Christmas Cocoa Murder by Carlene O'Connor

Author:Carlene O'Connor
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Kensington Books
Published: 2019-08-25T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eight

My hand was reaching to turn the OPEN sign on the door to CLOSED at two-thirty when the door pushed in toward me. I stepped back.

“I’m sorry, we’re—” I halted midsentence when I saw Freddy was the latecomer. With everything going on, she was welcome.

“Robbie, I know you’re closing,” she said. “I’m not here to eat, but I have to talk with you.” Strands of hair crept out of her topknot onto her black wool peacoat, and she blinked watery eyes.

I flipped the sign and held out my arms for a hug. “I heard about Howard,” I murmured.

“That’s why I’m here.” She hugged me, then stepped back and gazed around the restaurant.

The only remaining customers were two men playing chess at the table I’d painted with a chessboard, plus one four-top with two young moms and two babies. Both little ones slept in their strollers and the women were catching up on girl talk while they could, from the looks of it. Danna scrubbed the grill.

“Come, sit down.” I headed for my little office corner and plopped into the wheeled chair at the desk, rotating to face out. “I’ll have to finish up with those folks when they’re ready to leave, but it looks like we have a little while.” I caught Danna’s eye and pointed to Freddy and myself. My assistant nodded her understanding.

Freddy took the armchair opposite me, shrugging out of her coat. She wore a blue Indianapolis Symphony fleece sweatshirt with faded jeans.

“Are they still questioning him?” I asked.

“Yes.” She swore softly. “Robbie, Howard thought he was doing the right thing. We’ve been waiting for the auditor for months. Naturally, it had to be this morning that he finally sent the report. There were all kinds of discrepancies, and he was able to trace some of the missing money to Jed. Of course Howard thought he should tell the police. And now they’re making like he killed Jed!”

“So it wasn’t just an accident on the ice?”

She threw up her hands. “I don’t think they know. If it was an accident, why are they keeping my husband there all day?”

“But questioning Howard doesn’t make sense.” I rubbed my forehead. “If you only got the report this morning, well, Jed was already dead. Right?”

“Tell me about it. But listen, will you help me figure out what really happened to Jed? I know you’ve looked into murders in the past.” Freddy sat forward, elbows on knees, hands clasped. “I have to get my husband home. It’s Christmastime, Robbie. Time for family to be together, not to be stuck in a police interrogation room.”

“I guess I can try to help, but I’m not sure how. I will tell you that Oscar Thompson, the state police detective, came in earlier and confiscated all my Mexican hot chocolate packets.”

She nodded slowly. “They showed up at the house and took the rest of the ones How had bought from you, too.”

“Ugh. We all drank some last night after dinner, too. All except Willa Mae.

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