Forever Fudge

by Nancy CoCo

  “I was sure,” I said. “But now I don’t know.”

  We hit the landing to the lobby. “Sharon,” Jenn said, and the new woman looked up from her magazine.

  “What is all the noise about?” she asked.

  “Have you seen Mal?” I asked. “My dog. She’s a white bichon mix.”

  “No, I haven’t seen a dog,” she said. “Cat’s on the couch, though.”

  I hurried down the stairs and picked up Mella. “What are we going to do?” I asked.

  “Let’s try to stay calm,” Rex said. “There wasn’t a note or anything, was there?”

  “No,” I said in a half whisper. “I’m afraid after what they did to the chicken.”

  “Don’t even go there,” Rex said, a vein in his back jaw pulsing. He grabbed me and held me tight. Mella squirmed at the confinement and jumped from my arms. “That’s not going to happen. More than likely she’s sleeping somewhere.”

  “Have you checked the basement?” Sharon asked.

  “I haven’t been down there since Mr. Devaney left for the honeymoon,” I said. “The door has been kept locked.” I pulled away from Rex and grabbed the set of master keys from behind the desk.

  “She’s not in the kitchen or lobby,” Jenn said.

  “I’m checking the basement,” I said. The door was locked, but I stuck the key in and opened the door. Turning on the light, I called Mal’s name. In the distance I could hear a sound. “Mal?” I rushed down the stairs and turned on the main light. The basement was dark, filled with boxes and things. Mr. Devaney had a workbench down there with tools that had belonged to my grandfather. “Mal? Here, girl,” I called, and then listened with my heart pounding in my ears. I heard the noise again. This time it was much closer. It sounded like Mal when she was scared. My heart raced as I moved toward the sound. “Mal, here, girl.”

  The whining was close. I moved a box to find a crate with metal slates for sides. On top of the crate was a big box. Mal stuck her nose out between the slates and cried.

  “Mal!”

  Rex was suddenly beside me. He pulled the heavy box off the top of the crate. I shoved the lid aside and pulled my puppy out of the box.

  “Mal, oh, Mal,” I said, and held her close. She shivered in my arms, but seemed intact. No blood. No harm. She kissed my cheek and I held her against me. I stood and looked at Rex. “I did not put her down here.”

  “Someone has a key to your basement,” he said, his voice gruff.

  “That’s not good,” I said. “All I could see was that headless chicken.”

  “I’ll have Shane come down here and see if he can’t pull fingerprints or something.” Rex guided me up the stairs. “I don’t like this, not one bit.”

  I climbed up into the light of the lobby. “Oh, Mal!” Jenn said, and rushed over to me. She patted Mal’s head. “Where was she?”

  “She was in a crate in the back of the basement.”

  “A crate?” Jenn looked at me, her gaze concerned. “Did she fall into it?”

  “Not unless she figured out how to put a heavy box on top of the crate and another box in front of the crate,” Rex said.

  “Someone put her in the basement? How?” Jenn asked.

  “I don’t know,” I said. “The door was locked.”

  “But the keys are behind the reception desk,” Rex said. “Is there a key to your apartment also on that ring?”

  “It’s a master key,” I said. “So, yes.”

  “You need to keep those keys on you at all times,” he said. “Leaving them down here is not safe. Especially with Frances and Mr. Devaney gone.”

  “Trust me, I’m not going to let them out of my sight,” I swore. I went over to the desk and took a treat out of the dish that Frances kept on the reception desk and gave one to Mal. “I’m so sorry you went through that, baby. When I find out who did that to you . . .”

  “Don’t say anything further,” Rex said. “We all feel like you do, but no one’s going to act like a vigilante. Shane will get some prints and we’ll find out who did this.”

  “It might be a prank,” Jenn said. “We didn’t find any notes.”

  “This is nuts,” I said. “It’s broad daylight out. Who can come into the McMurphy, hang a threat in my utility closet, and then take my dog and put her in the basement like that?”

  “It’s the locked door part that bothers me,” Jenn said.

