Candy Corruption

by C A Phipps

  Betty sighed. “That’s never applied to me until now, but come in, and I’ll make coffee.”

  “No, fudge?” Scarlett teased.

  Betty laughed half-heartedly. “I tend to make sweets a little later than this.”

  “I should be grateful for that.” Scarlett patted her waist. “The darn stuff is so addictive.”

  Betty made coffee and sat down at the small table beside Scarlett. There were only two chairs, and from what she could see, the rest of the house was also decorated sparsely.

  Adding in a teaspoon of sugar, Betty stirred for some time. “My brother’s record is in the system. They’re trying to track his whereabouts before he got to Cozy Hollow, but he carefully avoided people, so that’s proving difficult. I don’t know what more I can tell anyone about him.”

  “I just wondered if he was coming to see you how you’d respond to him turning up out of the blue?”

  “That question’s plagued me since I found out he’d come to Cozy Hollow. To be honest, if I knew he was looking for me, I may have tried to leave town to avoid him.” Betty shrugged. “I’m not even sure how he found out this is where I live.”

  “You think he came here for money?”

  Betty pulled a face as if she’d tasted something terrible. “I’d bet my mom’s last good plate that’s what he wanted.”

  “And you wouldn’t help him this time?”

  “I made a promise that I wouldn’t give him the means to fund his habit any longer. Even if I wanted to break that promise, the fact is that he could ask or plead all he liked—I have nothing to give him. Certainly not enough to satisfy his bottomless addiction pit for long. Turns out I needn’t have worried.” Betty stirred more vigorously.

  “I’m worried about you, and I’m sure the sheriff is too. Do you feel safe in Cozy Hollow?”

  “I have strong feelings too, but none of them suggests that I’d be important enough for anyone to bother with,” Betty scoffed,

  “He was killed for a reason. Someone must have taken exception to something Saul did or said, and you’re his sister.”

  “Estranged sister,” Betty corrected. He was capable of twisting things to get his own way and didn’t think twice over insulting anybody at any time. Saul was very talented that way.”

  “Insulted enough to be killed over it?”

  “You don’t know, Saul. Others may not have been as tolerant or as stupid as I was with his despicable ways.”

  “So you think with Saul gone, hurting you serves no purpose?”

  Betty nodded. “That’s how I see it.”

  “I hope you’re right,” Scarlett muttered.

  “Pardon?”

  “Don’t mind me, I’m just thinking aloud.”

  “I do that all the time, too,” Betty remarked. “I find that it does help make things clearer.”

  Scarlett smiled. “You’ve been very brave.”

  “I don’t know that it’s bravery so much as not wanting to give in to all the pain I experienced for so long. I still hurt for the loss of my family, but if I’m honest, I never thought I’d see my brother again, so he was also relegated to that hidden part of myself, so I could move on and survive. At least I got to say goodbye properly.”

  A little teary herself, Scarlett handed her a tissue. “Sorry, that I’ve upset you again.”

  Betty waved the tissue despondently. “It comes and goes. After the funeral, I dare say I’ll be able to move on completely from my past. Does that sound too harsh?”

  “Not after hearing what you went through. It sounds like you tried to be the best sister you could.”

  “If only he could have seen and appreciated that.” Betty stared into the distance at something only she could see.

  Scarlett leaned forward. “There was another matter I wanted to mention. The dog we took home from Main Street may well be Saul’s.”

  Betty’s eyes widened. “He loved animals. I saw a dog outside the library with Ruby. It was nice looking and very friendly.”

  “So you don’t know his name?”

  “Not a clue.”

  Scarlett shrugged. “I knew it was a long shot. He’s in good health, and very gentle.”

  “I’m glad, and he’s lucky that you girls found him.”

  “The thing is,” Scarlett floundered. “I wonder if you might want him?”

  Betty blinked several times. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. He’d be a constant reminder of Saul.”

  “I understand you may feel like that now, but why not think about it for a bit, and we can talk about it in a few days?” Scarlett tamped down the desperation. Betty didn’t need other pressures. “There’s no hurry, and I want you to know that if we can help with the funeral arrangements, just say the word.”

