Murder on Wheels (4 page)

Carrie came by and took our order, and instead of her normal banter, she gave Sadie a quick hug. “I'm so glad to see you today. You need to come in more.”

As the waitress walked away, Sadie wiped her eyes with a napkin. “I guess I have been holed up too long over that jerk.”

“Exactly.” I smiled. “You have friends here, you shouldn't ever question that.”

“Or Carrie's just in love with my desserts.” Sadie took a sip of her tea. “Did you see that food truck? Seriously, that woman thinks she can sell gluten-free desserts and make a living? People don't want that crap when they're splurging.”

I sipped on my iced tea. “I totally agree with you, at least for my own indulgences. However, I might carry one or more of her treats at the store. I'm always being asked for sugar- and gluten-free stuff. I can't think I'll sell much, though.”

Sadie gave me a death stare.

“Sorry, it's a business decision.” I played with my silverware. “Kacey's not that bad of a person. You might actually like her if you talked to her.”

“I will never be friends with either her or that husband of hers.” Sadie put her napkin in her lap and leaned back as Carrie brought our food. “Can we change the subject?”

I nodded my thanks to Carrie and attacked the mushroom Swiss burger. “No problem.” I took a bite and thought about what had been going on the last few days that didn't have anything to do with Kacey or Austin. Finally, Toby's face came into view. “Toby and Elisa are having issues.”

We gossiped through the rest of the meal, and I waited to leave until I saw Amy and Kacey walk out. We didn't need a scene today. I walked Sadie to her car in the parking lot and gave her a quick hug good-bye. “Let's do this again next week.”

Sadie didn't answer; her attention was on the food truck across the street. The yellow police crime scene tape had come loose and was flapping in the wind. “I hope they stole everything,” she muttered.

“You heard about the break-in?”

She smiled. “I'm on the church's women's group phone tree. We don't just use it for planning purposes. It's a great source of local gossip.” She opened her door and slipped into the car. “I know, I'm not acting very Christian-like.”

“You'll get there.” I waved as she pulled out of the lot and wondered if my prediction was actually true.

 

Just after seven that evening, I opened my door to Greg holding a large pizza box and a bottle of wine. “Surprise.”

I stepped back so he could enter, then closed the door behind him. “What's up? We don't usually have dinner together on Tuesday.”

He set the wine bottle on my table, then pulled a DVD out of his coat pocket. “It's impromptu dinner and a movie night.” He tossed the movie to me. “Put this in the player while I finish prep on our dinner.”

I walked over to the television and looked at the cover. “This is a war movie,” I called into the kitchen.

“I didn't say it was impromptu dinner and a chick flick movie night. I felt bad about cutting our date short last night, but I didn't feel that bad.” Greg brought the wine and two glasses out to the living room. He uncorked the wine and poured it. “You don't have to let Riesling breathe, right?”

I shrugged, taking my glass. “I have no clue. Maybe we should take another jaunt to Napa Valley this weekend and ask?”

“Sounds like a plan. We haven't been out of town since our Mexico trip.” He settled in next to me, grabbed the remote, and started the movie. He looked at me and patted his chest. “Let's relax a bit before we dive in to that pizza.”

I glanced toward the kitchen. “Is Emma outside?”

“Of course,” Greg said. “If she wasn't, we wouldn't have a pizza by now.”

My dog did love her pizza. We let her eat the crusts. I curled up next to him and took a sip of wine before relaxing into his arms. “This is nice.”

“Even with the war movie?” Greg kissed the top of my head.

“Yep, even with the subject matter.”

His phone rang and I pulled myself upright, pausing the movie credits. I took another sip of my wine. Emma was probably looking at getting more than crusts tonight.

Greg checked the display and then answered. “What's up, Toby?”

He listened for a while, then set his wineglass on the coffee table. “I'll be there shortly.”

“Movie night cancelled or delayed?” I still held out hope that we might be cuddled back on the couch sooner than later.

He kissed me. “Cancelled. Some beachcomber found a body.”

“A dead body?” I followed him to the door. “Is it a local?”

“Toby didn't say.” He stood at the door. “Sorry for leaving two nights in a row. And about this weekend . . .”

I nodded. “Cancelled, too.”

I said a quick prayer that the body wasn't someone I knew and went into the kitchen to share my pizza with Emma.

T
he first customer Wednesday morning broke the news. Darla Taylor, owner of South Cove Winery and promotion queen, waddled into the shop and climbed up at the counter. “Hon, get me a large mocha and a piece of that chocolate marble cheesecake. You know I love Sadie's cheesecakes.”

“I'm glad, but aren't you on a diet?” Darla had been dieting and working out with her boyfriend, Matt, for the last year.

“It's my cheat day. I'm taking full advantage of it this week. Matt about killed me on our run yesterday.” She dug into the treat as I started her mocha. “So, what does Greg say about Kacey Austin's death?”

My hand slipped off the foaming attachment. “What? Kacey's dead?”

Darla shook her head. “I knew it was a waste of time to come here. You never have the gossip.” As lead reporter for the small town paper, Darla typically came to me to weasel out information Greg wouldn't release. Unfortunately, most of the time, Greg hadn't told me what Darla wanted to know.