  “I’m calling the security company and doing whatever it takes to get them out here today,” I said. “We’re getting all the locks changed.”

  The doorbells rang and we all looked to see Sandy come inside. She froze at the front door. “What?”

  “Someone played a prank on the dog,” Sharon said without looking up from her magazine.

  “Mal?” Sandy asked.

  The pup brightened at the sound of her name. “They put her in a crate in the basement—the locked basement.” I gave the dog a little squeeze.

  “That’s not good,” Sandy said.

  “Did you see anything unusual?” I asked. “I know you were in the kitchen after I went upstairs. Did you see anyone come in that didn’t belong?”

  “No,” Sandy said. “Just the Goers, who checked out. Oh, Mrs. Tunison’s nephew Zack came in and bought a pound of fudge. But that’s it.”

  “Did Zack go anywhere but the fudge shop?” Rex asked.

  “No,” Sandy said with a shake of her head. “He came in, bought some fudge, and left.”

  “It could have been a distraction,” Rex said thoughtfully. “Who does Zack hang around with?”

  “That Rick Sunjin is usually with Zack,” Sandy said. “I didn’t see him, though.”

  “What time did Zack come in?”

  “It was just after Sharon came in,” Sandy said. “So around nine a.m.”

  “I was upstairs showering then,” I said. “I would have known if anyone came into the apartment and took Mal. At least I’d like to think that. I don’t want to imagine that they came in while I was in the shower.” I turned to Jenn. “I can’t remember if I saw her after I got out of the shower.”

  “Let’s try to stay calm,” Rex said. “This sounds like a couple of kids playing pranks. I think we can rule out the killer.”

  “I’m not so sure,” Sharon said. We all turned to look at her. She held up an envelope. “This was in the in-box on the reception desk.”

  Chapter 18

  “Let me see it,” Rex said, and held out his hand.

  “It’s my mail,” I said, and handed Mal to Jenn. The pup squirmed and kissed her cheek. The envelope was addressed to me. The font used mimicked cutout letters for a ransom note. I took the envelope and opened it with the clean slice of the letter opener. Inside was a single sheet of paper. “Oh,” I said as I read it. “You aren’t as smart as you think you are.”

  “What?” Rex asked.

  I showed him the letter. My hand trembling.

  “There isn’t a chess move,” Jenn said. She handed Mal to me as Rex took the letter. “That means it’s not the killer, right?”

  “I’m afraid we can’t rule it out,” Rex said. “This is threatening.” He looked at me. “I want to search the McMurphy from the basement up. If this guy is still in your house, I want to know.”

  I squeezed Mal. “I’m going upstairs to the office to call the security company.”

  “Jenn, could you go with her?” Rex asked. “I don’t want anyone going anywhere alone in the McMurphy until we search every room.” He got on his walkie. “Charlene, get two more officers to the McMurphy. We’re going to do a lockdown.” He looked at me. “That means no one comes in or goes out until we search the place.”

  The bells to the front door rang out and we all turned to see Dirk entering the building. “Dude, I heard there was a problem. Is it part of the murders?”

  “We don’t know yet,” Rex said.

  “I thought you were filming this morning,” I said.

  “Oh, no, setup is today. Shooting was set for tomorr
ow, but who knows if it’ll happen. Something happened to the equipment last night so they canceled today’s setup,” Dirk said, and put his hands in his back pockets with a shrug.

  “What happened?” Rex asked.

  “They were unpacking stuff and discovered some of the equipment had gotten crushed. Weird, though, as they really pack that stuff well. I mean it’s make or break for a show, you know? Anyway, Jeffery was happy. It gave him more time to perfect his script.”

  “Was it vandalism?” Rex asked.

  “Maybe,” Dirk said. “I don’t know. It’s not my gig, you know?”

  Officer Lasko and Williams came through the doors. “I heard you wanted a lockdown,” Officer Lasko said. “What’s up?”

  “We’ve got a threat. I want the place gone over from top to bottom,” Rex said. “Allie, I need to know who is in what rooms. I’ll need you to come with me to search the rooms in use.”

