Custom-Made Murder (A Chocolate Centered Cozy Mystery Book 8) Read online

  “Interesting. But that doesn’t give him an alibi.”

  “It doesn’t?” Ally frowned.

  “No, just because he says that he was there doesn’t mean that he stayed there. Depending on how long Troy was gone, he might have been able to leave the shop, go to Dean’s shop, kill Dean, and return as if nothing ever happened. The only way it’s an alibi is if someone or something can prove that he was actually there that entire time.”

  “I hadn’t even considered that, Luke. See, this is why you are the detective.”

  “Aw, thanks.” He smiled. “Listen I have to go, I have a case I’m working on, but I will update you if I hear anything more.”

  “Thanks Luke.”

  “Oh, and by the way, are you at least going to propose?”

  “What?” She nearly dropped the phone.

  “I’m just saying, if we’re getting married, it would be nice if you asked me first.”

  “That was just a ruse…”

  “I know, I’m just teasing you.” He laughed as he hung up the phone. She clutched the phone in her hand as her heart slowed down. Despite how mortified she was by Luke finding out about their ruse, she let it go after only a few seconds and refocused on her grandmother.

  “Ally? I sent Arnold out back, and Peaches is in your room on her bed.” Charlotte stepped into the kitchen. “What did Luke have to say?”

  “He made an interesting point that Silvio might not have an alibi after all. He also said that the restraining order against Jeff, was not for violence but for stalking.”

  “Stalking?” Charlotte scrunched up her nose. “I can’t see that happening.”

  “Maybe not, but what’s important right now is that we keep ourselves safe. Luke thinks that Brad might be a loose cannon, so we should stay away from him.”

  “But we can’t do nothing at all. Maybe we should go back and talk to Troy tonight.”

  “I don’t think so, Mee-Maw. Luke said the detective on the case is already upset about how much we’re interfering. He said if your name keeps coming up, the detective is going to want to talk to you.”

  “Well, I’m not afraid of that. I’d happily talk to the detective.” Charlotte shrugged.

  “Either way I think it’s best if we wait until tomorrow to ask any more questions. We can go back tomorrow and speak to Troy under the guise of looking at more of the costume jewelry that’s available.”

  “Okay, that sounds like a good plan. I think I’m going to go speak with the detective.”

  “What? Why?” Ally looked over at her.

  “Why not? He needs to know what kind of person he has locked away without sufficient evidence. I don’t want him to think that no one supports Jeff.”

  “Mee-Maw, I don’t know if that’s a great idea.”

  “I have nothing to hide. Maybe something I have to say can help his investigation, or at least open his mind to looking for other suspects.”

  “Maybe, but I’m not sure that you’re going to get the welcome or the reaction that you’re hoping for. He might probe you for information to use against Jeff.” Ally placed her hand on Charlotte’s shoulder. “As involved in this as you are, I’m just worried he could get you riled up enough to say something that you don’t mean.”

  “The only things I could possibly say about Jeff are positive. I’m not afraid of any detective.” She clenched her jaw.

  “Okay.” Ally squeezed her shoulder. “Then I should go with you.”

  “No Ally, I need to go by myself. This is just something I have to do. Besides it would be good if you could go and organize some of the chocolates for that big order we have going out on the weekend for the new café in Mainbry.”

  “Yes okay, I should get a start on it.” Ally nodded. “Promise you’ll call me if you run into any issues?”

  “Ally?” She looked into her granddaughter’s eyes. “Are you afraid I’m going to end up in handcuffs?”

  “I know how strong-minded you are and that you care about Jeff.” Ally gazed back at her. “I’m worried that you’ll put yourself at risk in order to protect him.”

  “I won’t. I know he wouldn’t want me to. You don’t have to worry, sweetie. I may be angry about this, but I’m not going to take a detective hostage or stage a jailbreak, I promise.” Charlotte laughed.

  “Good.” Ally hugged her.

  “I have a bit of time, so I might take Arnold for a quick walk first. I need a bit of exercise and from the sound of that snorting so does he.” She gestured to the back door.