“All Greg said was that someone was dead on the beach.” I resumed my foaming. “Are you sure it was Kacey?”

“Dustin Austin drove to Bakerstown to meet up with Doc Ames late last night to identify the body. He told Mabel at the funeral home that she'd gone for an evening walk and didn't come home.”

Strange, since she and Austin had taken a beach walk earlier that day, but maybe that was how she stayed skinny. I knew she was obsessed with losing weight, so it could be true. I finished making Darla's mocha and warmed up my own cup of coffee. Since it was just the two of us, I came around and sat next to Darla. “That's so sad. I mean, I didn't like what Austin did to Sadie, but Kacey was really nice. At least the times I met her.”

“So you don't know if she died of natural causes or not?” Darla pressed. “I tried calling Doc Ames this morning, but he's going all ‘open investigation' on me.”

I glanced at the clock. “It's only seven. Maybe he doesn't know yet?”

“Maybe, but I'm driving in to talk to Mabel.” She nodded to the dessert case. “Box up a couple more of these cheesecake slices. Maybe that will get her to talk more freely.”

I put the cheesecake into boxes and rang up Darla's purchase. She used the
Examiner
's credit card. I guess she was on assignment with this one. Darla stood and swung her bag over her shoulder. “It's just a shame. She reunites with her husband, and a few months later, he's a widower. I guess true love doesn't come with a guarantee. I wonder if Sadie knows yet?”

“Do not go see her.” Sadie was going to be seriously upset. The woman didn't dislike anyone, so she'd had conflicting feelings about Kacey in the first place. The last thing she needed was Darla poking around into the reasons Austin had dumped Sadie to return to his wife. “I'll stop over as soon as my shift's done.”

“You may be too late by then. You know how gossip spreads in South Cove.” Darla didn't meet my gaze, instead looking down at the box of cheesecakes. “You know I wouldn't do anything to hurt Sadie, right?”

“Sorry, I didn't think before I said that.” It was turning into a crap morning.

Darla nodded and left the shop. I'd hurt her feelings. One more thing on my list to fix. But first, I needed to make sure Sadie was okay.

The rest of my shift seemed to run in slow motion. By the time Toby arrived, I was itching to leave. He watched me pull off my apron and gather my purse as he started his day. “You on a mission?”

“It shows, huh?” I set my purse on the counter and put on my jacket. “I'm heading over to Sadie's to make sure she's all right. I just hope she hasn't already heard the news.”

“I would think it would make her happy that her rival was out of the picture.” Toby slipped an apron over his head and tied it in the back.

“Don't say that. You know Sadie, she doesn't have a mean bone in her body.” Why was everyone convinced Sadie would be happy at the news?

He shrugged. “I don't know. Love makes people crazy sometimes. If I were her, I'd be happy Austin's new relationship didn't work out. Just for the satisfaction.”

“Well, you're not her.” I stormed out of the shop, letting the door shut a little too hard behind me. I felt furious that Toby thought Sadie would be enjoying someone's death, but then as I walked to Sadie's house, I began to think about the situation. If Toby, who I knew had a good heart, thought this, what were others saying?

Sadie Michaels's house sat on Beal Street, a block away from the Methodist church. It was an old Victorian with that gingerbread trim all over. For being a single mom for so many years, the house looked well-tended, even if the paint was a bit faded. I knocked on the front door, but no one answered, so I went around to the garage she'd refurbished as her bakery and opened the door. “Sadie? Are you here?”

The smell of brownies hit me as soon as the door opened and my stomach growled. I hadn't taken the time for breakfast, and now the sensory overload of baking chocolate almost did me in. Sadie was at a counter, pouring more ingredients into her oversized stand mixer. She waved me over. “Hold on a minute. I'll get this started, then I'll take a break.”

She hadn't heard. I could tell by the way she hummed as the flour and cocoa drifted down into the brownie mix. As usual, my friend was dealing with her own issues the old-fashioned way, by baking.

Sadie pulled her gloves off, poured two cups of coffee from the pot on the cabinet, and met me at a small table in the corner. She pushed a file filled with paperwork to the side and closed her laptop. “What's got you out on a Wednesday? Brownies will be ready any minute. You can taste-test my new recipe. Double chocolate with dark chocolate chips. They may just be too much chocolate.”

“That's impossible.” I sipped my coffee slowly, not wanting to ruin my friend's good mood.
Chicken.
I took a deep breath.

“It's a great day. I guess Austin changed his mind about using my recipes for his new food truck.” Sadie pulled a loose-leaf notebook out from under her counter. “Look what I found on my front step today.”

I used a napkin to open the red cover.
Sadie's Marble Cheesecake
was written on the first page, with ingredients scratched out and new ones added to make the final product gluten-free.

“You need to show this to Greg.”

Sadie laughed. “I don't think Greg's going to arrest Austin for conning a silly woman out of her best recipes. Besides, I'm done with that man. I had a long talk with Pastor Bill after Sunday service, and he helped me forgive Austin for his treachery.” She took the notebook back and slipped it under the counter again. “This is just God's way of telling me the man is out of my life. Whatever punishment He has in store for Austin won't be pretty.”

