by Diana DuMont
He winked at me, and this time I didn’t try to fight it when that warm, delicious feeling of happiness filled me from the inside out.
“Thanks,” I said. “Hopefully I won’t need it.”
“Hopefully not,” he agreed.
But as he walked out and I slipped the napkin into my apron pocket, I had the sinking feeling that I might need to call for help sooner rather than later.
Chapter Ten
After I finished closing up the pie shop for the day, I decided to go pay a visit to Mitch. The last thing I wanted to do was be in the same room as that arrogant, corrupt man. But I figured I should let him know that I had to head to San Francisco the next day. I didn’t want him to realize I was gone and think that I had left because I was trying to run away. As I made my way to the police station, I thought of Todd. Why had he run away?
What was he hiding? What was Josie hiding? What was Theo hiding?
There were so many things that didn’t make sense to me, and I was beginning to feel the pressure to somehow make them make sense. Despite how unconcerned Grams seemed to be, my heart felt like it was constantly tightening up in my chest with worry. How long did I have before I started to really feel the effects of being falsely accused of murder?
I tried to remember what I could from my criminal procedure class in law school. But that class had been so long ago, and I honestly hadn’t paid much attention to it. I’d known I wasn’t interested in criminal law, so I’d learned barely enough to squeak by on the final exam. Even that much I had promptly forgotten as soon as the exam was over.
Like it or not, I was about to get a refresher in criminal law.
I felt my heart tightening in my chest even more as I drove into the parking lot of the police station. In addition to a couple of police cruisers, an expensive looking Mercedes was parked out front. I wondered who it belonged to, but I didn’t have to wonder for long. As soon as I entered the station, I heard a laugh that unfortunately sounded all too familiar.
Theo. It was the same sneering laugh that I’d heard the night Molly and I carried out our ridiculous plan to convince him to confess. The more I thought about that night, the more embarrassed I was that I’d ever tried anything so foolish. Why on earth had I thought a man like Theo would be nervous or intimidated by Molly and me? I should have known that Theo would be well prepared to answer any challenges about the murder.
In a rush, I turned to leave the police station. I didn’t particularly want to confront Theo again right now—especially not in front of Mitch, whom I was sure would take Theo’s side in all of this. But before I could make my escape, Theo and Mitch appeared in the front room of the station.
“Well, well, well,” the pompous Sheriff Mitchell said. “If it isn’t one of our murder suspects come to pay me a visit, live and in person. Come to confess, did you? I must say, it would make my job a lot easier. Although honestly, half the fun of being a sheriff is putting pressure on criminals until they work themselves into a corner. If you’re already confessing, then this game was over a bit too quickly.”
I scowled at him. “I’m not here to confess. I didn’t murder Caitlin, so you won’t be getting a confession from me. Not today, not ever.”
Mitch seemed amused by this. “We’ll see about that,” he snorted. “But if you’re not here to confess yet, then to what do I owe the displeasure of seeing you?”
I cleared my throat uncomfortably, and glanced at Theo. He was looking at me with his mouth hanging open. Too late, I realized that until this moment, he hadn’t realized that I was one of the suspects in the murder investigation. I could see the wheels turning in his head. After a few moments’ pause, he burst out laughing.
Theo’s face crinkled up into a grin that was maddeningly adorable. Why did all of the jerks always get all the good looks?
“You’re a murder suspect in this case?” he asked. “No wonder you were so keen on trying to get me to confess to a murder I didn’t commit. You were just looking for someone else to take the blame for your crime.”
Theo laughed again, and I resisted the urge to strangle him in much the same way that Josie had strangled me an hour ago.
Mitch glanced back and forth between Theo and me, looking slightly confused.
“Wait a minute,” the sheriff said. “I take it you two have met?”
“That we have,” Theo said. “This young lady showed up on my doorstep in the middle of the night a few days ago, trying to get me to confess to Caitlin Dixon’s murder.”
