A Sprinkle of Magic (A Sugarcomb Lake Cozy Mystery Book 4) (17 page)

“You’re the young lady from the drugstore,” Cecily exclaimed, stepping forward.

“Yes, I am,” Clarissa replied.  “You decided to stay in town a bit longer, did you?”

Cecily lit up at that.  “I had the chance to reconnect with my nephew here,” she beamed, grabbing his hand and squeezing it affectionately.  “Artie and I are taking him back east with us.  He’s going to move into our guest house and help us with some home renovation projects.”

“We’re not spring chickens anymore, you know!” Artie added.

“Speak for yourself, dear!” Cecily retorted.

“Coffee is on me, everyone,” Vinnie announced.  “It’s the least I can do after you helped clear my name.  I’m gonna go see if we can get a plate of pastries, too.  Uncle Artie, want to come help me order?”

The two men walked over to the counter.

Cecily looked incredibly happy.  She leaned in close and whispered to Clarissa, “Artie and I never had children of our own, you know.  I’m so grateful we’ve had this chance to reconnect with Vinnie.  He’s a good boy who made some mistakes in his youth, but he’s ready to turn his life around.”

“I’m glad you were able to mend your relationship with your nephew,” Clarissa smiled.

“So am I!” Cecily exclaimed.  Then she frowned.  “I don’t know what came over my niece.  My brother probably had it coming – in fact, I’m quite sure he did.  But I’m very disappointed in her.  I told her that last night when I went to visit her in jail.”

“Did she say why she killed her father?” Clarissa asked carefully. 

She didn’t want to cause offence, but she wondered if her suspicions were right. 

At first it had seemed plausible that Jo had killed her father in a moment of blind rage.  But after Jo had tried to strangle Clarissa and run over Parker, all signs pointed to her being a cold blooded, homicidal maniac.

“Money,” Cecily said bitterly.  “Jo killed my brother for money.”

“I’m sorry,” Clarissa said, thinking that was all Cecily was going to say.

But it seemed the older woman was as eager as ever to talk.  Maybe in a way it was therapeutic.

“My brother was a cheapskate,” Cecily said scornfully.  “He was using Jo to fund his retirement.  He wanted her to do all the work at the donut shop, but he wanted to reap all the benefits.  He took advantage.  And he threatened to cut Jo out of his will if she ever defied him.”

“I see,” Clarissa murmured.  She was secretly thinking to herself that it sounded like Al Moreno had a fair bit in common with Parker’s father.  Ugh! 

“Eventually Jo decided enough was enough,” Cecily said.  “She figured if my brother was out of the picture, she would inherit all his assets.  He wrote Vinnie out of his will years ago, you see.  So Jo stood to inherit everything.  Poor Vinnie – my brother was always so hard on him.”

“Oh,” Clarissa grimaced.  “I’m sorry to hear that.”

“It’s okay,” Cecily reassured her.  “Artie and I are very comfortable.  We don’t actually
need
Vinnie to do odd jobs for us – we could easily afford to hire someone.  But we like the thought of him being around more.  And we haven’t told him, but one day everything we own will be his.”

“Oh!”  Clarissa didn’t know what to say to that.  Apparently Cecily liked to overshare. 

“We’re hoping he’ll settle down and meet a nice girl,” Cecily confided.  “He’s really a very caring person.  He’d make someone a great husband someday.  Ooh, and maybe there will be babies at some point!”  Cecily clapped her hands eagerly. “I could babysit!  Ooh!”

Clarissa smiled.  It was clear Cecily really loved her nephew and wanted the best for him.  And judging by the way Vinnie was smiling from ear to ear, he was pretty happy too. 

Something ugly had actually ended up rather beautiful. 

A life had been lost, and another would be spent behind bars…but three other lives had been improved immeasurably.  Vinnie would finally have loving parental figures in his life. And Cecily and Artie were clearly excited about reconnecting with their nephew.

In a way, it felt like things had come full circle.  Greed, deception and murder had given way to generosity, love and a new lease on life.  In death, mean old Al Moreno had achieved what he had never been able to accomplish in life:  he had brought a family together.

