Easter Buried Eggs (Black Cat Cafe Cozy Mystery Series Book 10) Read online

  Christy bent over the tank. “A gun? How’d it get in here?” She swiveled her head to face Annie.

  “I wish I knew the answer to that question, but if you want my opinion—”

  Christy put her hand up. “No thanks. Do you know who the gun belongs to?”

  Annie shook her head. “Have you found the murder weapon yet?” Annie asked with a minute hope that Christy would answer yes and make this gun a moot point.

  “I think we are probably looking at it.” Christy pushed Annie out of the bathroom. She waved a policeman over and told him to guard the door. “No one in here. Understand?”

  He nodded.

  “What are you two gawking at?” Christy asked Annie and Martha. She flicked both hands, gesturing for them to get a move on.

  Annie nudged Martha’s arm. “Come on. I have a question for Gloria.” She walked through the next door and into her office.

  Dawn and Gloria were in a quiet argument. “She’s got to go at the end of the month,” Dawn said. “No more excuses.”

  Annie cleared her throat. “Excuse me. I’m here to pick up the folder about Golden Living for my friend.”

  Dawn’s face softened into a warm smile at the mention of a possible new resident. “Did you know about this, Gloria?”

  Gloria nodded, but Annie didn’t miss the clenched jaw. Interesting. Why didn’t she want Dawn to know?

  Annie quickly glanced over her shoulder before she stepped closer to both women and cupped her hand around her mouth. “I think Detective Crank just found the murder weapon.”

  Color drained from both women’s faces and their eyes popped open wide. “Where?” Gloria asked.

  “I don’t think I’m allowed to say, but I think this will move the investigation along quickly.” Annie studied both women closely. Their expressions conveyed shock but Dawn’s eyes shifted to the door that separated the two offices. Gloria rubbed the back of her neck.

  “Before I leave,” Annie began, “how do most people pay for their apartment here? I want to give as much information as possible to my friend.” She smiled and tilted her head.

  “There are many payment options which we can discuss with your friend,” Dawn said. “Most people like to pay up front.”

  “Oh. How does that work since they can’t possibly know how long they will need to live here?” She squinted her eyes.

  “That’s true, but we give a much better deal.”

  Annie nodded even though it explained absolutely nothing except the possibility of a scam in the works. She decided to leave it at that for now and not push her luck with too many questions. She didn’t want to arouse Dawn’s suspicions. She tapped the folder against her leg. “Thank you.”

  Martha had placed herself close enough to the door so she could hear the conversation. “I can’t believe you told them about the gun.”

  Annie laughed. “Give them something to worry about. There’s a lot more going on here than meets the eye.”

  “What do you mean?” Martha walked quickly to keep up with Annie. Roxy was ahead of them both, leading them back outside as quickly as possible.

  Once they were outside, away from any possible snoops, Annie explained. “I think there’s something fishy about how Golden Living gets paid for the apartments. Maybe not from everybody, but from some people. Now I’m wondering if Forrest was in on some kind of scam and whoever he was working with didn’t want to cut him in on his share.”

  Martha held onto Annie’s arm. “You’re kidding. How did you figure all that out?”

  “It’s just a theory. But, Forrest did visit with a lot of the residents here so that would give him the opportunity to dig around for information about financial matters. He could have channeled that information to whoever was the mastermind, possibly with access to personal finances. Once that person had enough information, maybe it was goodbye Forrest. The problem is, I need to find some evidence before Christy will even listen to me. So, I’ll have to keep digging.”

  “How will you manage that and run the café?”

  Annie opened the back door of her car and let Roxy jump in. “Leona is coming back tomorrow. She won’t be happy that I’ll need to take some time off right before a busy weekend, but she’ll understand.” I hope, Annie added to herself. Annie felt sick that she would have to disappoint Leona, but who could have predicted this turn of events?

  Jason wasn’t home when Annie got there so she decided to take Roxy for a walk on the Lake Trail. Roxy darted back and forth, sniffing scents that were exciting for her while Annie fell into a comfortable pace. Walking usually helped clear her mind; but she couldn’t clear out all the questions that popped up with no answers.