I bristled. Ordinarily, I would quite enjoy being referred to as a young lady. I was at that stage of life where I could feel my youth slipping away, and anyone who treated me like I still had some youth left made me happy. But when Theo called me a young lady, it came across as patronizing.
“It wasn’t exactly the middle of the night,” I protested. “I just stopped by after leaving the police station, to let the real murderer know that I was onto him.”
I crossed my arms, knowing full well that Theo wasn’t going to admit to anything and that Mitch was going to support Theo. But still, I wanted Theo to know that I wasn’t backing away from my theory. Sure, a few things today had given me reason to admit to the possibility that Josie or Todd might have been the ones who actually murdered Caitlin. But on the whole, Theo still seemed like the most likely suspect to me.
Mitch did not look amused. His usually sneering face had morphed into a more serious glare. “Miss James,” he said, his voice sounding angrier and more serious than I’d ever heard it before. “I would advise you to leave the matter of this murder investigation to the police. We are professionals, and this is a situation best dealt with by professionals. Not only that, but I don’t think someone suspected of murder herself should be prancing around accusing other people.”
I wanted to tell him that someone falsely suspected of murder had every right to be prancing around accusing other people, especially when those other people were much likelier to have committed the murder then I was. But at that moment, I just wanted to get out of the police station and away from Theo and Mitch.
So I ignored Mitch’s comment and plunged forward with the reason I had come here in the first place. It wouldn’t have been my first choice to explain to Mitch in front of Theo that I had to leave town, but I was completely done with the day. I just wanted to take care of business and get out of there.
“Well, Mitch, I didn’t come here to accuse anyone else. I just came to let you know that I’ll need to be in San Francisco tomorrow. But don’t worry. I’ll be back by the evening. I just wouldn’t want you to think I was doing something suspicious like disappearing completely, as I’ve heard one of the other murder suspects has done.”
From the surprise on Mitch’s face when I made that last remark, I got the feeling that it wasn’t common knowledge that Todd was missing, and that he wasn’t happy that I knew. But he smoothed over his surprised expression quickly, and scowled at me instead.
“And what exactly is so important in San Francisco that it can’t wait until after this murder investigation is over? I don’t like my suspects leaving town on me.”
“Well, frankly, I don’t care very much what you like or don’t like. As long as I’m here for my court date, what does it matter? And as it happens, I have another court date that I need to attend to in San Francisco. It’s a domestic matter, completely unrelated to anything here, but I need to attend.”
Mitch was frowning at me, but Theo somehow caught on quickly. He laughed.
“What’s the matter?” Theo asked between chuckles. “You had a husband and then he decided he didn’t want to be married to a murderer anymore, so he divorced you?”
I felt smoke coming out of my ears. Mitch still looked slightly confused, but I figured Theo would be happy enough to explain everything to him. I rolled my eyes for good measure, then turned on my heel and left the police station.
When I got to my car, my hands were shaking as badly as Violet’s usually did. I didn’
t know why exactly I was so angry. Why did it matter to me what Mitch or Theo thought of me? I supposed that knowing that two of the most influential men in Sunshine Springs were laughing at me was what put me in a foul mood. All I had wanted to do was come to a new town and start over. But instead of being accepted as the smart, kind, talented baker that I was, I was being treated like an outsider, a murderer, and a laughingstock. At least Scott and Molly seemed to still be willing to be my friends.
I got into my car and put my hands on the steering wheel, willing them to stop shaking. I wished Molly didn’t have so many events at the library this week. I could have used a friend who could go out for drinks with me. The only other person I could go get a drink with in Sunshine Springs was Grams, and I wasn’t sure I wanted to hang out with Grams right now. If she told me one more time that I was blowing things out of proportion, I might lose it on her.
