by Cindy Bell
Charlotte placed her hand on the doorknob and wondered if she should really turn it. Once she stepped outside there was no turning back, she knew that. She’d be stared at by her neighbors, and Diana might not even open her door for her. But she still felt an obligation to check on her friend. As far as she knew Diana had no one else to turn to, and she was quite worried about her. She and Trudy were quite friendly and she only lived a few doors down from Martin and Trudy. She turned the knob, and stepped out into the hall. Luckily, there was no one else around.
The police tape still surrounded Martin’s apartment. It felt strange not to hear any Christmas music. All of the decorations were gone. She wasn’t sure if the police had taken them for evidence, or just out of courtesy, but either way she was relieved not to see them. When she reached Diana’s door, she hesitated. Would she even want to see her? Would it frighten her that someone was knocking? After a deep breath, she knocked. A few seconds later the door swung open and Diana stood before her. Or at least she attempted to stand. She swayed, and seemed to be on the verge of tears.
“Diana? Are you okay?”
“Yes, I’m sorry.” She cleared her throat. “I don’t know who I was expecting, but it wasn’t you.”
“I just wanted to check on you. I know that with everything that happened you have to be shaken. I am.” She met her eyes. “Can I come in?”
“Oh no, not now.” She sighed and leaned against the door frame. “Everything is a mess. I’m just not fit to entertain. I appreciate you checking on me, though. It means a lot to me.”
“Of course. If you feel like you want some company, I don’t care what your apartment looks like, and you can always come over to mine.” Charlotte bit into her bottom lip for a moment as she considered whether she should say more. Her curiosity prevented her from being silent. “Did you hear anything last night? See anything strange?”
“Goodness no. The police asked me that, too. I just delivered the gifts, came back here, you came and dropped off the chocolates and I went to bed. It wasn’t until I heard you screaming that I knew something was wrong. That’s why I called the police.” She clutched at her neck. “Oh, Charlotte I was so scared, I thought something had happened to you.”
“I’m so glad you had the presence of mind to call. I couldn’t even think straight to get to my phone. Thank you for that, Diana.” She held out her hand to her. Diana took it, though hers trembled. “You’re a good friend.”
“So are you, that’s why I was so worried about you.” She squeezed her hand in return. “I thought something terrible had happened, and it had, but I’m ashamed to say I was a little relieved when I found out it was Martin and not you.”
“Don’t be ashamed. I understand.” Charlotte swallowed hard. “I’m really worried about Trudy. I thought maybe she had been hurt, too, but there’s no sign of her. You haven’t heard from her or seen her, have you?”
“Not since yesterday, no. I saw her in the morning, but not after that. I just can’t believe this happened. Poor Trudy. When she finds out, she’s going to be so upset.” She pressed her hand to her cheek and shuddered. “The shock of it might just put her in the hospital.”
“Yes, it might.” Charlotte studied her for a moment, then brought a smile to her lips. “My offer stands. If you need anything at all, just let me know. Okay?”
“I’m the one that should be offering you things. After all, you had to endure the shock of finding him. I’m so sorry about that, Charlotte. I’m sure it can’t be easy to live with that.” She shook her head slowly back and forth as if she was in her own state of shock. “I hate to even think of it.”
“It was quite a shock, but I’m okay now. I’m more interested in finding out what happened to him. Someone had to have seen or heard something. I know the police are looking into Victoria.” She pursed her lips.
“Oh, you know that, do you?” The voice that came from behind Charlotte made her blood run cold. She reluctantly turned to face Victoria. There was no way to pretend she hadn’t said what she said.
Victoria’s cheeks were bright red, a stark contrast to the white hair piled up on the top of her head in a messy bun. Though Victoria was about the same age as Charlotte, she always struck her as much younger. A permanent cheerleader who hadn’t aged much past thirty.
“Victoria, I just meant that they were interested in speaking with you.” Charlotte willed her heart to slow down.
“I’m sure that’s what you meant. You can tell all of the busybodies out there that I had nothing to do with this, Charlotte. Just because I didn’t like the man’s taste in decorations doesn’t mean that I would kill him. The one they should be looking into is his wife. She’s the one with a good reason to kill him.” She rolled her eyes and stormed off back to her apartment. Charlotte turned back to Diana, but she had already scurried back into her apartment. Still stunned by Victoria’s presence, Charlotte tried to piece her thoughts together. Did Victoria know something more about Trudy than she was letting on? She summoned determination and walked up to Victoria’s door. When she knocked, she was certain that Victoria wouldn’t answer. But a second later, she did.
“What do you want?” She glared at Charlotte. “I’m sure you’re the one that told the cops all about me having a problem with Martin.”
“No, I didn’t.” She took a deep breath. “I want to apologize. I shouldn’t have been gossiping like that. I don’t normally, and I’m sorry that I was. It’s just I’m the one who found Martin, and I’ve been upset ever since.”
“I’m sure you are. From what I hear, you’re just as much a suspect as I am. Don’t think that sweet and innocent act is going to help you get away with anything.” She eyed Charlotte with disgust. “I always knew you were two-faced.”
