by Cindy Bell
“Sure, the apartment was listed. Martin wanted to spend a couple of years on cruise ships and then maybe buy a place in the mountains. Trudy hated boats. Can you believe that he wanted to force her to spend years on something she hated?” Mrs. Bing scrunched up her nose. “Just another form of torment I suppose.”
“Trudy tried to talk him out of selling, but he wouldn’t listen. Everything’s in his name. She had no way to stop it. Maybe she just panicked.” Mrs. White sighed and her eyes gained a faraway look. “I know it’s not right, and there’s no excuse, but a part of me understands why she might have done it. You’ll probably never experience this, Ally, but women of our generation, we spent most of our lives dependent on the men in our lives. It was just the way things were done. Then you get to our age, and if you’re not a widow, those men still have full control over your life.”
“That’s true.” Mrs. Cale nodded. “Before my Henry passed away, every single Sunday we had to eat at the buffet. I hated eating at the buffet, but he drove, and he paid the bill, so we ate at the buffet.”
“That’s not exactly what I meant.” Mrs. White smiled.
“But it’s the same thing. Your freedom of choice doesn’t exist when someone else has control. Not me, never me.” Mrs. Bing plucked another chocolate.
“So, Trudy and Martin weren’t happy? I really had the wrong impression.” Ally frowned as she realized how much she missed about their relationship. Maybe her instincts weren’t as trustworthy as she thought.
“I wouldn’t say they weren’t happy.” Mrs. Bing shrugged. “Every couple has their problems. In general, they seemed to get along well. But when all this started about selling the apartment, that’s when everything seemed to change.”
“Seemed to change is the key there.” Mrs. White narrowed her eyes. “She’s always been intimidated by him, I wouldn’t be surprised if something else was going on behind the scenes.”
“Rumors.” Mrs. Cale wagged her finger. “Nothing but rumors. A person’s personal life, is their personal life. Until it’s splashed across the news of course.” She sighed.
“I’m sure as soon as Trudy reappears all of this will be resolved.” Ally added some more chocolates to the sample tray. “She’s probably just gone somewhere to cool off, and maybe she’ll have more information for the police when she gets back.”
“I hope you’re right, Ally,” Mrs. White said. “Even if it’s not Trudy, it’s usually someone close to home.”
“I agree.” Nina walked over and looked at Mrs. White. “The investigators should look close to home. The murderer is often the obvious suspect.”
Just then the door to the shop swung open. Charlotte stepped out from the kitchen in the same moment. She smiled at the three women huddled around the sample tray, then waved to the woman that stepped through the door.
“Beth, it’s good to see you.”
“You too, Charlotte.” Beth walked towards her with a strained expression. “I was going to call when I heard, but I thought stopping in might be better. I wasn’t sure if you would be here, though.”
“Yes, this is my home away from home.” Charlotte smiled a bit. “Thanks for checking on me.”
“I’m just glad that you’re okay.” She lowered her voice. “Did you hear Mary’s apartment was broken into early this morning?”
“Mary’s?” Charlotte’s eyes widened. Mary was a quiet woman who sat a few tables away from her at the gift making class. “How terrible and unusual. I can’t remember the last time I heard about a break-in at Freely Lakes.”
“I know, it has everyone on edge. People are worried that it might have been Martin’s killer.” She shivered. “The very thought makes me so nervous.”
“Mary’s okay, though?” Charlotte met her eyes.
“Shaken up, but okay. We all need to be more careful.” Her worried eyes passed over the three women near the counter as well.
“Yes, we do.” Mrs. White nodded. “Lock your doors, always.” She eyed Mrs. Bing for a moment. “That means you, too.”
“Okay, I know, sometimes I forget!” Mrs. Bing blushed. “I’ll be more careful.”
“Here, let me get you some of the chocolates I made with those molds that you gave me.” Charlotte stepped behind the counter and began packing up a box. When she returned with it, Beth smiled with gratitude.
“Thank you, Charlotte. This will certainly brighten my day.” She frowned. “I’m trying to decide whether to cancel class tonight.”
