by Cindy Bell
“Yes, I do.” She stared down at her food. “I wish I didn’t, because I like Isaac, he seems like a very nice man. But I don’t think a woman would be that outraged if she didn’t have some solid evidence that something is going on.”
“You may be right about that. But jealousy can be a very ugly thing.” He sighed, then took another bite of his food. “Not a very romantic conversation is it?”
“No.” She smiled as she gazed across the table at him. “But it is the best company.”
“Thanks.” Jeff smiled at her in return and met her eyes. “I enjoy any time I spend with you, Charlotte. I’m looking forward to Valentine’s Day.”
“Me too.” She swallowed down her pasta with a slight cough. As much as she wanted her statement to be true, it wasn’t quite. She was looking forward to spending time with him, but with how focused he was on it, she was worried that he might want more from her than she was ready for and the last thing she wanted to do was hurt his feelings.
“Are you okay?” He pushed her glass towards her, his eyes filled with concern.
She took a sip of her water, then nodded.
“Yes, I’m fine. Just too big of a bite.” She gazed into his eyes again. She hoped that he was happy to keep things the way they were, at least for a while.
Chapter 11
Ally arrived early to open up the shop. She was determined to get ahead on the chocolates so they would be able to do a bit more investigating. As she began to go through the process of opening up she realized they were getting very low on milk again. A glance at the clock told her that the delivery, if there was going to be one, should be arriving soon. Her muscles tensed at the thought of seeing Isaac. Would he know that his wife had come in asking questions about the chocolates he purchased? Would he suspect they told her something to incriminate him? She suddenly realized just why her grandmother stayed out of things. Doing the opposite could lead to very difficult situations. When her cell phone buzzed it startled her. She grabbed it from her pocket and saw that Luke was calling.
“Hello?” She smiled as she heard his voice.
“Hi there. How are you this morning?”
“Good, and dying to talk to you.” Before he could say another word she launched into her experience at the garage the night before. “I’m telling you, Luke, I really think that Parker is behind all of this. I mean he stood to gain so much from her death.”
“Just a moment, Ally.” He cleared his throat. “I see what you see, too. But Parker has an alibi. He was at the meeting with Rick, waiting for Gladys to arrive. Before that he was at home with Bernice. There are no holes that I can find in his alibi.”
“Well, maybe he cut the brake lines the night before.” Ally frowned.
“Then the quad bike would have crashed much earlier. It was driven out to the fields before Gladys returned. Someone had to cut those lines between the time it was taken out to the field and the time she drove it back. I agree, Parker is the best suspect, but unfortunately at this time, he is also the only suspect I have that has an alibi. With Rick there with him at the meeting he has a pretty good alibi, too.”
“That’s frustrating.” She sighed.
“Yes, it is. But I’m sure we’ll get to the bottom of it.”
She hung up the phone with pressure building in her chest. She’d been so certain the night before that Parker was the killer, but now, she had no idea what to think. She continued to make heart shaped hazelnut milk chocolates, her mood dampened quite a bit. Just as she poured the chocolate into molds, Charlotte arrived.
“Morning Ally.” She walked in with a bright smile. “How are you this morning?”
“A little stressed to be honest. I just found out from Luke that Parker has an airtight alibi, and I’m pretty frustrated about that. We’re almost out of milk for the hot chocolate, and I’m afraid to even call and check on the delivery.” She sighed as she fiddled with her phone.
“Ugh, that is frustrating. He was such a good suspect. Maybe his alibi isn’t as airtight as they think? And why are you afraid to call?” Charlotte set down her purse and checked on the milk supply. “Oh, yes you’re right we’re going to need more and fast.”
“I am worried Isaac might think we told Harriet about the two boxes of chocolates.”
“But we didn’t, so we don’t have to worry.”
“How do you think Harriet knew that he bought two boxes?”
“She probably saw it on their credit card statement or something.”
