Hot Chocolate and Homicide

by Cindy Bell

  “You’re right.” Ally turned the engine on. As they drove away from the farm the memory of Marlo’s wide eyes haunted her. What had him so frightened? Was it the thought of being caught for what he did or the thought of someone else finding out what he knew?

  Chapter 8

  Ally dropped her grandmother off at Freely Lakes, then headed back to the cottage. Her mind was filled with a multitude of questions and very few answers. Just when she thought she had a pretty good handle on who might be responsible for Gladys’ death, a new question popped up. A question about Marlo, and the mystery men who had met at the farm, and of course, Parker who had the strongest motive of all.

  When Ally arrived at the cottage she was greeted with the usual chaos of hungry animals. She fed them, while sharing a bit about her day, then put a quick dinner together for herself. When she sat down on the couch, she felt her exhaustion for the first time. It had been a very busy day made longer by the visit to Bernice’s house, and Bloomdale farm. She realized that she would need to get up to manage a very busy shop in the morning. She guessed the shop might be even busier as they were getting closer to Valentine’s Day. She’d just finished her food, when her phone rang. When she saw Luke’s name on the screen she picked it up quickly.

  “Hi sweetie, how are you doing?”

  “I’ve got a little information on that picture you sent me.” Luke’s voice was strained, and quiet, as if he was trying not to be heard.

  “Great. Are you okay?” She frowned.

  “Sorry, I’m hiding from an over-eager police officer that has a million questions for me.” He sighed. “It’s good to have fresh blood, but wow this rookie is determined to talk my ear off.”

  “Poor guy.” Ally smiled. Luke wasn’t the overly talkative type. He liked a good chat, but then preferred to have a break. “I went out to the farm last night and spoke to Marlo, one of the workers there.” She shared with him her experience at the shop, and then at the farm. “I can’t help feeling like he knows something about the murder. Or maybe he even had a part in it. Have you spoken to him?”

  “We’re working our way through the farm workers, but I’ll definitely move him up to the top of the list. I don’t like that he came to the shop. That worries me. If you see him hanging out there again, you need to let me know, got it?”

  “Got it. But I don’t think he wants to hurt me. It was more like he wanted to speak to you about something, but then was too scared to go through with it.”

  “All right, I’ll check it out. Now, it’s my turn for questions. Where did you see the car that you took a picture of?”

  “At the farm tonight. There were two cars, but the picture of the other one came out too blurry to be useful.”

  “Send that to me, too. I might be able to get it to be clearer.”

  “Sure I will, but why? What did you find?”

  “Well, the owner of the car is Rick, the representative from Grainder that was trying to finalize the sale of Bloomdale. I’m very curious about who he was meeting with, but there are no cameras on the property.”

  “Wow, he struck me as someone who thought he was important.” She frowned.

  “You talked with him?”

  “No, I just listened while he spoke with the other man. They were arguing about money. One said he did the job and wanted to get paid, and Rick said that he just had to wait, he would have the money soon. I guess maybe he’s waiting for the sale to go through?” Her stomach churned. “Oh, Luke do you think that other man could have been an assassin?”

  “It’s possible. We won’t know anything until we figure out who he is. Could you describe him to me?”

  “Shortish, and small. Honestly, I didn’t get a good look at him, he had a hat on, and it was just about dark.”

  “Okay, well any pictures you have of his car just send them to me and I’ll see if I can get a tech here to enhance it.”

  “Good, I’ll send it to you right now. Sorry I didn’t get more. Now I wish I’d gotten a better picture of the shorter man.”

  “Ally, I know you’re going to do what you’re going to do, and I trust your instincts, but you need to keep in mind that this could be a very dangerous man. Actually, any of these people could be very dangerous. I know it is pointless to tell you to stay out of this, but I wish you would. You have to make sure that you are being careful.”

  “I am, always.”

  “Just promise me you’ll be careful.”

  “I will, Luke. Promise me that you’re going to get some sleep.”

  “I’ll try. Love you.”

