Betts followed her with her eyes. “I don't know how you managed to survive to reach adulthood with a woman like that for a mother.”
Kim laughed. “It was my father and grandmother who made my life bearable.”
Betts laughed with her. “I haven't seen your old granny around lately. What is she up to these days?”
“Who knows?” Kim asked. “Maybe she's clearing the snails off the highway shoulder.”
“What about your dad?” Betts asked.
“Oh, he's in hiding somewhere,” Kim replied. “He's always hiding from my mom and my grandma. It's the only way he can stay sane. I wish I could do the same thing, but I wouldn't be able to run my business if I did.”
“Seriously,” Betts asked, “what are you going to do about the murder case? Are you going to hunt up some clues about Natalie?”
“I don't know how I can do that,” Kim replied. “I'm not breaking into anybody elses's house, no matter how guilty I think they are.”
“You could take a page from Sam Spade,” Betts suggested. “You could stake out her house.”
“What would that tell me?” Kim asked. “It might tell me when she went out for a jog around the block. Or it might tell me when she comes out to prune her rose bushes. But it won't tell me anything about the murder.”
“What else do you have to do?” Betts asked. “You don't have a business to run anymore. What do you have to lose?”
Kim shrugged. “All right. I'll do it, but only because I don't have any other suggestions to make. I can't sit around here doing nothing or I'll end up as fat as Winslow.”
Chapter 6
Kim tied a bow in the handles of a garbage bag and tossed it into the garbage can. Winslow meowed and pawed at the front door. “I'm sorry, pumpkin. We aren't going to the shop for a while. I know you want your cookies, but maybe we'll have to whip up a batch here at home, just for you.”
Winslow gave another forlorn wail, and Kim gathered him into her arms. “I'm sorry, darling. I'll get your cookies back for you as soon as I can.”
In the afternoon, she went out for a walk. She made certain to make a wide circle around Pembrooke so she wouldn't see her shop standing vacant and lifeless. She found herself down on the boardwalk in front of the sea shore. The surf boomed against the rocks and sent a spray of foam into the air over her head.
On the other side of the boardwalk, the Smoky River met the Atlantic Ocean. The boardwalk climbed a hill to the old lookout, where you could see the whole Maine coast all the way up to Crescent Point. Sailboats crisscrossed Camellia Cove on their way up the river and out to the Point.
Kim leaned against the parapet and let the spray wash her cheeks. She'd been locked up in her cookie shop too long. A person couldn't live without the fresh sea air in her lungs every now and then. She kicked off her shoes and strolled down the beach. She kicked at the water and squished sand between her toes. The water didn't care if she was accused of murder. It kissed her skin with loving care.
She turned and headed up the river. People rowed their boats and spread their picnics on the grass. For the first time since Pat died, Kim smiled back at those happy people. Maybe life wasn't so bad after all.
Along the river, the stone fronts of shops and buildings led the way back to the town of Camellia Cove. Restaurants served their guests on sun-drenched decks, and tourists lifted their champagne flutes into the sunshine. What did they really know about life in Camellia Cove? Did they know a man just died from rat poison in his cookie?
Tourists could see all the good of the place and none of the bad. They could enjoy the sun and the river and she lapping waves off the Cove, and never know the heartache of the people struggling to make it beautiful for them. They could walk into a corner bakery and buy a cookie, and they could live their whole lives without knowing the woman who made it suffered the trauma of a murder charge.
The birds chattered and chirped in the trees. They didn't know and didn't care if she was accused of murder. They would take cookie crumbs out of her hand no matter what. As long as she sat still, they loved her just the same.
If all these natural forces could love her and support her with their tranquil beauty, why couldn't the human world do the same thing? Why did her own people have to be so harsh and cruel to her? Why couldn't they let her go about her business of making cookies and making them happy? That's all she ever wanted to do in the world.
She sat down under a weeping willow tree and let the beauty of the river carry her away to different world. She slipped into a daydream in which celebrities discovered her cookies and the price went through the roof. She baked for kings and presidents, and people fought for the right to pay large sums of money for just a taste.
In her dream, she saved massive amounts of money and bought real estate. She managed a nationwide chain of cookie shops, and everyone knew her name. She appeared on TV and explained her baking secrets to a rapt audience.
All of a sudden, a figure walking toward her with a resolute tread brought her back to the cold harsh reality of her own life. She got up and started walking away.
He quickened his pace to catch up with her. “Don't run away, Kim. Let me talk to you.”
“I don't think that's a good idea,” Kim replied. “People might think we had an inappropriate relationship.”
Aaron smiled. “We don't have any relationship.”
Kim turned away. “No, we don't.”
“Let me walk you home,” he insisted.
Kim looked around. “Aren't you supposed to be at work right now? Aren't you supposed to be working on putting me away for murder?”
Aaron shrugged and strolled along at her side. “I'm supposed to be putting away the person responsible for Pat Malloy's death. If that isn't you, I won't put you away.”
Kim didn't answer. They walked in silence for a while. Her daydream evaporated. Why did it have to be him who dispelled her daydream?
