Chocolate Hazelnut & Murder_An Oceanside Cozy Mystery Book 27 Read online

  “What did you do then?” asked Heather.

  “I checked to see what he meant and saw that somebody had beheaded the bunny. I remembered your husband was a detective, so I asked Tony to see if he could help.”

  “Why didn’t you ask?” Amy asked.

  “I was trying to order another giant chocolate bunny. I called the place that we had ordered the first one from, but they couldn’t have gotten us another one within the hour. I called a few more places and then, realized it was a lost cause.”

  “We’d like to know the names of some of these places,” Heather said.

  “You can look it up on my phone,” Gilbert said, gesturing.

  Heather picked up his cell phone and looked at the call log. There did appear to be several calls around the time that Tony had asked Ryan to help with the chocolate case. That didn’t prove that Gilbert wasn’t in the woods killing Brian Silver in between the times these calls were placed, but his uncaring attitude towards showing his call records made her think he wasn’t the killer.

  Heather handed the phone to Amy so her friend could include the call record in the notes she was taking.

  “And what did you do after your last call to ChocolaTopia?” Heather asked.

  “Well,” Gilbert said, hugging the white blanket closer to him. “When I realized that I couldn’t get a replacement chocolate bunny, I realized it was even more important that my appearance as the Easter Bunny be perfect. I moved from the detector tent towards my costume hiding place, but then I saw it was missing. That’s about the time that you saw me asking Jill what had happened.”

  Heather nodded. “I have another question for you, Mr. Paul. Do you know anyone who would have wanted to hurt Brian?”

  “No,” said Gilbert. “This was a senseless act of violence. Like everything else that day. Just senseless.”

  “Everyone in the club got along with Brian Silver?” Heather asked.

  “He could be a little odd, but we all had our quirks in the club,” said Gilbert. “Nadine liked being jealous. Rankle liked being cranky. Ben liked being late. But we all liked searching for metal treasures.”

  “Thank you for answering our questions,” Heather said, starting to rise.

  “I still have questions,” said Gilbert. “Why? Why did this happen? Why kill poor Brian? Why steal the bunny suit? Why make the Easter Bunny something less pure? And why return the suit?”

  “What was that?” Amy asked.

  “Why did he return the suit?” Gilbert repeated.

  “The suit was returned to you?” Heather asked, wanting to make sure that she heard that right.

  Gilbert nodded. He unfurled the white fabric he was holding. It wasn’t a blanket after all. It was the Easter Bunny costume.

  Bunny Talk

  “It certainly is strange,” Peters said.

  “Everything about this case is strange,” Amy said.

  Heather nodded. “She’s right. Is the chocolate related? Is the costume related? And why kill Brian Silver then? Was it because a crowd was there and the killer hoped to throw off suspicion? Using the metal detector might not have been the best choice of a murder weapon then.”

  Heather and Amy had brought the Easter Bunny costume over to Ryan and Detective Peters at the police station. Ryan had sent the costume to the lab to check for hair and DNA traces.

  Now, the investigators were sitting around a desk and eating Chocolate Hazelnut Cream Donuts as they discussed the case.

  “What bothers me is the costume,” Ryan said. “Why would the killer return it to Gilbert?”

  “Did he think that we wouldn’t relate it to his getaway from the crime scene?” Peters asked.

  “Maybe he wanted to frame Gilbert having him be caught with it,” suggested Amy.

  “It is possible,” Heather said, thinking about it. “Now if we find Gilbert Paul’s DNA on the suit, we won’t be able to say that it wasn’t there from before we saw him with it.”

  “Maybe Gilbert did dress in the bunny costume and walk across the beach,” Amy said. “Then, he doubled around and came out asking about his costume to throw us off the trail.”

  “Maybe,” said Heather. “But anyone else in the club could have done the same thing. Well, except for Jill or Mr. Rankle.”

  Amy began to laugh, and they all stared at her.

