by Carol Durand
Echo sighed, putting down her cup of coffee. “Maybe we should just sign the paperwork and be done with it,” she said numbly.
“Just sign it? Are you kidding me? I never thought I’d see the day when Echo Willis was willing to turn her life’s work over to a corporate machine,” Missy shook her head in shock. “We are small-town business owners who care about their customers, that’s what makes us different…special. If we sign over our creations to a mass-producer, we’ll have sold out. Anything we’ve accomplished will no longer matter, because we’ll have shown the world that all we care about is money. Honey, we can’t do that!”
Echo bowed her head, truly a woman defeated. “I have ideals too Missy, and I understand what you’re saying, but we live in the real world. If this mess drags on much longer, it could sink us both financially. What are we supposed to do then? Start over? With what?” she twisted her hands miserably in her lap. “I’m just so tired of struggling,” she said softly. “I thought I could come to this sweet little town and make a comfortable life for myself, be a part of the community, meet someone special, and all I’ve encountered is accusation and hardship. I just don’t know how much more I can take,” she admitted, tears rolling down her cheeks.
“I know it’s difficult,” Missy sat down next to her friend, putting an arm around her. “But we’ll get through this…together. Hang in there honey, it’s always darkest before the dawn.”
Echo nodded, wiped her tears with the back of her hand and said that she needed to go upstairs to gather her belongings. Missy watched her go, her heart heavy.
Chapter 9
Chas sat across the table from Missy at Rib City, having ravaged an entire slab of the most succulent and flavorful ribs in the county. Missy picked at a grilled chicken sandwich, trying to make it look as though she had eaten in order to appease her concerned boyfriend.
“So what did the coroner’s report say?” she asked when she saw that the detective’s ravenous appetite had been sated.
“Well, it’s rather strange actually. There are so many twists and turns in this case that no one seems to know which end is up,” he said, wiping his hands with a wet-nap.
“Really? Like what?” Missy leaned forward in anticipation.
“Well, unfortunately, the cupcake is what poisoned the victim…” he began.
“What? That’s impossible!” Missy interrupted.
“There was a fine, white powder on the victim’s upper lip that matched the white powder sprinkled on the top of the cupcake, which turned out to be the substance that poisoned the victim,” Chas explained.
“But that particular type of Sweet Crème Sandwich doesn’t have powdered sugar on it,” Missy pointed out, puzzled.
“Even more strange is the fact that the victim’s credit card receipt indicated that she had bought the sandwich at Sweet Love, Echo’s shop, rather than yours.”
“That makes no sense at all,” Missy shook her head. “The sandwiches are made and sold here. Echo just supplies the ice cream the night before so that we can assemble them.”
“Now you know what I’m dealing with here. Nothing adds up,” Chas frowned, frustrated.
“Are there any other clues?” Missy asked, hopeful.
“Nothing yet except a footprint in the pig’s blood at Sweet Love that we’re trying to match. I’m still looking into any possible connections that Jonathan Michener might have in this area, but so far, that’s a wash too.”
“I’ll bring Echo up to date. Poor thing is just at her wit’s end,” Missy said sadly.
“Understandable,” Chas commented, pausing for a moment as though he were going to say something, but remaining silent.
“Keep me posted?”
“Of course,” he squeezed her hand.
Missy decided to drive to Dellville after her lunch with Chas, to tell Echo the latest and ask her over for a movie night. She parked in the drive, noticing that all of the shades were pulled and thinking that her friend must really be depressed if she’d resorted to shutting out all sunlight. The California gal loved nothing better than to bask in the sun, and the sight of the drawn shades filled Missy with trepidation. Hoping that all was well, she tried to open the front door, surprised for a moment to find it locked, but then realizing that Echo was just taking extra precautions.
“Hey girlfriend!” she called out when she rang the bell. “Come let me in!” She listened intently, surprised that she wasn’t hearing any sounds from inside. Jogging around the side of the house, she tried the back door with the same result. Perplexed, she texted her friend to see if she was home, and became rather alarmed when she received no response.