  After a brisk thirty minute walk, Annie whistled for Roxy and they headed back toward Cobblestone Cottage. A steady breeze blew across the lake, whipping her curls into her face. Roxy darted up the path to Thelma Dodd’s house and Annie followed.

  She knocked on the door and waited for the familiar tapping of Thelma’s walker.

  Silence.

  Annie tested the doorknob and when it turned in her hand, she pushed the door open a tiny bit. “Thelma?”

  Silence.

  Annie’s heart raced. Roxy pushed through the door and darted toward the screened-in porch where Thelma usually sat when the weather was warm enough.

  Roxy whined. She nose-butted Thelma’s hand. The crossword puzzle laying in her lap slipped to the floor. Annie knelt next to Thelma’s chair and gently picked up her hand. “Thelma?”

  Thelma’s eyes fluttered open. It took a half dozen blinks before recognition registered and she smiled. “Annie. Did you stop by for some tea?”

  Annie let herself breathe again. “Do you want some?”

  “That would be nice. I think I must have dozed off for a few minutes.”

  Annie busied herself in Thelma’s kitchen fixing two cups of mint tea and she added a dog biscuit to the tray for Roxy.

  With the tray on the table next to Thelma, Annie handed one cup to her. “Here you go. Are you feeling okay?”

  Thelma laughed. “Yes, dear. I take my little snooze in the afternoon and feel quite refreshed afterwards.” She held the dog bone out for Roxy who very gently took the treat. Thelma patted her head. “Such a well-mannered dog.”

  Annie picked up the crossword puzzle and was happy to see that most of the squares were filled in. She folded it carefully and placed it next to the tray.

  “I haven’t seen you for a while. Have you been busy?” Thelma asked as she stroked Roxy’s head.

  A twinge of guilt pricked at Annie’s heart. She gave herself a mental reminder to bring some carrot cake cupcakes to Thelma before Easter. “I have been busy. Leona took a few days off and I feel like I’ve been running around like a four-year-old at an Easter egg hunt.”

  Thelma laughed, then her face grew serious. “I read about that poor young man who was murdered at Golden Living. What was his name?”

  “Forrest Spring. I had just met him at the dinner I catered. As a matter of fact, I took Roxy to Golden Living today in her therapy dog capacity to comfort some of the residents.”

  “I know a few of the people that live there.” Thelma sipped her tea.

  Annie’s ears pricked up. Of course she would know people there. Thelma had been a school teacher and she lived in Catfish Cove her whole life. Annie didn’t share the fact that she used Thelma as an excuse to pick up an information folder. She was quite sure that Thelma had no intention of leaving her lakeside house.

  “I know Sylvia May and Sean Woodman. Not well anymore, mind you, and I haven’t seen them in ages.” Thelma stared into the distance, probably reliving some long-ago memory.

  “Sean Woodman? I saw a Sean today but I didn’t catch his last name.” Shady Sean, how Marvin called him, didn’t sound like any acquaintance for Thelma in Annie’s opinion. “Is he wheelchair-bound by any chance?”

  “Yes, that would be Seany. Oh, he was a trouble maker, that one. Always had some kind of scheme
planned. I have to admit, I had a bit of a crush on him. A very long time ago.”

  “Huh, he looked miserable when I saw him. And another resident told me he sits in the same corner by himself, doesn’t eat in the dining room or really interact much. What happened to him?”

  “It was very sad, really. He was with his father who was raising him when they were in a car crash. His father died and poor Seany was passed around from one relative to another. He was paralyzed and had a lot of anger, of course. No one could connect with him. I always wondered if he would slip off the deep end and do something horrible.” Thelma lapsed back into her memories.

  The hairs on Annie’s neck rose.

  She cleaned up the tea cups, covered Thelma’s legs with a light crocheted blanket, and left with Roxy.

  For the short walk to Cobblestone Cottage, Annie wondered if Thelma’s words about Sean Woodman rang truer than she imagined. Did he fall off the deep end and kill Forrest Spring?

  But why?

