Ice Cream with a Side of Danger Read online

  Ice Cream with a Side of Danger

  Meredith Potts

  Table of Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Epilogue

  Chapter One

  “Are you okay?” David Carlson asked.

  Instead of turning toward my husband, I kept staring at the wilted plant that was in front of me. My heart was heavy as my eyes remained fixed on the potted fern. The longer I looked at the plant, the more I found myself wrestling with two different sets of emotions.

  Naturally, I was sad that the fern had wilted. At the same time, I was also really confused. What had I done wrong? I had placed the plant close to a window. I had also watered it regularly. Yet, despite following instructions, the fern had died on me.

  The worst part was how quickly things had gone downhill. My father had given me the plant as a gift only a month and a half ago. So, how it managed to wilt so quickly was an absolute mystery to me.

  I found it pretty ironic that I didn’t have any answers. Especially since I solved mysteries for a living. That said, this particular case left me completely stumped.

  I took a deep breath before replying, “What a shame.”

  “I’m sorry the fern didn’t make it,” he said. “But I can always get you a new one.”

  I shook my head. “No. I don’t want you to.”

  His eyes widened. “Why not?”

  “Because then it will only be a matter of time until we have a second dead fern on our hands.”

  David replied with a deadpan tone in his voice, “Way to be optimistic.”

  “I just know my limitations. And I’m terrible with plants.”

  “Have I seen people with greener thumbs? Yes. Even so, I don’t think you’re quite as awful with plants as you seem to think.”

  “Honey, let’s be honest. Plants hate me.”

  “Don’t you think you’re going a little overboard?”

  “Not at all. In fact, I tried to warn my father about that fact before he gave me this fern, but he didn’t listen to me.”

  “He sure didn’t.”

  “Of course, it shouldn’t have surprised me that Walter refused to heed my warning. He didn’t listen to a lot of things I said to him.”

  “I’ll tell you what. Why don’t I throw out this dead plant before it gives you too many flashbacks about what your father did to you?”

  That was a good idea. It certainly hadn’t been the easiest month for me. I was still completely heartbroken over my dad’s actions. You see, it was bad enough that my birth father had walked out of my life forty years ago. But when he finally returned to Treasure Cove after such an extended absence, the true reason behind his return was heartbreaking.

  My father led me to believe that he was interested in reconnecting with me. That he wanted to make up for lost time. In reality, my dad had come back to Treasure Cove to ask me for money. Not only was that an absolute punch to the gut. In my mind, it was also unforgivable.

  When I discovered my father’s true intentions, I cut him out of my life. And I had no plans to let him back in. Ever since that day, I had done my best to try and heal the wounds that my dad had created. During an afternoon like this, however, it was impossible to ignore the pain he had caused.

  At the same time, if I followed David’s advice, perhaps I could fill my head with different thoughts.

  “You’re right,” I said. “I think it’s important to get this dead fern out of my sight as soon as possible.”

  David leaned over, grabbed the plant, and brought it over to a large trash can that we kept in our garage.

  When he returned from the garage, I was staring out the window.

  “You know, in a way, it’s strangely appropriate that my father’s gift ended up dying on me,” I said.

  David nodded. “Strange is definitely the right word to describe the last month.”

  “It’s also an apt metaphor for the way things ended between us.”

  “Speaking of, I’m very sorry about how things turned out with your father. As well as the plant.”

  I sighed. “What can I say? Sometimes life doesn’t work out the way you want it to.”

  “Isn’t that the truth?” He leaned in and gave me a hug. “I’ll tell you what. Why don’t we go out and do something fun?”

  I gazed into David’s eyes. “Thanks for trying to cheer me up.”

  “Of course. That’s what a husband is for.”

  “By the way, what kind of activity do you have in mind?”

  “How about getting some ice cream?”

  My eyes lit up. “You know me so well.”

  “Is that a yes to ice cream?”

  “Are you kidding?” I asked. “When it comes to getting ice cream, the answer is always yes.”

  Chapter Two

  When I was out running errands the following day, I ended up driving by a plant nursery. The moment I spotted the nursery, I got an urge to go inside. However, I did my best to ignore my feelings.

  Deep down, I knew the right decision was to just keep driving. If I had broken down and headed inside, I would have definitely spotted a new fern. At that point, my instincts would have taken over. Never mind the fact that I didn’t have a green thumb. Or that I knew a replacement fern wouldn’t survive long in my care.

  Quitting was just something that didn’t come naturally to me. For the longest time, I believed that giving up was never the right answer. No matter the situation. The longer I lived, the more I realized that sometimes it was best to cut my losses. This was one such occasion.

  With that in mind, I continued driving toward the grocery store. But I only made it a few blocks before I found myself staring down a strange twist of fate. While I was stopped at a red light on Acorn Street, I ended up spotting a familiar face.