Unfortunately, I had to at least see Grams for a few moments to pick up Sprinkles. But I planned to make that as quick as I could, running in to get the dog and telling Grams I had to leave right away because I was tired and had a long drive to San Francisco the next morning. Grams had told me to leave Sprinkles with her while I went to San Francisco, but I wanted to take him. I didn’t want to be alone when my divorce finalized. But I didn’t tell this to Grams, because I was afraid she would think I was weak and playing the victim. Instead, I told her that Sprinkles would love a chance to go down and see the city he’d grown up in.
I’d have to pay someone to watch him while I was actually in the courthouse. Somehow, I didn’t think the judge in my divorce proceedings would appreciate a large Dalmatian sitting by my side in the courtroom while my marriage officially ended. But at least Sprinkles would be there when I came out as an officially single woman.
Taking a deep breath, I did my best to steady my hands as I turned the engine on in my worn down car. If I could get my business going well enough here in Sunshine Springs, one of the first things I was going to splurge on was a new car. Oh sure, this little car had been faithful to me for over a hundred thousand miles. I couldn’t complain about that. But it was getting too old to be trustworthy, especially since I was no mechanic and didn’t have the faintest idea how to fix anything that might go wrong. That had been fine when I lived in the city and could take public transportation anywhere I needed to go. But here in Sunshine Springs, it was difficult to even get a taxi. Of course, the way things were going right now, maybe I wouldn’t even need a car. Maybe I’d be spending all my time in a jail cell.
I frowned and chewed my lower lip as I started to pull out of the parking lot. I couldn’t think like that. I couldn’t give up hope. I was innocent, and I wasn’t going to let the true murderer get away with killing Caitlin Dixon. I just had to focus and keep looking. There was an explanation for all of this—an explanation that didn’t involve me—and I was going to find it.
As I started down the road that ran behind the police station, I saw a trio of dark figures standing in the shadows. I slowed my car, and tried to appear as though I wasn’t looking in their direction. It wasn’t dark yet, so I didn’t have my headlights on. But a car driving down this road was still pretty obvious. It wasn’t a well-traveled road, and the only reason I took it was because it was the fastest way to get to Grams’ house.
Thankfully, the three figures behind the police station seemed too engrossed in whatever they were talking about to notice a car driving by. I strained my eyes to see them, and I quickly realized that the three men were Theo, Mitch, and the Sunshine Springs Mayor. Whatever they were discussing must have required some serious focus. They were huddled together, and it looked like they were looking over a notebook or tablet.
My heart froze in my chest. Was Theo discussing pilfering money from the city with the Mayor? And was Mitch in on this? I shouldn’t have been surprised. If Theo and the Mayor were doing something shady in the city, then they would have to pay Mitch off. Otherwise, the sheriff would have been able to arrest them both.
For the first time since I arrived at the station, I realized that it was a bit strange that Theo had been there. It was clear from the way that he was happily talking and laughing that he hadn’t been there because Mitch was arresting him or questioning him regarding Caitlin’s murder. Had he been there to discuss whatever side deal these men all had going on to line their pockets with the city’s money?
As I drove slowly by, Theo looked up and looked straight toward my car. I felt my blood run cold, and I told myself to look quickly away as though I had seen nothing. For some reason, going to Theo’s house that night with Molly had been easy enough to do. But letting Theo know that I’d just caught him right in the act of something shady terrified me. If he was a murderer, and he thought I had evidence against him, was he going to murder me, too?
But despite my sudden fear, I couldn’t quite manage to look away. It was like when you drove by a car wreck, and you told yourself not to be the idiot rubbernecking and slowing down traffic, but you couldn’t help gaping at the destruction anyway.
I was gaping at the destruction here. But the scary thing was, it was my life that was being destroyed. It didn’t matter how much Violet vouched for Theo’s character. Violet was a crazy, delusional old woman who had no idea what she was talking about. It was clear to me that these three men were in on some sort of scheme together—some sort of illegal scheme that had driven them to murder.
A murder that they were going to let me take the fall for.