  “That’s kind of you. I might take you up on it. The help, probably not the dog.” Betty added awkwardly.

  “We’d be happy to help.” Scarlett finished her coffee. “I better pick up Ruby before she thinks I’ve forgotten about her.”

  “Tell her thanks for taking the dog in. She’s such a sweetie to do that.”

  “I’ll be sure to tell her.” While Scarlett could see that Betty didn’t want to take on the dog, she suspected that sweet Ruby had never planned for him to go anywhere else.

  “How’s Violet doing?” Betty asked as she walked Scarlett to the door.

  “We’ll ring her again tonight, but she was fine when we spoke to her yesterday.”

  “Any word on the book?”

  Scarlett screwed up her nose. “Nothing yet.”

  “My fingers are crossed for a speedy resolution. See you tomorrow.”

  Scarlett waved, pleased that Betty wasn’t too distraught.

  Chapter Eleven

  As soon as the van pulled up, Ruby ran down the library steps, followed by her entourage. Still using a string attached to the dog’s collar, Scarlett caught herself from suggesting they pick up a leash for the dog. She didn’t want to foster the belief that they were keeping him just yet. Not when there might be other options—no matter how slim.

  Ruby got the pets sorted in the back, then clambered into the front. “Thanks for coming back to get me.”

  “Actually, I’ve been having a coffee with Betty.”

  “Is she terribly upset?”

  “She’d had a nap because she was feeling low, and I hoped to cheer her up or at least give her a shoulder to vent on. She wasn’t keen on either, so I asked her if she’d like our help with the funeral and then about taking the dog since he’s probably her brother’s.”

  Ruby features shifted from pleased to gloomy. “I was going to suggest that we offer. What did she say about the dog?”

  “She’s not sure it would be good for her to take him on.”

  Ruby sat very still. “That’s a shame.”

  Scarlett pushed her sister’s arm. “Try to sound a little more sincere.”

  About to protest, Ruby grinned. “I want to, but he’s such a good boy.”

  Just the way she said it had the dog thumping his tail on the floor of the van.

  Unimpressed, George clambered between Scarlett and Ruby—and ignored them.

  “I swear he’s sulking,” Scarlett nodded at the large tabby.

  Ruby nodded. “Definitely. I don’t want him to be unhappy, but he’s been awful to Bob. I’ve had to tell him off several times today.”

  Scarlett raised an eyebrow. “Bob?”

  “I can hardly keep calling him dog. Do you have a better suggestion?”

  There was a method in Ruby’s madness. She was absolutely trying to coerce Scarlett into feeling close to the dog, and naming him would help. “Hmmm. Betty had no idea about him, let alone what his name might be. I guess there are worse names than Bob.”

  “Exactly. He’s an orphan—like George and us. Orphans need names too.”

  How could Scarlett argue with that?

  Another surprise greeted them at home, and this one was lovely. Sam waited on their front doorstep
, holding a large cooler bag.

  As soon as the van door opened. Bob raced across the lawn, and Sam quickly raised the bag away from the large tongue and massive paws. However, it was impossible to escape a very effusive welcome.

  “I come bearing gifts,” he laughed, holding the wriggling dog with one arm.

  “It better be fudge,” Ruby warned.

  “I’ve heard about that wondrous product,” he teased.

  “Heard?” Scarlett laughed. “You practically inhaled the whole batch.”

  “I recall that you offered,” he reminded them. “Anyway, this is something much better.”

  “I doubt that,” Ruby scoffed.

  He opened the bag with a flourish. “Fresh fish. Already cleaned and filleted.”

  “Who’s it from?”

  “Arthur. He was planning to bring you some tonight, but as you can imagine, he’s busy catching up with all the news. When I mentioned I was stopping by, he asked if I could deliver it.”

  “Wow.” Ruby smiled happily. “He’s so kind these days.”

  “This version of Arthur is hands down a better one,” Scarlett agreed.