  “Come on,” Amy said. “Even without a broken leg, the idea of Mr. Rankle as the Easter Bunny is hilarious.”

  The others started to smile at the thought.

  “Well,” Heather said after the visual of the cranky bunny left her head. “Hopefully, there will be some DNA in the bunny suit, and it will lead the way to finding the killer.”

  “Oh,” Ryan said. It was his turn to fill the private investigators on their latest development. “We did find something in the area in the trees that might be a valid clue. It should yield some DNA.”

  “That’s great,” Heather said. “What is it?”

  Ryan exchanged a look with his partner. They both cleared their throats, hoping the other would answer first.

  “Well,” Ryan said, finally. “It’s vomit.”

  “Vomit?” Amy asked. “That’s the clue we’re going on.”

  “It was fresh,” Peters said. “It had to come from when the egg hunt was taking place.”

  “And if a killer was squeamish about what he had done, then it could have happened,” said Ryan.

  “It’s a good lead to look into,” Amy said. “But I am glad that you found it instead of me.”

  They chuckled. Then, they heard someone approaching, and they all rose to their feet. Heather saw the short redheaded woman that was a part of the Beach Detectors Club and had been in some of her pictures.

  “Can we help you?” Peters asked.

  “Actually, I think I can help you,” she said.

  “Who are you?” Amy asked.

  “Nadine Grossman,” she said. “And I know who killed Brian Silver.”

  The Accusation

  Ryan brought the woman a glass of water and Heather offered her a donut. They were trying to make her feel at ease in the interrogation room so she would tell them her suspicions.

  She took a bite of the donut. “These were at the Easter Egg Hunt, weren’t they?”

  Heather nodded.

  “They’re good,” Nadine said. “I’m sorry that the killer went and ruined everything for everyone. And the fact that the killer did this around children makes her even more of a monster.”

  “Did you just say she?” asked Amy.

  “That’s right,” Nadine said. “The killer is a woman. It was Kaylee Lauder who killed Brian Silver. Go and arrest her now.”

  “We need a few more facts before we go and arrest anyone,” Ryan said, opening his notebook.

  “Why do you think Kaylee Lauder is the killer?” asked Heather.

  “And who is she?” Amy asked, equally as serious.

  Nadine scoffed and looked at the investigators across the table from her. “Kaylee Lauder is in the Key West Beach Detectors Club with my husband and me. She’s one of the younger members, and she’s always been trouble.”

  “What do you mean?” asked Heather.

  “Well, she would use meeting time to ask silly questions about what she was finding,” Nadine said. “But that’s not why I think she’s the killer. I mean, I know that she’s the killer.”

  “How do you know this?” asked Ryan.

  “When we were setting up for the event, I overheard her and Brian arguing. And after he started walking away, I heard her say that she was going to kill him. There was something scary about the way she said it, but I thought I was imagining things at the time. I didn’t think she could possibly be serious, but it seems that she was. Deadly serious.”

  “Do you know what they were fighting about?” Heather asked.

  “No,” Nadine said. “But I know it was serious. Kaylee looked very upset after the fight, and I recognize now that she looked murderous.”

  Nad
ine watched them, looking for a reaction. Something about this felt strange to Heather, but she wanted to hear more about what the woman would say.

  “Did you see Kaylee with a metal detector during the Egg Hunt?” Heather asked.

  “Oh, yes,” Nadine said. “She definitely had a metal detector? Is that what poor Brian was killed with? Because she definitely had one.”

  “Do you have any other reasons why you believe Kaylee Lauder is the killer?” Ryan asked.

  “I know she’s the killer,” Nadine said. “Because I also saw her headed towards the trees where he was killed. That’s her means, motive, and opportunity right there. She’s a murderer. I just wish I knew the signs beforehand so I could have done something to stop this evil woman. But all I can do now is tell you what I know.”

  “Thank you very much for all your help,” Ryan said.

  “Thank you in advance for getting this dangerous criminal off the streets,” Nadine said.