  It turned out that my birth father, Walter Cobb, was standing on the sidewalk about twenty feet away. The moment I saw him, a wave of negative emotions washed over me. It had been weeks since our falling out, but my feelings were still as raw as the day that he broke my heart.

  I squirmed as I sat in the driver’s seat of my car. I knew it was asking a lot, but I really hoped that he didn’t spot me. In fact, I couldn’t wait for the light to turn green so I could speed away.

  Unfortunately, the light was taking its time in turning. As my patience wore thin, I just sat uncomfortably in my seat, trying to fight off my anxiety. At the same time, I also began to question what Walter was still doing in Treasure Cove. Would he be staying in town forever?

  If so, I would need to get a better grip on my emotions. After all, in a town this small, the odds were that I would run into him quite frequently. It would be really detrimental to my mental health if I freaked out every time I spotted him.

  Even though the stop light seemed to be in no hurry to change colors, I did catch at least one break. Walter was so busy staring at his phone that he didn’t notice me.

  A few seconds later, the stop light finally turned green. I then pressed the gas p
edal down and drove away.

  When I turned right on Rose Avenue and Walter was no longer visible in my rearview mirror, I breathed a huge sigh of relief.

  ***

  That evening, I was not in the mood to be social. If it was up to me, I would have stayed home and taken a long bath.

  It turned out that life had other plans for me.

  A week ago, my parents had scheduled a family dinner for that night. While I technically could have canceled on them, I didn’t want to call things off at the last minute. Especially since I knew that my mother was making a meal from scratch.

  Besides, perhaps some family time would make me feel better. Or at least take my mind off of things.

  Then again, maybe not. As my husband, my daughter, and I arrived at my parents’ Victorian-style home on Sycamore Grove Trail, I was still thinking about how I had spotted my birth father earlier in the day. Even though my anxiety was gone, my feelings of heartbreak remained.

  No matter how much I tried, I couldn’t stop myself from fixating on how poorly things had ended between us. On the flip side, I had to find a way to move on. The question became, how?

  I ended up contemplating that question throughout dinner. To the point where I barely said a word throughout the entire meal.

  Just because I wasn’t terribly vocal didn’t mean that the conversation at the table wasn’t lively. My mother and grandmother were happy to pick up the slack. My husband also told a few jokes. Of course, my daughter had a number of cute things to say as well. Finally, my stepfather managed to make a few interesting points too.

  With everyone else being so vocal, it was actually surprisingly easy for me to disappear into the background. Or so I thought.

  Once my family had finished eating, I grabbed everyone’s plates and brought them into the kitchen. As I loaded the plates into the dishwasher, my stepfather approached me.

  “Did you have a rough day?” Luke asked.

  My nose scrunched as I turned around. “What makes you say that?”

  “Sabrina, I’ve known you since you were a little kid. I can tell when something is bothering you,” Luke said. “If you want to talk about it, just know that I’m all ears.”

  “What if I don’t want to talk about it?”

  “That’s fine too,” he said. “Anyway, just let me know.”

  Luke stared at me for a few seconds. When I didn’t reply, he took a few steps back toward the dining room.

  I then blurted out what was on my mind, “I saw Walter Cobb today.”

  Luke stopped dead in his tracks. “No wonder you look so stressed out. What did you say to him?”

  “Nothing.”

  “Oh. Did he say anything to you?”

  I shook my head. “He didn’t see me.”

  “So, what happened exactly?”

  “I was sitting at a stop light. And he was standing on the sidewalk staring at his phone. The light then turned green, and I drove away without him even seeing me.”

  “I have to admit. I thought that story would unfold much differently.”

  “That’s the thing. He didn’t say anything hurtful. Or do anything heartbreaking to me. Yet I still had this visceral reaction. My whole body just filled with anxiety. It was really unnerving.”

  “That’s understandable, given what he did to you.”

  “Here’s the thing, though. That was almost a month ago. So, for me to still be so worked up about it makes me wonder if I’m ever going to be able to get over this.”

  “A month isn’t that long,” Luke said. “Especially when you think about the fact that Walter was absent from your life for decades.”

  “That’s the other thing that has been bothering me. Ever since I found out that Walter only came back to Treasure Cove to ask me for money, I can’t help but wish that he had stayed in Oakhill Junction. Or that he’d go back there as soon as possible.”

  Luke grimaced. “Maybe he will.”

  “What if he doesn’t?”

  “Then you’ll just have to find a way to move on.”

  “That’s easier said than done.”

  “I never said it would be easy. But I will tell you this. Your mother and I will do everything in our power to help you through this.”

  “I know. And I’m really grateful for that.”

  Luke walked over and gave me a hug. “We’ll figure something out. It may take a while, but we’ll find an answer.”