  “Good idea, Mee-Maw.”

  Chapter 7

  Charlotte stepped out the door with Arnold on his leash. Seeing how happy he was certainly helped calm her.

  “Charlotte! Charlotte!” Charlotte turned to see Mrs. White waving her hand in the air and walking fast down the sidewalk towards her.

  “Mrs. White.”

  “Hi Arnold.” Mrs. White patted the pig’s head. “Do you mind if I walk with you?”

  “That would be nice.”

  “I need to calm down a bit.”

  “Why, is something wrong?” Charlotte looked at her.

  “Oh, I shouldn’t gossip, but it’s just that I just heard something and I have to share it. Mrs. Bing and Mrs. Cale are busy.”

  “You can tell me if you want.” Charlotte was hoping for something to distract her.

  “I shouldn’t, but I know I can trust you. But you can never share it please, except you can tell Ally, I know you can’t keep anything from her.”

  “Of course, my lips are sealed.” Charlotte tugged at Arnold’s leash as he sniffed a tree.

  “I was just talking to Mrs. Pepperston, Brad’s mother.”

  “Erica’s mother-in-law.” Charlotte’s eyes widened.

  “Yes, she is a good friend of mine, we grew up in Broughdon together. You will not believe what Brad just told her.”

  “What?”

  “Well, a long time ago Brad was dating Betty Grober and Betty has a five year old son,” she said quickly.

  “And?” Charlotte looked at her quizzically.

  “And, Betty’s son is Brad’s,” she blurted out the words then covered her hand over her mouth as if she could not believe what she had just said.

  “Really?”

  “Yes, poor Mrs. Pepperston is in such shock, she had no idea. Apparently, Brad has been keeping it secret from everyone.”

  “Until now? Why did he tell her now?” Charlotte asked casually, could this be the secret that Dean knew about. “Why didn’t he tell her before?”

  “Apparently, he’s been planning to tell her for ages, when the time was right, but the time was never right. He has told Erica as well.”

  “Did he tell her before or after Dean was murdered?”

  “I asked the same thing.” Mrs. White nodded. “After apparently, he said that he has always planned to tell Erica and Dean.”

  “That’s what he says now. Do you know much about Brad?”

  “Not much, he is quite an offish fellow, not very friendly so I try to keep clear of him.”

  “So, do you think that maybe Brad killed Dean because of the secret?” Charlotte asked quietly.

  “I don’t think so, if he is prepared to reveal the secret now,” Mrs. White said as they stopped while Arnold sniffed another tree.

  “But maybe in the heat of the moment, in an intense argument, Brad simply lost his temper.” Charlotte frowned. “If Dean knew about the child, maybe he tried intimidating the old man into keeping the secret or into thinking that he had to hand over his business.”

  “Old man?” Mrs. White shook her head. “I don’t think we’re talking about the same Dean here. That old man has quite a reputation and a history with the police. He has always been a force to be reckoned with and I can’t imagine anyone intimidating him.”

  “You knew him well?”

  “I used to. We went to school together, grew up together. But I haven’t been very friendly with him for years now. Ever since he star
ted getting into trouble.”

  “Interesting?”

  “I better get going I’ve got rehearsals for the play.”

  “Is that the same play that Chris Rogerstons is working on.”

  “Yes, it is.” Mrs. White nodded. “Thanks for listening. Feel free to stop by the theatre and have a look if we are rehearsing.”

  “Thanks.” Charlotte tugged Arnold’s leash so they could turn around. She quickly walked back to the cottage, mulling over what she had learned from Mrs. White.

  When she reached the cottage she wanted to tell Ally what Mrs. White had told her, but she had already left for the shop.

  Charlotte said good-bye to Arnold and Peaches and decided to head to the police station in Broughdon to see the detective before she lost her courage.

