Caramel Fudge & Murder Read online

  “I have a feeling they’re going to get a standing ovation,” said Amy.

  Closing Night

  That night, Heather found herself back in the audience of the theater, but with different seat neighbors. Ryan was sitting next to her, and she was glad to have him. Besides the fact that she loved spending time with her husband whether they were on a case, playing dinosaurs with their daughter, or just talking – Heather liked being next to him when he saw his partner on stage. She could tell that he was proud of the young detective that he was helping to become more confident in his decisions as an officer. She figured they mirrored her own feelings of pride in seeing Digby do a good job.

  Next to them were their senior friends Eva and Leila. The ladies had come with them on the opening night of the show with Eva’s new beau Vincent, but they had decided to see the show one more time just the two of them. They wanted to make a big fuss over Digby and ask him to sign their programs. Then, they planned on continuing their girls’ night at home with some donuts and a glass of wine.

  Amy and Jamie were at the theater but were not sitting close to them. Jamie wanted to watch the show from a different position to see if there were even more nuances to the performance that they missed.

  Heather cast a look around the darkened audience, trying to remember exactly where her friends were sitting. It was somewhere in the back that was supposed to have a good angle to see Digby play his guitar near the end.

  As she looked around, she realized that Hope’s review of the play must have been favorable and encouraged people to buy tickets. If the house wasn’t sold out, it was close to it. She was happy that so many people were supporting the local theater and that her friends were a part of it.

  She decided that if Digby was a part of another play, she wanted to be a part of it too. She wasn’t ready to join a cast onstage, but she would be happy to donate some donut concessions to raise funds during intermission. She would just have to choose flavors that weren’t too sticky so the theatergoers wouldn’t ruin their programs or messy the seats.

  She couldn’t find Amy’s blonde head in the audience, but she did see something unexpected. Leon appeared to be sneaking down the aisle and into a seat. It was the second half of the show. Why was he so late? And did he seem a bit disheveled? What had he been up to?

  Heather realized that she was being suspicious of a friend’s son, and decided to ignore it. It was possible that Leon could be returning from the bathroom and just needed to tuck his shirt back in.

  Ryan turned his head towards Heather and raised an eyebrow, silently asking if there was a problem. Heather shook her head and turned back towards the action onstage. Detective Peters was about to come on and give a neighborly speech about the merits of sod.

  Heather laughed as his character bothered Digby’s character about his lawn. The play became dramatic towards the end as Digby’s character wondered whether the people he encountered in his everyday life were figments of his imagination. Heather felt as emotional as she had the first time she saw the play. It was a very moving scene.

  When the play ended, Heather rose to her feet, leading the crowd in a standing ovation.

  “I was going to lead the ovation,” Eva teased. “But your knees are a bit more spry than mine, dear.”

  “I think this was so good, it deserves more than a standing ovation,” Leila joked. “Should we give a leaping or dancing ovation too?”

  They cheered for the whole cast, but especially when Detective Peters and Digby bowed. People were whistling and yelling “bravo” for Digby because he had done so well in the lead part.

  After the show, when they met him in the lobby, they mentioned the amount of applause to Digby.

  “Was it that loud?” Digby asked, with exaggerated modesty for comic effect. “I don’t even hear it anymore.”

  “I’ll say it anyway,” Heather began. “It was just as wonderful the third time seeing it.”

  “And there was even more to pick up on,” Jamie agreed. “Once you know the ending for the character, you can see so much foreshadowing throughout the play. And really nuanced performances.”

  “He’s so good you can hardly believe he’s only been in that role for a week,” Amy said.

  Eva and Leila cooed over Digby to make him feel special, and he blushed. He signed their programs with a flourish.

  “It feels nice to have fans,” he said.

  “You were really great,” Leon agreed. “I was glued to my seat the whole time.”

  Heather was surprised to hear that but kept it to herself. Leon hadn’t been in his seat the whole time. He had definitely been away from it during the second act, and when she thought about it, she hadn’t seen him when everyone was taking their seats before the show began.

  “Well, I better get going,” Digby said. “We have gifts to give to the crew and then we’re heading over to the cast party.”

  “Have fun, dear,” Eva said.

  “Thanks for the Caramel Fudge Donuts you gave me for the party,” Digby said.

  “I was happy to give something to the cast,” Heather said. “They deserve something sweet after their performance.”

  Digby thanked her again and then turned to Leon, “Are you coming?”

  “Sure,” Leon said. He ran a hand through his hair and then followed Digby off.

  “I suppose we should be getting home too,” Eva said with a mischievous grin. “We older ladies can’t stay out too late.”

  “Not if there are wine and donuts at home!” Leila said.

  “We can take them in our car,” Jamie said.

  The three duos actually all lived next to one another, so carpooling was easy. One of the selling points, when they decided to move to Key West, was learning how close they could all live to one another.

  “We’ll be right behind you,” Heather said with a laugh. “But we want to see Peters before we go.”

  Amy and Jamie left with Eva and Leila, while Heather and Ryan searched the lobby for Peters.