  “Right,” I said, and handed Mal to Jenn. “Find Mella, too, please. Keep my fur babies safe.”

  “I can do that,” Jenn said. “Text me if you need anything.”

  I went to the receptionist desk, nudged Sharon out of the way and pulled up the names of guests and their room numbers.

  “I’ll take my break now,” Sharon said as she got off Frances’s stool and went to the ladies’ room in the lobby hallway.

  “I’ve got the names,” I said as I walked over to the printer and picked up the sheets. “Good thing we’re not fully booked.”

  “You can check my room first,” Terry Dubbs said.

  I was surprised she was still there. “I’m so sorry,” I said. “I didn’t mean to keep you so long.”

  “No worries,” she said with a smile and put her hands on Dirk’s bicep. “This is great research. Hello, have you ever modeled for a romance cover?”

  Dirk patted her hand. “No, ma’am, but I would consider it.”

  “I’m an author. I know a few people in the book business.”

  “Well, then we need to talk.” Dirk pulled Terry to the settee and sat down. I shook my head. The man was always about advancing his image.

  Shane came down the stairs with the bear under his arm. “Utility room has been processed.”

  “What are you going to do with that?” Jenn asked as she met him on the stairs.

  “Evidence,” he said, and pushed his glasses up on his nose.

  “I need you to process the basement,” Rex said.

  “Someone took Mal and put her in a crate in the locked basement,” I said.

  “What? Who would do that?” Shane asked.

  “A crazy person,” Jenn said, and hugged Mal until the puppy squeaked. “I’m going to find Mella and take the fur babies up to the apartment.”

  “I saw the cat on the second floor,” Shane said. “I’d put the dog upstairs first.”

  “She’s not going up alone,” I said. “Sandy, can you go with Jenn? I need to go with Rex to check out the guest rooms.”

  “Sure,” Sandy said. “Come on, I’ll get the cat.”

  “Thanks,” Jenn said and they disappeared up the stairs.

  “Was the basement door locked?” Shane asked as he put the life-size bear on the settee across from Dirk and Terry.

  “Yes,” I said. “I have no idea how they got her down there.”

  He studied the door. “It wasn’t forced. They had to have a key.”

  “They could have gotten the master from the keys behind reception,” Rex said.

  “Hmm,” Shane said. He pulled out his kit and dusted the door for fingerprints.

  Rex looked at Officers Lasko and Williams. “Lock the front door and do a thorough search of the basement and first floor. Be careful in the basement. There’s a tunnel but it was walled off earlier this summer.”

  “We’ll check it, boss,” Officer Lasko said.

  “Come with me, Allie,” Rex said. “Let’s work our way up from the second floor.”

  We walked up to the second floor and passed Sandy and Jenn. Each woman had a fur baby in her arm and headed up to the apartment. The first two rooms were empty. The third room was the one that Mella had been inspecting when I’d discovered the utility prank.

  “Is this the room with the door left open?” Rex asked as he carefully pushed the door farther open.

  “Yes,” I said. “I went in and didn’t see anything unusual.”

  He carefully entered and checked the bathroom, closets, and under the bed. “Nothing.”

  “Do you think whoever did this is still in the hotel? I figure they might be long gone.”

  “It’s better to be safe,” he said and we walked by the utility closet. He poked his head inside. “Did you ever fix your attic problem?”

  “Yes,” I said. “No one has access to it but through my apartment.”

  “I’m going to have to check it.”

  “Sure,” I said. “This room is occupied.” I knocked on the door. “Hello? Management!” I waited to a count of five and tried the knock again. “Management. We’re going to enter the room.” I paused and still no answer, so I unlocked the door. Rex went inside. The curtains were closed, leaving the room in darkness. He turned on the light. “The Wrights are staying in this room.”

  They had left the bed unmade and their suitcases open on the suitcase bench. There were dirty towels on the floor, but no sign of anything untoward. The rest of the rooms on the floor were empty as well. Luckily, it was early enough that the people who were booked for the night were out sightseeing.

  “Next floor,” Rex said. We eased up to the third floor. This floor was more heavily occupied.

