To Fudge or Not to Fudge (A Candy-Coated Mystery with Recipes) (23 page)

“That’s why he let go of me.”

“Yes.”

“I ran to the police station,” I said. “Mal and I came here for safety.”

He shot me a look. “Are you okay to stand?”

“Yes, I think so.” I stood and wobbled a bit but was able to stand. He walked me to a chair as George Marron came in through the side door.

“Beech called me and said you had a hysterical woman who could be shocky.”

“Um, that would be me.” I raised my hand and smiled weakly. “How are you doing, George?”

“I’m well.” He took my wrist and measured my pulse. “One ten is a little fast.” Flashing a light in my eyes, he asked me, “How many fingers am I holding up?”

“Three.”

“Anything hurt? There’s a bruise on your ankle. It looks fresh. Do you know how you got it?”

“I think Jabar did it when he yanked me over a fence.”

George took my hands and tsked as the abrasions on my palms rose up in ugly welts.

“Weird,” I muttered. “I didn’t see that.”

“You could be hurt and not feel it.” He calmly listened to my heart, then held my chin in his hand and gently turned my head from side to side. “You have swelling on your right cheek and your left jaw line.”

“Jabar hit me.”

George shone a light in my eyes. “No concussion, but you’re going to hurt tomorrow,” he pronounced and cracked open two instant freeze bags. “Put these on your face.” He gently showed me where to hold them. “Take a warm bath with Epsom salts tonight. It’ll help with the rest of the bruising.”

“Okay, thanks.”

“My pleasure.” He patted my knee and packed up his stuff. “Someone should keep an eye on her tonight,” George said to Rex. “To be safe.”

I wasn’t sure, but I think George winked at Rex.

Before George could leave, my mom and Jenn and Frances came through the door like a mob on fire.

“Is she hurt?”

“Rex, what is going on?”

“Allie, why didn’t you call us?”

They all talked at once. The din made my head hurt. Then Mr. Devaney walked in and nodded at George as the EMT left.

“I heard this happened in the alley behind the Mc Murphy,” Mr. Devaney crossed his arms and locked eyes with Rex.

“Allie, what happened?” Mom asked. She took my hand, winced at the abrasions, and pressed my head to her tummy like I was a little kid. “My poor baby.”

“Mom, please . . . I can’t breathe.”

“Oh, sorry.” She patted my shoulder. “What happened, dear?”

“Was it terrible?” Jenn squatted down beside my chair. “I heard one of those big guys from the show attacked you.”

“I heard he jumped you right outside our back door, didn’t you scream? Surely someone would have heard you if you did,” Frances said with a frown. “This island is safe, isn’t it?” She looked at Mr. D, who nodded. “A girl shouldn’t be assaulted taking her dog for a walk.”

“Where’s Mal?” Jenn asked.

My fearless pup came running out from behind the reception area, where the policemen had been sneaking her treats and telling her what a good and clever girl she was.

“There she is, right as rain.” Frances patted Mal’s head.

“So what happened?” Mr. D asked Rex.

“I was walking by the alley and heard shouting.” He turned to me. “What were you shouting?”

“I tried ‘fire’! But no one came. So I called out Mal’s name thinking someone would come to check on the pup.”

Mal sat at my feet, pretty pleased with her doggie self.

“I witnessed the perpetrator lifting a shouting woman over the chain-link fence. When I heard the dog, I knew it was Allie. I had my gun out and startled the man by identifying myself and shouting for him to freeze. He let go of Allie and she took off running. I had two choices: get the man or go after Allie.” Rex shook his head. “I trusted Allie would find a safe place. I chose to bring the man in.”

“So you have him?”

“Yes.” Rex gave a short nod. “He’s cooling his heels in the interview room.”

“Jabar wasn’t the only one there,” I piped up. “It all started with Mrs. Finch. She came out of the shadows as Mal did her business. Mrs. Finch is crazy. She had a butcher knife and said I was becoming a nuisance and she needed to get rid of me like she did the others.”

