Snuffed Out (Book 2 in the Candlemaking Mysteries)

by Tim Myers

  Pearly stared at his hands for the longest time, then said, “I’ve lost more than one night’s sleep wanting to tell you something, but for the life of me I can’t decide if I should.”

  I waited him out, letting him decide for himself.

  After a full minute of silence, he said, “I hope what I’m about to tell you will be kept in strictest confidence.”

  “I already know Heather and Aaron were seeing each other,” I said.

  “As does the rest of River’s Edge. No, this is about the night Aaron died.”

  That certainly got my attention. “What happened?”

  “It may be nothing, in fact, it probably is, but I saw Heather out and about that night. I watched her from a window upstairs and saw her in the parking lot staring at Aaron’s shop. She stood there the longest time without moving, as if she was waiting for something to happen, something she dreaded.”

  “When exactly was this?”

  He sighed heavily, then said, “Ten minutes before the power went off.”

  I took some time to digest what he’d told me. Could Heather have had something to do with Aaron’s death? I’d known her less than a month, but I considered her beyond an act of murder. But I hadn’t known her when she’d been with Aaron. Could his rejection of her have driven her to ending his life?

  “It’s probably nothing, isn’t it?” he asked hopefully.

  “I wish I could tell you that, I truly do.”

  Pearly said, “I should have kept it to myself. Now I’ve passed my nightmares on to you.”

  “If it happened at River’s Edge, I need to know about it. I rely on you to keep me informed, and I thank you for sharing this with me. Is there anything else I need to know about?”

  “As far as the building is concerned? I’m nervous about the wiring. I know I’ve expressed my concerns before, but it bears repeating. We should be on a ground-fault interrupter for the entire complex. What happened to Aaron could leave us open to a lawsuit.”

  “We can’t afford any upgrades right now; you know that as well as I do. Besides, I don’t see how what happened to Aaron could have been our fault.”

  “Most likely you’re right, I worry too much.” That was patently false, as Pearly was one of the most serene men I’d ever known.

  “So that’s it,” I said.

  He said, “Harrison, you certainly don’t have to, but you’re most welcome to join me on my rounds tonight. I like to walk around the property and make certain all is as it should be on the grounds.”

  I wanted to say no, but how could I, when I was keeping Pearly from his own personal life? “Just let me grab a jacket.”

  “There’s a chill in the air tonight, no doubt about it.”

  We walked down the stairs and out into the night. Pearly said, “I’m afraid I let my batteries go dead in my flashlight.”

  “We’ll manage,” I said as a breeze from the river nudged us. I was glad I’d remembered my coat and zipped it up against the wind.

  “Hey there,” he suddenly called out into the night, and it ; took me a second to spot the person he was hailing. The sound of Pearly’s voice made the figure jerk, but it was too dark and we were too far away for me to see who it was. I saw the stranger’s hand go back, and for an instant I thought they might have a gun. Then the glass window at The Pot Shot shattered into a thousand pieces as the alarm went off inside.

  Pearly and I raced after the culprit, but it was impossible to find them in the darkness.

  Panting and nearly out of breath, Pearly caught up with me under a nearby streetlight as the taillights of a car disappeared. “Did you get a license plate number?” he asked.

  “No, it happened too fast. I didn’t even see what kind of car it was,” I admitted. Some keen observer I’d turned out to be.

  “That brings up one more item on my list.”

  “What’s that?” I asked as we walked back to River’s Edge to survey the damage.

  “We could use security lights around the building, with some motion sensors.”

  “I’ll call Ann Marie in the morning. Whether it’s in the budget or not, we’ll find the money for that.”

  He patted my shoulder. “Now let’s go see if we can clean up that mess.”

  I phoned the vandalism in to the police department, and once the dispatcher found that there was no one hurt, she promised to get someone out there first thing in the morning. The virus that was going through the police department had left them severely short-staffed, and she was frank about their nonemergency response time.

