Chocolate-Covered Crime Read online

  Several customers browsed the store when I entered, and I breathed a sigh of relief that Aunt Eunice wasn’t spending the entire day at Mae Belle’s apartment. If I could make it to the dipping machine before Aunt Eunice saw me limping, I might be free of her questioning. The marble slab we used for candy making hid beneath a mound of what looked like new fan mail. I sighed and wondered when I’d have time to go through it. I grabbed an ice pack from the freezer. I’d study my notes while I waited for the chocolate to melt.

  With the bag of ice balanced precariously on my knee beneath the worktable, I spread papers in front of me. Two names from the appointment book had been questioned, leading me nowhere except into more threats. That left Hubert Smith, Edna Mobley, and Larry Bell. All middle-aged or older. They couldn’t be too difficult, could they? And I didn’t want to forget Sherry. She needed more investigating if for nothing else but her lack of compassion.

  Remorse riddled me. I’d grown bitter and presumptuous since Mae Belle’s death. Being unfriendly did not make a murderer. To have chosen to work for Mae Belle, Sherry must have desperately needed a job. She could have a difficult life or suffer from self-esteem issues. Who was I to judge?

  “You going to dip with that melted chocolate or daydream all day?” Aunt Eunice plunked down a tray of chocolate creams.

  “Just going over my notes.”

  “Getting anywhere?”

  “No.” I stood. The ice pack fell to the floor with a thunk.

  Aunt Eunice peered beneath the table. “What are you using the ice pack for?” She straightened. “Did you hurt yourself? Where have you been?”

  Remembering my new vow of honesty, I said, “First I went to question Larry Anderson about photos I found in Mae Belle’s apartment. During our discussion, he admitted to having an affair with my dear cousin. Then I took the pictures to Joe as evidence of Larry’s lying. I ran into Renee Richards, who said Mae Belle deserved what she got, and I fell leaving Joe’s office.”

  My aunt’s eyelashes fluttered like a moth around a flame. “You’ve been busy.”

  “And got nowhere. Everyone’s a suspect, it seems.” I limped over and sat on the stool behind the dipping machine. If making delectable chocolates didn’t calm me, nothing would. “Did you finish with the apartment?”

  “Almost. Claudia got tired.” Aunt Eunice plopped onto another stool. “Lord forgive me, but I’ll be glad when she leaves tomorrow. I do feel sad for her, though. I can’t imagine a child of mine dying with hateful words spoken and no salvaging the relationship.”

  “Especially when the loved one was a murder victim.” I swirled a C on the just-dipped candy. Time raced by. It’d already been a week. I’d step up my investigating and visit Larry Bell’s farm tonight. There had to be a reason that a single, reclusive farmer with no marriage prospects would’ve needed Mae Belle’s services.

  I’d go with or without company.

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  Aunt Eunice loaded the kitchen table with fried chicken, mashed sweet potatoes, and corn bread with cracklins. Complete with homemade muscadine jelly. While my tongue salivated, my backside grew larger just looking at the food.

  Aunt Claudia moped at one end of the table, her mouth forming a perfect upside down horseshoe, while the two uncles argued politics, Joe and April whispered like two love-struck teenagers, and Ethan’s smoldering eyes followed my every move as I helped Aunt Eunice. She must have been in a spat with her sister earlier, because they weren’t speaking to each other.

  Ethan’s glances warmed me, caused my face to heat and my thoughts to veer in directions that weren’t proper. Thank goodness people surrounded us. Maybe we should elope. Tonight.

  I whispered for him to stop and set a plate in front of him. He gave me a smile that started at one corner and took its time getting to the other. A dimple winked. My heart stuttered. I didn’t think it was possible for my face to burn any hotter. I prayed a look from him would always affect me this way.

  Ethan stood and pulled out the chair beside him for me to sit. “Your face is red.” His words tickled the hair at the nape of my neck.

  “Stop it.” I reached for the glass of iced tea beside my plate.

  “Stop what?” He placed his lips next to my ear. His breath tickled.

  “You know what. Behave.” I swatted him away. “What are you doing after dinner?”