Several days had passed since Jo Moreno had been charged with killing her father.  The town was still abuzz, as the court case was Very Big News.  But now that Jo had pled guilty, the excitement was finally starting to die down.

For Clarissa, the return to normalcy was welcome.

Well, maybe Sugarcomb Lake wasn’t ever exactly
normal
…

Parker had been swamped with work, as had Clarissa.  In fact, they had barely talked the past few days.  That was all changing tonight.  Parker had managed to sneak out of work early, surprising Clarissa with a bouquet of daisies and a fast food feast.

Everyone had eaten their fill.

The cat had retreated to the kitchen after gorging itself on fries.  It was currently sprawled out under the table, vaguely resembling a beached whale.  There, it was snoring loudly, a look of utter contentment on the furry devil’s cute little face.

Clarissa and Parker were done eating too.  Truthfully, they were far more interested in cuddling than in eating their burgers.  As they sat on the couch, Parker’s arm around Clarissa’s shoulders, she was on cloud nine.  She had missed him so much!

She snuck a peek at Parker and contemplated saying those three terrifying little words.

“Parker?” she asked, feeling a bit shy.

“Yes?” he replied, looking as handsome as ever.

Okay.  This was it.  Clarissa was just going to go for it!  She took a deep breath.  “I lo –”

“Hello, you two!” Liana called out as she peered through Clarissa’s living room window.

Clarissa and Parker immediately stopped cuddling and jumped up off the couch.  It was silly, because Liana had obviously already seen them!  Clarissa made a mental note to remember to close the blinds when she didn’t want to be interrupted.

Reluctantly, Clarissa went over to the door and unlocked it.

“I hope I’m not interrupting anything!” Liana said as she burst into the house.

She was even more animated and energetic than usual.  She was moving around so much that her blonde ponytail practically never stopped bobbing.  She seemed very upbeat and excited.  Unfortunately, she was talking so quickly that it was difficult to make sense of anything she was saying!

“Wait, wait!” Clarissa interjected.  “Slow down.  Start from the beginning.”

“I’m giving up my graphic design business!” Liana exclaimed.  “Work has been sparse lately.  Something needed to change, so I made a change!  It was the perfect time to make the move, so I did it.  I can’t wait to start the next phase of my life – and my new job!  I’m so excited!  I think I’ve found my true calling!”

Parker and Clarissa exchanged a confused look.

“What new job?” Clarissa asked.

“Oh.”  Liana stopped in her tracks.  “Didn’t I tell you about my plans?”

“No,” Clarissa and Parker replied in unison.

“I bought the coffee shop!” Liana exclaimed.  “Cathy sold it to me for a steal of a deal!  I am now the new owner of Just Desserts – that’s what I’m going to rename it,” she explained happily.  “Branding is everything, you know!”

“Liana, that’s amazing!” Clarissa blurted out.

“Good for you!” Parker agreed.  “And great name!”

“Thanks!” Liana beamed.  “I’m really excited.  I’m going to shut down for a couple weeks just so I can focus on my business plan.  But next month, Just Desserts will be open for business!  At least that’s the plan.  I have so much to do before then!”

“How can I help?” Parker asked.

“I don’t know yet, but I’m sure I’ll think of something!” Liana laughed.

“Well you know how to reach me,” Parker replied.  “Don’t be scared to ask for help.”

“Thanks!”  Liana stopped bouncing around the house and looked at her watch.  “I should go.  I have so much stuff to do!  Bye guys, I’ll talk to you soon!  Enjoy your evening!” she added slyly, winking at Clarissa.

Clarissa gave her best friend the evil eye. 

Liana, of course, didn’t notice.  She was already halfway down the driveway.

“Wow,” Parker said as they watched Liana drive away.  “She bought a coffee shop!”

“It’s a big commitment,” Clarissa replied.  “Don’t get me wrong – Liana’s my best friend and I want to be supportive.  I just hope she knows what she’s getting herself into.  You shouldn’t just buy a business on impulse!”

“Someone I know started up her own newspaper,” Parker reminded Clarissa.  “She’s done incredibly well for herself and is expanding her business.  I hear she’s even hired a new employee who will be starting soon.  The person I know is very successful and I couldn’t be prouder – even though she does work for a rival publication.”