  11

  Friday started for Annie well before the sun was out of its bed. A soft rain splashed against the windows which made the darkness feel even thicker. Roxy didn’t bother to jump off the bottom corner of the bed when Annie slipped her feet to the floor.

  “Jason?” she whispered.

  A snore answered. She sighed. This was what Leona faced every day. No wonder she took a break. At least she would be back today.

  Annie quietly tiptoed down the stairs. At least Smokey and Snowball managed to uncurl themselves to say good morning. She dumped dry food in their bowls as they wound themselves around her legs and meowed their thanks for the morning treat.

  “You two would be good company at Golden Living. I’ll see if I can make that happen,” she said before she left Jason a note, shrugged into a light rain jacket, grabbed her tote, and silently closed the door.

  The good thing about starting the day early was the peace and quiet. The bad thing was the feeling that there was someone out there watching her movements in all the stillness. She knew it was an unfounded fear, but she tensed with every shadow and shaking branch.

  After she hurried inside the Black Cat Café, Annie turned on all the lights and the radio. The comforting oldies that streamed through the air helped to calm her nerves. How did Leona do it? Every day, in the dark and quiet, did it spook her, too?

  Annie tied on a lime green apron with cats swatting at butterflies and pulled her supplies onto the counter—bowls, measuring cups, mixer, along with the ingredients for the morning baking. Blueberry muffins, of course, more carrot cake cupcakes, and a special order for two Easter basket cakes, one chocolate and one vanilla. That was just for starters.

  Once Annie got started, focusing on the baking consumed her mind. She was finally able to forget about Forrest’s murder for a few minutes. At first, a loud knocking sounded like part of the song on the radio, until it continued when the song ended.

  It was only six and she didn’t expect Mia to arrive until six-thirty. Being alone in the café suddenly made her heart pound. With clammy hands, she picked up her cherry rolling pin, held it in front of herself, and walked to the door.

  “Annie? Are you inside?” a familiar voice asked.

  Annie opened the door.

  He took one look at her ‘weapon’ and grinned. “Do you have plans for that thing besides using it on some pastry dough?” Chief of Police, Tyler Johnson asked.

  She felt foolish with the rolling pin in her hand and felt heat rise in her cheeks. “You never know.” She tried to sound brave as she shrugged off his comment.

  Tyler walked past Annie. “Mind if I come in?”

  Since he was already inside, she assumed he didn’t really expect an answer but a ‘yes I do mind’ almost slipped off her tongue. She did want to find out what he was even there for, though. Annie knew Tyler well since they had been engaged years earlier and she suspected that Christy, who played the bad cop part of the team, sent Tyler to play the good cop.

  “I think that’s a moot question, Tyler.” She didn’t even try to mask her annoyance at him interrupting her morning. “I am really busy with Leona gone and Easter right around the corner.” She held the door open, hoping he might get the message that he was welcome to leave as soon as possible.

  “Close the door, Annie. We need to talk.” Tyler walked to the drink cart but the coffee pot was cold and empty. “No coffee yet?”

  “Since you’ve interrupted my baking, I’ll get some going. I could use it too.” She busied herself with measuring the coffee and water while Tyler examined what was still in the pastry display from the day before.

  “Could I bother you to get me one of those tart things? They look tasty.”

  The coffee machine started its magic and the rich fragrant aroma of fresh coffee filled the café. The tension that arrived at the café with Tyler’s appearance slowly started to leave Annie’s shoulders. She put a strawberry tart on a plate for Tyler and a mini éclair on another plate for herself.

  “Get your coffee and I’ll give you five minutes before I have to get back to my baking.” She fixed herself a cup and sat down in front of her éclair.

  Tyler did the same, sliding in across from Annie. He bit into the tart and rolled his eyes to the ceiling. “Delicious. Better than Leona’s by a mile.”

  Annie felt the corner of her mouth twitch. “I doubt it, but thanks for the compliment.” She sipped her coffee and leaned back in the booth. “What’s on your mind, Tyler? I’m sure you’re much too busy to just stop in for a coffee klatch.”

  He tilted his head and his eyes traveled over Annie’s face. “I’m worried about you with this murder at Golden Living. Christy told me you were there again yesterday.”

