His frustrations came out at that moment. “Don’t play dumb. You’re too smart for that. I can’t believe you went behind my back and started investigating this case.”
Meg had a different take on the situation. “You should be thanking me. You wouldn’t know about Robert Nelson breaking into Jack’s gym if it weren’t for me.”
“True, but by confronting a murder suspect, you put yourself in danger.”
“Speaking of, Carla Adamson completely lied to me about her alibi. On top of that, Carla and Nancy O’Connor seem all-too-eager to point the fingers of blame at each other.”
Connor had heard enough. He wanted to make his stance very clear on this issue. “You shouldn’t be anywhere near this case. What are you doing sneaking around like this?”
“Connor, I can’t let my friend go to jail for a crime she didn’t commit. What else was I supposed to do?”
“How about leaving it to the professionals? Solving murder cases is my job, and I’m very good at it.”
“I know. Look, this hasn’t been easy for me. Sleuthing behind your back wasn’t my first choice,” Meg said.
“Then why did you do it? Why didn’t you tell me you were going to play amateur sleuth?” Connor asked.
“I figured you wouldn’t like it.”
“You were right. I hate it.”
“That’s why I’m glad I didn’t tell you.”
“How would you like it if you came into the donut shop one day and I was behind the counter making my own bear claws?”
“This is a little different.”
“You’re right. What you did was much more dangerous. You’ve been dealing with murder suspects here. One of these people has already killed once. Let me tell you, they wouldn’t hesitate to do it again,” Connor explained.
“I can take care of myself,” Meg insisted.
“That’s what you think, but I’ve seen what people like this can do. We’re talking some seriously twisted stuff. I don’t know what I’d do if you got hurt.”
Meg saw the concern in Connor’s eyes. He wasn’t talking to her as a homicide detective. He was speaking as someone that who had once been in love with her.
There were very few moments when Meg wished she could share her secret that she was a witch, but this was one of them. If he knew the truth, his anxiety over her safety would instantly evaporate. At the same time, she knew she couldn’t do that. She was left trying to convince him through only her words, and she was having no luck with it.
“I’m glad you care, but trust me, I’m fine,” Meg said.
“Meg, I’m begging you. Please stop investigating this case.”
“Speaking of the case, were you able to get any prints from the murder weapon?”
“Did you not hear what I just said?”
“I’m just asking. I mean, I’m pretty sure you didn’t. Otherwise you would have arrested someone already. Besides, the killer couldn’t have been stupid enough to go to the trouble of killing Jack and not wipe their prints before leaving the scene.”
“You’re maddening, you know that?”
Meg snickered. “That’s what the suspects keep saying, but I get results.” She then pulled out the pin she’d found earlier. “For example, did you know that this pin I discovered at the crime scene belongs to none other than Walter Carter?”
Meg handed the pin over. Connor looked amazed at her find.
“Thank you,” he said. He lightened up a little. “And yes, we were not able to get any prints from the murder weapon.”
“Which means you need a confession in this case.”
Connor pleaded with her. “For the last time, will you please stop investigating this case?”
“I wish I could do that, but Lisa’s freedom is at stake. Ask yourself this, if one of your really good friends was a suspect in a murder case, could you just stand by idly by?”
“No.”
“My point exactly.”
Connor disagreed. “At the same time, I have a badge.”
Once again, Connor and Meg had reached a stalemate. Meg knew it wouldn’t do any good to keep arguing. She was exhausted enough already. If anything, what she needed most was a breather. She decided to try and end this conversation on as peaceful of a note as possible.
“I guess we’re just going to have to agree to disagree.”
Connor shook his head. “You’re just as stubborn as ever.”
“There are worse things in life to be.”
“Yeah, like dead. I’ve tried my best to convince you. All I can do now is hope your stubbornness doesn’t come back to bite you.”
Meg smiled. “Like I said, I can take care of myself.”
Chapter Twenty-Five
Meg decided it would be a good time to take a break from investigating. Not only was her mind muddled, but her stomach was rumbling. It was hard to think straight on an empty stomach. Besides, maybe taking a step back and getting some distance from the case would give her a better perspective on everything. At the least, she’d be able to take a breather. Or, so she thought.
Meg’s cat/grandma, Penelope, knew how to keep her on her toes. Penelope went right after Meg the moment she stepped in the door. The cat didn’t even wait and see if Meg was alone before speaking up.
“It’s about time. What does a cat have to do for some wet food around here?” Penelope asked.
Meg looked at her cat, wide-eyed. “Grandma, you know you can’t use your voice until you’ve made sure I’m alone first.”
“Meg, I’m your grandma, I tell you what to do, not the other way around. Besides, I feel hungry enough to clean out an entire all-you-can-eat tuna buffet,” Penelope cracked.
“All right, all right,” Meg replied.
Meg then cracked open a can of wet food for Penelope and let her scarf away.
While Penelope gobbled up the cat food to her heart’s content, Meg began preparing her own dinner.
After licking herself fastidiously, Penelope turned her attention to Meg’s less-than-perky mood.
