image
image
image

Chapter 13

image

LATER THAT EVENING, Katie finished lighting the logs in the stone fireplace in the living room.

“Katie, what on earth is that on your shirt?” Dana asked.

Katie looked on her sleeve. “Oh, crap. I got some paint on my shirt.”

“You were painting again?”

“I thought we’d change the color of the basement door.”

“To pink?” Dana asked dubiously.

“Hey, I thought why not? Tired of the old drab looking dark door. Seems kind of creepy to me. Especially thinking about Brenda.”

“So you think Brenda would not have died if the assailant saw there was a pink door?”

“Hey, that’s the color for the Cozy Cupcakes Café. Why not at home? Add a little color to make it really pop.”

Dana playfully rolled her eyes. “Fine. But I think you should put another coat of paint on it. And not so pink,” Dana said, trying so hard not to grin.

The girls had tons of work to do at the Victorian to upgrade it and to keep it in tip top shape. Katie had been trying her hand at painting and other stuff. Sometimes, Dana wished they had a gardener, though now she was wondering if it would be worth it, given what was happening next door.

“So you really think you’re further away from the truth, huh?” Katie asked Dana when the fire burned. A warm orange glow shone from the fireplace.

“I sure do. I just don’t trust anyone. That’s the problem. They all look as if they could have killed her.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, there’s Rebecca who had her reasons for wanting Brenda out of the way.”

“True, but then she did tell me that she waved the Listing Agreement in Brenda’s face and reminded her that she’d signed a three-month contract giving her the right to offer her property for sale. She had the exclusive right to sell and if Brenda was to change her mind and go with another realtor then Rebecca would still be entitled to her fee.”

“I see. So it’s possible then that Brenda changed her mind back and gave Rebecca the green light to sell then.”

“Exactly. I didn’t know too much about Brenda but I’m pretty sure she wouldn’t have wanted to pay two commission fees for the sale of her aunt’s house.”

“True. But I still think it’s pretty odd that Rebecca didn’t show the basement to that potential buyer. Very odd for her character.”

“You know cuz, you’re right. I still think she’s hiding something. Maybe there was something she didn’t tell us.”

Dana curled up on the couch by the fireplace and grabbed her quilted throw blanket. She threw it over her legs and pulled out her MacBook Air from her tote bag by the side of the couch.

“What are you doing?”

“Just checking up on some information.”

“I get it. You’re going to Google Rebecca to see if she’s committed any murders we don’t know about.” Katie grinned. She sat down on the recliner rocking chair on the opposite side and picked up a Cosmo and began to flip through the pages. Her mug of hot chocolate with whipped cream sat on the side table beside her.

Dana also had a mug of steaming hot chocolate on the side table. It had been a crazy long day and after dinner and a shower, each of the girls decided to unwind in their favorite room in the house, the cozy living room. Or as Grandma Rae would call it, the family room. Time for family to gather after a long day and reconnect with each other. It was in that room she would read them bed time stories before going to bed.

Dana loved the character of the room, the dark hardwood floor covered in the center by an expensive antique Persian rug, the low lighting, the stone fireplace, the vintage wood furniture and beautiful vintage velvet drapes. The cinnamon-colored walls were adorned with scenic portraits. And on the mantelpiece were iron framed black and white photos of Grandma Rae and framed photos of the girls and other family pictures.

Oddly enough, Dana always felt safe in there. She felt as if Grandma’s warmth and her presence was there somehow, watching over them.

Truffles lay comfortably in her kitty basket by the fireplace enjoying the warmth as she lay asleep. She’d had her evening meal and was full.

Dana picked up her mug of hot chocolate and took a long sip of the rich creamy chocolate as she waited for the screen to load. One of the disadvantages to living in an older home was the Wi fi connection wasn’t always the speediest. At least not during certain periods of the day or evening. She made a mental note to see if she could get better Internet service. Maybe it was time to change their service provider.

“Got anything yet?” Katie asked.

Dana placed her cup down on the side table. “Yep. The screen’s finally loading up.” She tapped in some information once she opened her search engine.

She took note and went to her Microsoft Word and began to make a list on the screen.

“So we have Rebecca as a possibility,” Dana said out loud.

“And don’t forget the maid,” Katie added.

“Oh, right. Henrietta stands to gain if Brenda’s out of the way.”

“Actually, so does Garth. I mean let’s face it. Life’s been pretty hard on him, hasn’t it? That’s what you told me yesterday. Maybe the cops do have the right guy.”

“I don’t know. I can’t be sure,” Dana sighed.

She had filled Katie in on everything, including what Garth told her about his arrest record and how his late grandfather took him in to help him start a new life in Berry Cove.

