at night, she mostly could function normally during the day. However, she felt she was missing something crucial about the burglaries and was afraid that her skills had left her. If she couldn't help the police anymore then she didn't know what she would do. Even though she liked to think of herself as just a normal person who owned a cafe, she did enjoy helping the police, making a difference to the town and, yes, becoming involved in people's lives.

  The night was long and her mind was alive, jumping around, unable to settle on anything, even her favorite book. Scampy rested peacefully at the end of the bed as a calm breeze wafted in through the window, which had been cracked open. Ellen lay on her back with her eyes open, staring into space. She rose and got a glass of water, then returned to bed and played some Brahms on her phone, hoping the music would draw her mind away from the turbulent thoughts careening around.

  It was the most distraught she had been since she had returned to East Pender. For all the crimes she had seen committed they all had happened to other people. She had been able to retain a certain level of detachment, but the secret admirer had targeted her and her alone.

  Sometimes, she thought, getting lost in the big city wasn't a bad thing. It meant other people couldn't target you, couldn't single you out. There would be others as well, even Longthorne knew her name. If he was concerned about her digging into his business there was no telling what he would do, or his son. She only had met him for an instant but there was something about the son that unsettled her. Perhaps it was his shifty eyes or the way he spoke with such anger in his voice. Either way, the music she was listening to didn't help to ease her mind as she had hoped. Ellen endured a restless night.

  Chapter 6

  There were no more burglaries for a few days. The first two had happened so closely together that Ellen was surprised there hadn't been a third yet. The other merchants, however, still were fretting and continually badgered her to talk to the mayor again. It took all her willpower to remain calm in the face of their nagging. Individually they were lovely people, but together they made for a rather nasty headache.

  There were still no leads, and Jimmy had called Ellen into the station to have a word. Other officers nodded to her as she came in and she exchanged a few words with more than one of them, having made some good acquaintances in her time helping Andy. Yet once Jimmy was out of sight the officers grimaced and made fun of him, and Ellen felt great pity for the man. He looked more tired than the last time she had seen him as well. His cheeks had lost a lot of their color and there were bags under his eyes.

  He grabbed a mug of coffee and she assumed he had been living on those for the past week or so.

  “How are you doing, Jimmy?” she asked, with more than a hint of concern in her voice.

  “I'm fine, thanks for asking, just a little tired. I don't know how Andy does it, y'know? There's so much to keep track of, not to mention all the personnel issues.”

  “Personnel issues?”

  “Nothing too serious, just a few people who had some differences of opinion, that's all.”

  “Have you gotten used to the job yet?”

  “No, and to be honest, I don't think I ever will but Andy chose me for this so I'm going to try my best. I just wanted to run a few things regarding the case by you. It feels as though I've come to a dead end and I don't know where to go next. I was thinking about talking to some of the other officers but then I remembered what you said about leadership. I didn't think it would be the best idea to show them I was struggling. Truth is I don't think they have much respect for me anyway. They think I don't see the faces they make but I do. I thought they were my friends but they just treat me like I'm some kind of joke. I can understand it, y'know? It's like whenever you had a substitute teacher at school, and you knew they were only there for a short time so you took advantage of that. This is exactly the same, but it doesn't make it hurt any less,” he said with a heavy sigh. It was clear to Ellen that Jimmy hadn't just called her in to talk about the case.

  “I'm sure everyone goes through a similar thing when they are given command for the first time. It's all a learning experience and you have to use this to make yourself better in the future.”

  Jimmy shook his head. “Some men are born for it. They just stride in and know exactly what to do. Everyone else knows what's expected of them, like there's some unspoken understanding between them all and I just don't have that. It's the little things, like talking to each other in briefings when I'm trying to tell them something, or taking longer to file a report and I don't have it in me to get angry at them. I'm just not that kind of person. I always was told to turn the other cheek as a child and I did. Served me well so far.”

  “Jimmy, can I ask you a personal question?” Ellen asked, getting the feeling that if she didn't interrupt him he would continue with his self-pitying diatribe, and that wouldn't be good for anybody.

  “Sure,” he said, sitting down at the table, hunched over with his head hanging over his cup of coffee.

  “Why did you become a cop in the first place?”

  Jimmy shrugged. “It seemed the most logical thing to do. Knew I was never the type to make it into college but I wanted a proper career so I took the exams. Thought being in a sleepy town like this, no offense, would be a good place to learn and get experience before I moved onto a bigger city but I guess I'm just not ready for this.”