  I took a deep breath and then replied, “I sure hope so.”

  Chapter Three

  When I woke up the next day, I was determined to make a concerted effort not to spend all my time fretting about how things ended between me and my birth father.

  Instead, I decided to do everything I could to carry on with my life. So, after I finished taking my pet corgi, Snickerdoodle, for a walk, I prepared some breakfast. Once my husband, my daughter, and I were done eating, I dropped my five-year-old off at Treasure Cove Elementary School.

  From there, I headed over to my family’s coffee shop, where I ordered a latte. As I slowly savored my drink, I caught up with some old friends. All told, Kelly Hogan, Shannon Marlowe, and I chatted for about thirty minutes. My friends then went off to work while I headed back home.

  It was a rare day off for me, and I intended to catch up on some reading. Unfortunately, I didn’t end up getting very far in my mystery novel. Shortly after sitting down on my sofa at home, my husband ended up returning home unexpectedly.

  While I was always happy to see David, I also knew that he rarely came back from work this early. During those infrequent times, he usually had bad news to share with me. I really hoped that wasn’t the case this time.

  When I took one look at him, I immediately got a bad feeling in my gut. A smile was nowhere near his face.

  “Honey, is everything okay?” I asked.

  “I’m glad you’re sitting down,” David replied.

  “Why? What’s going on?”

  David opened his mouth to respond, but no words came out. As he did his best to untie his tongue, I took a closer look at his face. Judging by his expression, it was pretty clear that something awful had occurred. He wasn’t even trying to hide his emotions. Instead, he wore them right on his sleeve.

  Whatever detail he had to share with me must have been particularly terrible if he felt the need to drive all the way home. Typically, he just phoned me when something odd took place. So, for him to be talking to me face to face like this was very telling.

  While I speculated for a few more seconds, David found a way to pull himself together.

  “I have some really bad news to share with you,” David said.

  “How bad are we talking?” I asked. “Has someone died?”

  He grimaced. “I’m afraid so.”

  I winced. “It’s someone I know, isn’t it? That’s why you came all the way home to tell me about it.”

  “Look. There’s no easy way to say this, so I’ll just come out with it,” he replied.

  “Okay. I’m all ears.”

  “Walter Cobb is dead.”

  My jaw dropped. “Are you serious?”

  David winced. “Unfortunately.”

  “But wait. When? And how?”

  “According to the medical examiner, he died last night.”

  I put my hand up. “Hold on a second. The coroner examined his body?”

  David nodded.

  “Why was the medical examiner brought in?” I asked. “How did Walter die?”

  “This the most disturbing part. According to the coroner’s preliminary findings, all signs are pointing to Walter’s death being a homicide.”

  My jaw dropped. I couldn’t believe what I had just heard. If the news of Walter’s death wasn’t bad enough, the idea that he was murdered just made the situation even more devastating. Especially considering that I had just seen Walter the day before. And now he was gone forever. That was a difficult realization to stomach.

  While I did my best to process the news withou
t having a breakdown, my husband expressed his condolences.

  “I’m so sorry,” David said.

  At that moment, my emotions could have spiraled completely out of control. I could have gone into a deep depression. Yet, as gut wrenching as the news was, rather than wallow in despair, my sleuthing instincts kicked in.

  “Do you think this was the result of a burglary gone wrong?” I asked.

  David put his hand up. “I’d prefer not to discuss that with you.”

  “Will you please just answer my question?”

  “Sabrina, I’m saying this for your own good. I know you don’t like sitting out cases, but you really should this time.”

  “David, you know that isn’t going to happen.”

  “Why don’t you just leave this to me?” he asked. “You should be grieving.”

  “You say that, but there’s no way I’ll be able to mourn unless I know that Walter’s killer is behind bars.”

  “Look. I don’t want to argue with you right now.”

  “Good. Then answer my question.”

  David exhaled. “You’re not going to heed my advice, are you?”

  “I just know how my brain operates,” I said. “And I won’t be able to rest until the murderer has been apprehended.”

  “All right. In that case, I’ll tell you what I know.”

  “Is there any chance that this was a burglary gone wrong?” I said.

  David shook his head. “There was no indication that a burglar was responsible for this. The forensics team found a bunch of cash in Walter’s wallet. Also, his big-screen television was not taken. Nor was his laptop. If a burglar was behind this, surely they would have taken those items.”

  “I agree,” I replied.

  “That said, one key item was missing from the crime scene.”

  “What’s that?”

  “His cell phone.”

  My eyes widened. “Really?”

  David nodded.

  “It makes me wonder what kind of secrets were inside that phone,” I said.

  “Probably some pretty juicy ones. Which is why the killer most likely took it as they left the scene.”

  “I’ll bet they disposed of it shortly after making their getaway.”