“I think he paid in cash.” Ally bit into her bottom lip. “But I’m not sure.” She paused, then looked over at her grandmother. “If he did pay in cash how could she know that he bought two boxes?”
“I’m not sure. But, Mrs. Bing did say she followed him around, right? Maybe she saw him buy the chocolates. Though if she did, I’m not sure why she would have been asking us to confirm it. Maybe she saw him give the other box of chocolates to someone else?” Her eyes widened. “That would explain why she was so enraged, because she already knew the truth, but she wanted us to confirm it. Not that he was having the affair but that he had the audacity to buy both boxes of chocolates at once. I hate to say this, Ally, but I think that we need to pay a visit to Harriet.”
“Why do you say that?” Ally studied her grandmother as she tried to fit whatever pieces together she could.
“Because I have a feeling she knows a lot more about this situation than she is letting on. She came into our shop yesterday for a reason. She didn’t just want confirmation, she wanted witnesses, people to observe and share her pain. I have a feeling that she knows exactly who Isaac was having an affair with, and if she’s angry enough she may cause harm to that person. If we don’t figure out who it is and warn her, that woman, whoever she is, could be in a lot of danger.”
“Oh, Mee-Maw, I hadn’t even thought of that.” Ally sighed and shook her head. “Maybe we should have tried to cover up for him.”
“Nothing we did would have made a difference. She already knew. She just wanted an audience. And someone that wants that kind of attention is usually no stranger to drama. None of this is your fault, or my fault. This is about Isaac and Harriet. Honestly, we don’t even know for sure if he was having an affair.”
“Well, if we don’t know now, we might be about to find out.” Ally tilted her head towards the side where the milk truck could be seen through the window.
“Just keep in mind, no matter how he behaves none of this is really our business. We find out what we can, and if possible, the name of the person he gave the chocolates to. That way we can at least try to warn her. Okay?” She met Ally’s eyes.
“Okay.” Ally rubbed her hands together nervously. She walked towards the door to open it for Isaac and prepared herself for his anger or accusations. When she pulled it open, she found Marlo with a cart full of milk crates.
The sight of him made her draw a sharp breath. She knew he might have a history of criminal behavior, and after the way he’d acted the last time she spoke to him she wasn’t sure what to expect.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.” He coughed, then leaned on the handle of the cart. “I have your milk for today.”
“It’s okay, I was just expecting Isaac.” She stared at him for a long moment uncertain if she wanted to let him inside. “Where is he?”
“Don’t know. He just didn’t show up today. Milk needed to be delivered. Supervisor said I should do it. Here I am. You want the milk?” He shrugged as he looked into her eyes. “If not, I’ll take it back.”
“Yes, we want the milk.” She stepped away from the door and held it open so that he could roll the crates through. He nodded to Charlotte as he headed past her with the crates.
“Good morning.” She nodded to him in return. As he disappeared into the kitchen the two women exchanged glances. “What is he doing here?” Charlotte whispered.
“He said that Isaac didn’t show up to work today. Do you think that Harriet did something to him?” Her eye
s watered with the possibility. “What if she hurt him?”
“Okay, just take a breath. It may just be that he decided to find a new job, with the future of the farm so uncertain.”
“Maybe.” Ally lowered her eyes, then took a deep breath as her grandmother instructed. She became more determined than ever to find out the truth. When she pushed the door open and stepped into the kitchen Marlo had just moved the last crate off the cart. “Marlo, we need to talk.”
“What?” He turned to look at her.
“I know you know something about what happened to Gladys. I understand why you’re scared to tell the truth. You’re afraid maybe you’ll get in trouble, or get the wrong person angry at you. But I also know that Gladys took you in, when probably no one else would. Right? She knew about your history, and she still gave you a chance. Didn’t she?” She searched his eyes.
“Yes.” He frowned. “She did.”
“Which means that she did you a big favor. You owe her for that. Are you really going to let someone get away with killing her?” She held her breath as she waited for his response.