  “Do you think there will be any donuts left when we get home?” Ryan joked.

  “That is probably why they rushed out of here,” Heather agreed.

  They walked through the throng of people, congratulating other cast members and chatting about the play. When they found Peters, he was talking to the press.

  “Thank you for your write up in the paper,” he told Hope.

  She shrugged. “It was true. I write what I see. The story was that the play was a new work that was very ably performed.”

  “You used some even nicer descriptors in the review,” he said. “And I think it helped to sell tickets tonight. The theater really appreciates it. And did you really mean everything you wrote?”

  “Of course,” she said with a big smile.

  “You meant that I was a bright light onstage? That I found clues offstage and mastered cues onstage?”

  “I thought that was a nice analogy,” said Hope, playing with her hair a bit.

  “Well, it was very nice of you to include me in your review,” Detective Peters said, turning red and looking down at his feet.

  “As I said, I was happy to. You were wonderful. And I hope to do more stories with you. Maybe on some of your cases? Like if you ever want to talk to someone in the press about a case, I’d love to hear about it.”

  Peters stopped looking at his feet and looked up at her. His jawline hardened. “I see what this really is. You did a puff piece about the play so I’d tell you police secrets in the future. You’re attempting to bribe me. You didn’t like the show.”

  “Are you insulting my work and saying I’m a dishonest writer?” Hope asked with her hands on hips. “And by the way, I did come back to see it a second time.”

  “To try and flatter me into giving you a story,” Peters said, accusatory.

  “That’s not what I was doing,” Hope said. “Even though, I am always looking for a story if someone has one.”

  “Well, you won’t find one here,” Peters
said, storming off.

  “Fine!” Hope said, walking the other direction.

  Heather and Ryan had watched the whole interaction, hoping to catch Peters after the exchange. However, he hurried away before they could talk to him.

  “I’ll just tell him he did a good job tomorrow at work,” Ryan said, and they began leaving the theater. “I can see why you don’t like that reporter.”

  “It’s not that I dislike her,” Heather said. “But she can be pushy.”

  As they reached the car, Heather frowned. Despite the quality of the show, the interactions after the show had caused her to fall into a bad mood. Hope potentially trying to bribe Peters for future leads in stories and Leon lying about being in his seat the whole time were bothering her.

  “What’s wrong?” Ryan asked.

  “Nothing really,” Heather said. “Just some things I overheard. But I suppose most everyone tells little white lies now and again.”

  “Even you?” Ryan teased.

  “Well,” Heather said. “There was a time when you didn’t want me investigating murders, and I might have had to stretch the little back then.”

  Ryan smiled.

  Heather was glad that they worked together now that she was a licensed investigator, and she was glad that there currently weren’t any killers on the loose.

  Called to a Crime Scene

  The next morning, Heather wiped down the counters at Donut Delights after a busy morning serving customers. Her mind kept wandering, and she wondered what Ryan was up to that morning. He had been called into work early, and Heather wondered if he had a new murder case on his hands.

  He usually called Heather and Amy in to help on a case if it seemed difficult, but he hadn’t called her yet. However, maybe he wanted to give her a little time off. Heather had been able to spend time with Lilly that morning before she saw her off to school, and then she had been able to focus on making Caramel Fudge Donuts.

  However, now she was back to wondering what was going on with the Key West Police. She looked up and saw that Luz also looked lost in thought, wiping down the other counter.

  “Is everything all right?” Heather asked.

  “I didn’t realize it was showing on my face,” Luz said. “It’s a mother’s worry.”

  “Is there something wrong with Leon?” Heather asked, temporarily fearing the worst.

  “No. Nothing to cause you to worry too,” Luz said, setting down her cleaning cloth. “It just seemed like something was bothering him yesterday.”

  “After the show?”

  “No. I was asleep when he came home from the cast party. He and Digby must have been partying late. This morning my husband said that Leon made a ruckus coming inside, but I slept through it all.”

  Heather briefly considered how her daughter was about to become a teenager and wondered what sort of rebellion or angst that might breed, but then focused on what Luz was telling her. She knew that her daughter Lilly was one of the sweetest children in the world, and she was sure that they could survive her teenage years together.

  “It was before the show that he was upset,” Luz explained. “He was going to see his friend Eric that afternoon, but he was home much earlier than expected. Leon was considering having dinner with us after all, but then decided he had something to do before Digby’s show. It just seemed that something was upsetting him.”

  “Maybe he and Eric weren’t as close as he remembered,” Heather said. “I’m lucky that Amy and I have stayed best friends, but I have lost touch with some other friends from school.”

  “Maybe that’s it,” Luz said, seeming visibly calmer. “Maybe he just had a disagreement with a friend. Oh, that takes me back to Croc days.”

  “To what?”

  “At the local high school, their mascot is a crocodile, but everyone calls it the Croc. That was before the shoes with the same name.”

  Heather laughed. “Now that you mention it, I think I did know that was the mascot. Lilly’s not at that school yet though.”