“I’m not that at all, Victoria. I’m just trying to understand what happened here. Do you know of anyone who might have had a problem with Martin?” She hoped steering the conversation away from herself would calm them both down.
“Like I said, you’re better off talking to Trudy. She wasn’t as innocent as you think, you know? When you live across from someone you get to know things. Like who goes to play golf every Saturday, and who shows up after he leaves.” She wiggled her eyebrows. “Trudy wasn’t letting anything slow her down.”
“Are you serious? She was having an affair?” Charlotte’s eyes widened. “With whom?”
“This would be the time when you should ask yourself, Charlotte, do you really want to know?” She leaned closer. “Because some things are better left a mystery.”
“What are you talking about, Victoria?” Charlotte narrowed her eyes. “You’re just making all of this up, aren’t you?”
“Believe what you want. It makes no difference to me.” She pushed the door shut. Charlotte heard the lock slide closed. Her nerves were on edge, but she knew she wouldn’t get another word out of her.
Chapter 6
Ally unlocked the door to the shop and stepped inside. A wave of exhaustion carried over her, but as it faded she tried to focus on the orders that needed to be filled. She was engrossed in creating a batch of chocolates when she heard a knock on the front door. It startled her as she’d slipped into the quiet space in her mind that she sometimes retreated to while working. Once she realized where she was, she thought perhaps a customer wanted an early treat. She headed to the front door with a glance at the clock along the way. It was still an hour before opening. Through the door she saw a familiar face, but it only caused her more apprehension. It was the chief. She was tempted not to unlock the door. Instead, she opened it and greeted him with a smile.
“Good morning, would you like some coffee?”
“No thank you.” He stepped in through the door without being invited. “I’d like to speak to Charlotte.”
“She’s not here yet. I’m sure she’ll be here soon.” Ally’s heartbeat quickened. Was he there to arrest her? “You know she had nothing to do with this.”
“I don’t know that, actual
ly. I’d like to know that, as that would wipe a suspect off my list, but I can’t know that because she’s not here to speak to, is she?” He crossed his arms. “I’m sure you won’t mind if I wait?”
“You’re welcome to stay as long as you need. I do have some chocolates I’m working on in the back. Would you like to join me?” She gestured towards the door that led to the kitchen.
“No thanks. I’m allergic to chocolate.”
“What?” She nearly choked on her words.
“It’s a joke.” He arched an eyebrow, though his expression did not change in the least. “Listen, I’m not here to give your grandmother a hard time. But I have to do my job, or actually, the job of my employees who aren’t here right now to do it. I’d be more than happy to stop bothering her if she can prove to me that she was nowhere near Martin when he was killed. So, was she with you around eight o’clock?”
“No.” Ally frowned. “Is that when he was killed?”
“Yes. Approximately between seven-thirty and eight-thirty. I have witnesses who saw your grandmother arguing with Martin a little after seven.” He held her gaze. “Do you suggest I just ignore that?”
“No, sir. I wouldn’t suggest that. But I do think you’re wasting your time looking into my grandmother. What about Victoria? She was known to have a problem with Martin. She had a fight with him about his decorations and music almost every single day. Are you investigating her?” She tried to fight the fear that his words stirred within her.
“We’re looking into everyone who might have had a problem with Martin. But so far, at the moment, your grandmother was the last person to see him alive, and that means a lot. You just let me do my job, and I will get to the bottom of this, I can assure you of that.” He glanced at his watch. “How long do you think she will be?”
Ally looked up at the clock. She knew that her grandmother would arrive any second, but she didn’t want to tell him that. Maybe if he thought she would be a long time he wouldn’t stick around to bother her. Before she could decide how to answer, her grandmother pushed open the door to the shop.
“Sorry I took so long, Ally, I was checking on Diana, and then you wouldn’t believe it, I ran into Victoria!”
“Oh?” The chief spun on his heel to face her. “What did she have to say?”
“I’m sorry, I didn’t realize…” Charlotte’s face flushed as she looked at him. “She just said that she had nothing to do with Martin’s death.”
“Hmm, same thing she told me.” He pushed his hat up about an inch on his head. “Same story you told me, too. I guess no one killed him. There’s no crime here after all. We can all go home.” He clapped his hands.
Ally and Charlotte stared at him, horrified.
“This is nothing to joke about.” Charlotte put her hands on her hips. “Martin was my friend. Whoever did this to him deserves to pay.”
“He was your friend? Or is Trudy more your friend? Maybe you got tired of seeing him push her around? Was that it? You decided to take matters into your own hands?” He moved closer to her, placing himself directly between the two women.
“No, of course not. I’ve never seen Martin hurt Trudy. If I had, I would have turned him in myself.” She narrowed her eyes. “I did not kill anyone, Chief, no matter how you want to spin it. You can suspect me all you want, but at some point you’re going to realize that I am an asset. I am going to be working just as hard as you to figure out what happened here. Anything you have to say, I’ll listen, any questions you want to ask, I’ll answer. But keep in mind, at the end of all of this, we’re still going to have to live in the same town, and see each other on a regular basis. So please be careful with accusations that you can’t take back.”