“I don’t know anything. Nothing.” He glared at her. “I told the cops, I didn’t see anything.”
“Right, that’s what you told them.” Ally crossed her arms as her grandmother stepped up beside her. She put a restraining hand on Ally’s shoulder.
“Marlo, what about the quad bikes? Did everyone on the farm use them?” Charlotte asked.
“Lots of people used them. I used them every day.” He pursed his lips.
“What about when there is a problem with them? Were there any crashes before?” Charlotte let her hand fall back to her side.
“No, they were always in good shape. Parker, he’s a mechanic, he’d check them over every month.”
“Parker did?” She studied him closely. “Was there one quad bike that Gladys used more often than the others?”
“No, she just grabbed whatever one was available.” He frowned as he looked down at his feet.
“Marlo, you can tell me if there’s something on your mind. Just tell me what it is you’re hiding.”
“I have to go. I have other deliveries to make.” He grabbed the cart and wheeled it past both of them towards the door. Ally stared after him, certain that he was leaving something out.
“He knows something, Mee-Maw. I’m going to find out what it is.”
“Be careful when you’re around him, Ally, he seems really unpredictable.”
“Yes, he does.” She narrowed her eyes.
Chapter 12
The day was busy, and the custom hot chocolate was one of the most popular choices. It was difficult to keep up at a few points, but they managed to fill every order with very little time for breaks. At closing time, Ally rushed to the door to lock it. However, a familiar face appeared right outside the door with big eyes and pouted lips.
“Mrs. Bing.” Ally smiled as she pulled open the door. “We’re closed, you know?”
“Yes, I know it’s an early closing day. I’m so sorry, I was running behind on my errands, but I am just dying for some cherry cordials. Could I just buy one box please?”
“Sure.” Ally held the door open for her, but she locked it behind her. She knew if they got another crowd of customers inside they might end up being open later, and they had plans to visit Harriet as soon as they could.
“Thank you so much. You’re always so kind. I wish people could have the same pleasant demeanor as you.” She sighed as she walked up to the counter.
“Oh, I’m not always pleasant, trust me.” Ally laughed as she followed her to the counter, then walked around it to get the chocolates. “Mee-Maw, Mrs. Bing is here!” She shouted towards the back where she knew her grandmother was working on getting some chocolates ready for the next day.
“Hi, Mrs. Bing!” She called out from the back.
“Here you are, Mrs. Bing.” Ally slid her the box of chocolates, then rang them up on the register. “Did you have a run-in with someone today?”
“Yes. And I know, she just lost her mother so I should be more understanding, but she was just so nasty.” She scrunched up her nose as she handed Ally some cash.
“What do you mean? What happened?” Ally retrieved her change from the cash register and handed it over to her.
“I was at the grocery store, and she was there with her children, and just between you and me those kids are absolutely out of control. I know, I know, things are different these days, but they were running all over the place and screeching so loud it hurt my ears!” She huffed and opened her box of chocolates. Once she’d taken a bite, her eyes narrowed and she continued, “I simply asked her if she needed any help with the children, and apparently she took offense to that. She snapped at me and told me to mind my own business. Can you believe that?” She popped another chocolate into her mouth. “Her mother was right about her. She’s an ornery little thing. She didn’t seem the least bit bothered by her mother’s death, and I know, I know, I’m not supposed to say things like that, but really.” She huffed and popped a third chocolate into her mouth.
“I’m sorry that happened.” Ally wondered if she’d actually eaten all three of the chocolates as her cheeks were puffed out a bit. “Did they not get along?”
“Not at all. Those two were like oil and water. I guess nothing has changed. I should be going.” She grabbed her box of chocolates. “See you tomorrow, Ally.”
“Have a good night, Mrs. Bing.”
“I will now!” She waved the box through the air. Ally walked over with a smile to unlock the door for her, then locked it again behind her.
