Caramels With A Side Of Murder Read online

  I looked out into the distance. “Probably not. I have never met a woman who stuck to a routine quite like Jessica.”

  He exhaled. “Maybe you’re right. But maybe you aren’t. That’s the thing. I don’t know for sure, and that uncertainty is what drives me crazy.”

  “This is a hard thing to admit, but maybe there’s nothing that either of us could have done to change things.”

  “You could be right.” He took another deep breath. “In the end, all of our questions and doubts aren’t going to make a difference. Jessica disappeared, and no one can go back and change that from happening. All we can really do now is hope that one day we find her.”

  “On an intellectual level, I agree with you. But emotionally speaking…I just can’t help but think about what I could have done differently. And until I find out what happened, I don’t see that changing.”

  He nodded. “I know.”

  As I started getting choked up again, I looked down at the ground.

  Ryan reached out to me. “Sabrina—”

  I let out a deep exhale. “I don’t know about you, but I can’t stomach talking about my sister’s disappearance anymore.” I made eye contact with Ryan once again. “So things are going well for you, then?”

  A concerned look was on Ryan’s face. “Sabrina, do you want to talk about—?”

  “How excited are you for your wedding?”

  “Very excited.”

  I forced a smile. “I’m happy for you.”

  He stared deep into my eyes. “You don’t have to say that, especially if you don’t mean it.”

  “But I do mean it. Look, I admit that I was surprised to see you with a new woman in your life, but it has been ten years since Jessica’s disappearance. It would be unrealistic to think that you’d never move on.”

  “See. That conflicted look on your face is exactly why I wanted to come in and talk to you,” Ryan said.

  “Ryan, I hope you and Jocelyn will be very happy.”

  I gave him another smile.

  Ryan let out a sigh. “All right. Well, as for your sister, if there’s anything I can do to make you feel better, please let me know.”

  “No one can help me with that—unless they know what happened to my sister.”

  Ryan grimaced. “I’m afraid that I can’t help you there.”

  “And that’s the problem. The fact is, there’s a Jessica-sized void in my life. But I keep holding out hope.”

  “So do I.”

  I took a deep breath. “Although as the years go by, hope gets harder to come by.”

  “I’m so sorry.”

  “You don’t have to apologize.”

  “No, I do,” Ryan said. “When I came in here, I didn’t mean for the conversation to focus on your sister.”

  “Yet the conversation found its way there anyway. It has a way of doing that. When our paths cross, this always seems to happen.”

  He exhaled. “I guess you’re right.”

  I had told him that I didn’t want to talk about my sister anymore, but my brain apparently disagreed. No matter what I did, I couldn’t seem to get Jessica off of my mind.

  “You know, I keep thinking, what if Jessica is out there somewhere being held captive, waking up every day praying for us to find her?” I said.

  He grimaced.

  “Or what if she’s…dead?” I asked. “We may never find her, then.”

  “I think we’ll will find her one day. Just keep believing,” Ryan said.

  “I will. It’s all I can do.”

  A silence came over the conversation.

  Before an awkwardness was able to settle in, Ryan looked at the time on his phone. “I hate to do this to you, but Jocelyn’s expecting me.”

  “Go,” I said.

  “Are you sure?” he asked.

  I nodded. “Yeah.”

  “It was good to see you again, though. And call me if you need anything,” he said.

  Ryan then exited the coffee shop.

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  It was safe to say that my emotions weren’t in a good place. Unfortunately, when Kelly O’Reilly came in for her work shift a few minutes later, I quickly realized that things were about to get worse. Kelly had a disturbed look on her face that I couldn’t ignore.

  “You okay?” I asked.

  Kelly’s face strained. “I’ll be fine.”

  Judging by the distraught look in her eyes, her comment seemed to be fueled by a whole lot of wishful thinking.

  “I hope you will be fine,” I said. “In the meantime, what’s wrong?”

  Stress lines were visible on her forehead. “I just ran into Gregory Morton again.”

  “The hypnotherapist?”

  She nodded. “Yeah. When I saw his smug face, I got angry with him all over again.” She groaned. “I still can’t believe that he refused to treat me.”

  “That’s awfully suspicious to me, too,” I replied.

  Kelly narrowed her eyes. “It gets worse.”

  “How so?”

  “Yesterday, I had one of my male friends call his office to schedule an appointment.”

  “And?”

  “He was put on the calendar immediately.”

  My eyes widened. “Just like that?”

  Kelly nodded. “Crazy, huh?”

  I scratched my chin. “Infuriating is more like it.”

  Kelly threw her arms out. “Why do you think I’m so worked up?”

  My eyebrows knitted. “When you said that you just ran into Gregory earlier, where did you see him?”

  Kelly pointed at the door. “Right out front—”

  My eyes lit up. “Wait. He’s here?”

  Kelly nodded. “Yeah. He was right in front of Sullivan’s Hardware.” Her forehead wrinkled. “Why?”

  “Because there are some questions that I want to ask him.” I headed toward the front of the coffee shop and waved Kelly over. “Do you see him?”

  She glanced out the window. “Yeah. That’s him right there.”

