“Get away with what? Taking down a few restaurants… Who cares?” another man’s voice came back, this one much louder.
“It’s more than that. You aren’t taking restaurants down, you’re hurting people, Eric. That’s not okay.”
Eric. Now Joss knew that one of the voices belonged to Eric, the owner of the market. He was the one spreading rumors about the diner and vandalizing the bistro. What on earth would he do that for? Joss could understand that he was upset with Becky, but involving the diner was out of line.
“No one cares. Those two foolish women think they are trying to take each other down, and for good reason, too. It’s not hard to understand. Well, I suppose it is for you. Dad always said you didn’t have any common sense.”
“That’s enough about Dad! I’ve been living my life based on what the two of you want. You should have let me work for Becky, but instead you tried guilting me into what Dad would want. You threatened to tell him that I wasn’t keeping up with my part of the market. I don’t even have a part in the market. You do. You’re the boss. I’m just Niles the stock boy.”
Joss couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Eric and Niles were brothers? No wonder why people had been saying it seemed like they had more of a connection that just being coworkers. It made sense that Niles gave in the day Joss saw them arguing outside of the bistro. Eric was not only the boss at the market, but also seemed to be their father’s favorite.
“He wanted us to work together, and you had some nonsense idea that working at a restaurant was going to be a better idea. These people were ruining that plan. Becky tried taking my staff, and I did what I had to do.”
Eric killed Jane? Joss knew that Eric wasn’t happy with Becky but killing her employee, one of his old employees seemed crazy. Joss pulled out her phone, ready to call the police. While he hadn’t specifically admitted to killing her, Joss thought that things had escalated enough to involve them. Just as she was about to dial, she saw someone at the back of the building. Before she knew what was happening, Ashley came charging toward the men.
“Ashley, no!” Joss yelled, not wanting her involved.
Niles turned around just in time to see Ashely and he grabbed her, holding her close as though he was protecting her from Eric.
“Niles, what are you doing?” Ashely cried. “How could you let him do this to Jane? You loved her.”
Joss couldn’t just stand there. She sent a quick text and ran to the group, not sure what she was even going to do.
“What is going on here?” Eric’s voice boomed. “How long have you two been listening to us?”
“Long enough to hear that you were the one involved in the diner having less business,” Joss said, glaring at him. “You said you loved it there. Why would you do that?”
“Eric killed Jane! Who cares about the diner right now?” Ashley screamed, trying to get closer to Eric. She looked like she was ready to attack.
Joss knew that wasn’t true.
“I don’t think so,” Joss got closer to Eric.
“Stay away from him! Be careful” Ashley yelled to Joss.
“Eric, what you did wasn’t right. But you didn’t kill Jane, did you?” Joss stepped closer again.
Eric shook his head.
Ashley had a confused look on her face, and tried breaking free of Niles. Niles had a different plan, and pulled out a knife, pointing it at Ashley.
Everything became clear to Joss. “Eric and Niles are brothers, and when Niles tried to get the job with Becky, Eric denied him. He made Niles feel bad and like he was being forced into staying at the market in obligation to his family. Is that right, Niles?” Joss asked.
Niles gave a single nod. “I didn’t kill Jane, like Ashley said, I loved her.” His hand was shaking.
“See, Joss. I told you. Stay away from Eric!” Ashley yelled again.
“I’m sure you did. But when Jane left the market and went to work for Becky, it made you mad, didn’t it? You were jealous that she got to work there, but you had to stay at the market.”
“Joss! Help!” Ashley screamed, Niles was holding her tighter.
“I didn’t do it. It was my brother. He already admitted to everything else, so he might as well just tell the truth,” Niles said, bringing the knife away from Ashley and toward Eric.
Eric held up his hands, backing away.
“Got it, bro? Just tell the truth.” Niles glared at Eric.
Out of nowhere, Eric perked up, bravery in his voice. “Admit to what? Being a good son? Doing what Dad wanted? I don’t see any harm in that. He always liked me better.”
Joss couldn’t believe what Eric was saying. She believed Niles was the one to kill Jane, but now, with Eric’s newfound confidence and arrogance, she wasn’t so sure.
Niles released Ashley, pushing her away. She ran to Joss, tears in her eyes.
“We have to call the police,” Joss whispered, realizing the text she sent to Becky earlier mustn’t have been received. “Do you have your phone?”
Ashely turned her head, nudging Joss.
The police were there. Becky had gotten her text and the police had come around the back of the building. They’d been holding off while Niles had Ashley in his arms, but within seconds of him letting her go, they were coming closer.
“He always did like you better, huh? I guess the good son going to prison for murder will be that much better. Sweet revenge. I’ve been waiting all my life to one-up you. Now, I’ll just kill all of you like I killed Jane, and I can do whatever I want with my life. I’ll shut down this market faster than… oooooof.”
Niles didn’t get to finish his sentence when Verona Price, Lemon Bay’s Chief of Police, came crashing into him, knocking him down, kicking the knife away at the last second.
Chapter Seventeen
“A killer,” Luke said, shaking his head.
“I mean, it made sense for a few minutes,” Joss said, hoping Luke saw the humor.
