Murder So Sweet (A Sweet Cove Mystery Book 2) (4 page)

“Slow. Davis drives a hard bargain. I think the deal is fine, but he always wants better terms so negotiations drag on.” Josh shrugged. “I came back to check on the resort. The new manager seems to be having problems.” Josh and his brother Davis were property developers and they owned a high-end resort located on Robin’s Point at the southern end of Sweet Cove. They had recently replaced the resort’s previous manager with someone new.

“Is the new manager having a hard time settling into the job?”

“I’m not sure what the problem is, really. There have been some complaints.” Josh brushed aside his concerns about the manager. “I’ll be around town for a week or so, maybe two weeks. If you have some time, would you like to try that bike ride again someday?”

“I would.” Angie smiled. “Hopefully this time there won’t be a typhoon or other natural disaster.” Josh had invited Angie to go for a bike ride on the day after she closed her bake shop, but the day dawned with a deluge of rain and wind which didn’t let up until nightfall. They had to cancel the ride and the next day Josh had to go to Maine with his brother to pursue a land development deal.

Josh gave a hearty laugh. “I certainly hope not. We deserve a sunny day after last time.”

They exchanged numbers and Josh told Angie he would be in touch as soon as he had a chance to see what needed to be done about the resort. They parted ways, and Angie got into her car to make her next delivery. She wondered if Josh had heard about Mr. Finch.

Yellow police tape was tied across the door to Finch Confectioner’s and as Angie attached her seat belt, she thought she noticed a light on in the back room of the store. She was just about to insert her key into the ignition, when Chief Martin emerged from the candy store. He waved to Angie with his index finger in the air to indicate that he wanted her to wait. Angie rolled her window down as the chief crossed the street and greeted her.

“I understand Mr. Finch is staying at the B and B.” The chief leaned down so he could speak to Angie in the car.

“He is. He checked in yesterday.” Angie’s hands rested on the steering wheel.

“Did you talk to him?” the chief asked.

“Not much. We had tea with him, but he said he was tired and went up to his room to rest. I don’t know if he went out for dinner or not. I didn’t see him this morning.” Angie moved her hands to her lap. “Poor man. He just missed reuniting with his brother.”

The chief said, “He mentioned that to me when I spoke with him the day of the murder.”

“Mr. Finch told us that he and his brother were estranged. He hadn’t seen him for years.”

The chief reached up and adjusted his cap. “Did he say if there are other relatives?”

“We didn’t ask him about that.”

“I need to talk to him.” The chief glanced at his watch then looked at Angie. “It’s too early to barge in on him now. Are you going somewhere?”

Angie looked surprised at the question. “I’m making my deliveries.”

A blank expression was on the chief’s face.

“I’ve contracted to do bakery items and desserts for some of the restaurants and hotels in town,” Angie clarified.

“Oh.” The chief understood. “Excellent. That’s a good idea until you open your bake shop in the Victorian.” The chief let out a sigh. “I’ll be glad when you’re open again. I miss the shop.”

“It won’t be until September I’m afraid.” Angie got the feeling the chief wanted to say something more. She thought he seemed distracted. She waited for a few moments, but the chief didn’t say anything else. “I should get going. I have more deliveries to make.”

“When will you finish the deliveries? What time will you be home?”

“In about an hour. Maybe a little longer.” Angie adjusted herself in the driver’s seat so she could better face the chief. “Do you need something?”

The chief scratched his chin. “I’d like it if you were around when I talk to Mr. Finch.”

“Me?”

The chief nodded. “And Courtney, too. I need to go over to Finch’s house and look around. The dead Mr. Finch’s house.” He shifted his feet.

Angie thought the chief was acting a bit odd. “Is something wrong?”

“Huh? No. Could you come along to the inspection of Finch’s house?”

“Me?” Angie’s eyebrows raised in surprise. “Why?”

“I’d like Courtney to come too. Extra pairs of eyes, that’s all.”

Angie narrowed her blue eyes at the chief. “Wouldn’t other police officers be more helpful?” She was puzzled by why Chief Martin would want her and Courtney to be around when he inspected Mr. Finch’s property.

“Maybe.” Chief Martin shrugged a shoulder. “Maybe not.”

Angie eyed him. “Is there something you’re not telling me?”