  “Love you, too.” She hung up the phone and sent the blurry picture to him, then placed a call to her grandmother to update her on the situation.

  “So, the man we saw was Rick?”

  “Yes, and he works for Grainder.”

  “Maybe he hired the other man to kill Gladys?” Charlotte’s voice wavered as she spoke.

  “Maybe. I don’t know, Mee-Maw, something isn’t fitting together for me. Maybe I need a little sleep.”

  “I know I do.” Charlotte yawned into the phone. “We’ll talk about it in the morning, hmm? Are you going to pick me up?”

  “Yes, I’ll be there. Good night, Mee-Maw, I hope you’re able to sleep tonight.”

  “Me too.”

  Ally hung up the phone, then stretched out on the couch. Soon, Peaches was perched on her stomach. Her solid purr sent vibrations through all of her muscles, which helped her to relax. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Peaches protested with a soft meow as she stretched her body into the air, then sunk back down again.

  “Sorry Peaches.” She stroked her head. “I’m just trying to find some peace.”

  Peaches bumped her chin with her head, then rubbed her cheek along hers. Ally smiled.

  “Thanks. That helps a lot.” She snuggled into the couch and let her mind drift on the sound of the cat’s subtle snores.

  Charlotte woke the next morning from a deep sleep. She hadn’t dreamed, that she could recall, but she felt as if she’d slept enough to make up for a week’s worth of insomnia. She wasn’t sure why she’d been able to sleep so well, but it might have had something to do with the man snoring on her couch. She crept past him as she headed to the bathroom. He’d shown up the night before and offered to stay to keep her company. Something about his presence made her comfortable enough to fall asleep. But now she had to hurry to get ready as Ally would be there to pick her up any minute.

  As Charlotte moved through the apartment, careful not to wake him, a subtle warmth brewed within her. It was nice having someone else in her home. For so long she had lived with Ally, then she went off to live her own life, and when she returned they’d shared the cottage for some time.

  She did love her independence, and having her own space to enjoy, but there was something very comforting about the presence of another. She left a short note for him, then grabbed a bagel before she headed to the door. Just as she reached it there was a light knock from the other side. She opened the door and smiled at Ally.

  “Good morning.”

  “Good morning.” She held up a cup of coffee and a bagel.

  “I’ll take the coffee, but I already have a bagel.” She stepped out through the door in a bit of a rush. She didn’t want to have to answer questions about why Jeff was on her couch. As she locked the door behind her Ally gave her a light pat on the shoulder.

  “Did you sleep well?”

  “Yes, thankfully. What about you?”

  “Not so great.” Ally frowned. “But enough. I just hope Luke made some headway on finding Rick.”

  “Me too. Maybe all of this will be wrapped up by the end of the day, or at least before Valentine’s Day.”

  “Speaking of which, did you find out what Jeff is planning for your special date?”

  “Special date.” Charlotte rolled her eyes as they reached the parking lot. “It’s no big deal, just a night to spend together. At this point, I’m not sure that we’ll be
able to go through with it. I can’t see me enjoying whatever he has in store, while distracted by Gladys’ unsolved murder.”

  “Hopefully it won’t be unsolved for much longer.” Ally opened the door to her car, then looked across the top at her grandmother. “No, not hopefully, I’m going to make sure of it.”

  “We’re going to make sure of it.” Charlotte climbed into the car beside her. “But first we need to get the shop open. I’m sure we will be twice as busy as yesterday.”

  When they pulled up to the shop, they were both greeted with a surprise.

  “Oh dear, Mee-Maw, look.” Ally pointed towards the shop. There was a line of five people standing outside the locked door. “It looks like people are starting to remember that Valentine’s Day is only a few days away.”

  “Yes, it does.” Charlotte waved to the people waiting as they pulled into the parking lot, then glanced at her. “Are you ready for this?”

  “I think so.” Ally grinned. “It’ll be good to get our mind off things for a little while. Let’s see how many chocolates we can make today. If we have a nice surplus we can even sell some online.”

