Fudge-Laced Felonies (5 page)

“I managed to get away for a few minutes.” Ethan’s gaze followed Ruby out of the store. “That’s it? One picture?”

I shrugged. “I guess. People are acting very strange this morning.” I reached for a prepacked one-pound box of candy. “Can I talk to you later?”

“Sure. I’ll look around a bit. Maybe buy some candy for my sister.”

He came! The man came! My heart did flips. The sight of Ethan meandering through the store distracted me, and instead of charging the customer eleven dollars, I rang up one hundred and eleven. “Oops.” My fingers flew across the register keys, correcting the mistake.

“Summer!” Ethan’s sister breezed in. “I have news!”

“April, Summer’s busy.”

“It’ll only take a minute.” April turned to Aunt

Eunice. “Can you take over the register?”

“What are you girls up to now?” Aunt Eunice took her place behind the counter, leaving a half-packed box of candy on the counter.

“Girl stuff. Hi, Ethan.”

He lifted a hand in greeting. April grabbed my arm and dragged me to the back room.

“What can be this important?” I pulled free of her grasp. “Did you see the line out there? It’s my opening day.”

“I was listening to the police scanner, and there’s a man missing. I thought you’d want to know.”

“Missing?”

April’s face lit up. “Since day before yesterday.”

“You seem happy.”

“No, just wound up.” She stepped closer and lowered her voice. “What if it’s his blood on the glove?”

My mind shifted into overdrive. My suspicions of a possible murder grew stronger. Why else hide a bloody glove? “Who is he?”

“Richard Bland. Diamond broker.”

“Diamond broker? What’s a diamond broker doing in Mountain Shadows? The jewelry store maybe?” The line of customers in front of Aunt Eunice now stood three people deep. “Look, April. Come to my house later. You can tell me everything.”

April’s body trembled with apparent excitement. “Okay. I’ll be there before Ethan gets home. He’s got a meeting. He’ll try to stop me otherwise.” She gave me a quick hug. “I feel like, like, you know—that famous English detective. Sherlock Christie, or something.”

“It’s Agatha Christie. She’s the author,” I called after her. “Her character was Miss Marple.” I took my aunt’s place packing boxes as my mind mulled over what April had said. I couldn’t fathom how I’d make it through the rest of the day without knowing all the facts.

“What did my sister want?” Ethan leaned on the counter. His blue eyes bored into mine.

“Uh, nothing?”

“Summer.” Ethan scowled. “Please tell me you aren’t getting my sister involved in your gumshoeing.”

“I’m not getting her involved in anything.”

I ducked my head and reached for a container of vanilla creams. Well, I wasn’t. She did this willingly, so I wasn’t lying. A recent lesson from church nagged at my mind. The message mentioned God seeing things in black-and-white. Right and wrong. I pushed the thought aside. God wouldn’t let my misgiving alone. He tickled at the recesses of my mind. Guilt rose in me.

“I don’t believe you. A white lie is still a lie.” He straightened and looked around the store. “Quite a turnout. Can you pack me a one-pound box?”

I forced a grin. My lips trembled. “Sure. Isn’t it wonderful? I just hope Aunt Eunice and I made enough candy. Ethan, I’m—” A customer edged between him and the counter.

Reaching around the woman, Ethan paid for his box. “If not, they’ll have to come back. See you later, Summer.” He flashed me his killer smile with those to-die-for dimples, and I leaned against the counter for support.

Before I had the opportunity to apologize and admit to my falsehood, Ethan left. My gaze followed him to the door.

“Summer, I need a box wrapped.” My aunt’s request broke into my thoughts.

With one more glance to where Ethan had disappeared, I made my way to the wrapping counter. A roll of thick white paper with gold swirls sat next to gold and white curling ribbon. Three boxes sat waiting for my wrapping skills. One three-pound box and two one-pounders. I found myself calculating the day’s profits in my head.

April leaned against her car when I pulled into my driveway. In spite of Ethan’s teasing about her car looking like a gangster ride, she’d tinted the windows as dark as legally possible. I smiled at her reasoning. Said it would help to prevent sun damage to her delicate skin. She pointed at her watch and mouthed the words, “You’re late.”

After cutting the car’s engine, I pushed open the door. “Sorry. We don’t close the store until five. People still wanted to buy chocolate. One man bought a whole slab for his girlfriend. That’s fifty pounds!” I grabbed my purse and used my hip to close the door. “I should’ve had you meet me at the Coffee Barn. I’m running on empty.”