“I would never, ever, in a million years do something like that, Joss.” Luke stepped back to take in the diner’s newest addition.
“I know. I think I always knew. You have to admit that you would have had a solid motive, though, right?”
“You have no idea how angry I was with Becky. I never did anything to her that would make her think she had to lie to me. I always stood behind her.” Luke pointed. “What do you think?”
“I think it’s great. It looks perfect.” Joss looked up at the sign. “Why didn’t you just tell me about it?”
“I suppose I thought that you’d overreact,” Luke explained.
“I didn’t overreact until I saw a photo of you skulking around in the middle of the night hiding a sign in your garage,” Joss reminded him. “If you would have told me about the sign, I’d never have thought you were a murderer.”
“So, it’s my fault?” Luke grinned.
“How about we compromise and call it your neighbor’s fault. Who would have known you had such a nosy neighbor?” Joss commented, trying not to laugh.
“He should get together with Mrs. Krispin, and you shouldn’t open envelopes that don’t belong to you.” Luke raised a brow.
“I didn’t know.” Joss shrugged. “In the future, I’ll know that your neighbor has a security system and that he watches your house for intruders. It’s actually kind of funny he thought you were intruding at your own house.”
“I talked to him about calling me, or sending the picture in any other way but a cryptic envelope on my doorstep, especially when someone had just been murdered. I explained to him how bad it looked.”
“Maybe he really should meet Mrs. Krispin. She’s a lover of mysteries and other people’s lives,” Joss said in good fun, she really loved Mrs. Krispin.
“I went over there personally to make sure her washing machine was fixed. She has no reason to be at the laundromat snooping on Becky now,” Luke said.
“Speaking of Becky. Did you ever talk to her?” Joss asked.
“I did.
” Luke pursed his lips. “She apologized for not being honest, and asked if I wanted to come to her soft-opening.”
Joss snickered. “Why on earth would she want you there?”
“Becky trusts my opinion, and thinks that I’d be honest with her if I thought something was wrong with her place.”
“Are you going to go?” Joss asked.
“No.”
“Oh, good. I can only imagine how awkward that would be.” Joss let out a breath.
“You won’t have to imagine it. You’ll be there to witness it.” Luke looked up at his sign again, and back down at Joss.
“Uhh. What?”
“I told Becky that it was best if I stayed back at the diner. I’ve been out of town and with all the trouble that Niles guy caused, I thought it was best if I was at the diner, making sure everyone knew the food was good, and nothing had ever happened at all.”
“You volunteered me instead? Is that payback or something?” Joss gave her best mean face.
“Something like that. I have you and Dina off the schedule for that entire day. I already set it up with Dina for her to find you something to wear.” Luke belly laughed.
Joss swatted Luke in the arm. “Why are you punishing me?”
“I also told Ryan and Richie about it so you won’t have to go alone with Dina. See, I thought of you a little.”
“You’re too kind,” Joss said, sticking her tongue out at her favorite boss. “I can’t get over the fact that Dina will be there at all.
“She apologized to Becky, and I don’t think she made it very easy for Becky to take no for an answer.” Luke chuckled.
“Good. Becky doesn’t really have too much room to argue.”
“Isn’t that the truth.”
“You look…” Ryan began, looking Joss over.
“Shut up.”
“It’s just… you look….” He tried again.
“Like Dina. I look like Dina, and you can still shut up.”
Joss, the people pleaser that she was, felt bad when Dina had offered her a dozen different options for an outfit on the night of Becky’s opening. There was no way Joss was wearing suspenders, and no way she’d be caught dead in a boa or a floor length ball gown, she did have some limits, but when Dina pulled out a lime green dress with very intricately detailed citrus fruits all over it, Joss gave up. She hated everything that Dina offered, and she realized that Dina was catching on, so Joss put her standards behind her, and donned the citrus dress.
“Are you ready for this? I can’t believe we’re going,” Ryan said, not even attempting to hide the goofy smile on his face.
“Me either. I’m still upset with Becky for what she did, but I can’t just let her do this on her own. She worked hard and deserves a little support,” Joss admitted, hating every second of it.
Ryan opened the door to Becky’s Bistro, pausing to point at the sign above the door that no longer matched the one Dina had created, and gestured for Joss to go inside. Sitting at the tables were Garth and Ashley, Dina and Richie, and to Joss’ surprise, Eric along with a few others Joss didn’t recognize. She smiled, realizing that no matter what happened, when a person in a small town needed some support, you could always count on the residents of Lemon Bay to be there.
Well, most of them.
Also by Gretchen Allen
Sundae Afternoon Series
Book 1: Triple Dipped Murder
Book 2: Melt Down Murder
Book 3: A Twist of Murder
Book 4: Caked in Murder
Book 5: Shivers of Murder
Book 6: A Flurry of Murder
Book 7: Two Scoops of Murder
The Day and Night Diner
Book 1: Pancakes and Pleas
Book 2: Burgers and Bodies
Book 3: Steaks and Suspects
The Cozy Tales of a Professional Mermaid
Book 1: Criminals and Coral
Holly and Evergreen
Book 1: The Final Sleigh
Author’s Note
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