Six sweets under, p.22
Six Sweets Under, page 22
The three of us entered the police station together. Pops walked straight to the front desk, but Lolly and I hung back. A quiet sob caught my attention.
Tammy Doyle sat in one of the chairs to my left, crying softly, a crumpled tissue in one hand.
I touched my grandmother’s arm to direct her attention that way. “Lolly, is it true you used to babysit Tammy?”
“When she was just a wee little thing.” Her eyes filled with sympathy when she realized Tammy was crying. “The poor woman.”
Lolly hurried over to her. She sat down and put an arm around Tammy, speaking quietly. I couldn’t help but wonder if Tammy was crying because she was in trouble with the police. Or maybe she was scared because she knew she was about to get questioned and she thought there was a good chance that the cops knew she had killed Archie.
I wished I could overhear what she and Lolly were saying to each other, but the conversation was too quiet. I’d have to hover right next to them, and I wasn’t about to do that. Instead, I joined Pops by the front desk. He was told that an officer would bring his scooter out the side door of the station, so he headed back outside to wait. I asked if Sawyer was in, but I was out of luck. He was on duty but not presently at the station.
I didn’t want to appear suspicious by loitering in the lobby, waiting for Lolly, so I followed Pops outside and sat down on a low stone wall that surrounded a raised flower bed. The sun warmed my skin, and I closed my eyes as I listened to the chirping of a bird in a maple tree.
When I opened my eyes again, I spotted Jolene at the nearby dock, tying up her whisper boat. Once the craft was secure, she jogged toward the police station, not slowing until she reached the door. Another minute or two passed, and then Jolene emerged with her arm around her mother, who was no longer crying. She still looked upset, though.
Lolly exited the police station behind them. She said a few words to Tammy, then squeezed her hand and parted ways with the two women. Jolene led Tammy to the dock, while Lolly came to join me by the flower bed.
I stood up as she approached. “Is Tammy all right?”
“She got herself into some trouble. Now she’s scared and upset.”
“Because she lied about when she arrived in town?”
“How did you know about that?” Lolly asked.
“It’s a bit of a long story,” I said, not wanting to let on that I’d been doing some sleuthing. “But one of her friends mentioned seeing her here before Archie died. Tammy denied it, but I suspected she was lying.”
“And now the police know about it.” Lolly shook her head. “I told her to get herself a lawyer.”
“Do you think Tammy could have killed Archie?” I asked as we started walking.
I expected Lolly to jump to Tammy’s defense, but that wasn’t what happened.
“I’m not sure,” she said, and I could tell that it pained her to admit that. “I wish I could say absolutely not, but she changed so much after she became a teenager. Her parents divorced, and she didn’t handle it well. She started lying a lot, got into fights. Even as an adult, she got into some scuffles when she’d had too much to drink.” Lolly sighed, her expression growing sad. “I really hope it wasn’t her.”
I tucked my arm through Lolly’s. “She might have lied simply to avoid becoming a suspect. She could be completely innocent.”
“That’s the reason she gave me for lying,” Lolly said. “The problem is that somebody killed Archie, and there’s a good chance that it was someone from our town. It’s terrible to even think about.”
“It is,” I agreed wholeheartedly. “The one good bit of news is that I don’t think Pops is the prime suspect anymore.”
“That’s the sense I got from his lawyer too. It’s a relief, but not as much of a relief as it will be when the police have the right person behind bars.”
I couldn’t have said it better myself.
I walked with Lolly as far as her cottage, then returned to True Confections to finish up the last batch of chocolates for the day. As I left the shop later, I glanced up at the sky. Gray clouds had rolled in again, blotting out the sun. According to my phone’s weather app, the next couple of days would likely be stormy. If I wanted to spend any time out on the lake in my kayak, this was the time to do it.
I headed home, planning to briefly play with Binx and Truffles before heading out on the water. When my cottage came into sight, I slowed my pace. Carmen Vasquez stood on my lawn, facing away from me. She looked toward the dock, and then down at the grass. I picked up my pace again.
“Hello? Carmen?” I called out.
She spun around, startled. “Oh, hi, Becca.”
“Can I help you with something?” I asked.
She gave me a sheepish smile. “I lost an earring this morning when I was out for a jog. I’m retracing my steps, hoping I can find it. No luck yet, though.”
“What does it look like?”
“It’s a small silver hoop with a star dangling from it.”
I scanned the green grass at the edge of the walking path, but I didn’t spot any silver.
“I’ll keep my eye out for it,” I said as I fished my keys from my pocket.
“Thanks. Oh, you live here?” She glanced toward my cottage. “Nice place. Anyway,” she continued without giving me a chance to say anything, “I’ll keep looking. Have a nice afternoon.”
“You too,” I said, although I ended up speaking to her back because she was already walking away.
I crossed the lawn to the front door of my cottage, checking the grass for anything that looked out of place. I didn’t see anything of the kind.
I stayed home for a few minutes, and then set out in my kayak, paddling around Shadow Lake. The first drops of rain sent ripples across the surface of the water as I steered back into the canal, but I managed to make it home before the sprinkling of rain turned into a real shower.
