by Rose Pressey
Mary Jane moved over to the window and smashed her face against the glass. “Here comes someone.”
I hurried over and pressed my face against the window too. I held out hope that a customer truly was headed our way, although doubts still swirled in my mind. I supposed that was only natural. It would happen eventually. A dark-haired man rushed down the sidewalk toward the store.
I sighed. “That’s just Mr. Sutherland. I bought this section of the building from him. Don’t you remember?”
“Oh, I guess I didn’t recognize him without his glasses,” Mary Jane said.
He wore a black suit and carried a briefcase.
“I wonder what he wants. Maybe he forgot to tell me something.”
Just as he reached the entrance and opened the door, a shot rang out, echoing through the warm summer air.
Chapter 2
Mary Jane and I hit the hardwood floor with a hail of bullets raining over us. Okay, it was one bullet, but still terrifying. My life flashed before my eyes, and by the way, it was filled with images of colorful candy. Mary Jane and I placed our hands over our heads for cover. A wave of fear washed over me as my heart hammered in my chest. I didn’t dare move.
Mr. Sutherland collapsed to the ground with a loud thud, half in the shop and half still on the pavement outside. His body propped open the door. Mary Jane’s scream bounced off the freshly painted walls of the pretty little candy shop. As for me, I was absolutely speechless—nothing came out. Mr. Sutherland remained motionless. His dark eyes were blank and his square face expressionless. One shot had been all I’d heard, but apparently that was all it took to take him out.
What would I do now? I had to check if he was okay. Mary Jane was still virtually paralyzed. My body shook as terror coursed through my veins.
I crawled over to him and shook his arm. “Mr. Sutherland, are you all right?”
As expected I received no answer. Blood pooled underneath him. Mary Jane was still frozen in the same spot. Her eyes were as big as the jawbreakers in the jar next to her. I managed to retrieve my phone out of my pocket and called 911. I was almost too afraid to look out the window to see if someone might be aiming at us. This was life and death though—I had to look.
A man dressed head-to-toe in black with a black ski mask pulled over his face ran full force toward the shop’s door. Did he think the black would camouflage him? Newsflash, it was daytime! However, the mask would conceal his identity. I’d seen this type of scenario play out in movies, but this was no movie. It was real life and really happening. Not to mention it was summer. Wasn’t anyone suspicious of a man dressed as if he was headed for the slopes? I was almost sure the masked man couldn’t see inside the shop. That meant there was time for us.
“We have to hide,” I yelled. “Mary Jane, are you listening to me?”
Mary Jane didn’t answer. She was frozen, as if the floor was made of ice and she was stuck to it. I grabbed her hand. Somehow I managed to pull her up from the floor. At least she was on her feet now. There wasn’t enough time to run to the back of the store. A small closet was by the register. We’d have to hide in there and hope for the best. I practically had to drag Mary Jane across the floor. It was as if she’d become paralyzed when the dead man hit the floor.
“Come on, Mary Jane, move those legs. Have you been lifting weights?” I panted as I dragged her with me.
Once I reached the closet, I twisted the knob and yanked the door open. With both hands I shoved Mary Jane inside. There was no complaint from her. Not a word, which was totally unlike her. She always voiced her opinion. Next, I heaved my body inside next to her. Oddly, her breathing was steady and almost silent. On the other hand, my breathing was labored. I sounded like a freight train. Now that the door was closed we were in almost pitch darkness. A broom was poking me in the back.
The door had slats that allowed in a tiny bit of light. They also allowed me to see what was going on in the shop. The guy in the mask ran in. Why was he there? He’d already killed Mr. Sutherland, wasn’t that enough? He paused and looked around. Anger and rage oozed off him in a giant wave. Even though I couldn’t see his face, I sensed it by the way he stood with his shoulders tense. The drawn gun was a good indicator of the fury burning inside him too.