  “All right, your enthusiasm is hard to ignore.” Charlotte smiled. “Let’s do this!”

  As they unlocked the front door they chatted with the people who waited. They wanted to get their purchases done before they headed off to work for the day. It didn’t take long to ring them up and send them on their way. Once that first rush subsided, Ally headed into the back to work on making more chocolates, while Charlotte completed the tasks they had skipped in order to take care of the customers. She was lost in the monotony of running the broom across the floor, when she heard the door swing open. She looked up with a smile at the woman who stepped in. She looked to be a few years younger than Charlotte, with blonde hair cut into a short bob and speckled with gray streaks. She had a round physique, and though she walked with a slight hitch in her step, she presented herself with a good amount of confidence. Charlotte noticed right away that she didn’t smile back.

  “Hello there. How are you today?” Charlotte set the broom against the wall and walked back over to the counter.

  “Not good.” She huffed as she strode towards the counter.

  “I’m sorry to hear that. Is there a chocolate in particular I can interest you in?” Charlotte studied the woman’s face. It wasn’t just that she didn’t smile. She seemed upset. She couldn’t help but wonder what might be bothering her. The woman didn’t even look at the chocolates on display. Instead she reached into her inside jacket pocket and pulled something out. It looked like just a slip of paper at first, then she noticed that it was a photograph.

  “I’m just here for some information.” She thrust the photograph down on the counter between them.

  “Okay.” Charlotte looked away from the woman, down at the picture, and instantly recognized the man in it. “That’s Isaac.” She looked back up at her. “What kind of information do you want about him?”

  “He’s my husband.” Her cheeks grew pink as she continued. “I want to know if he came here.”

  “Yes, he was in here.” Charlotte looked into her eyes. “He delivers our milk, from Bloomdale farm. Are you looking for him?”

  “He bought candy here, didn’t he?” She looked between both of them with a sharp gaze.

  “Yes, he did.” She frowned. “Was there something wrong with it? We can replace the box if something was wrong.” Charlotte stepped closer to her. “You seem so upset.”

  “I am upset.” She narrowed her eyes. “How many boxes of candy did he buy from you?”

  Charlotte’s eyes widened as she realized the path of the conversation. The tension in the shop grew thick. It seemed coincidental that despite how busy they had been, in that moment there wasn’t another soul to help, and no one who stepped in the door to interrupt. Charlotte stalled as she tried to think of the best way to answer the woman. Yes, Isaac had bought two boxes of candy, but that was his personal business, wasn’t it? She had no right to share that information with his wife, who clearly suspected that he had purchased multiple boxes of candy. She could easily assume from the anger in the woman’s expression that this was not about her husband overspending or holding out on candy. She believed that he had bought candy for someone other than her, and she intended to find the proof by getting a response from Charlotte. Her heart slammed against her chest as she tried to decide what she should do. A quick glance at Ally showed some confusion in her own expression.

  “Please, just tell me the truth.” The woman stared hard at Charlotte. “Just tell me how many boxes he bought.”

  Charlotte swallowed hard as she knew that her response might change the woman’s marriage forever.

  Ally looked over at her grandmother. For some reason it seemed as if she couldn’t speak. She wasn’t sure why she was hesitating to answer the woman. She was certain they both knew how many boxes of candy Isaac bought.

  “I’m not sure I recall.” Charlotte finally responded, then glanced over at Ally.

  “Ma’am, what’s wrong? What can we help you with?” Ally took a step forward. She was a bit stunned that her grandmother would avoid the truth, but was sure she had a good reason for it.

  “I told you exactly how you can help me. I want to know how many boxes of candy my husband bought. Are you going to tell me or not?” She glared at both of them.

  “I can’t recall either, sorry.” Ally locked her eyes to the other woman’s. “We are very busy at the moment, because it’s Valentine’s Day soon so it’s difficult keeping track.”

  “I bet he bought two.” She laughed, as tears sprang to her eyes. “One for me and I think the other one for his girlfriend.” She glanced over at Charlotte. “There’s no reason to protect him.”