  She collected her purse and left.

  The investigators looked at one another.

  “Did anyone else feel like there was something off about that?” asked Heather.

  “She seemed very sure of Kaylee’s guilt,” Peters said.

  “I wish I were that sure of who was guilty,” Amy said.

  Ryan thought about it. “I think we should talk to her though.”

  Heather nodded in agreement. “We should find out what her version of events are.”

  “If Kaylee really did have the means, motive and opportunity to commit the crime, Nadine might have solved the case for us,” Amy said. “Wouldn’t that be nice?”

  Questioning Kaylee

  Kaylee allowed the four investigators into her home. She brought them into her dining room, and they all had a seat. The investigators declined her offer of food or drink, though Amy’s decline was with a sigh. Kaylee looked at their faces.

  “You all seem very serious.”

  “Well, this is a murder investigation,” Amy quipped.

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to imply that this wasn’t a serious matter,” said Kaylee. “It’s just that you look more serious than the last time we spoke, and the detectives have more backup. What’s going on? Do you have a question about the statement I gave?”

  “That’s one way of putting it,” said Amy.

  “We were wondering if there was anything that you might have forgotten to include,” Heather said.

  “I don’t think so,” said Kaylee slowly. “I didn’t see anyone headed towards the tree line, but I wasn’t really focused on it at the time. I found the Egg Hunt so exciting.”

  “But we didn’t see much of you on the beach,” said Heather.

  Kaylee looked away. “Well, I had my duties to tend to for the club. I couldn’t take part in all the fun. I was near the tents for a good portion of the day. I was keeping an eye on our desserts and supplies.”

  “But you weren’t there when the chocolate bunny head was taken, were you?” asked Ryan.

  Kaylee’s cheeks flushed color. “No. I wasn’t there then. I must have been relieved from duty.”

  “By who?” asked Peters.

  “Um, I can’t quite remember,” Kaylee said. “My mind was elsewhere at that point.”

  “So, you can’t remember who was at the dessert tent next?” Peters asked.

  “Correct,” Kaylee said, playing with her hair. “It’s just slipped my mind. But it’s not really important, is it?”

  “We are conducting a murder investigation,” Ryan reminded her again.

  “I know, but the dessert didn’t have anything to do with the murder, did it?” Kaylee said, quickly.

  “What did you do after you left the dessert tent?” asked Heather.

  “I just wandered around, watching the kids find the eggs. It was so exciting to watch.”

  Heather decided to test her. “Did you see the little boy who found the golden egg? He was so excited that he started to cry. Wasn’t that adorable?”

  “Oh. It was the most adorable thing I’ve ever seen,” Kaylee agreed.

  Heather just nodded. She looked at Ryan and Amy. They knew that the person who found the golden egg wasn’t a crying little boy, but was the happy Lilly. They decided not to reveal her mistake at that moment, but see if she would incriminate herself some more.

  “You didn’t go by the trees at all?” Ryan asked. “If you did, you might have seen someone acting suspiciously.”

  “No,” Kaylee reiterated, looking them all in the eyes. “I didn’t go by the trees in my wandering.”

  Heather leaned across the table to try and elicit a confidence from the suspect. “There’s something in particular that we wanted to ask if you had forgotten to include.”

  “What?” Kaylee asked. Her eyes were wide.

  “A witness told us about the fight you have with Brian Silver before the Egg Hunt,” Peters said.

  “A fight with Brian?” Kaylee asked. “Who told you that?”

  “It doesn’t matter,” Ryan said. “Do you want to give us your account of the exchange? Maybe it wasn’t as heated as the witness believed.”

  “There wasn’t any fight,” Kaylee said. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “That’s convenient,” Amy said.

  “It’s the truth,” said Kaylee. “I don’t know who would say we had a fight. We didn’t. I didn’t talk to Brian regularly. And that day I was avoiding him, so I barely talked to him at all. We didn’t fight.”