“Okay, Missy girl,” she chided herself. “Let’s be reasonable here…Echo could be in the shower, or checking out at the grocery store, or any number of things that would prevent her from answering her phone. Or…she could’ve fallen down the stairs, or been poisoned, or be laying in there suffering and needing my help!” her brain insisted. Not knowing what to do, and unable to think constructively, Missy reverted to her constant fallback plan and called Chas, who told her to stay put and headed to Dellville immediately. He alerted Detective Keller, who arrived moments later and rapped firmly on both the front and back doors, just as Missy had. Receiving no response, he walked around the cottage, looking for anything out of the ordinary. Just as he completed his circuit, Chas pulled up.
“What’s your call, Rich?” he asked the Dellville detective.
“Beckett, you know as well as I do that it’s way too early to even file a missing person’s report at this point, but I think we both have a gut feeling that something is wrong here. I’m going to send my guys out to places where Miss Willis might typically visit, just to make sure we’re not barking up the wrong tree here, but I’m also headed to the courthouse to get Judge Mackey to sign off on a warrant to enter the premises for the purpose of a wellness check.”
“That would’ve been my suggestion as well. I’ll stay here in case she returns,” Chas offered.
“Good. Might want to rethink the presence of a civilian though,” Keller nodded in Missy’s direction. “We don’t know what we’re gonna find when we blast the door. It’d be best if non-police persons leave the area before it goes down,” he advised gravely.
“I hear you,” Chas nodded. “I’ll take care of it.” For Missy’s sake, he hoped that they wouldn’t find a grisly scene within Echo’s cozy cottage, but if they did, she didn’t need to see it. He walked over to where she stood on the porch, arms wrapped around her waist, staring into the distance.
“Hey sweetie,” he greeted her, brushing her cheek with the back of his hand. “Keller is going to get an order from the judge so that we can enter the house to make sure that everything is okay. He’s got his officers out looking for Echo, and hopefully they’ll just run into her at the market and bring her home,” he said gently, trying to reassure her. His heart ached when her eyes welled with tears. Taking her into his arms, he told her that it would be best if she just went home to wait.
She shook her head vehemently. “No, Chas, I have to know that she’s okay,” she insisted.
“I understand that, Missy, I really do, but you’re going to impede the investigation if you’re here. You need to trust that we’re going to do everything that we can to find your friend. The moment that I know anything new, I’ll text you, okay? I need you to head home, sweetie,” he said firmly, letting her know that she really didn’t have a choice in the matter.
She nodded slowly. “I really hope she’s okay, Chas,” she said shakily.
“Me too,” he agreed, giving her another big hug before walking her to her car. He watched her go, doubting that he’d have good news to report later.
Chapter 10
Missy drove home in a daze, so distracted by her thoughts that once she’d arrived, she found she couldn’t remember the trip. She got out of the car and was startled when Toffee suddenly appeared out of nowhere, begging to be petted.
“T
offee, what are you doing out here, girlie?” Missy asked, puzzled. The hair on the back of her neck stood up as she realized that the only way that Toffee could have gotten out is if someone had either attempted or succeeded in getting in. Opening the back door of the car, Missy told her beloved pet to jump inside, and shut the door behind her. She opened the windows so that Toffee could enjoy the cool Fall breeze, and moved slowly to the back door of the house. Her heart leapt to her throat when she stepped up onto the back porch and saw her back door pulled to, but not shut. She always made sure that both the front and back doors were shut and locked before leaving in the morning. If Chas had stopped by, he would have definitely secured the doors, which meant that someone else had violated her space. She had a brief moment of hope, where she thought that perhaps Echo had come to see her and just made herself at home, but if that had been the case, she would’ve answered Missy’s text.