Binx, Truffles, and I spent the rest of the day cozied up in the cottage, and the cats curled up on the bed with me when I went to sleep.
In the middle of the night, I woke with a start. I sat up, wondering what had disturbed my sleep. I thought I’d heard something, but I didn’t know what.
I listened carefully, but the only sound that reached my ears was the pelting of the rain against the roof of my cottage. The steady rhythm of it soon lulled me back to sleep.
* * *
• • •
I didn’t have a chance for any sleuthing the next morning. I was too busy in the kitchen at True Confections, whipping up more batches of bonbons and replenishing our supply of chocolate gondolas. The rain came and went with intermittent showers. Although the weather caused the shop to be less busy than usual, we still had plenty of customers, and the rain hadn’t diminished their appetite for chocolate, fortunately.
I was in the midst of assembling a chocolate gondola when Angie poked her head into the kitchen.
“Becca, there’s a man here to see you.”
I touched one half of the gondola to a warm pan for a couple of seconds and then removed it. “What man?” I did the same to the second half, and then gently pressed the two pieces together, making sure they were properly aligned.
“He didn’t give a name. I don’t think he’s local, though. I’ve never seen him before. Maybe he’s a fan.” With that suggestion, Angie disappeared from sight.
It didn’t happen all that often, but on occasion fans of Twilight Hills came to the shop and asked to see me. In case Angie was right, I stopped in the washroom across the hall to check my appearance in the mirror. If someone wanted to take a selfie with me, I didn’t want to look too unkempt. I tugged the elastic out of my ponytail and patted down a few strands of hair. Deeming that good enough, I made my way out to the front.
I stopped short when I reached the shop area. Aside from two elderly women pointing out their display case selections to Angie, the only other person in the store was the mystery man in the baseball cap. He was without his sunglasses today, allowing me to see that he had brown eyes. Now that he was only a few feet away from me, I could also see that he had short, dark hair poking out from beneath his cap. He wasn’t anyone I recognized.
“Rebecca Ransom?” The man stepped forward and extended a hand to me. “Phil Chalupnik from Ever After Films. Cooper Graystone told me you lived here in Larch Haven, so I thought I’d introduce myself.”
I shook his offered hand, relaxing. I didn’t recognize Chalupnik’s name, but I was familiar with Ever After Films. The company produced popular television romance movies. Cooper Graystone was one of my former co-stars from Twilight Hills.
“Nice to meet you,” I said. “What brings you to Larch Haven?”
“I’m partly here on holiday, and partly scouting possible future shooting locations. I was having a beer with Cooper a couple weeks ago and mentioned that I was looking for some unique and charming locations for future films. He said that you’d shown him photos of your hometown and he thought it might fit the bill. When he showed me some of the pictures, I knew I had to come see the place for myself.”
“Larch Haven is definitely unique, compared to other North American towns, anyway,” I said. “And we’ve got plenty of charm.”
He grinned. “I can see that. I’d never seen a gondola race before this week, and the place looks like it’s out of a fairy tale.”
“Does that mean you’re thinking of filming a movie here?” I asked, excitement stirring in my chest.
A movie production would inject money into the town, and I certainly didn’t mind the thought of my two favorite worlds brushing up against each other, if only briefly.
“Nothing’s set in stone, but I’ve been taking a lot of pictures and I’m going to be sharing them around when I get back to work. I think Larch Haven really fits our brand.”
“I couldn’t agree more.”
“Anyway,” Phil said, adjusting his baseball cap, “I won’t keep you from your work. I just wanted to make sure I said hello before I head home tomorrow. I almost talked to you the other day but didn’t want to intrude while you were congratulating one of the race winners.”
I smiled. “That was my brother. I’m glad you stopped by today.” Especially because I now didn’t have to worry about who he was and what he was up to.
“I don’t think I can leave without buying some of these chocolates, though.” He examined the bonbons in the display case. “They’re way too tempting.”
The two elderly customers exited the shop, leaving Phil as the only person present other than myself and Angie.
“Point out what you’d like, and I’ll fill a box for you,” I offered. “On the house.”
“You don’t have to do that,” he protested.
“I want to. Please.” I grabbed a box that would hold a dozen bonbons.
Phil pointed out the ones he wanted to try, and I packaged them up for him. After I’d introduced him to Angie, he shook my hand again and thanked me before leaving the shop.
“Did I hear him say that he might bring a movie production here to Larch Haven?” Angie asked with excitement.
“Sounds like he’s going to consider it.”
Angie squealed and gave me a hug. “Maybe you’ll star in it!”
“I doubt it,” I said. “I’m a chocolatier now. My acting life is behind me.”
“That doesn’t mean you couldn’t dip your toe back in those waters.”
Maybe not, but I didn’t have any plans to do so, at least not anytime soon.
A group of customers entered the shop, and I returned to the kitchen while Angie tended to the patrons.
I left True Confections a short while later. Earlier, on a whim, I’d called the local hair salon and booked an appointment. Reminiscing with Sawyer a few days earlier had reminded me of how I’d always wanted purple hair. Except for going blond for a movie role, I’d never actually dyed my hair. I figured it was time to do something about that. I no longer wanted a complete dye job, but I decided I wanted purple at the ends of my hair.
