Oh Say Can You Fudge (10 page)

Pete softened his stance at the sight of her. “I just had the electricity checked after the murder. The insurance company insisted that I check so that there would be no further accidents around the pool.”

“It’s too dark to tell if it was deliberately set,” Ed said. “Stay away from it and we’ll come back in the morning and investigate.”

“Is it safe to leave it over night?” I asked. “I mean, what if whoever started the fire decides to come back and tamper with the evidence? Or worse, what if they try to finish the job?”

“We’ll have round the clock surveillance,” Rex said. “I’ve got Officer Brown coming down for the night.”

“Thank-you.” Ed turned to me. “I just wanted to thank you for your quick thinking, Allie.” He touched the brim of his fireman’s hat. “Good night.”

“Bye,” I said at the same time Jenn did.

“I’ll be glad for the surveillance,” Pete said, his forehead breaking out in a sweat. “I’ll have cameras installed as soon as possible.” He looked at me pointedly. “I don’t want to see you on my property again. Is that clear?”

“Crystal,” I replied and refrained from sticking my tongue out at him.

“We’ll be glad for the cameras,” Jenn said trying to be diplomatic. “The alley hasn’t been that safe and cameras will really help. In fact, it might not hurt to install our own on the back of the McMurphy.”

I frowned. “I’ll get Mr. Devaney to check into the pricing. If it’s not too expensive, we should do it.”

“You may save on insurance,” Rex said. “I’d do it.”

“What is the world coming to?” Liz said. “This is the fifth fire this year. Do you have any idea who is doing this? Or if the fires are even related?”

“I can’t talk about an ongoing investigation,” Rex replied and crossed his arms. “I do need to talk to Allie about what she saw.”

Jenn and Pete just looked at Rex.

He scowled. “Alone.”

“Oh,” Jenn said. “Sure thing. Here, Allie. Let me take Mal.”

“Okay.” I handed her Mal’s leash.

“Come on, baby. Let’s go home.” Jenn picked Mal up and climbed back over the fence with her.

“I need to get a taller fence,” Pete muttered.

“There are building codes,” Rex reminded him.

“Right. Fine. Just keep one of your guys on my property,” Pete groused and turned on his heel. “I don’t want to have to wait for another fire to find out I was right to blame my neighbor.”

“I didn’t set the fire,” I said.

“At least you didn’t blow it up like you did the warehouse,” Pete said as he walked away.

I opened my mouth to tell him I didn’t blow anything up, but shut it when I realized I couldn’t reason with an unreasonable person.

“Are you okay?” Rex asked me.

“Sure.” I shrugged. “Why are people crazy?”

He scowled. “There’s no knowing what is going on in some people’s heads. Want to tell me about the fire?”

I shoved my hands in my pockets. “I took Mal out for her late walk. I noticed what I thought was a light on in the pool house. It’s kind of unusual for this time of night.”

Rex took notes on his small notepad. “I’ll have to check to see how late the pool is open.”

“It used to be until nine
PM
,” I said. “But he may have changed that. Mal did her business and then sniffed the fence. I figured she smelled something interesting like she does on a regular basis, but then she took a quick tug of her leash and slipped under the fence. She was fast. Faster than I could catch her and suddenly she was barking and out of sight.”

“So then what happened?”

“I climbed the fence and went after her. I noticed a teenager between me and her and asked him if he saw my dog. He didn’t. So I hurried off. When I rounded the corner, I realized it was the pool house on fire, not a light inside the pool house. I called Charlene right away.”

“Who was the kid?” Rex asked. His eyebrows were drawn in concern.

“Sherman Archibald, Luke’s boy. I remember him from their help with putting out embers at the warehouse.”

“Right,” Rex said.

“Wait. You don’t think he had anything to do with the fire, do you?”

“I don’t know.” Rex stuffed his notepad into the breast pocket of his uniform. “I hope not. Luke’s a nice guy. Sherman seems like a great kid.”

“I know.”

“Listen, don’t fret. We don’t even know if the fire was arson at this point. It could simply be electrical in nature.”

“Okay.” I nodded. “You said you’d have someone guard the site.”

“Yeah, I called Officer Brown. He was working the night shift. He’ll keep an eye on things.”

“Good. This fire was close. I don’t want to have to sleep with one eye open.”

“Go home, Allie,” Rex said. “We’ve got this.”

“Thanks, Rex. You’re great.”

“Just doing my job,” he said, his voice gruff. “Take care of that dog of yours. She helps out a lot around here.”