“You look like you should skip straight to dessert,” Penelope said.
“That’s probably not a bad idea,” Meg replied.
“Rough day?”
“There’s an understatement for you. It’s so frustrating. Lisa’s freedom is in the balance, and I haven’t been able to solve this sucker yet. I feel like I’m so close to cracking this case, but am just missing one crucial piece.”
“You’ll figure it out. You’re a smart cookie.”
Meg rubbed her stomach. “Don’t mention cookies when I’m this hungry.” She then switched gears. “Anyway, let’s talk about some lighter subject matter. How has your day been?”
“I’m a cat. I have no job and the license to eat and nap whenever I want. How could it be anything but awesome?”
Meg smiled. “You’re right. That does sound pretty incredible.”
“I was binge-watching some soap operas before the news came on. Those shows are just too trashy to resist.”
Meg laughed. “It’s funny, you watch more TV as a cat than you ever did as a human.”
“Go figure, taking eighteen hours of cat naps a day is overrated. Who knew?”
“You’ve turned into a real couch potato. You’d better watch out. If you keep loafing around and eating up a storm, I may be forced to put some kitty calorie counting into effect.”
“Don’t you dare. Remember, I know where you sleep. I can wake you up at two a.m. if I want.”
“Fair point.” Meg turned her attention to the TV. “So, what are you watching now?”
“This murder is all over the news,” Penelope said.
“Well, we do live in a small town. What else is there to talk about?” Meg asked.
“You mean, other than the fact that Joe Stewart still has his Christmas lights up in May?”
“It’s safe to say this is a little bigger news than that.”
“Yeah, the locals will be talking about this for a while. It’s so crazy that
he got murdered outside of his own gym.”
“That’s not the craziest part.”
“What is, then?” Penelope wondered.
“Jack was strangled with one of his own resistance bands,” Meg replied.
Penelope’s eyes opened as wide as could be. “Is that how it happened?”
Meg nodded.
“Talk about the irony of ironies. Wait until the news gets word of that. They’ll have a field day,” Penelope explained.
“Wait a minute. The news doesn’t already know that?”
Penelope shook her head. “No. They haven’t mentioned the cause of death on the news yet, just that he was murdered. You know the news. When they find out a detail that juicy, they’ll milk it for all its worth.”
Meg got really quiet all of a sudden. It was funny the things that set her mind ablaze. With Penelope’s latest comment, it was like a lightbulb had gone off in Meg’s head. All of her confusion was gone in an instant. Finally, she could see things as clear as day.
“That’s it,” Meg replied.
Penelope was confused. “What are you talking about?”
Meg smiled. “I know who killed Jack Jensen.”
Chapter Twenty-Six
The next morning, Meg paid Steven Adamson a visit at his insurance office. Meg strode in and went right after him as Steven sat at his desk, typing on the computer.
“You know, you almost had me fooled,” Meg said.
“I don’t know what you’re doing here, but I’m going to have to ask you to leave. You’re not welcome here,” Steven insisted.
“I’m not going anywhere.”
“I wasn’t asking you to leave; I was telling you.”
“Steven, do you want me to cause a huge scene right in the middle of your office? If I do, the whole building will hear it.”
Steven sneered, then took a deep breath. “Fine, what do you want?”
Meg pulled out one of Jack Jensen’s resistance bands and dropped it on the desk.
“Recognize this?” she asked.
“It’s a resistance band.”
“It’s not just any resistance band. It’s just like the one you used to kill Jack Jensen.”
“I already told you; I didn’t strangle him,” Steven insisted.
“That right there is how I know you’re guilty. You just gave yourself away—again,” Meg said.
Steven furrowed his brow. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“How did you know Jack had been strangled?” Meg asked.
He stammered as he answered. “I uh, heard it on the news.”
Meg shook her head. “No, that’s not possible. Neither the murder weapon nor the means of death have been released to the public. The only way you could have known Jack had been strangled was if you were the one that committed the crime. After arguing with your wife in the parking lot, you pretended to speed away. But in reality, you came back, waited outside the back door to the gym, then snuck up behind Jack Jensen when he walked to his car, and strangled him with his own resistance band. Didn’t you?”
Steven got a fire in his eyes as he completely blew his top. “Yeah, I did it. And you’re next.”
Steven got up from his desk, grabbed the resistance band, and motioned to try and strangle Meg.
He wouldn’t get the chance to.
Just then, Detective Connor Smith came out from his hiding spot in the hallway and emerged in the doorway with his gun drawn.
“Freeze,” Connor said.
Steven stared at the detective’s gun and realized there was no escape. He had an emotional meltdown, letting his true feelings spill out of him.
“Everything was perfect between Carla and me until Jack came to town with his oozing charisma and six pack abs. Suddenly, I wasn’t good enough for Carla anymore. I completely faded into the background. Jack ruined everything; my marriage, my happiness, my whole life, so I decided to take his. I figured with Jack gone; maybe I’d get the old Carla back. But even with Jack dead, I could see she still loved him more than me. After all he took from me, I don’t regret killing that scumbag, not even for a second,” Steven revealed.