  It took us an hour to sweep up all the glass and mount a sheet of plywood over the hole until I could call the insurance company and a glazier in the morning. We found a jagged piece of brick among the debris, and though I doubted it would yield fingerprints, I still picked it up with my handkerchief and set it aside. An errant thought raced through my mind. Was it possible Heather had thrown the brick, instead of a vandal? No, I knew she despised Sanora, but I couldn’t see her acting out so destructively.

  Before we started cleaning up, I’d asked Pearly, “Should we call Sanora and tell her what happened?”

  “There’s nothing she can do about it tonight. Why ruin a night of rest for her, since it may be the last one she gets for a while?”

  “Why do you say that?”

  Pearly said, “Wouldn’t you say this is a message for her? We saw for ourselves that it wasn’t exactly a random act of violence, now didn’t we?”

  “It did seem pretty deliberate. Can you start on those lights in the morning?”

  “I’ll put it at the top of my list. You might also consider mounting some security cameras around the perimeter.”

  “Even if I could afford it, I’m not interested in living in an armed camp. Tell you what. I’ll see if Morton can step up his patrols out here if anyone ever shows up tomorrow.”

  We surveyed our work, then locked the store back up. Pearly said, “Well, if there’s nothing else, it’s been a long day.”

  “Thanks, Pearly. For everything.”

  He shrugged. “It’s my pleasure, as well as my responsibility. I’ll see you in the morning, Harrison.”

  I saw him drive off, then mounted the stairs to my apartment. I hoped there were no more emergencies that night, because I was through answering my door. Ultimately, it always seemed to lead to nothing but trouble.

  Chapter 8

  The next morning, I’d barely been in At Wick’s End ten minutes when there was an urgent staccato knocking on the front door. Some mornings were like that, when impatient candlemakers had to get their supplies before I was ready to open the shop. I was tempted to let them in early, since I was already there, but Eve had taught me that it was setting a bad trend, and in all honesty, we were open enough hours to fit just about anyone’s schedule.

  It was impossible to concentrate on putting together my supply order with that constant barrage though, so I gave up and walked out front.

  Sanora was there, and from the expression on her face, she was loaded for bear.

  “What happened?” she demanded as quickly as I could open the door.

  I said, “Calm down. There was some vandalism last night Pearly and I put up the plywood until I could call a glazier.”

  “Why didn’t you call me, Harrison? It is my store, isn’t it?”

  I nodded. “It’s also my building, and I’m responsible for what happens to it.” I tried to keep my voice calm and level. She had every right to be upset. The vandalism was a violation, and she no doubt felt like lashing out at anybody or anything within range.

  “You should have called me,” she said, quieting down a little.

  “I thought about it, but why ruin your night? Pearly and I saw it happen.”

  “So who did it? Did the police arrest them?”

  I admitted, “It was dark, and they got away. We’re putting in security lights over the next couple of days. I know it might feel like we’re locking the barn door after the horse is gone,
but it should help from now on. I’m truly sorry it happened.”

  The rest of the steam went out of her. She said softly, “Who would do this? Is someone trying to run me off?”

  “I honestly don’t know.”

  Sanora took a deep breath, then said, “Well I’m not going to give them the satisfaction. I’m staying, Harrison.”

  “I’m glad to have you here, Sanora.” And it was true. What had happened in the past wasn’t a part of my time at River’s Edge. She’d been an ideal tenant since coming back, working hard and keeping out of trouble. Her check even cleared the first time through, something I couldn’t say about some of my other folks. For all the money Tick took in at her antique shop, it was a rare check indeed that went through the first time, no matter how steep I made my fee for bouncing them.

  Then I remembered how quickly Sanora had gotten rid of the evidence in Aaron’s death. Would an innocent person do that? Was she being efficient, or was it something much more sinister? The problem was, I liked her, and I was afraid it might be clouding my judgment.

  She studied me a moment, then said, “Next time, call me. Day or night.”

