Chapter Eighteen
Ten minutes later, I’d already used up most of my time and knew I wouldn’t be back to the station as I’d promised, so I texted Alex to let him know.
Just finished talking with Mr. French. He’s chatty like me, so it took longer than expected. Going to Martin’s Pharmacy now.
Alex immediately texted back.
Be careful. When you come out of French’s, wave so I can see you.
I couldn’t decide if my future husband was adorable or just a worry wart. Whatever he was, I did as he wanted me to and waved my arms in a huge motion over my head so he could see me. As I turned around to walk into Martin’s Pharmacy, he texted again.
I’ll be waiting to see you wave after that store.
People are going to think I’m a crazy person, Alex. LOL
I don’t care. I’ll be waiting.
This wasn’t exactly the kind of show of trust I’d hoped for, but regardless, I continued with my investigation and walked into the pharmacy to speak to Mr. Martin. I didn’t know if Jared had worked for him since coming back to town, but his store stood between French’s Hardware and Cardow’s Shoes, so I figured why not. Maybe people gossiped to pharmacists like they did to bartenders.
A small crowd of five customers stood in front of the register, three women and two men talking about some new doctor that they heard was coming to town that summer. Mr. Martin stood up on his pharmacist perch talking as he filled prescriptions, telling them what he knew of this new person coming to Sunset Ridge.
While I loved local gossip as much as anyone, and a new female doctor coming to town actually interested me, what didn’t was standing there waiting for all those customers to be checked out before I could ask Mr. Martin my questions. I could always stop back later after I spoke to Nate Cardow, so I quietly slipped out the front door.
Once on the sidewalk, I waved my arms in the air again for Alex, who quickly texted me a message.
Thank you. Did you find out anything?
I had to smile. My soon-to-be husband, police officer, and my very own worry wart actually did find some usefulness to my questioning people about what Jared may have told them about the ring.
So I sent back my own message.
No, but I love that you’re interested. I’m going to Nate Cardow’s store now. Need any shoelaces?
I could almost see Alex squint in confusion at that question and then roll his eyes. He didn’t seem to get my sense of humor sometimes.
Every time I went into Nate’s store, I remembered my mother bringing me there for new school shoes every August. Back then, Nate Sr. owned the store and the current owner, his son Nate Jr., would help out his father on weekends when he was home from a private school he went to until he graduated from high school. A little over ten years older than I, he never spoke to me or anyone else much before taking over his father’s business a decade ago.
That quiet boy turned into a very talkative grown up, though, and every time Nate saw me, he always had something to say. I braced myself for a long conversation with him today but hoped that I’d be able to glean some information from him about where Jared had found out about my ring.
A broad grin spread across his face when he saw me come through the front door, and he stood up from his seat in a long row of brown leather chairs. “Poppy, I’m so happy to see you again. Why have you come to see me today? Do you need new shoes?”
I looked down at my black sandals and had to admit I could use new shoes for summer. But that would have to wait for another day. Today, I was here on business.
“Not today, Nate, but maybe before the wedding. I was hoping I could talk to you about something. Do you have a few minutes?”
No one but the two of us were in the store, so my question was more of a polite formality than anything else. He eagerly waved me over toward where he stood and patted the chair next to him.
His blue eyes lit up at my question, and he hurried to answer it. “For you, anytime. What can I help you with today, Poppy?”
I took a seat next to him and smiled at how kind he was to give me a few minutes of his time. “I really appreciate it, Nate. I wanted to talk to you about Jared Cooke. He used to work for you, right?”
Nate’s joyful expression immediately darkened. Frowning, he nodded his head. “Yes, he did. I had no idea when I hired him that you and he had been engaged. When he told me what he did to you, I wanted to fire him right there on the spot. I didn’t have to wait long to get rid of him, though. He was always late! I couldn’t pay someone who couldn’t be to work on time, so I fired him about two months ago in early March. Why do you want to talk about him?”
For a moment as he talked about Jared, I saw a flash of that sullen, almost angry teenage boy I used to see sometimes on weekends when he was home from that school he went to out of town. I didn’t know what Jared had done to upset Nate so much, other than his tendency for being late, but it was clear he didn’t like my ex at all.
“He does have a nasty habit of being late all the time. I guess it’s good that he shows up for anything at all,” I said, attempting to make a joke about how he’d broken up with me right before our wedding.
Shaking his head, Nate patted my arm in sympathy. “You deserve so much better than someone like him. You deserve a man who knows how to handle business.”
I smiled, appreciating his efforts to be kind. “Thanks. I agree one hundred percent. But getting back to Jared, have you spoken to him since you let him go in March?”
“Oh, yes. You know how it is,” he said, nodding as he spoke. “Even if you do hate someone with a passion in this town, it isn’t like you can just go around letting everyone know about it. You know how life in a small town is, though, so I don’t have to tell you. We all keep a nice face on, but inside, I think most people would be surprised to find what’s going on in our heads.”
“That’s the truth. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had to put on a smile while that ex of mine was around when all I wanted to do was throw something at his head,” I said with a chuckle.