Theo, as I was learning was his way, seemed amused by the fact that I was staring at him. A sneering smile crossed his face, and he raised his hand to give me a small wave. Abruptly, I turned my gaze away and sped off down the road toward Grams’ house. I was glad that I had a good excuse to escape to San Francisco tomorrow, and I wondered whether I could get away with skipping bail and never coming back.
As the police station faded from view in my rearview mirror, my hands started shaking once again.
Chapter Eleven
The next morning, I woke up bright and early before the sun itself had even woken up. I quickly grabbed my briefcase full of important paperwork pertaining to the divorce, and slipped into the skirt suit I had set out the night before. I once again looked like a professional, high-powered lawyer, but these days my skirt suit felt more like a costume then like the second skin it used to be.
I was okay with that. I’d never enjoyed being a lawyer all that much, and if today was the last time in my life that I had to go into a courthouse, I’d be more than fine with that. Of course, if I wanted today to be the last time I was ever in a courthouse, I still had to figure out who had murdered Caitlin Dixon. But that would have to wait until tomorrow. I had plenty of other things to worry about today.
“Come on, Sprinkles,” I said as I grabbed my car keys and headed toward the door. “Let’s go get this over with.”
Sprinkles stood reluctantly, stretched, and ambled after me with his tail lazily wagging as though we were about to head out to spend a happy day at the beach or the park. Oh to be a dog, I thought. Oh to be able to enjoy life for its simple joys, and to not constantly feel like the weight of the world was crushing you down.
Sprinkles bounded out the front door ahead of me, finding a sudden rush of energy as the fresh air hit his face. I couldn’t help but laugh as the black and white spotted blur rushed past me.
“Hold on, Sprinkles!” I quickly turned to lock the door on my small, cozy cottage. “I don’t know where you think we’re going, but this trip isn’t going to be as exciting as you seem to think it is right now.”
In response, Sprinkles barked loudly. I winced and turned to hush him. The last thing I needed was for him to wake up my neighbors. They were all already looking for reasons to complain about me, so I’m sure they would happily whine about being woken up by my unruly Dalmatian in the early dawn hours. Worse, though, was that if they saw me leaving this early, their tongues would start wagging about where I was going. I’m sure it wouldn
’t be too long before someone talked to Theo or Mitch and heard the news that I was heading into San Francisco for divorce proceedings. It wasn’t like this was some great secret I needed to keep. It’s just that it wasn’t my favorite topic of conversation, and I didn’t want to be forced to discuss it ad nauseam with a bunch of busybodies who were only interested in my life because it provided good gossip fodder.
Sprinkles ignored me and barked again. With a sigh, I jiggled the doorknob to make sure it was locked before turning to reprimand Sprinkles. But then I saw why he was barking, and my eyes widened.
Molly was standing in my front yard, holding two to-go cups of coffee and what looked like a box of donuts. Her little red sports car was parked on the street right in front of my house. Sprinkles had spotted her, and had run up to her excitedly. He was dancing around her now, barking and begging to be petted. But Molly couldn’t very well pet him when her hands were full of coffee and doughnuts.
“Down, Sprinkles,” she said with a laugh. “Down, boy! I’m happy to see you too, but my hands are little bit full at the moment. I promise as soon as I set this stuff down, I’ll give you a proper backrub. I might even sneak you a donut, if I can find a moment where your mama isn’t watching me like a hawk.”
Sprinkles whined happily and sat down on the grass in front of Molly, his tail swishing around faster than a helicopter propeller.
I was confused. “Molly? What are you doing here?”
She held up the coffee and donuts. “I brought you some breakfast. I would have brought you some pie from the best pie shop in town, but it appears they’re closed today.”
“Yeah, well, I’m going to—”
“San Francisco,” she finished for me. “I know. I overheard your grandma talking about it at the library yesterday afternoon. She was complaining that you had to go to the big city, but that you refused to leave Sprinkles here because you didn’t want to go alone.”