by Kate Bell
“Yes, Angela did tell me that,” I said as I cut the fudge for him. “She said you’re giving her free reign down there, and that you said money wasn’t an object.”
He laughed. “She said that, did she? Well, I think that’s probably an exaggeration to say money is no object. I can’t think of one person in this town that could say something like that, can you?”
I sighed and put his fudge into a cute little decorated paper bag. “Vince, can I ask you a question?”
“Sure Mia,” he said. “Ask me anything.”
“What really happened to Stella?” I asked as I rang up his purchase.
The smile left his face. “The police are working on finding out exactly that. Why do you ask?”
“Because there’s a rumor going around town that maybe you and Angela might be closer than you should be.” As soon as it was out of my mouth, I realized I had overstepped my bounds. I had no business saying something like that to him and I watched as his face clouded over with anger.
“I really don’t see how it’s any of your business, Mia. But if you want to know, no. Stella hired Angela because she felt sorry for her when her husband left her high and dry without a dime to her name. Stella was like that, you know. A lot of people thought Stella wasn’t a very nice person, but she had a heart of gold.”
I nodded. “I’ve heard that from a couple of sources. I wish she would have let that fact be known to more people while she was still live.”
“Maybe if you weren’t so judgmental Mia, you might have noticed it. But maybe you were too busy complaining about her and her bakery and the fact that she didn’t participate in the Halloween season. Did you think it didn’t get back to her? Did you think she didn’t know about these cupcakes over here,” he said pointing at the tray of cupcakes beneath the fudge.
“I’m sorry, maybe I shouldn’t have complained about her. But we were worried about losing the Halloween season and we needed all of the businesses participating and Stella did everything she could to resist that.”
He nodded. “I know she did. And I fully intend to fix that now. Angela has a lot of ideas. But I’d appreciate you keeping your nose out of my business. I loved my wife, we were married for over thirty years and I miss her more than you could ever imagine.”
I felt bad for what I had done and wished I had kept my mouth shut. “I’m sorry Vince, you’re right I shouldn’t have said anything.”
“So, I suppose these rumors are going around town? Everyone’s tongues are wagging?”
“Let’s just say I heard it from someone,” I said, “but I’m sure everyone isn’t talking about it.”
“I bet I know exactly who said it. It was that Beth Ramirez wasn’t it? She’s always been jealous of the Sweet Goblin Bakery. She wanted the business license and applied for it at the same time Stella did, and she lost. Ever since then, she’s done nothing but spread lies about me and Stella.”
“Have the police found out anything new about Stella’s death?” I asked, trying to take the focus off of Beth Ramirez and wishing I had kept my mouth shut.
“They have no idea who did it. It’s not surprising, is it? I don’t mean to be rude, but it’s not like Ethan Banks has much experience with investigating murders.”
“That’s not really true,” I said, feeling defensive. “He’s investigated several murders now. The police chief has confidence in him and his ability to do the job.”
He narrowed his eyes at me. “I wonder if the police chief knows how nosy you are, and it also makes me wonder if you’ve been sticking your nose into police business. I wonder how interested the chief would be in your involvement in a murder case.”
My eyes went wide. “That isn’t true. I have kept my nose out of things where the police are concerned, and I haven’t said anything more than anybody else in this town. Everyone’s concerned about the safety of the residents of Pumpkin Hollow and everybody wants to see the killer caught and put behind bars.”
He considered me for a moment, then he swiped his debit card through the card reader to pay for his fudge. “You had better keep your nose out of my business is all I’ve got to say. If I find out you’ve been interfering in my wife’s murder investigation, you can bet I’m going to have a talk with the chief of police. I’m sure there has to be some kind of charges I can file. Obstruction of justice, maybe.”
I shook my head. “Vince, I haven’t obstructed one single thing concerning this murder. I apologize if I upset you. I don’t blame you for being upset, I’m just concerned about the safety of Pumpkin Hollow.”