  Kelly pointed at a well-dressed man who stood on the sidewalk a few doors down from the coffee shop. When I looked at Gregory Morton, I knew that I had to talk to him. Not just because of the suspicious way he was selecting new patients, but also because of who Gregory was keeping company with.

  In a surprising twist, Gregory was deep in conversation with a familiar face. Tom Dillon was more than just a noted real estate developer in town. The mustached fifty-six-year-old used to be a regular at Daley Buzz. All that changed when my boyfriend and I spotted him filing into the secret invite-only meeting at the banquet hall a few months back.

  When Tom had come into Daley Buzz the following morning to get his morning cup of coffee, I pressed him for details about the meeting. Not only did Tom give me nothing to work with, but he also stopped coming to the coffee shop.

  Given the various odd circumstances surrounding both Tom and Gregory, I couldn’t help but be curious about how they knew each other. I wondered what they were talking about. Was Gregory a member of Tom’s secretive group? Was Tom trying to recruit Gregory? Or was something else going on entirely?

  Before I had a chance to entertain any more questions in my head, my focus shifted to the sidewalk, where Tom and Gregory turned around and spotted me watching them.

  Uh-oh.

  So much for the element of surprise. As much as I had wanted to sneak up behind them and spy on their conversation, that wouldn’t happen now. If anything, I had to scramble to get outside and talk to them before they dispersed in a hurry.

  Tom quickly looked away from me. Not surprisingly, Gregory followed suit. If that wasn’t bad enough, Tom went one step further and put an abrupt end to his conversation with Gregory.

  Back inside the coffee shop, Kelly turned to me and grimaced. “They don’t look very happy to see you.”

  I bit the corner of my lip. “So true. Although, they look even less interested in having company.”

  My instincts propelled me toward
the front door of the coffee shop.

  A look of confusion came to Kelly’s face. “Where are you going?”

  “To give them some company,” I replied.

  Kelly smirked as she shook her head. “You sure know how to find trouble.”

  Determination was in my eyes. “What you call trouble, I call finding out the truth.”

  “What do you think they are going to call it?” Kelly asked.

  I arched my eyebrows. “I’ll find out.”

  ***

  By the time I reached the sidewalk, Tom Dillon had already started walking away.

  I called out to him. “Tom, where are you going? I have a double espresso in the shop with your name on it.”

  He ignored me and continued walking.

  “Well, it was good to see you again, anyway,” I deadpanned.

  With Tom leaving me in the dust, I turned my attention to Gregory, who appeared eager to avoid a conversation with me as well. There was a skittish look on his face, which made me wonder exactly what Tom had told him.

  I had been really quick to exit the coffee shop, so theoretically, Tom couldn’t have badmouthed me too much. While I didn’t know what Tom had muttered about me, it was clearly unsavory in nature as Gregory didn’t look like he wanted anything to do with me.

  I figured that the best way to break up the tension was with a warm smile and a pleasant demeanor. “You’re Gregory Morton, right?”

  His face was stiff. “I should be going.”

  So much for thawing his icy exterior. If I was going to make any progress, I would need to think of another way to do it.

  I outstretched my hand. “I’m Sabrina Daley, manager at Daley Buzz Coffee Company. We brew a really mean espresso. You should try it out. The first cup is on me.”

  Gregory took a few steps back. “I’m afraid that I have a lot of work to do.”

  I held my pointer finger up. “Speaking of, I have heard that you do some amazing work. Some truly life-changing stuff.”

  His face swelled with pride. “Really?”

  I nodded. “Oh yeah. I have heard a number of people rave about you.”

  Gregory beamed. “That’s good to hear. If I may ask, who recommended my work?”

  “Gavin Zeller had nothing but good things to say about you. The same goes for Wally Tuttle.”

  Gregory’s chest puffed out. “Those two have made some stunning progress. I’m really proud of the work I have done with them.”

  “How about Tom?” I asked.

  Gregory’s nose scrunched. “What about him?”

  “Is he one of your patients?”

  He narrowed his eyes. “I’m not going to discuss my patient list with you.”

  “So he is a patient, then?” I asked.

  He folded his arms. “I didn’t say that. I’m not going to discuss who is or isn’t a patient of mine with anyone, much less a stranger.”

  “Where did you meet Tom, then?”

  He stared me down. “Why do you want to know?”

  I ignored his question in favor of satisfying my curiosity. “Was it at one of the black-tie meetings that they have been holding at the old banquet hall on Treasure Cove Lane?”

  His voice cracked with annoyance. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. What I do know is that you should mind your own business.”

  As I looked into his eyes, I saw the full extent of his frustration. He was doing his best to bottle it up for now, but I wasn’t sure how long he could keep his true feelings from seeping out.

  One thing was clear—he was awfully defensive considering that I hadn’t thrown any hardball questions his way. I had seen murder suspects who were less tense.

  I was just happy that Gregory hadn’t bolted yet. Although, since he seemed to be leaning that way, I tried to lighten the mood.

  I threw my arms out. “What can I say? I’m just curious.” I pointed at myself. “Aren’t you curious about me?”

  He shook his head. “No.”