My not-so-subtle way of saying I hated Jared made Nate chuckle too. “See? I knew you and I were more alike than it seemed. We go along on our way every day doing what’s expected of us, but inside we know the truth. You’re strong like me, Poppy. I like that.”
“You have to be in this town, right? But guess what? I think Jared is finally going to get his now that he’s writing the society page for The Eagle. Those ladies are going to eat him alive.”
Instead of my comment making him smile, it seemed to upset Nate when he realized if Jared was writing the society articles, that meant I wouldn’t be anymore. A dark look came over him and he grimaced. Nate seemed more upset than even I was when I heard the news that Jared was taking my society page work.
“That’s your job. Why is he doing your job, Poppy?” he asked angrily.
“Howard gave him the assignment. It’s no big deal, though, because I told him he could have all my assignments and then I quit. I expect the parts of the paper I used to contribute to will soon be full of nonsense, courtesy of Jared Cooke.”
“That’s not right. You shouldn’t have been taken off that page of the paper. Your articles are always wonderful and so well written. I’m not going to buy another copy of The Eagle until they put you back on the paper.”
I had a feeling Nate was angrier about my getting demoted than I had been, but he didn’t have to be. Karma had a way of coming around and getting everyone, and I had a sneaking suspicion that Jared would be getting his any time now.
Smiling as I imagined the mess he’d make of the Founders’ Day event write-up, I said to Nate, “It’s okay. Maybe it was time to move on anyway. I’m getting married in a few weeks, so my life is going to be very busy until then. I’m trying to see it in the best possible light, to be honest.”
My comments made the anger drain from his face, thankfully, but the look he gave me didn’t make me feel any better than when he’d
been so upset. I didn’t know what I’d said to trouble him so, but now as he stared so intently at my face that I wondered if I had something on it, I became uncomfortable.
As awkward as I felt sitting there so close to him as he continued to fixate on me, I had to find out if he knew anything about where Jared had found out about my ring. “So have you spoken to Jared recently?”
Nate shook his head slowly. “Not really. On the street a few times we said hi, but that’s it. Have the police found out who killed Samuel yet?”
“No. I’m working with them, but we haven’t found out who the killer is yet. I want to as quickly as possible because Samuel was a good man. He didn’t deserve what happened to him.”
Leaning in until his face nearly touched my shoulder, Nate said in a low voice, “They say it’s usually the significant other in most cases. Maybe his wife did it. She was much younger than he was, and now that he’s gone, I’m sure the insurance check will be a hefty one.”
Never before had Nate been this friendly with me. I didn’t know why, but it felt strange. I usually listened to my gut, but part of me wondered if I wasn’t just overreacting because of everything I’d been through lately.
This was Nate Cardow, the shoe store owner, after all.
I was just being silly. With all the wedding planning, Howard being a bigger jerk than usual, and the whole thing with Jared and quitting my job, it had been a difficult week.
The front door to the store opened just as all of this ran through my head, and thankfully, I didn’t do anything awkward, like jumping up and walking over to the other side of the room. Two women walked in and began looking through the sandal display, so Nate excused himself and walked over to assist them.
Taking the opportunity to move, I stood up and walked toward the register on the other side of the store. Clearly, this was me overreacting. Nate had never been anything but nice since taking over the store from his father a decade ago. This was the guy who always supplied the candy for the kids at the town’s Easter egg hunt. Ask anyone in Sunset Ridge and Nate’s name routinely came up when anyone talked about the most wonderful people in town.
Get it together, Poppy. Clearly, that whole Jared thing is messing with you.
I knew what it was. What that idiot ex of mine said about me not being anyone compared to the police had rattled me, and now I wanted to prove to him and everyone else that I could truly help solve Samuel Morrow’s murder. But I wasn’t going to do that by seeing things in one of the town’s favorite businessmen that simply weren’t there.
The two female customers oooohed and ahhhhed over how great the sandals they’d tried on looked on their feet, and both women fawned over Nate like I’d seen people do for years. My gut had been all wrong. Nate Cardow was who he’d always been since he took over the store.
A nice guy everyone loved.
Disappointed in myself for letting my imagination get the best of me, I decided to wait until he finished helping the women before thanking him for being so nice to take the time to talk to me. It was the least I could do, even though he had no idea of the silly notions that had been going through my mind.
He and his happy customers walked up to the counter, chatting about the weather and how each woman couldn’t wait to wear her new shoes. Nate smiled and complimented them on their taste in shoes as he took their money and then bagged up their purchases.
“Wear them in good health, ladies,” he said with a chuckle.
“Oh, we will!” the two women said in unison before they walked out with their new shoes.
Just as he’d always been. God, I really needed to stop letting Jared get into my head. First his mention of Alex getting cold feet nearly sent me around the bend and made me think he was thinking of calling off our wedding and now I’d practically made Nate into a villain for no good reason whatsoever, other than wanting to prove that I could sniff out Samuel’s killer as well as the police could. The sooner I admitted that Jared Cooke should never be taken seriously again the better I’d be.
