“I guess I do.” She shook her head and laughed. “I tried to tell them there’s no house fire—it was just my dinner and a kitchen towel cooking.”
“Is this a testament to your cooking skills?”
“Not usually.” She frowned, then chuckled. “I’m a very good cook when I’m not busy trying to figure out why a car is parked at the top of my driveway and my cell phone’s dead and I can’t call for help.”
“A car?”
“Yes, a dark-colored one, as far as I could tell.”
“Hum, anything else you noticed about it? Make, model, license pl—”
“No, the light wasn’t good enough.”
Marc withdrew a notepad from his jacket’s inside chest pocket and began making notes. He asked a few more questions, then went to his car. He returned moments later, his face grim.
“What is it?”
“It appears an alarm just came through from your shop. My men are on their way there now.”
Addie’s heart dropped to the pit of her stomach like a rock.
Chapter Five
Flying through town lights flashing and sirens blaring would have been exciting if it hadn’t been her shop they were en route to. The rock in the pit of her stomach was now all caught up in the knots growing inside her. She jumped out onto the curb before Marc brought his cruiser to a complete stop and gasped in anger at the shattered glass door.
“It might look worse than it is.” Marc’s boots crunched through the splintered glass on the sidewalk. “You stay out here,” he called over his shoulder. “I’ll go in and see what they’ve found.”
Addie choked on the acid rising in the back of her throat. She couldn’t believe this was all happening to her. A group of curious onlookers was forming on the sidewalk, despite the biting shore winds, and she scanned the gawkers for a friendly face. A tall man and woman standing near the back of the growing crowd caught her eye. She wasn’t certain she’d seen the man before, but there was something eerily familiar about the woman. Unfortunately, her fur-trimmed jacket collar was drawn up, covering the bottom portion of her face. Addie took a step closer to try to get a better look, but as more people pushed in to catch a view of what was going on, she lost sight of them.
“You poor thing.”
Addie spun around. “I’m so glad you’re here. You wouldn’t believe what’s happened tonight.” She hugged Serena.
“Judging by the way you look, I can make a fairly good guess.”
Addie ran her hand through her hair and laughed. “I must look like a ratty mess.”
“Not as bad as your shop does though.”
“You should see my house.”
“What? Your house was broken into again?” Serena cried.
“No. Smoke damage. I was cooking dinner.” Addie shrugged and looked down at her feet.
“I see. Well, I don’t really, but you can tell me about that later. What happened here tonight looks bad though.”
Marc came out of the shop and strode over to them. “It’s better than we first thought.” He smiled. “Nothing inside appears to have been touched. I figure the alarm scared off whoever it was before they got in.”
“Well, that’s good news,” said Serena.
Addie nodded. The rock lodged in her stomach softened. She took a deep breath. “What now?”
“I need you to come inside with me and see if anything was disturbed, and then I’ll fill out the report, and we take the investigation from there.”
“What about the car watching my house this evening?”
“That’s already in my repo—”
Serena grabbed Addie’s arm. “You’re kidding? What car? Was it the same one as before?”
Without replying, Addie looked at Marc. “But what do I do now?”
“You’ll stay at my place tonight,” Serena butted in. “I insist you shouldn’t be alone. You can fill me in on the details later.”
Addie sighed and nodded.
“Good, that’s settled,” said Marc. “I was going to suggest that. Best if you do stay with someone, at least until you can install a home security system.”
“I never thought I would need one, living here.” Addie’s bottom lip trembled.
“The good thing is that you paid for the upgrade to have the fire alarm go directly to our dispatcher.”
“I did?” Addie’s mouth fell open. “But smoke alarms go off all the time. Surely the fire department doesn’t come running for every piece of burned toast?”
He tossed his head back and laughed. “No, not usually. In this type of fire and security system there’s supposed to be a control pad that can be turned off in those cases, but you don’t have one. Which seems strange? It tells me your aunt only installed part of the system.” His brow knit. “Why would she only have the basic fire alarm capability, which obviously works on its own, but not have the whole package that includes the controls and home security features?”
“Hmmm, I wonder.” Addie looked up at him. “She lived alone in that massive house. You’d think it would be something the fire alarm installer would have recommended?”
“You’d think so,” Serena said, “especially given her age and failing health.”
“Well”—Marc jotted something into his notepad—“you’ll need to get your doors and windows alarmed, too, like you have here at the store.”
“You’re right. It appears that crime doesn’t just occur in the big city.”
“Cheer up. You’re still doing better than most of the merchants in town.” He flashed a smirk at Serena. “They’re still under the impression this is a sleepy little village and don’t even have an alarm system on their shops.”
“Not since the town raised the costs,” snapped Serena. “You try paying for it on what I make a month and see if it’s worth it.”
“I think this incident is proof enough. It’s worth the few dollars a month, and it still costs less than a private security company charges.” Marc glared at her.
“Maybe we should go inside and take a look, Marc?”
“I’ll wait out here.” Serena crossed her arms.
Marc’s brow rose. He frowned at Serena and followed Addie through the door.
When they returned to the street a few minutes later, Serena was in a discussion with a group of people, mostly merchants Addie had met when she had delivered her store flyers.