I felt like a fool for having said what I did to him and I hoped he wouldn’t go to the chief of police and tell him I had been getting involved in the investigation. I certainly didn’t feel like I had obstructed justice by simply asking around. But I he was right about one thing. I was being nosy, and I needed to be more careful in the future.
Chapter Fifteen
After my encounter with Vince, I walked down to the Little Coffee Shop of Horrors to get a nice big cup of liquid caffeine. Our part-time help, Lisa Anderson had come into the candy shop to relieve me and I had never been so happy to see someone in all my life. Lisa was a high school student that worked weekends and evenings for us, helping to keep the shop neat and tidy and waiting on customers.
My friend Amanda Krigbaum and her fiancé Brian Schoate owned the Little Coffee Shop of Horrors and it was one of the best coffee shops in town. I had dated Brian in high school and for about a minute after I heard about their engagement, I thought it was kind of weird that he was marrying my best friend from high school, but I got over it quickly. Amanda and Brian were made for each other and every time I saw them I realized yet again how happy I was that they were together.
I stepped up to the counter to give my order. “Hi Amanda, how are you today?” I asked her.
She put her hands on her hips and sighed. “It’s been one of those days. Every time I turn around someone wants something we don’t have. But on the bright side, I’m learning to improvise faster than I ever thought possible.” She laughed and stepped up to the counter in between us. “What can I get you, Mia?”
“Well, let’s see, how about a blueberry mocha flip?”
She furrowed her eyebrows at me. “Are you serious?”
“No, just thought I’d stress you out a little more,” I said and giggled.
“Well good, for a minute there I thought I was going to have to send you on your way. Not only do I have no clue how to make one of those, but I don’t even know what it is.”
“Me either. How about just a mocha caramel latte? And how about an extra shot of espresso?” I was going to need both the sugar and the caffeine to pull me out of my funk. As much as I hated to admit it, Vince was right. I was being nosy, but it still hurt my feelings that he said what he did. He had every right to say it, and yet I was feeling upset about the way he had reacted.
“How’s business at the candy shop?” Amanda asked as she got my coffee.
“It’s doing great. Mom has come up with a lot of new ideas for different candies and they’re working out really well. How are things going here?” I asked her.
She nodded. “Things have really seemed to turn around the last couple of weeks. Although, hearing Stella Moretti was killed was a real bummer. I just don’t know what’s going on around here.”
“Me either,” I said. “Poor Ethan has been working overtime trying to solve this thing.”
“I bet he is,” she said and brought my coffee to the cash register to ring it up.
I ran my debit card through the card reader. “I think I’m going to go sit over at a corner table for a couple of minutes and take a look at my phone. I didn’t get a chance to look at it at all today and I hope Ethan hasn’t texted me because if he did, I missed it.”
“Okay, you rest and if I get a minute, I’ll come sit with you,” she said.
I went and sat at the corner table and got busy looking through my phone. Ethan hadn’t texted m
e all day, and I figured he was just busy. I looked up when the front door opened and Daisy Browning walked through it and up to the front counter. I wondered how she was doing and if she had heard anything new about her sister’s death. I put my head down again.
A couple of minutes later, a voice asked, “Is it okay if I sit here?”
I looked up and saw Daisy standing at my table. “Of course,” I said motioning to the seat across from me. “How are you doing, Daisy?”
“I guess I’m doing as well as can be expected,” she said, sitting down and taking a sip of her drink.
“Have you heard anything new about Stella’s murder?” I asked her.
“I talked to Ethan Banks a couple of times, and he says they are working on it as hard as they can,” she said with a sigh. “And I’m sure they are. It’s just frustrating, not knowing what happened. You know what I mean? We laid my sister to rest, but really, until we find out who killed her, there isn’t any rest for anyone.”
I nodded. “You’re exactly right about that. I wish there was something I could say or do to help you or Vince out.”
