Death by Chocolate Sundae: A Cozy Mystery (Caesars Creek Mystery Series Book 2) (5 page)

“Wait…who’s that,” Paige blurted. We were so busy looking at ourselves we hadn’t noticed the figure in the window looking in on the video tape.

“I never saw him that night,” Paige said. “But then I wasn’t looking outside until I heard the sirens.”

“My word, he’s standing right at the window watching,” Stormi said. “Wouldn’t you think he’d come in and see if he could help? Unless….”

“Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” Paige asked looking at Stormi. Stormi nodded her head.

“That’s your murderer right there,” Stormi declared. “He came to make sure the deed was done.”

“I saw him,” Sam announced. “When I arrived at the Shoppe that night. Remember Mom I told you there were several people watching outside?”

“Yes I remember,” Paige answered.

“He was one of them,” Sam said as she studied the tape, which was now stopped so we could get a better look at the man in the window. “I thought he looked out of place because he was dressed up in a suit and tie.”

“He looks familiar,” Paige replied. “But I don’t think he lives around here. We need to get a closer look at him.”

“I bet Colton could zoom in on his face and make it clearer,” Sam claimed.

“What are you waiting for girl…give him a call,” Stormi said getting up from her chair and walking over to look out the window. “It has to be the guy that did it, don’t you think?”

“It’s simply too strange to think otherwise, “Paige answered. “It was like the guy was waiting for him to take the pills.”

“But how would he know he’d take the pills right then?” I asked.

“I don’t know,” Paige answered as she watched Sam talk on the phone behind the counter. “But we need to find out who that person is.”

Fifteen minutes after making the call, Colton was at the Frozen Scoop. We were introduced to the young man with brown hair and hazel eyes. He was a little taken aback by all of us women surrounding him. I asked if he’d like a cone, he said yes, and then seemed to settle in with us. Ice cream…it makes everything better.

After gulping down his cherry cheesecake ice cream cone, he went to work. He brought his own laptop installed with the software he needed to dissect the image. He took a screenshot and zeroed in on the man peering in the window. Colton tapped on the keys of his laptop, performing functions that made the image clearer. We stood spellbound as he worked his magic.

“The camera is old which is why the image is so grainy,” Colton explained. He talked about pixels and other items we didn’t understand, but we listened as if we knew what he was talking about. Suddenly he hit a key and the man’s image became much clearer.

“I recognize him,” Paige blurted out startling all of us.

“Lawdy woman, give me a heart attack,” Stormi said as she held her buxom chest.

“That’s the high rolling lawyer from Atlanta…shoot, what’s his name?” Paige pondered as she walked around the table.

“Reginald Brooks,” I answered.

“Bingo,” Paige exclaimed. “He was Mr. Jenkins’ lawyer. What the heck!”

“So let me get this straight,” Stormi mused. “This lawyer is in our small town at 9pm on a weeknight staring in the window of an ice cream Shoppe at his client who has collapsed and he doesn’t do anything? And this is the same lawyer that helped him get a settlement with Landry’s and was also representing him against the Parker’s?”

“You got it,” Paige announced. “Wow, I did not expect this.”

“So are you going to take the tape to the police?” Sam asked.

The three of us looked at one another. I could almost see the little cogs turning in Stormi’s head. Paige too appeared as if she was mulling over the situation with great intent. I knew Stormi would want to explore this just as much as I would. We both loved a good mystery, and finding ourselves in the midst of one was too glorious to give up now.

Paige on the other hand was the down to earth rational thinker of the bunch so it floored me when she said, “Let’s wait.” She turned to Sam and Colton. “Now don’t tell anyone we have this tape. It’s probably nothing, but you know how gossip flies in a small town and we wouldn’t want to get anyone in trouble unnecessarily right?”

The kids nodded in agreement.

“Thanks so much Colton for helping us out,” Paige continued then looked at her watch.

“Isn’t it time you two went and did what kids do during the summer?”

“We know you want to get rid of us so you can talk about the tape,” Sam chortled.

“That’s right Miss Smarty Pants so you two skedaddle,” Paige said as she scooted them out the door.

“I’m surprised you don’t want to turn this in to the police,” I said as I continued to look at the now blurry image of Reginald Brooks.

“Wouldn’t it be something if we confronted him and he confessed!” Paige exclaimed.

“Now you’re starting to think like us,” Stormi stated. “We can’t have that. One of us has to be level headed. If we’re all three flying off the handle hard telling where we’ll end up.”

“Likely in the hoosegow,” I said pushing down the monitor on my laptop to close it. “So how do you propose we get Mr. Reginald Brooks Esquire to town and meet with us?”

“I’m not sure,” Paige answered. “Let me think on it.”

She wouldn’t have to think long because to our surprise Mr. Brooks would come to us.

*****

Paige left the store soon after our little powwow to volunteer at the library in the children’s room. She said she’d return later that day. That left Stormi and I to further discuss the tape and Mr. Brooks between our afternoon customers. Eventually we were so busy filling orders that the tape and what was on it got lost in a flurry of orange pineapple delight cones and strawberry and banana smoothies.

