Chocolate Chocolate Murder: A Donut Hole Cozy Mystery - Book 56 Read online

  “I can say the same about you, Shepherd.” He smiled back. He thought about it and then said, “Getting away from Hoskins could be a positive reason for moving to Key West. Though would we be afraid to leave Hillside in his hands?”

  “I don’t even want to talk about a move or Key West tonight,” Heather said.

  “Oh,” said Ryan. “Is it bad to bring up that being inspired by our talk about the location, I picked up a dinner with a tropical theme? Shrimp and fish.”

  “No. That makes picking up dinner even sweeter,” she said.

  “Why don’t you want to think about it tonight?”

  “It’s just that Rudolph Rodney tried to talk to me about it at Donut Delights today right in front of Amy and Mona. You should have seen Mona’s face when she thought I was going to bail on her wedding. And Amy is decidedly against our moving.”

  “I know it’s hard. But we can’t let our friends dictate our lives. We’re going to have to decide what is best for our family,” Ryan said.

  “I know,” Heather said, as they began to set the food on the table.

  “How are you feeling about it right now?”

  “I’m not sure,” Heather said. “If I was against it, I’m sure I would have told Rudolph Rodney no right away. I’m intrigued by the offer. But it is a big change. I’d miss everyone. Still, part of me wants to run with the opportunity and see where Donut Delights can take me.”

  “I think I feel the same. Ever since we talked about, I’ve been thinking about how exciting a new city could be for us. I also wouldn’t mind being near the beach,” Ryan said.

  “We probably should sit down with Rudolph Rodney and get some more details,” Heather said. “But he shouldn’t talk about it in front of our friends until we have a firmer idea about what we’re feeling. We haven’t even talked to Lilly about it.”

  “Talked to me about what?” Lilly asked, entering with the family pets. Dave, the dog, seemed to sense that secrets were being kept and began sniffing to figure out what it was. The kitten Cupcake began climbing up Lilly’s leg, determined not to be ignored during an important family talk.

  “I guess it’s time to face the music,” Heather said.

  “Did something bad happen?” Lilly asked.

  “No,” Heather said. “Nothing like that. This might be a very good thing. It might not happen at all. It’s just something that we’ve begun discussing.”

  “What is it?” Asked Lilly. “You’re not giving very good clues right now.”

  Heather smiled and then said, “We’ve been discussing the possibility of moving to Key West, Florida. Donut Delights has an opportunity to expand there. The investor would like us to go there for at least a year. I suppose after that time, we could stay there or return to Hillside or go someplace new. There are some things that could be very exciting for us there. But it would be a change. How would you feel about it?”

  Lilly thought about it. “There have been some very good things that happened for us in Hillside, but there have also been some pretty bad things too.”

  “She had a point,” Ryan said.

  “I want to support you both as much as possible. And I know Donut Delights would be successful somewhere else too because it is great,” Lilly said.

  Heather felt that Lilly was holding something back. “We don’t need to decide this tonight,” Heather said. “And if there’s anything that’s bothering you, we can discuss it.”

  “You have another year before you go to high school,” Ryan said. “And I think that wherever we end up, we’d make sure that we’d stay there for your high school years. We wouldn’t want to uproot you then.”

  Lilly smiled at her parents. She thought a bit and then said, “Okay. I think I have my answer for now.”

  Heather held her breath. She knew that she had been thinking about Lilly’s future in the move in regards to how a successful business could provide more for her, but she realized that she did not know what Lilly’s immediate feelings would be about it. If she hated the idea, would it be fair to continue considering it?

  “I see how this move could be good for the family and for donut-loving people everywhere,” Lilly said. “I would be willing to move on two conditions.”

  “A negotiation,” Heather remarked.

  Lilly joined her parents at the bargaining/kitchen table. Dave joined them and barked for emphasis at the importance of the moment.

  “One,” said Lilly. “I want to be able to video chat with my friends, Marlene and Nicolas. We could set up a computer or I could borrow your tablet for me to use. But I think we should get Nicolas a tablet too in case there’s not something available at the children’s shelter.”

  “I think we could do that,” Heather said.

  “It sounds doable,” agreed Ryan.

  “The second condition is bigger,” said Lilly. “But we’d be moving because business is doing well. So, I think we’d have a little money.”

  “Does she want a pony?” Ryan asked.

  “It’s Florida,” said Heather. “She must want a boat.”

  “I want Nicolas to be able to visit us during school breaks. If he hasn’t been adopted yet, I want him to be able to stay as long as possible. And when he does get his own mom and dad, we’ll just have to ask them for permission. Maybe they could visit too.”

  Heather and Ryan exchanged a look.

  “Yes,” Heather said. “We agree to these terms.”

