VALENTINES AND MURDER (The Darling Deli Series Book 30)

by Patti Benning

  The hopeful feeling didn’t go away as the two of them walked up the stone pathway to the house. It helped push thoughts of the multiple murders out of her mind for the time being, for which she was grateful. The past week had been so focused on death. She wanted to be looking forward to the future, not living in constant fear of what it might bring her.

  “Hey,” Thelma called out cheerfully as she opened the door. “Come on in. I’ve got some tea if you’d like some, and we can go over that lease.”

  Moira smiled as she followed her daughter into the house that would hopefully be a family home again sooner rather than later. David and the police will solve the murders, she told herself. I have other things to focus on. More important things, because what’s more important than family?

  “That went well,” Candice said an hour later when they were on their way back to town. “This whole landlord thing is easy. We got done talking way earlier than I expected.”

  “Wait until the pipes freeze, or the roof starts leaking,” Moira said, smiling. “Then it won’t be so easy anymore. I’m glad everything went smoothly, though. Thelma’s a good woman.”

  “Yes, she is. It’s weird, I keep thinking of her like my aunt because she’s related to Allison, but I guess she isn’t really. She’s still nice, though, and I’m glad that she’s the one who ended up renting the house. I don’t know if I’d be able to trust it with a complete stranger.”

  “I’m glad too,” Moira said. She turned onto Maple Creek’s main street. “You sure you want to stop at the deli instead of going home?”

  “I am,” her daughter said. “I want to say hi to Allison, and plus… I miss the place. I used to spend a lot of time there, I feel like I should at least visit.”

  “Okay. We’ve got about an hour before we’ve got to meet David and Reggie, so whatever you want to do, we can do it.”

  The truth was, she didn’t want to be so close to Perfect Paws until she heard back from David. He had said that he was going to run a background check on Wyatt, which would at least tell her whether or not he had a criminal record. She kept going over the security tape video in her mind. She had been so certain it had been his car the night before, but now, in the daylight, she was doubting herself.

  Watching Candice and Allison reunite was enough to make her forget about her concerns temporarily. She was happy for them, especially now that both seemed to have come to terms with the discovery that they shared a father. Allison had worked for her for years, and the two girls had been fast friends long before they had found out that they were related. Knowing what she knew now, it was impossible to miss the fact that they were sisters.

  “I’m glad you came to visit,” Allison said. “I miss hanging out with you.”

  “I’ll try to stop by more often,” Candice promised. “I miss you, and my mom and David, of course. It’s weird, I haven’t even been gone for that long, and stuff seems to have changed. Is that a new store next door?”

  “That’s Perfect Paws,” Allison said. “You should go check it out. I haven’t had a chance yet, but one of the employees, Penny, came in the other day and said that we were welcome to stop by and get a tour. I guess they’re just about ready for their grand opening and want opinions.”

  “Have you seen it, Mom?”

  “I have. I actually took the dogs there a couple of days ago. They’re going to start going to doggy daycare there while I’m working.”

  “That’s awesome,” Candice said. She linked arms with her sister. “Let’s go check it out together, Allison. I want to see what it’s like before I go.”

  “I’ve got a break coming up…” Allison looked over at Moira, biting her lip. “Is it all right if I go with her, Ms. D.?”

  Moira hesitated. Wyatt had possibly been at the bar the night before, and might even be a suspect in the murder. However, without any actual evidence, she didn’t want to sully his name in front of her daughter and employee. It wouldn’t be fair to spread false information about him if she was wrong, especially not when she would be working in the building next to his for the foreseeable future. She knew she couldn’t just let her daughter go over there alone, though, so she decided that there was only one course of action.

  “Sure,” she said. “I’ll go with you. I’m eager to see what they’ve done with the place since I last saw it.”

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  * * *

  Moira followed the two young women out of the deli and across the snowy meridian that separated the buildings. She already knew that Candice was going to love the pet shop. It was the sort of place that her daughter might have liked to work at when she was younger. She was sure Wyatt would have no trouble finding employees when the time came for him to expand and, judging from the interest in the Perfect Paws business cards that people had been taking from beside the register all week, he wouldn’t have any shortage of customers either.

  Just as Moira was about to follow her daughter inside, her phone rang. It was David, and she knew that she had to answer it. If he had some news relevant to the case, then she wanted to hear it right away.

  “Go on,” she said to the girls. “I’ll be right behind you.”

  She leaned against the wall outside of the building and took David’s call. He hardly waited for her to say hello before speaking.

  “I solved the case,” he said. “I’m on my way to the police station right now.”

  “You did?” She breathed out a slow sigh of relief. “How do you know? Who was it?”

