Christmas Cookies with a Side of Murder Read online

  I groaned. “I can’t believe this is happening.”

  “Sabrina, I’m sorry. But we don’t know exactly what has happened yet,” David replied.

  “That doesn’t make me feel better. There are a lot of possibilities, and none of them are any good.”

  Resolve was all over his face as he stared into my eyes. “I’m going to find her.”

  “I know you are. The question is, will she still be alive when you do?”

  “Don’t talk like that.”

  “It’s hard not to.”

  “There’s still a chance that she’ll be just fine.”

  “I know. But I’m also aware that the longer she stays missing, the lower the chances are of her ever being found alive.”

  “I know that your friend going missing is the last thing that you need during the holidays. But hope is the only thing that can carry us through this.”

  “You’re right. Sorry. It’s just been a tough day.”

  “Trust me. I know exactly what you mean.”

  “You sure do. After all, you’ve been the one out investigating all day.”

  He gazed at me. “Look. After what happened to your sister, I know it would really easy to think that this will turn out the same way. But that doesn’t mean it will.”

  “David, thank you for trying to make me feel better, but I really don’t want to talk about my sister right now.”

  “Right. Of course.”

  I changed the subject. “After such a long day, I’ll bet you are really hungry.”

  He rubbed his stomach. “Now that you mention it, I could go for a good meal. Did you make something?”

  “I was actually trying to suggest that we could go out to dinner. I’m not in the mood to cook,” I said.

  “That’s understandable,” he said. “Is there any place you have in mind?”

  My eyes lit up. “Some surf and turf from Treasure Cove Seafood would sure hit the spot.”

  An uncomfortable look briefly came to his face. He tried to cover it up with a smile, but by then, I had already noticed that something was amiss with him.

  “Why don’t we skip dinner and go straight to eating Christmas cookies?” David asked.

  “You are always up for dessert, aren’t you?” I joked.

  He shrugged. “Who doesn’t love dessert?”

  “True. Then again, Treasure Cove Seafood serves some killer desserts.”

  David grimaced. “Why don’t we head over to Home Away From Home Cooking instead?”

  I shook my head. “We go there all the time. I feel like it’s time to mix things up.”

  “How about Café C’est Magnifique, then?” David replied.

  My forehead wrinkled. “What do you have against Treasure Cove Seafood all of a sudden?”

  David got quiet.

  “Did you do some kind of a bust there recently?” I asked.

  He shook his head.

  “Did you just find out that they got a really bad health inspection?” I asked.

  “It’s not that, either.”

  I put my hands on my hips. “Then what’s going on?”

  He took a deep breath. “I have some news about Treasure Cove Seafood.”

  I tensed up. “Uh-oh. Something did happen there, didn’t it?”

  “Promise that you won’t freak out,” David said.

  “What, did they find rats in the kitchen?” I asked.

  He shook his head.

  “Then what is it?” I said.

  “They went out of business,” David said.

  My eyebrows rose. “Wait. Since when?”

  “Since a few days ago.”

  “But…I don’t get it. Why?”

  David opened his mouth to answer.

  Before he could get any words out, a creeping suspicion took hold of me. “Wait a minute. Did Jake Williamson buy the place?”

  David didn’t even have to verbalize his response. The glum look on his face told me everything I needed to know.

  He verified my suspicions by nodding.

  That news took the wind out of me. Treasure Cove Seafood wasn’t just a restaurant. It was one of my favorites. They made the most delicious surf-and-turf plate in town.

  At least they used to. With their closure, another great local business was no more. Even worse, Jake would no doubt replace the restaurant with some generic chain place.

  I grimaced.

  “Please don’t freak out,” David said.

  I didn’t reply to him. Mostly because I couldn’t figure out the right words to go with. Instead, I just stared off into the distance.

  That didn’t sit well with David. “Sabrina. I know it’s upsetting, but—”

  It would be easy to let myself get down. To obsess about Jake and how he was transforming this town. But I had already done plenty of that in the past, and it hadn’t gotten me anywhere. It certainly hadn’t stopped Jake from buying up more businesses.

  Besides, with Julie’s disappearance, there were bigger fish to fry.

  David ended up taking me to Home Sweet Home Cooking Restaurant. Not just for dinner. We also hoped to be able to catch a break in the missing-persons case. As expected, all of the employees were distraught over their coworker’s disappearance. Unfortunately, none of them were able to provide us with any leads.

  Chapter Nine

  For the second straight morning, I woke up no closer to getting answers. Instead of letting myself get discouraged, I threw on my work clothes and headed over to Daley Buzz for my shift.

  During the entire drive over to the coffee shop, I had to fight off feelings of impending doom. It took a lot of energy, but I was determined to keep a positive mindset.

  All that changed when I parked in front of Daley Buzz and spotted Jake Williamson at Bella’s Boutique, a retail store that was located a few doors down from my family’s shop. Other than Daley Buzz, Bella’s was one of the few remaining family-run places left on Main Street.

