Summer, why kill it?”
Chapter Thirteen
My mind drifted, lost in daydreams, while my fingers swirled shapes in the chocolate. Images of faces appeared in the silkiness. Big Sally, Laid Back Millie, Eddy Foreman, the lion. They were all relative to each other in some way. I just needed to find the link.
The bell over the door to Summer’s Confections remained silent. At least business at the fair was good. The candy seemed to disappear out of the booth, leaving money in its place. Making more chocolate had become a necessity. A blessing from God.
Fifties music played softly from the radio, rising above the low clanking of my dipping machine. My gaze kept drifting to the clock. Five o’clock wouldn’t come soon enough. I dressed in black for the occasion. I’d help Aunt Eunice in the booth until dark, then sneak over to Millie’s trailer. As long as Ethan’s volunteer meeting lasted past dusk, I’d be home free.
There had to be something I missed a week ago. Had it only been a week? Not even. Short by a couple of days. I sighed and swirled the letter C on top of a chocolate cream.
One of my prized possessions nestled in the bag I’d set on top of the counter: a tiny pink flashlight right out of a James Bond movie. My lack of proper investigating tools had seriously hindered my crime-solving abilities in the past. The same mistakes wouldn’t happen again. I chuckled. I’d be making a bunch of new ones.
At one minute past five, I locked the front door and jogged to my car. I placed the boxes of chocolate carefully in the backseat, hooked the seat belt across them, then slid behind the wheel.
My palms sweated in nervous anticipation. When I stopped at a red light, Joe’s squad car pulled behind me. I froze until I realized I hadn’t done anything wrong. Not yet, anyway. I gave him a little wave through my rearview window. He followed me into the fairgrounds.
“What’s with the gothic look?” he asked once we’d both exited our vehicles.
“I just felt like wearing black.”
“You never wear all black. Said the color depresses you.”
“I wanted a change.”
Joe reached into his car and pulled out a black ski cap. He grinned as he handed it to me. “If you plan on doing something sneaky after dark, you might want to cover up that red hair.”
“It’s not red. It’s auburn and—” Great. I hadn’t denied any sneaky plans.
“Word of advice, my dear cousin.” He pointed an index finger at me. “Don’t do anything illegal. I will arrest you if I have to.”
He’d made those threats before. Besides, what did he take me for? I wouldn’t think of breaking the law. Not on purpose anyway.
Aunt Eunice perched on a high stool behind our booth counter. Her chin rested in her hand. On the surface in front of her, displayed on a swatch of black velvet, lay her blue ribbon.
“Drooling, Aunt Eunice?” I set the box of candy on the counter.
“You don’t drool over something you already have.” She glanced up at me. “Why are you wearing black?”
“Shhh.” I pulled her off the stool. “I’m going back to Millie’s trailer tonight. Will you watch the booth?”
“I have been all day, haven’t I?” Aunt Eunice crossed her arms. “You can’t go to that loose woman’s trailer by yourself. I want to go with you.”
“You have to watch the booth.”
“Ethan will flip his lid if I don’t babysit you.”
“Fine. Let’s lock everything up. It’ll be fine for a few minutes. You can be my lookout.”
Aunt Eunice rolled her ribbon in the fabric while I put the chocolate in the near-empty refrigerator. My aunt’s face glowed. “This is going to be fun.”
I had to admit to a certain amount of excitement myself. And to think I’d originally wanted April as my sidekick. No danger of Aunt Eunice being distracted by the male physique. She liked a roly-poly type of man. Like Uncle Roy. April, on the other hand, stopped helping me solve the diamond mystery with her first
Chapter Thirteen
My mind drifted, lost in daydreams, while my fingers swirled shapes in the chocolate. Images of faces appeared in the silkiness. Big Sally, Laid Back Millie, Eddy Foreman, the lion. They were all relative to each other in some way. I just needed to find the link.
The bell over the door to Summer’s Confections remained silent. At least business at the fair was good. The candy seemed to disappear out of the booth, leaving money in its place. Making more chocolate had become a necessity. A blessing from God.
Fifties music played softly from the radio, rising above the low clanking of my dipping machine. My gaze kept drifting to the clock. Five o’clock wouldn’t come soon enough. I dressed in black for the occasion. I’d help Aunt Eunice in the booth until dark, then sneak over to Millie’s trailer. As long as Ethan’s volunteer meeting lasted past dusk, I’d be home free.
There had to be something I missed a week ago. Had it only been a week? Not even. Short by a couple of days. I sighed and swirled the letter C on top of a chocolate cream.
One of my prized possessions nestled in the bag I’d set on top of the counter: a tiny pink flashlight right out of a James Bond movie. My lack of proper investigating tools had seriously hindered my crime-solving abilities in the past. The same mistakes wouldn’t happen again. I chuckled. I’d be making a bunch of new ones.
At one minute past five, I locked the front door and jogged to my car. I placed the boxes of chocolate carefully in the backseat, hooked the seat belt across them, then slid behind the wheel.
My palms sweated in nervous anticipation. When I stopped at a red light, Joe’s squad car pulled behind me. I froze until I realized I hadn’t done anything wrong. Not yet, anyway. I gave him a little wave through my rearview window. He followed me into the fairgrounds.
“What’s with the gothic look?” he asked once we’d both exited our vehicles.
“I just felt like wearing black.”
“You never wear all black. Said the color depresses you.”
“I wanted a change.”
Joe reached into his car and pulled out a black ski cap. He grinned as he handed it to me. “If you plan on doing something sneaky after dark, you might want to cover up that red hair.”
“It’s not red. It’s auburn and—” Great. I hadn’t denied any sneaky plans.
“Word of advice, my dear cousin.” He pointed an index finger at me. “Don’t do anything illegal. I will arrest you if I have to.”
He’d made those threats before. Besides, what did he take me for? I wouldn’t think of breaking the law. Not on purpose anyway.
Aunt Eunice perched on a high stool behind our booth counter. Her chin rested in her hand. On the surface in front of her, displayed on a swatch of black velvet, lay her blue ribbon.
“Drooling, Aunt Eunice?” I set the box of candy on the counter.
“You don’t drool over something you already have.” She glanced up at me. “Why are you wearing black?”
“Shhh.” I pulled her off the stool. “I’m going back to Millie’s trailer tonight. Will you watch the booth?”
“I have been all day, haven’t I?” Aunt Eunice crossed her arms. “You can’t go to that loose woman’s trailer by yourself. I want to go with you.”
“You have to watch the booth.”
“Ethan will flip his lid if I don’t babysit you.”
“Fine. Let’s lock everything up. It’ll be fine for a few minutes. You can be my lookout.”
Aunt Eunice rolled her ribbon in the fabric while I put the chocolate in the near-empty refrigerator. My aunt’s face glowed. “This is going to be fun.”
I had to admit to a certain amount of excitement myself. And to think I’d originally wanted April as my sidekick. No danger of Aunt Eunice being distracted by the male physique. She liked a roly-poly type of man. Like Uncle Roy. April, on the other hand, stopped helping me solve the diamond mystery with her first
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