Less than a minute later a door leading further into the building opened and Detective Clint Johnson in all his tall blond gorgeousness stepped into the waiting area.
“Hello, Ms. Darling. I wasn’t expecting you to be here,” Clint said when he spotted Dani sitting next to Marla.
“Hello, Detective Johnson,” Dani said matching Clint’s formality. “This is Marla Nettles a friend of Guy Mason’s. She got a call asking her to come in.” Dani raised her eyebrows at Clint, hoping the subtle signal would be all he needed to understand he needed to be gentle with Marla.
“Yes, of course,” Clint said and then turned to Marla. “I’m very sorry for your loss, Ma’am.” His voice was kind and tender and Dani couldn’t help but wonder what it would be like for Clint to whisper nice things, instead of threats, into her ear.
“If you two ladies will follow me this way I’ll take you back to the Coroner’s Department.”
Clint held a door open for them and then took the lead as the three walked down a long hallway. When they reached the door that said CORONER, Clint took out a swipe card and ran it through a card reader. The door clicked, then buzzed before he pushed it open.
Again he held the door for Dani and Marla, but this time, the space seemed tighter than before and Dani couldn’t help but brush up against him slightly as she walked through the doorway. When she looked back over her shoulder to see if he’d noticed Clint was looking down — toward Dani’s butt!
Dani felt a flash of heat course through her body as she realized Clint was checking her out. She turned away quickly, sure that her face had turned beet red.
Clint stepped ahead of them again and lead them into a small sparsely decorated room with a table and three chairs. One of the walls had a long window covered by a black curtain hanging on the opposite side in an adjoining room. Dani glanced toward Marla, who by the look on her face, was thinking the same thing Dani was. Was Guy’s body on the other side of that window?
“Mrs. Nettles,” Clint’s deep, soft voice interrupted Dani’s thoughts. “If you would please have a seat right here a grief counselor will be with you in just a moment to talk you through the process. In the meantime, Ms. Darling, may I speak to you for a moment?”
At the sound of her name coming from his lips, a heat wave washed over Dani again. She desperately wished she had something to fan herself with as she followed Clint back into the hallway. Dani’s emotions were bouncing around between being mad at his accusations and turned on by him.
“I didn’t want to say this in front of Mrs. Nettles because I wasn’t sure how much she knew,” Clint said after closing the door to the waiting room. He paused and shuffled a few papers in the folder he was carrying. “The lab tests came back today and there was nothing unusual in the cupcake crumbs left at the scene where Guy’s body was found and our forensic expert said that there was nothing in your recipes that could have caused Guy to lose consciousness.”
Dani folded her arms across her chest and plastered an I told you so expression on her face.
“We also found out from Guy’s doctor that he was allergic to peanuts, so the medical examiner in Atlanta will check to see if Guy’s death might have been the result of hitting his head after an anaphylactic episode.”
“Anaphylaxis,” Dani mumbled suddenly remembering a time when Guy asked her if she used any peanuts in her recipes. She had ensured him that she didn’t. Too many people were allergic these days and it just wasn’t worth the risk.
“But, didn’t Guy carry an EpiPen?” Dani finally asked Clint. “I thought most people with severe allergies kept one on them at all times. And where did he come in contact with peanuts? We already know there weren’t any in my cupcakes!” Dani emphasize that last part to make sure that she was definitely no longer a suspect.
“Yes. That’s true and Guy did have an EpiPen in the glove compartment of his car. The best that we can figure is that Guy must have come into contact with some peanut-based substance somewhere in the kitchen that triggered his allergies. Then he hit his head on the counter before he could make it to his car to get the EpiPen and give himself an injection.”
Dani frowned as she considered what Clint was saying. On the one hand, she was happy to know that the police no longer thought she was a suspect, but after the things Marla told her, Dani just wasn’t convinced that Guy’s death was so cut and dry.
Dani looked back up at Clint and was about to tell him what Marla told her at the bakery, but for a moment she got lost in a sea of blue staring back at her.
“Uh,” she stuttered as she shook herself back to the present. “I’m not sure if things are as simple as they look. Marla told me that Guy had been behaving strangely for the last few months.”
Clint’s eyes narrowed. “Behaving strangely how?
“She said he’d been forgetting to send her paperwork and missing appointments.”
Dani could tell from Clint’s expression that none of that seemed unusual enough to have anything to do with Guy’s untimely death.