“Wait—our Mrs. Finch?” Jenn asked. “Daisy’s owner?”

“Yes,” I said excited to finally get someone to listen to my story. “She’s Tammy’s aunt. She killed Heather and she poisoned Cathy. Then she enlisted Jabar and Tony to beat up Peter. When none of that got Tammy on the show, she got pretty mad.”

“Why did she come after you?” Mom asked.

“Mal found her secret—that she had hidden her dead husband’s body. I called the police. When she saw them take Hector away in a black body bag she got Jabar and Tony to help her kill me.”

“Why would those two nice boys do such a terrible thing?” Mom asked.

“Mrs. Finch paid them. She had fifty thousand dollars she tried to pay Heather to leave the island.”

“Well, fifty thousand dollars is more than they offered those two for the television show,” Jenn mused. Mal went over and leaned against Jenn until she reached down and picked Mal up.

“I didn’t see Mrs. Finch or the other man you claim was there.” Rex had his hands on his hips.

“They were there. Ask Jabar. He’ll tell you. Mrs. Finch was so calm. It was weird. She expected me to stand there and let her kill me.” I shuddered. “She said it would hurt less if I didn’t struggle.”

“Oh, poor baby.” Mom hugged my head again and, ignoring my wincing, she turned to Rex. “You’d better find that old woman and that other man. If you don’t, I will and you don’t want to be around for what this old woman can do!” She pointed to herself.

“Yes, ma’am.” Rex nodded. “I’ll put patrols out to canvass the area and go to the places Mrs. Finch frequents. We’ll get it sorted out as soon as possible.” He turned to me. “I need you to give a statement to Officer Beech. Once that’s done we’ll need a couple of pictures of your wounds. Nothing too terrible but the more evidence we can gather the better.”

“You believe me about Mrs. Finch, don’t you?” I asked.

Rex’s mouth became a thin, tight line. “I believe you believe in what you think happened. That’s a good start. Now it’s up to me to help prove the case.”

“Well, then do your job, young man.” Mom waved him away.

Rex was a smart man and knew when he was dismissed. I have to admit I hadn’t seen my mother in this role before. She was normally so careful about the way people perceived her.

“I’ll walk Jenn and Frances home,” Mr. Devaney said. “Then I’ll come back and walk you ladies back to the McMurphy.”

“You don’t need to go that far, sir,” Officer Beech said as he rounded the counter with a clipboard in hand. “Officer Manning requested a police escort for these ladies and a round-the-clock police presence until things get figured out. We’ll keep them safe, sir.”

“You’d darn well better,” Mr. Devaney said. “Come on, Frances, let’s get you home.”

Frances gave me a hug, then Jenn handed me Mal and kissed my cheek. They both pulled their jackets around them and let Mr. Devaney corral them through the door.

“How could we not have heard her?” Jenn asked Frances.

It was a fair question. One I had myself. But I never heard the reply as the door shut firmly behind them.

“Are you ready?” Officer Beech gave my mom a chair and pulled another old chair over to sit on himself. “Let’s begin at the moment you decided to take the puppy out.”

The day of the last McMurphy Lilac Festival tea dawned cool and bright. George Marron was right. I did hurt in places I didn’t even know existed. Thankfully, Sandy was able to make the day’s fudge, while I took aspirin and moved as little as possible.

“It’s all set,” Jenn said. “Here’s your costume.”

She pushed a pink, mutton-leg dress at me.

“What?” I waved her offering away. “I’m not into costumes. I’ll wear my chef’s coat.”

“Oh, no, you don’t,” Jenn took my hand and closed it around the hanger. “We are all in costume. People want to see
Somewhere in Time
and we are going to give it to them.”

