Halloween Candy With A Side Of Murder Read online

  “Thanks, but she came highly recommended. My friend told me that when it comes to archery supplies, Allison is the person to talk to in this store.”

  Tyler puffed out his chest. “Look. If you have a question about archery, trust me. I can definitely help you.”

  I bit my lip. “I don’t know. I think I should probably hold off and wait to talk to Allison. My friend said she’s the absolute best.”

  “I don’t know this friend of yours, but I assure you, I know just as much about archery as Allison does.”

  “Really?”

  He nodded. “Even more, probably. After all, I have over nineteen years of experience with a bow and arrow.”

  “Is that so?”

  “Uh-huh.”

  “In that case, what is the furthest target you have ever hit?”

  He boasted. “Five hundred feet.”

  “Wow. That’s impressive,” I replied.

  “Like I said, I’m very skilled with a bow. That’s why I’m confident that I can answer any question that you might have.”

  “In that case, I do have a few things to ask you.”

  “Fire away.”

  I chuckled. “An archery pun. How appropriate.”

  Tyler threw out his arms. “What can I say? The customers seem to like them.”

  “Speaking of archery, when was the last time you fired your bow?” I asked.

  “About a week ago.”

  “So not sooner?”

  He shook his head. “No. Why?”

  I ignored his question and fired a query of my own at him. “Where were you this morning between eight and nine o’clock?”

  His nose crinkled. “Why do you want to know that?”

  “Could you just answer the question?”

  “No. Why should I? That’s none of your business.”

  “That’s debatable.”

  “Not to me, it isn’t.”

  “Why don’t you just answer my question?”

  “Because I don’t have to.”

  “True. You don’t have to answer me,” I said. “But you won’t be able to avoid my boyfriend’s questions so easily.”

  Confusion took hold of Tyler’s face. “What are you talking about?”

  I turned around and addressed David. “Honey, why don’t you come over here and introduce yourself?”

  David approached with his police badge in hand. “Detective David Carlson. Treasure Cove Police Department.”

  “Detective?” Tyler asked. “What’s this about?”

  I brought David up to speed on the conversation. “Tyler won’t tell me where he was this morning.”

  David stared Tyler down. “I would like to know the answer to that, myself.”

  Tyler shook his head. “I’m not saying anything until you tell me what this is about.”

  “Mr. O’Connell, you don’t get to dictate the terms of this conversation. Now you can either answer the question right now or I can drag you into the station. It’s your call,” David said.

  Tyler groaned. “Fine. I was at home.”

  “If you were at home, then why did you put up such a fuss about answering the question?” David asked.

  “Because I have a right to my privacy,” Tyler replied.

  “Or maybe it’s because you were alone. I’m right, aren’t I?” David asked.

  “Before we go any further, I demand to know what is going on here,” Tyler said.

  “Fair enough,” David replied. “Allison Gordon was found murdered.”

  Tyler raised his eyebrows. “No way. Are you serious?”

  David nodded. “Dead serious.”

  “When did that happen?” Tyler asked.

  “This morning,” David said.

  “That’s crazy,” Tyler said. He tensed up. “Wait a minute. You don’t think I had anything to do with this, do you?”

  “We haven’t ruled anything out. We’re just trying to gather as much information as we can,” David said.

  “Yeah? Well you can rule me out because I had nothing to do with her being killed. I didn’t even know she was dead,” Tyler replied.

  “I would like to believe that,” David said.

  “Then do it. No one’s stopping you,” Tyler replied.

  David grimaced. “I’m afraid it’s not easy.”

  Tyler threw out his arms. “Why not?”

  “To start, you said you were at home during the time of the murder, but is there anyone who can verify your story?” David asked.

  Tyler narrowed his eyes. “Why do I need one?”

  “To confirm that you are telling the truth,” David replied.

  “I was at home. That’s all there is to it,” Tyler said.

  David grimaced. “I’m afraid it doesn’t work that way. And since you haven’t named anyone who can corroborate your story, I have no choice but to be suspicious of your alibi.”

  Tyler scoffed. “This is ridiculous. What reason would I have to kill Allison?”

  I spoke up. “How about the fact that you had a serious ax to grind with her?”

  Tyler shrugged. “What are you talking about?”

  “We know she recently beat you out for a big promotion,” I said. “That must have been a really tough pill for you to swallow—”

  Tyler cut me off. “Don’t put words in my mouth.”

  “Are you going to tell me that wasn’t a big deal?” I asked.

  “Not as much as you seem to think it was,” Tyler replied.

  David folded his arms. “That’s not what your boss just told me.”

  Tyler’s forehead wrinkled. “What?”

  “We did our homework and paid Josh a visit before we came and talked to you,” David said.

  A look of outrage came to Tyler’s face. “You have a lot of nerve.”

  “I was just doing my job,” David said.

  “See. This is why people don’t trust cops.” Tyler shook his head. “I can’t believe you went behind my back looking to stir up trouble with my boss.”

  “That’s not why we spoke with Joshua,” David said.

  “Really? Because you could have fooled me,” Tyler replied.

  “We only talked with your boss so that we could gather as much information as possible,” David said.