“I don’t think you should. We all need something to distract ourselves from all of this. If you have it, I can assure you that I will be there.” She met her eyes. “Martin would have wanted us to continue on with our holiday activities. It was his favorite time of year.”
“Yes, I guess you’re right about that.” She nodded to the others, then left the shop.
“The nerve she has.” Mrs. White announced as soon as the door closed. She gave a sharp shake of her head.
“What do you mean?” Ally walked around the counter towards her.
“Oh, trust me, there was no love lost between her and Martin. I’m surprised the two of them were able to operate within any distance of each other. It didn’t used to be that way.” She raised an eyebrow as she looked at Mrs. Bing. “Remember?”
“Oh, I do.” Mrs. Bing nodded. “They started that business together. The travel agency in Mainbry, where they are from. It was supposed to be very successful. But according to what I’ve been told, Beth took off with his investment. The business collapsed, and Martin nearly lost everything.”
“Oh no, no. That’s not how I heard it.” Mrs. Cale popped a chocolate in her mouth, sucked on it, and waited for everyone to turn their attention on her. “I heard that Martin was the one who bailed on the business, when he wanted her to invest more money to expand and she refused. Beth lost everything she had, was almost homeless. But that was all so many years ago. Really, things do have to be forgiven eventually. Don’t you think?”
“Maybe so.” Mrs. White pursed her lips. “I’d never heard that version of the story, now I’m not sure what to believe.”
“Isn’t that how most rumors go?” Ally frowned. “I suppose we should be careful what news we’re sharing.”
“Yes.” Mrs. Bing picked up a few more chocolates. “Thank you for the treats, Ally.”
“You’re welcome.” Ally smiled at her.
As the three left the shop, Ally looked over at her grandmother.
“Do you know anything about the issue between Beth and Martin?”
“No, nothing.” Charlotte’s eyes widened. “It’s amazing to me that I never knew about it. I remember that they were going into business together, but that was around the time your mother became ill, and I lost track of so many things during that time.” Her cheeks flushed. “I suppose that since it was so long ago it likely didn’t have anything to do with Martin’s death.”
“Maybe, but maybe not. If Martin was planning on selling his apartment, and Beth really did lose money in the business, maybe she hoped to recover some of that money from him after the sale.” Ally lifted an eyebrow. “I think it’s a possibility.”
“But then why would she kill him?” Charlotte asked.
“True, that doesn’t make sense.” Ally nodded. “Maybe she inherited something.”
“Maybe.”
“Ally, aren’t there several orders to fill?” Nina started towards the kitchen. “Would you like me to start working on them?” She barely looked in Ally’s direction.
“Not just yet, Nina, there are too many cooling that need to be packed. If you’d like you can replenish the sample trays.” She studied her for a moment. Something felt different about Nina, though she couldn’t quite place what it was.
“Sure.” She stepped into the back to retrieve more chocolates. As Ally turned back towards her grandmother, the door of the shop swung open again.
“Charlotte!” Jeff rushed through the door. “Why didn’t you call me?” He walked stra
ight over to her.
“Oh well, I didn’t want to bother you.” She smiled as he looked into her eyes. “I meant to call you this morning, but things have been a bit busy.”
“Why don’t you take a break, Mee-Maw?” Ally tilted her head towards Jeff. “It seems like he’d really like to talk with you.”
“I guess you’re right. Thanks.” Charlotte nodded and gave Ally a brief smile before turning back to Jeff. “Why don’t we go get some lunch?”
“That’s a great idea.” He nodded and guided her through the door.
Once Ally and Nina were alone in the shop, Ally noticed the quiet. Nina had barely spoken to her all day. Normally Nina was a chatterbox.
“Is everything okay, Nina?” Ally walked over to her. “If this is too much, we can cut back the hours a bit.”
“It’s not the hours.” She crossed her arms as she studied Ally. “I’m just surprised that you’re so comfortable with having Charlotte here.”
“I’m sorry? Why wouldn’t I be? She’s my grandmother. She owns this place.” Ally gazed at her, confused.