I was honestly glad for the respite. It was only a few months ago the town was rocked by the murder of Miss Greta Haglemier. Now here was another homicide right in my own ice cream Shoppe. As much as I liked to sit on my porch and read a fascinating mystery, I wasn’t sure how I felt being in the middle of one. Especially one hitting so close to home. But then the amateur sleuth in me would win out and like a puzzle, I had to try to fit the pieces together.

Stormi was always my partner in crime. We loved reading mysteries together so we could compare notes to see if we could figure out the culprit before the end. Every year we’d choose several whodunits, get together with hot cocoa and scones in the winter or iced tea and muffins in the summer, and have our own little book club. Years later Paige joined our little group and enjoyed it just as much as we did. We never thought that the three of us would be thrust into not one but two real life murder investigations. But here we were. Maybe all the mystery reading and solving over the years had actually prepared us for these fascinating cases. Who knows, but whatever it was, we were in the thick of it now.

Around 3pm, we had our normal afternoon lull so Stormi and I wiped down the tables and decided to take a break and rest our weary feet.

“I need a new pair of Sketchers,” Stormi announced as she hobbled to the ice cream case to scoop a dip of almond mocha into a cone. Her pink and yellow tennis shoes could blind a person a mile away.

“What colors do you want this time?” I asked knowing whatever colors she chose they wouldn’t be muted. “Oh and get me a dip of coffee please.” I was busy standing behind the counter looking through my ice cream cake orders.

Stormi grabbed two cones, holding them both in one hand and the ice cream scoop in the other. She scooped one dip of almond mocha into one cone and was preparing to land the scoop of coffee into the second cone when it splat on the floor.

“Wow, that’s not like you,” I said as I looked up at her. She was staring at the front of the store. I followed her gaze and gave a start. There he was….Mr. Reginald Brooks standing at the front door of my Shoppe looking in.

“Crimony,” Stormi muttered still holding the cones in midair, one with ice cream and one without.

When he saw us staring at him, Mr. Brooks opened the front door and walked in. He wore a dark suit with a stunning red tie that set off his grey hair and perfect haircut. I quickly ducked down to clean up the mess on the floor then popped my head back up as he approached the counter. I nudged Stormi so she’d come out of her spell and stop staring at Mr. Brooks. The almond mocha that made it to the cone was now melting, streaming down onto her fingers. She walked over to the sink and dumped the ice cream into it, threw the cone away, and washed her hands.

“Good afternoon ladies,” Mr. Brooks said with a smile.

“Afternoon,” I said warily not sure why he was here. Of course, he could simply be here to order a smoothie, or as Stormi was probably thinking, here to kill us all. Ugh!

“What can I get for you today?” I asked trying to smile. I could see Stormi turn around at the sink and stare at him.

“Actually I have a few questions for you,” he said.

Questions? For us? Stormi took a move towards her weapon of choice, the stainless steel ice cream scoop.

“I noticed there is a vacancy right next door. A for lease sign in the window. Do you happen to know the people who own the property? The phone number on the sign is somewhat smudged.”

We both stared at the man. He must have thought he entered a town where people go inexplicably mute.

“Ladies? Is there anything wrong?” He asked taking a step backward.

Finally, I found my voice. “Oh no,” I stammered. “I was trying to think of the name of the owner.” I looked at Stormi. “Isn’t it Hanson?”

Stormi looked at me. “Yes but the owner doesn’t live around here.” She looked back at Mr. Brooks and asked, “Why do you want to know?”

“I’m interested in leasing the place,” he answered. “I’m getting older and I’d like to settle down here in Caesar’s Creek away from the city life of Atlanta. That way I can take on fewer cases but still remain busy. I was driving through town when I happened to see the for lease sign and thought I’d stop and retrieve the number but it’s too difficult for me to distinguish so I thought maybe you ladies might know the owner.”

I could tell Stormi wasn’t sure if she believed him or not. I didn’t know if I did either.

“No, we don’t know the owner,” I replied. “Like I said, he doesn’t live around here although he does own some properties in town. Sorry we can’t be of more help.”

I hoped my non-help would be enough to move him out the door. No such luck.

“Oh that’s alright. I’ll stop in at city hall and see if they can provide me with the owner’s number,” Mr. Brooks answered as he turned to walk towards the door.

Stormi and I breathed a sigh of relief, and then he turned back around.

“While I’m here I should partake in one of your ice cream delicacies,” he replied. “Can I have a blueberry smoothie?”

“Why of course,” I answered stiffly. I turned to grab a scoop of fresh blueberries when I heard the familiar door chime.

“What the heck?” Paige blurted. “I thought we were all going to confront him together!”

I stood holding the scoop of blueberries while Stormi was shaking her head at Paige. Mr. Brooks turned around and stared at Paige who was now looking from Stormi back to him.

“Excuse me?” Mr. Brooks asked quizzically.

“Paige,” I said dumping the blueberries into the sink. “Mr. Brooks came by to inquire about the office next door that’s for lease.” I tried to give her a look, like ixnay on the apetay, but it was fruitless.

Paige turned and grabbed my open/closed sign hanging in the window and turned it over to closed.