  As confident as she’d been with Ally about seeing the detective, she hadn’t entirely convinced herself. The truth was she was upset with the detective on the case. She’d never met him, but she already knew she didn’t like him. Why? Because he’d locked up the wrong man. To her that meant he wasn’t very good at his job. Though, if she was honest with herself, she knew that the evidence the detective had against Jeff was convincing. When she reached the Broughdon Police Department she parked, and stared at the large building where she had just recently visited Jeff. Once she went in and spoke to the detective, all of the things Ally warned her about were going to happen probably would. After a deep breath, and a mental pep talk she stepped out of the car. When she opened the door to the police station she found that it wasn’t very busy. The desk sergeant was focused on the magazine in his hand and didn’t bother to look up when she approached.

  “Hello? I’d like to speak with a detective, please.”

  “What kind of report are you making?” He began to sift through paperwork, still without looking up at her.

  “I’d like to speak to him about a case he’s working on.”

  “Do you have new information on the particular case?” He finally looked up, though his disinterest was clear in his expression. “Can you tell me a little bit about why you want to speak to a detective?”

  “It’s regarding the murder at the jewelry supply store.” She shifted uncomfortably from one foot to the other.

  “I’m Detective Russell, why are you asking for me?” A man stepped out of the side hallway. He leaned his elbow on the desk and settled his gaze on her.

  “My name is Charlotte Sweet, and I would like to speak to you about your current case.”

  “Ah, Jeffrey’s girlfriend.” He smiled and gestured to a nearby cubicle. “I was planning on speaking to you sometime today. Let’s chat.”

  “Thank you.” Charlotte sat down in a chair in front of the desk, and he sat down behind it.

  “So, how long have you known Jeffrey?”

  “Not too long, but I do know him very well.”

  “How long is not too long?”

  “Several months.”

  “So, you don’t want to give me a straight answer?” He smiled. “I guess I should think of another way to ask you.”

  “How long I’ve known him doesn’t matter. The point is I do know him, and I know that he didn’t commit this crime.”

  “Were you with him during the time of the murder?” He held her gaze.

  “No, I wasn’t.”

  “Then you can’t tell me that he didn’t do it. He was found near the scene of the crime, witnessed leaving in a hurry, a ring mandrel was used as the murder weapon and his was next to the body, and he had a history of conflict with the victim. Can you disprove any of that?”

  Charlotte pursed her lips. She considered each of the items carefully, and had to admit that she couldn’t.

  “No, I can’t. But I do know that he is innocent.”

  “Until you can tell me something a little more substantial than that, there’s nothing I can do for you.”

  Charlotte wanted to tell him about Brad’s son, but she didn’t want to break Mrs. White’s confidence. Why would he kill Dean over a secret he was apparently willing to reveal?

  “No, there’s nothing.” Charlotte looked at her hands on the table.

  “All right, if you say so.” He shrugged.

  “Is there any chance that I can see Jeff while I am here?”

  “You could, but he’s not here. He was transferred to Broughdon Prison this morning.”

  “Oh no,” Charlotte said quietly. She wanted to say a lot more, she wanted to protest but she knew it would do no good.

  “Let me know if you think of anything. In the meantime, I need to get back to work.” He offered his hand. “Thanks for coming in.”

  She shook it, as she stood up from her chair. She turned on her heel, and left the police station. Things did not go exactly the way she hoped. In fact, she found herself unsettled by the detective’s revelations. For just an instant, as she settled in the car, she wondered if she might be wrong. Could Jeff be the killer that the detective suspected he was? There was one piece of evidence against Jeff that really threw her. The restraining order from Dean’s sister. Was there something in their past that could have come back to haunt Jeff? She decided she couldn’t wait any longer to find out. With so much conflicting information stacking up, she needed to know the truth, once and for all.

  Ally looked up the moment Charlotte stepped into the house. She closed her computer and stood up to greet her. Charlotte was pleased to see that Ally was already back from the shop.

  “How did it go?”

  “Well, I’m not in handcuffs, am I?” She smiled, then hugged Ally. “Honestly, I don’t think the detective is looking at anyone else for this.”