“I just think having a murder suspect here is probably bad for business.” Nina shrugged.
“First of all, Mee-Maw is not a murder suspect, because she’s innocent. Secondly, I would never show anything but support for her. I’m really surprised by this, Nina. If you feel uncomfortable working around her maybe you should leave.” A quick anger built up inside of Ally. She’d never imagined she’d have to defend her grandmother to her friend.
“Ally, calm down. I wasn’t accusing her of anything. I just thought it was bad for business. I mean it’s not as if she couldn’t stay home for a few days. It just seemed like a poor decision on your part to encourage her to be here.” She licked her lips. “If you want me to go, I’ll go. But I’d rather stay.”
“Maybe you should go for today. Let’s just pick things up again tomorrow. I know my nerves are on edge.” She turned away from Nina. Maybe she was being overly sensitive, maybe she’d misinterpreted what the woman said to her.
“Okay, I’ll go. I’m sorry, Ally, I didn’t mean to upset you.” Nina gathered her things, then left the shop.
Alone in the shop, Ally felt anxious. Something about the exchange with Nina made her wonder if she knew the woman at all. When her cell phone rang in the quiet store it made her jump. She answered it as soon as she saw who it was.
“Oh, Luke, it’s so good to hear from you.” She frowned as she saw a group of people heading towards the shop. “I’m sorry, I don’t think I’m going to be able to talk right now.”
“Just listen for a moment. I heard about what happened, and that Charlotte is a suspect. You need to be careful, Ally. Someone is giving the chief anonymous information about Charlotte, false information, that he could use to build a case against her. Watch your step. Understand?”
“Yes, but who?” Her heart raced as the door swung open.
“I don’t know who. I’m trying to get back, but it’s impossible with the weather approaching. Just stay on your toes, and I will do whatever I can from here. Tell Charlotte to be careful who she trusts.”
“I will. Thank you, Luke. Love you.”
“Love you, too.”
As she hung up the phone, her stomach twisted. Who could be telling lies about her grandmother? Was the real killer trying to frame her? What lies were they? She didn’t have time to think about it, as the group entered the shop and she shifted her attention to them. As much as she wanted to know more about what Luke had to say, she still had to run the shop. However, it was impossible for her to concentrate. After she burned the chocolate she melted, and mixed up an order she’d spent almost an hour putting together, she felt tears threaten. If the chief had it in for her grandmother, how would she ever be able to protect her?
Chapter 8
Once Charlotte and Jeff were settled at the diner, Charlotte was eager to look at the menu.
“Honestly, I know I shouldn’t be able to eat, but I’m starving.” She looked up from the menu.
“I bet you haven’t eaten in quite some time if you really think about it.”
“I didn’t finish my toast this morning.” She rubbed a hand across her forehead. “I just wish all of this was already over. Poor Martin.” She sighed.
“Get some food in your belly, it’ll help you feel better.” He gestured for the waitress to come over. As they placed their orders, Charlotte recalled what Victoria said to her that morning. What had she meant by it?
“I know you must have so much on your mind, Charlotte.” Jeff looked into her eyes. “I’m here if you want to talk. About anything.”
“Mostly, I want to talk about Victoria. I just can’t shake the memory of the way she looked at Martin when they argued. I really think she wanted to tear into him.” She frowned. “I know that doesn’t make her a killer, but I can’t help but wonder if maybe she snapped. I mean, who else would destroy his Christmas decorations? I saw them torn apart, apparently just about an hour before he may have been killed, or even less. I can’t help but think he went to confront her, and maybe she came to his apartment and decided to end things once and for all.”
“I had a terrible neighbor once. He kept stealing things off my porch. At first it was no big deal to me. He’d take my newspaper, or a flower pot. But then he started taking my tools, even one of my chairs, and I just couldn’t keep letting it slide. Every time I confronted him, he insisted it wasn’t him, and that I was nuts. So, I put a camera up. I didn’t tell him about it. The next day, another of my chairs went missing. I checked the camera, and clear as day, this man took the chair right off my porch. I went to him with the recording, and threatened to call the police. But instead of doing that I made him promise to stay off my property. From that day on he never set foot on my property.”