  “When Leon was in high school, and it wasn’t that long ago, only two years, he and Eric would squabble. They both wanted to be the captain of the soccer team. They both wanted to be the Head Croc. I think it drove a wedge between then when Leon got the position. That’s when he and Digby became better friends. But Leon and Eric did remain friends. Just not quite as close.”

  Heather moved closer to her assistant to let her know by her presence that she supported her. The two women smiled at each other.

  “I shouldn’t be so worried. Leon was never one to get into trouble,” Luz said. “And going to the party with Digby must be a good way for him to blow off steam.”

  “I’m sure everything will be fine,” Heather agreed.

  “I just miss him so much when he’s away that I want everything to be perfect for him when he’s home,” Luz admitted.

  “With parents like you, his best friend and good food here, I’m sure it is.”

  Luz was in a much better mood after this conversation and began humming as she refilled the napkin dispensers.

  Heather was starting to feel happier too when her phone rang. She saw it was a call from Ryan and answered quickly.

  “I was trying not to call you in on this case,” Ryan began. “But I think we can use all the help we can get.”

  “Why didn’t you want to call me?” Heather asked. “I thought you liked my help on cases.”

  “Because this is a sad case,” Ryan said. “The victim was a young woman. About Digby’s age.”

  “Oh,” Heather said. It was sad whenever anyone died, especially in a violent manner such as murder. However, Heather admitted that she hated coming across murder victims who were killed just as they were beginning their adult lives.

  “She was strangled just outside her bedroom,” Ryan said.

  “It doesn’t matter the circumstances,” Heather said. “Of course, I want to help.”

  The Victim

  “I don’t know about this, Heather,” Amy said, as they approached the house that held the crime scene they were going to investigate. “This case sounds upsetting. Maybe we should head home, get under some blankets, and have some donuts and cocoa.”

  “That sounds lovely, even in this Florida heat,” Heather said. “But it will have to wait until after we catch the killer.”

  “Fine,” Amy said. “But it’s going to be awfully hard to keep my New Year’s Resolution not to scream when I see this body. And I’ve been doing so well this year.”

  “The medical examiner already removed the body from the scene,” Heather said. “Now, let’s find Ryan to get the rest of the details.”

  Amy nodded, and they walked up the steps to the porch, waiting for Ryan or Detective Peters to meet them so they could cross the crime scene tape without disrupting any potential clues.

  As they waited, Heather looked at the porch. It appeared like a mix of adult and teen styles. The address was written in cursive metal on the side of the house, and there were several potted plants around the edge. There was also a large flag for the local high school’s Crocs, and the welcome mat was hot pink.

  “Hi, I’m glad you both could—“ Peters began greeting them before interrupting himself with a yawn. “Come and help. I’m sorry. It was a late night last night.”

  “I’m glad it’s not just that we’re boring you,” Amy said.

  “What can you tell us about the crime?” Heather asked, focusing on business.

  “The victim was found over here,” Peters said, leading them down the hall. “Outside of her bedroom.”

  Ryan emerged from the room with his notebook and joined them. He continued telling them about the victim’s death. “She was strangled right here. There were no other obvious signs of assault or trauma besides the neck injuries. She did have a bruise on her leg where it’s possible she might have been tripped.”

  Peters yawned. “I’m so sorry,” he said, quickly. “It’s not the situation. It’s that I didn’t get much sl
eep.”

  Ryan turned back to Heather. “The medical examiner needs to conduct his autopsy, but the cause of death looks pretty obvious. There was still the tie around her neck when she was found.”

  “A tie?” asked Heather.

  “Yes,” said Ryan. “Like a man’s suit tie.”

  “So, I’m guessing the killer is a man?” asked Amy.

  “If he used his own, then it’s most likely,” Ryan said. “I know ties can be used in some women’s outfits too, but this was an extra large size that points to a man. Though it is possible that the victim was holding onto the tie.”

  “Like it belonged to an ex-boyfriend?” asked Heather.

  Ryan nodded. Heather took a few steps down the hall and looked a picture of a young woman on the wall. Her strawberry blonde hair was styled under a graduation cap, and she was smiling happily.

  “What was her name?” Heather asked.

  “Angela Fiat,” Ryan reported. “She lived here alone after her parents died in a car crash her senior year at high school.”

  That explained the mix of décor that Heather saw on the porch and around the house. There were some things that remained from when her whole family lived there, and some changes made when Angela inherited the house.

  “Could the tie have been her father’s?” Heather asked, wondering if that would explain the tie in the house.

  Ryan shook his head. “There are some of her parents’ belongings kept in the room down the hall, but it looks like all the clothing had been donated.”

  “Who found the body?” Heather asked.

  “Angela worked at a clothing store,” Peters began before yawning. He shook his head, annoyed at himself.

  “When she didn’t show up for her shift, a coworker called her emergency contact,” Ryan continued. “Apparently, she’s never late. The emergency contact is the neighbor across the street. She came to check on Angela and found her body.”