  “Jimmy, usually we're not ready for anything life throws at us, but we make it through anyway. I think you need to look at yourself and see if this is making you happy because life is too short to do things that make us unhappy. It's never too late to change your mind, even on something like a career. Heck, I was in completely the wrong line of work for most of my life because I thought I had to stick it out and try making it work. But for now you are the one in charge and you're the one leading the investigation. This is your job and, like it or not, you must have shown Andy you were capable. Otherwise, he wouldn't have left you in charge. Self-pity isn't a good look on you or anyone, so we'd better try cracking this case.”

  “I guess,” he said, and Ellen rolled her eyes. She had hoped for a little more enthusiasm from him.

  “What's your working theory so far?”

  “Well, we know they took money and an array of items. There seems to be nothing in common among the things taken. So we don't think they were after anything specific. Unless they did take something specific but stole all this other stuff to cover it up.”

  He ended that sentence with a raised tone, trying to gauge if Ellen thought his theory had any merit. When she didn't say anything his eyes fell and he continued in a lower tone.

  “But that could be wrong...maybe the two burglaries were just opportunistic and now that they've got whatever they wanted they're going to stop? Or they just could be taking their time before they strike again...Like I said, I don't really know.”

  El
len pursed her lips and tapped her fingers on the surface of the table, once again frustrated that Andy and Kelly were absent as working through a crime wasn't the same without them.

  “You mentioned you had a theory?” Jimmy asked tentatively. Ellen stopped tapping her fingers and leaned forward, lowering her voice.

  “I do, but you can't tell anyone about it,” she said, and proceeded to tell Jimmy all about Longthorne and the proposal to the mayor, then her theory that they were responsible for the burglaries to scare people.

  “I don't think Longthorne necessarily did it himself, but I got a bad vibe from his son. If they got people feeling unsafe that would be a way to make a mall more palatable.”

  “But how would we ever get to them?”

  “If that theory holds then they're going to strike again because the deal still hasn't gone through. But like I said, it's just a theory.”

  “It's the best one we've got,” Jimmy said grimly.

  “I'm so glad you're here to help. I don't think I could do this without you,” he said, and smiled appreciatively at her.

  However, Ellen was wishing that her two partners were there as she didn't know if she could do it without them. Jimmy was a fine man but she could see he was not made for the role. She only could hope that he found enough strength to make it through the rest of Andy's absence without losing too much confidence.

  She left the station wishing she could talk to someone, but the only person she really felt comfortable talking to was Maggie, and Ellen still had her reservations about her after what Richard and Longthorne had said. Despite what most people thought Ellen was an introvert at heart. She was more than able to be friendly and engage in small talk with most people, but when it came down to meaningful conversations there were few people with whom she could connect. This led to her forming some strong relationships, yet it also meant her social circle was limited.

  Although she couldn't trust her instincts about Maggie, with nobody else around, Ellen had little choice but to go to her. Maggie was once again in her cafe, glistening with sweat as a result of all her hard work.

  “Ellen! How are you doing today?” she said with a beaming smile.

  “I'm okay, just missing Andy and my friend. I could use a friendly face.”

  “Well you've got one here. I have to say I'm looking forward to meeting these people, you've spoken so much about them. How's the case going?”

  “That's part of why I'm missing them. Usually we work on these cases together and I guess we've been doing it for so long that it all just fits. I'm not used to working with Jimmy, with Sergeant Lister,” she quickly corrected herself, “and I've been going through some of my own stuff lately as well, which isn't helping.”

  “Do you want to talk about it?”

  “Not really...I don't know...have you ever had a time when you felt as though you couldn't trust your own instincts? Especially when you've prided yourself on them?”

  “Can't say that I have, darling, but we all go through periods where we lose sight of who we are and what we're doing here.”

  “I thought that being in East Pender I'd have said goodbye to all those doubts. It's just that with Andy and Kelly gone I feel alone. I don't usually mind my own company but this is different.”

  Maggie reached over and rested a calming hand on Ellen's arm. “Don't you worry, you're not alone for as long as I'm around. Sounds like it's lucky I showed up when I did,” she said, chortling.

  “Yes, yes, it is rather fortunate isn't it?” Ellen said, and despite herself she couldn't stop thinking about what Richard and Longthorne had said.

  She thought about the warnings and the fears and how Maggie had just turned up to open a cafe right near hers, and how she was so friendly and personable, but was that the real Maggie? Was this just a way to lull Ellen into a false sense of security so Maggie eventually could try undermining The Chrome Cafe? Ellen had missed things before, was she going to make an error again?

  “I'm still amazed that out of all the places in the country you found East Pender.”

  “Well, maybe it was fortune, maybe it was fate, either way I'm here now.”

  “I still find it funny...I mean, I know we've joked about it before but didn't you see that there was already a popular cafe here?”

