David’s forehead wrinkled. “What do you mean?”
I began to walk toward my doorstep. “Come with me. If I’m right then this case is about to be blown wide open.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
My hunch turned out to be correct. In the morning, David and I paid Kaitlin Gordon a visit. This time, we decided to speak with her at her apartment building.
We waited patiently for Kaitlin to exit her place and head to her green sedan in the parking lot. That way she would already be out in the open. Before Kaitlin reached her car, David and I approached her.
“Where are you going?” David asked.
It was safe to say that Kaitlin did not react well to our presence. The moment she spotted David and me, her face filled with animosity. She wanted nothing to do with either of us.
“That’s none of your business,” Kaitlin snapped.
“I disagree,” David said.
“What are you even doing here? Why don’t you just leave me alone?” Kaitlin barked.
“I’m afraid that we can’t do that,” David replied.
“You have a lot of nerve, you know that?” Kaitlin said.
David shook his head. “No more than you do.”
“What makes you think you can just lurk in the parking lot of my building?” Kaitlin asked.
“We’re in the middle of a homicide investigation. And we’re prepared to do whatever is necessary to bring Allison Gordon’s killer to justice,” David replied.
“Then what are you wasting your time with me for? I don’t have anything to say to you about Allison,” Kaitlin remarked.
“Fine. We’ll do all the talking, then,” David said.
Kaitlin threw out her arms in a huff. “You’re unbelievable. Why are you harassing me?”
David shook his head. “We’re doing no such thing.”
“Oh yeah? Let’s see what a lawyer has to say about that,” Kaitlin replied.
“Now that you mention it, hiring an attorney would probably be a wise move,” David said.
“Although there’s no lawyer in the world that is going to be able to keep you out of jail,” I added.
Kaitlin shot me a glare. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“In your desperation, you got sloppy,” I said.
Kaitlin gave me a blank stare. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“After David and I showed up at the archery range last night, you felt the walls closing in on you,” I said. “You probably figured it would only be a matter of time before we discovered what you had done. So you made a last-ditch attempt to scare us off. But in the process, you made a huge mistake that ended up leading us right to you.”
Kaitlin scoffed. “This is insane. Why do you think you can get away with lying like that?”
“I’ll tell you why we’re going to get away with it. Because we’re telling the truth,” I said. “Kaitlin, we know what you did.”
“Stop right there. I’m not listening to this anymore,” Kaitlin replied.
“Actually, Kaitlin, you’re the one who needs to stop lying.”
“That’s it. I’m out of here,” Kaitlin said.
David shook his head. “You’re not going anywhere.”
“Especially since we have proof that you killed Allison,” I added.
“How many more lies are you going to tell today?” Kaitlin asked.
“Fine. You don’t believe me? See for yourself,” I said.
I pulled out my smart phone from my purse, loaded a video, and played it.
The video showed security camera footage of Kaitlin’s car pulling up in front of my house, firing the arrow at David’s car, and then peeling rubber as she drove away from the scene.
“It’s all on camera,” I said. “What do you have to say for yourself now?”
Panic filled Kaitlin’s eyes. “Where did that video come from?”
“The new security camera on my patio. You see, there has been an uptick in the number of packages that have been stolen off of people’s doorsteps lately. When I heard about all those thefts occurring, I thought it would be wise to invest in a security system. It turns out that I was right—for a much different reason,” I said.
Kaitlin vehemently shook her head. “No. You’ve got it all wrong.”
“Kaitlin, the video doesn’t lie. Now face it. We’ve got you. It’s over. So why don’t you come clean?” I asked.
Kaitlin went into full denial mode. “That video doesn’t prove that I killed Allison.”
I folded my arms. “Don’t be ridiculous. We know you did it.”
“Look. I admit that I fired that warning shot last night, but I didn’t kill Allison—”
I cut Kaitlin off. “Oh, come on. Do you really expect us to believe that? Because if you do then you’re crazier than I even thought. Why would you fire a warning shot at us unless you were the killer?”
Kaitlin opened mouth to answer, but I didn’t let her get a word in.
“That was a rhetorical question. The only reason you’d be so desperate to scare us off was because you knew that we were closing in on you,” I said. “You hated Allison. You held her responsible for the breakup of your parents’ marriage. That was something you weren’t ever going to forgive her for. And if that wasn’t bad enough, she then became your stepmother. That was just too much for you to bear. Especially since deep down, you probably believed that if Allison was out of the picture, perhaps your real mother and father might get back together. So you killed Allison, didn’t you?”
Kaitlin lowered her head.
When she didn’t respond, I pressed her for an answer.
“Didn’t you?” I asked.
Kaitlin snarled. “Yes, I killed her. I shot Allison. How dare she tear my family apart? She didn’t just break up my parents’ marriage. She ruined my life in the process. So I took her life.”
I stared at Kaitlin and shook my head with disgust. “You should be ashamed of yourself.”