“I tell you, there was no trouble in this town till that, that woman got here.”
Addie cringed. She recognized Martha’s shrill voice rising above the other mutterings.
Serena ran over to Addie and Marc. “The area merchants have called an emergency meeting for tomorrow, eight a.m. at my store.”
“Why?” Marc squared his shoulders.
Serena shot Marc a sideways glance. “As you can hear, Martha has made it sound like there’s a major crime wave sweeping town and has gotten everyone riled up.”
Addie gave a nervous laugh and shifted her feet.
“I think you should join us.” Serena smiled at her friend. “After all, you are a member of the founding family of the town, and they might listen to you explain what a real crime wave looks like. You know, being from the city and all.”
Addie’s lip stiffened. “Why is Martha trying to turn the whole town against me? Is she trying to force me into leaving town for some reason?”
“No.” Serena’s face paled. “Why on earth would she do that?”
“I don’t know.” Addie shrugged, not meeting her eyes. “It’s just a feeling I have.”
“Well, don’t worry. There’s no reason for anyone to run you out as far as I know, and a few break-ins don’t make for a crime wave, so ignore her—everyone else does. She’s just being her miserable old self.”
Addie thought for a moment, but noticed Martha’s voice growing louder and more animated as the crowd around her grew. “It seems they’re not ignoring her tonight.”
“Everyone’s just upset tonight. They’ll calm down soon enough. Please
come. At least it’s a chance to defend yourself against her.”
“Obviously, I should be there.” Addie watched the faces of Martha’s captivated audience.
“And you can’t let her get away with this or try to make things worse, can you?”
“You’re right.” Addie nodded. “What time did you say? I have a lot to do tomorrow with getting this door fixed and getting my house back in order.”
“I’ve already called Brian,” Marc said. “He’s on his way right now to shore up the door, and he promised me he’d have it replaced tomorrow. You go to your meeting, and good luck.” He shook his head and glared at Martha before walking to his police cruiser.
Brian arrived shortly after Marc left and secured a sheet of plywood over the door. He assured Addie that he’d be back first thing in the morning to properly fix it, and then he left.
The crowds dispersed, and the police cruisers had long since gone. Addie and Serena stood on the now-empty street. They crossed the road to Serena’s car. She was chatting on about something, but Addie’s mind was replaying the evening’s events, and she wasn’t listening. Out of the corner of her eye, she glimpsed a flash. The streetlight reflected on the windshield of a dark car, parked halfway down the road. She stopped in the middle of the street, clenched her fists at her sides and marched toward it.
“Wait,” Serena called. “Where are you going?”
“To get some answers.”
The car’s engine revved, and it sped directly toward her.
“Are you crazy?” Serena grabbed her arm and pulled them both out of its path to the curb.
Chapter Six
Addie shivered. The morning air was unpleasantly chilly, and Brian was struggling to fit her new shop door. She tapped her foot and scanned every passing vehicle to see if there were any dark sedans lurking about. Although Marc’s words and voice had been soothing and reassuring last night after he’d taken their statements about the near hit-and-run, when he left Serena’s, concern was clearly written all over his face, and it made her feel even more on edge.
He’d assured them both that the car coming close to hitting her was more than likely a coincidence. He noted the streetlamps in the square didn’t keep the area well lit. It seemed the town council opted years ago to just switch the original gas lamps over to electricity. Then something about integrity and tradition—Blah, blah, blah, Addie thought as she continued scouring the streets for villains in evil black cars. He’d also pointed out that the car didn’t have its headlights on, so maybe the driver hadn’t seen her walking on the road. Even though he’d said all the right things, she couldn’t shake the image of the look on his face when he left. Little did he know that wasn’t her first near miss with a black sedan on the road.
Brian finished and handed her the new door keys. She placed them on her ring with her house and car keys and threw them into her handbag. She was already running late for the eight a.m. meeting at SerenaTEA and dashed off as Brian was telling her he’d meet at her house at noon to replace her back door.
“Great, thanks, I’ll see you then,” she called back from Serena’s shop entrance.
Her hand was on the latch when the door swung open. People, most of whom Addie recognized as business owners, began spilling out onto the sidewalk. “Isn’t this the Town Square merchants meeting?” She looked blankly at the faces streaming onto the walkway.
“Yes, it was. Meeting’s over, and none too soon,” snapped a rather tall, middle-aged gentleman Addie didn’t recognize.
“So soon?” She checked her wristwatch.
The man’s eyes narrowed. “Soon enough for those of us who aren’t too high-and-mighty to show up.” He sneered and walked away.
She watched as his long strides took him quickly to the street corner and wondered if he was the tall man she’d seen standing at the back of the crowd the previous night. Since he was apparently a shop owner, it would have made sense that he would have been there.
She found Serena humming in the storage room.
“What happened? The meeting was called for eight and it’s not even half past. I missed it?”
Serena jumped. “Addie! You scared the life out of me.”
“Sorry, but I’m shocked the meeting’s over so soon. Who was that tall guy who just left?”