  “Management,” I said, and pounded on the door.

  A gentleman stuck his head out. “Yeah?”

  “We’ve had a break-in,” I said. “Have you seen anything unusual?”

  “No,” he said with a scowl and a shake of his head. “I’ve been watching sports.”

  “Do you mind if we search your room?” Rex asked. He had an intense expression that made most people do whatever he wanted.

  “Search all you want,” he said, and stepped aside. “I’ve got nothing to hide.”

  I glanced at my paper as Rex went inside. “Thank you, Mister Tiller.”

  “Grant,” he said.

  “The place is clear,” Rex said. “Thank you for your cooperation.”

  “Sure,” Grant said, and looked at me. “Certainly a lot going on lately. I booked the room after season thinking it would be quiet.”

  “I’m sorry for the inconvenience,” I said, and walked to the next room. There were four people on the third floor. The rest of the rooms were empty. “Up to the apartment floor?” I asked Rex. “It seems futile. I mean, whoever did this is clearly gone by now.”

  “Let’s not make any assumptions.”

  “Right,” I said with a frown. “It’s unnerving to think my guests might be in danger.”

  “And you are in danger,” he said gently. “Most likely it’s pranksters. I mean, they didn’t harm Mal.”

  “No, but they wanted me to know that they could,” I said and tears of frustration filled my eyes.

  “Someone had to see something,” he said. “It’s a small island.”

  “Maybe I should get Liz involved,” I said. “If the newspaper reports the incidents it will get people talking.”

  “Where has Liz been?” Rex asked as he waited for me to open the office door and let him check it out. “She wasn’t at the last murder scene.”

  “You’re right,” I said thoughtfully as I waved him inside the office. “I wonder if she’s on vacation or something. Jenn would know.”

  “I thought you and Liz were friends,” Rex said as he went through the office with a careful eye. My office was a large room. It held bookshelves and file cabinets with records that went back over one hundred years. Rex looked under the desks that sat in the center of the room.

  “We are,” I said. “I’ve been a bit distracted.”

  “When was the last ti
me you heard from her?”

  “I don’t know. It was the first crime scene last week.”

  “I’ll make a note to go check on her.”

  “Wait,” I said, and put my hand on his arm. “Do you think something’s happened?”

  “I don’t know,” he said, and put his hand over mine and squeezed. “I think it’s worth checking on.”

  “I’m the worst friend.”

  “Stop, we’ve all been busy.”

  “Hey, boss,” Officer Lasko said, sticking her head into the office. “We’re done with the basement. Shane picked up a few fingerprints, but that’s all there was.”

  “We’re almost done here,” Rex said. “Why don’t you check the attic?”

  “This place has an attic?” she asked.

  “Yes,” I said. “Let me show you.”

  I unlocked the apartment and Jenn and Sandy sat on the couch talking. Mal jumped up to greet us.

  “Find anything?” Jenn asked.

  “No,” I said with a frown. “Rex is going to check the apartment and Officer Lasko is going to double-check the attic. But it seems whoever did this is long gone.”

  “I don’t like the fact that they got Mal out of the apartment,” Jenn said. She stood and hugged her waist. “I’ve called a locksmith. He’ll be over the minute the police allow us to open our doors again.”

  “I agree,” I said. “I’ve got the master keys with me, but that doesn’t mean the entire place isn’t compromised. We know that it’s pretty easy to make copies of keys.”

  “The attic?” Lasko asked.

  “Through here,” I said, and took her to Jenn’s bedroom. It had an entrance to the attic. The McMurphy had had a secret passage that led to the attic and a dumbwaiter system from the early 1920s. But I had had that boarded off earlier this spring. Officer Lasko pulled down the stairs and went up into the attic.

  “Check for squirrels while you’re up there,” I teased. She turned and sent me a narrow-eyed look. I raised my hands to say I didn’t mean any harm by the comment. She pulled a flashlight out and went up into the attic. Rex came into the bedroom and checked the closets and under the beds.

  “The apartment is clear,” he said. “Lasko still in the attic?”