craftfield 01 - secrets untold (6 page)

“Sorry, I’ve got classes until this afternoon.” Worry etched Amanda’s face. “But I can skip.”

“No.” She shook her head. “I’ll be fine. Really, I need to do some studying anyway.” Like she’d be able to concentrate on anything. Maybe binge watching TV with a bucket of buttered popcorn would make the day pass by faster.

Lily plugged in her phone and finished her coffee while she waited for the screen to light up so she could check her messages. When the phone buzzed, Lily scrambled from behind the bar to answer it.

"Hello?"

"Miss Thomas," a male voice said. "This is Deputy Garza. We met at the crime scene."

Her gut sank, and she glanced up to Amanda who gave her a sympathetic look. She cleared her throat. "Y-yes? How can I help you?"

"Sorry, we need you to come down to the station for some questions. Where are you? I'll send someone to pick you up."

"I'm at a friend's house." She gave him the address, turning down her friend's offer to drive her. Amanda had already done a lot for her and Amanda was busy today and couldn't play chauffeur.

An hour and a half later, Lily sat in a freezing room with a table and two chairs between her and the door. The overhead fluorescent light hummed, filling the silence.

The knot tightened in her stomach. She just wanted this over with. And she had the funeral arrangements to take care of. Her throat stung.

The door opened. Garza and an elderly Deputy entered. The latter laid a folder on the table in front of her. "Thank you for coming, Ms. Thomas. I'm Deputy Wells." His ebony skin was smooth and wrinkle free.

"I know this must be difficult for you," Garza said. "But in your own words, what happened the morning until you left the ice cream shop?"

Brushing a shaky hand through her hair, she said, "Our freezer has been running cold. Mom asked me to go to Joe's and pick up a new thermostat for it."

"And did you two argue about it?" The elderly gentleman took out a pen from his pocket and clicked it on.

"No, nothing like that." She crossed her arms as her mind drifted back. Her head had been pounding and she hadn't wanted to leave her mom the day before. Then, she’d thought her premonition was a flunky dream. Should she tell the deputies about the vision? Garza gave her a small smile while the elder man scribbled over a piece of paper.

"We checked your mom's bank account. Seems like the store was paid off years ago, yet you took minimum wages... why is that? Did she hoard money and you resented her and knew you would inherit the business if she died?"

"What?" Her head spun. Money, inheritance, the shop was paid for? Last she knew, it had been on lease for another thirty or so years. "I mean, no. I didn't know about the shop or money. Growing up, I got used to not having a lot. My salary was enough to pay my bills and, since I'm going to college, I live at home until I get another job and can afford to be on my own." She had seen what her Mom went through to raise her at sixteen, and the sacrifices she'd made. The ice cream shop was her chance to be her own boss and be with Lily instead of being so tired she couldn't make breakfast on her day off.

"So you resented her not telling you and, in a moment of anger, lashed out. Fearing what would happen, you took off to this Joe's so you'd have an alibi."

This was absurd. Her mom was dead. "Why are you questioning me and not looking for her killer?"

She stood, her chair scraping backward with a screech.

"It's okay." Garza pulled out another handkerchief and pressed it into her hands. "We're not blaming you for her death. Even though it looks like an interrupted burglary, we want to rule out everything and everyone."

She dabbed at her eyes. God, she hadn't even known she'd been crying. It sure seemed like they blamed her. “It wasn’t a burglary.” Couldn’t be. She knew the dollar bill her mom had framed was gone along with the register being pried open and the money was taken, but it just didn’t ring true. Her gut knotted at the thought of it only being a theft.
Mom would’ve let the robber have whatever he wanted, wouldn’t she?
If she could talk to her mom before all this happened, she’d have told her the money wasn’t worth her life.

"Did Betty have anyone she didn't get along with?" Deputy Wells asked. “Anyone she argued with, or who gave her a hard time?”

Finally, they were asking the right questions. She dotted her eyes with a handkerchief. “Yes, Mr. Griffin, who shares the wall with us, is always trying to get mom to sell. Was trying.” It felt so strange to speak of her mom in the past tense, and it was something she didn’t want to get used to either. “Oh, and Camie was supposed to come by and pick up half a dozen ice cream cakes for a party. When I left, she hadn’t arrived. Did she come in after me? Before Mom…”

“We’ll look into that and let you know.” Garza placed his hand over hers.