  “I think he’s a much better mayor too. Making people fear you to get your own way is a bad option,” Ruby stated.

  “Agreed. And since it wasn’t Arthur’s fault he was acting out, I think the town’s also willing to giving him another chance. Plus, it’s always nice to hear of something good happening.” Scarlett wasn’t alone in wanting more of the good times and less of the body count.

  “I’d like to top up the good feelings by cooking for you tonight—if you’ve got herbs and lemons?”

  “That would be wonderful.” Scarlett was delighted by Sam’s offer.

  She’d been worried that her cooking was the main attraction since they didn’t actually go out on dates. To be fair, Sam had asked her out several times, and usually, she was the one to say no. The truth was that she couldn’t remember a time when she wasn’t so weary that all she wanted was a bite to eat and her bed.

  Sam carried the bag inside and asked for baking paper. He placed the four pieces of the fish on it while Scarlett hauled out onions and tomatoes to add to the herbs and lemons Ruby supplied.

  While he prepared the fish and got it cooking, Ruby steamed a few vegetables while Scarlett set the table. None of it took long, and soon they were eating the tasty meal.

  Ruby licked her lips. “This is delicious.”

  “It really is,” Scarlett agreed. “You kept your talents very quiet.”

  Sam grinned. “I was worried you wouldn’t like my cooking.”

  “Are you kidding? Any meal I don’t cook is brilliant.”

  Just then, the phone rang. Thinking it was Violet, she grabbed it, hoping for good news.

  “Scarlett! Can you come? Someone’s inside my house!”

  The shrill voice was a little garbled, but Scarlett understood enough. “Betty? I’m on my way. Don’t hang up!” Grabbing her keys, she headed to the door. “Ruby call the sheriff’s department—Betty’s got an intruder. Let’s go!” She motioned for them to follow her.

  Sam grabbed her arm and steered her to the passenger seat of his car. She followed, happy to be driven so she could keep talking to Betty, and Ruby climbed in the back.

  “Don’t speak or attract attention. Get somewhere you can’t be seen.”

  “He’s coming up the stairs,” Betty hissed, panic distorting her words.

  Then a maniacal laugh sounded very near, then Betty screamed and the phone disconnected.

  “Betty? Betty?” Scarlett yelled several times, shaking her phone as if that could work a miracle. She redialled, but there was only a busy signal. Gritting her teeth, Scarlett willed Sam to get them there in time. She had no clue what was happening at Betty’s, but she didn’t want to think of the frightening possibilities.

  Sam sped to town, and they were at Betty’s house in record time.

  Scarlett leaned over the seat to her sister. “Wait here for Nate or his deputies and tell them what you’ve heard. And lock the doors.”

  Ruby pulled a face but stayed put while Scarlett and Sam ran to the front door.

  Sam grabbed Scarlett’s arm. “We should wait for Nate and his team. It would be the wisest option.”

  Her heartbeat was a rapid tattoo as her imagination kicked into gear. An image of Betty lying in the bedroom, unmoving, and blood staining the carpet was so clear. “You heard that call. Betty’s in trouble. You do what you want, but I’m going in.”

  “Wait!” he grabbed her hand. We’ll do this together.”

  Chapter Twelve

  The door was locked.

  Still holding hands, Scarlett indicated that they should go around the back, and Sam nodded.

  The house—dark and silent. The back door stood ajar.

  “The intruder could be inside,” Sam whispered.

  Listening for any sound that could tell them the answer, apart from normal night noises and their breathing, there was nothing else.

  Betty’s place was small—a couple of rooms downstairs, with the bedrooms and bathroom upstairs. Scarlett released Sam’s hand so she could use the flashlight on her phone. He copied her then led the way into the open plan kitchen, dining, and sitting room, which were empty.

  Sam hesitated at the bottom of the stairs, and Scarlett tried to get past him, but he blocked her way. After a moment, he slowly began to climb them. A couple from the top, the treads squeaked, and they froze. The sound was so loud that Scarlett expected an unknown assailant to jump out from the shadows.