She nodded and took another sip of her drink. “Between you and me, I really think Vince had something to do with her death. I told you about his affairs, but there’s just something else going on if you want to know the truth.”
I looked at her. I wanted to ask so much, but I didn’t want to be told that I was nosy again. But, she did seem to be open. “What do you mean?”
“It’s just that Vince seems incredibly happy that she’s gone. I mean, shouldn’t he be grieving? Shouldn’t he be sad?”
I had had the exact same thought when he came into the candy shop earlier but I didn’t want to tell her that. “I guess maybe some people grieve differently. Daisy, can I ask you about Stella’s and Vince’s son Stanley? It seems like I haven’t seen him in Pumpkin Hollow since he moved away and went to college years ago. Of course, I was off at college for a lot of that time, so maybe I just missed him when he was in town.”
She nodded. “I suppose you noticed that he sat all the way down at the other end of the pew during the funeral service? Well, he and his father don’t get along very well. Vince always wanted an athletic son, but instead, he got Stanley. Stanley was always very bookish and very quiet.” She chuckled. “Do you want to know how ridiculous Vince is? Stella had insisted that Stanley be named after our grandfather, Stanley Maynard, but Vince wanted to name his son Butch. And because Stella won out on the naming battle, he always blamed Stanley’s bookishness on the fact that she had named him after our grandfather. Can you think of anything more ridiculous?” She laughed.
“That is kind of odd, isn’t it?” I agreed. “I mean, it’s just a name. And if I remember right, Stella always said that Stanley was extremely intelligent, and he had a job with NASA. Isn’t that right?”
She nodded again. “I never saw a kid as smart as Stanley. He works at NASA as a scientist. Can you imagine that? A NASA scientist born right here in Pumpkin Hollow. I’ve always been so proud of that boy, but he stayed away mostly because of his father. If Vince had just shown him one smidge of support during his growing-up years, I’m sure Stanley would have been happy to come back to visit frequently. But poor Stella missed out on having her only son visit often over the years.”
“That is a shame,” I said and took a sip of my coffee. The chocolate and caramel flavors came through, tickling my taste buds, and I sighed. “That does make me feel sorry for both Stella and Stanley.”
“I’ll tell you something, I won’t be one bit surprised if Ethan Banks arrests Vince for Stella’s death.”
“Do you really think so? I mean, I understand that he was cheating on her, at least in the past, but is that really motive for murder?” I asked, hoping I wasn’t overstepping my bounds.
“Are you kidding me? He’s got his girlfriend working alongside his wife, and you can’t tell me that he didn’t have a big fat insurance policy on her. I wish there was a way I could find that out because I hear that Angela is going to be taking over the bakery. Now you tell me, what better motive for murder is there than that?”
Now Daisy was bringing up a possible insurance policy. “Angela did tell me she was going to be running things down there, but I’m not sure that that’s exactly taking over. She said she’s still working for Vince.”
“Well, of course, she would say that,” she said with a sneer. “I bet it won’t be long before the two of them get married. How nice for both of them, right?” she said bitterly.
“That would be something wouldn’t it?” I said, thinking this over. How terrible for Stella. She thought she was doing something nice for a friend, and not only did this friend have an affair with her husband, but maybe the two of them plotted together to kill her. I just couldn’t think of anything sadder than that.
“Well, I suppose I shouldn’t be saying things like this, it’s just something I feel down in my gut. I hope the police find out something soon,” she said and took another drink of her coffee.
I wondered if Ethan knew all the details Daisy had just given me. If Vince and Angela were indeed having an affair, and if there was an insurance policy, then perhaps it was just like Daisy said. Maybe they really had plotted together to kill Stella. And maybe that was why Vince had been so defensive when I spoke to him earlier. It was something to think about.
Chapter Sixteen
The next day, Ethan came into the candy shop. He grinned at me and said, “hey Mia, if you’ve got a minute, do you want to go for a walk?”