Epilogue
Two Days Later
“Earth to Sabrina,” David said.
I pulled my head out of the clouds and glanced at David, who stood across the counter from me at Daley Buzz.
“Sorry. I’ve been a little preoccupied this morning,” I replied.
“I’ve noticed,” he said. “And so has my coffee cup.”
I looked down at his empty cup on the counter.
“Right. Another shot of espresso, coming up,” I said.
I moved over to the espresso machine and fired up two separate shots—one for him and one for myself.
Before filling up David’s cup, I took a moment and drank my shot the minute it was ready.
“Drinking on the job now? Is that what life has come to?” he joked.
I chuckled. “I figure a little espresso might go a long way in clearing up the fog in my head.”
“You still thinking about Allison Gordon?”
I nodded. “She used to come in at this time every morning and order a large vanilla latte.”
“I’m really sorry that she’s gone.”
I sighed. “I still can’t believe she was murdered. That she’s gone forever. It’s just so surreal.”
“I know what you mean.”
I grimaced. “Is it asking too much to be able to go the rest of my life without another murder occurring in this town?”
“I don’t think so. Then again, that’s not up to me.”
“I just want the old Treasure Cove back.”
“Trust me. You’re not alone.”
“What do you think the odds are of that happening?”
He shrugged. “I can’t say. But what I can tell you is that I won’t be able to go to bed happy tonight unless I find a way to cheer you up.”
“In that case, you have a tall task ahead of you.”
“Maybe. But I have three suggestions.”
“Such as?”
“Can I interest you in a Halloween party?” he asked.
“I
s it a costume party?” I replied.
“Is there any other kind of Halloween party?”
“I’m going to have to pass.”
“Really? There will be plenty of candy there.”
“You know, as a kid, I used to dress up as a detective for Halloween each year. But having just lived the life of an actual sleuth over the past few days, I just want to go back to being a coffee shop manager.”
“I understand. That said, there are other costumes you could wear.”
“True. But I’m hardly in the mood to party right now.”
“Fair enough.”
“What’s option two?” I asked.
“How about going out to the movies? They are running a double feature of Halloween-themed flicks,” David said.
“I don’t think so. The last few days have been spooky enough for me,” I replied.
“Okay. I have one last idea.”
“What’s that?”
“How about I bring a pizza and a bag of Halloween candy over to your house and we just relax on your couch all night?”
I smiled. “Sounds good to me.”
“All right. It’s settled then,” he said.
“Are you sure you’re okay with that?” I asked.
“Honestly, I was kind of hoping that you would pick that option all along.”
“Really?”
“Oh yeah,” he said. “I don’t know about you, but I am completely exhausted.”
“It turns out there’s a lot of that going around.”
“Too much, I’d say.”
“So much so that staying in has never looked more appealing,” I said.
“I know what you mean,” he replied. “Pizza, Halloween candy, and some snuggling on the couch with you sounds like the perfect evening to me.”
“I couldn’t agree more.”
“So, do you have any preferences for what you want to watch on TV?” he asked.
I nodded. “Anything but a detective show.”
The End.
Christmas Cookies with a Side of Murder
Chapter One
“Does life get any better?” David Carlson asked.
My muscular, handsome thirty-one-year-old boyfriend was smiling wide as he sat on my sofa.
He was happier than I had seen him in a long time. That was a welcome sight. Especially given all the frequent disturbing things he had seen on the job as a police detective over the past few years.
That said, as cheerful as David was that evening, he was looking at someone who happened to be in a better mood than him—my pet corgi, Snickerdoodle.
“I think this is as good as it gets for a dog,” I replied.
Doodle was having the time of his life, batting around a Christmas ornament across the room. His tail wagged excitedly as his stumpy little paws scampered on the wood floor. There was a look of unbridled joy in his eyes that made me feel like there was nothing he’d rather be doing at that moment.
“Sometimes it truly is the simple things that matter most,” David said.
“Who needs a complicated life, anyway?” I joked.
David chuckled. “Not me.”
“Or me,” I said. “I’d rather be having a ball.”
“Doodle does make the simple life look awfully good.”
I nodded. “He also knows how to be the center of attention.”
“True. Which is saying a lot. I mean, it’s not every day that a dog can upstage decorating a Christmas tree.”
My eyes widened. “That reminds me. I have been so distracted watching Doodle that I forgot that I still have a whole box of decorations to put up.”
David sighed. “It’s a shame that tree won’t decorate itself.”
“You know, I have thought about getting one of those pre-decorated ones.”
“What has stopped you?”
“To start, if I got a pre-decorated tree, I wouldn’t get to watch Doodle go nuts batting ornaments around. The decorations would already be on the tree the moment I took it out of the box.”
“You’re right. You wouldn’t want to deprive yourself of this level of entertainment. Speaking of, I need to get this on camera. Doodle could be a huge hit on the Internet.”
“Oh, come on. Who watches cute animal videos on the Internet?” I joked.