“Got it.” April leaned through her car’s open window and retrieved a cardboard carrier with two frozen mocha coffee drinks.

“You’re the best.” I quickened my pace. “Let’s head to my room. Aunt Eunice will be home soon, and I don’t want her eavesdropping.”

“Maybe she can help. She knows everyone around here.” April handed me a coffee.

“No. Well, maybe.” I unlocked the front door. “I don’t know whether I want her involved or not. What if things get dangerous?”

April giggled. “Then I’m not sure I want to be involved.”

“Come on. Don’t be a ninny.” I led the way. The two of us plopped across the bed, and I kicked off my shoes. “Did you hear about our intruder last night?” I asked before dragging hard on my straw.

“No.” April’s eyes widened. “Tell.”

I recounted last night’s events with as much drama as I could.

“Weren’t you afraid? I would’ve been.” April leaned back. “If someone broke into my house, I’d be hiding in the closet.”

“I was afraid afterward. During, I was excited.” I leaned closer to April. “And it showed me I’m on to something.” I held up a finger. “One, why did someone choose my yard to stash the diamonds? Two”—another finger went up—“why take the time to break into my house, knowing the diamonds and cash probably weren’t here?”

“Don’t forget the bloody glove.”

“Right. And three, has someone met with foul play?” I rolled over on my back, holding my drink high to prevent spilling it. “Four—or maybe it’s actually part of three—we have a missing diamond broker. Related? Plus, I found footprints. Small prints, but bigger than mine, and not very deep.”

“If your Midnight Blue hadn’t died, we’d know nothing about any of this.” April slurped her drink. “I tried telling Ethan it means we’re supposed to check into this case. He keeps telling me to leave it to Joe. Who, by the way, is looking particularly fine. Anyway, Ethan would have a conniption fit if he knew we were thinking about digging deeper.”

My heart leaped at the mention of Ethan’s name. “It’d be great if he’d solve this with us.”

April sat up. “No, it wouldn’t. He’d tell us what to do.”

“You’re only saying that because he’s your brother.

Admit it, April. If he wasn’t your brother, you’d think he was hot.” I looked at my friend. “Do you realize we haven’t done this in ages? Hanging out and talking? Getting older really stinks.”

“We’re not that old. Not quite thirty. But it is fun. I’ve got to be getting home. Let me know if you hear anything.” She lowered her voice. “Or want to go on a stakeout.”

I grabbed a pillow and tossed it at her. “Get out of here.”

April bounced from the room, leaving me to my musings. I rested the drink on my stomach. Who should I put on my list of suspects? My mind set itself on the bloody glove. Blue with red flowers. A woman’s glove? Mabel gardened in her spare time. So did Ruby Colville. And so did half the population of Mountain Shadows. I sighed.

Was there anyone new in town? I’d have to ask Uncle Roy whether he’d had any unfamiliar customers. Maybe I could talk Ethan into taking me to the dance at the community center on Friday night. They were throwing a ballroom dancing night. It’d be fun, plus just about everyone would be there.

Closing my eyes, I imagined myself floating around the floor in Ethan’s arms. How would I convince him to go? Could I talk him into going as my protector? Play the helpless female? A smile spread across my face. It might work.

He’d think me an idiot. I slammed my hands on the mattress. The drink tilted, dumping an icy river of chocolate coffee down my side. I screamed and bolted to my feet.

Footsteps pounded up the stairs. A second later, the man of my dreams barged into the room, worry etched across his face. “Summer?”

With outstretched hands, I stood and stared aghast into his face. “I spilled my drink.”

Ethan leaned against the door frame and laughed. “Good thing you’re wearing black.” He glanced toward the bed. “Were you drinking lying down?”

I pushed past him, choosing not to answer. “What are you doing here anyway? And why are you in my room?” Horror. A glance over my shoulder showed the brown stain across my bed. I glared at Ethan then grabbed his arm to pull him into the hallway.

“I heard you scream.” He grinned down at me, melting my heart. “Am I your knight in shining armor?”

If you only knew. “Of course not. I don’t need a knight coming to rescue me. I’m a woman of the millennium.” Oh, but I do need you. I released his arm and stepped back as if stung.

“Okay, then. Will you do me the honor of going to the dance with me?”