  “Oh Mee-Maw, that’s terrible.”

  “It is and Jeff was transferred to the prison this morning.”

  “Things just seem to be getting worse and worse.”

  “I did find out something interesting though when I ran into Mrs. White while I was out on Arnold’s walk.”

  “You did?”

  “I think that Brad’s secret is that he has a son from a previous relationship.”

  “Okay.” Ally’s eyes widened.

  “Mrs. White said that Brad told Erica and his mother about the son recently, after Dean was murdered. She also said that Dean had quite the reputation, and is the one that usually does the intimidating.”

  “Interesting?” Ally frowned. “But that doesn’t mean that Brad couldn’t have killed him.”

  “No, it doesn’t, but the fact that Brad told his mother and Erica all about his secret, a son that his wife didn’t know about, leaves him with not much motive. Even if he didn’t really plan to tell them, a secret like that doesn’t stay secret forever, no matter what you do to cover it up. So why would he kill Dean over it.”

  “Sometimes people don’t think that far ahead though. I still think there is motive there.”

  “I agree, we can’t eliminate him entirely. I also never knew that Dean was such an intimidating figure, Jeff never told me about that. I feel guilty about it, but I am honestly starting to doubt that he was actually as truthful with me as I had assumed. I want to know the truth about what happened between him and Dean’s sister. I need to go speak to Bianca myself.”

  “No way, Mee-Maw, that’s a very bad idea.” Ally frowned. “Can’t you see how that might go wrong?”

  “You don’t know that, Ally.” She met her eyes. “As you told me, I need to be aware of Jeff’s past, and this is the best way for me to be aware of it.”

  “But I doubt that she is going to have anything good to say about Jeff. Do you really want to put yourself through that?”

  “For the truth. Yes.” Charlotte shook her head. “I just can’t imagine Jeff ever doing anything like that, and I want to see her face when she tells me that he did. I want to know if she’s lying. Is that so wrong?”

  “No, I don’t think it’s wrong, but I do think it’s risky. Once you speak to her, you’re not going to be able to turn back time and forget what she says. Are you
willing to face the truth if it’s not what you expect?”

  “Yes.” She sighed. “I don’t want to even think about it, but either way, I need to know. I’ve never been one to shy away from the truth, you know that.”

  “All right, but if you’re going to speak to her, then I’m going with you.”

  “Ally, you don’t have to do that, it might be better if I talk to her by myself.”

  “I promise you, it will not be. It’s better to have a buffer. Plus, I can be more impartial than you. Don’t you trust me?” She smiled.

  “You know I do, Ally. All right, we’ll go together.” Charlotte sat down on the couch with a sigh. “I think that visit took more out of me than I realized.”

  “We’ll go tomorrow, after we go back and talk to Troy. I want to make sure we have ruled Silvio out as a suspect.”

  “After talking to that detective today, I don’t think he has any interest in finding another suspect. He likes Jeff for the crime and he’s going to push for him to be convicted. It just makes me feel terrible that he is all alone.”

  “I know that must be daunting. But I do believe that innocent people can be protected by the system as long as they follow it. That’s why we have to be careful about how we investigate. We don’t want to risk tainting any evidence.”

  “Yes, I agree with you. Speaking of evidence, after seeing Silvio with a ring mandrel it struck me that many people could be in possession of one. Just because they found Jeff’s ring mandrel there, that doesn’t necessarily mean it was the murder weapon.”

  “Wow, I hadn’t considered that, but you’re right. As far as I know the only reason they considered it the murder weapon is because it matches the wound. It was wiped clean, maybe they didn’t find any evidence on it. I’ll double-check with Luke to make sure that’s true. If that’s the case, they might not have the murder weapon after all.”

  “I’m not sure how much that would help though. It might not make any difference unless we find the actual murder weapon, presuming it’s not the one they already found at the scene.”

  “You’re right.” Ally frowned as she sent a text to Luke. “But right now, no one is looking for it. At least we will be.”