He chuckled. “I think the real question is, who doesn’t?”
“I’m glad you’re going to record this. That way I can hang the rest of these ornaments on the tree without worrying that I’m missing something.”
David held his phone up and recorded Snickerdoodle scampering across the floor. “I’ll join you when Doodle gets tired out.”
“In that case, you might be there a while.”
“You’re right.”
“But don’t worry. Just sit back and relax,” I said.
“Are you sure?” he asked.
I nodded. “Of course. You put up my Christmas lights outside. For that, I owe you a debt of gratitude.”
He chuckled. “You really hate those lights, don’t you?”
I corrected him. “They are the ones that hate me. I have tried getting along with them. But no, they just refuse to behave themselves.”
He snickered. “Don’t you think you’re overreacting just a little bit?”
I shook my head. “You don’t understand. Christmas lights don’t have it out for you like they do for me. I don’t know how, but you managed to get on their good side. You have no idea how lucky you are.”
“I guess I don’t. That said, since I took care of those fiendish lights already, you don’t have to worry about them.”
“And that’s why you’re the best boyfriend a woman could ask for.”
He threw his arms out. “Who knew the bar for being a great boyfriend was set so low?”
“You’re not going to turn down a compliment, are you?”
“I certainly won’t.”
“Good.”
I stepped away from the tree and headed toward my kitchen. “That said, all this talk about Christmas lights has dredged up the kind of bad memories that only some hot chocolate can get rid of.”
David shrugged. “What? No egg nog?”
I grimaced. “I’m afraid I’m all out.”
“Bah humbug,” he joked.
“I do make a mean cup of hot cocoa, though.”
He smiled at me. “My taste buds are already excited.”
“Two cups, coming up.”
“Do you have any Christmas cookies?”
I shook my head.
His eyes widened. “Wait. Are you serious?”
“I know. It’s very unlike me.”
“It’s not just unlike you. It’s practically unheard of,” David said.
“I don’t like it, either. But to be fair, there’s a very good reason.”
“Such as?”
“Shannon makes the best cookies around. And since her holiday party is tomorrow night, I just figured I would save my appetite for then,” I said.
“In that case, I’m looking forward to Shannon’s party more than ever,” David replied.
Chapter Two
“A peppermint latte. Mmm. Now this is how you start off a day,” Julie Lambert said.
The curvy, redheaded forty-four-year-old was in a great mood as she stood across the counter from me at my family’s coffee shop.
Julie was a waitress at Home Away From Home Cooking, one of my favorite restaurants in town. While the food there was delicious, their espresso left a lot to be desired. That was fine by me. It meant more business for Daley Buzz.
Julie was one of my regulars. The same could not be said for Wally Tuttle.
“I’m not sure that I agree,” Wally Tuttle replied.
Julie shook her head at Wally. “You and your protein shakes.”
Wally Tuttle was a tall, muscular, clean-shaven man in his early thirties. I really had to put the emphasis on him being muscular, as his body had made a radical transformation over the last year or so. As recently a
s twelve months ago, fitness was one of the last things on Wally’s mind. But ever since he sobered up, all that had changed.
Wally had become such a gym rat of late that he became a personal trainer a few months ago. To say that he made a stunning turnaround was a gross understatement. I was still kind of in shock over how well he had managed to clean up his act. But all his work had paid off. His new look had caught the attention of Julie, who was smitten with him.
“You can’t go wrong with protein,” Wally replied.
“That’s something only a personal trainer would say,” I joked.
“I know, right? I mean, here we are in a coffee shop at the holidays. This is what peppermint lattes were invented for,” Julie said.
Wally wasn’t the only one who had made a change in his life. Julie had a wild past as well—with men, at least. A year and a half ago, she was dating Wade Becker, a man who was now in jail for committing murder. After that, she was with Matt Wallace. While Matt did not commit murder, he also did not prove to be a great romantic match for Julie, either. Now, with Wally in her life, she was hoping that the third time would be the charm.
So far, so good.
I glanced at Wally. “Can I get you anything?”
He shook his head. “No. I had my protein shake this morning.”
“I’ll bet it wasn’t as tasty as a peppermint latte,” I said.
“You’ve got me there. But my shake also didn’t have thirty-five grams of sugar in it, either,” he replied.
“Hey, I’m trying to enjoy my latte here. Nutritional facts have no place in this conversation,” Julie said.
“I didn’t know that speaking the truth was so frowned upon,” Wally said.
“It is when I’m in the middle of peppermint bliss. Now please don’t suck the joy out of this latte. Otherwise, I’ll leave you in the car next time I come here,” Julie replied.
“Fine. I’ll just keep the truth to myself then,” Wally said.
“The only truth that matters to me right now is that this latte is absolutely delicious,” Julie replied.
I couldn’t help but chuckle as I listened to them volley replies back and forth.
Wally gave me a quizzical look. “What’s so funny?”
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