Halloween Candy With A Side Of Murder Read online

“Yeah? Well it worked. I’m scared to death,” I replied.

  David wrapped his arms around me. “Look. I’m here. You’re safe. It’s going to be all right.”

  “I know you’re saying that to try to calm me down, but until the killer is behind bars, the last thing I feel is safe. Even with you here.”

  “I understand. That was a pretty dicey situation.”

  I shook my head. “I still can’t believe it. The killer must be crazier than I even thought.”

  David became pensive. “Or desperation is really setting in.”

  “Is that why you think that arrow was shot at us? Because the killer is worried that the walls are closing in on them?”

  “You saw how unhinged the suspects were at the archery range tonight. There wasn’t a calm one in the bunch.”

  I nodded. “True. But that means we’re at a really dangerous crossroads. On one hand, the killer thinks we’re getting close to unmasking them. On the other hand, if we’re not careful, one of us could become their next victim.”

  David gritted his teeth as he stared out at the street. “If only the car hadn’t sped away so quickly. Maybe then I could have made out the license plate.”

  I put my hand on his shoulder. “Don’t get down on yourself.”

  He threw out his arms. “How could I not? That could have given us the big break we were looking for.”

  While David’s eyes remained fixed on the street in front of my house, I turned my focus to my front door. A smile came to my face suddenly.

  “Actually, I think we did just get a big break,” I said.

  David’s forehead wrinkled. “What do you mean?”

  I began to walk toward my doorstep. “Come with me. If I’m right then this case is about to be blown wide open.”

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  My hunch turned out to be correct. In the morning, David and I paid Kaitlin Gordon a visit. This time, we decided to speak with her at her apartment building.

  We waited patiently for Kaitlin to exit her place and head to her green sedan in the parking lot. That way she would already be out in the open. Before Kaitlin reached her car, David and I approached her.

  “Where are you going?” David asked.

  It was safe to say that Kaitlin did not react well to our presence. The moment she spotted David and me, her face filled with animosity. She wanted nothing to do with either of us.

  “That’s none of your business,” Kaitlin snapped.

  “I disagree,” David said.

  “What are you even doing here? Why don’t you just leave me alone?” Kaitlin barked.

  “I’m afraid that we can’t do that,” David replied.

  “You have a lot of nerve, you know that?” Kaitlin said.

  David shook his head. “No more than you do.”

  “What makes you think you can just lurk in the parking lot of my building?” Kaitlin asked.

  “We’re in the middle of a homicide investigation. And we’re prepared to do whatever is necessary to bring Allison Gordon’s killer to justice,” David replied.

  “Then what are you wasting your time with me for? I don’t have anything to say to you about Allison,” Kaitlin remarked.

  “Fine. We’ll do all the talking, then,” David said.

  Kaitlin threw out her arms in a huff. “You’re unbelievable. Why are you harassing me?”

  David shook his head. “We’re doing no such thing.”

  “Oh yeah? Let’s see what a lawyer has to say about that,” Kaitlin replied.

  “Now that you mention it, hiring an attorney would probably be a wise move,” David said.

  “Although there’s no lawyer in the world that is going to be able to keep you out of jail,” I added.

  Kaitlin shot me a glare. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “In your desperation, you got sloppy,” I said.

  Kaitlin gave me a blank stare. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “After David and I showed up at the archery range last night, you felt the walls closing in on you,” I said. “You probably figured it would only be a matter of time before we discovered what you had done. So you made a last-ditch attempt to scare us off. But in the process, you made a huge mistake that ended up leading us right to you.”

  Kaitlin scoffed. “This is insane. Why do you think you can get away with lying like that?”

  “I’ll tell you why we’re going to get away with it. Because we’re telling the truth,” I said. “Kaitlin, we know what you did.”

  “Stop right there. I’m not listening to this anymore,” Kaitlin replied.

  “Actually, Kaitlin, you’re the one who needs to stop lying.”

  “That’s it. I’m out of here,” Kaitlin said.

  David shook his head. “You’re not going anywhere.”

  “Especially since we have proof that you killed Allison,” I added.

  “How many more lies are you going to tell today?” Kaitlin asked.

  “Fine. You don’t believe me? See for yourself,” I said.

  I pulled out my smart phone from my purse, loaded a video, and played it.

  The video showed security camera footage of Kaitlin’s car pulling up in front of my house, firing the arrow at David’s car, and then peeling rubber as she drove away from the scene.

  “It’s all on camera,” I said. “What do you have to say for yourself now?”

  Panic filled Kaitlin’s eyes. “Where did that video come from?”

  “The new security camera on my patio. You see, there has been an uptick in the number of packages that have been stolen off of people’s doorsteps lately. When I heard about all those thefts occurring, I thought it would be wise to invest in a security system. It turns out that I was right—for a much different reason,” I said.

  Kaitlin vehemently shook her head. “No. You’ve got it all wrong.”

  “Kaitlin, the video doesn’t lie. Now face it. We’ve got you. It’s over. So why don’t you come clean?” I asked.

  Kaitlin went into full denial mode. “That video doesn’t prove that I killed Allison.”

  I folded my arms. “Don’t be ridiculous. We know you did it.”