  “Well, yes,” Maggie said, her tone shifting for she did not like this line of questioning, “but there's room enough for two. I've never been one to shy away from competition. You're not getting worried, are you?”

  “No, of course not, I just find it strange that you wouldn't have gone somewhere that actually needed a cafe. It's not like you had any ties to this town in particular.”

  “I made a vow that I would go wherever the map said, and I don't break my promise. Besides, maybe the town does need a new cafe.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I did do some research Ellen, and if you want some professional advice you need to work on your place. It's stuck in the past, and you've been comfortable for too long. The menu is generic, the drinks are old hat and there's nothing unusual or unique about the place. I'm sorry for saying this but you know that I don't pull my punches with anything. I came to East Pender because I think I can offer something to these people that no one else, including you, can.”

  “You're starting to sound like Longthorne,” Ellen said softly. Maggie glared at her.

  “What do you mean by that?”

  “I'm just saying that maybe this place wasn't so random after all. It's quite the coincidence that the two of you showed up around the same time. Maybe you actually were hired by Longthorne as well, to try making it so I would be more preoccupied with you and turn a blind eye to his schemes.”

  Maggie raised both eyebrows and glared at Ellen, the full Southern fury raging in her eyes. “I don't know where you get off saying things like this Ellen but I am no man's puppet. I think you've been spending too much time investigating these crimes. Too many conspiracy theories are going around in your mind. I've been nothing but honest with you and that's the truth, but I think right now it's best that you leave.” She walked over and opened the door, waiting expectantly for Ellen to exit. Ellen didn't make her wait long.

  Ellen left with mixed feelings. There was guilt at having accused Maggie of working with Longthorne but there was still the nagging feeling that Maggie reacted that way because Ellen had been right. In all the cases she had investigated it always had been prudent to be suspicious of newcomers, but there was such conflict in her mind that she was unsure of what to believe.

  So, instead, she turned to the people of East Pender and covertly talked to them about Maggie, asking them about their impressions of the newcomer. First she started in her own café, sidling up to people, talking about Maggie innocently at first, gauging if they had the same impressions of her as Ellen did. One of the telltale signs would have been if they described a different persona than what Ellen had been privy to.

  After the first few conversations she went to neighboring stores and spoke to the people who were available. They all knew of Ellen's reputation and started to wonder if Maggie was under investigation for something. When asked about this, Ellen shook her head and laughed, claiming she only was asking for personal reasons. She also asked them to keep the details of their conversations secret. But in East Pender secrets were difficult to keep, as people were free with their lips and spread gossip around with no qualms. So it was that word reached Maggie and she stormed into The Chrome Cafe with a face looking like thunder.

  “How dare you talk about me behind my back with all these people who don't even know who I am,” she began, pointing her finger at Ellen.

  “I don't know what changed in you or what started you down this path but I can't believe you are the same woman I've been speaking to for the past week. I thought we were friends. Sure, we were business rivals but we could have worked together and helped each other out. I don't know how long it took before your mind got twisted by all these crimes but you should take
a long, hard look in the mirror. Not everything is a conspiracy and if you really thought that I wouldn't hear about this then you were sorely mistaken. Maybe you aren't as smart as you or this town thinks you are. You can talk about the values of this town as much as you want but there's only one thing I care about and that's honesty. You knew this and yet you still went behind my back! I'm not going to stand here and tolerate that kind of behavior. If you had a problem with me then you should have come and talked to me about it properly, not spread gossip around. I'm starting to see you in a new light, though. Maybe you are more worried about my business than you thought; maybe this is just a way for you to spread bad news about me. Yeah, see, it's not nice when people start to theorize about you, is it? But I can tell you one thing for sure Ellen, we never are going to be friends. You just made certain of that.”

  All through Maggie's speech Ellen wanted to apologize or explain that it wasn't what she intended but Maggie never gave her a chance. Now that she was gone Ellen wished she had handled things differently, and that she could make up for it somehow. By the look in Maggie's eyes she knew it was not going to be possible. Rarely had she seen such venom, and there was no doubt in her mind she had been in the wrong. She went to bed that night feeling worse than she ever had, for not only had she betrayed the ideals for which she stood so strongly, she also had pushed away someone who could have been a valued friend.

  The anger cursing through Maggie took a while to settle down as she returned home. But while she was absent from the cafe something stirred. A lithe figure, all dressed in black, broke into the cafe and took what little money there was, as well as a few supplies she had been using to decorate. When Maggie returned the next morning her hands were clenched and she burned with rage. Every step was heavy and with every moment that passed her thirst for revenge increased. The burglary had set her opening back, and as far as she was aware, there was only one person who would benefit from that.