Deputy Wells coughed, and Garza removed his hand quickly. “Anyone else? Did she gamble or owe anyone money?”

Lily shook her head. “No. We paid our bills on time and everyone loved my mom.”
I loved her.

The pen scratched across the paper as Wells wrote, then he looked up. “You mentioned your aunts to Deputy Garza, right?”

“Yes.” She swallowed.

“Do you want some water or coffee?” Garza asked, his voice smooth and full of concern. His hazel eyes were full of compassion and her heart fluttered.

“No thanks, I’ll be all right.” She turned back to the elder man. “Yes, I’ve two aunts, my mom’s sisters. They are out of town. I’ve sent them messages, but they haven’t responded.” She bit her lip.

“Do you know where they’re staying? We can contact the local authorities or hotel and get a message to them.” Deputy Garza smiled sympathetically.

“The Bahamas. I don’t know where.”

Both deputies exchanged a look.

“It’s true.” She crossed her arms. “Every year about this time, they vanish into the tropics. I don’t know why. I’ve never been allowed to go with them - neither my mother either. They’re gone for months and come back by spring.”

“What are their names? And we’ll need their contact information as well. Maybe we can track them down on our end.” Garza tapped his fingertips in a rhythmic pattern on the table.

“Jessica and Martha Thomas.” She gave the deputy their phone numbers and address.

Wells wrote furiously across the paper. “Thank you, I think we have enough to go on. We’ll interview this Mr. Griffin and Camie…”

“Barnes.” Lily finished for him. She hoped they caught her mom’s killer. What if the person who’d murdered her mom came back? How was she going to continue? Would she even want to be in the same place where her mom had died? With all those memories and what she’d lost constantly bombarding her. She shuddered.

“Thank you, we’ll be in touch.” Garza stood and held out his hand.

She shook it and the warmth of it surprised her. Holding onto her hand a bit longer than expected, he cleared his throat and dropped his hand.

“I’m sorry for your loss.” Deputy Garza handed her a card. “Here’s my contact information. If you think of anything at all, give me a call.”

Wells straightened and closed the folder. “We’ll be in touch.”

“Wait. What about my mom’s… body?” How did people deal with this? Not only did she have grief raking its claws down her insides, but she had to deal with the funeral, cops, and some murderer who may or may not return. She hoped they caught whoever killed her mom and threw them in jail forever. No, she wanted them to suffer like her mom had.

“The forensic team should be done with her body in a few days.” Wells stood.

“And we’ll let you know if we find anything and we’ll have your aunts call you as soon as we locate them. Garza gave her a slight smile. “Maybe they’re already on their way here now.”

She followed them out of the conference room. Why hadn’t her aunts responded?

Wells shook her hand and went into a back office, but Garza led her through the lobby. A hooker was complaining loudly about her broken heel. Two men were arguing with the desk clerk about a parking ticket, while a janitor mopped up a stain in the corner that Lily didn’t want to know what it was. The harsh scent of astringent and bleach tickled her nostrils.

“Don’t forget to give me a ring if you need anything. Are you still staying with your friend tonight?”

As far as she knew. “Yes.”

“Let me drive you. Or do you want to pick up your car?” He dug out car keys from his pocket.

It would be nice to be able to drive somewhere if she needed to. And the idea of going back to the ice cream store alone made her stomach cramp. “Ah, I’d like to pick up my car, please.”

“No problem. I’ll drive you.”

She followed him to the back parking lot and he unlocked and opened a Jeep’s passenger door for her. After she climbed in, he shut the door then jogged around to the other side. Starting the engine, he clipped on his seatbelt.

Nothing on the dashboard revealed this was a cop’s car. “Where’s the siren button?”

He laughed and a smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. “No, this is my personal car. I wanted another bike, but my sister and mom made me promise something with four wheels and a roof… so I got this baby.”

“No sports car?”

“No.” His laugh warmed her. “They make me feel claustrophobic and never have the leg room.” He pulled out of the parking lot and headed down the street to her mom’s ice cream shop. “So, do you love ice cream or hate it after working there for years?”

“It’s a love-hate relationship. At first, I made myself sick eating ice cream all day.”