Clarissa grinned.  “Thanks.  That means a lot!  And I’m sure Liana will be fine,” she added, mostly in an attempt to try to convince herself.  She desperately hoped it was true.  She would hate for her best friend to bite off more than she could chew!

“Liana
will
be fine,” Parker assured her.  “She’s got you and me on her side.”

“I hope she doesn’t expect me to bake anything,” Clarissa joked.

“Oh, she’s smarter than that,” Parker teased.

“Hey!” Clarissa giggled in mock indignation.

“Let her know I meant it though, would you?” Parker asked.  “I’m happy to help out with whatever Liana needs.  If she wants me to help renovate or pour coffee or mop the floor, I’ll gladly do it.”

“That’s really nice of you, but you don’t have time!” Clarissa reminded him.  “You’re so busy with your job that you barely even have a chance to sleep!”

“I know, but Liana is your best friend.  Anything that’s important to you is important to me,” Parker explained.  “I have no idea how I’ll make room in my schedule to help her, but I’ll figure something out.”

“You’re amazing,” Clarissa smiled.  How had she been lucky enough to land such a kind, selfless, perfect guy?  Some days she could still barely believe Parker Tweed was her boyfriend!  She had hit the jackpot!

Parker leaned over and kissed her.

Then he yawned.

“Uh oh,” Clarissa said.  She knew what that yawn meant.

“Sorry,” Parker said apologetically.  “I really do need to get home – early morning tomorrow.”

“As usual,” Clarissa sighed.

The cat waddled into the room and made a beeline for Parker. 

“Aww, your cat is saying thank you for the fries,” Parker smiled.

“I’m glad you think the cat is cute.  That makes one of us,” Clarissa grumbled.  “Have you seen what it did to my door frames?”  She pointed to one particularly scratched up section of wood.  “I just had that repaired and it’s already a mess!” she complained.

“Aww, but it’s just a cat,” Parker reminded her.  “It doesn’t know any better.”

“That’s what you think,” she muttered under her breath.

“Did you say something?” Parker asked as he straightened up from petting the cat.

“I said drive safely!” Clarissa told him.

“I always do – unlike someone I know,” he winked.

“Goodnight!”

“Goodnight,” he replied, leaning in for another kiss.

Clarissa walked Parker to the door.  Then she stood there watching as he got into his shiny red sports car and drove off.  She sighed wistfully as his car disappeared around a corner, wishing they didn’t live so far apart.

“I love you,” she whispered.

“Oh please,” the cat piped up, speaking for the first time in ages.

Clarissa whirled around.  “What?” she asked defensively.

“You humans are so pathetic,” the cat replied.  “Why don’t you just tell him?  What’s with all this pining?  If you love Parker, then tell him!  If you don’t tell him you’re in love with him soon,” the cat threatened, “I’ll tell him for you.”

“Don’t!” Clarissa exclaimed in horror.

“I want more fries,” the cat announced.

“You ate all the fries,” Clarissa replied.

“So?  Go get me some more,” the little beast ordered, acting entitled in a way only a cat could.

“It’s late,” Clarissa protested.

“I saved your life,” the cat reminded her.

“True.  But you only saved my life so I’d be around to feed you.”

“Yes,” the cat agreed.  “So?  What are you waiting for?  Feed me!”

With a sigh, Clarissa went into her bedroom and retrieved her purse.  When she walked back out into the hallway, the cat was sitting beside the door frame, staring at it contemplatively.

“Don’t even think about scratching that!” Clarissa cautioned.

“I do what I want,” the cat replied defiantly.

“You’re not really going to tell Parker I’m in love with him, are you?” she asked anxiously.

“Probably not,” the cat replied.  “Humans freak out when I talk to them.  You’re so weird.”

“Ditto,” Clarissa retorted.  “I’ll be back soon.”

“Okay.  I’ll keep my claws to myself,” the cat promised.  “But you seriously need to tell Parker you’re in love with him.”

“Soon,” Clarissa smiled as she headed out the door.  “I’ll tell him soon.”

____

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