Chocolate-Covered Crime Read online

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

  Sunday after church, I stood in front of A Dream Wedding and stared through the plateglass window as Sherry swept a broom briskly across the floor. A smile split her face. Her back seemed straighter. And although I couldn’t hear from outside, I’d guess she hummed as she worked.

  Heavy clouds swirled overhead. I shook my head. This was the type of stormy weather we’d get in the spring, not in September. Not the norm, but not unheard of either. A fat raindrop plopped on my head, and I turned, hitched my tote bag securely on my shoulder, and strolled toward Grandma’s Story Corner. A vente-sized frozen coffee would brighten my day.

  The cold drink numbed my hand. I meandered for the inspirational fiction aisle of the store. I’d long since given up on buying and reading detective how-to books. No matter how much information I gleaned from between the pages, I still did things my way. Which most of the time seemed haphazard. At least to anyone looking on. I hoped there was some semblance of order to my madness. Despite all my mishaps, the bad guy did get it in the end.

  I grabbed a book that showed promise, handed over the required cash, then took a seat at a round table in the coffee bar area. I tried to relax and submerge myself into the delightful love story printed for me to enjoy. No use. My thoughts spun like the rising wind outside. I closed the book and grabbed my case notes from the tote bag I’d set on the floor.

  Sunday afternoons were normally spent with Ethan, my aunt and uncle, or lazing around the house. With the speed my mind raced, I’d thought getting away would benefit me more. The details of the mystery haunted me, dogged my steps, and fogged my mind.

  Thunder rumbled outside, and I glanced out the window. Rain fell in a steady curtain. I still smarted from the verbal deluge from Joe last night. It wasn’t like April and I broke into Larry Bell’s house or anything. The door had been unlocked.

  Concentration still eluded me with each stroke of lightning across the slate gray sky. All my suspects had reason to dislike Mae Belle, but to murder her? I shook my head. Something teased at the corner of my mind. A clue I couldn’t quite grasp. What was it? I squeezed my plastic cup too hard. Coffee and whipped cream squirted from the hole in the top of the lid. Wonderful. I grabbed a napkin and wiped at my notes. The pencil marks smeared in gray and brown smudges.

  Sitting here accomplished nothing. I gathered my soggy papers, tossed my half-empty cup in the garbage, then left the store. The rain had stopped, leaving the air heavy and still. I set off at a brisk pace toward A Dream Wedding where I’d left my car. From the eerie green tinge to the sky, I didn’t want to be out in the open much longer.

  By the time I reached my car, the wind whipped at my clothes and hair. Debris hurtled across the street. I slid behind the wheel and inserted my key. A metal sign flipped through the air and bounced off the hood of my car. I screamed and ducked. The air roared. I spotted the twister on its path of destruction, yanked open my car door, and leaped out. I needed to get under cover.

  Traversing the sidewalk was like running a gauntlet of wood, paper, and anything else light enough to be picked up and thrown. Within minutes I’d be dodging items larger than a sign. I eyed the nearby cars.

  I pulled at the door of A Dream Wedding. Locked. Where was my key? I fumbled through my purse with one hand and banged on the store window with the other. The wind increased, along with my fear. I plastered myself against the glass and peered inside.

  Sherry huddled in a corner of the store, eyes wide in a pale face.

  “Let me in!”

  She shook her head.

  “Twister!” I pointed to my left.

  She folded her arms around her knees and hid her face. Crazy woman! I whipped my head around, looking for anywhere safer than where I stood. The air was so loud I could barely think. I glanced back at Sherry. “Get away from the window!”

  I sprinted down the street and around the corner to the nearest alley. There. Stairs leading to the basement opening of a business. A Dumpster partially covered the entrance. I leaped the last few steps and crouched with my arms wrapped around the handrail as the world blew apart around me.

  I closed my eyes against the stinging dirt and prayed. For everything. Forgiveness, wisdom, patience. Anything I could think of over the tornado’s mighty roar. Were Aunt Eunice and Uncle Roy in the storm shelter? What about Ethan and April? I even wondered about abrasive Sherry. Had she sought shelter or stayed huddled in the corner behind a huge plateglass window?