“How old were you?” He turned onto the freeway and merged with traffic.

“Fifteen. At first, I hated the idea. I wanted a car and a driver’s license.” She tucked her hair behind her ear. “But seeing my mom being so proud of owning her own business, I couldn’t shatter her dream. I had to help her try. Joy lit my mom’s face when she realized all her hard work had paid off and our bills were taken care of. Before that, she’d waitressed and cleaned houses and even mowed lawns in the summer to keep us in a home and food on the table.”

“Your mom worked hard for her family. I’m sorry for your loss.”

Her throat tightened. “She did.” And she missed her already.

The deputy nodded but didn’t say anything. He flipped the radio on to a soft jazz station, and Lily relaxed.

Thankful for the silence, Lily stared out the window as the landscape shifted from high-rise buildings to more trees, foliage, and small businesses and homes. The drone of the Jeep’s tires on the road lulled her to sleep.

When they stopped, Lily jerked awake.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you.” He put the car into park and turned to her.

She must have fallen asleep. Wiping her cheek, she realized she’d drooled. Way to go, slobber all over a cute cop’s Jeep. “Thanks. I’m just going to get my things and head over to Amanda’s.”

“Want me to wait? Or come in with you?”

Any other time she’d be tempted to do more than grab stuff and go. But she didn’t want to be here any longer than she had to. What if whoever hurt her mom was waiting? Like, Mr. Griffin? Did he kill her mom because he wanted their spot and would come after Lily now too? She shuddered. “Sure. I won’t be long.” Climbing out of the Jeep, she stretched her legs. Maybe tonight she’d take Amanda up on calling her doctor for sleeping pills. These nights in a row of not sleeping well were taking their toll and she felt achy all over.

“There you are!” a nasally woman’s voice shouted from across the street.

Lily froze and Deputy Garza, who stood beside her, placed a hand behind his back, under his jacket like he was reaching for something.

“I hope you are happy with yourself.” Camie Barnes jaywalked across the street. “And I want a refund. You ruined my party.”

“Pardon?” Lily frowned. What was the daft woman talking about?

“I’ve waited all day for the police to leave and you to open the shop.” She wagged her finger at Lily. “It was half a dozen ice cream cakes I ordered, and I didn’t get a single one. I want my money back and then some for pain and suffering.”

Pain and suffering? Rage flooded through Lily. “Oh? And did you even ask why the police were here? Or what happened?” She felt her temperature spiking along with her voice, but she didn’t care. “My mom is dead!”

Camie paled and took off running down the street. If Lily hadn’t been so upset she’d find it comical how the lady teetered so fast in six-inch heels.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

“No. I’d have felt better if I could’ve punched her.”

Thoughts of what Camie had said ran through her mind. Lily felt as if she needed closure, then again would she be able to move on if they never discovered who killed her mom? No, she wouldn’t. Not until she found out who did this and saw them punished.

Chapter Nine

Lily pushed open the ice cream shop’s glass door and the bell jangled. But it wasn’t the same sound she remembered. Now it was hollow and echoed through the business. The scent of bleach and some other chemical she couldn’t identify assaulted her.
Just grab your things and leave.

Rounding the corner, she froze. Even though the blood had been cleaned up, she still pictured her mom laying there, a pool of blood around her head. Her throat tightened painfully. Would she ever be able to think of her mom again without getting emotional? The cops, or whoever had cleaned up the scene had placed the broken, empty picture frame on a shelf. Her mom had been so proud to earn their first money and be their own bosses. A wave of sadness pushed through her. She couldn’t stay here. Couldn’t live here. Not after what happened.

A man with a trimmed dark beard and dressed in a business suit and carrying a briefcase entered. “Excuse me, I’m—”

“Sorry, we’re closed.” She forced a smile.

“Oh, I’m not here for ice cream. I’ve a business opportunity.”

“Look, now’s not the time. I’m not interested in anything you’re selling.” She gestured toward the door with a hand.

“You are Lily Thompson, right?” His brow furrowed.

“Yes?”

“My condolences about your mother. I’m here to ease your burden, and you won’t have to worry about this place anymore. Here’s my card.” He took out a cream colored business card and laid it on the counter. “I’d like to buy your store. My offer is higher than you’ll get for this place. Just consider it.”