  “It was Wyatt,” he said. She felt her blood run cold. She opened her mouth, but her voice caught in her throat. David kept talking. “I ran a background check on him. He’d never been convicted of any crimes himself, but he was involved in a case years ago, back when he would have been in high school, that included the arrest of three young men. Guess which three?” He waited for a moment, but when she didn’t jump in with an answer, he continued. “The ones that were murdered. And get this, the guys were arrested on assault charges. From what I found out about the charges, it sounds like they jumped him and beat him up badly enough that he lost an eye. The murders didn’t start until he came back to town. He definitely has motive, and I can place his car at at least one of the crime scenes. I can’t believe it, but we did it, Moira. We caught the killer.”

  “David…” she managed to say. “Candice is in the store now. I’ve got to go.”

  She hung up, feeling as if ice were creeping through her veins. There’s no way that Wyatt can know that we know, she thought. I just have to go in there and get Candice out, without him noticing that something’s off. Forcing a smile, she walked through the front door, hoping that her daughter would be easy to find.

  She found herself in a transformed entrance room. While the last time she had been there, the basic fixtures of the room had been installed, there hadn’t been much more in it than a front desk. There were racks set up along the walls, laden with dog and cat food, toys, collars, and leashes. There was a brand-new computer on the front desk, along with a potted plant and a service bell. There was a display case off to the side, and though it was empty at the moment, she guessed that was where the dog cookies would be displayed.

  Moira shook herself, stunned by the changes, but refocusing quickly on the task at hand. Candice was in here somewhere, possibly with a killer. It wasn’t a pleasant thought, but the deli owner forced herself to breathe slowly and think. Acting rashly would only serve to make things worse. She couldn’t afford to give Wyatt even the slightest hint that they were on to him.

  “Hello?” she called out softly. She heard a laugh from somewhere beyond the door that led to the daycare area, but didn’t see anyone in that room when she looked through the interior window. Not comfortable with the idea of wandering around the building on her own, she approached the desk and hit the bell for service.

  “I was just coming out.” The voice behind her made her jump. Sure enough, it was Wyatt. His eye patch lent him an air of intimidation, even tho
ugh the rest of his face was as kind as ever.

  “S-sorry,” she stammered, taking a half-step backward. “I was just looking for my daughter. She came in with one of my employees to see about a tour, but something came up and we need to go.”

  “Of course. Is everything okay?”

  “Um, yes,” she said. “It’s fine. It’s not an emergency or anything, we’re meeting some people for lunch, and it got moved up.” In all truth, their lunch meeting with Reggie would probably be delayed, at least if they wanted David to come. Once he told the police what he had found out, she had no doubts that he would want to stick around to see the outcome.

  “I’m glad it’s nothing important. You looked worried. I’m actually taking an important call in my office, but I think Penny took them into the grooming area. Feel free to go get them.”

  He gave her a tense smile and raised a hand in a half wave before walking away. Moira watched him go, her suspicions suddenly rising up, and her worry for her daughter getting pushed to the side. Candice wasn’t anywhere near Wyatt, and Moira had no doubt that she would be safe with Penny and Allison. Wyatt, however, had already vanished to go and finish his important phone call, and she couldn’t help but wonder what it was about. I wonder if he knows that they’re onto him, she thought. What if he was making plans to flee the state? Or what if he was planning to kill someone else, and the police didn’t arrive in time to stop it? Torn, she glanced behind her at the door that she knew would lead her to the grooming area. She still wanted to get her daughter safe, but the urge to figure out exactly what Wyatt was doing was equally strong… and Candice was on the far side of the building. That had to count as safe, for now, at least… right?

  Moira inhaled slowly, glancing behind her one last time. She told herself that Candice was safe, and that she had a responsibility to make sure Wyatt didn’t escape and hurt someone else. All she would do is listen in on his phone call, and keep her eyes on him until the police arrived. She would be careful, and she figured if he caught her down the staff hallway, she could make up some story about looking for the bathroom. I’ll just be careful, she thought as she reached for the door handle.

  She had never been in this part of the building before, and now she wished that she hadn’t turned Penny down when the young woman had offered her a tour of it. The hallway was dark, and empty boxes and half used paint cans lined the walls, reminding her that the interior still wasn’t completely finished. She heard the murmur of a voice coming from the far end of the hall, and began to move carefully in that direction.

  She slipped past the half-open door to a dark room, her heart beginning to pound. Her main concern when she had come into Perfect Paws had been Candice, and then once she realized her daughter wasn’t near Wyatt, it had been the worry that he might escape, or attack someone else before he was arrested. Now, however, she began to fear for herself. She was alone in a dark hallway, and at the end of it was a man who had killed three people in the past week, seemingly without batting an eye.

  Just figure out who he’s talking to, at least, she told herself. You know you’ll never forgive yourself if after all of this he escapes. She continued to inch down the hallway, careful not to bump into any of the debris. Once, she froze, imagining that she heard the slow creak of a door opening, but when she turned to look, the door that she had come in from remained shut. She breathed out a sigh of relief and hurried the rest of the way toward the room the voice was coming from as quickly as she dared.