  A shrill shriek caused my eyes to pop open. The Dumpster pulled away then rolled at high speed toward me. I screamed. The small entrance I cowered in was too small for the steel devil. The square box hit the brick wall then bounced off. I hugged the steel handrail next to me.

  I promised the Lord anything and everything as the world went crazy and stole my breath. My heart beat so high in my throat that I choked. I thought I might’ve cried, but the wind dried my eyes before the tears could escape.

  My skin stung as if ants marched a biting trail over me, and my curls tangled around my head when the storm rolled away. I thanked the Lord I still breathed and rose shakily to my feet. Miraculously my purse still hung from my shoulder. I bled from a few cuts on my arms but was otherwise unharmed. I stepped out of the alley and into mayhem.

  My car stuck out through the window of A Dream Wedding. Other vehicles huddled against buildings like mourning spectators. Stunned people scuttled down uneven sidewalks. Some cried out names. I turned to face the other direction. At the other end of the street, other than a shattered window, Summer Confections seemed to have survived. Another blessing from God. I continued my slow shuffle toward my wrecked Sonata.

  Ethan stood in front of the store, glancing up and down the street. The sleeve of his shirt sported a rip. A swath of mud streaked his forehead. He’d never looked so handsome. “Ethan!”

  “Summer!” He hefted me into his arms. “Thank God you’re all right.”

  “What are you doing here?”

  “I came to take you to lunch. I took refuge under the overpass outside of town. When the tornado dissipated, I got here as fast as I could.” He sat me on top of a car and ran his hands up and down my arms. “Are you hurt bad? We need to clean these cuts.”

  I shook my head. “I hid behind a Dumpster. We have to check on Sherry. She was inside the store.”

  “Okay. Stay here.” Ethan rushed to where my car blocked the entrance to the store as effectively as a stopper in a bottle. I slid from my perch and followed.

  Ethan tried the door, now unlocked but hanging crooked from its hinges. He rammed the door with his shoulder. “Sherry! Can you hear me?” The door didn’t open enough for a person to squeeze through.

  “Can you climb over the car?” I studied my former mode of transportation. If Ethan climbed through the missing back window, over the backseat, and out the driver’s side window, it might work.

  “I’m not going to try that. The whole thing could come crashing down.” He grabbed my hand and pulled me along as he ran down the street and through the alley I’d taken refuge in, before stopping at the back entrance to the store. He tried the knob. The door squeaked open. “Will you stay out here?”

  I shook my head. “She might need me.” The adrenaline wore off, and I shivered, huddling close to Ethan’s back. “We don’t usually get tornadoes in September.”

  “Not in quite a few years, but it’s been known to happen. We had one when my dad was a kid. An F3. This one just sideswiped us.” He ran his gaze over me. “Are you sure you’re all right?”

  “I’m cold.”

  He pulled his polo shirt over his head and slipped it over mine, leaving him in a white sleeveless undershirt. Still warm from his body, heat from the cotton fabric seeped through me. I followed him through the dark room to where we could see the crinkled hood of my car.

  “She’d been hiding over there.” I pointed to the corner where I’d last seen Sherry. It was empty.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

&nb
sp; “We searched the entire store, Aunt Eunice.” I leaned against the kitchen counter and chased down a couple of aspirin with a glass of water. “Where could she have gone?”

  “I guess the twister might have sucked her out and deposited her in the next county.” Aunt Eunice soaked a rag in warm water from the sink and handed it to Ethan, who took my arm in his hands and gently wiped away the blood.

  I hissed against the sting. He smiled at me from beneath lowered lashes then blew on the scrapes. Tingles ran up my spine. Clever man. He knew just how to take my mind off my aches and pains. “I’m serious.”

  “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t crack jokes, not even about Sherry.”

  Uncle Roy stomped into the kitchen. “Ain’t hide nor hair of the woman. That Sonata of Summer’s had the store window effectively clogged. No way in or out but through the back door or through the car itself. I took a quick peek but didn’t do a thorough search of the place. Not many places a woman of her size could hide.” He plopped into a chair. “Do ya’ll think she’s wandering town aimlessly, having lost her mind? Maybe she was hit in the head.”

