Blueberry Cream Cupcake & Murder (A Dana Sweet Cozy Mystery Book 2) (7 page)

BOOK: Blueberry Cream Cupcake & Murder (A Dana Sweet Cozy Mystery Book 2)
13.29Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
ads
Chapter 13

 

 

 

“What are you talking about Dana darling?” Uncle Max said in the study of his home.

Aunt Mary was sitting by the fireplace relaxing. Her eyes were now closed. Earlier, Aunt Mary told Dana that she’d lost her spare pair of reading glasses and she thought it could be at the nursing home where she stayed while her son was in jail. Dana said she’d go and retrieve it after talking with her uncle.

Uncle Max insisted on speaking in the study with Dana, despite Dana wanting to go into another room as not to wake or upset Aunt Mary.

“Well, Uncle Max. I really want to help you solve this riddle. I mean this murder. We need to find out who really poisoned your late wife, but you need to tell me everything you know.” Dana didn’t want to get Bea involved so she kept her name out of the conversation.

“And what makes you think I haven’t told you everything, Dana? What have you heard?”

“Well, for one thing, I heard you had a confrontation with Karla—an argument not long before her death.”

Uncle Max’s face froze.

Then a shadow of regret and sorrow slid across it.

“Uncle Max, is everything all right? I’m so sorry to bring this up. But if you don’t talk about it now, you might have to talk about it in front of grand jury.”

He took a deep sigh. “Dana…I can’t talk right now. There isn’t anything to say.”

“Oh, Uncle Max. I’m so disappointed.”

“Dana, I did not kill my wife. Neither of them. That I swear to you. But…”

“Is there a secret that…”

“What?”

“A secret.”

“Dana. There’s no secret. Yes, Karla mentioned that she knew a secret but she didn’t say what it was.”

Dana didn’t want to bring up her lovers, thinking it would be much too painful right now. After all, he was still mourning her loss and she didn’t want to entertain rumors without having hard facts of that first. But it wasn’t looking good right now. Her job in finding the real killer was going to be far more complicated than she had ever imagined.

 

 

Chapter 14

 

“Maybe the motive wasn’t greed or jealousy. Maybe it was something else.” Dana sat with Katie in the kitchen at the Victorian. Truffles was swinging her tail back and forth listening to their conversation as she sat propped up on the table.

“What do you think it could be then?”

“I don’t know. But…” Dana didn’t feel good about telling Katie just yet about the strange “feelings” that she often got when something wasn’t right or when something resonated with her. But she could feel Truffles energy. And it told her that she was on the right track.

“What is it?” Katie probed.

“I think there’s something way more serious.”

“Such as? Dana are you holding back on me?”

Dana didn’t know how to tell Katie this. After all it was gossip, right? But then Bea told the cops what the care worker had said. Did the care worker tell the cops, too?

“Yes. I think fear might be the motive here. I just don’t know why but trust me on this one.”

Katie shrugged. She then sighed and placed her cup down on the table. “Okay, Sherlock. Who do you think had enough fear to take out both of Uncle Max’s wives? Do you think Karla was trying to get rid of his secretary? Are we back to that square again?”

“That’s a possibility. Darlene didn’t seem too fond of her boss’s wife and the wife had a lot of say in the company. I’m going to figure that one out soon.”

“Dana, I know you’re not telling me something.”

“Well, yes. I was at the salon this morning to deliver the cupcakes to Bea.”

“And?”

“And she told me that one of her clients worked as a caregiver and did a home visit to see Aunt Mary at Uncle Max’s house.”

“What did she say?”

“Well, that they had a serious argument and she accused his wife of seeing a guy named Chester.”

“Chester?” Katie looked puzzled. Dana could see the wheels turning in Katie’s head. “Chester. Chester. Now why does that name sound familiar?”

Truffles hissed at the sound of Chester’s name. Dana and Katie exchanged glances.

“Hmm, that’s interesting.” She turned her attention back to Katie. “Do you know of any Chesters around here?”

“Wait a minute.”

“What?”