  “I promise.”

  Sanora nodded, satisfied, then said, “As soon as I get my hands on Pearly, I’ll read him the riot act, too.” She shook her head, then added, “Thanks for cleaning up.”

  “It was the least we could do after letting them get away. Tell you what, why don’t I buy you breakfast?”

  “I appreciate the offer, but I’m not all that sure Millie wants me here. This vandalism has made her frosty toward me again.”

  I shrugged. “It’s your call, but I thought you just said no one was going to run you off.”

  Sanora shrugged. “I’m willing to face her if you are.”

  “Let’s go,” I said, then locked the shop door behind me as we headed for The Crocked Pot.

  As expected, Millie wasn’t all that thrilled seeing Sanora with me. “What can I get you?”

  “Two Rise and Shiners sound great.” Millie baked the most wonderful muffins, as big as dinner plates and tender as a baby’s laughter.

  I said, “Did you hear about the break-in attempt last night?”

  Millie, carefully keeping her gaze away from Sanora, said, “I saw the plywood.”

  “Pearly and I were there when it happened. We both chased the bad guy, but he got away.”

  Sanora asked, “It was a man, then?”

  I shrugged. “Might have been. Of course, it could have just as easily been a woman.”

  Despite her pressed lips, Millie said, “Now there’s a description the police can use.”

  “Hey, what can I say? It was dark. We’re putting in security lights the next day or two.”

  “Belle had always planned to add them. She just never got around to it.” Millie put our muffins and coffees on two separate trays, and I was about to tell her to put it on my tab when Sanora slid a ten-dollar bill over the counter.

  Surprised, I said, “Hey, I invited you to breakfast, remember?”

  “You can pick up the next one.”

  Millie made change without a word, then busied herself behind the counter as we found a table near the window. I always enjoyed watching the water, and now that I’d been out on it in one of Erin’s kayaks, the river had taken on a new meaning for me. If I could manage it, I wanted to get back out there as soon as possible. One trip out on the water and it was already getting in my blood.

  After some small talk and most of our breakfast, I asked, “So is this going to slow down your opening?”

  “I’m set for tomorrow, whether the glass is replaced by then or not.” She lowered her voice and added, “I can’t afford to stay closed that long, Harrison. That’s why I’ve been working like a demon over here. I’m counting on enough of Aaron’s old customers to join mine to make this work, but it’s hard to say what will happen.”

  “Do you have any press coverage or ads planned?” I’d just recently started looking into promotion opportunities for At Wick’s End. It was nearly impossible to run a small business, I was discovering, without letting the world know you were out there.

  “Maybe later, but I didn’t have time to do anything but the basics. This was all kind of sudden. Who would have believed Aaron would die like he did?”

  That was an opening I just couldn’t resist. I took a last sip of coffee, then asked, “Have you considered the possibility that Aaron’s death wasn’t an accident?”

  She dropped the muffin onto her plate. “What are you talking about?”

  I’d committed myself, and was starting to regret the bluntness of what I was about to say before it was even out of my mouth. “That power cord could have been frayed on purpose, and it’s a mighty big stretch to think he kicked over a bucket of water at exactly the wrong time in exactly the wrong place.”

  Sanora bolted out of her chair as if it had been electrified. “Are you insane, or just incredibly cruel? What comes next, an accusation? Aaron and I were friends, even after our marriage broke up. I didn’t want him dead.”

  She stumbled toward the door and nearly ran Cragg down on her way out. He gave me a quick look of venomous displeasure, then followed her out.

  Millie came over and said, “I should apologize to you. I never thought you’d bring her here to grill her.”

  “Millie, I asked her something I had no right to, and Sanora was right. I was out of line.”

  “Hey, where are you going?” she called out as I headed for the door.

  “I’m going to apologize,” I said.

  Sanora was at The Pot Shot, and Cragg was there holding her hand.

  I said, “I need to talk to you.”