Missy backed slowly away making her way to the rear of the garage, keeping her eyes glued to the back door, and called Chas.
“I’m really sorry to bother you,” she spoke softly and quickly. “When I got home, Toffee was out in the yard and my back door is partially open,” she explained, her panic evident.
“Where are you now?” Beckett demanded, his tone urgent.
“Standing behind the garage, watching the back door.”
“I want you to get back in the car and stay there until I arrive. If anyone comes out of the house, drive away immediately, understand?” he directed.
“Okay, I will,” Missy agreed, nodding, despite the fact that he couldn’t see her. She hung up the phone and walked quickly to her car, trying her best to open her door without making a sound, then pulling it softly shut once inside. Toffee was there to greet her with sloppy kisses, picking up instantly on her fear. The sensitive dog huddled close, her head resting on Missy’s shoulder over the seat as her mistress watched the house. The minutes dragged on endlessly while they waited for Chas to arrive, and Missy’s heart skipped a beat when she finally saw his car come around the corner.
He parked behind a stand of trees by the neighbor’s house and skirted around the side yard so as not to be seen approaching. He crouched by the side of Missy’s car, speaking to her quietly.
“I’m going in to the house to make sure that whoever opened that door isn’t still inside. Wait here and don’t get out of the car until I give you the all-clear, okay?”
Missy nodded, unable to speak as her eyes welled with tears and her hands trembled on the steering wheel. Chas leaned in briefly, kissing her cheek, then moved with great stealth past the garage toward the back door. Seconds seemed to take hours as she waited, barely breathing, for him to come out. If anything happened to Chas Beckett, she wouldn’t be able to forgive herself. Toffee snuffled softly against her neck, showing her support, and Missy reached back absently to stroke the retriever’s silky golden ears. An eternity passed before Chas finally came out the front door, walking normally, his service pistol back in its holster.
Missy practically leaped from the car, running toward him and throwing her arms around his neck, sobbing. “Oh Chas, I was so worried. I couldn’t stand the thought of something happening to you.”
He held her close for a moment until the storm of tears had passed, then pulled back and spoke softly, so as not to alarm her. “You’re not going to be able to go back in the house right now, sweetie. Some officers from the LaChance PD will be here shortly to do an investigation, so I can’t let you back in until they’ve completed their work,” he explained, concern coloring his gaze.
“Investigation? What are they investigating, Chas? What happened in there?” Missy asked, suddenly terrified.
“We’ll talk about it later tonight, I promise. For right now, I want you to go to my house with Toffee. Order some pizza for dinner if you don’t feel like cooking – I may be here for quite a while.”
“Chas…is Echo…?” Missy couldn’t bring herself to finish the sentence.
“She’s not in there, sweetie,” he assured her, hugging her close as tears of relief flooded her eyes. The first of several LaChance police cars arrived, and he opened the car door for her, making sure that she was okay to drive before sending her on her way.
Missy used the key that she’d been given to Chas’s tidy ranch house for the first time, and let herself in. It felt a bit strange being there without him, but she made herself at home by setting out the dishes that he kept on hand for Toffee, filling them with food and water. The loyal Golden stayed by her side as she went through the motions of daily life as though her world hadn’t been turned upside down. She sat down in the corner of the detective’s sleek leather couch, clutching a burgundy colored silk throw pillow to her chest, and for the longest time she just stared into space, not moving, hardly breathing.
Her phone rang, shattering the silence and making Missy nearly jump out of her skin. She looked at the screen and saw that the caller’s number was blocked. Thinking that it might be Chas calling from a phone at the police station, she answered.
“Hello?” she breathed, her heart tripping.
At first there was silence, but then, just as Missy was on the verge of saying hello again, there was a chuckle, that turned into a giggle that rapidly evolved into an eerie, maniacal laughter.