“I was thinking about what you said earlier,” he began.
Kim's head whipped around. “What did I say?”
“That Ivor had a motive to kill Pat,” Aaron replied. “You said he was cashing in on Pat's murder, and that gave him a motive to kill him.”
“Ivor's not the only one,” Kim told him. “A lot of people stood to gain from Pat's death. I didn't have anything to gain, but I've got a lot to lose.”
Aaron cocked his head to one side. “Who else had something to gain from it?”
“Natalie, for one,” Kim replied.
“What did she have to gain by it?” Aaron asked.
“The insurance money,” Kim replied. “She's going to collect on this civil suit.”
“You don't think she planned to kill her husband for that, do you?” Aaron asked.
“Why not?” Kim asked.
Aaron shrugged and turned away. “I don't know about that.”
“Well, tell me what I had to gain by murdering Pat,” Kim told him. “Give me one believable motive I could have had.”
He stopped walking and studied her. “I haven't been able to think of one. That's why I still believe you're innocent.”
Kim's eyes widened. “You do? You still believe I'm innocent?”
“Of course I do,” he replied. “I wouldn't be talking to you right now if I didn't.”
“Then why did you arrest me?” Kim swallowed the lump in her throat. She had to keep herself together.
“You had a box of strychnine in your hand,” Aaron replied. “I couldn't ignore the evidence.”
“You could have let me explain where and how I got it,” she pointed out.
“If I had, I would have had to arrest you for trespassing and theft,” he replied. “And then I would have had to charge you with the murder. It's my job.”
Kim snorted. “You and your job. I'm sick of hearing about your job.”
He took a step closer to her. “Let me help you. Let me help you clear your name.”
“How are you going to do that?” she asked.
“Are you investigating Ivor?” she asked. “Are you following up on any of the leads I gave you?”
He smiled at her. “Of course. I'm looking into the Health and Safety Violation you mentioned, and the letter warning Ivor he would be shut down over his rats. But you have to admit you could have had the same problem with Pat. He could have found rats in your bakery, too.”
“He could have,” Kim replied, “but he didn't. If you're telling the truth and looking into Ivor's records, you will have done the same thing with me. You will have found out I never got a citation from the Health Department over rats in my bakery, and Pat never threatened to shut me down over health violations, either.”
Aaron nodded. “I have found that out.”
Kim stared at him. “You did? Then why did you just say…..?”
Aaron waved his hand. “You've been through a lot, Kim, and you're not out of the woods yet. I've done a lot of checking on you, and I'm convinced you're innocent. But we still don't have any hard evidence to clear you. Let me work with you to find it.”
“What kind of evidence do you need?” Kim asked.
He held up his hands. “Maybe I shouldn't tell you. I don't want to hear about you breaking into anybody else's house or business.”
Kim flushed and dropped her eyes. “I won't. That was a big mistake, and I paid for it.”
He nodded. “We need some proof that someone came into your shop when you weren't there. We need some proof that someone tampered with your cream cheese frosting.”
Kim pointed at him. “That reminds me. The killer must have known Pat liked cream cheese frosting. That's what doesn't make sense about Ivor. Pat never ate at Dappley Donuts. Ivor wouldn't know anything about Pat's food choices. The killer must have been someone who knew Pat well. That's what makes me suspect Natalie.”
Aaron raised his eyebrows. “I didn't think of that. But I still think Ivor's our best bet.”
“What makes you think that?” Kim asked.
“I heard that rumor around town that Pat was after you instead of Ivor,” Aaron replied. “That got me thinking about the billboard. I tracked down the company that set it up. They have a three-week wait time for advertising like that.”
Kim's eyes popped open. “Three weeks! But that means….”
Aaron nodded again. “That's right. Ivor must have ordered the billboard three weeks before it went up by the turn-off. He must have planned to kill Pat with rat poison so he could take your customers for himself with that billboard.”
Kim blinked. “That scumbag!”
Aaron chuckled. “It's the perfect solution to all his problems. He would have gotten rid of Pat. He would have gotten rid of you and taken all your customers. And he would have used the same rat poison from his own shop to do it.”
Kim closed her eyes and shook her head. “This is too crazy.”
He put his hand on her arm. “I'm your friend, Kim. I'm working to clear you. You have to believe that.”
She looked up into his eyes. “Thank you. I didn't know that.”
“I've known you a long time,” he replied. “I've known since we were kids that you were a good person. You never were happier than when you were helping someone.”
Kim blushed. “I wasn't anything to remember in school. I'll bet no one from school remembers me.”
“I do.” Aaron started walking again, and Kim walked at his side. “I remember once when we were in home room together. You brought in a batch of cupcakes you made. Everybody loved them and raved about them, and you got this big smile on your face. I'll never forget it as long as I live. You said it was a recipe you came up with yourself.”
Kim stared at him. “You remember that?”
He gazed into her eyes. “I couldn't forget it. It's seared into my memory as if it happened yesterday. And I've seen the same smile on your face every morning when I've come into your cookie shop. You get the same smile every time you serve one of your customers. Ivor can't compete with that. Maybe that's what made him so desperate to put you out of business.”