“But—”

“It’s for a good cause, remember?” She stood with her hands on her hips. “I’m wearing green-and-white striped. I thought you’d be perfect in McMurphy pink and white. Hurry, we only have thirty minutes before we need to be under the tent in the park. In fact, the three-piece orchestra is setting up. So get dressed!”

“Oh, dear, there is no hurrying me today.”

“Okay, if you’re going to be late the very least you can do is wear the dress.”

Oh boy, I fell right into Jenn’s plans. I either hurried or I wore the dress. Since there was no way for me to hurry, I was stuck. “Fine.”

“Good girl,” Jenn said and Mal barked. Jenn laughed and reached down to give the pup a pat on the head. “I meant your mama, little dog.”

I looked the dress over. “How am I supposed to do all these buttons?” The dress buttoned in the back.

“Your mom is ready and waiting to help.” Jenn waved toward the steps where my mom stood.

“Fine.” I moved to the stairs a little slower than usual.

“I’ve got the bustle and unmentionables upstairs on your bed.” Mom locked her arm through mine and helped me up the stairs. Really, it wasn’t so much helpful as to ensure I didn’t come up with a new reason why I couldn’t wear a 1900s costume.

Twenty minutes later I was properly cinched into a 1900s mutton-sleeved gown with a bustle whopping around behind me. At least by 1900 the bustle had started to decrease in both size and fashion.

“You look so lovely,” Mom said and clapped her hands. She wore a similar getup in lavender and mint.

“I want the McMurphy to stand out but I hoped that didn’t mean I had to.”

“Oh, pooh.” Mom dismissed my thoughts with a gentle hand motion. “You do two demonstrations a day. You should be used to people looking at you.”

“Yes, well, that’s different.”

“How so?” Mom handed me a parasol and a pair of white lace gloves. She put her gloves on and watched me expectantly.

I put on the gloves. “When I do the fudge demonstrations, I’m showing my talent. This . . .” I waved at the dress, “Is not the same. Everyone will stare.”

“That’s the point.” Mom pushed me toward the door. “Put up your parasol. And here we go . . .” She opened the door, stepped out into the street crowd, and put up her parasol. I took a deep breath and followed her. My parasol was pale pink. My mother’s was lilac. The crowd parted around us as we kept our heads up and gently glided—or in my case tripped and tried not to fall—down the sidewalk. Officer Polaski followed a few lengths behind us. We passed the grocery store and had gathered behind us a trail of people interested in what was going on.

We hit the large lawn at the foot of the fort. Thankfully, the tent was set up at the near side of the lawn. First I spotted the tent, and then I saw the small groups of women in costume milling around it.

Relief washed over me. If I were with a crowd in costume, then I was less likely to stand out. The tent front had been tied back so that you could see the ten cloth-covered tables inside. The sound of the orchestra seeped out from the open doorway.

“It’s so lovely,” Mom said, and I had to agree with her. Jenn stood at the entrance, checking the elegant invitations she had given to each and every person who had bought a ticket. We closed up our parasols as we stepped into the tent.

Jenn had each table covered in white and lilac blue. In the center were more chocolate creations that Sandy had made. Then each plate was garnished with lilac flowers. The sugared lilacs I had made looked lovely on the multicolored petit fours. The chairs had high backs and were also covered in white linen with lilac blue bows in the back. Each table had a teapot with a different lilac theme.

Women filled the tent and took their places. If anyone could host a costume party in a tent in early June, it would be Jenn. Luckily Office Polaski stayed back, hanging out on the corner talking with the carriage drivers as they waited in the street for fares.

The tea party was perfect, and two hours later Jenn and I waved every attendee through the door with a thank-you and a card for one free pound of fudge from the McMurphy.

“That went well,” Jenn said when the last lady had left.

“Of course it went well,” Mom said. “You girls are very professional. I’m going to go find Sandy and let her know that I have collected orders for her chocolate work.”

“Thanks, Mom,” I said as she hurried off, her parasol open and the crowds parting on the street.