  “It isn’t my intention to protect him, I just don’t want to be involved in something that is not my business. It’s easy to jump to conclusions, and much harder to take the time to find out the truth. Perhaps you’re just interpreting things wrong.” She touched the woman’s shoulder. “Your husband seems like a very nice person.”

  “Yes, he seems that way doesn’t he.” She snorted. “He seems that way to everyone. He’s even very nice to me. Always courteous, always considerate. He bought me my favorite candies. And I’m sure he bought her favorite candies as well. Every day I wake up and I tell myself, Harriet, this is it, this is the day you put an end to all of this and start a new life. Then he looks into my eyes, he kisses my cheek, and I hope that maybe, just maybe, he’s become the husband he promised to be.”

  “Harriet, I’m sorry you’re dealing with this.” Ally frowned as she looked between her and her grandmother. “But finding out how many boxes of candy he bought won’t fix anything. You need to communicate with him, find out the whole story, and then start making your choices.”

  “I know, I know.” She sighed and wiped at her eyes. “I didn’t mean to come in here and cause you any trouble. I just wanted to know, for sure.”

  “Well, unfortunately I can’t recall. Do you want some hot chocolate, or some coffee?” Charlotte took her hand in hers. “You can sit, and chat a bit. It might help.”

  “No, I’m sorry. I need to go. I need to talk to him and find out the whole truth. There’s just no point in pretending anymore.” She started to turn towards the door.

  “Are you sure you’re going to be okay?” Charlotte walked beside her. “If there’s anything we can do—”

  “I’ll be okay.” She turned and offered a sad smile to each of them. “Even though you didn’t answer me, I have the answers I needed.” She slammed her hand against the door and strode out with rigid, furious steps. Ally was a little startled by the way she carried herself.

  Charlotte stared after her, her lips pursed and her eyes wide.

  Chapter 9

  After Harriet had left the shop Charlotte and Ally began tidying up the display counters.

  “Do you really think that Isaac is cheating on her? He seems like such a
nice person.” Ally placed a platter in the refrigerator.

  “I can’t say.” Charlotte shook her head. “But I think he’s about to have a very difficult day.”

  “Why didn’t you tell her about the two boxes of chocolates, Mee-Maw?” She glanced over at her.

  “I just don’t think it’s my place. Living in this town, I’ve learned it’s best to try to stay out of everyone’s business.” She looked at her granddaughter. “She already knew the truth, she didn’t need us to confirm it. I just hope they’re able to get it worked out.”

  The door swung open, and Mrs. Bing rushed through it, her eyes wide.

  “Was that Harriet that just left here?”

  “Yes, do you know her?” Ally cringed as she realized what a foolish question that was. Mrs. Bing knew pretty much everyone in Blue River and the surrounding towns.

  “That’s Isaac’s wife. She looked upset.” Mrs. Bing glanced over her shoulder. “Did she finally find out?”

  “Find out what?” Charlotte eyed her with a raised eyebrow.

  “Well, that Isaac is cheating on her of course.” She spoke in a hushed voice, but there was so much excitement in her whisper it was difficult to subdue.

  “Mrs. Bing, are you sure about that, or is it just a rumor?” Ally studied her expression intently.

  “Well, it’s not as if I’ve seen him do it myself. But it’s pretty well known.” She frowned. “At least to everyone but her. I guess that’s changed now.” She glanced over her shoulder to be sure that no one else was in the shop, then looked back at Ally. “Recently, I’ve seen her following him around. She will drive behind his milk truck on his route sometimes. I’ve seen them argue about it. He is always very calm with her, but she will holler and wave her arms.” She squinted her eyes. “She causes quite a scene.”

  “Wow, she must really suspect him.” Would she be so angry that she would cause some kind of harm to Isaac? She hoped that wouldn’t be the case, but she couldn’t be sure. “All I know is that she was quite upset.” Ally sighed and shook her head. “It seems to me that Valentine’s Day is not working any magic this year.”