  “She’s through talking to you,” the attorney said firmly.

  “Okay, she doesn’t have to talk, but I need her to hear this. Sanora, I’m sorry. I was out of line.”

  “You’ve said your piece,” Cragg said, the dismissal thick in his voice. “Now go.”

  “It’s okay, Gary,” Sanora said, dabbing at her eyes with his embroidered linen handkerchief.

  “Sanora, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to imply anything.”

  “I overreacted, Harrison. You didn’t say anything everyone else here wasn’t already thinking. I loved Aaron in my own way. There was no way I’d wish him harm.”

  Cragg said stiffly, “If I’m no longer needed here, I’ve got to prepare for a case today.”

  He brushed past me with barely a nod.

  “I didn’t mean to run him off,” I said after he was gone.

  “Don’t worry, you couldn’t get rid of Gary with a blowtorch if he really wanted to stay. I’m afraid he’s got a bit of a crush on me.”

  “A bit? It looked like more than that to me.”

  Sanora dabbed at her eyes, then said, “You wouldn’t believe how furious he was when Aaron and I started dating again. I thought he was going to have a stroke.”

  “He took it that hard?”

  “Gary asked me out a dozen times, but I kept telling him we were just friends. Then he saw me with Aaron last week at The Shallows and misunderstood completely. I never got the chance to explain.”

  “He is overprotective of you, isn’t he?”

  Sanora said, “And there was no reason for it, either. Aaron was even seeing someone else, though he admitted he was about to break it off. My ex-husband was much better at acquiring girlfriends than he was in keeping them.” She looked around the shop, then said, “Listen, I would appreciate it if you’d call the glazier for me and tell them it’s a rush job. It’s as dark as a tomb in here. Oh, no.” She bolted for the bathroom in back and I let myself out. A tomb is exactly what the shop had been, if just for a few hours.

  Instead of going back to At Wick’s End, I walked down the steps to the river. It was the perfect place to think before the stores at River’s Edge started to fill up. It was hard to wipe the image of Gary Cragg out of my mind as he’d hovered over Sanora. Her admission that he’d had a crush on he
r started me thinking. Could the attorney have frayed that cord himself in an effort to get rid of an obstacle in his way? If he’d seen Aaron and Sanora cozying up at a restaurant, it might have been enough to drive him into action. I wished I could say that Cragg was above murder, but I honestly didn’t know if I believed it.

  I was still thinking about it when Tick jogged up. “You’re out early,” I said as she stretched beside me.

  “I jog three miles every morning. You should join me sometime.”

  “I like my exercise at a more leisurely pace,” I admitted.

  “What happened to the window?” she asked as she looked at the pottery shop.

  “We had a little vandalism last night.”

  Tick shook her head. “What is this world coming to? Well, I’ve got to grab a quick shower before I open the shop. See you later.”

  She started to go when I said, “Tick, I appreciate you spending time with Sanora. You might want to drop in on her before you open.”

  “I’ll do just that. See you later, Harrison.”

  I got up and brushed off my jeans. I still had that order to call in before we opened, and if I left it till the last minute, Eve would certainly scold me about it. Sometimes it was hard to remember that I was the one who owned At Wick’s End and she was the employee.

  As I walked past Heather’s shop, there was a new sign in the window, closed till further notice. Now when had she done that? That sign hadn’t been there yesterday afternoon, I would have noticed it. Could she have done it this morning, and I’d missed seeing her? Another thought struck me, one I didn’t want to admit. Was it possible she’d posted it last night, just before hurling that brick through Sanora’s window?

  No, I couldn’t believe it, not of my friend.

  But the possibility refused to go away.

  I needn’t have worried about Eve noticing any lapses of my responsibilities. She was in her own world as we opened the store and welcomed our customers.

  Sheriff Morton came in an hour after we opened. He looked pale and there was a sheen of sweat on his brow, though it was still cool outside. “Harrison, you have a second?”