“We raised five thousand dollars,” Jenn said with glee. “I’ll be sending the children’s clinic a nice check.”

“This was a fantastic idea,” I said. “It not only showed off what our team could do, but also helped build awareness of the McMurphy.”

“I love the Lilac Festival,” Jenn said. “What’s the next festival?”

“Let’s see, there’s the yacht race next month and then the festival of the horse in August.”

The cannon fired above us and the sound startled us both. We looked at each other, gloved hands on our chests, and we laughed. The cannon went off twice while we were inside with the tea, but with the band playing it didn’t have the same effect.

The catering crew came in to clear away the dishes and then take down the tables and linens. “Why don’t you go home,” Jenn said. “You look worn out. I can handle the teardown.”

“Thanks,” I said. “I can’t wait to get out of this bustle.”

Jenn laughed. “Come on, you have to admit that you liked it.”

“Yes.” I grinned with reluctance. “I did like it.” I gave Jenn a quick hug, grabbed my parasol, and strode out of the tent in a hurry to get back to the McMurphy and out of the corset. I was in front of the grocery store when Mrs. Finch emerged out of the crowd.

I could not believe it. In fact, I had to pinch myself to see if it was a dream. She wore the same clothes that she had on last night. Her Windbreaker was torn and her pink T-shirt dirty. This time there was a wild light in her eyes, along with the big butcher knife in her hand. She advanced on me with the knife held high.

The crowd around us screamed and parted as the crazy woman approached, knife held high. I glanced back and forth looking for Officer Polaski in the crowd.

“Stand still and take your punishment,” Mrs. Finch said. She had an odd expression on her face as if something inside her had snapped.

“No,” I said loudly. “Stop.”

She paused for a brief moment as if to process what I said. “I can’t, I won’t,” she said. “You need killing.” She slashed at me with the knife. I defended myself with the parasol. The knife missed me but made direct contact with the umbrella. The force of the hit sent a shock wave up my arms.

As she raised her arm again, Rex and Officer Polaski came running around the corner, guns pulled. “Stop, police!” Rex shouted.

She paused a moment, arm raised, and turned in the direction that Rex ran. “No.” She turned back to lower her arm, but I had taken the opportunity to lift my skirts and run out of her reach. “Nooo!” She wailed at the top of her voice when she realized I had bolted. “Come back here, girl. I have to kill you.”

By this time I had Rex between me and the crazy old woman. Officer Polaski was on her in a blink and removed the weapon from her hand. She wailed a strange animal-like noise that had the hairs on my arms standing on end.

She was cuffed and hauled off toward Market Street and the police headquarters. Like a huge wave, the crowd parted and then filled in as they passed.

“Are you okay?” Rex asked me.

I was bent in half with my hands on my knees and my head down. I looked up. “Yes, just a little scared.” I took a couple of deep breaths—as deep as you could get when wearing a corset—and straightened. “By now I should be used to this.”

“Being from Chicago you should be able to handle crime better than this,” Rex teased with a wink.

“Are you okay?” Trent appeared from the crowd.

“Yes, I’m good. Rex and Brent were here in good time.”

“I got a call that there was a crazy old woman with a knife,” Rex said. “The first thing we thought of was Mrs. Finch. I was in the McMurphy when Frances said you were out here in the tent. Brent tells me he didn’t see you leave the tent.”

“You both got here just in time,” I said.

“Why hasn’t Mrs. Finch been taken into custody before this?” Trent asked.

“We’ve been looking for her since last night, but she knows the island well and apparently she can keep out of sight if she wants. In fact, if she hadn’t become fixated on Allie, we may never have seen her again.”

I put my glove-covered hands on my exaggerated hips. “Do you believe me now?”

“I believed you last night,” Rex said. “That said, I have to stay objective.”

“Do you have the other guy in custody?” Trent asked.

“Yes, we caught Tony trying to sneak off island.” Rex nodded. “Mrs. Finch was the last one found. Her family has contacted a lawyer and are petitioning that she is innocent by insanity.”