I smiled. “I will.”

 

Butter 8x8x2-inch pan.

Carefully melt white chocolate chips and dissolved gelatin in the top of a double boiler. Hint: White chocolate burns faster than regular chocolate. Melt slowly and stir constantly.

In a medium bowl, mix can of frosting, melted chocolate-gelatin mixture and chopped strawberries. Stir until combined.

Pat into pan. Score into 1-inch pieces with butter knife and refrigerate for 3 hours. Remove and cut into 1-inch pieces following the score marks.

Serve in individual paper cups or on platter. Cover leftovers in air tight container and store in refrigerator.

 

Enjoy!

Chapter 10

The next morning, the cat was back on the fire escape. When I exited to take Mal out for her morning walk, the cat leapt up on the rail and pretended not to notice us. Mal jumped up and tried to reach it, her doggie tail wagging a hello.

“So you’re back,” I said to the cat. “Well, if you are going to visit us, then you must be properly introduced. This is Mal. She is very smart and loves everyone so if she chases you, it’s all in fun.”

The cat did not respond and instead, lifted its front paw for a good lick.

“I see you don’t have a collar. I figure you might be hungry so after we get back from our walk, I’ll get you some food and water. That is, if you are still here.” Mal and I went down the stairs and out across the alley to her favorite potty patch of grass.

I noticed that the hole under the fence seemed bigger this morning. I stepped up and was able to put my foot through it. I frowned. I’d have to tell Pete about it in case he wanted to fix it. Or maybe I’d fix it myself so that Mal couldn’t get away from me so quickly again. That might be the neighborly thing to do, anyway.

Mal jumped up on me and gave my face a good lick as I squatted down and tried to bend the chain link to fill the hole. It didn’t budge.

“Good morning, Allie,” Mr. Beecher said as he strolled down the alley. Today he wore black slacks, a checkered vest over a pale blue shirt, and finished the entire ensemble with a black sports jacket.

“Hello, Mr. Beecher.” I rose.

“Problem with the fence?”

“Yes, it got pulled up somehow. Last night, Mal snuck right under and went racing off toward the Oakton’s pool house.”

“I heard there was a fire,” the old man said as he stopped next to me.

“Yes, apparently the pool house caught fire. Last I heard they didn’t know what caused it.”

“I saw the pictures in this morning’s
Town Crier
.” He eyed the yard up to the pool house. “My guess is it was a bonfire that got out of control.”

“I hope so. Or an electrical fire.”

He drew his eyebrows together. “What else could it be?”

“Arson,” I said with a frown. “Liz thinks there has been a string of arsons on the island since January.”

“What a strange time for arsons to start.” Mr. Beecher frowned, too. “These sorts of things don’t just start out of the blue. For them to start when most of the inhabitants are locals seems odd. I don’t know. Something isn’t adding up.”

“I agree. I was going to ask Pete to fix his fence, but I’m not exactly on speaking terms with him. It might be easier to fix it myself.”

“Good fences make good neighbors,” Mr. Beecher said with a twinkle in his eye. “Or so I’ve heard.”

I smiled. “There is some truth in that, I think.”

“Well, have a good morning.” He patted Mal on the head.

“Wait.” I stopped him. “Do you know Luke Archibald and his son Sherman?”

“Sure, why?”

“I saw Sherman last night cutting through the Oakton yard about the time the fire started. I wondered if he might have seen anything.”

“Sherman is a good kid,” Mr. Beecher said. “Luke has painted some trim for me. Sherman always comes to the site where his father is working. He has a strong interest in becoming a painter or so Luke tells me. I’m sure if Sherman saw anything, he’d let the police know.”

“Thanks. Rex most likely already checked that out. I was just wondering.”

“Well, if you ever need exterior paint work done on the McMurphy, I’d recommend Luke any day.”

“I’ll remember that.” Mal and I started down the alley in the opposite direction of Mr. Beecher. Our walk would take us by the grocery store. I wanted to pick up cat food and a fence repair kit.

The ferries had come in with their first run of tourists. The crowds spilled out of the docks like children entering wonderland. The air was soft and filled with the sounds of waves crashing, boat engines churning, and gulls squawking. The fudge shops had yet to open their doors, but the nearest T-shirt shop and the welcome center were open. People could buy their tickets to get into Fort Mackinac or the art museum. The horse-drawn taxis were lined up along the north side of Main Street.

