by Cindy Bell
Peaches pranced right up onto Ally’s stomach and curled up. She stretched out her paws and yawned. “Oh, am I boring you?” Ally scratched her ears. “Maybe you’re right. Maybe I’m over thinking it. Luke is a reasonable man, from what I know of him.” She bit into her bottom lip as she recalled the tension that had built up between her and Luke. She did her best to avoid him as she wasn’t sure what to make of how she felt when she was around him. With her divorce still fresh in her mind, and adjusting to being back in the town she grew up in, she had enough confusing emotions to deal with. The strange thing was that when she was around Luke, all of that confusion disappeared. “Then again, what if he does listen? What if he will tell me what I need to know? You’re right, Peaches, it’s worth a try.”
She pulled herself up off the bed and walked towards the closet. She wanted to find out what she could from Luke. Ally looked through her closet for something to wear. She mostly wore jeans and a flannelette top since moving back to Blue River, but she wanted to wear something a bit smarter to give her the confidence to talk to Luke about the case. She chose a blouse and a snug wraparound skirt. Even as she smoothed it down over her hips her heart fluttered with guilt that she was going to ask Luke to reveal information to her. But desperate times called for desperate measures, at least that’s what she told herself. With one more look in the mirror she smoothed her hair down. Now, she had to hope that Luke really did like her and would want to share the information with her.
***
When Ally arrived at the police station she was greeted by a woman with short, gray hair and thick, blue glasses.
“What is it that you want?” She squinted at Ally.
“I need to speak with Luke, please.”
“And you are?”
“Uh, a friend.”
“Are you aware that this is a place of work? I mean, you can’t just walk in and ask to talk to your buddy.” She raised a pencil thin, gray eyebrow. “Not only that, it is a police station. Your friend Luke has a job to do, and I’m sure he’s doing it.”
“Ally?” Luke walked out of the back room and towards the front desk. “What are you doing here?”
“Your friend is here to see you.” The woman rolled her eyes and shifted her chair away from the desk.
Luke’s lips quirked slightly as if he might smile, but he caught himself before he did, and pressed his lips together hard.
“What can I help you with, Ally?” Luke said as he gestured for her to walk away from the woman at the front desk so they were out of earshot.
“It’s more about what you can do for me, Luke.” Ally did her best to offer a sweet smile. She wasn’t sure if it was effective, but Luke’s eyes did appear to light up.
“Anything you need.” He rested one hand on the wall beside him.
“I want you to open the shop.”
“Anything, but that.” He grimaced.
“Surely, you can make an exception.” Ally tossed her hair over her shoulder. Or at least she attempted to. She only managed to scratch the side of her neck and get one of her rings tangled. She jerked her hand free and bit her tongue to keep from crying out. Luke quirked a brow. He lowered his hand from the wall and met her eyes.
“Are you asking me for a personal favor, Ally?”
“Would that work?”
“Come with me.” He held open the partition to the rest of the station. Ally’s heart skipped a beat. She wasn’t sure if it was a good idea to willingly cross that line. What would be next? Would he fingerprint her? Take her mugshot? She shuddered at the thought.
“Why don’t we talk outside?” Ally asked.
“I’d like to talk to you at my desk.” He gestured towards another area of the open room.
“Why?”
“Look Ally, I know you’re probably upset, but until we can ensure the safety of the public the shop has to stay closed.”
“Fine, don’t open it. There’s something else you can do for me.”
“What is it?” He met her eyes. Ally was quite aware that the woman was still watching her.
“I want to see what evidence you have against the shop.”
“Huh?” He took a slight step back. “What do you mean see it?”
“I mean, you came into the shop, you invaded it with a bunch of police officers, and shut it down. But never once did you show us what proof you had that gave you the right to do so.”
“Ally, I don’t have to show you proof. I had a warrant to search the shop, which your grandmother was served. I also had the go ahead from the health department to shutter the shop until the matter could be cleared up.”
“Okay fine, but that’s just paperwork.” Ally crossed her arms. “That doesn’t amount to much to me.”
“So, you’re asking to see what evidence I used to get the warrant?” He raked his gaze along her face. Ally did her best to keep every twitch under control. She didn’t want Luke to think that she would back down for any reason. But the truth was she was horrified by the idea of paperwork being sent to a judge that included an accusation that somehow she or her grandmother had poisoned Myrtle. Her stomach churned with the very thought of that accusation lingering as a permanent smudge on her grandmother’s reputation.
“Yes, if you’re going to investigate us, then I would like to know on what grounds.”
“Ally, you know it isn’t like that.” He moved past the partition between the lobby and the rest of the police station. The closer he got to her the more Ally’s determination faded. She wanted to be angry, but his presence soothed her nerves. There was no explanation for it, that’s just how it was.
“Do I? Because it seems just like that. If you really believe that we had nothing to do with the crime then it shouldn’t be a problem to show me what evidence you have. I want to know if the chocolates that poisoned Myrtle were really ours.”
“They were in a box from your shop.”
“That doesn’t mean that they weren’t tampered with afterwards.”