  “If this move does happen, I’ll make arrangements so that Nicolas can travel and stay with us. I think we’ve gone through enough background checks and know enough people in Hillside that it can be arranged,” said Ryan.

  “And we would still come back to visit,” Heather assured her. “We’d have to be here for Col and Mona’s wedding. And there could be other special events we come for too. We can’t fly here every weekend, but I’d want to make sure to see Eva and Leila and Amy whenever we can.”

  “I have one more question,” Lilly said.

  “What?” asked Heather.

  “Can we eat? Dinner smells delicious.”

  She laughed. Then they started eating. They enjoyed a good meal together. Dave and Cupcake were successful at begging. They might not have been as happy as if they were getting donut pieces, but they enjoyed the shrimp.

  They were just deciding what they should do for their evening’s activities when Ryan’s phone rang. She could tell from his tone they were being called to go to a crime scene. It looked like the evening’s plans were just decided for them.

  Chapter 4

  Heather shook her head as she arrived at the crime scene. It was the same dress boutique that she had visited with Amy and Mona earlier. However, covered with crime scene tape, Lordlittle’s Lovely Gowns, looked like an entirely different place.

  She was soon joined by Amy who seemed a little grumpy.

  “I’m surprised you decided to tell me about this case and not just keep your plans a secret,” she said.

  “I know you’re unhappy that I’m considering moving. But I’m just considering it. I haven’t decided,” Heather said. “Please don’t be passive aggressive.”

  “I’m never passive,” said Amy. “And I’m only aggressive when there’s only one donut left.”

  Heather wasn’t sure if they had completely made up, so she decided to focus on the case. “Ryan said that Sheila Lordlittle was found murdered.”

  “I hope this doesn’t upset Mona,” Amy said. Heather thought that they were going to find common ground to agree upon and move forward, but before Heather could respond, Amy added, “I think about these things because I’m one of her Maids of Honor.”

  “So am I,” said Heather.

  “I hope you’re not planning on moving away from the bride in her time of need.”

  “I plan on catching Sheila Lordlittle’s murderer,” Heather said. With that, she marched up to the entrance to the boutique. Amy hurried to catch up with her.

  Before either of them had a chance to
air their grievances again, Ryan joined them, and they were forced to be professional.

  “I have to warn you,” Ryan said. “You might find this crime scene upsetting.”

  “Is the body still here?” Amy asked.

  “No, they removed it already.”

  “How was she killed?” Heather asked.

  “It appears to be strangulation,” said Ryan.

  Heather nodded. She and Amy followed Ryan towards the dressing room area. Heather was wary. Strangulation wouldn’t leave much blood, so what was at the crime scene that would be so upsetting to see?

  When they reached the changing area, Heather saw what he meant. The mirrors reflecting the crime scene only made it more ominous. Dresses had been ripped, and their shreds were found on the floor. The room looked like the killer had been active and angry. They had also scrawled a hateful message onto the wall: How’s this for your something blue?

  Heather raised a hand to her mouth in shock.

  “She was strangled?” Heather asked. “So, the something blue is her corpse after she was killed?”

  “The fabric that was used was also blue,” Ryan said. “It looks like she was strangled with a thick piece of blue fabric. We believe it was one of the dresses, but need to examine everything.”

  “Either way that message is cringe-worthy,” Amy said. “Why would somebody write that?”

  “Why would somebody write that?” Heather asked again, considering it. “Did the killer write it before the murder to scare Ms. Lordlittle? Or after to taunt her in death?”

  “Whatever way you look at it, I think we’re facing a seriously scary killer,” said Amy.

  Heather looked around the room and at all the evidence of rage. Hopefully, there would be some DNA evidence in the room that would help point to the killer. She was about to ask when Ryan answered her question.

  “The forensic team has taken many samples. Hopefully, something will provide us with a clue as to who the killer is. Unfortunately, many of these fabrics don’t hold fingerprints well.”

  Heather looked at the writing on the wall. “Do you think we could match the handwriting here to the killer’s? The G is very curly.”

  “It might be possible,” said Ryan. “Though I think writing upright on a wall could look different than writing on a piece of paper.”

  “We should bring in a chalkboard and have all the suspects write on it,” said Amy.

  “First, we need to find our suspects,” said Heather.

  Chapter 5

  Heather, Amy, and Ryan joined the assistant Ollie who had been waiting with an officer in the boutique office. He had been the one to find the body and call the police. However, he didn’t have the look of someone who just found the dead body of someone he knew. In fact, he had a slight smile on his face when they came in.

  “The customers who just happened to be in the shop today are here investigating,” Ollie said. “I get it.”

  “We do seem to have great timing like that,” Amy said. “Or terrible timing, depending on how you look at it.”