My mouth gaped open. How’d he know? My traitorous face heated. Had he guessed my feelings for him? “It’s formal.”

Humor shone in his eyes. “I know. I’m not afraid of dressing like a penguin. Is that a yes?”

Struggling to appear nonchalant, while inside I danced the salsa, I shrugged. “Yes. No one else has asked me.”

His smile faded, despite the continuing sparkle in his eyes, and I could’ve kicked myself. “Great. I’ll pick you up at six for dinner. April’s coming with us.”

“I need to tell you something.” Now seemed as good a time as any to tell him about my falsehood. “Later. When I pick you up.”

I clapped a hand to my forehead as Ethan made his way down the stairs. No one else had asked me? I groaned. It’s official. I’m a dunce.

Standing at the top of the stairs, I stared down the carpet runner as Ethan banged out the front door, the screen swinging shut behind him. Seconds later, Aunt Eunice bustled in, her face flushed from exertion.

“Girl, there’s been a murder.”

Five

“What?” I was full of interesting responses this evening.

Grasping the railing, Aunt Eunice pulled herself up the stairs. She puffed like a winded racehorse and, wheezing, balanced her hands. “Some stranger. Gone. Dead.”

“Richard Bland. A diamond broker. April told me. They find his body?”

Aunt Eunice shook her head. “I don’t know who you’re talking about. Never heard of a Bland. No, this young fellow visited the Ruperts. Name was David Young. Po-lice said he’d been dead since late Tuesday night or the early hours of Wednesday.”

My aunt straightened and clutched her chest. “I ran all the way from the mailbox to tell you. Probably going to have a heart attack.”

She would’ve had to run about thirty feet. “How’d you find out?” I took Aunt Eunice’s arm and helped her down the stairs to the kitchen. I flicked on the light against the growing dusk.

“Mabel stopped by when I was checking the mail. Seems she heard it on the po-lice scanner.” Aunt Eunice collapsed into a chair. “The young man was visiting the youngest Rupert. Terri Lee, I think. Anyway, they found him buried in the woods outside of town. Some dog dug him up.”

Terri Lee’s back in town? I shuddered, refusing to think of my high school nemesis. Leaving my aunt to recuperate, I pulled open a drawer and rummaged for a pencil. “Aunt Eunice, where’s paper? I need to make a list.”

“Same place it’s always been, Summer.”

“Oh.” I snatched a small spiral notebook from the drawer next to the refrigerator and rushed to the table. I’d have to get my own supplies if I planned to solve this case.

“What are you writing?” Aunt Eunice leaned her elbows on the white-speckled Formica in front of her. The red in her face subsided, and her breathing returned to normal.

“A suspect list.” I tapped the pencil on the table. “Did you know we have a missing diamond broker?”

“I do now.” She pointed at my pad of paper. “List him.”

I wrote Richard Bland and then gnawed the eraser as my mind ran through the names of Mountain Shadows’ residents. I knew I’d find a lot of suspicious characters at the dance tomorrow night. I added Mabel and Ruby.

“Why’d you put them there?” My aunt scowled at me. “They wouldn’t hurt anyone but each other.”

“I noticed the rock on Ruby’s finger this morning and heard through the grapevine that Mabel is driving around town in a brand-new Caddy.”

“So?”

“Where’d they get the money? You said yourself they only work part-time.” I rose from my chair and paced. “I’m writing down the Ruperts, too, since it’s their guest who’s turned up dead.” My stomach lurched at the thought of an actual body.

Aunt Eunice stood and planted herself in front of me. “Then you might as well put me down, too. You’ve got all my friends.” She reminded me of a short, round bull terrier. A cute one, but if she let out a bark, I’d be out of there.

“Aunt Eunice.” She whirled and stalked past my outstretched hand. “I didn’t mean—” I dropped my hand and returned to my list.

My aunt poked her head around the corner long enough to scream at me, “You might want to take a minute and ask God who should go on that list!” Heavy footsteps signaled her march up the stairs.

Great. Now there were two things I needed to speak with God about. My lie being first. Most of my Christian life, my aunt, Ethan, or April has told me to think and ask God before acting.

Summer, did you pray about it? Don’t be so impulsive. Did you ask God first? All my life, people have told me to wait on God. Why is it so hard for me to give the control of my life over to Him? I would have to have a serious conversation with Him during my next devotion time. I’d need to remember to pray for guidance and wisdom. And not to do something stupid.