“You’ll have plenty of time to regret it when you spend the rest of your life in jail,” Meg insisted.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
“Take him away, boys,” Connor said.
Two police deputies hauled the killer away and loaded him into the back of a squad car. That left Connor and Meg with a moment alone.
This should be interesting. Meg was not one to gloat. Humility had been ingrained into her by her mother at an early age. The last words out of her mouth would be “I told you so.” Instead, she smiled to herself, overjoyed with how her first murder investigation turned out.
There was a healthy dose of relief mixed in with her satisfaction. She didn’t need to be reminded that things could have gone far differently. In the end, for her to have proven her friend’s innocence, kept her witch powers secret and nabbed the real killer without getting a scratch on her was plenty to be thankful for.
At the same time, she’d be happy to put this whole incident behind her. A simple life of baking donuts never looked so appealing suddenly. Maybe now thing could return to normal.
While Meg’s feelings were clear, Connor’s were anything but. She was having trouble reading his face. He could go either way, really. Of course, Meg hoped he’d be grateful for her actions. It was just that earlier he’d been so adamant about her not investigating this case.
There was an unusual silence between them, which was unsettling because their conversations were known for being heavy with banter. Meg couldn’t stand the silence any longer. She broke the ice.
“At least now we can breathe easy, right?” Meg asked.
“Yeah,” Connor replied.
His mouth said one thing, but his body said another. Connor was as stiff as ever. At that moment, relief appeared to be a completely foreign concept to him. He looked like he was in shock. In all the years she’d known him, Meg had never seen him like this.
“Are you ok?” she wondered.
Connor’s eyes opened wide. “I’m kind of in awe at the moment.”
“Of what?”
“You?”
Meg furrowed her brow. “Really?”
He started gushing about her. “What you did back there was amazing.”
Suddenly, this conversation was taking on a whole different complexion.
“Does that mean you’re not upset about me interfering with your investigation anymore?” she asked.
“That’s one way of putting it.”
“How would you put it?”
“All I can say is that was some of the best detective work I’ve ever seen.”
Meg smiled. “Well, thank you.”
He shook his head. “No. I’m the one who needs to be thanking you, Meg. You really saved my bacon.”
“Come on, Connor. You know better than to mention bacon to a woman with an empty stomach.”
“Sorry. Detective work makes me hungry.”
Meg rubbed her stomach. “Tell me about it.” Once again, she couldn’t help but smile. Her adrenaline level was still off the charts. “You know, I can see why you decided to become a detective. You get this amazing rush after cracking a case.”
He nodded. “Adrenaline is an amazing thing. So, now that you’ve gotten a taste of how good it feels to solve a murder does that mean you’ll be joining the force soon?”
Meg shook her head. “Not a chance.”
“Really, why not?”
She scoffed. “Are you kidding? My mother would kill me if I left the donut shop.”
“It’s your life. Shouldn’t you get to decide what you do with it?”
“Not when it would mean that my mother would have to take all my opening shifts in my absence. She has a knack for waking up on the grumpy side of the bed. In her house, the day doesn’t start until ten a.m.”
Connor laughed.
Meg continued. “
Besides, I love working at the donut shop.”
“Because of the free samples?” he joked.
“Well, naturally. That, and the fact that it’s part of my family’s legacy. Although I might not feel as strongly about it if it was a family-owned dry cleaning business instead of a bakery where we sell delicious donuts.”
Now it was Connor’s turn to chide her. “Come on, Meg. You know better than to mention donuts to a detective.”
“Now that you’re back in town, we can always open up a tab for you,” she joked.
“Don’t tempt me.”
“I don’t have to. I’ll just let the jelly donuts do that for me.”
He raised his eyebrow at her. “If you’re determined to stay at the donut shop instead of becoming a detective, I guess you’ll just remain a woman of many talents.”
“Who says I can’t do detective work from the donut shop? It worked out well for me this time.”
He smiled. “You’re just full of surprises, aren’t you?”
“Hey, I’m as surprised as you here.”
“Well, I’m more impressed than anything.”
Meg decided to downplay her sleuthing skills. “Hey, we all have hunches. Mine just happened to be right with this case.”
“Either way, kudos to you.”
Connor smiled at her. That wasn’t all. She saw a twinkle in his eyes as he gazed her way. Suddenly, Meg’s focus shifted away from this case. Romance came to her mind.
While she was busy sleuthing, she’d pushed her feelings about Connor returning to town into the background. With the killer headed to jail, those emotions came rushing to the forefront. There were so many feelings to wrestle with.
It was crazy to think almost ten years had passed since they’d seen each other, especially given how they’d picked up their banter exactly where they left off. It was almost as if Connor had never left town. Only, he had. Was his return the second chance she’d longed for or was she reading too much into things?
She was hoping he would give her some hint of how he was leaning. When he didn’t, she decided to make the first move.
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