Kim grimaced. “That's just great. Being friendly and happy to serve people makes me a target. Maybe I shouldn't be so nice to people.”
“Don't you dare change a thing,” Aaron shot back. “I'm counting on you beating this murder rap so I can come back to your shop and see that smile again and again. You cheer up my whole day, and my life wouldn't be the same without you.”
Kim turned bright red. “You know I feel the same way about you, Aaron, but don't you think it would be a good idea to wait until after you resolve the case to start anything?”
“Start anything?” he asked.
Kim turned away. “Never mind. Forget I said it.”
He took her hand and turned her toward him. “You're right. I'm a cop investigating a murder, and you're the prime suspect. I shouldn't have said anything. I just can't stand seeing you upset about it. I had to tell you someone is in this with you. You're not standing against the whole world with an axe hanging over your head. I'm here to help you.”
Kim nodded and took her hand out of his grasp. “I appreciate you saying so. I forget that sometimes.”
“I'm sure you have a lot of supporters in town,” he went on. “I'm sure you have a lot of people who would love to help you if they could.”
“That's what Betts says,” Kim replied. “Even my mother is trying to clear my name, although I don't think she's getting very far.”
Aaron snorted. “I think she's after me.”
Kim gasped. “What do you mean?”
“I think she's following me,” Aaron told her. “I've seen her lurking around the police station a couple of times. I hate to think what she's trying to find out about me.”
Kim burst out laughing. “Don't worry. She's harmless. She's just domineering. It's her way of showing she cares.”
Aaron faced her. “That's exactly what I'm talking about. Only you could be kind enough to someone like her to see through her maniacal behavior and say she's showing she cares. Only you could be as compassionate as that. That's what I love about you.”
Chapter 7
Kim stopped under the streetlight outside her house and faced Aaron. “You better go. Your lunch break is long over.”
He laughed. “I haven't been on my lunch break. I've been working on the case.”
Kim's eyes widened. “You've been working on the case by holding hands and walking me home?”
“Sure,” he teased. “You're the prime suspect, aren't you?”
Kim made a face. “And here I thought you cared.”
“That's just what I'll tell my Captain when I get back to the station,” Aaron explained. “I'll tell him I was interviewing the prime suspect, which is true.”
Kim turned away, but he caught her by the hand. “Don't go in yet. Wait a minute.”
“You said you were going to leave,” she reminded him.
“Not yet,” he replied.
“What about it?” she asked. “Do you have some other questions you want to ask.”
“Yeah,” he replied. “When can I see you again?”
“You can see me any time,” she told him. “You can pick me up for vagrancy or for loitering around the parks, or you could pick me up for creating a public health hazard by walking down the street.”
Aaron winced. “That's not funny.”
“Sorry,” she replied. “But you don't need an excuse to see me. You know where I live, and since I'm under investigation, I have to be available to you at all hours of the day and night.”
He brightened up. “Oh, good. I didn't realize it was as good as that.” Kim laughed. Aaron took a step closer to her. “I had a nice time walking home with you. We should do it again.”
Kim tried to break her gaze away from his face, but he held her eyes and wouldn't let her go. “Let's do it again after this case is settled.”
He pulled back ever so slightly. “Do we have t
o? I was hoping we could do it again sooner than that—say tomorrow afternoon, same time, same place.”
“Not tomorrow,” she replied. “I can't relax until I know I'm clear of this murder charge. I can't get close to you knowing you're the cop who arrested me for murder.”
Aaron took a step away from her. “Is that going to haunt us from now on? I'll kick myself if it does.”
“You were doing your job,” she told him. “But don't forget I'm a suspect in this murder. You shouldn't be socializing with me.”
He nodded and turned away. “All right. I understand. Just don't forget, okay?”
“How could I forget?”
He pointed at her one last time and walked away.
Kim watched him out of sight, but when she turned around to go inside, nervous energy drove her away from the house. She couldn't sit in her kitchen and wait for night to come. She had to move around, so she kept walking down the street in the opposite direction Aaron went.
She came to the end of Pembrooke and followed the bike trail out of the neighborhood into the community gardens. Plots of earth planted in varying stages of development lined the walkways. Kim admired the flowers and smelled the herbs. When was the last time she came out here?
She used to walk in these gardens all the time before she opened her bakery. She even got herself a garden plot for a little while. It was the only place she could go to get away from her controlling husband. Then Eric came up with the idea she was meeting her secret lover out there in the gardens. He made her give up her plot. She cried more over the loss of that garden plot than she ever did over his abuse.
She strolled toward the gazebo on the far side of the gardens. A fresh breeze blew through the trees and brought her the fragrant scent of swelling buds and nectar. All at once, she heard a familiar voice on the wind. It sang, “Oo-ee, oo-ah-ah, ting tang walla walla bing bang,” over and over again.
Kim smiled to herself, and a moment later, the old lady emerged from the bushes with a stalk of grass sticking out of her mouth. “Hello, Grandma. What are you doing out here?”
Murder in the Oven: A Camellia Cove Mystery Book 1 Page 5