Digging for Dirt (Heavenly Highland Inn Cozy Mystery Book 9) by Cindy Bell

in.” Mitchell pulled out his cell phone.
    “Mitchell wait … I could be wrong.” Vicky looked at him grimly. “We don’t know anything for sure yet.”
    “Even just a suspicion is reason to call it in, Vicky. You know I don’t want to put you in a difficult position, but you can’t expect me not to follow protocol when it comes to a threat like this.”
    She knew that Mitchell was right. She couldn’t imagine how she would feel, or how Mitchell would feel, if something happened to Roman.
    “I know you need to call, Mitchell. You do what you have to do. I’m going to do what I have to do.” With that Vicky kissed him quickly and walked off across the grass.
    “Vicky, wait!” Mitchell called after her. He already had his phone to his ear. “Where are you going?”
    “Don’t worry!” Vicky called back. “I’ll let you know what I find out.”
    Vicky was more determined than ever to get to the bottom of things. Within a few minutes she found herself standing outside Ida’s door. If anyone could help her uncover the truth, she knew that it would be her Aunt Ida. She knocked lightly on the door. Ida opened it a moment later.
    “Vicky, come in.” She smiled at her niece. Vicky stepped inside Ida’s room. It was the same size as all of the other guest rooms, but it looked a bit smaller because of all the unique souvenirs that Ida had collected from foreign countries over the years. Sometimes the masks could be a little creepy. But the silks, the bright colors draped across the ceiling, were all very soothing to Vicky at that moment.
    “Aunt Ida, I want to figure this out tonight. I don’t want to wait until tomorrow.” Vicky sat down on the edge of her aunt’s bed.
    “Okay, let’s do it.” Ida began to pace back and forth in front of the bed. “We know that Freida died because of poisoned berries which did not come from the kitchen, and they were not arranged by the inn even though it was made to look that way. We know that Freida and Roman had a hate-hate relationship. We also know that Freida had created many enemies over the years.” She paused and looked over at Vicky. Vicky picked up where she left off.
    “We also know that someone went to the trouble of damaging the sprinkler, possibly to damage the reputation of the inn. But, if the two are related that means that someone probably planned this for quite some time.” Vicky frowned. “Either with the intent to kill Freida, or the intent to kill Roman.”
    “How can we solve a murder when we don’t even know who the intended victim was?” Ida sighed with exasperation.
    “Well, we do know that Freida had some information that was very damaging to Roman’s reputation,” Vicky reminded her aunt as she stood up. “That makes her the more likely intended victim. Someone would be taking a huge risk if they targeted Roman.”
    “But if we think that Freida was targeted because of the information she had on Roman, then we have to believe he might have been involved in her murder.”
    “Aunt Ida, I know that you are fond of him, but a kind man doesn’t falsify a war wound, or threaten a reporter,” Vicky spoke with determination.
    “We don’t know for sure that he did any of that. Even if he did, that doesn’t make him a murderer. I can’t believe that he would do something like this.” Ida shook her head and looked at Vicky with displeasure. “You’re just buying into the rumors that woman was trying to spread.”
    “Aunt Ida, that woman was the one who ended up dead.” Vicky scowled. “I know it’s a terrible thing to think of anyone, but really everything points to him. He had motive, and plenty of opportunity. Maybe he just damaged the sprinkler to throw us off the trail, or the sprinkler had nothing to do with the murder.”
    “But don’t you see? That is why I don’t think he had anything to do with it.” Ida pursed her lips. “Roman is a very intelligent man, Vicky. He had his mind on an illustrious career, why would