  “Look. I admit that I fired that warning shot last night, but I didn’t kill Allison—”

  I cut Kaitlin off. “Oh, come on. Do you really expect us to believe that? Because if you do then you’re crazier than I even thought. Why would you fire a warning shot at us unless you were the killer?”

  Kaitlin opened mouth to answer, but I didn’t let her get a word in.

  “That was a rhetorical question. The only reason you’d be so desperate to scare us off was because you knew that we were closing in on you,” I said. “You hated Allison. You held her responsible for the breakup of your parents’ marriage. That was something you weren’t ever going to forgive her for. And if that wasn’t bad enough, she then became your stepmother. That was just too much for you to bear. Especially since deep down, you probably believed that if Allison was out of the picture, perhaps your real mother and father might get back together. So you killed Allison, didn’t you?”

  Kaitlin lowered her head.

  When she didn’t respond, I pressed her for an answer.

  “Didn’t you?” I asked.

  Kaitlin snarled. “Yes, I killed her. I shot Allison. How dare she tear my family apart? She didn’t just break up my parents’ marriage. She ruined my life in the process. So I took her life.”

  I stared at Kaitlin and shook my head with disgust. “You should be ashamed of yourself.”

  Epilogue

  Two Days Later

  “Earth to Sabrina,” David said.

  I pulled my head out of the clouds and glanced at David, who stood across the counter from me at Daley Buzz.

  “Sorry. I’ve been a little preoccupied this morning,” I replied.

  “I’ve noticed,” he said. “And so has my coffee cup.”

  I looked down at his empty cup on the counter.


  “Right. Another shot of espresso, coming up,” I said.

  I moved over to the espresso machine and fired up two separate shots—one for him and one for myself.

  Before filling up David’s cup, I took a moment and drank my shot the minute it was ready.

  “Drinking on the job now? Is that what life has come to?” he joked.

  I chuckled. “I figure a little espresso might go a long way in clearing up the fog in my head.”

  “You still thinking about Allison Gordon?”

  I nodded. “She used to come in at this time every morning and order a large vanilla latte.”

  “I’m really sorry that she’s gone.”

  I sighed. “I still can’t believe she was murdered. That she’s gone forever. It’s just so surreal.”

  “I know what you mean.”

  I grimaced. “Is it asking too much to be able to go the rest of my life without another murder occurring in this town?”

  “I don’t think so. Then again, that’s not up to me.”

  “I just want the old Treasure Cove back.”

  “Trust me. You’re not alone.”

  “What do you think the odds are of that happening?”

  He shrugged. “I can’t say. But what I can tell you is that I won’t be able to go to bed happy tonight unless I find a way to cheer you up.”

  “In that case, you have a tall task ahead of you.”

  “Maybe. But I have three suggestions.”

  “Such as?”

  “Can I interest you in a Halloween party?” he asked.

  “Is it a costume party?” I replied.

  “Is there any other kind of Halloween party?”

  “I’m going to have to pass.”

  “Really? There will be plenty of candy there.”

  “You know, as a kid, I used to dress up as a detective for Halloween each year. But having just lived the life of an actual sleuth over the past few days, I just want to go back to being a coffee shop manager.”

  “I understand. That said, there are other costumes you could wear.”

  “True. But I’m hardly in the mood to party right now.”

  “Fair enough.”

  “What’s option two?” I asked.

  “How about going out to the movies? They are running a double feature of Halloween-themed flicks,” David said.

  “I don’t think so. The last few days have been spooky enough for me,” I replied.

  “Okay. I have one last idea.”

  “What’s that?”

  “How about I bring a pizza and a bag of Halloween candy over to your house and we just relax on your couch all night?”

  I smiled. “Sounds good to me.”

  “All right. It’s settled then,” he said.

  “Are you sure you’re okay with that?” I asked.

  “Honestly, I was kind of hoping that you would pick that option all along.”

  “Really?”

  “Oh yeah,” he said. “I don’t know about you, but I am completely exhausted.”

  “It turns out there’s a lot of that going around.”

  “Too much, I’d say.”

  “So much so that staying in has never looked more appealing,” I said.

  “I know what you mean,” he replied. “Pizza, Halloween candy, and some snuggling on the couch with you sounds like the perfect evening to me.”

  “I couldn’t agree more.”

  “So, do you have any preferences for what you want to watch on TV?” he asked.

  I nodded. “Anything but a detective show.”

  The End.

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  Books in the Daley Buzz Series

  Book 1 – Chocolate with a Side of Murder

  Book 2 – Caramels with a Side of Murder

  Book 3 – Apple Pie with a Side of Murder

  Book 4 – Lemon Bars with a Side of Murder

  Book 5 – Cookies with a Side of Murder

  Book 6 – Halloween Candy with a Side of Murder

  Books in the Hope Hadley Series

  1. Fame Is a Killer

  2. Fishing for a Murderer

  3. Murder of a Yoga Instructor

  4. Drowning In Deceit

  5. A Not So Merry Christmas Murder

  6. Killer Injustice

  7. Murder of a Restaurant Critic

  8. Murder of a Movie Producer

  9. The Killer Holiday Office Party

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