“This would have been their lucky break to inherit a million dollar house with a paid off mortgage until Brenda stepped into the picture,” Katie continued.

“True, but something tells me that he didn’t do it.”

Katie playfully rolled her eyes. “Cuz, all the evidence points in his direction.”

“I know, I know,” Dana said reaching for her large orange mug and taking another warm sip of hot chocolate. She then placed the mug down again, feeling more relaxed and rejuvenated.

For Dana, having a mug of hot chocolate was more than just an indulgence. She’d read somewhere that dark chocolate was rich in flavanois, a plant based nutrient found in cocoa that boosted blood flow by widening vessels. Talk about a healthy snack. She was planning on using cocoa in upcoming recipes for her customers in the near future. She had also spoken with Katie and the team about adding hot cocoa to their menu of beverages at the Cozy Cupcakes Café in addition to the healthy green tea. Anything to boost health for their wonderful customers as they indulge in tasty treats.

“I just think there’s more to this case than what appears?” Dana said.

“Like what?”

“Well, for starters, it’s bugging me about this L. Roberts character. The maid mentioned that she’d been using his credit card. Then she overheard her arguing with him. Or she was arguing with another guy about money and spending way too much.”

“Wow, that is something.”

“You know one of the prime motives for murder is money or greed, right?”

“Jeez, that is scary.”

“Tell me about it. The more money you have, the more trouble it can bring you.”

“Well, so glad we don’t have that problem.”

Dana grinned.

Just then, her cell phone that was sitting on the side table vibrated.

She glanced at the screen and her heart fluttered in her chest. It was Detective Troy Anders.

“Hello,” she answered, excitedly.

“Hey, Dana. It’s Troy. How are you doing?”

“Good, thank you. How are you doing? Don’t tell me you’re working late again.”

“Yes, I am. And I have some news that you’re not going to like.”

“Oh?”

“Henrietta’s been arrested.”

“What? Why?”

“We found what looks to be the murder weapon at her home.”

“What?” Dana’s eyes widened with shock. “What do you mean?”

Katie looked up anxiously wondering what she was talking about on the phone. Dana motioned to her to wait while she finished her conversation.

“Looks like they were both in on it. Brenda was hit over the head with a shovel.”

“A shovel?”

“Yes, a digging shovel. We found traces of her blood on it.”

“Oh, no. Troy, that’s awful.”

“I know. Just thought I’d let you know.”

“But...”

“But what, Dana?”

“Troy, don’t you think it’s really convenient that the shovel was at her home? Why on earth would she bop Brenda over the head with it then bring it to her home for the police to find?”

“Dana, criminals don’t always do rational things. In her case, she slipped up.”

“Let me guess, the digging shovel belonged to Garth.”

“Bingo. We think they were both in on this together since they keep changing their stories and their alibies.”

Dana rolled her eyes and shook her head. “Thanks for letting me know, Troy.”

“Have a good night, Dana.”

“Oh, Troy, before you go could you please look into a Luke Roberts.”

“Luke Roberts? Why?”

Dana explained the situation to him.

“We already have our suspects in custody, Dana.”

“I know, but he is the dangerous stalking ex boyfriend. I really wouldn’t be surprised if he’d killed Brenda and tried to pin it on her staff. I mean, what if the digging shovel happened to be there inside the house at the time. The other basement door leads to the garden, right?”

“True. We’ll look into that. Do you have a description?”

“No, I don’t, but I think I know who might.”

“Who’s that?”

“Henrietta.”

He sighed over the phone. “She’s hasn’t really been chatty with the police.”

Dana thought to herself for a moment. “Troy, do you think I could have a word with her? I mean, she really opened up to me the other day.”

“Dana.”

“It’s worth a shot, Troy.”

“Fine, you can have a word with her, but it’ll be supervised and just for five minutes, got that?”

“Got it.”

When Dana finished off the phone she explained the whole conversation to a eagerly waiting Katie.

Katie was stunned beyond words.

Dana was beginning to have some doubts for a moment. Had Garth lied to her? Had Henrietta lied to her? She’d been wrong before. But for some reason, a strong nudging inside her told her that there was a missing piece to the puzzle. They might have looked guilty but she really believed they were innocent. It seemed all too neatly packaged to have the murder weapon turn up at Henrietta’s place with hers and Garth’s prints on them.

Did they really want their inheritance that badly?

“Just goes to show you, cuz, love of money is the root of all evil,” Katie said.

“I think lack of money could be the root, Katie, not so much, love of money....people can get so desperate which leads them to do crazy things. But it’s not fair. It was Mrs. B’s money...and then her niece’s money. People shouldn’t want to do away with someone to get what’s not theirs.”

“Or what they think should be theirs.”

Dana thought about that for a moment.