  Tyler sneered. “Nice try, but I know you’re trying to put the squeeze on me. You probably think you can trick me into making a confession, even though I didn’t do anything wrong.”

  “Mr. O’Connell, I’d watch what you say. Especially when you’re not as innocent as you’re pretending to be,” David replied.

  Fire came to Tyler’s eyes. “Are you calling me a liar?”

  “Maybe not about committing murder but definitely about your motive,” David said.

  “How dare you talk to me that way?” Tyler asked.

  David kept an even keel as he replied, “You can go on pretending that Allison getting promoted over you wasn’t a big deal, but your boss says otherwise. According to him, you nearly lost your mind when you heard the news. He also told us that you were especially furious about the fact that you got passed over in favor of a woman.”

  “My boss and I remember that conversation differently,” Tyler said.

  “You’re not doing yourself any favors right now. Why do you seem so allergic to telling the truth?” David asked.

  “Look. The only thing that matters is that I didn’t kill Allison,” Tyler said.

  “Mr. O’Connell, I’d really like to believe you. The problem is that you don’t have any proof. You also don’t have a verifiable alibi for the time of the murder. But what you do have in abundance is motive,” David said.

  Tyler scoffed. “Really? You think I would kill her over something as small as a promotion?”

  David nodded. “Yes. After all, if this promotion wasn’t a big deal to you, then why did you threaten to get a lawyer and sue your boss for favoritism?”

  Tyler scowled. “Joshua told you about that?”

  “He did,” David repl
ied. “Now don’t you think it’s about time that you come clean? Each lie that we expose only makes you look worse.”

  Tyler groaned. “Fine. I did threaten to get a lawyer, but in the end, I decided against it.”

  “Because you couldn’t get one to take your case?” David asked.

  Tyler shook his head. “No. Because I moved on. I put my anger behind me.”

  David folded his arms. “You can understand if we have trouble believing that, given all the lies you have told us over the course of this conversation.”

  Tyler’s voice took on a desperate tone. “I’m telling you the truth.”

  “Maybe so. But it’s hard to take your words at face value,” David said.

  “After all, there might have been another reason that you decided against getting a lawyer,” I said.

  “I already told you. I put my anger behind me,” Tyler said.

  “Or maybe you decided to get revenge,” I replied.

  Tyler shook his head. “No. That’s crazy.”

  “Most killers are,” I replied.

  “Except that I’m not a killer,” Tyler said.

  “That is still yet to be determined,” I replied. “One thing is not in doubt, however. You cannot be taken at your word.”

  “I have already told you the truth. It’s not my fault if you don’t believe me,” Tyler replied.

  “Actually, when you lie to us repeatedly, that is your fault,” David said.

  “I don’t have anything else to say,” Tyler replied.

  David narrowed his eyes. “Mr. O’Connell, you don’t get to decide when we’re done.”

  “Don’t I? Well guess what? I’m not saying another word to you unless a lawyer is present,” Tyler replied.

  I chuckled.

  Tyler sneered at me. “What are you laughing at?”

  “I was just wondering if there’s any problem in your life that you don’t want to hire a lawyer to fix for you,” I replied.

  “You can wonder as much as you want, but I’m done talking to you,” Tyler replied.

  “Fair enough,” David said. “That said, lawyer or not, we’re not stopping until we find out the truth.”

  David could have dragged Tyler into the police station and continued questioning him with a lawyer present, but he decided against it. Not only was it still early in the case, but David wasn’t even convinced that Tyler was guilty. There certainly wasn’t any evidence pinning him to the crime. So even though there was plenty of suspicion to go around, David and I begrudgingly moved on, hoping that more concrete evidence would eventually surface.

  Chapter Sixteen

  By that point, my stomach was rumbling. Normally, in the heat of investigating a case, I tried to shelve my hunger. But since David and I were fresh out of suspects, grabbing a bite to eat seemed like the next logical step.

  There was no better place in Treasure Cove to grab a quick bite to eat than my friend Shannon’s sandwich shop. Her food always hit the spot.

  Thankfully, it wasn’t tourist season, which meant that the place wasn’t jammed with customers. I was in no mood to wait in a long line.

  As David and I entered the shop with food on the brain, Shannon clearly had other things on her mind.

  My petite thirty-year-old redheaded friend was locking lips with her muscular six-foot-two thirty-three-year-old boyfriend, Joe Marlowe.

  “Get a room already,” I joked.

  Shannon and Joe abruptly pulled back from their kiss and glanced my way.

  “After you make me a sandwich, of course,” I deadpanned.

  David grimaced. “You’ll have to forgive Sabrina’s stomach. It has a mind of its own tonight.”

  Shannon took a sassy tone with me as she replied. “Getting a room isn’t a half bad idea.” She glanced at Joe. “What do you say we go and do that?”

  I gave Shannon a courtesy smile. “Very funny. But all joking aside, I am ridiculously hungry. Can I get my usual?”

  Joe ignored my comment and gazed at Shannon. “Why just get any room? I don’t think we should settle for anything less than the honeymoon suite.”

  With that last statement, the conversation veered from playful banter to something else entirely.