  “With Roxy,” Annie quickly added. “Didn’t the detective tell you I went with Roxy, who is now a certified therapy dog, to visit with the people at Golden Living? They love her visits.”

  “Yes, Christy did mention that. And she also told me you found the murder weapon.” Tyler ate the rest of the tart and eyed the éclair half still on Annie’s plate. She shoved it across the table for him. Her appetite vanished as quickly as his tart disappeared with the suspense of where Tyler’s conversation was headed.

  It was interesting that Tyler confirmed the gun as the murder weapon. Was that a slip on his part? “What’s that supposed to mean? Should I not have shown it to her?”

  “Of course you did the right thing, but the question is—how did you know it was in the toilet tank to begin with? That’s not exactly where most people would be looking for something. Who told you to check in there? Your friend, Sylvia? After all, it is her gun.”

  Annie felt her jaw drop. “I can’t believe what’s coming out of your mouth, Tyler Johnson.” She slid out of the booth. “I think it’s time for you to leave.” Her whole body trembled with fury. She walked to the café door and yanked it open. “For your information, I tried to flush the toilet, and the lever wouldn’t budge. Is it such a stretch to think that someone like me might lift off the top of the tank to see what the problem could be?”

  “Oh.” The wind was gone from his tone. “Well, stay away from Golden Living unless you want to end up as part of the investigation.”

  Annie did notice a sadness in Tyler’s eyes as he looked at her on his way out. She slammed the door and kicked it, too, but it didn’t make her feel any better. And, she had no intention of abandoning her new friends at the Golden Living retirement home. From the sound of it, Sylvia, and probably Marvin too, needed her help now more than ever. Something was going on that led to Forrest Spring’s murder and she didn’t think the police were looking down the right path.

  Getting back into the rhythm of baking helped to calm her nerves. Measuring, mixing, pouring, and sliding trays into the oven felt therapeutic, and when the baking aromas filled the café, her mouth watered.

  “Someone’s hard at work,” Mia said as she entered the café about twenty minutes after Tyler left. She poured herself some coffee, grab
bed an apron, and sat at the counter. “When will Leona be back?”

  “Sometime today, but I wanted to get ahead since I’ll need to leave early today.”

  “Oh? Not something to do with what happened at Golden Living, I hope.”

  Annie felt her mother’s eyes on her but kept her own on the muffin batter she poured into the pans. “I’m bringing Roxy over for a therapy visit. We went yesterday and they asked if we’d come back.”

  Mia chuckled. “Nice evasion, but I can see right through your answer. And Martha told me what you found in the bathroom yesterday.”

  Annie wiped her hands on her apron after she slid the pan in the oven. She leaned on the counter across from her mother. “Tyler was here this morning. He admitted that the gun I found is the murder weapon and it belonged to Sylvia. She needs my help now more than ever. If I visit with Roxy, it’s an easy way to ask a few questions. People let their guard down when they have a dog to fuss over.”

  “I know I can’t stop you, but please, Annie, be careful. Whoever is the murderer won’t like you sticking your nose where it doesn’t belong.”

  Annie finally met her mother’s eyes. She nodded. “I’m always careful.”

  “And one more thing.” Mia looked out the French doors before she continued. “Martha and Sylvia have been friends for a long time.” She moved her eyes to meet Annie’s. “That might cloud Martha’s view of Sylvia. Be sure to keep an open mind.”

  “Are you saying that you think Sylvia shot Forrest?”

  “No, I’m only saying, keep an open mind, which means that you need to consider that possibility. Don’t forget, she was in Dawn’s office, the murder weapon belongs to her, and there is something else you don’t know about Sylvia.”

  “What,” Annie laughed, “are you going to say she murdered someone in her past?”

  Mia did not laugh or even crack a smile.

  Goosebumps covered Annie’s body.

  “She killed her husband twenty years ago but it was ruled self-defense. She shot him.”

  Annie’s hand shot up to cover her mouth. “You’re kidding.”

  “I’m afraid not, Annie. Just be sure you look at the whole picture and not what you want to see.”