The killer peered down at the body for a few seconds, then he scanned the room. Was he looking for us? After a few more seconds he moved to the back of the store. My heart thumped wildly in my chest, and I prayed he wouldn’t spot this little closet. Was he looking for us? Maybe he had seen us in the shop. We were witnesses to the murder. He would want to get rid of us too. We hadn’t seen his face though so what did it matter?
There was only one thing keeping me from totally losing it. Well, other than that my grandmother had taught me to be calm under pressure. I’d dialed 911. Help was on the way. As long as the killer didn’t find us before the police arrived I held out hope that we might make it out alive.
Movement caught my attention. The murderer returned from the back of the shop. Thank goodness he didn’t look in our direction. Mary Jane still stood motionless and rigid, but she’d found a teensy bit of her voice. A whimper slipped from her lips. Panic rushed through me. What if he heard her? I pulled the jawbreaker from my pocket and shoved it into Mary Jane’s mouth. She immediately moved the candy around so that one cheek puffed out and then the other. At least she was quiet.
As he crossed the room I watched him intently. Was he finally leaving? I wanted him out of there, but I also wanted the police to catch him. Should I do something to make him stay until they arrived? That would be extremely dangerous. If I came out of the closet, he would surely shoot me.
Once he left the scene they would probably never capture him. If the police asked for a description—and I knew they would—I wouldn’t have anything to give them. There was one thing I noticed though. He wore a gold ring. The diamonds dazzled under the overhead light. Since I couldn’t see his face I tried to remember everything about him. Was there anything special about his attire? Not that I saw. Black pants, black shirt, and black mask. He’d messed up by wearing that ring though. I’d never forget it.
He probably thought we’d left the building when he shot Mr. Sutherland. Any employee would be crazy to stick around after the gunfire rang out. As the murderer neared Mr. Sutherland, I worried what he’d do next. What else could he do though? He’d already killed him. He stood next to the body for a moment and peered down. Somehow I knew under that mask he was smiling down at the body. It was almost as if he was enjoying his accomplishment. What a sick and twisted mind. A couple seconds passed and then he casually strolled out of the shop, as if he’d come in for a box of chocolates and some gumdrops. I’d never witnessed someone so cold and callous.
Chapter 3
The police stealthily inched into my shop with guns drawn. At least they had arrived somewhat quickly, but not fast enough to catch the killer. Mary Jane and I were still cowering in that tiny closet. A couple officers moved to the back of the shop while others stayed up front with the body. I wanted to yell, “Over here, guys. Check the closet.” Why weren’t they even looking this way? I supposed they thought they had searched the whole space. The other officers rejoined their partners at the front of the store. Still, they had no clue we were watching them.
Now the police moved around the shop like a bunch of worker bees. Emergency medical technicians had arrived, but I knew it was too late for Mr. Sutherland. It only took them a couple seconds to come to that same conclusion. I supposed they had to take a look for procedure. My beautiful new shop was a crime scene. This poor man had lost his life at my front door. A woman was busy snapping photos of the body. It seemed so cold and uncaring, but I knew they had a job to do. A killer was out there somewhere—and Mary Jane and I had seen him. Well, his eyes and hands anyway. With the rest covered up, we might never know who he was.
A room full of people and they had no idea we were watching them. Did they wonder what had happened to us? Mary Jane
was still working that jawbreaker around in her mouth. I held her arm so she wouldn’t do something crazy like jumping out of the closet. If we stepped out now, the police might think we were the killers.
Now we were stuck in the tiny space. Claustrophobia was setting in. Was this space getting smaller? Breathing seemed much harder. Was I actually getting any air? Get a hold of yourself, Reese. I supposed the gravity of the situation was finally hitting me. Not knowing what to do next, I dialed 911 again.
“This is Reese Sweet at the Sweet Shoppe,” I whispered. “The police are here, but we’re hiding in the closet. I’m afraid to come out.”
“Hold on one moment.” the woman said. “Don’t hang up this time.”