“How do you think someone would tamper with chocolates?” He shook his head. “I don’t think that’s possible.”
“It must have been, because I packaged those chocolates myself. No one else besides Charlotte and me could have touched them. Something must have happened to them after they were already at the facility.”
“That sounds like something to discuss. So please, join me at my desk.” He rested one hand on her shoulder. His touch was light and in no way restraining, but Ally’s entire body tensed in reaction to it.
“I don’t see why we can’t talk outside.”
“And I don’t see why we can’t talk at my desk. Ally, you are involved in a criminal case, and it’s best if we speak somewhere a bit more structured. If you can’t work with me on this, I’m not sure how we’re going to get anywhere.”
Ally eyed him for a moment. For some odd reason she felt as if he was referring to more than just the case.
“All right.” She nodded. “But I am free to leave at any time?”
“Of course you are.” He removed his hand from her shoulder and held the partition open again. This time Ally walked through it. As they made their way towards his desk Ally caught sight of a poster on the wall that promoted the upcoming blood drive. The sharp point of the needle on the poster made an idea pop into her head.
“Wait a minute. Could someone have injected the poison into the chocolates? That would barely leave a mark.”
“I don’t know. I guess it’s possible. But we might not have a way to prove it. It’s worth looking into though, but if the chocolates melted even a little the hole would disappear.”
“That doesn’t mean it didn’t happen.”
“No, of course it doesn’t, but it’s nothing we can use to reopen the shop. We need to find out what happened to those chocolates beyond a shadow of a doubt.”
“Okay, then tell me what evidence you have.”
Luke pulled out a chair and looked at Ally. “First, you tell me what you know.”
>
“What I know?”
Luke patted the top of the chair. “Have a seat.”
Ally narrowed her eyes. “I came here to find out information from you, not be questioned.”
“And I need to question you for the case. So, we both need something the other can provide. You answer my questions, I’ll answer yours.” He smiled.
“You first.”
“I’m afraid that’s not how it works. If you would please sit down.” He patted the back of the chair again. Ally eased herself into the chair. Luke sat down behind his desk and settled his gaze on her. “Did you see Myrtle eat the chocolates?”
Ally pursed her lips. She didn’t think it would do anything to help her or her grandmother’s case if she told him that she had seen Myrtle take an entire box of chocolates, not long before the woman could barely stand upright.
“Not exactly.”
“Not exactly?” Luke sighed and ran his hands down his cheeks. “Okay so, you want me to share my information with you, but you’re not willing to share your information with me. How is that going to work?”
“My information isn’t going to land you in jail.”
“Ally.” Luke leaned forward. His voice lowered as he looked directly into her eyes. “Unless I believe that you are somehow responsible for Myrtle’s death, which I don’t, I am not going to arrest you.”
“And my grandmother?”
“I don’t think they make cuffs that could hold her.” Luke cracked a smile.
“I don’t think it’s funny.” Ally crossed her arms, but she smiled slightly.
“You can’t really believe that I suspect you or Charlotte.”
“I know that the shop is closed.”
“What if it wasn’t? Either way the chocolates that were poisoned came from your shop, there’s no getting around that. How would it look if I didn’t close down the shop? I have people I answer to, and they would want an explanation from me about not following the proper procedures.”
“I see.” Ally felt some relief that maybe Luke wasn’t focused on them as suspects. “Well, I do know that Myrtle was a big fan of my grandmother’s chocolates. When she saw the boxes of chocolates on the table she asked me if she could take one of the boxes. I agreed, and she took an entire box of chocolates.”
“Wow. It seems like she ate most of them.”
“But there is no way that they were poisoned at the time she took them. No one else besides me and Charlotte had touched them or been near them. Now, I gave you some information, it’s your turn to give me some. I want the photographic evidence. Maybe if I look at the photos I can help.”
Luke studied her for a moment. “Okay, I’ll show what I can in case there’s something in them that you notice that can help me solve the case. I believe that I can trust you with this information. Can I?”
The question took Ally by surprise. She had been focused only on whether she could trust him, not the other way around.
“Yes.” She held his gaze. He tapped his fingertips against a folder on his desk and he moved it between them. Ally braced herself for what she was about to see.
“In here are a few photographs of the crime scene,” Luke said.
Luke flipped it open. Inside were three large photographs. The first was of a police outline where the body had been found. It was on the plush carpet beside the bed. There was no photograph of the body, which Ally was grateful for. Luke showed her the next photograph. This one was of the bedside table. On the table Ally could see that there was an open box of chocolates, a deck of cards, a business card of some kind, and a greeting card. She couldn’t make out the writing on the chocolate box or what the business card or greeting card said.
The last photograph was a close up of the box of chocolates on Myrtle’s bedside table. A box of chocolates, from Charlotte’s Chocolate Heaven. Ally was stunned as she stared at the box. She was certain that she would be able to prove to Luke that there was some mistake, but the name of the shop was printed on the box. There were only three chocolates left in the box.