Nate turned to face me once he’d finished arranging something under the counter. “Now what were we talking about?”
“Oh, it’s okay. I need to go anyway. I just wanted to stay and say thank you for taking the time to chat with me. You’re always so nice in that way, Nate.”
“It’s my pleasure, Poppy. Of all the people in this town, you’ve always been so kind to me and everyone here. I’ve never forgotten how you used to smile and try to talk to me when I was a teenager home from school my parents sent me to. I know I didn’t say much, but I wanted to.”
Now I felt like a complete and utter monster. The man remembered how I’d been nice to him when we were kids, for God’s sake.
“Well, being a teenager can be rough. I recall those years weren’t the easiest for me either.”
He nodded, and I had the feeling he forced a smile for my benefit. “They were, but I never forgot you tried to be nice to me.”
We stood there in silence for a moment since I didn’t know what to say. I felt awkward because of my guilt at how I’d reacted to him just a few minutes before. I just hoped it wasn’t written all over my face.
Nate motioned toward the stockroom door and asked, “Before you go, would you be able to help me with something? I don’t know which shoes to display out of the styles I just got in, and I’d love if you could give me your expertise. It would only take a minute or two.”
Hoping the universe would see I was trying to make up for being such a fool earlier, I eagerly agreed. “Sure! What do you need me to do?”
“Just come in the back and take a look at a few pairs. I haven’t been able to decide which to go with. I promise it won’t take long and it would be a huge help. You know, as a man, I never know if I’m really picking out the styles my female customers will want.”
He walked toward the wooden door, and I followed him, happy to help. “No problem. You usually do a very good job of it, though, Nate. Those two customers who just left were definitely happy with what they found in your current display.”
The stock room had two rows of tall shelves that reached all the way up to the ceiling on both sides of a long narrow aisle that led to an open area with an old wooden bench that I imagined Nate’s father used to use when he fixed customers’ shoes back when cobblers still existed. We walked toward it as I marveled at how many shoe boxes sat on the shelves and Nate apologized for the area being so dusty and cluttered.
“I really should clean it up,” he said quietly as we reached the bench at the back of the stock room.
Nate extended his arm and offered me a seat in the single upholstered brown chair positioned next to the wooden bench. Unlike its fellow piece of furniture, the chair looked new. I suspected anyone having to sit for any length of time to do work there would want to have the newest and most comfortable chair they could.
“Please, have a seat. I’ll get the boxes so you can take a look at what I’m thinking of.”
As I got comfortable, Nate scurried away to get the shoes he wanted me to see. “I was going to go with all sandals, but then I thought maybe a closed shoe would be a good option, even in summer,” he said as he walked down one of the side aisles between the shelves behind me.
“That might be a good idea,” I said, unsure if anything I could suggest would really be helpful.
This gesture was really more to make myself feel better after I’d been so foolish before.
He returned with four shoeboxes and leaned over my shoulder from behind me to place them on the bench. “Take a look and let me know what you think.”
I looked back at him and smiled before turning my attention to the first white box. Lifting the lid, I saw it contained a pair of white sandals with leather straps and a yellow daisy flower added just above the area where the wearer’s toes would be.
“They’re very nice. I like these,” I said as I pushed the box aside and focused on the second one, a larger brown box with black stripes.
Nate didn’t say anything, so I opened the second box and saw a pair of black open-toed pumps with three inch heels. Nothing I would ever wear, but I had to admit they were gorgeous shoes.
Turning back to look at him, I smiled. “I bet lots of women would love these shoes no matter what time of year it is. Anyone who loves wearing high heels would go nuts for them. Are you thinking of putting these in but weren’t sure because they aren’t really summery?”
He nodded, and in a voice that sounded distracted, said, “I was.”
As I replaced the lid on the box, I said, “You should. It’s a nice contrast to the white sandals.”
Nate didn’t say anything in response. I heard a rustling sound behind me as I reached for the third box, and in seconds I felt a rope around my waist being tightened. Before I knew it, he had my hands tied behind me and was standing in front of me smiling like any of this was okay.
“Let me go! Why are you doing this? Untie me now, Nate!” I yelled, but I doubted anyone could hear me we were so far away from the front of the store.
Suddenly, he didn’t seem to have any chatty banter to offer as he stood behind me. I heard a ripping sound, and then a second later duct tape covered my mouth.
I struggled against the hold of the ropes holding me firm to the chair and my hands behind me, sending pain shooting from my shoulder every time I tried to move. Crying out was no use since the tape over my mouth made sure no one could hear a thing I said.
And then Nate came around to stand in front of me and smiled as he held up a tiny black velvet box.
“I can’t tell you how long I’ve wanted to give you this, Poppy.”
He lifted the lid slowly as I looked in horror at the present he offered. I cried out for someone to help me, but no one heard me.
All I could hope for was Alex would get worried when I didn’t appear outside on the sidewalk waving my arms for him to see I was okay so he’d know to come up to Nate’s store.
But how would he ever find me back here in the storeroom before Nate did whatever horrible thing he had planned?
The Finest Hour Page 19