  “I’m going to kiss you until you can’t stand up, then I’ve got to head home to grade papers. You?”

  “Hang out with April. Girl stuff.” I had yet to ask April. Seeing as how she giggled with Joe, I’d probably have to twist her arm to get her away from him.

  “Uh-huh.” Ethan moved back to his seat and lifted a chicken leg. He took a bite, his gaze focused on mine.

  “Really. We’ll most likely head into town.” There I went with the half-truths again. How could this man love me? I turned to his sister across the table. “April, do you want to hang out later?”

  She pulled her attention away from Joe. “Sure. Joe has to work.” She turned back to her love.

  I gave Ethan a smile.

  He tilted his head. “That doesn’t mean you aren’t up to something.”

  “Nothing dangerous, I promise.” I might as well come clean. “I’m going down the list of Mae Belle’s appointments. We aren’t going to town, but away from it.”

  “Who’s the target tonight?”

  “Larry Bell.”

  Ethan’s brow furrowed. “Okay, but you and April stay together. Don’t do anything stupid.”

  I grinned. “You know me.”

  “Yes, I do.”

  “Where are we, and what are we doing here?” April leaned forward to peer out the front window of my car.

  Larry Bell’s farm, actually nothing more than a small ranch house and barn, seemed deserted beneath the full moon. “We’re investigating.”

  “Oh, Summer. I don’t want to be wandering around in the dark, in a strange place, looking for a murderer. Besides, what happened to Claudia helping you find the killer of her ‘baby’?” April’s pale face shone from the light of the moon.

  “She seems to have lost interest.” I shrugged. “Besides, she’s going home tomorrow. I’d rather be with you. Remember that time at church when you said you would be my sidekick?”

  “That was before you almost got yourself killed. Twice. I don’t think I’ll do well with being kidnapped and shot at. Not to mention Joe will have a coronary.”

  We shoved open our doors and slid from the car. “Maybe you’ll get lucky and no one will be home.”

  “I can only hope.” April slammed her door. The sound reverberated across the yard.

  “Shh. We need the element of surprise.”

  April rolled her eyes. For a best friend, her behavior and her lack of a sense of adventure let me down.

  “Just follow my lead. You’re only here for support. I’ll do the talking.” I gave her what I hoped was my most reassuring smile. She frowned and followed me onto the front porch. After receiving no response from knocking, we peered through the front window into a room full of shadows. “Let’s go around back.”

  April clutched my arm. A coyote howled in the distance. “How can you do this? I’m terrified. I should’ve got my cell phone out of your car. Oh no, I’m turning into you. You never remember your phone. At least then Joe would have been only the push of a button away.”

  “Stop being a baby. Do you know you’re rambling?” I pulled free from her grasp and cupped my hands around my eyes to see through a grimy kitchen window. “You’re in luck. I don’t think anyone’s home.” I grasped the knob. The door pushed open with a turn of the knob.

  “What are you doing? This is breaking and entering. Joe’s going to be livid.” April regained her death grip on my arm.

  “You already said that, and we aren’t breaking and entering. You’re a real scaredy-cat, you know that? The door opened by itself. Mostly.”

  Something crunched under our feet as we stepped int
o the kitchen. I pulled my newest toy from the pocket of my jeans. A pink, pen-size flashlight. The beam revealed food crumbs on the floor, dirty dishes stacked in the sink, and grease splattered across the stove. This place definitely lacked a feminine touch.

  I moved into the living room and stepped into a maze. Magazines and newspapers were stacked five feet high or more in every available inch of space, only leaving room to walk between them. Claustrophobia threatened before we took another step. I tried to pull my arm free of April. “Let go of me, and take a look around.”

  “No way. I’m staying right beside you. This place gives me the creeps. I feel like a mouse in some weird science experiment. You know, like how long does it take to find the cheese? And what is that smell?” She gagged and pulled the neckline of her shirt over her nose.

  “Most likely the several days’ worth of dirty dishes piled in the kitchen. Spoiled food. And something else. . .like cat urine.” I shone the light around the space we stood in, revealing nothing but towering paper walls. “There’s got to be something here to let me know what Larry’s relationship with Mae Belle was.”