  So naturally I was filled with concern when I saw Jake coming out of Bella’s. The slick-haired fifty-one-year-old real estate developer had openly admitted that his goal was to buy up every small business in town and replace them with chain stores.

  I could only think of two reasons why he would be coming out of a women’s boutique. And since he wasn’t carrying a bag full of clothes, to me it was clear that he hadn’t just bought some outfits for his girlfriend. The more logical explanation was that he had gone in there to try and convince the Galway family to sell their business to him.

  There was a sharkish look in Jake’s blue eyes as I approached him. He snapped at me before I had the chance to even say a word to him. “Don’t start with me. I’m not in the mood to deal with you right now.”

  I shrugged. “Where’s your holiday spirit?”

  “I know you only came over here to get on my case, but don’t bother.”

  “Calm down. I just want to ask you a question.”

  He folded his arms. “Oh yeah? What question?”

  “Are you looking to buy Bella’s Boutique, too?”

  “That’s none of your business.”

  “Sure it is—”

  He cut me off. “You never learn, do you?”

  “I don’t know why you’re being so hostile to me.”

  “Because you’re nothing but trouble, and I don’t have to listen to you.”

  “Of course you don’t. But you should. The way I see it, you’re overdue.”

  Jake started to walk away from me. “Excuse me, but I have a business empire to run.”

  “You can run, but you can’t hide from this conversation. I’ll catch up with you sooner or later.”

  “You’re wasting your breath,” he replied. “I have nothing to say to you.”

  “Yeah? Well, I have one big thing to say to you. Why did you go back on our deal?” I asked.

  Just two months ago, Jake had made a verbal agreement with me not to buy up so many local businesses. I should have known his word was worth nothing.

  He scoffed. “I only made that deal with you to shut you up. I have a plan for this city, and nothing is going to stop me.”

  “I would strongly rethink your strategy.”

  “Sure, you would. But there’s no chance that I’m going to do that.”

  I shook my head. “That isn’t a good call.”

  He sneered. “Maybe not in your mind.”

  “Does your greed have no end?”

  Jake groaned. “I’m done with this conversation. I have already wasted enough of my time trying to talk sense into you.”

  “You already own half the town. Why can’t you just leave the rest of the businesses alone? I mean, Stacey’s Smoothies, Treasure Cove Seafood, and maybe even Bella’s Boutique—on top of what you already own. Where does it end?”

  He smirked. “You’ll see.”

  “That’s the problem. I’m afraid of where this is going,” I said.

  “I don’t know why you keep making the mistake of thinking that I care about your opinion.”

  “I’m just saying. If you push people far enough, they just might start pushing back,” I replied. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

  He laughed. “Warn me? About what?”

  “When times get desperate, sometimes people do crazy things.”

  He narrowed his eyes. “Are you trying to scare me?”

  “No. I’m just telling you the truth.”

  He shook his head dismissively. “Spare me. Like I said, I have plans—”

  I interrupted him. “We all have plans sometimes. But if I’ve learned anything over the past few years, it’s that things rarely ever work out the way you expect them to.”

  “Yeah? Well, I’ve learned that money can buy almost anything. And I have more money than
anyone in this town.”

  “Gloat all you want—”

  He puffed his chest out. “Oh, I will. You know I’m right.”

  “That’s not the point.”

  “To me, it is.”

  “In my mind, it’s more important to realize that life can change in an instant around here. I mean, haven’t you been paying attention to all the crazy things that have been going on recently?”

  “Sure, but none of that stuff has anything to do with me.”

  I shook my head. “So it’s never occurred to you that the rug could be pulled out from under you one day? Because it could easily happen if you’re not careful.”

  “Why don’t you go and try to scare someone else?” he said. “I have work to do.”

  Jake walked away.

  I was determined to get the last word in. “I’m not trying to scare you. I’m trying to warn you.”

  Jake kept walking and didn’t turn back.

  As he headed to his car, I stood on the sidewalk and fumed.

  Chapter Ten

  What an emotional morning. Then again, it had been a highly charged past couple of days. If there weren’t lights and decorations everywhere I turned, I could have easily forgotten that Christmas was a little more than a week away.

  Yet despite the constant visual reminders, with Julie’s disappearance, celebrating the holidays was the last thing on my mind. Julie’s potential whereabouts were my focus. And nothing else even came close.

  That never became more apparent than when I completely blanked out in the middle of my shift at Daley Buzz.

  “Sabrina. Where’s that mint mocha?” Elizabeth asked.

  The sound of my mother’s voice pulled my head out of the clouds.

  I made the mocha and gave it to the customer who had ordered it.

  When the customer walked away, my mother pulled me aside.

  “Why don’t you head home early today?” Elizabeth said.

  I checked the time on my smartphone. “But there’s still over two hours left on my shift.”

  “That’s okay. The morning rush is over. Kelly and I can handle things.”

  “Are you trying to get rid of me?”

  She shook her head. “No. I’m doing you a favor.”

  I shrugged. “Why?”

  “You look like you could use a break.”

