Chocolate-Covered Crime (19 page)

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 the 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 arti=" check thcles 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.

As I swept and Aunt Eunice wiped dusty counters, I ran the never-ending list of questions through my mind. How could I interview my suspects again? I had absolutely no desire to visit the dentist to drill him more while I sat at the mercy of his tools of death. Edna and I didn’t run in the same social circles any more than Mason and I did. Since there were no impending funerals, I had no reason to visit the funeral parlor or have an excuse to go to Larry Bell’s farm. I’d hit a dead end and saw no path to continue.

“Why the long face, Summer?” Aunt Eunice stacked some dry boxes near the counter.

I explained my frustration.

“You’ll have to get creative. Why not throw a barbecue?”

“On what grounds?” I dumped the glass from the dustpan into the garbage. “I can’t just call up my suspect list and invite them over for hot dogs.” A mental lightbulb exploded over my head. “Your anniversary is coming up. We can throw a party and invite just about everyone.”

Aunt Eunice pursed her lips. “The only one who might be suspicious would be Mason White. He’ll wonder why we’re inviting him. But it’s worth a try. The man probably won’t come after what happened to Renee.”

“We’ll invite him in reciprocation of his party, and tell him the chance to get out will cheer him up.” The idea took root and grew at an alarming rate. “And since Joe is family, he’ll be there as security in case someone takes offense to our nosiness. He can’t get mad if we question people in our own home. Can he?”

“I don’t see how. Let’s do it this weekend. You stay here and make party mints. Pink, green, and yellow ones. I’ll go home and work on the gue=" he countest list after I stop at the party store to get invitations.” She clapped her hands. “This will be so much fun. We’ll have games and dancing. I’ll get Roy to call his music buddies from the lodge. Then we can head over to the warehouse store later for the food.” Aunt Eunice practically skipped out the door.

Party mints, huh? I set aside my broom and put white chocolate on the burner to melt. They’d take me all day to make.

Once the chocolate melted, I added flavoring and, using a funnel, made coin-sized, pastel-colored discs on wax paper. The bell over the door jangled. I lifted my head as Mason approached the counter. I propped the funnel over the pan of remaining chocolate and wiped my hands.

“Welcome, Mason.” I pasted a smile on my face and approached him, keeping the counter safely between us. Handsome or not, the guy scared me.

“Summer.” His gaze pierced me, raking over the redruffled apron I wore. “You’re looking. . .quite fetching.” He shook his head. “Look, all fun and games aside. I need your help.”

“Help?” My voice squeaked.

“I want you to find out who killed Renee.”

Like I wasn’t trying to already? “Why me? Why don’t you go to the police? You’ve always made fun of me before.”

He gnawed his lower lip. “It’s. . .delicate.”

“Some people think you may have killed her. She died at your house, during your party. And delicate or not, Mason, your relationship with Renee isn’t exactly a secret.”

He shrugged, and his lip curled into a sneer. “I’m a smart aleck, Summer. Not a murderer.”

Yeah, well. Richard Bland, the guy I’d helped capture, and inadvertently killed a few months ago, remained fresh in my mind. He’d been a gentleman, a diamond thief, and a murderer. “Uh, I’m throwing an anniversary party for my aunt and uncle on Saturday. A lot of people will be there. Why don’t you come and snoop around?”

He smiled. “I’ll do that.” Mason chucked me under the chin. “Save a dance for me, won’t you?” He spun around and strolled out the door.

Puh-leese!
I rubbed his touch off my face. I ought to tell Ethan so he could knock the guy out. I didn’t believe Mason was a murderer either, but I wasn’t going to remove him from my list just yet. I turned back to my candy. For someone who professed to be grieving over a loved one, Mason still found the time to flirt with me.

Almost the end of September and I’d be getting married on April Fool’s Day. Less than seven months away, and I’d done nothing but rip out pictures of what I wanted because I’d been silly enough to hire my cousin as a wedding planner. Most people took a year or more to plan their special day. With a mystery to solve, when would I find the tim=" es New Roe?

I sighed again as the bell announced another customer. A smile broke out when Ethan strolled through the door and back to where I worked. “Hungry?”

“Aunt Eunice left. I can’t leave the store.”

He bent over and kissed me. “I’m on my prep time. I’ll bring lunch to you. The usual?” I nodded. As quick as he arrived, he was gone.

When he returned with fat, juicy hamburgers and salty French fries, I pulled a couple of stools to the packing table and filled him in on the weekend’s plans. He stared at me over his burger. “Okay. I’ll be near you the entire time. Ask all the questions you want, and I’ll be your bodyguard. Maybe I’ll catch something you don’t.”

Never in a million years would I have thought Ethan would be my sidekick in the crime-solving business. At first, I’d pictured April, but she’d gotten wrapped up in Joe. Then Aunt Eunice just naturally filled the vacant position. I learned a few weeks ago that Ethan was much nicer to have along on a stakeout. His kisses kept me warm. “That will be wonderful.” Again, I entertained thoughts of opening a detective agency titled “Banning Investigations.”