  I led the way. A cat sailed over our heads, and I shrieked. It landed on another stack of magazines and perched there like a phantom, yellow eyes glowing in the light.

  “I’m going to throw up.” April sniffled behind me. “I’ve never been more frightened in my entire life.”

  Horror. That was one of the things in life that terrified me the most: someone losing their dinner in front of me. Had Nancy Drew suffered like this with her friends? I didn’t think so.

  “I’ll never let you talk me into another one of your adventures. Somebody hit me if I do. You’re criminally insane, Summer.”

  I tuned her out. Obviously, April didn’t know how to have fun.

  Ta-da! At the end of one of the rows of magazines sat a battered desk and a computer. The little green light showed it was on. Now, if only Larry didn’t use a password. . .

  My fingers flew across the keyboard, and I held back a shout of triumph. He didn’t. The man obviously didn’t expect someone to snoop through his computer. Another few taps of the keys, and we were in. I scrolled down his history usage. Chat room after chat room. I clicked on one and read as quickly as my eyes could scan the words. Who was Lola? Whoever she was, she laid on the flowery talk. Obviously Larry had an Internet sweetie.

  “We shouldn’t be doing this.” April leaned over my shoulder. “Eew. Such talk. Who is this guy?”

  “A little mouse of a man. I only saw him once. At Mae Belle’s funeral.”

  The sound of the front door squeaking open reached us. The car! I’d left it out front. Nothing like announcing our presence. I shoved April. “Run! Out the back door.”

  She spun and bumped into a tower of magazines. I reached for the wobbling mass of paper then dodged to safety as it fell, knocking my flashlight from my hand. On my knees I dug through the papers and tried to stifle my giggles. A sense of déjà vu overcame me. I’d done the same crawl and search in the fun house at the fair.

  “Snowball?” Larry’s voice sounded shrill in the dark room. “Are you knocking things over again?”

  April tugged at me. “Come on. Please.” Her harsh whisper seemed loud as it bounced off the towers around us.

  “Wait.” Found it. I jumped to my feet and clicked off the light. Which way? I grabbed April’s hand and pulled her to the right. Dead end. We swerved in another direction and found ourselves in the bedroom. Piles of laundry blocked our path. We bolted for the window.

  “Bad kitty.” Larry’s voice followed us. “Making more work for Daddy.”

  With a heave, I shoved the window open and slammed my palm against the screen. It fell to the ground with a clatter. April barreled into me, sending us both over the sill and crashing into the bushes outside. I landed on my sore knee and bit my lip to prevent myself from groaning. I struggled to my feet, pulled the window closed, and did an awkward limp-sprint kind of lurch around the corner of the house. April stayed close behind. My knee throbbed again, worse than when I’d fallen in Joe’s office. I held up a hand for April to stop.

  We doubled over, breathing labored. My heart beat a thousand times its normal rate. I couldn’t stop the grin that split my face. What a rush. This sneaking into places could easily become habit forming.

  “What. . .is so. . .funny?” April stood, chest heaving, hands on her hips.

  “Don’t tell me you didn’t enjoy that. Wouldn’t I make a great cat burglar?”

  “Almost getting caught snooping through someone’s personal things? That’s not my idea of fun, and cat burglars are silent. Come and go without being seen or heard.”

  “Don’t be such a stick-in-the-mud. Come on.”

  “Where are we going? Home? And why are you limping again? We could have been killed. Lord, help us. My brother is going to annihilate me.”

  “I told Ethan where we were going, and I banged my knee again falling out the window. I’ll be fine. Stop exaggerating.” I glanced over my shoulder. “Larry’s seen the car, April. We have to say something to him.”

  “What?”

  “I’ll be honest.”

  “That’ll be a first.”

  Another comedian. “I’ll tell him about finding his name in the appointment book, it seems to have worked with everyone else, and that we were wandering around looking for him.”

  “Well, there’s your chance.”

  A light cut a swath through the darkness. Grabbing April’s hand, I yanked her onto the porch. With any luck, he’d think we’d been there the entire time. I plopped into a battered wicker love seat, pulled April down beside me, and scanned the man for any sign of a weapon. A habit I’d developed since the last two cases I’d worked on. He seemed to hold nothing but a massive flashlight. Please, Lord, don’t let him bash my head in.