“Well, she certainly looked insane,” I said.

“We need to ensure that she never gets out of treatment,” Trent said to Rex. “She’s already killed two people. I can tell you this—she’s definitely not going to be allowed on island ever again.”

“What will happen to Daisy?” I asked, and both men turned to me as if in slow motion.

“That dog is off island as well,” Rex declared.

“That’s sad. It wasn’t the doggie’s fault. Daisy’s innocent.”

“Until proven guilty,” Rex muttered. “She’s been in police lockup since yesterday. I have a woman from the Saint Bernard rescue service coming in tomorrow to take Daisy and find her a new and better home.”

“Thanks, Rex.”

He nodded.

“Come on Allie, I’ll walk you home.” Trent put his hand on the small of my back and guided me away from Rex. “You look good in pink and white.”

I felt the heat of a blush rise up over my face. “Thanks. Jenn and Mom seem to think they will get me to wear this dress again. But a betting man would look his fill now, knowing he may not ever see it again.”

Trent threw his head back with a loud laugh. “You are so funny.” He sobered. “This is the last day of the festival. The movies start tomorrow. Are we still on?”

I smiled at Trent. “Yes, I believe it’ll be safe for you to be with me by then.”

“I have a feeling being with you is far from safe. Especially for my heart.” He shook his head slightly.

“That’s one heck of a line.”

He took my hand in his and kissed my cheek. “Did it work?”

“Maybe . . . a little.”

“I know a shortcut to your house. One with significantly fewer people.”

“You do?” I raised one eyebrow.

“Yes.” He winked and kept hold of my hand as his presence parted the crowd until we moved into the alley. There was nothing left but the crunch of our feet on the alley gravel. The scent of lilacs drifted by on the breath of the wind. We walked hand in hand, enjoying the bright blue sky and the company. When we hit the McMurphy’s back door, he bent and kissed me properly on the mouth.

“Let’s go another month without sleuthing, okay?”

“Okay,” I said dreamily.

“I need you safe.” He kissed my forehead, opened the door to the McMurphy, and guided me inside. “See you tomorrow.”

The door closed behind me as he walked away. The hardest thing to do was to let him go.

 

 

Later that evening I sprawled out in the McMurphy lobby wearing jeans and a pale blue T-shirt. Frances sat nearby knitting. Jenn sat next to her, teasing Mal with a dog toy. Mom tapped something on her phone. Sandy lounged on the settee.

“Well, that festival was certainly interesting,” Jenn said. “All in all it was a success I think.”

“Between the teas, the sugared lilacs, and the chocolate centerpieces,” Sandy said, “it was a huge success.”

“Don’t forget solving a string of murders,” Mom said.

“Rex said that Mrs. Finch admitted to killing Heather and putting the body in the nearby shredder,” I said.

“Creepy.” Jenn shuddered.

“Creepy smart. She snuck into the Jessops’ yard to do it. Thus ensuring her brother’s competition would have to get rid of an entire season’s worth of products.”

“That means she is more clever than crazy,” Frances mused over her knitting

“I think the judge may agree,” I said. “At the bare minimum she’ll be in mental health lockup for the rest of her life.”

“Good,” Mom said. “I can go back home without worrying about you.”

“You’re going back home?” I tilted my head, not sure how I felt about the news.

“Yes, your father called. He wants me back.” She got up, put her phone away, and kissed my cheek. “I’m packed and going to take the last ferry off the island. It was so nice to meet you, Jenn and Sandy. Frances, thanks for all you do for my family.”

“We love you, too,” I said. “Group hug.” We all got up and surrounded my mom with love. I watched with amazement as tears came to her eyes.

“I love you all, too,” she said and stepped back to wipe the tears from her eyes.

“Have a safe trip,” Frances said.

“Can I walk you to the dock?” I asked.

“Sure,” Mom said.