“That’s Blain Fielding. You know, of Fielding’s Department Store on Main.”
“No, I didn’t get to meet him when I stopped in there yesterday to deliver a flyer, but just now he didn’t seem impressed with the meeting or with me. I guess Martha’s rumblings haven’t died down yet.”
“Don’t mind him—although he did his best to rile everyone up again, parroting Martha’s mutterings.” Serena shook her head. “That is, till I put an end to it. I told them all off.”
“Really? You did that for me?”
“Of course I did. He thinks he runs the downtown business district, and obviously feels threatened by someone else in town whose name holds more influence than his does.”
“It’s nice to know the police chief ’s sister has that kind of influence.” Addie winked.
“What? Me? No, he’s not feeling threatened by me.” Serena burst out laughing. “It’s you, you silly girl. You have no idea of the power the Greyborne name has in this town, do you?”
“No, I guess I don’t, and it worries me, since it appears that I’ve managed to make yet another enemy this week.” Addie slumped onto a counter stool. “I’m getting a distinct feeling that someone is trying to run me off at all costs.”
“Naw, I don’t think so. They’re just small-town people who gossip a lot and take a while to warm up to newcomers. Blain, well, he’s just a bit of a control freak anyway. He’s probably mad because he didn’t call the meeting and someone else might have a good idea or two. You’ll get used to them and him, eventually.” She snickered.
“I hope so. I guess that’s one of the disadvantages of living in a small town; people can be pretty territorial, and everyone has their own niche and place.”
“You just have to create your own, and with your family name, it should be no problem. Unfortunately, since your aunt became such a recluse due to her health in her later years, it allowed people like Blain to think they were more important in town than they are.”
“I just don’t want any more trouble.” Addie reached for a scone from the covered plate display on the counter. “Aside from the name, what was so important about my great-aunt? Did she contribute anything else to the community?”
“Only anything and everything to do with arts and culture. Didn’t you know anything about her?” Serena slid a plate toward her.
“Thanks. No, I told you, I didn’t even know she existed.”
“Well, your aunt Anita sat on every cultural and arts committee board in town. If there wasn’t one she believed in, she’d start it. Like the Arts Festival Committee—they plan and organize four big festivals in town every year, and they’ve been doing that as long as I can remember. She was a major donator and contributor to the library, creating a foundation that’s taken it from a small one-room building to the three-story one you see today.”
Addie’s eyes widened and she leaned in closer.
“She also set up a free lunch program in the elementary school and donated to the high school’s arts and music departments. As well as paying for their new library extension, which is named after her. You might say she was a very prominent, contributing member of the community. on top of the Greyborne name.”
“Wow. I have a lot to live up to,” Addie said, biting into her scone.
“There’s more, but you’ll hear all about her soon enough, I’m sure.”
Addie wiped the crumbs from her lips and stood up. “It’s almost nine. I guess I’d better go open. Who knows what adventures are in store for me today?”
“I’ve got lots of food left over from this morning’s very short meeting, so come by for lunch and help me eat it.”
“Sounds good. You can fill me
in on what happened at the meeting then. Have a good morning. See you at lunchtime.” Addie closed the door behind her.
When she opened her door, she sighed and mentally added another thing on her growing to-do list: get the sign back on the door. The coffee cup graphic was also lost . . . right along with her initial excitement about owning her own store.
She pushed the door open and slapped her hand to her forehead—how could she have forgotten that Brian was meeting her at the house at lunchtime? She dashed back to tell Serena she’d have to take a rain check on lunch today. When she walked back to her shop, a stooped, gray-haired woman was just approaching her door.
“I’m here,” Addie called and ran up behind the woman.
“Oh. Hello and good morning. Aren’t you open yet?”
“Just opening; please come in.”
“I can come back later if that’s a better time.” The woman smiled.
“No. Please tell me what brings you in today?” Addie stood holding the door open for her to enter. “Are you looking to purchase a gift or something for yourself?”
“I’m really not sure, dear.” The woman shyly smiled. “Do you mind if I just browse awhile and see what catches my fancy?”
“Not at all—make yourself at home. Would you like some coffee while you browse?”
“No, thank you. I prefer tea and think I’ll stop at that charming little shop next door when I’m done here.”
“Tell Serena, the owner, I sent you, and to charge your tea to my bill, unless you’d like me to go and get you one now to enjoy while you browse?”
“No, no, don’t bother yourself, dear. I’ll just take a look around and be off.”
“If you have any questions, I’ll be right here.”
Addie noticed the woman watching her as she took her keys from her handbag and put them in the drawer under the cash register. “Do you have a question?”
“No, no, dear, I’m just admiring your wee shop.”
“That’s nice. I’m glad you like it.”
The woman walked past the front of the cash desk toward the curio shelves by the window. She examined a few of the glass pieces, but then walked back to the book section, all the while smiling and nodding over her shoulder at Addie. “You have such a lovely store. I’m meeting my daughter later for lunch. It’s her birthday soon, so I’ll pick her brain about what she’d like for a gift, and then I’ll be back. I just know after seeing everything you have here that there’s going to be something perfect for her.”
Murder by the Book Page 4