  “I don’t know why not. You certainly should be.”

  He squinted. “Why is that?”

  “Because I could provide you with some good business. I have been thinking that it’s time for me to start seeing a hypnotherapist.”

  His eyebrows arched. “Is that so?”

  I nodded. “Absolutely. I’m ready to be hypnotized. Sign me up for an appointment.”

  Gregory’s face tensed up. He didn’t say a word.

  I broke the ice. “This is usually the part where you pencil me in on your schedule.”

  He grimaced. “I’m afraid that it doesn’t really work like that.”

  “Why not? How does it work?”

  “My calendar is really full right now.”

  “That’s okay. I can wait.”

  His face stained. “I don’t think you understand just how far I’m booked out.”

  “It’s no problem. I’ll just take the next booking. Even if it’s six months from now.”

  Gregory’s eyes widened when he saw the look of determination in my eyes.

  “I think you’d be better off with another therapist. I can refer you to a good one—”

  “Are you saying that you don’t want to treat me?”

  “I already told you, my calendar is really booked up. If you really need treatment, you shouldn’t put it off.”

  I shook my head. “Nah, I don’t want to see anyone else. I’ve heard that you are the best. I’m not going to settle for anything less than the top-rated hypnotherapist in town. After all, this is my brain we’re talking about.”

  “Look. I wish I could help you, but I don’t have any free spots available.”

  “What if I pay you double your going rate?”

  “This isn’t about money—”

  “Triple.”

  He put his hand out. “You can stop right there. It’s just not going to happen.”

  I folded my arms. “Is this because I’m a woman?”

  He scoffed. “I don’t know where you got that from.”

  “You told one of my friends that you couldn’t see her, either. It just so happens that she is a woman.”

  “That’s just a coincidence. I can’t help it that my calendar is booked solid.”

  “You keep saying that. Only a male patient called your office to book an appointment just yesterday and had no problem being added to your calendar. What do you make of that?”

  He shrugged. “Maybe there was a last-minute cancellation. All I know is that for the foreseeable future, my calendar is completely booked.”

  I stared deep into his eyes. “Do you currently have any female patients?”

  “I already told you that I don’t discuss my patient list with anyone. Now I really need to be getting back to work. Good-bye.”

  Gregory walked away at a good clip.

  I would have followed him, but it wouldn’t do me any good. Instead, I counted my blessings that I was able to get as much information out of him as I had, even if I still had more questions about him than answers.

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  Later that day, I headed over to a place where I knew I would be greeted with open arms. I drove to Redwood Street, where Shannon’s sandwich shop was located. Not only was the company great there, but so was the food. I was proud to say that my friend’s shop made the best sandwiches in all of Treasure Cove. Luckily, the lunch crowd had come and gone, so the place wasn’t jammed.

  I was barely able to make it through the front door when Shannon spotted me and immediately made a comment about the discouraged expression that was on my face.

  “You look like you’ve had a rough day,” Sharon said.

  As I approached the front counter of the shop, I saw a tired look in my friend’s eyes. “Right back at you.”

  Shannon exhaled. “Guilty as charged. It has been a beast of a day.”

  “I’m sorry to hear that,” I said.

  Shannon’s eyes widened. “Thankfully, there’s a solution to whisk away the blues.�
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  “I think it’s a little too early for a cocktail,” I joked.

  “I was talking about a grilled cheese.”

  My mouth began to water. “You sure know how to make my taste buds happy.”

  Shannon used a spatula to plate a grilled cheese that she had been making. She then took a bite of the sandwich. “Actually, this grilled cheese for me, but I could make you one, too.”

  I nodded. “If it wouldn’t be too much trouble.”

  Shannon took another bite of her sandwich. She seemed to be in no hurry to fire up another grilled cheese. “I guess it wouldn’t be that much trouble.”

  Her lackadaisical reply made me laugh.

  “Don’t strain yourself,” I joked.

  She gave me wry smile. “Don’t worry. I won’t. I have already done too much of that today.”

  Despite her lack of enthusiasm, she got the bread, butter, and cheese ready, put my sandwich together, and placed it on the grill.

  “Today must have been a bigger bear that you even let on,” I said.

  “Oh yeah. A grizzly bear with big claws and an insatiable appetite. Why do you think I’m eating on the job?”

  “Want to talk about it?” I asked.

  She shook her head. “I’d rather just enjoy my sandwich.”

  I spotted a bouquet of flowers that were in a glass vase behind the counter. “At least you have some beautiful flowers to keep you company.”

  Shannon turned around and glanced at the bouquet. “Right. Those.”

  Her lack of enthusiasm really stood out to me.

  “Don’t get too excited,” I joked.

  “I don’t want to sound unappreciative. After all, you know how much I love roses—”

  “Let me guess. You’re too caught up in the thorns of life to be able to stop and smell the roses right now?”

  “Something like that.”

  I folded my arms. “That’s it. No more vagaries. I’m not leaving here until you tell me what’s going on.”

  Shannon reached down and pulled out a box of chocolates that she had been keeping under the counter. “Today I have learned that you can have too much of a good thing.”