“She also said that Guy told her he thought someone might be following him and,” Dani paused dramatically. “Guy bought two cups of coffee at my bakery the morning he died. Who was the second cup for? Maybe there was someone at the house with him? Maybe that person knows what happened, or worse, maybe that person was the one who caused Guy to hit his head on the counter?”
Dani’s heart started racing as she blurted out all the possible scenarios that were running around in her head.
Clint just looked at her with the slightly amused expression that she suspected most cops gave to civilians who tried to help them do their job.
“Ok, Dani. I’ll keep all of that in mind as we continue with our investigation.”
He was about to say more when another officer opened the door at the end of the hall and started walking toward them.
“Hey Frank,” Clint said acknowledging his co-worker.
He waited until the man passed before he continued talking.
“Look, Dani, there’s something else I need to say to you.” He paused and took a deep breath. “I’m sorry for any worry this investigation may have caused you. It’s my job to check out all possible reasons for death in situations like this, but…” Clint paused again as if he was searching for the right words. “But I may have been a bit too exuberant in my exploration because you were involved.” He closed his eyes and ran his hands through his hair as if he was trying to find relief from a frustrating conversation. The movement was somehow both sexy and funny at the same time.
“Look, Dani, can I be honest with you — off the record?”
His voice had that same soft compassionate tone he’d used a moment ago when he was speaking to Marla. Dani felt her toes curl.
“Sure,” she said unwilling to speak more than a word out of fear that her voice would crack and bring attention to her own nervousness.
“Look,” Clint finally said. “It was my job to check out any substances at the scene, but I think I may have let my personal feelings get in the way and cause me to make a bigger deal out of all of this than I should have.”
Clint paused and ran his hand through his hair again.
He’s got to stop doing that, Dani thought. The gesture was driving her crazy!
“Man. Is this embarrassing!” Clint said more to the open air than to Dani. “I’m almost thirty years old, but I’m afraid my pissed off twelve-year-old self got the best of me. Dani, you probably don’t even remember me from when we were kids, but one time when a bunch of us were playing truth or dare…”
Clint’s voice was cracking as if the pre-pubescent memory was causing his body to revert back in time. Dani had to fight not to laugh at the squeaky sound. It was cute the way he looked so embarrassed and vulnerable. A wave of compassion swept over her and she decided to put him out of his misery.
“Clint, we did and said a lot of stupid things as kids. I think I may have hurt your feelings back then and for that, I’m really sorry.”
Clin
t’s eyes closed and his head fell towards his chest. “Good grief, I can hardly believe how awkward this is almost fifteen years later. Thanks for making it a little less painful, Dani.”
Dani let out a laugh. “Well, since you’re not going to handcuff me and throw me in jail I say we should move forward with a clean slate. How about that?” Dani said as she smiled up into his deep blue eyes.
“That sounds great to me,” Clint said obviously relieved.
The two of them stood there in awkward silence. What do you do after a moment like this Dani wondered? Shaking hands seemed a little too formal, but they definitely weren’t at the hugging stage — yet. Fortunately, the uncomfortable moment was broken when a stern-faced woman in a dull grey pantsuit appeared at the end of the hallway. She was carrying a clipboard and a box of Kleenex and making a swift beeline toward Clint and Dani.
“Hi, Rachel,” Clint greeted once the woman was in earshot. “Mrs. Nettles is right in here.”
He opened the door for the woman but stopped Dani before she stepped into the room.
“I’ve got to go back to my office. It doesn’t sound like you or Marla have any concrete reasons for alarm, but if either of you stumbles on any more specific details feel free to give me a call. You still have my card right?”
Dani grimaced. “I think I may have misplaced it in my office,” she said knowing good and well the crumpled card was probably in the trash by now. “May I have another one?
Clint handed her another card, nodded and then strode down the hall. Again Dani found herself witness to a rather attractive exit.
***
“Mrs. Nettles, just take your time,” Rachel was saying as Dani walked back into the small room.
She watched as Rachel turned over a photograph on the clipboard she brought into the room with her. Both Dani and Marla let out a deep sigh at the image of Guy’s face looking up at them. It was a sad moment, but looking at a photograph was a lot better than the way people had to identify bodies on television. Dani shivered at the thought of standing in some cold lab, hovering over a sheet-covered corpse surrounded by a wall of dead bodies behind tiny refrigerator doors.
“That’s him,” Marla whispered. “That’s Guy Mason.”
“Thank you, for your assistance, Mrs. Nettles,” Rachel said robotically as she handed Marla a Kleenex. “If you have any questions or feel the need to talk about what’s happened, please feel free to give my office a call. We have grief counselors available 24/7.”