The chief checked his watch again. “Can we talk later? Can I meet you at the Victorian in about two hours? That’ll give you time to do your deliveries.” He started to walk away. “I’ll see you then.”

As Angie watched him cross the street, she realized her mouth was hanging open and she shut it. She couldn’t imagine what was going on. Why had the chief asked her and Courtney to be present when he spoke with Finch? And why did he ask them to join him when he visited the home of the late Mr. Finch. Shaking her head, Angie started the car and headed to her next stop.

Chapter 6

Angie pulled into the Victorian’s driveway and saw Courtney and Euclid on the front porch. Euclid sat supervising Courtney as she was taking freshly washed linens from one laundry basket, folding them, and placing them in another basket.

Angie parked and walked over to the porch.

Courtney waved. “Hey, Sis. What’s cookin’?” Courtney reached for another sheet. “It’s like a summer day. Are you still planning on going to the beach later?”

Angie gave Euclid a pat on the head and he leaned into her hand for more scratching. “I’d like to.” She sat in one of the porch rockers.

“But?” Courtney placed the last folded sheet into the basket and sat down in the rocker next to Angie.

Euclid jumped onto Angie’s lap. “After I made my morning delivery to the Pirate’s Den, I was sitting in my car and Chief Martin saw me and came over to talk.” She told Courtney that the chief wanted both of them to be present when he came to speak to Mr. Finch and when he went to make a visit to the late Mr. Finch’s house.

“Us? Why?” Courtney’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “How could we be of any use?”

“I have no idea.” Angie sighed. She didn’t want to be involved in another murder case.

“Well, I think it’s kind of cool.” Courtney sat up in her chair and chuckled. “Will we get a police badge?” She turned to Euclid. “What do you think of that, Euclid? We’re being brought in to help solve the case.”

Euclid purred.

Angie patted the big orange cat’s back. “I don’t think we’re being brought in as detectives.”

“Well,” Courtney said, “consultants then.” She looked at Angie. “But, why?”

“Do you think it’s because you worked for Finch?”

“I only worked there for ten days. What could I know?” Courtney looked out over the front lawn. “I guess we’ll find out soon why Chief Martin wants us around … because here he comes.”

The chief pulled his police vehicle to a stop in front of the Victorian and strode across the grass to the porch where he greeted the girls. He climbed the steps.

Angie was still patting Euclid. “I just got home a few minutes ago. I haven’t been inside yet. I don’t know where Mr. Finch is, but Ellie will know. Shall we go in?”

“Ah, in a minute. I’d like a chance to talk to you both.”

Angie couldn’t remember ever seeing Chief Martin looking so uncomfortable. He shifted his feet and didn’t make eye contact with either one of them. He leaned against the porch railing. Euclid lifted his head to stare at the chief.

“What’s wrong?” Courtney asked. The chief’s behavior made her nervous. “You aren’t suspecting me of killing Mr. Finch are you?”

The chief’s eyes went wide. “No. That’s not it.” He shook his head vigorously and took a deep breath. “I….” He shoved his hands in his pockets. “I … knew your grandmother.”

Angie wondered what on earth this was going to be about. When Chief Martin mentioned Nana, a chill skittered over her skin.

Euclid sat up.

The chief said, “We were friends.” A tiny stick lay on the porch floor and he poked at it with the toe of his boot. “She was, um, helpful to me.”

“You mean with her powers?” Courtney blurted. Angie shot her sister a look of horror for mentioning such a private, and what many would consider crazy, matter.

Relief washed over the chief’s face.

“Did she help you with cases?” Courtney sat up eager to hear what the chief had to say.

“Sometimes.” Chief Martin glanced at Angie. “Am I saying anything that you don’t know?”

Angie let out a tiny breath. “I just recently learned that my grandmother had some sort of … gift. Courtney knew a little about it when she was just a kid. But we don’t know much.”

The chief visibly relaxed. “Do you…?” The chief didn’t finish his sentence.

“You mean do we have it?” Courtney asked. “The gift?”

The chief nodded.

Courtney pulled her legs up under her. “Angie’s powers are getting stronger, but they’re still new and she doesn’t know anything about what she might be able to do. Jenna and Ellie don’t show anything. I don’t have anything either. Yet.”

Angie looked over at her sister with a serious expression. “You felt something was wrong when we approached the candy store.”