He was dressed in a button-down shirt and khaki pants and I knew he was in investigator mode. I gave him a smile. “You don’t have to ask me twice,” I said. “Mom, you don’t mind do you?” I turned and looked at her as she sat on a stool behind the front counter, looking through the daily newspaper.
“No Mia, go ahead. I’m just resting my feet and it’s slow right now,” she said, folding the newspaper over.
I turned back to Ethan. “A walk sounds good to me,” I said, coming around the counter to join him. He took my hand as we walked out of the shop. “Where are we going?”
“It’s a surprise,” he said and looked at me sideways.
“Oh, I like surprises! Tell me, are we going to have fun there? Can I have a hint?”
He chuckled. “I guess it depends on what your definition of fun is.”
“Well, that doesn’t sound promising,” I said, frowning.
The shops along the street were all decked out for Halloween with painted windows, and cute decorations at the front of the shops. Everywhere you turned the colors black and orange stood out. I couldn’t imagine living anywhere but Pumpkin Hollow for the rest of my life. It’s funny how your perspective changes when you get a little older. When I was in my teens I couldn’t wait to leave, now I was incredibly happy to be back.
“It’s the perfect time of year,” he said but didn’t elaborate on where we were headed.
The jewelry store had a cute stuffed ghost standing near its front door and the costume shop next to it had a great big pumpkin out front. On top of the pumpkin was a stuffed gargoyle. We kept walking, and I kept glancing over at Ethan, wondering what he was up to.
“Okay, what gives? Where are we headed?” I asked him after we had gone a block.
He pointed at the Sweet Goblin Bakery and said, “the bakery.”
I hesitated before we crossed the street. The windows of the bakery were painted with a cute Halloween scene with pumpkins, Snoopy and Charlie Brown, and ghosts. “Well, that’s a sight to see. I guess Angela and Vince are making good on their promise to participate in the Halloween season.”
He nodded. “They sure are,” he said as we crossed the street. When we got to the bakery, he held the door open for me and I entered. I inhaled the scent of donuts, cookies, and cake. The smell was wonderful, and I inhaled again, trying to take it all in.
Hanging from the ceiling were die-cut Halloween cutouts of jack-o’-lanterns, witches, and black ca
ts. It was kind of a shock to see how well decorated the bakery was. Along the top of the glass display case were more die-cut decorations.
Angela was behind the front counter and she grinned big when she saw us. “Well, hello folks how are you today? Sure is good to see some of Pumpkin Hollow’s finest come in to check out the improvements Vince and I have made here in the Sweet Goblin Bakery. What can I help you with?”
I smiled. “Wow, I like what you’ve done with the place. It really looks cute,” I said. And it really did. Along one wall they had placed three-feet tall stuffed felt trick-or-treaters, pumpkins, and ghosts. Nearly every place you looked there were Halloween decorations. It was a tremendous contrast to what the bakery usually looked like.
“Thank you,” she said and giggled. “That means a lot to me coming from you, Mia. How about you Ethan? What do you think?”
Ethan walked up to the counter and put one hand on the display case. “I have to say, you guys have done a great job here. You make Pumpkin Hollow proud.”
She gasped. “You don’t know how much I appreciate that, Ethan. Thank you.”
I peered into the display case. There were decorated cupcakes, donuts, and sugar cookies. The sugar cookies were darling having been frosted and then scenes were piped with icing on top of the frosting. I immediately thought about the cookies that Ethan had found on the floor of the bakery the day I discovered Stella’s body. “Angela, did Stella make cookies like these?”
She chuckled. “Stella? Make cookies like that? No. There’s no way Stella would go to the trouble of doing that. I’ve been practicing decorating with icing, and I made those. I’m kind of proud of how they turned out.”
“You should be proud, they turned out really well. They’re absolutely adorable,” I said, and I had to force myself to keep from looking at Ethan. If I remembered right, they looked like the cookies Ethan had found in the bakery bag the morning I found Stella’s body.