  A month ago, Big Foot roamed our backyard. Now, Sherry wandered through town with a simple mind. Sometimes, Uncle Roy’s imagination overruled his common sense.

  “I’ll call the hospitals,” Aunt Eunice offered. “Maybe somebody turned her in.”

  “She isn’t a lost dog.” The aspirin did nothing for my headache. How long did the little white tablets take anyway? Maybe Ethan could blow on my forehead. I glanced at my watch. Five minutes! No wonder my head still pounded. I forced my mind back to the issue at hand.

  We knew nothing about Sherry. Did she have any family? How long had she lived in Mountain Shadows? She’d seemed so happy when I’d glimpsed her through the store window. Before the tornado. For the first time since I’d met her, her face hadn’t been twisted by a frown. Was she lying injured in a ditch?

  Finished with the cloth, Ethan moved me to a chair and stepped behind me to massage my shoulders. He paused long enough to plant a soft kiss on the nape of my neck. And to think I tried running away from him. How could I even think about returning such a gift as precious as his love?

  “Has anyone called to report her missing?” My head fell forward under Ethan’s ministrations.

  “I did. Joe’s sending an officer to ask around town.” Uncle Roy waved for Aunt Eunice to refill his coffee. “He said he’d keep us informed, but they really can’t consider her missing until tomorrow. I hope Mae Belle had insurance on that store. There’s quite a bit of damage.”

  Great. One more thing I had to deal with. I straightened. “I need to get over to the candy store.”

  Ethan held me in place. “Tomorrow will be fine. Nothing’s going to change overnight.”

  “I took a peek inside when I was in town,” Uncle Roy said. “Besides the shattered front window and some water from the rain, doesn’t look too bad. I bet you won’t lose much more than a few boxes of candy. Mae Belle’s place, well, that’s another story.” He removed his baseball cap and rubbed his head. “Funny thing is, Mountain Shadows only got sideswiped by that twister. How’d your car end up where it is?” He replaced his cap. “Unless someone tried driving it and lost control.”

  “I thought that strange, too.” Ethan’s hands stilled. “Why would someone leave a building and come outside to steal a car during a twister?”

  Uh-oh. I’d left my key in the ignition before dashing down the alley. Chalk up another point to Summer’s quick thinking. And so much for selling A Dream Wedding. I’d probably benefit more from closing the place down and taking the insurance money. Besides, now with Sherry missing, I had no one to run the business anyway.

  I didn’t really believe the twister had sucked her out the window. The woman disappeared, either out of fear for her safety, or something more sinister. After Uncle Roy’s comment, I suspected she’d tried to take my car. I made a mental note to do everything I could to find her. Just because I’d let her stay on at A Dream Wedding didn’t mean I trusted her.

  The sky outside the kitchen window brightened as the last of the storm clouds blew past. Headache subsiding, and hours left before nightfall, I was raring to go. I tilted my head back to glance at Ethan. “Will you take me back to town?”

  “You sure you feel up to it? You got beaten up pretty bad back there.”

  I nodded. “Minor scrapes and bruises. I’ve had worse. We can tape plastic over the candy store window while we’re in town.”

  “Okay. Roy, do you have any plastic?”

  “I’ve got some drop cloths left from when I painted the front room. But plywood would be better. It’ll keep looters out. I’ll get you some. Be right back.” He heaved his bulk from the chair and headed out back to his shed.

  “Y’all should’ve nailed the windows before bringing me home.” I leaned into Ethan.

  “You first, Tink. Besides, who’d want to steal a bunch of candy?”

  Traffic was scarce between home and Mountain Shadows, but Main Street bustled. Tow trucks moved cars. Volunteers righted upended trash cans. Store owners swept sidewalks. Hammers pounded nails in doors. My car still poked its rear from the front of A Dream Wedding.

  “Stop.” I put a hand on Ethan’s arm. “Sherry worked for Mae Belle, so there should be a job application with her home address. I want to see if I can locate it, then we can go by her home and see if she’s all right.”

