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“YES, I HATED HER. BUT I didn’t killer her,” Frank told Dana as they walked in the Town Square the next morning.
“Thanks for meeting with me, Frank. I just had to know if you’d seen anything suspicious on the night of Shags’ murder. Everyone still believes that Katie poisoned one of our Holiday Cream Cupcakes to get back at Shags which is simply a lie!”
“I know. I don’t for one thing believe a word about the killer cupcakes rumor.”
Dana felt her heart squeeze at the sound of the words Killer Cupcakes. Grandma Rae would have had a coronary if she were alive and hearing that about her beloved creamy cupcakes—the ones she labored over with love in her heart. She’d always believe in baking with love and doing everything with love. It was her motto, her life, her way of living. Dana knew she had to quiet these rumors once and for all and find the real cold-blooded killer at large.
Speaking of cold, the morning brought some chill with the temperature dropping. Snow flakes fell softly but it was cold that morning.
“I guess it’s no secret now. I was up for editor of the newspaper.”
“You were? Congratulations!”
“Not so fast. When Shags blew into town on her broom, things changed fast. We never agreed on things creatively. I’m a photographer but I also have ten years of experience editing a newspaper back in Colorado.”
Dana’s heart stopped. “In Colorado?”
“Yeah. But I was caught up in some trouble back then.”
“Oh, what kind of trouble?”
“Let’s just say that I got into some gambling debts and into some trouble with the law with drugs. Not something I’m proud of.”
“Oh, no. Sorry to hear that. So Shags caught wind of that and she was going to use it against you.”
“Bingo. I pulled out my application for Chief Editor. I knew she wanted the position. Heck, she wanted to take over the Gazette. I heard she was coming up with the money to rescue it from possible bankruptcy and persuaded the board to see her creative vision of competing with online tabloids.” Frank rolled his eyes. “I knew it was a mistake. It was all a big mistake. Anyway, I didn’t kill her.”
“I believe you, Frank,” Dana said. “For some reason. I do believe you’re telling the truth.”
Dana stopped outside the Berry Cove Cleaners to pick up her dry cleaning. She badly needed her puffy winter coat. The one she was wearing now was not warm enough for the drop in temperature.
“You picking up some clothes?” Frank commented as he stopped outside the drycleaners with her.
“Actually, my winter coat. I...had a little accident with it.” When she’d fallen into the dumpster and had trash poured over her at the Town Hall, but she wasn’t about to divulge that information to Frank.
“See you later, Frank.”
“See you. Let me know if you need anything else.”
“I will.”
“Good morning, Dana. Your coat’s ready.” Dillan picked up a clear plastic bag with Dana’s winter coat and hung it up on the rack beside her so she could see it.
“Great. Thanks so much. How much do I owe you?”
“Five dollars.”
“Only that?”
“You know your Grandma Rae was a fabulous woman, Dana. She really helped me out in the early days. I told her that she would have a discount for life. You’re her family so it applies to you, too.”
“Aww, you are so sweet.”
“Thanks, Dana. No pun intended but so are you.”
She grinned and gave him the cash and picked up her jacket.
The door chimed sounded as someone came in behind Dana.
“Oh, Lilly,” Dillan said to the customer. “I have the mayor’s suit here.”
Dana turned around. It was another secretary who worked for the mayor.
“Thanks,” Lilly said to Dillan. “Hope you got all those white cat hairs out. It really ruined his black suit.”
“It wasn’t easy, I had no idea the mayor owned a cat.”
Lilly paid the price for the suit and ignored Dillan’s comment. “Well, have a good day.”
“You, too.”
“Dillan,” Dana said after Lilly left. “What was that about?”
Dana felt her heart palpitate in her chest.
“Oh, nothing. Typical politician who needs things to be done right away. We told him it would take a couple days since the suit is delicate and the cat hairs are numerous. His wife usually brings in his suits, but I guess she’s busy and the secretary is doing it.”
“He lied about being in the apartment!” Dana said, almost to herself. Those cat hairs were probably from Shags’ apartment. The mayor didn’t have any cats!
“Sorry, what was that?”
“Oh, nothing Dillan.” Dana grabbed her coat and ran out of the store. Her heart pounding a mile a minute. She had to speak with Troy fast!
“Yes, Dana.” Troy sounded distracted on the phone while working at his office. Dana was glad to reach him on her cell.
She told him about her dealings at the Berry Cove Cleaners.
Dana was now at Gary’s Garage, next door to the cleaners.
“It’s all right, Dana. The mayor confessed to me later that he’d been at Shags’ apartment.”
Her heart sank. “But why didn’t he tell you this before?”
“He said he was nervous about his wife finding out about their affair but he apparently came clean with her and now he’s telling us everything.”
“You mean he’s trying really hard to cover his tracks.”
“Dana. I think we need to let it go, all right?”
Dana felt deflated. She waited at the garage while Gary the mechanic worked on her car.
“Okay, fine.” Dana ended her call with Troy who seemed as if he had better things to do right now than to entertain her suspicions. But there was something really odd about the mayor’s behavior. He wasn’t telling everything. He was covering up something or—for someone!
Maybe Katie was right. Maybe Dana did have an overactive imagination. Maybe she really did need some sleep. Maybe there really wasn’t much to the investigation as she was making to be.
She sighed deeply. She glanced at her watch. She’d better get going soon. She was expecting another shipment of Christmas Holiday cupcake wrappers at the café later.
“Well, that’s about it,” Gary said as he wiped his hands on a blue cloth. “The car looks good. Always remember to get a tune up regularly, Dana.”
“I will. You know how busy it gets sometimes.”
“True.”
Dana felt her heart stop when she glanced over at a white car that was hoisted up in the far corner. It had a dent on it with some grey paint.
“Everything all right, Dana?” Gary asked looking puzzled.
Dana kept looking at the car and thought she recognized the plates!
It had to be the mayor’s. There were too many clues pointing to his guilt. And she was not going to let this one slip away so fast.