  “These two are private investigators who assist the Hillside Police with certain cases,” Ryan said.

  Heather held back a smile. She and Amy had been helping with all the murder cases in Hillside for quite a while now. She was sure that the police (maybe excluding Hoskins) would eventually solve the crimes, but her knack for sleuthing had uncovered many important clues and caught many a killer.

  “Right,” Ollie said with a wink. “I get it.”

  “Get what?” asked Heather.

  “I get what’s going on here,” he said.

  “Would you mind enlightening us?” Ryan asked. He took out his notebook, while Amy took out a tablet. They were both ready to hear what Ollie’s thoughts on this murder matter were.

  “I’ll play along if you want me to,” Ollie said. “Do you want me to cry? Should I be angry?”

  “You should be telling us what you know about this murder,” Heather said.

  “Right,” Ollie said, winking again.

  “Stop winking at my wife,” Ryan said. “And tell us when you came back to the boutique.”

  Ollie looked uncomfortable for a moment, but then smiled and jumped into his story. “We worked until five and then closed for the day. Abigail and I left, but Ms. Lordlittle stayed behind. She does that a lot. Around seven I realized I forgot my phone charger at work. I decided to come back and see if I could get it.”

  “You knew that Ms. Lordlittle would still be here?” Heather asked.

  “She stays late a lot,” Ollie said. “So, I thought there was a good chance. And I needed to charge my phone, so if I couldn’t get in and get mine, I’d have to go and buy a new one.”

  “Did many people know that Sheila Lordlittle was prone to working late at the shop?” Ryan asked.

  Ollie shrugged. “I guess so.”

  “So, what happened when you arrived at the shop?” asked Ryan.

  “Well, the door was unlocked, so I was able to go inside,” said Ollie. “I headed towards the back to get my charger, but then I saw all the ripped fabric. So, I headed towards the changing area, and that’s when I saw the performance art project.”

  “Performance art project?” Heather asked.

  “Yeah,” Ollie said. “That’s what all this is, right? Mr. Lordlittle is doing something artsy. Something about the new beginnings on weddings and the endings in death? I don’t always get the symbolism, but I think I understood this one.”

  “I think there’s still a lot you don’t understand,” Amy said.

  “Why would Sheila Lordlittle be doing performance art?” Heather asked.

  “She was always going on about how she was an artist. No, an artiste. And so, she tried a new art form to attract attention,” Ollie said. “And she might have thought this would be good for business. We’ve been a little slow, and she needed something exciting to attract customers.”

  “So, she killed herself in order to be an artistic business owner?” Amy asked, raising an eyebrow.

  “She’s not dead,” Ollie said.

  “Mr. Evans, Sheila Lordlittle is indeed dead,” Ryan said.

  “Right,” Ollie said. He was about to wink again but refrained after remembering how Ryan had said to stop before.

  “The medical examiner took her body away,” Ryan said.

  “So, nobody else could get a closer look,” said Ollie.

  “So we could start collecting evidence to discover who her murderer is,” said Heather.

  “But it’s all a show,” said Ollie.

  “It’s not,” said Heather.

  “You think she really was murdered?” asked Ollie.

  “It would be pretty hard to strangle yourself,” said Amy.

  “Were there any blue dresses in your shop with special meaning?” asked Ryan.

  “We had a good amount of blue dresses,” said Ollie. “I guess every dress that is or is going to be part of a wedding would have special meaning. I can’t think of one in particular. Blue is a popular color.”

  “Did you recognize the fabric on the murder weapon found on the victim?” asked Ryan.

  “I remember it was blue, but I was too shocked at the time to notice anything else. I ran away to call the police. I was feeling very panicky until I realized what Ms. Lordlittle was up to,” Ollie said. He paused and thought about it. “You’re telling me it’s really not a performance art piece?”

  “I assure you it’s not,” said Ryan.

  Ollie nodded. “Then it’s to teach us a lesson.”

  “A customer?” asked Heather.

  “No. Ms. Lordlittle. She must have been practicing, but I came back early. She probably wanted to shock Abigail and me when we came in in the morning.”

  “What lesson would she want to teach you?” Heather asked.

  “Something about appreciating her and appreciating the one of a kind dresses. She could be a very demanding boss. She would tell us we weren’t dedicated enough to the cause
.”

  “And how did that make you feel?” asked Heather.

  “Unhappy,” said Ollie. “Abigail and I worked really hard sewing her crazy designs. She didn’t appreciate us.”

  “Did you feel you needed to teach her a lesson?” asked Ryan.

  Ollie looked confused and then laughed. “I get it. You’re treating me like a suspect now. Like this is part of an investigation.”

  “This is an investigation,” said Ryan. “And you are acting suspiciously.”