  When she reached the door, she tried to peer through the frosted window, but with no luck. Wyatt’s voice on the other side was muffled, but she thought he sounded agitated. I need to hear more, she thought. The door was an old one, with a large keyhole that looked promising. She bent down slowly, and tried to peer through it, but it didn’t work anywhere near as well as it did in the movies. Instead, she tried pressing her ear to it, and sure enough, she could just make out what Wyatt was saying.

  “I’m afraid he’s going to get into trouble again. He’s up to something, and I don’t like it. Either talk to him yourself, or I will.”

  Wyatt fell silent, listening to whoever was on the other end of the line speak, and Moira puzzled over what she had heard. He didn’t sound like a man who was planning an escape, but there was definitely an urgency to his voice that made her think that whatever he was talking about was important.

  “What are you doing back here?”

  The whispered voice and a warm breath on her neck made her jump. The only thing stopping her from screaming was the hand that suddenly pressed over her mouth. She managed to half spin around, and found herself with her back pressed against the wall with her heart pounding, staring at Andre.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  * * *

  “What are you doing?” he repeated, his voice so soft she could hardly hear it. He held a finger to his lips, then slowly removed his hand from her mouth.

  “Your uncle,” she whispered back. “He’s… he’s the shooter.”

  Andre’s eyes widened. “What are you talking about?”

  “I know it’s hard to believe, but his car was spotted at the bar last night. He was there when that man died. My husband — he’s a private investigator — he ran a background check on him, and discovered that Wyatt knows all three of the men who were killed.” She hesitated, then added, “They’re the ones who caused him to lose his eye. I think he’s getting revenge.”

  The young man was shaking his head, his expression shocked. “No, he didn’t kill them.”

  “I know it’s not what you want to hear, but you have to believe me,” she whispered. “It’s true. The police will be here any minute to arrest him.”

  Andre stood up suddenly, pulling her with him with an iron-like grip on her upper arm. She saw him reach into his pocket, then he spun her around, so she was facing the door again. She felt something razor edged and cold prick her neck. Her heart stuttered. What was going on? Was Andre so devoted to his uncle that he would kill her in an effort to keep the man’s murderous secret?

  “Don’t make a sound,” he breathed in her ear.

  He turned her around and began to march her down the hallway. Moira didn’t know where they were going, or what he was going to do with her, and she never found out because at that moment, the door at the other end of the hall opened and Penny stepped through. The three of them were frozen for the handful of seconds it took her to realize what she was seeing, then she screamed. Behind them, Wyatt’s office door crashed open. Andre jerked around, slamming his back to the wall and holding Moira in front of him like a shield. The movement made the knife bite into her skin, and she gasped.

  “Andre, what are you doing?” Wyatt snapped.

  She felt Andre take a breath, but before he could reply, she heard from the other end of the hallway, “Mom!”

  Moira turned her head as much as she could, and saw her daughter standing next to Penny. Allison crowded in beside her, a horrified look on her face.

  “Andre!”

  The young man jumped, and Moira felt a drop of blood slide down her throat. “Sorry, Uncle Wyatt,” he said. “I didn’t plan on this, it just sort of happened.”

  “Let her go. What on earth are you doing?”

  “I need a hostage,” Andre said. “I’m getting out of here before the police get here.”

  “The police?” Wyatt sounded baffled. “What’s going on? Get the knife away from her throat.”

  She felt, rather than saw, Andre shake his head behind her. “She’s my safety net. I can’t let her go. I’m sorry for bringing all of this back on Perfect Paws, Uncle. I didn’t mean to get you in trouble.”

  Moira looked toward the other end of the hallway again, but Candice was gone. She felt her heart rise. She knew that her daughter hadn’t abandoned her; no, she was prepared to bet her life that Candice was getting help.

  “Andre, look, just put the knife down, and then we’ll talk,” Wyatt said in a soothing voice. “That’s all — we’ll just ta
lk. I just want to know what’s going on, because I’m completely lost here.”

  “I thought killing them would help,” Andre said. He shifted, focusing more on his uncle now, and ignoring the girls at the other end of the hallway. “Those guys that beat you up? After you told me that story, I did some digging and found out who they were. They had to pay. You’re living your entire life disfigured, and they got off with just a bit of jail time? It wasn’t right. I made it right.”

  Moira’s mind focused on Andre’s words, maybe because she was too terrified to focus on the knife at her throat. Andre was the killer, not Wyatt? He must have borrowed his uncle’s car, she thought. We never actually saw Wyatt’s face in the video.

  “You… you did what?” Wyatt took a step backwards, a look of horror dawning on his face. “You killed those men?”

  “I thought it would make you happy,” Andre said. He had finally eased the pressure on the knife. It was still held to her throat, but she could no longer feel it biting into her skin. “You must have hated them. After everything you did for me — taking me in when my father kicked me out, helping me get off of drugs and away from that life — I wanted to do something for you too. What better way than killing the men who disfigured you?”