“I should be careful.” He eyed her for a long moment. The pulsation of the vein in his forehead eased some. “Because I’m not one to have the wool pulled over my eyes. I know that you and Jeff are close. Maybe, he didn’t like you talking to Martin so much? Maybe, he had a reason to be jealous?” He tapped his fingertip to the side of his head. “I’m always looking for the motive, Charlotte, and when I find it, I’ll make sure it’s correct. Until then, you should be just as careful as me, because yes, when this is all over, you’re going to have to deal with me, one way or the other.” As he turned and left the shop, Charlotte felt her hope of this case getting solved smoothly go right out the door with him. It didn’t matter to him that she’d lived in the town for decades, or that she’d never had a smudge on her record. All that mattered to him was finding the killer, and if she fit that bill, she guessed that he wouldn’t hesitate to put her in handcuffs.
“Mee-Maw? Are you okay?” Ally asked.
“Yes.” She shuddered then took a deep breath. “I’m just glad he’s gone.”
“Ugh, he’s just awful isn’t he?” Ally glared at the door. “I wish I would have said what was on my mind.”
“Ally, if you did that, we’d both be in his sights. I think we just need to keep a low profile. As long as he is determined to find something to pin on me, he’ll be sniffing around me. Let him, I have nothing to hide.”
“But you also have no alibi.” Ally frowned. “He told me the time of death is between seven-thirty and eight-thirty. You were home alone during that time. There’s no way to prove otherwise. There are no cameras in the hallways.”
“Maybe not, but I don’t need to prove it. All I need to do is find the real killer. That will clear up any suspicion of me.”
Ally nodded, but she was still concerned.
A few minutes later there was another knock on the door. It was about ten minutes before opening time. Ally stepped out of the kitchen to see who it was, while Charlotte continued to fill molds. When she saw Nina through the door she felt a sense of relief. For a second there, she thought the chief had returned. When she unlocked the door, Nina greeted her with a small smile.
“Morning, Ally.”
“Good morning.” Ally left the door unlocked since it was just about time to open. “Mee-Maw’s in the back working on some chocolates. We got a late start today.”
“She’s here?” Nina hesitated near the door.
“Yes.” Ally glanced over her shoulder at her. “Is everything okay?”
“Oh sure, I guess I just thought she might want the day off, with everything that happened.” She shrugged as she walked towards the broom in the corner behind the register.
“So, you’ve heard?” Ally worked on opening up the register.
“It was all over the news, but it’s all around town that Charlotte was the one who found him.” She cleared her throat. “How terrible.”
“Yes, well, Mee-Maw is never one to take a day off. It was hard for her, but she’s doing better today.” She popped open the drawer to count the money.
“That’s good.” Nina busied herself with sweeping the floor.
“Oh, do you have that paperwork?” Ally looked up from the register.
“Darn, I forgot it. I’m sorry. I can go back home and get it if you want.”
“No, it’s okay. Just bring it with you tomorrow, it’ll be fine.” Ally brushed her hair back into a ponytail and began to wipe down the counters.
Chapter 7
Ally had just gotten all of the sample trays filled when the door swung open, and in walked Mrs. Bing, Mrs. Cale, and Mrs. White.
“Good morning, ladies.” Ally spared them a half-smile. None of them returned the smile, or the greeting, but Mrs. Bing did snatch up a piece of chocolate from the sample tray.
“I’d say it’s a terrible morning.” Mrs. White clutched her purse. Her cheeks looked flushed, but only because of the makeup she wore. Where there was little makeup her skin appeared pale. Ally wondered if she wasn’t feeling well.
“Yes, I guess it isn’t a good one.” Ally stepped out from behind the register and regarded the three women with interest. If anyone would have some gossip to share about the murder, it would be them. “I guess you’ve heard?”
“Who hasn’t?” Mrs. C
ale fluffed the loose curls at the end of her hair. “Between the news and breakfast club this morning, I don’t think anyone could have missed it.”
“It’s a terrible, terrible thing.” Ally shook her head. She noticed that Nina lingered nearby.
“What I don’t understand is why it took her so long.” Mrs. White waved her hand dismissively.
“Took who so long?” Ally narrowed her eyes.
“Trudy, of course. She’s still missing, isn’t she?” Mrs. White looked at the other two women, then back at Ally. “That’s clearly a sign of guilt, isn’t it?”
“I’m not sure if she’s missing, or she just doesn’t know what happened, yet.” Ally rested her hands on the counter and studied Mrs. White. “But as far as I know the police aren’t close to making an arrest.”
“Oh, she knows.” Mrs. Bing tucked another piece of chocolate in her mouth, then talked around it. “Who can blame her? Whatever he said, went, and she never got a say in any of it. She didn’t want to move, that was for sure, but he didn’t care one bit about what she wanted.”
“Who could blame her for murdering her husband?” Mrs. Cale gasped. “What a horrible thing to say. There’s no excuse for murder.”
“No, there’s not.” Mrs. Bing nodded as her voice shifted into a calmer tone. “However, sometimes a person just snaps. Trudy has been putting up with Martin for years, and I imagine that she just had enough.”
“Wait a minute, they were planning to move?” Ally shook her head. “I didn’t know anything about that.”