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MOMENTS LATER, DANA and Troy were in the kitchen, and Dana filled the silver kettle with tap water to boil. “Would you like some green tea?”
“I’d love that,” Troy responded.
Earlier, Dana had left him to go upstairs to change her clothes into a flannel pajamas. She’d asked him if he minded, since she was getting ready for bed. Of course, he said he didn’t mind.
Didn’t matter what she was wearing though, she looked hot in everything.
God, she smelled delicious. Her soft floral scent wafted to his nostrils. The scent of her freshly shampooed hair delighted him.
Focus on the case, Troy. What’s wrong with you?
As the kettle made a sound while heating up, Dana moved over to the other side of the counter where a tray of freshly baked cupcakes lay.
“Would you like one?” she asked, while placing a fresh Vanilla Cream cupcake on a plate.
“Sure. I wouldn’t mind, thank you.”
“Great.” Dana then placed another cupcake on another plate. She then poured two mugs of green tea for each of them. “Green tea is filled with antioxidants. I always have a cup before bedtime. The decaf green tea, mind you. Wouldn’t want to be kept up all night. Grandma Rae always used to say, eat and drink healthy at least once a day.”
He grinned. “She was very wise.”
“Yes, she was,” Dana said, her voice had a tinge of longing to it. She really missed her grandmother, Troy could tell. She spoke so fondly over her all the time. He remembered Ma Rae, as the town would call her. She was what he’d call good people. And it wasn’t a surprise that her granddaughter followed suit.
“So what is it that you wanted to tell me?”
Troy looked thoughtfully at the Vanilla Cream cupcake and scrutinized it as if figuring out how someone could have poisoned it without the victim knowing.
“It’s about the peanut oil found on one of your cupcakes at Lichelle’s apartment,” he said. “I think I should update you on some of the findings since it involves you.”
Dana looked stunned. “It involves me? How? I thought you said I was in the clear.”
“Well, you are. But it still involves you, I’m afraid. You see, I was called by the guys at the station earlier.”
“Yes, I remember. You had to high tail it out of here.”
He grinned. “Sorry, about that, but according to some video surveillance tapes from some of the stores in the Town Square, it looks as if someone had been around your car earlier that day after the murder.”
“Really?” Dana looked as if she had a million thoughts running through her mind. As if she was trying to figure out who could have been around her car.
The Berry Cove Town Square was a fabulous hang out place. A busy public place in the heart of Berry Cove. A perfect place for a criminal to leave undetected.
“You remember you were there to see Bea at the salon?”
“Right?” Dana swallowed hard.
“Well, some of the video footages are a bit grainy but there’s an image of you, leaving your car and looking around, as if you were looking for someone or waiting for someone. You met your aunt Petunia and you both spoke briefly before Bea came out of her beauty salon to speak with you. You all then went into the salon with Bea.”
Dana swallowed again. She then nervously took a sip of her green tea. Was he making her nervous? Or was she hiding something?
She was probably feeling self-conscious that he’d been watching surveillance tapes of her. Most people get self-conscious after learning they’d been video taped without their knowledge. Not that it was illegal. It’s common fact that most stores have surveillance tapes to watch their storefront. Even in the small town, Troy encouraged it with small business owners just in case anything goes on that they’d need to review the tapes for.
Most town’s folk just forgot that security cameras were almost everywhere.
“What else did you see on the tape?” she asked, after placing her cup down. Her lips looked so pillowy and soft.
Stop that, Troy. Focus on the case. Not on the amazing beauty in front of you.
“We’re not able to make out the assailant due to the poor quality of the footage, but there was definitely someone there by your car and they’d placed something inside your vehicle while you were inside the salon. They managed to get your car door open with very little effort. Dana, I know this is a small town, but I always tell people....”
“I know, I know. Lock your cars and your doors.”
“Exactly.” He arched a brow. He wasn’t there to scold her. It was an oversight. But he wished she wouldn’t be so trusting. Maybe it was the cop in him. But he always thought two steps ahead.
“So whoever was planning to meet me was watching me and as soon as I arrived they saw that I never locked my car door,” she added.
“Looks that way,” he agreed. “Do you want to share anything else with me, Dana?” He leaned forward.
She sighed heavily. “I did receive a text earlier to meet someone there. They mentioned not to notify the cops.”
“Dana, it’s always a bad sign when someone tells you not to notify the cops. I care about you, I don’t want to see anything happen to you.”
She froze.