Rachel sounded a little like a dull informercial, but Marla took the card and mumbled thank you.
“If the two of you would please follow me back to the waiting room, someone will bring Mr. Mason’s belongings out to you.”
As they followed Rachel down the hall Dani whispered in Marla’s ear. “Are you okay,” she asked softly.
“Yes. I think I’m okay. I just want to get all of this over with and get away from this place.”
Dani could see the tears forming in Marla’s eyes again. Once they’d reached the waiting room Dani turned to Marla. “Why don’t you step outside and get some fresh air. I’ll wait here to get Guy’s things.”
“Thank you, Darling,” she said without realizing she was actually calling Dani by her last name. “I think I’ll do just that.”
Once Marla walked back outside, Dani took a seat in one of the plastic chairs again. She hoped Clint was the person who was going to bring her Guy’s things. It would be nice to see him again now that they were on friendly terms.
“Mrs. Mason?” a pudgy, balding officer said as he slid open the glass window separating the waiting room from the inner office.
“Mrs. Mason needed to step outside to get some fresh air.”
The officer nodded as if he understood and continued to speak to Dani. One by one he dropped the contents of a little box into a manila envelope and then handed the envelope to Dani. There wasn’t much of interest, a little cash, a pack of gum, a motel key, Guy’s wedding ring and his Fitbit. Dani sighed as she thought about how strange it was that this was all that was left of the man she once knew.
“His car is parked out back,” The officer said. “You have until Monday to pick it up. After that they’ll tow it to the impound lot and charge you $50 for each day it sits there.”
Dani didn’t think Marla was up to driving Guy’s car right now. She’d ask Gretchen to come back to the police station with her later to get it.
“We also found these in his car,” the officer said interrupting Dani’s thoughts. He lifted a large box up to the window. It was a Darling Bakery cupcake box. The size that held a dozen. Dani flashed back to the videotape she’d watched earlier. She had no idea why Guy had bought a whole dozen cupcakes on Wednesday, but she certainly didn’t need to take them with her.
“You can throw them away if you want to,” Dani said with a wave of her hand.
The officer opened the box to reveal the contents. All of the cupcakes were completely intact. Not even a smudge of frosting was out of place. A frown flashed across the officer’s face.
“Would you mind if I put them in our break room,” he asked?
Dani thought for a moment and then nodded. The cupcakes were only a few days old and Dani knew they’d still taste fine.
“Sure, Officer. Help yourself.”
A big smile spread across the officer’s face.
“Thanks, ma’am. That’s really nice of you. I’m sure the guys will love them.”
Dani smiled back at the officer making sure to keep her eyes focused on his face and not his expansive waistline.
“Enjoy!” She said as she walked away wondering how many of the cupcakes would actually make it all the way to the break room.
Chapter 10
When Dani walked out of the police station she found Marla sitting on a bench next to a little flower bed that lined the path between the police station and the parking lot.
“Are you feeling better,’ she asked as she sat down on the bench next to Marla.
“Yes, I am,” Marla said with a smile real enough for Dani to almost believe her. “I was just sitting here admiring the gardenias.”
Dani glanced over at the flower bed. She couldn’t tell one flower from another, but Marla seemed to be pointing at the white flower covered bushes. “If you like flowers you would have loved the garden at my grandparent’s house. Unfortunately, I’m afraid I’ve all but destroyed it because of my lack of a green thumb.”
Marla let out a genuine chuckle. “Don’t worry. Most flowers are harder to kill than you think they are. Maybe I can come to visit sometime and help you get the garden straightened out.”
“That would be great, Marla,” Dani said genuinely excited about the possibility of spending more time with Marla. Something about the older woman reminded Dani a little bit of Nana and she liked that feeling a lot.
“The police gave me this envelope with Guys’ things in it.” Dani handed the envelope to Marla who opened it and peered inside.
“There’s a motel key,” she said as she pulled a white oval shaped key ring out of the envelope.
“I don’t think we should just let Guy’s things stay at a motel,” Marla said. “I was paying the bill week-to-week and tomorrow is the last day that’s been paid for. They might toss Guy’s stuff in the trash if we let it stay there.
“Then let’s go get Guy’s stuff now,” Dani said without hesitation. She didn’t like the thought of some stranger rambling through Guy’s things and since it didn’t seem like his wife was interested in anything regarding Guy, Marla and Dani may be the only people who cared enough to look out for his belongings.
One Last Bite_A Darling Bakery Cozy Mystery Page 8