  Several heartbeats later, when nothing happened, they carried on to the bedrooms. The first one was small and full of cartons. Sam checked the wardrobe, and when that too was empty, they crept along to the second bedroom.

  A small table lay on its side, the rug beneath it bunched up, and several things that could have sat on top of it were strewn about the room. In a flight of fancy, Scarlett pictured Betty being dragged along with the rug. Lifting her phone higher, she held it like a weapon.

  Sirens sounded in the distance as they peered in corners and checked out the bathroom. When other flashlights began to bounce around the outside of the house, Sam turned on the light.

  “I’m going to let the sheriff know the house is empty. Are you coming?”

  “I’ll be there soon,” she said, already noticing several things.

  A slipper protruded from behind the table, and the wardrobe door hung from one hinge. It looked like Betty had indeed tried to hide and then put up a fight. In hindsight, the wardrobe was a pretty obvious place, but there would have been limited options with the person already inside.

  Nate came upstairs and along the short landing. “Okay, Sherlock, time to get out of the crime scene.”

  “Betty called me,” Scarlett told him, defensive at his curt tone.

  “So Ruby said. Still, you should have remained outside and clear of this room.”

  “But what if we could have saved her?”

  The look he gave her was decidedly chilly. “From what? I’m not prepared to jump to any conclusions based on your thoughts. Besides, what if this mysterious person had attacked you, Sam, or Ruby? This is serious. We’ve already had a murder related to Betty. Nothing is sure here—certainly no one’s safety.”

  Scarlett flinched at the growling censure. “Sorry. I’ll wait outside.”

  “No. Go home. I’ll come by when I’m done here.”

  She hesitated. “Won’t you conduct a search for Betty first?”

  He ran his hands through his short hair. “When I figure out what happened, I’ll decide on the best course of action. I may or may not tell you what that is.”

  “But . . .”

  Nate took a step toward her. “For all we know, Betty left here of her own free will or is hiding somewhere. Now, do I need to escort you out?”

  There was no denying that Nate was furious, and Scarlett slunk out of the room like a criminal. She understood he had a job to do, b
ut Betty was now classified as a friend. After recently losing a brother, the poor woman could be at the mercy of a murderer.

  Sam waited by the car with an I-told-you-so face, which she didn’t appreciate.

  “We have to go home,” she explained.

  Thankfully, he and Ruby didn’t say anything on the drive back. This gave her time to sift through the facts. It was a different story when they got inside. Everyone started talking at once, including the pets who got caught up in the tension.

  George hissed at Bob, who whined and pranced about as if they’d been gone for hours, and it took a chew toy to somewhat calm him.

  As soon as the sisters sat on the couch, George jumped into Ruby’s lap, and she wrapped him in a hug. “What are you planning to do, Scarlett?”

  “What do you mean?” Bewildered Sam sat on the edge of a chair. “She can’t do anything. It’s up to the sheriff’s department now.”

  Ruby peered over George’s massive frame. “That won’t stop my sister.”

  “What is she talking about?” he asked Scarlett, sporting lines of worry and confusion, while Bob thrust his nose under his hand.

  “Don’t mind, Ruby. She overthinks most things.”

  Ruby snorted. “Really? Tf that’s true, I’m not the only one. At least my thinking is about pleasant pastimes and not catching criminals.”

  Scarlett pursed her lips. “It’s not my fault that any of this happened.”

  “No,” Ruby admitted. “But, you do attract mysteries like bees to honey.”

  Scarlett shrugged and pulled out a piece of paper from the desk in the corner. “It’s not a hobby, and I don’t take what’s happened lightly. We all want Betty to be found safe, right?”

  “Here we go.” Ruby’s sigh was long-suffering.

  Scarlett resumed her seat. “What do we know about all of this?” She wrote a big 1 on the left side of the page.

  “Don’t you think Nate’s doing this very thing?” Sam asked.

  “Not right away. He’ll be securing the scene, then looking at it piece by piece. When the sheriff gets to us, this will save him time.”