Candy-Coated Conspiracy by Kaz Delaney

Author:Kaz Delaney
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction, Cozy, Mystery
ISBN: 9781957748269
Publisher: Tule Publishing Group, LLC
Published: 2022-04-13T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Nine

A group of eight or nine people hovered around Donna-Lee over near the candy display units. And every one of them was facing us—facing me.

And by the expressions on their faces it was evident they had all heard or surmised what I had asked.

Burning heat traveled over my face and self-directed anger added itself to the other emotions swirling inside me.

So much for being discreet…

If Francine and Edith noticed, they made no comment and instead launched into a wave of reminiscence. Diligently, I took notes because I still needed the information, but there was no denying that serious damage had been done to my investigation. News of my questions would travel and both guilty and innocent would be put on alert and everyone on the list would be righteously indignant.

When I next dared to peek across at the group they were clustered together, heads down, and though I couldn’t see or hear, I knew tongues would be wagging.

Sighing, I looked over the list I’d been given. The only compensation was that I already knew half of these people. The downside was a steep slide because I suspected immediately that some of them wouldn’t speak to me if they were dying of thirst and I had the key to the last water tank on earth. Specifically that related to the first name on the list.

There were four families:

Adora and (the late) William St. Clair

Katya and Lester Jackson

Joan and Matthew Preston

Grahame and (the late) Carol Ruddy

I was wondering how to salvage this vital part of the investigation, when a man in worn, blue coveralls entered the store and made a beeline for our table. He was a big man, with work-roughened hands and who carried an unfortunate odor of someone who either hasn’t changed his clothes in a long while, or hasn’t bathed. My guess was a combination of both. His tool belt identified him as the person called in by Curtis Hooper.

Ira Payne. I remembered him from that meeting.

Though I knew his target was the Percivals, I was mesmerized by the fact that even as he stood beside them, his eyes were squarely on me. “You’re that newspaper lady.”

I shook my head. “No, I’m sorry I’m not. I’m Rosie Hart. The newspaper editor is my friend Midge Moylan.”

His answering sigh was almost a groan and the look he aimed my way was pitying; like I was slow. “Yeah, but you been in the paper, right?”

Beside me, Francine pushed to her feet. “Ira? Do you have a problem? I don’t like the tone you’re taking with Miss Hart.”

“Ain’t my fault people is stupid, Miss Francine.”

“Ira Payne!” This time it was Edith who took offense. “You’ll mind your manners when you’re in our store.”

He shrugged. “Just tryin’ to have a conversation, Miss Edith.” Leaning in close to me, he said, “I hear you’re lookin’ to dig up secrets in the town. Is that right?” Before I could answer, he said, “Well, there ain’t much I don’t know. People forget the handyman is around and just blab away like no one can hear ’em.

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