By the weekend, Uncle Roy had laid planks of wood across the uneven ground making a dance floor of sorts. From the trees, he strung strands of white Christmas lights. Other than that, the prevalent color was gold. Everywhere. Tables, candles, dishes, streamers. The back lawn looked as if a leprechaun had upended his treasured pot. The air cried with the tuning of musical instruments.

“Isn’t it beautiful?” Aunt Eunice bustled past, her arms loaded with a large dish of potato salad.

“Very bright. I need my sunglasses.”

“Could you get Ethan to start a fire in the pit? The night might get chilly, and the guests will be arriving any time now.”

“Okay.” I turned and went in search of my sidekick. I found him on the front porch laughing with Joe. After sending the two of them off to do Aunt Eunice’s bidding, I took Ethan’s seat on the rocking chair and watched the guests arrive.

Townspeople, neighbors, and friends arrived in jovial moods, bearing gifts in gold or white paper. Mason sped into the yard, followed closely by a white van. From the back of the van, two men rolled an ice sculpture in the shape of two swans, their necks entwined. In spite of the man’s generous donation, I hoped it contained sparkling cider rather than champagne. Uncle Roy wouldn’t allow alcohol anywhere near his house, and his grumbling wouldn’t be helpful in keeping the guests in a good mood.

Mason approached the porch. “May I speak with you, Summer?”

I rose and followed him around the corner.

“The fountain is a token of my appreciation for you helping me locate Renee’s murderer.” Mason held up a hand to stop my protests. “I realize you aren’t really a detective, but with your reputation of being in the right place at the wrong time, I have no doubt you’ll find out who’s behind this.” He grinned. “And now, I’ll go do my part and mingle.” I stared at his retreating back.

“What is he talking about?” Joe joined me.

“Eavesdropping, dear cousin?”

“Yes. What have you cooked up with Mason?”

“I’m helping him locate Renee’s killer. And, in doing so, will probably find Mae Belle’s.”

He raised his eyebrows. “Mason is a suspect.”

“I know. And he’ll be easier to keep an eye on if he’s underfoot.” I crossed my arms. “I’m not a complete idiot.”

“As opposed to half of one?” He grabbed my arm and dragged me farther from the house. “What does Ethan think of this scheme of yours?”

“He’ll be by my side the entire evening.” I jerked free of his grasp.

“Like he is now?”

“There’s no need when I have such a brave officer of the law concerned with my welfare, now is there? There are close to a hundred people here. I think I’m safe enough.” Would Joe ever let me grow up?

“It’s easier to disappear in a crowd.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

“Fire’s roaring, music’s playing, and I’ve got a pretty girl in my arms. What more could a guy ask for?” Ethan twirled me around the makeshift dance floor.

“How about an end to this case so I can plan our wedding?” I glanced at the dancers around us. Uncle Roy spun Aunt Eunice, Joe waltzed with April, the good dentist, Hubert, moved with Edna, and Mason sped by with a pretty girl I hadn’t met. Others danced in a kaleidoscope of color.

Ethan pulled me closer. “Most of the town is here. At least everyone who’d be on our guest list. We could get married now then run off to some exotic place for our honey=" n"0" moon.”

I pulled back far enough to gaze into his face. “Don’t tempt me. And I
expect
a honeymoon to remember.” My cheeks heated. Not that I knew a lot about what to expect. Aunt Eunice tried giving me “the talk” when I started high school, but she stammered and stuttered so much that I had to find out the facts myself, through books. And the heart- pounding, breath-stealing nature of Ethan’s kisses.

The song ended, and the band struck up a square dance. “Let’s sit this one out. Unless you want your feet pounded to a pulp.” Ethan led me to the sparkling cider fountain. Ruby and Mabel, Aunt Eunice’s best friends, approached and held plastic champagne glasses beneath the pale amber flow.

“Summer, there aren’t enough eligible men at this party.” Ruby raised her drink.

“It’s an anniversary party. Not a place to pick up men.” I smiled at Ethan.

“I know.” Ruby nodded. “That’s what church is for.”

Ethan sputtered, spraying the area around us with his drink.

“Really, Ethan.” Mabel frowned. “I thought your parents taught you better manners.” She wiggled a finger at me. “And you. Don’t give us any story about an anniversary party. Granted, it serves that purpose, but Eunice already told us you’re scoping out your cousin’s killer.”

And Renee’s. Was nothing secret in this town? “Please, don’t talk about it. I don’t want this to be Mountain Shadows’ main topic of conversation for the next several weeks.”

“Mum’s the word, right, Mabel?” Ruby raised her glass.

“Right.” They linked arms and trotted away, chattering about the excitement of being in on a dangerous secret. I shook my head. Next thing I knew, it’d be in the local paper.

Ethan nuzzled my neck. “Want to neck in the woods?”

“Stop.” I pushed him away and giggled. “We’ve got to focus. This entire thing is a fiasco. I’m surprised the killer doesn’t walk up, put a gun to my head, and pull the trigger just to stop my nosing around.” Someone tapped my shoulder. I jumped and screamed. Ethan snorted.