“You never called the police?” Charlotte studied him curiously.
“No. I didn’t want to put him in jail, I just wanted him to stop stealing from me. Some people have mental problems, you know. I’m certainly no one to judge anyone else. I have my own issues. The point is, a camera took care of the problem.” He shrugged. “Maybe Martin should have tried it.”
“Maybe he did.” Charlotte snapped her fingers. “I wonder if he might have hidden a camera. It’s a long shot, but possible, right?”
“I would think the police would have found it, but it’s possible.” He shifted some in his seat. “I wonder if he would have told Trudy.”
“We’ll never know if she doesn’t show up.” She sighed.
“She’ll be back.” He sat back as their food was delivered.
“How can you be so certain?” She met his eyes as the waitress set her soup down in front of her.
“She’s not one to run and hide.” He smiled at the waitress and thanked her.
“I didn’t realize you knew her well.” Charlotte had seen them exchange greetings, but it never went further than that.
“Yes, we’re friends.” He glanced up at her. “I can tell you, she’s no murderer.”
“Not even if Martin was pushing her around?” She noticed a flicker of shame cross his features.
“They had their differences, but Martin and her got along well. I don’t think he ever got violent with her.” He picked up his fork, but didn’t touch his food. “At least she never told me he did.”
“But you’re not convinced?” Her heart skipped a beat as she realized that Jeff knew her neighbors better than she did. But how?
“Martin had some harsh qualities about him. His tone, his mannerisms, they all indicate that he might have been violent, but lots of people are brusque and loud. It’s hard to make that judgment. He was always caring towards Trudy from what I could tell.” He swept his fork through his chicken and took a bite.
“How do you know Trudy so well?” She watched as he took another bite of his chicken.
“Oh, we had a shared interest.” He picked up his glass and took a long swallow of his water.
“What s
hared interest?” Charlotte’s head began to swirl. How could there be so much she didn’t know about Jeff? She thought she’d gotten to know him very well.
“I’d rather not say.” His cheeks flushed. “The point is, she didn’t do this. I know she didn’t.”
“Well, someone did.” She could hear the tension in her voice. “And the chief seems to think it was me.”
“That’s ridiculous.” He tossed down his fork. “Where did he get his badge? Out of a cereal box?”
“Perhaps.” She smiled slightly as she eyed her food.
“Aren’t you going to eat?” He looked across the table at her with concern.
“I’m not so hungry anymore.” She pushed the plate away.
“Charlotte? What’s wrong?” He took her hand in his. She gazed into his eyes and hoped that the suspicion that stirred within her wasn’t warranted.
“I think it’s all just setting in. Will you excuse me? I need to use the restroom.” She stood up from the table.
“Sure, of course.” He watched her as she headed for the back hallway.
As Charlotte passed the table closest to the restrooms, she overheard an interesting comment.
“Yes, Benjamin’s apartment was broken into early this morning. Apparently, nothing of value was taken, and he slept through the whole thing.”
“Then how did he know there was a break-in?” The woman on the other side of the table leaned closer to the first woman.
“Because his kitchen had been rummaged through, and a few kitchen items were taken, they were worthless, though. Can you imagine? Someone breaks in just to go through your kitchen and steal a few worthless things? Why would anyone do that?”
“I don’t know, but apparently the same thing happened to Mary. You know what good security they have at Freely Lakes. I’ve heard some rumors saying that it must have been an inside job. Someone who lived there. Same with Martin’s death.” She clucked her tongue. “What is this town coming to?”
“Now, now. We still have much less crime than other places.”
Charlotte continued on before she could get pulled into the conversation. Two break-ins? That was unheard of in Blue River. She couldn’t help but wonder if they were somehow connected to Martin’s murder. Mary and Benjamin hadn’t been harmed, but maybe Martin had fought back? When she returned to the table, she was still lost in thought.