“Don't say that.” I patted the chair next to me. “Come over here, I need to tell you something. Then we need to call Greg.”

I quietly explained what I actually knew about Kacey's death, which was almost less than nothing, then dialed Greg's number when I finished. Sadie looked pale, so I poured her more coffee as the phone rang.

“Hey, I'm in a meeting. Can I call you later?” Greg's voice filled my ear.

“I think you need to come talk to Sadie. She found something on her doorstep this morning.” I pushed a brownie toward my friend, but she just stared at the temptation.

The pause at the end of the line worried me. “I was planning on stopping by later anyway.”

That didn't sound good.
Don't jump to conclusions, Jill.
I knew she was watching me, so I put on my best service smile and nodded. “Sooner would be better. I'll wait here for you.”

“Please tell me it's nothing incriminating.” Greg sighed and I could hear him rustling papers on his desk.

“You just need to see this.” I hung up, not wanting to explain more about the mysterious notebook that at the very least made Sadie look guilty for trashing the food truck. Not that I thought she'd do a thing like that, but maybe someone else had. Nick had been home last weekend. Would he have taken steps to protect his mom?

“Greg will be right here.” I tried to sound soothing, but Sadie didn't respond. She stood and began to finish the batch of brownies she'd started when I'd arrived. I took a bite of the chocolate heaven and sipped on my coffee. There was a new dead body in town, and of course, I was already knee-deep in the investigation. Something that Greg hated, but this time, it wasn't really my fault. All I'd done was visit a friend.

By the time Greg arrived, Sadie was putting the last batch of brownies in the oven and a large pan sat on the counter, waiting to cool. And she still hadn't said anything.

I excused myself, telling Sadie I'd be at home later if she wanted to talk, but I wasn't sure she even noticed me leaving. Greg took me aside.

“You okay?” He brushed a brownie crumb off my lip. “You're not too sugared up to drive, are you?”

I wiped my hand over my mouth. “I'm not driving. I'm walking.” I looked back at my friend, who now slumped in the chair I'd vacated. “Be gentle with her. I think her heart is still tender from the breakup.”

“I'm not insensitive,” Greg responded. “I'll stop by the house later.”

I knew better than to ask if he'd catch me up, but I knew at least he'd tell me what happened with his discussion with Sadie. There was just no way she was involved with any part of Kacey's murder or the break-in at the food truck. I paused one more time. “Do you think she needs a lawyer?”

This time, Greg was the one to pause, which worried me. “You may want to see if one of your old coworkers is available.” He held up his hand as I moved to go back into the garage-turned-bakery. “I'm not going to arrest her, at least not today. Today, I just need to know what she found and what she knows.”

As I walked home, I thought about the law firm where I'd spent ten years and wondered who owed me a favor and could take on Sadie's case if she was arrested. I dialed the number from memory and left a message for Matt Clauson, the lawyer who had handled Aunt Jackie's legal issues to call me back.

Walking by Esmeralda's, I admired her green lawn. Due to the drought, we'd been put on a watering ban for our landscaping. February and my lawn was still a dull brown; waiting, hopefully, to come out of its dormant season. My neighbor's lawn looked like it was out of a landscape painting. I'd have to confront the woman about her watering, even with the ban. It was my civic duty. Besides, her failure to comply was making me look like I didn't care about my little house. I thought about walking back into town to catch her at her job as the police dispatcher, but I didn't want to run into Greg. At least not yet. His comments about Sadie needing a lawyer were bothering me. He couldn't believe she would break into the food truck, not Sadie.
And what about the murder?

I unlocked my house and ran upstairs to change into my running clothes. I didn't want to even consider the possibility, and running would help me clear my mind of these crazy thoughts. With Emma leashed, we headed down to the beach.

Halfway through the run, thoughts of Kacey and Austin walking the beach rolling through my mind, I realized my plan hadn't been the best. In fact, there was still yellow crime scene tape where they'd found Kacey's body. I stopped at the large rock that typically served as my turning-around spot and stared at the section of sand marked off with four sticks with the yellow barrier wrapped around the area. All I could see was sand and a few seashells that would disappear as soon as either the tide came in again or the beachcombers found the more perfect ones. Nothing was left of the vibrant woman whom I had begun to like, even though she was the reason Sadie's heart was broken.

Well, not quite true.
Austin
was the reason for Sadie's heartbreak. He was the one who'd led her on while planning on reconciling with Kacey. Greg needed to question that pile of crap, not my hurting friend.

Emma growled, low in her throat. I reached down to settle her and scanned the area behind me. A man was walking toward us. He saw me watching and waved.

“Hey, hold on,” he called as his walk became a jog. Emma growled louder.

I motioned her to sit and put my hand on her collar, just in case. I'd hate to have her bite an unsuspecting tourist, but if the guy had bad intentions, I had Emma and a tube of pepper spray in a pocket of my running shorts. I slipped my other hand into the pocket, just in case.

“Hey, remember me?” the man called again and as he got closer, I realized he was one of the geocachers we'd met on Sunday. Tim, Ted, Taylor—Taylor, that was it.