“Who is this?” Missy whispered, terrified. “Who is this?” she demanded, her fear turning to anger. “Who. Is. This??” she shouted, furious. The line went dead. There had been something familiar sounding about that horrible laugh, but she couldn’t put her finger on it. Toffee had leapt to her feet when Missy shouted, and was staring at her uneasily. The phone rang again, with the same Unknown showing up on her screen. She picked up the call, ready for battle. “You listen to me you sick, sad, excuse for a human being. I don’t know who you are, but I’m going to find you. You can bet on that!” she threatened, then hung up. The phone rang again almost immediately and she screamed with frustration, tears flowing freely down her cheeks. She waited for it to stop, then immediately placed a call to Chas. The detective was walking in the front door less than ten minutes later, and Missy melted into his embrace, exhausted and terrified.
“You poor thing,” he murmured against her hair as she sobbed into the hard wall of his chest, wetting his shirt. “I can’t even imagine how you must be feeling after everything that’s been happening.” Taking matters literally into his own hands, he swept her up into his arms and carried her to the couch, where he sat, with her on his lap, just letting her cry. He rubbed her back and stroked her hair as she emitted pitiful mewling sounds muffled by his shirt. When her sobs seemed to subside, he delicately placed her on the couch, tucked a blanket around her, and promised that he’d be right back.
Returning moments later, Chas handed Missy a cut-crystal glass with a generous measure of scotch in it, instructing her to drink. The smoky burn of the expensive beverage helped calm her, and she took another sip, finally managing to regain a sense of stability.
“I’m sorry that I’m such a mess,” she sniffled miserably, gazing up at Chas with pain evident in her eyes.
“Don’t be silly,” he said, brushing an unruly blonde curl away from her eyes. “You’ve been through a lot recently, and have held up like a trooper the entire time. Everyone has their moments, Missy. Even if you are a superwoman, it’s okay to need a hug every once in a while,” he teased gently, proud of her.
She smiled up at him shyly and took another drink of her scotch. Taking a deep breath, she plunged right in. “So…what happened at my house? Why did you need to call a team in to investigate?” she asked, her voice weak but clear.
Chas sat down next to her with his own glass of potent amber liquid, swirling it thoughtfully. “Actually, we’re still not certain what happened,” he replied, making a face.
“What are the possibilities?”
“Well, it’s evident that someone broke in, but whoever it was didn’t leave fingerprints. We’re assuming at the moment that he or she was weari
ng gloves. I know your place pretty well, and it didn’t look to me like anything had been taken, but there were some strange items left behind by the intruder.”
“Items left behind? Why on earth would someone who broke in leave something behind?” Missy was confused.
“Usually because they’re trying to frighten the occupant. It’s a sick, twisted game,” he ground out, his jaw muscles flexing.
Beckett’s reaction alarmed her, he was typically cool, calm and analytical. “What was left behind Chas?” she asked, dreading the answer.
“There was a woman’s scarf. I’m assuming it’s not yours because I’ve never seen you wear anything like it.”
“What did it look like?”
“It was made of a gauzy material. The background was lime green and it had blue circles on it…”
“With little white flowers,” Missy interrupted, finishing his sentence with a terrified look on her face.
“Echo’s?” he asked grimly.
Missy nodded, her breathing increasing its pace.
“I suspected as much when we found wavy red hairs on it. There were other things that we found as well. One was a note, the other was a small pool of blood,” he admitted, not wanting to scare Missy, but feeling the need to prepare her for what might be bad news on down the line.
“What did the note say?” she whispered, deeply saddened.
“It said, ‘Miss me?’” he replied, taking her hand.
She looked up at him, her kitten-grey eyes large and sad. “What does it all mean, Chas?”
The detective sighed, frustrated. “I’m afraid we still don’t know, sweetie, and there’s more…”
“More? Oh gosh, what?” Missy whimpered, miserable.
“When Detective Keller got the warrant and broke down the door at Echo’s house, it looked as though there had been a struggle, and there was a dot of blood on the floor in her living room.”