Murder at the Taffy Shop by Maddie Day

Author:Maddie Day [Day, Maddie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Kensington Books
Published: 2020-12-11T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty-nine

I’d told Derrick I would close, so I took Cokey back to the shop.

“No big rushes, no fires to extinguish?” I asked my brother after we’d greeted each other.

“No. We still have a couple rentals out that are due back today. Oh, and Orlean called to say she’ll be in tomorrow. She apparently ate a few oysters last night that didn’t agree with her.”

“That’s no fun, but I’m glad she’ll be in.”

“Daddy, I beat Tio Tim in a race on the beach.” Cokey bounced on her heels.

“That’s my girl.” He beamed down at her.

I waved as she rode off in the child’s seat on the back of her father’s bicycle, her braids flying out from under her pink helmet. Now that I was alone, the lead returned to my feet and my heart. Once again I pictured Tim beaming down at a child, but one of ours, not Cokey. I thought of him riding away with a toddler on the back of his bike. But I also saw the hurt on his face this afternoon, hurt emerging as near anger. Why wouldn’t he be both hurt and mad? So far I’d been choosing me over us. On the other hand, he had, too, except his “me” included an expanded “us.”

I checked the clock. Five thirty was early to start my closing checklist. Since we had rentals due, I’d need to stay here until six, but I could start the closing routine now. I began with closing out the cash register. I wouldn’t need it, because rentals prepaid by credit. I didn’t actually bill until the bikes were returned, but if I had to charge additional days, I already had their payment information. Once the till was in the safe, I wheeled in the couple of display bikes we put out front and grabbed the OPEN flag from its holder.

As I furled it, I caught movement behind me and turned to see ruddy-cheeked Tulia in the doorway. Her Lobstah Shack was only a few doors down Main Street. I stashed the flag behind the counter and walked to the door.

“Hey, Tulia.”

She extended a thick paper bag. “Brought you some cod cakes.” She was wearing one of her dozen variations on a lobster T-shirt. This one read, GOT BUTTER? under a picture of a lobster.

“You did? What’s the occasion?”

She chuckled. “Didn’t sell ’em all today. They don’t keep so great.”

“Looks like I have dinner, then. Thanks. You closed early?”

“Not by much. Have to get over to a meeting at the cultural center in Mashpee.” She frowned. “Mac, you haven’t been checking your texts.”

“No, I was at the beach with my niece. Did something happen?”

“The detective took Gin in for questioning ’bout an hour ago.”

No. “He did? He didn’t arrest her, did he?”

“No,” Tulia said. “She was able to send a quick text.”

“I can’t believe he would think she could have killed Beverly.”

“I know, right?”

Was there some way I could help Gin? “I don’t suppose there’s anything we can do for her.”

Tulia shook her head.

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