The results turned out better than I’d envisioned. The stylist had trimmed my hair and then added the purple so that it was vibrant at the ends and then blended into my natural dark brown higher up. She’d also styled my hair in loose waves, which was my favorite way to wear it.
When I left the salon in the middle the afternoon, dark clouds still filled the sky, but only a few raindrops were falling. Instead of heading home, I decided to walk around town. Some people were wearing rain gear, and I wanted to keep an eye out for a black rain jacket with a tear in the back. If I could figure out who owned the jacket, I’d know who’d fled from Archie’s cabin the other day and, quite possibly, who had committed the murder.
I strolled up and down the canals, passing shops, restaurants, cottages, and town houses. I saw plenty of people, and even spotted a couple of black rain jackets, but none of them were the right style, and none of them were torn in the back.
Eventually, I gave up and headed home to fetch my Jon boat. My search for the jacket had been fruitless, and I didn’t want to waste the entire afternoon. The rain had stopped, but the clouds were growing more ominous with every passing minute. I figured I should go and buy some groceries before the next downpour hit.
In the dim light of the boathouse, I climbed carefully into my boat. With the rope untied, I turned on the engine and maneuvered out of the shelter.
Right away, I knew something was wrong.
I heard a rushing sound and water lapped at my flip-flops, tickling the bare skin of my feet.
I cut the engine and grabbed a handful of grass on the bank of the canal to stop the boat’s momentum. Desperately, I tried to propel myself backward, pushing along the bank.
Water rushed into the craft through several holes and pooled around my ankles. I grabbed the edge of the boathouse entrance, hoping I could get back inside. It wasn’t going to work. The water was pouring in too fast.
My boat was sinking.
I grabbed the mooring line and clambered up onto the bank.
I sat there on the grass, gripping the rope, watching as more water filled the boat.
Now that I was safely on land, my mind had a chance to process what I was seeing.
The water wasn’t getting into my boat through random holes.
Someone had drilled a series of them, very intentionally.
And the holes spelled out the word stop.
Chapter Thirty-Two
My heart pounded and my fingers trembled, but I tried to look on the bright side.
At least my phone was dry.
I used it to call Sawyer. I didn’t think there was any point in calling 9-1-1 instead. I was safely on the bank now, and whoever had drilled the holes in my boat was long gone.
Luckily, Sawyer answered the call. I gave him a quick rundown of what had happened, and he told me he’d be right there. He arrived on his bike five minutes later, hopping off before he’d even come to a stop. He wasn’t working, so he wore jeans and a T-shirt. I wished I hadn’t interrupted his day off.
Sawyer leaned his bike against a tree and joined me on the bank.
“You’re okay?” he asked as I got to my feet.
“I’m fine,” I assured him. “I managed to climb out onto the bank without getting anything other than my feet wet.”
We both stared at my whisper boat, which was now mostly submerged except for the bow. I still held on to the rope, not wanting to let the boat sink completely.
A few tourists had glided past in whisper boats while I was waiting for Sawyer to arrive. They’d sent me curious glances, and a couple of people had asked if I needed help, but I’d assured them that I was okay and that help was on the way. At least my submerged boat was in my little offshoot from the canal, so it wasn’t causing any obstruction for other boating traffic.
Sawyer rested a reassuring hand on my shoulder. “Let’s see if we can get that rope secured. Then I’ll call for some help to get the boat out of the water.”
He skirted around the boathouse and disappeared inside. He reappeared, standing at the boat entrance. I tossed him the rope, and he managed to tow the submerged craft close enough to the structure to allow him to secure the line.
He made a phone call, and then joined me on the bank again to wait for reinforcements to arrive.
“You’re sure the holes formed letters?” he asked.
The holes were now underwater, but I’d briefly told him about the unnerving message over the phone.
“Positive,” I said. “It was hard to miss, once I wasn’t worried about sinking along with the boat.”
Under different circumstances, Sawyer probably would have teased me about my fear of ending up in the water, but his expression held no humor.
“Have you noticed anybody near your boathouse lately?” he asked.
I considered the question. “Not really. Carmen Vasquez was looking for an earring over by my cottage yesterday afternoon, but otherwise I’ve only seen people passing on the path.”
“What about any unusual noises?”
I started to answer in the negative, but then I stopped myself and reconsidered. “I’m not sure. Something woke me up last night, but I thought maybe it was just the rain.”
I wondered if in fact the sound of drilling had woken me instead. I knew Sawyer was wondering the same thing.
He turned his dark eyes my way, his jaw tense. “What have you been up to since we last talked?”
“I’m guessing you don’t mean workwise.” I sighed in the face of his serious gaze. “I’ve been thinking about the murder case, but the only people I’ve talked to about it are Angie and Lolly.”
I didn’t bother to mention that I’d walked around town looking for the torn raincoat. Nobody knew that I was doing anything other than simply going for a stroll, so that couldn’t have spurred someone to leave the warning for me.