Mal hurried along. She liked to sniff out all the smells left on the sidewalks from the night before. We stopped outside into the grocery store to look at the produce on display.

Mary Emry was working the counter and stepped out when she saw us. “Good morning. Hi Mal.” She came around the counter to give Mal a good pet. “How’s my favorite puppy today?”

“She’s good,” I said.

“I heard she spotted a fire at the Oakton Pool house,” Mary said as she scratched Mal behind the ears.

“Yes. She slipped under the fence. I was wondering if you had anything to fix it.”

“There is some chicken wire in the back corner with the hardware stuff. I would recommend you get that and then bury the bottom and attach the rest to the fence. That way she can’t do any more digging.”

“I’m pretty sure she didn’t dig the hole under the fence.” I frowned. “I’ve never seen her dig, anyway. But burying the chicken wire sounds like a good idea. Can you watch Mal a minute?” When Mary nodded her agreement, I handed her Mal and headed inside, down the aisle toward the back of the store, picked up a roll of fencing, and went quickly down the pet food aisle to pick up a couple cans of cat food.

I placed my purchases on the checkout counter, and stuck my head out to ask, “Did anyone recognize the cat?”

“Cat?” Mary echoed.

“Yes, the one in the FOUND posters that Jenn put up. The cat is a beautiful stray. She seems to like the McMurphy and has been hanging around my fire escape.”

“Are you sure it’s a girl?”

“I don’t know for sure. I haven’t gotten close enough to find out. Trent picked her up and thought she was a girl.” I shrugged. “It’s a beautiful cat, though. Someone has to be missing it.”

Mary gave me Mal’s leash, stepped inside and rang up my items. The counter was a few steps from the door which was open and so we were able to continue our conversation. “I haven’t heard anyone say that it was their cat. It might have stowed away on the ferry and decided it likes island living.” She noted the cans of food. “You do realize that if you feed it, it will be your cat.”

“I can’t not feed it,” I said with a sigh. “It’s been out there for three days now.”

“Well, if you decide to keep it, you’ll need to catch it and take it to the vet. Make sure it has all its shots and gets spayed or neutered just like Mal or the island will be overrun with feral cats.”

I made a face at the idea of that beautiful cat causing the island to be overrun. It was ridiculous. Nonetheless, having the cat looked at by a vet wasn’t a bad idea. “Maybe I can get Mr. Devaney to catch it for me.”

“Do that,” Mary advised as she held out her hand and I gave her my debit card to swipe. “In the long run, it’s best for the cat and you.”

“Thanks,” I said and picked up my bagged purchases, tucking the bundle of wire under my arm. As Mal and I stepped toward the street, Sophie came through.

“Hi Allie,” Sophie said. “Is this your puppy?” She bent down to pat Mal’s head.

“Yes, this is Marshmallow. Mal for short.”

“Well, hello Mal. Aren’t you cute?” She straightened. “So, Allie, do you know any more about the dead man in the warehouse or who set the explosion?”

I sighed. “It was Rodney Rivers, my pyro technician who died. As far as I know, the police still don’t know who set the explosion.”

“Oh, no. You lost all your fireworks and the guy who can do the show? What are you going to do now?”

“We’ve found replacement fireworks, but I need to get someone to fire them.”

“Isn’t the dead guy’s partner talking to Rex?” Sophie asked.

“He is,” I said. “But that doesn’t mean he has to talk to me. In fact, he came into the McMurphy to tell me that the insurance company would send us a check to pay for the fireworks but that was it. We were on our own.”

“That doesn’t seem right.” Sophie crossed her arms. She wore her pilot uniform of white shirt with epaulets and black slacks stylish with black boots polished to a high sheen. They had squared toes and a stacked heel that was about an inch tall.

“It’s not right,” I said. “I checked the contract and he’s obligated to shoot the shows for us. But he isn’t getting in contact with me.”

“That seems lousy,” Sophie said. “Get Oscar Osborn on it. He’ll send him a certified legal notice.”

“Who’s Oscar Osborn?” I asked.

Sophie laughed. “I forget you are so new to the island. Oscar is the town lawyer. He’s pretty much retired now, but he is active in the chamber of commerce. He handles legal issues that come up, especially ones that threaten something as important to the community as the Star Spangled Fourth celebration.”

“Great, thanks. I’ll call him.” Mal and I took a step to toward the fudge shop.

“Hold on a second,” Sophie said. “I want to grab a soda. Let me do that and then I’ll walk back to the McMurphy with you.”