  As I looked at Shannon and Joe, they were doing more than just being flirtatious with each other. A glimmer was in each of their eyes. My curiosity took hold of me.

  “Honeymoon suite?” I replied.

  Shannon and Joe were giddy as they gazed at each other.

  Confusion came to my face. “Wait a minute. What’s going on here?”

  For a moment, I thought I was missing out on some kind of inside joke that was going on between them.

  Then Shannon held her hand out.

  A dazzling ring was on her finger.

  I became awestruck as I stared at the ring. “Hello diamond.”

  Shannon smiled from ear to ear. “Say hello to my sparkly new best friend.”

  At that moment, I couldn’t stop looking at the ring if I tried. Not that I was in any hurry to turn my focus elsewhere. A ring like that commanded attention, and my eyes were happy to oblige. “That diamond is not afraid to show off, is it?”

  “It sure isn’t,” Shannon replied.

  Until that point, both David and Joe were content to remain quiet while Shannon and I gawked over the new ring.

  David was unable to stay speechless any longer. “I’ll say. That is one big rock.” He glanced at Joe. “It looks like you spared no expense.”

  “It’s not about the expense. Or the size of the rock. All that matters is that Shannon said yes,” Joe replied.

  “Of course I said yes. Did you ever doubt that I would?” Shannon asked.

  “I knew what I wanted you to say. But you can never be sure that you’re going to get the answer that you’re looking for until you’ve asked the question,” Joe said.

  “He may have been nervous about what the answer would be, but I was on pins and needles wondering when he would finally pop the question,” Shannon replied.

  “Well, the wait is over now,” Joe said.

  Shannon smiled. “It sure is. And I’m thankful for that.”

  “Speaking of questions, did you just propose a few minutes ago? Did we almost walk in to see you on bended knee?” I asked.

  Joe shook his head. “No. I proposed last night.”

  A shocked expression was on my face as I turned to Shannon. “And you kept this news from your best friend all day?”

  “There’s a good explanation for that,” Shannon replied.

  I put my hands on my hips. “There had better be.”

  “I was going to wait and tell you when you solved Allison’s murder,” Shannon said.

  I groaned. “In that case, you could be waiting a while.”

  “I’m sorry to hear that,” Shannon said.

  “So am I,” I replied.

  “We both are,” David added.

  “But forget about the case,” I said. “You’re engaged. Congratulations. I’m so happy for you.”

  I threw my arms around Shannon and gave her a big hug.

  “Thanks. I have felt like I’ve been walking on air all day,” Shannon said.

  I glanced at Joe. “How about you?”

  “Are you kidding?” Joe asked. “I’m the happiest man in the world right now.”

  Shannon grinned. “What a coincidence. Because I’m the happiest woman in the world.”

  I laughed. “You two really should get a room.”

  “Don’t tempt us,” Shannon replied.

  “I wouldn’t dare tempt you,” I said. “Especially since I have an empty stomach.”

  “I’ll get started on your sandwiches.” Shannon glanced at David. “The usual for you, too?”

  David nodded. “That would be great.”

  “Coming up,” Shannon said.

  “Speaking of, I’d like some extra bacon on my sandwich,” I replied.

  “Really?” Shannon asked. “Should I even bother asking ho
w the case is going?”

  “You don’t happen to have any Halloween candy around here, do you?” I replied.

  “You’re having a bacon craving and a chocolate craving at the same time? This case must be a beast,” Shannon said.

  “You don’t even know the half of it,” I replied.

  Chapter Seventeen

  After such an exhausting day of investigating, I ended up calling it an early night. The good news was that I slept like a rock. The bad news was that I didn’t wake up in the morning with any fresh ideas in my mind about the case.

  Perhaps some coffee would change that. I could definitely use the caffeine. The second day of an investigation was always the hardest. All the suspects had been interviewed and the best leads had been chased down. Getting a break in the case now would require some digging. Of course, a little bit of luck wouldn’t hurt, either.

  This wasn’t an unfamiliar position for me. Just like with the previous cases I had worked on, I felt like David and I were so close to finding out the truth. I got the sense that we were on the cusp of making a big discovery. We were just missing one crucial piece of the puzzle. The problem was that I never knew where the big break would come from.

  Before I got too worked up thinking about the case, I headed over to Daley Buzz. Not only was a pumpkin-flavored latte in my future but perhaps some useful gossip as well. I had no doubt in my mind that the customers at the shop would be discussing Allison’s murder. Maybe one of them had heard a juicy tidbit that would prove beneficial to the investigation.

  Finding out the answer to that question would have to wait. When I pulled my car in front of Daley Buzz, I ended up running into Daphne Lipton, who was leaving the shop just as I was about to go in.

  Daphne looked happy to see me.

  The same could not be said for Jake Williamson, who stood on the sidewalk and appeared to be in no mood to speak with me.

  But, as much as Jake loathed being around me, he did not seem excited about the possibility of his girlfriend speaking with me alone. No doubt that was because he feared that I would bad-mouth him if he didn’t join the conversation.

  Daphne, meanwhile, had other matters on her mind as she addressed me. “Sabrina, I don’t know your family’s secret, but this is the best latte I’ve ever had.”