  “Why were you avoiding him?” asked Heather.

  “It doesn’t matter,” Kaylee said. “Are you sure that none of you would like any snacks or drinks?”

  “No, thank you,” Ryan said.

  “I guess not,” said Amy.

  “We’d like some more answers,” said Heather. “Did you handle a metal detector at the egg hunt?”

  Kaylee thought about it. “I guess I did.”

  Heather nodded. Jill thought she saw Kaylee with the metal detector, and Nadine was positive that she had seen her with one.

  “What did you do with it?” Peters asked.

  “What did I do with it?” Kaylee asked incredulously. “What do you think I did with it? I gave it to a family to use for the egg hunt.”

  “You didn’t use it to kill Brian Silver and throw it into the trees?” Amy asked, trying to throw her off balance.

  “No,” Kaylee cried. “No. How could you think that?”

  “Why did you bring the metal detector to the family?” Heather asked. “I thought most people went to the tent to get their equipment.”

  “Most people did,” Kaylee said. “But this family had a little boy who had a metal rod in his leg. He was afraid that he was going to set off all the machines. I brought it out to him and showed him that it wasn’t scary. I helped his family learn how to use it and watched them for a little bit. He was so proud when he found an egg. It had a replica pirate coin in it.”

  “And this was all before you went to the dessert tent to keep an eye on things?” Ryan asked.

  “Yes,” Kaylee said. “I showed him how to use it before the egg hunt started. Then, Gilbert gave his speech. I watched the little boy for a while and then I went to the dessert tent.”

  “So, you’re saying that you gave away the metal detector?” Peters asked.

  “Yes,” said Kaylee. “Look, this should be easy to validate. How many little boys at the event had metal rods in their legs?”

  “We do have all the families’ contact information,” Peters said.

  “Good,” Kaylee said. “Then, you can find him.”

  “You didn’t know we took all the guests’ contact information down because you weren’t there when we stopped the event after finding the dead body,” Heather said. “Where were you?”

  Kaylee looked uncomfortable. “Well, I started not to feel well. So, I headed home.”

  “Jeffrey Grossman and Ben McFee also weren’t there at the end of the day.”

  “I don’t know
anything about that,” Kaylee said. “And now, I think I need to run some errands and get some work done. We’ll have to continue this another time.”

  She tried to hurry the investigators out of the house, but in doing so, she became clumsy. As she led them towards the door, she knocked over a pile of mail.

  Ryan picked it up to be gentlemanly but then froze.

  “I think we’re going to have to continue this conversation at the station,” he said.

  “What did you find?” asked Heather.

  Ryan showed them the letter. It was a blackmail note that read: I know about JG. If you don’t want anyone else to know, you’ll pay. – Brian.

  “I think he just found her motive,” said Amy.

  Blackmail

  Heather and Amy watched through the double-sided mirror as Ryan and Detective Peters continued their interrogation of Kaylee Lauder at the police station. She was refusing to say anything about the letter but was maintaining that she never went near the trees to murder Brian Silver.

  “What do you think?” Amy asked her friend.

  “I don’t know,” said Heather. “Some of her answers seem honest, and others don’t seem believable.”

  Kaylee was starting to get upset but repeated that she didn’t talk to Brian that day.

  Heather frowned. Something was off with this interview just like there was about Nadine’s account of what happened. Was there something else to this lead that they didn’t know about?

  “I wish she would answer Ryan’s questions about JG,” said Heather. “Maybe who or what those initials stand for will help us sort this whole situation out.”

  “Who?” said Amy. “Do you think it’s a person? Could it be someone else in the Beach Detectors Club?”

  Heather thought of members she knew of from the group. Ryan and Detective Peters had a complete list. She would have to rely on memory. There was a man named Jeffrey in the club. He was one of the people missing at the end of the event. Nadine’s last name was Grossman. She had mentioned a husband. Could Jeffrey Grossman be JG? The more Heather thought about it, the more it made sense.