“Okay.”

Mal sniffed around my feet while I waited for Sophie to get her drink, pay for it, and leave with us.

“Did you have an early flight?” I asked as we stepped into the slowly crowding streets.

“Yes, I brought in the Bailey’s for the week. They own a summer cottage near the library.” Sophie twisted the top off her drink and took a sip. “Theodore Bailey is a principal investor for the group that owns the Grand Hotel and a few other places.”

“I imagine that’s a nice investment property,” I said.

“I wouldn’t know,” Sophie said with a grin. “I’m not much into real estate. I prefer the air to the earth.”

“If you don’t mind my asking, how did you get into flying?” We stepped around the block to cut into the alley that ran behind the Main Street shops.

“My Dad was a pilot. Mom says he took me flying the first day I left the hospital.” She shrugged. “I grew up with it. In fact, I flew my first solo when I was twelve. They had to issue me a junior license. My Dad was pretty proud.”

“Did you grow up on Mackinac?” My tone sounded as wistful as I felt. The freedom to fly anywhere sounded so romantic.

She shook her head. “No, I grew up in Green Bay, Wisconsin. My Dad flew for a couple regional companies with small jets. He heard that the Grand was looking for a new pilot and told me to apply. I did and got the job about three years ago.”

“You seem like such a regular fixture around here,” I said. “I had no idea you were also new.”

Sophie laughed. “Yeah, I’m a foreigner here, too. Only other foreigners think I’m not.”

“Great. I keep giving myself away,” I said and sighed. Mal trotted along in front of us.

“What’s the chicken wire for?” Sophie asked.

“There’s a hole in the fence between the McMurphy and the Oakton. I don’t want Mal running over there like she did last night.”

“Tell lazy Pete Thompson to fix it,” Sophie said.

“He’s not talking to me. Mal discovered a fire at his pool house last night and he blames me for the damages.”

“That’s just wrong.” Sophie drew her eyebrows together. “Seriously, that guy is better at making enemies than friends.”

“I take it you know him pretty well?”

“Well enough to have flown him a couple times. The guy complains the entire time. The last time I flew him, he wouldn’t shut up so I did a few barrel rolls. He was too busy being sick to complain anymore.”

I laughed. “That’s one way to shut him up, I guess.”

“I see you have cat food.” Sophie pointed at the cans in the clear plastic bag. “You have a cat and a dog?”

“No, just a dog. A few days ago, Rex let this beautiful cat into the McMurphy. He opened the door to leave and it just walked right in and disappeared up the stairs.”

“Oh, no. Really?”

“Really,” I said with a smile at the memory. “By the next day, Trent Jessop coaxed it out of hiding.”

“Yeah, I could see that,” Sophie said with a twinkle in her eye. “That man is gorgeous. He could coax me out of hiding.”

“I know. We’re kind of dating.”

“Kind of dating? A man like that you do not
kind of date
,” Sophie said, her eyes twinkling.

I winced. “It’s still pretty new.”

“I heard the rumors,” she teased.

“Anyway, the cat leapt from his arms and Mal chased it out the door.”

“Oh.” Sophie looked confused. “Then why the cat food?”

“It’s been hanging around the alley. We took pictures and have signs up, but so far, no one has come to claim it.”

“You bought the food so that it won’t go hungry.”

I felt the heat of a blush rush over my cheeks. “Yes and yes. I’ve been told if you feed a stray cat, it’s your cat.”

“Cats are great to have around,” Sophie said, “as long as they are spayed or neutered.”

“If no one claims it by the Fourth of July, I’ll see if I can’t get Trent to catch it again and I’ll take it to the vet in St. Ignace and get it taken care of.”

“You are a big softy,” Sophie said.

I grinned. “Yeah. I suppose there are worse things to be.”

“I suppose that’s true.”

“Do you have time to come up?” I asked as we hit the back of the McMurphy. “Jenn made some beignets this morning.”

“Sounds lovely. We foreigners need to stick together.”

I laughed. “I agree. We can call ourselves the Foreign Legion.”

“Small in number but mighty in presence.”

As we walked toward the back of the McMurphy, I noticed Luke walking toward the Oakton pool house. “Hey, Luke,” I called and waved.

He stopped. “Good morning, ladies.”

“Hi Luke,” Sophie said.

Mal pulled us toward the hole in the fence as he walked over to us from the other side.

“What brings you to the Oakton?” I asked. “Did Pete call you to repair the fire damage?”