A dark-haired man wearing black slacks, a white button-down shirt, and a slightly askew red tie walked into the shop. His clothing hid a fit physique of broad shoulders and wide chest, not to mention the biceps. Chiseled abs were probably under that shirt too. How did I spot such things? I paid way too much attention to detail—the wrong details. He held a phone up to his ear. A couple seconds later, he peered over at the closet. Was he looking in this direction on purpose? The 911 operator still had me on hold. He headed over toward us. Uh-oh. I’d wanted to be found, but now I thought it might be better to hide out until this whole ordeal was over. When the body was gone we could venture out.
Once in front of the door, the man paused. My heart thumped wildly in my chest and it wasn’t because he was good-looking. Okay, maybe a few beats were because he was beautiful, but this was no time to notice such things. Wow, he had great skin too. Such a clean shave. His razors worked well. Focus, Reese, focus. He leaned in close. All I saw was his gorgeous blue iris.
“I’m opening the door now,” he said in a calm tone. He sounded as if he thought he was trying to talk someone off a building’s ledge. “There’s nothing to be afraid of. Just place your hands above your head and come out.”
Mary Jane and I weren’t crazy, just scared for our lives. Did they think we had murdered Mr. Sutherland?
“If there’s nothing to be afraid of then why am I placing my hands above my head?” I asked.
“Standard procedure, ma’am, that’s all.” He grabbed hold of the doorknob.
With our hands over our heads Mary Jane and I stepped out of the closet. Never in all my thirty-four years on this earth had I been arrested or even received a parking ticket. I’d ended the call with the 911 operator even though she’d told me not to hang up this time. A female officer came over and patted us down, searching for weapons. A sea of flashing red and blue lights caught my attention outside. Through the windows I spotted the police cars blocking the street in front of my shop. This wasn’t the kind of attention I’d wanted for the Sweet Shoppe.
“Talk about a grand opening,” Mary Jane said.
“Yes, I really know how to throw a party, don’t I?”
“Don’t worry, Reese.” Mary Jane kept her hands stretched above her head. “Things will be fine.”
“Sir, is this really necessary?” My hands remained above my head too.
“Standard procedure, ma’am,” the handsome man repeated.
“We were hiding from the killer.” I panted out each word.
My anxiety hadn’t waned. I wouldn’t feel better until I knew they weren’t going to toss Mary Jane and I into a prison cell. A flash of Mary Jane rattling the iron bars and demanding to be released flashed through my mind.
“You can lower your hands now.” The hot guy motioned.
Whew. It was about time. Did we look like murderers? We were wearing pink aprons, for heaven’s sake.
“The killer was in my shop,” I continued.
Why was he looking at me suspiciously with those gorgeous blue eyes?
“Can you tell us exactly what you saw?” he asked with confidence in his voice.
The man listened intently to my every word as I briefly explained the details as I remembered them. Mary Jane was no help since she still didn’t speak. Her eyes were wide, and she looked like she might faint. How I longed to hear one of her lame jokes right now.
His gaze flicked from me to Mary Jane. “Does she talk?”
I nodded. “Normally, yes. I think she’s still in shock.”
“Can I get your names?” he asked.
He’d done this a time or two. This was all new for me though. The more questions he asked, the more nervousness settled in the pit of my stomach.
“My name is Reese Sweet, and this is Mary Jane.” I gestured.
The police continued circling around the body. I tried not to look toward the front of the store, but it was hard.
The man’s blue eyes were fixed on me. “Ms. Sweet?”
He still hadn’t told me his name.
“Yes, that’s me,” I answered. Did he not hear me correctly?
A sexy smile slid across his face.
“What is it?” I asked.
“Nothing… it’s just your last name is Sweet, and you own a sweet shop.”
I sighed. “You just got that, huh?”
He stared for a moment and then said, “Anyway, my name is Detective Clark Monroe.”
“Nice to meet you, I guess.”
“Can you tell me anything else that happened?” he asked in a calm, soothing voice.