  “May I help you?” He shone the light in my eyes.

  I held up a hand to shield my face and stepped forward. “Mr. Bell, I’m Summer Meadows, cousin of Mae Belle. I saw you at the funeral and wanted to pass on the family’s thanks for your attending. I’m sure it would have meant a lot to my cousin.”

  “Couldn’t stand the woman. I had business with the dentist. Needed to set up an appointment. That girlfriend of his don’t always answer the phone after hours. Not everyone works nine to five, you know.”

  “O–kay.” Strange place to make an appointment. I shrugged off April’s clutching hands. What was with the clinginess?

  “I thought you were going to be honest,” she whispered.

  “I am.” My answer came out as a hiss. I turned back to Mr. Bell. “May I ask what was the problem you had with my cousin?”

  “Nosy, meddling, lying woman.” He spat in the dirt at his feet. “Got what she had coming to her, if you ask me.”

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  Burrowed beneath the down-filled comforter on my bed, I wanted nothing to do with any more investigating. Or wondering what the list of suspects thought about my late cousin. Could Mae Belle, or any one woman, possibly have been so despised? What if people felt that way about me? I’d been warned plenty of times what happens to people who put their nose where it doesn’t belong. I flopped onto my side and glared at the clock. Five a.m. The only reassuring thought about the day was Aunt Claudia’s leaving.

  In a fit of supersleuthing, I’d made an appointment with another person on my list. The dentist, Hubert Smith. A fate worse than death, as far as I was concerned.

  With a groan I tossed aside my warm blankets. Might as well get this day over with. It promised to be anything but a joy.

  Aunt Eunice sat at the kitchen table, a silly grin on her face, as I padded into the room in my teddy bear slippers. Her giddy look made me nervous, and I skirted a wide path on my way to the coffeepot.

  Curiosity won. “Why are you so chipper this morning?”

  “She’s gone. Left first thing this morning.” Aunt Eunice’s eyes widened. “That sounded horrible, didn’t it? Lord,
forgive me, but I’m grateful my sister doesn’t live close. Sad, too. I would’ve loved a sister who was also a friend.”

  I patted her on the shoulder as I passed. A mug of coffee warmed my hands. After sitting in a chair opposite my aunt, I inhaled the aroma. “Don’t feel bad. It makes me sick that so many people disliked my cousin. She lived in Mountain Shadows almost a year. I should’ve gotten to know her better. Maybe I could’ve helped her. Everyone loves Joe, and I seem to be well liked, at least to my face and by people not on my suspect list, but poor Mae Belle.”

  With a mother like hers, I guess she never had a chance. “The Meadowses are one of the founding fathers of Mountain Shadows. Of course, we’re well liked, but same as any other family, we’ll have a black sheep or two. I’m sure your cousin left Oklahoma to get away from her mother.” My aunt pushed to her feet. “Enough of that. What are your plans for the day? There’re more creams to be dipped. We’re getting low on peanut brittle, and—”

  “I’ve got a dentist appointment.”

  Aunt Eunice almost choked. “Are you all right? It isn’t time for your cleaning.”

  “I made an appointment with Hubert Smith.” I blew into my mug.

  “It seems like every time you get involved in a mystery, I end up doing more work at the store. I hope Ethan puts a stop to this nonsense once y’all are married.”

  A twinge of guilt tweaked my conscience. “Ethan will support me in whatever I choose to do.”

  “Humph.” Aunt Eunice put her empty mug in the sink.

  “Keep on dreaming, sweetie. And I don’t think Dr. Smith plays Disney theme songs in the background or gives you something to relax—just for a cleaning.”

  With those encouraging words, she left me alone.

  Perspiration dotted my upper lip despite the crisp air. I wiped my damp hands on my pants. I should have stayed home and played a game of hide-and-seek with Truly. The lengths I’d go to keep a promise. God, help me. With that prayer, I pulled open the brass-trimmed glass door, shivered in beat with the melodic jangle that played over my head, and shuffled toward the receptionist.