  “Sounds like a plan.”

  Ethan steered his truck down the alley and parked behind the store. No longer suffering from the shock of having survived a twister while huddled in a stairwell, I noticed the destruction inside. Doors blown open had left papers, mixed with garbage from outside, swirled from one room to the next. Finding something with an address could be next to impossible. I prayed for a small miracle.

  “Well, now would be a good time to redecorate.” Ethan grinned.

  “What, you don’t like pink and white?”

  “Not in this volume. I’ll take the front. You take the office. It doesn’t look as bad. I poked my head in when we were looking for Sherry earlier. You won’t have to dig through pieces of glass.”

  I nodded and shoved against the office door. A few strong pushes and I’d managed to move aside the chair blocking my entrance. Besides looking as if a child had picked up the room and shaken it, things weren’t too bad. The desk sat skewed in a corner. Chairs lay on their sides, and a file cabinet lay dented on the floor, manila folders peeking from partially opened drawers.

  Thank You, God. This should be easy. I righted the furniture on my way to thumb through the files. Mae Belle had been optimistic. Most of the folders were empty, waiting to be filled. The sight saddened me. Despite being disliked, Mae Belle was now dead and had no chance of filling those empty files. Mixed in with the files of her few clients, one folder said Sherry Grover on a pink-colored tab. I grabbed it.

  I opened the file on top of the desk. From the address, I knew Sherry lived a couple of blocks away. Someone, possibly Mae Belle, had put a large question mark beside Sherry’s name. Was my cousin questioning the identity of her employee? Or just where she lived? I shook my head. Since I took it upon myself to solve mysteries, I now seemed to try to find falsehoods in everything.

  “I’ve got it!” I called. I could hear Ethan crunching over glass as he made his way back to me.

  “Wow. A lot of damage for a room in the back of the store. Looks like someone might have been searching for something.” His brows drew together in a frown. “I took a look at your car.” He dangled my keys in front of my face. “Did you leave these inside?”

  “Yeah.” My face heated. “I started to drive home, saw the twister, and ran away instead.” I gave him a sheepish smile. “I kind of hoped no one would find out.”

  A dimple winked from his right cheek. “Come on, brave Tinkerbell. Let’s pay a visit to Sherry.” He held out his hand, and I took it.

  Inside the truck, I handed Ethan the folder. He glanced at th
e address. “I know where this is. It’s an apartment over the antique store.” He turned his key in the ignition.

  After hammering plywood over the window of Summer Confections, we stood and stared at the back of the building housing Sherry’s apartment. No cars in the carport. Shuttered windows looked out over the alley entrance. Nothing appeared as if a tornado had blown through a couple of hours ago. “Well, we won’t know anything if we don’t knock.” I led the way up the steep flight of stairs.

  The wood-paneled door opened at my touch. “Hello? Sherry?”

  “Let me go first.” Ethan stepped in front of me and handed me his cell phone. “If anything happens, get out of here and call Joe immediately.”

  Little light penetrated the cracks of the wood shutters. Inside the apartment looked like it had been the center of the afternoon’s storm. Clothes were strewed over every piece of furniture. Mail stacked high on the kitchen table. Dishes piled in the sink. My heart thudded painfully.

  “Unless she’s content to live like a pig, it doesn’t look as if anyone has been here in a while.” I tightened my hold on Ethan’s phone.

  “Let’s check the bedroom.”

  Blankets hung off the bed. The closet door hung open, empty. A few articles of clothing lay on the floor. We stepped into the bathroom. The medicine cabinet was also empty. No toothbrush or toothpaste lay beside the sink.

  Knowing my past of finding bodies in the shower, I held my breath and ripped aside the curtain. Nothing. I took a deep breath. “I don’t think Sherry’s coming back.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

  Monday morning, Aunt Eunice and I cleaned up the mess from Sunday’s storm. Uncle Roy had been right. Shattered glass and rain covered the tiled floor. A few soggy boxes of candy were the extent of the damage inside Summer Confections. We’d reported Sherry missing, and the Mountain Shadows Police Department, humble as it may be, had added her to their list of things to take care of. They definitely needed my help.