“Well, today’s the first day of business and we’d just opened the doors when Mr. Sutherland walked in. Actually, as you can see he didn’t make it all the way in.”
He quirked an eyebrow. “So you do know Mr. Sutherland?”
“Yes, he sold me this space.” I motioned with a tilt of my head.
“Please continue,” he said.
“That’s it… Like I told you before, someone shot and killed him right there on the floor.” I waved my arm with a wide swooping motion.
Judging by the looks on everyone’s faces, I was talking entirely too loud. When anxiety kicked in I had a tendency to talk louder than necessary. Also, I might possibly be hyperventilating. My chest felt tight and each breath became increasingly difficult. The walls seemed as if they were closing in on me and darkness invaded my vision. The next thing I knew, I was on the floor and paramedics were kneeling over me.
I tried to sit up.
“Just give it a minute before you sit up,” the female technician said, forcing me back down.
Detective Monroe kneeled down beside me too. “How are you feeling, Ms. Sweet?”
“Just dreamy,” I said, peering longingly into his mesmerizing eyes.
What was I thinking? The lightheadedness was making me loopy and I was saying things I normally would keep to myself.
The detective flashed his dazzling smile, which didn’t help matters. Based on the look on his face, I assumed he was trying to hold back laughter. When I glanced over, Mary Jane was sitting on a chair. That same blank gaze remained on her face until she happened to lock eyes with me. It was then that she finally snapped back to reality.
“Reese, are you okay?” she asked.
“You’re talking again,” I said.
She nodded. “I’m better.”
I was helped to a sitting position.
“What about you, Ms. Sweet?” Detective Monroe asked. “Better now? Do you need water?”
I waved my hand. “No, no. I’ll be fine.”
“You said today is your first day of business?” he asked.
“Yes, that’s right,” I said as I pushed to my feet.
I wobbled a little and he guided me over to the chair where Mary Jane had been sitting. She was talking with another detective now.
“That’s unfortunate,” Detective Monroe said with a click of his tongue. “Did you see anything unusual?”
He’d moved quickly from worrying about my condition to back to the questions. Perhaps he was suspicious of me after all.
“Other than the gun?” I shook my head. “No, we didn’t. We were just excited to have a customer, but then I realized that it was just the man I bought the building from.”
&nb
sp; “Did you know him well?” He studied my face.
I shifted in my seat. How had I missed that little dimple on his right cheek when he smiled? I felt bad for even noticing that at a moment like this.
“Not well. It was just a brief business transaction,” I said.
After talking to the other detective, Mary Jane had moved over to us. She stood next to me. At least she looked better, even if she was physically shaking. She wasn’t like a zombie now, so that was a plus. I’d really started to worry about her.
“Did he say anything at all about coming here today? Has he ever said anything to you other than about selling the building?” Detective Monroe asked.
“He said he wanted to sell this place and get out of town.”
The detective quirked an eyebrow. “Did he say where he was going?”
“To a tropical paradise.” I rubbed my forehead.
Detective Monroe gave me another long look, as if he was trying to decide if I was being truthful. Would I make up something like that?
I shifted in the chair again, totally looking guilty. Those gorgeous eyes of his could turn me into a puddle of liquid if he stared much longer.
“You’ll call me if you think of anything else?” He handed me his card. It was more like a command than a question.
I took the card. “Certainly.”
Every time I looked in the direction of the front door I was haunted by the memory of the terrifying moment the gunshot went off and Mr. Sutherland collapsed to the floor. Would I ever get over it? Probably not. I just hoped it got easier to deal with.
It looked like the grand opening of the Sweet Shoppe would be postponed today, and I wasn’t sure the shop would be open tomorrow. I couldn’t worry about that right now though. I had to help the police figure out who had murdered Mr. Sutherland.
Chapter 4
I blew the hair out of my eyes. “It looks like tonight we’ll be needing some of this chocolate.”
“I don’t think anyone could blame us for that indulgence,” Mary Jane said.