Courtney thought back on the morning. “Yeah, I did. Maybe I sensed it?” She smiled at the chief. “Is this why you want us to be around when you talk to Mr. Finch?”

“I thought it might be helpful.” He seemed sheepish about it.

“What did Nana do?” Angie asked as Euclid stretched on her lap. “How did she help you?”

“She helped with cases that were going nowhere. She’d talk things over with me. Sometimes she’d go with me to a crime scene or stand behind the one-way window when we questioned a suspect.” The chief adjusted his cap. “She was respected. She worked with detectives from a number of towns. In Boston, too.”

“Boston?” Angie couldn’t believe that detectives would believe in this stuff. “Did she really help?”

The chief nodded. “Your grandmother once told me that she sensed all of you girls would develop some, ah, skills. She was sure of it.”

“Really?” Courtney was excited. “That’s great.”

Angie said, “I’m not sure Ellie would agree with you about that.” She made eye contact with the chief. “Who else knows this about Nana?”

“Only some law enforcement agents. They keep it to themselves. It isn’t widely known. I know the most.”

“Can we keep it that way?” Angie didn’t care to have unwanted attention from people knowing what her grandmother could do. She still didn’t understand any of it herself.

“Absolutely.” Chief Martin nodded.

Angie cleared her throat. “And if we can help you in some strange way, will you keep that to yourself?”

The chief said, “You have my word.”

“Okay.” Angie turned to Courtney. “I think we better not broadcast this stuff to people. We don’t even know what we’re dealing with yet. Later today, we should tell Jenna and Ellie what Chief Martin just told us about Nana.”

Courtney nodded. “Can we go talk to Mr. Finch now?”

The three of them headed inside. As Courtney was about to open the door, the chief spoke, his voice a little shaky. He glanced at Euclid. “Could that cat come in with us?”

Angie gave the chief a look of surprise mixed with equal parts wonder and alarm. “Why?”

Chief Martin gave a pathetic shrug.

Euclid stood up, jumped down from the chair, walked proudly to the open door, and entered the foyer in front of the humans, his huge orange tail flicking from side to side.

***

Inside the house, the unusual quartet entered the dining room where Mr. Finch, dressed in a shirt and tie and suit jacket, sat at the table, drinking tea and reading a newspaper. He glanced up, his eyes moving over the group. “Hello.”

“Can we join you, Mr. Finch?” Angie stepped forward.

“Please.” Finch gestured to the seats around the table.

They all sat down around the dining table. Euclid jumped up to the top of the China cabinet.

“How are you doing, Mr. Finch?” Courtney sat across from him. “Did you sleep okay?”

“I don’t travel often and I can be restless in a new place, but the bed and the room are so comfortable I slept extremely well.” He lifted his tea cup to his lips. “Is there any news about my brother, Chief Martin?”

“We’re continuing our investigation.”

Ellie came into the room. “Oh, you’re all here. I’ll bring some more cups.” She turned to go back to the kitchen.

“Would you mind if I asked you some questions, Mr. Finch?” Chief Martin asked.

“I don’t mind at all. I want to do what I can to help.” Finch lifted his napkin to his mouth and wiped his lips.

“When was the last time you saw your brother?”

Finch leaned back and looked off into space. “I don’t recall.” He was quiet for several moments, thinking. “When we were in our early twenties. That’s the last time I saw him.”

“That was some time ago,” Chief Martin said.

“Time flies and leaves us in its wake.” Finch placed his hand around his tea cup.

“Had you spoken with your brother? Did you keep in contact?”

“No. To my great sorrow.”

Courtney didn’t think Finch’s words fit the lack of emotion that he showed. She thought he seemed very business-like while claiming heartache over the loss of his brother. It didn’t ring true to her.

“Are you retired? What did you do for a living?” The chief was writing in a small notebook he had placed on the table.

“I spent my working life as a teacher. A mathematics teacher.”

Euclid stood up on the China cabinet and let out a long, low hiss. Everyone turned to look at the cat. Ellie had just entered the room carrying a tray of mugs. “Euclid, stop that hissing.” She placed a mug at everyone’s place.

“What’s wrong with the cat?” Mr. Finch asked.

Angie said, “His previous owner was a mathematics professor.” After the words were out of her mouth, she felt foolish for saying such a silly thing.