for Hubert, and he’s nuts about her.”
“Edna is a strange bird. Wants things a certain way. If it doesn’t happen, she’s finished and doesn’t want to put any more effort into it. Everyone around her has to pay for someone else’s mistake.” Aunt Eunice wiped around the dipper with a damp towel. “She’s been that way as long as I’ve known her. She ought to feel lucky that some man wants to spend his life with her. You should’ve seen her back in the day. She was a lo ~Rdcouldoker once upon a time. Had all the boys crazy about her.” My aunt giggled. “Although I managed to have my own following.”
“Speaking of, I saw Renee and Mason in a very intimate pose in the alley where I parked my car.” The chocolate plopped from my hands into the pan.
Aunt Eunice stopped her cleaning. “Why’d you park in the alley? Isn’t there any sense in that head of yours? Do you remember what happened the last time? You were kidnapped and locked in a trunk.”
“I didn’t want to have to hunt for a parking space.” And I’d parked in the alley lots of times since then.
I think Aunt Eunice called me crazy beneath her breath. She moved to light the flame on the gas stove. While I finished cleaning, she measured the ingredients for peanut brittle. We couldn’t seem to keep the candy on the shelf. A blessing, really.
“Renee always has been a fickle little filly. With her man in Iraq, she’s probably just playing around.” Aunt Eunice poured corn syrup in the large copper vat.
I dropped chunks of fresh chocolate into the dipper. “I said something I probably shouldn’t have.”
“That would be a first.” My aunt glanced at me. “What did you say?”
“I told them they were on my suspect list.” At her incredulous look, I added, “She was being mean.”
“You poor baby.” She shook her head and muttered something about me being empty-headed.
I measured the raw Spanish peanuts into a bowl and set it on the table next to her. “She gets into my craw sometimes. I couldn’t help myself. Besides, if you’d help me like you said you would, I might not get into as much trouble.”
“Don’t lay this on me, missy. I’m a busy woman.”
Folding my arms, I leaned against the marble slab. “Mason White followed me halfway here, and Joe didn’t do anything about it.”
“Mason was just heading in the same direction.”
“Then why did he turn and go the other way after I pulled over?”
“Probably just playing a game. He’s a bit of a bully.” She adjusted the flame on the stove. “That’s what happens when your family’s the richest in town.”
The bell over the door rang, and a boy around the age of ten strolled in with a cardboard box under his arm. “Delivery.”
I glanced at my aunt. She shrugged. We hadn’t placed any orders, and the shoe box–sized package was too small for supplies. Besides, who would send a child to bring it? I handed him a piece of chocolate cream candy. Th ~Rdas e boy grinned and skipped out the door.
Using a pair of scissors, I cut into the box. Nestled inside sat another smaller replica of the one I’d opened. I smiled. Ethan must be up to his pranks. Loving surprises, I ripped into the second box. My hand paused in midair. I gasped and dropped the container.
In the center of a pile of chocolate that looked like it had been melted and reset, lay a dead rat.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Now we’ll have the health department here . I would need to sanitize the entire store with about a million gallons of bleach.
Get control of yourself, Summer. Don’t let Aunt Eunice see it. She’ll freak . I slapped the box closed before she peeked over my shoulder, tucked it under my arm, and sprinted for the bathroom. My first instinct was to throw it away, but I knew I needed the dead animal as evidence to prove my case to Joe.
“Summer?”
I kicked the door closed. “Be right out.” The tiny room contained a pedestal sink and a toilet. I stuffed the box
“Edna is a strange bird. Wants things a certain way. If it doesn’t happen, she’s finished and doesn’t want to put any more effort into it. Everyone around her has to pay for someone else’s mistake.” Aunt Eunice wiped around the dipper with a damp towel. “She’s been that way as long as I’ve known her. She ought to feel lucky that some man wants to spend his life with her. You should’ve seen her back in the day. She was a lo ~Rdcouldoker once upon a time. Had all the boys crazy about her.” My aunt giggled. “Although I managed to have my own following.”
“Speaking of, I saw Renee and Mason in a very intimate pose in the alley where I parked my car.” The chocolate plopped from my hands into the pan.
Aunt Eunice stopped her cleaning. “Why’d you park in the alley? Isn’t there any sense in that head of yours? Do you remember what happened the last time? You were kidnapped and locked in a trunk.”
“I didn’t want to have to hunt for a parking space.” And I’d parked in the alley lots of times since then.
I think Aunt Eunice called me crazy beneath her breath. She moved to light the flame on the gas stove. While I finished cleaning, she measured the ingredients for peanut brittle. We couldn’t seem to keep the candy on the shelf. A blessing, really.
“Renee always has been a fickle little filly. With her man in Iraq, she’s probably just playing around.” Aunt Eunice poured corn syrup in the large copper vat.
I dropped chunks of fresh chocolate into the dipper. “I said something I probably shouldn’t have.”
“That would be a first.” My aunt glanced at me. “What did you say?”
“I told them they were on my suspect list.” At her incredulous look, I added, “She was being mean.”
“You poor baby.” She shook her head and muttered something about me being empty-headed.
I measured the raw Spanish peanuts into a bowl and set it on the table next to her. “She gets into my craw sometimes. I couldn’t help myself. Besides, if you’d help me like you said you would, I might not get into as much trouble.”
“Don’t lay this on me, missy. I’m a busy woman.”
Folding my arms, I leaned against the marble slab. “Mason White followed me halfway here, and Joe didn’t do anything about it.”
“Mason was just heading in the same direction.”
“Then why did he turn and go the other way after I pulled over?”
“Probably just playing a game. He’s a bit of a bully.” She adjusted the flame on the stove. “That’s what happens when your family’s the richest in town.”
The bell over the door rang, and a boy around the age of ten strolled in with a cardboard box under his arm. “Delivery.”
I glanced at my aunt. She shrugged. We hadn’t placed any orders, and the shoe box–sized package was too small for supplies. Besides, who would send a child to bring it? I handed him a piece of chocolate cream candy. Th ~Rdas e boy grinned and skipped out the door.
Using a pair of scissors, I cut into the box. Nestled inside sat another smaller replica of the one I’d opened. I smiled. Ethan must be up to his pranks. Loving surprises, I ripped into the second box. My hand paused in midair. I gasped and dropped the container.
In the center of a pile of chocolate that looked like it had been melted and reset, lay a dead rat.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Now we’ll have the health department here . I would need to sanitize the entire store with about a million gallons of bleach.
Get control of yourself, Summer. Don’t let Aunt Eunice see it. She’ll freak . I slapped the box closed before she peeked over my shoulder, tucked it under my arm, and sprinted for the bathroom. My first instinct was to throw it away, but I knew I needed the dead animal as evidence to prove my case to Joe.
“Summer?”
I kicked the door closed. “Be right out.” The tiny room contained a pedestal sink and a toilet. I stuffed the box
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