“Oh, I thought she wasn’t going to leave.” Charlotte laughed as she pulled her apron off and stepped behind the counter. “She had an awful lot to say about Bernice, hmm?”
“Yes, and honestly it made me consider that maybe we haven’t looked into Bernice enough.”
“What are you thinking?” Charlotte wiped down the counter as Ally shut down the register.
“Just that she might have had a reason to want her mother dead, too. If she really had such a strained relationship with her, maybe she decided to work with Parker to put an end to her.” Her cheeks flushed. “I hate to even think it.”
“Me too. But I think it’s possible, too. I know we planned to go visit Harriet today, but I think we should shift our focus back on to Parker. He had access to the quad bikes, and stood to benefit the most from Gladys’ death.” Charlotte began to empty some of the sample trays as she spoke. “Maybe that alibi isn’t rock solid. I’m sure that there’s got to be some kind of cover-up going on at the farm. If we can get something, anything on him, then we might be able to steer the police investigation in the right direction.”
“But what about Harriet and Isaac? We don’t know if she did something to him, or if she plans to do something to the woman he is having an affair with. Or even if Harriet herself might be in danger.” Ally tidied the boxes on the shelf. “We can’t just leave that loose end flapping, can we?”
“No, we shouldn’t. But there’s only so much we’ll find out from Harriet. She might not be willing to talk at all, at least not to us.” She paused and looked over at Ally. “What about Luke? Do you think he would go have a talk with her?”
“I don’t know, it probably has nothing to do with the murder investigation, and I’m sure that he’s very busy. I can ask him, though. You’re right, if she’s going to talk to anyone it’s going to be Luke.” She pulled out her phone as she cleaned off the last of the counters. Instead of calling she sent him a long text with the information about Isaac not arriving for work. She’d already filled him in on their encounter with Harriet. After she sent the text, she turned back to her grandmother.
“I’ll let you know when he gets back to me. Tomorrow I’m sure we’re going to have a crowd to deal with. There are only two days until Valentine’s Day.”
“And tomorrow is Gladys’ funeral.” Charlotte carried the trays to the back of the store. Ally�
�s heart sank at the revelation. She hadn’t even thought about the funeral or when it might be. It was a reminder that they weren’t just trying to solve a crime, they were trying to find a murderer.
As she did a final sweep of the shop, her cell phone buzzed. She checked it, and saw a text back from Luke.
“Mee-Maw, Luke says he’ll stop by Isaac and Harriet’s soon. He was planning on speaking to Isaac again, anyway.”
“Great.” Charlotte smiled as she stepped into the kitchen. “Hopefully he’ll just find Isaac at home sick with a cold.”
“Hopefully.” Ally bit into her bottom lip. She grabbed her purse and keys. “I really feel like we’re missing something. A visit to the farm will be good.”
“Okay, I’ll drive in case Luke calls you about what he finds at Isaac’s.”
“Deal.” Ally handed the keys to her grandmother.
Charlotte and Ally were almost at the farm, when Ally’s cell phone rang. She saw that it was Luke and immediately picked it up.
“Hi Luke.”
“Do you have a minute?”
Ally glanced at her grandmother as she continued to drive towards the farm.
“Sure, what is it? Did you talk to Isaac?”
“I haven’t been able to locate either of them, but there was also no sign of any distress at the house. Harriet apparently didn’t show up for work today, either. I have ‘be on the lookout’ on both of their vehicles so I’m sure we’ll locate them soon.”
“I really appreciate it, Luke. I’m just a little worried about how Harriet might react since she suspects he is having an affair.”
“I understand.” He paused, then cleared his throat. “There’s something else I want to tell you. I need to tell you this so you know what you are dealing with. But you have to keep it to yourself, got it?”
“Got it.” She braced herself as she was certain it would be important information.
“We were able to identify the owner of the car in the other photograph that you sent. It turns out that he’s a private detective. My best guess is that he was working with Rick to dig up dirt on Gladys.”