“Can you see anything that proves the chocolates didn’t come from the shop?” Luke asked. Ally just shook her head. “Anything that indicates how they were poisoned?” Ally shook her head again. “Anything you want to tell me, Ally?”
“No,” she managed to say.
“Why don’t I make us a coffee and you can think about it?”
Ally nodded as Luke closed the folder and moved it to the corner of his desk. He walked to the back room to make coffee.
Ally wanted to look at the photos again. Maybe if she had more time to look at them or if she could show them to her grandmother she would be able to work out if something was out of place. Ally knew that Luke wouldn’t give her a copy of the photographs. She could hear the coffee machine going. She looked around to make sure no one was watching and slowly slid the folder towards her. She pulled out her phone and snapped a picture of the photo that showed the box of chocolates. The moment she did she felt guilty because she knew that she had just broken his trust. But with the name of the chocolate shop on the side of the box, she wondered how long he would believe in her innocence. If the chocolates were from the shop, if they were poisoned with antifreeze, then all of the evidence pointed at her and her grandmother. She could only hope that the police would need more evidence than that to initiate an arrest. She heard footsteps coming back towards her.
She snapped the folder shut and moved it back to the corner of his desk where he had left it. A moment later he held out a cup of coffee to her.
“Think of anything important?”
“No.” Ally took the coffee. He sat down across from her.
“I was hoping you might. I’m at a dead end so far.”
Ally shook her head. “All I can tell you is that those chocolates were not poisoned when I made them, or when I picked them up from the shop.”
“Wait a minute.” Luke leaned forward and looked into her eyes. “Are you saying you left the chocolates at the shop overnight?”
“Well, yes. We picked them up in the morning to take with us to the open house.”
“So anyone could have accessed them?”
“Not anyone. Only Mee-Maw and I have a key.”
“But someone could have broken in?”
Ally started to shake her head, but then she recalled opening up the shop that morning. “There were smudges on the window I had cleaned the previous day and I had a difficult time unlocking the door that morning, but I thought it was just because I was tired.”
“I think that you need to consider that someone might have broken in and poisoned the chocolates.”
Ally grimaced. “But the boxes were sealed. They were still sealed when I picked them up.”
“Are you sure about that? Did you check them?”
Ally closed her eyes. “The morning was so hectic, we were running late. I don’t know for sure if I checked them.”
“Okay. That’s a place to start.” Luke reached across the desk and gave her hand a light stroke. “Don’t worry, all right? I’m on this. Everything will work out in the end.”
Ally’s hand tingled where he touched it. Her heart flipped with the determination of his reassurance. She desperately wanted to believe him and his clear gaze, the soft curve of his lips, and the gentle pressure of his touch, all worked together to convince her that he might just be right.
Chapter Five
By the time Ally arrived back at the cottage, all the reassurance she had felt from Luke had disappeared. She was in full panic mode as she tried to figure out what could have happened.
“Ally? What did you find out?” Charlotte left the stove and what she was stirring. “Is Luke planning on making an arrest?”
“Not yet.” Ally frowned. “I took a picture of one of the crime scene photos, it shows the box of chocolates. It didn’t come out great, but here take a look.” Ally handed her the phone. While her grandmother looked at the picture Ally paced throughout the kitchen. “It’s
not looking good, Mee-Maw. Luke thinks it’s possible that someone broke in the night before the open house and poisoned the chocolates.”
“Luke is wrong.”
“That’s what I thought at first. But then I remembered that the window I had cleaned the day before was smudged and the lock was difficult to open.”
“No, he’s wrong about the entire thing.”
“What do you mean?” Ally turned to face her grandmother.
“I mean that the chocolates in this photograph are not from our shop.” She held up the picture with the three remaining chocolates in the box.
“But it says right on the side of the box…”
“I don’t care what it says on the side of the box. I know my chocolates, and these are not them.”
“How do you know?” Ally peered at the picture.
“Whoever made these walnut, expresso creams used a whole walnut and it’s not caramelized, I only use half a caramelized walnut on these chocolates.”
“Are you sure it’s whole?” Ally raised an eyebrow. “The picture isn’t that great.”
“I’m sure. I know the difference,” Charlotte said emphatically. “You have only made the expresso, walnut chocolates with me so there is no way you could have made that mistake. Could you?”
“No,” Ally said.
“Those chocolates did not come from our shop! Something is definitely not adding up here.”
“What we need to do is find out where those chocolates came from. Maybe if we get into her room we could find some evidence of what happened with the chocolates.”
“Do you really think that’s a good idea?” Charlotte quirked an eyebrow. “If we get caught…”
“If I get caught. I will be the one going in, Mee-Maw.”
“I don’t know.” Charlotte frowned. “It seems risky to me.”
“It’s the only way we can get some idea of who did this to Myrtle. If we can figure out where those other chocolates came from, then we might be able to track down the person that poisoned them. It seems pretty obvious that whoever did it was attempting to frame our shop. They made sure the chocolates looked similar to ours and they packaged them in some of our packaging. So, they are clever, and intent on pinning the blame on us. If we just sit on our hands this is only going to get worse.”