park.
The lights in the parking lot led my way into the station. It was getting dark and I knew I might have been cutting it close to when Oscar was off his shift.
“June, how are you?” Sonny asked when I walked in.
He had strawberry-blond hair with freckles dotted around his face. His jaw was square and he had a nice deep smile. He wasn’t the handsomest of men, but he sure was reliable and good-hearted from what my intuition told me.
“Hi, Sonny.” I gave a slight wave and glanced around the room looking for Oscar. “Is Oscar around?”
“I let him get home. He worked late on the Head To Toe Works homicide last night. Which reminds me,” he stood up and tugged on the belt, pulling his pants up around his gut. “Oscar said you had been working there or something.”
“Yes,” I spoke loud and clear wondering if I should tell him about Jenny shutting down the facility and the will. Or maybe he already knew. “They purchased my stress free lotion I used to make for the Locust Grove Flea Market.”
I had to choose my words wisely when around people who weren’t familiar with me or Darla.
“I heard from around town how much they miss your mom, Darla is it?” he questioned.
“Darla,” I confirmed.
“They miss your mom’s booth at the market. But Oscar tells them about your shop in Whispering Falls.” His eyes searched mine. I could tell he was trying to use his cop instinct to get a feel for me. I stood there, holding my own. “Quaint town.”
“Oscar and I love it.” I grinned from ear-to-ear.
“Congratulations by the way. I hear you haven’t set a real date yet.” Sonny was digging. Was he digging for the investigation or for Oscar?
“Soon. Anyway, how is the investigation going?” I asked. “Any suspects?”
“Too early. What do you know about Tiffany?” he asked.
“On the record or off?” I had listened to Oscar so many times that I sort of knew when to talk and when not to.
“We are just talking here, June.” He settled back in his chair with his hands folded over his chest. “Anything you can tell me to bring a killer to justice would be nice.”
“I don’t know a whole lot. They had come to Whispering Falls over Christmas and Burt seemed to cater to her. He was the one who really wanted my product in the stores initially.” My voice lowered.
“Initially?” His ears perked and he sat up, this time with his hand clasped and resting on the desk in front of him.
“In Whispering Falls, but when it came time to bottling the product, I found they weren’t using the bottles I had given them at no cost and were instead using cheap plastic ones.” I shrugged. “I thought we had gotten the issue resolved.”
“That was why you were there last night? Because it seems to me if you thought the issue was resolved, you wouldn’t have to go back after hours.” His tone put caution in the air between us.
“Are you accusing me of doing something?” I asked to make clear I was understanding him.
“Just answer the question.” He shrugged, his eyes narrowed.
“I have nothing to hide.” Though I did know the Elders didn’t want me to say anything to anyone without Mac present. “I went there to make sure the bottles were going to be ready for the assembly line the next morning for work. We were already a day behind and as you know, time is money. That’s how any company works.”
“You have been taken off the suspect list.” He picked up the pen off his desk and tapped it on the file that read ROSSEN.
“Glad to know, but I didn’t realize I was a suspect.” That was a lie. I knew enough to know that everyone was a suspect until it was whittled down.
“The security camera showed you trying to get in through the security gate and Mr. Rossen was shot hours before you got there.” His chest heaved up and then down when he took a big deep breath before letting it out in a slow steady stream. “And his wife was in the hospital when I went to question her for a
The lights in the parking lot led my way into the station. It was getting dark and I knew I might have been cutting it close to when Oscar was off his shift.
“June, how are you?” Sonny asked when I walked in.
He had strawberry-blond hair with freckles dotted around his face. His jaw was square and he had a nice deep smile. He wasn’t the handsomest of men, but he sure was reliable and good-hearted from what my intuition told me.
“Hi, Sonny.” I gave a slight wave and glanced around the room looking for Oscar. “Is Oscar around?”
“I let him get home. He worked late on the Head To Toe Works homicide last night. Which reminds me,” he stood up and tugged on the belt, pulling his pants up around his gut. “Oscar said you had been working there or something.”
“Yes,” I spoke loud and clear wondering if I should tell him about Jenny shutting down the facility and the will. Or maybe he already knew. “They purchased my stress free lotion I used to make for the Locust Grove Flea Market.”
I had to choose my words wisely when around people who weren’t familiar with me or Darla.
“I heard from around town how much they miss your mom, Darla is it?” he questioned.
“Darla,” I confirmed.
“They miss your mom’s booth at the market. But Oscar tells them about your shop in Whispering Falls.” His eyes searched mine. I could tell he was trying to use his cop instinct to get a feel for me. I stood there, holding my own. “Quaint town.”
“Oscar and I love it.” I grinned from ear-to-ear.
“Congratulations by the way. I hear you haven’t set a real date yet.” Sonny was digging. Was he digging for the investigation or for Oscar?
“Soon. Anyway, how is the investigation going?” I asked. “Any suspects?”
“Too early. What do you know about Tiffany?” he asked.
“On the record or off?” I had listened to Oscar so many times that I sort of knew when to talk and when not to.
“We are just talking here, June.” He settled back in his chair with his hands folded over his chest. “Anything you can tell me to bring a killer to justice would be nice.”
“I don’t know a whole lot. They had come to Whispering Falls over Christmas and Burt seemed to cater to her. He was the one who really wanted my product in the stores initially.” My voice lowered.
“Initially?” His ears perked and he sat up, this time with his hand clasped and resting on the desk in front of him.
“In Whispering Falls, but when it came time to bottling the product, I found they weren’t using the bottles I had given them at no cost and were instead using cheap plastic ones.” I shrugged. “I thought we had gotten the issue resolved.”
“That was why you were there last night? Because it seems to me if you thought the issue was resolved, you wouldn’t have to go back after hours.” His tone put caution in the air between us.
“Are you accusing me of doing something?” I asked to make clear I was understanding him.
“Just answer the question.” He shrugged, his eyes narrowed.
“I have nothing to hide.” Though I did know the Elders didn’t want me to say anything to anyone without Mac present. “I went there to make sure the bottles were going to be ready for the assembly line the next morning for work. We were already a day behind and as you know, time is money. That’s how any company works.”
“You have been taken off the suspect list.” He picked up the pen off his desk and tapped it on the file that read ROSSEN.
“Glad to know, but I didn’t realize I was a suspect.” That was a lie. I knew enough to know that everyone was a suspect until it was whittled down.
“The security camera showed you trying to get in through the security gate and Mr. Rossen was shot hours before you got there.” His chest heaved up and then down when he took a big deep breath before letting it out in a slow steady stream. “And his wife was in the hospital when I went to question her for a
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