  “So I spaced out for a second. The customer still got their mint mocha.”

  “It’s not just that. It has been a rough day for you—”

  “Mom, I’m fine.”

  “If it was just Jake Williamson we were talking about, maybe I’d agree, but with Julie still missing, you must be on complete overload.”

  I averted my eyes and stared at the ground as my emotions swelled.

  “Dear, I know that Julie’s disappearance must really hit close to home.”

  “Mom, I understand that you’re just trying to look out for me, but I’m staying here—”

  Elizabeth wouldn’t even let me finish. “Sabrina, listen to your mother. You don’t think I know when you’re not yourself? When the similarities between your sister’s disappearance and Julie going missing are eating you up inside?”

  I opened my mouth to respond, but my mother continued talking.

  “Honey, just take the rest of the day off and try to take your mind off of this case,” Elizabeth said.

  “But that’s the thing. If I go home, it’ll be hard to think about anything other than this case. I’ll just sit on my couch, obsessing about Julie,” I said. “At least if I stay here, work can distract me.”

  “I don’t agree.”

  “I really don’t want to argue with you today.”

  “Trust me. That’s the last thing I want to do right now. Now, I’ve told you what I think you should do. But if you insist on being stubborn—”

  “It’s not just that, Mom. I’m speaking from experience here. I’ve gone home early during a situation like this before. And you know what I did?”

  “What?”

  “Sat on my couch, obsessing about things. It was a disaster. I couldn’t quiet my thoughts at all. That’s why I’m in no hurry to go home.”

  “All right. Suit yourself. I just thought I’d throw that option out there.”

  “I understand. And thank you for looking out for me.”

  “Of course,” Elizabeth replied. “If there’s anything else I can do, let me know.”

  “I wish there was,” I said.

  She stared deep into my eyes. “Just one more thing. Even though this case is similar to what happened to your sister, it doesn’t mean it will turn out the same way.”

  “I know that. As a matter of fact, I’ve been praying like crazy that Julie will be found alive,” I said.

  “Good. During times like this, there can never be too much prayer.”

  Chapter Eleven

  The next day

  Another morning arrived without any new developments in the case. With each passing day that the investigation stretched on, it became harder to retain hope.

  That said, I tried to stay as optimistic as I could. David and the rest of the members of the police department were doing everything in their power to find Julie. I had to believe that they would eventually discover her whereabouts.

  It felt strange to sit this case out. To just remain on the sidelines. But unlike with homicide investigations, I felt completely out of my element when it came to missing-persons cases.

  That wasn’t all. Equally disturbing to me were the eerie similarities that this case shared with my sister’s disappearance over a decade before. It was hard for me to think about Julie going missing without memories of my sister popping into my head.

  Emotionally, I was standing on really unsteady ground. I just wanted to try to get my bearings back. But that was easier said than done.

  Especially when I saw Wally Tuttle entering Daley Buzz that morning looking completely haggard. His face was unshaven. His eyes were bloodshot. And his patience appeared to be worn thin. He ordered a triple espresso and gulped it down. From there, he stared out into the distance with a look of concern all over his face.

  “I can’t believe Julie is still missing. Where could she be?” he asked.

  I grimaced. “David is doing everything he can.”

  “Yeah. But is that going to be good enough?”

  I looked down at the ground.

  “This is just so agonizing…waiting for any kind of news,” he said.

  “I understand.”

  “I’ll bet. Especially after what happened to your sister.”

  I tensed up.

  When I remained quiet for a few seconds, Wally reached out to me.

  “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have brought Jessica up,” he said.

  “Probably not, but let’s just move on,” I replied.

  Wally ignored my request and lingered on the topic of my sister. “I’m still so sorry about what happened to Jessica. I don’t know what I’d do if Julie isn’t found alive.”

  “Wally, don’t talk like that. David is doing everything in his power to find her.”

  “I know. But last I checked, he’s just as stumped as ever. Has that changed?” he asked.

  I reluctantly shook my head.

  Wally groaned. “Exactly. That’s what I was afraid of.”

  “You have to hold out hope.”

  “Trust me. I’m hoping and praying for the best, but it’s hard to keep from fearing the worst.”

  I grimaced. “I wish I could tell you that everything is going to be fine. That Julie will be back with you soon…but having been through a situation like this before, I know there are no guarantees.”

  “Isn’t that the truth?” Wally groaned. “I just figured that the police would have found her already. I mean, it’s been days, and they don’t seem to have any clue where she is or what happened to her. As far as I can tell, they don’t even have any leads.”

  “I know you wish things were going faster, but I have to remind you that it is still pretty early in the case.”

  “And yet no one at the police department seems to have any leads. You can’t tell me that isn’t troubling.”

  “It is. But you never know where a break might come from. I’ve worked on some investigations where it seemed like all hope was lost. Then a lead would come out of nowhere.”

  “You’re not just telling me that to try to make me feel better, are you?”

  I shook my head. “No. It’s the truth. Sometimes, you stumble upon a crucial piece of the puzzle when you least expect it.”