“Echo’s real name is Echo Chester.”

“Oh, crap! So she
was
seeing Echo then.”

Dana got up from the table.

Truffles followed suit and climbed off the table.

“Where are you headed?” Katie asked Dana

“Oh, I’m going to pay Echo a visit. Then I’m heading over to the nursing home. Aunt Mary can’t find her spare pair of glasses. We don’t know where they are. She must have left them there when she went there for those few days when Uncle Max was arrested.”

“Do you want some company?”

“I’m good, thanks cuz. You can just watch things at the café. I’ll be fine.”

Dana felt lost. She felt more further from the truth than before. If Uncle Max was convicted of the murders, then he’s as good as gone as so was Aunt Mary.

Which meant, so was the whole family. Uncle Merv and Aunt Nia were in no position to care for Aunt Mary and not only that, it won’t look very good if her uncle was convicted of murder, right after she’d been suspected of murder herself. The reputation of the Cozy Cupcakes Café would be forever tarnished, not to mention lives ruined if this ever went sour.

Dana felt as if the wind was knocked out of her. What would she do? How would she cope? She really thought she had some magical psychic powers that could make a real difference in the lives of those around her.

So much for that.

“Here you go, sweetie,” Dana said as she lowered a bowl of delicious Meow Mix for Truffles.

The kitty meowed and purred delightfully.

Dana looked over her notes while Truffles sat next to her devouring her snack.

“So, there’s Darlene, the secretary who seems to be hiding something. Check.” Dana felt more disillusioned than ever before. Sure, Darlene was a prime suspect, but her vibes were telling her she was colder than an ice-cream smoothie right out of the freezer.

Besides, Truffles didn’t seem too bothered with Darlene. She didn’t hiss or anything. Only at the Heparin thingy the other night.

Truffles did, however, hiss around Dr. Cromwell, Aunt Mary’s physician. But he couldn’t’ have possibly had anything to do with the murder, could he? Dana spun it over in her mind, like a gazillion times.

Dana then continued her notes out loud. “Then, we have that crazy ex of Uncle Max’s wife.”

Truffles continued to purr sweetly, enjoying her meal, wagging her fluffy tail from side to side.

Dana sighed deeply. “Well, I give up. Maybe, we won’t ever solve this case, Truffs. I’m going to be leaving you right now. I’m heading over to see Echo then I’m going to the Oxbridge Nursing Home. Be right back soon, okay?”

Truffles paused from eating and stared blankly at Dana.

“What is it, sweetie? I won’t be too long now.”

Truffles then arched her back and hissed loudly.

“What? Sweetie, what is it?”

“The nursing home?”

Again Truffles hissed.

“Oh, sweetie,” Dana said as she scooped the little furry kitty in her arms and brushed her cheek against hers, stroking her behind her ears. “I wish I could speak your language. I won’t be too long, I prom…”

Dana froze.

She then immediately turned Truffles toward her and looked her straight in her lovely saucer dark eyes. There was a sparkle of light there. Something strange came over Dana.

Yep, there sure was something there.

“You know Truffles, we make a good team. I had some suspicions but now, I think I know which direction to follow for sure. How could I not have known?”

Dana then plopped Truffles on the sofa beside her and picked up Mac baby, her other bestie. She then opened up the smooth aluminum laptop and re-read her notes. “Motive. There had to be a strong motive. I think I overlooked the obvious, Truffles. I think I need to rewrite this whole list. And then I’m going to head over to the nursing home to get Aunt Mary’s favorite pair of glasses and some more answers.”

 

Chapter 15

 

 

 

Later Dana drove up to the Oxbridge Nursing Home
.
She turned off the ignition, got out of the vehicle and slammed the door shut. Dana then pulled out her notebook and pen from her crossbody handbag. She then scooted up to the sliding glass doors of the facility.

“Good afternoon,” an older full-figured woman sporting a dark brunette bobbed haircut with bright red coloring on the tips greeted her.

“Hi there. I was wondering if you could help me out. I’m looking for a pair of glasses that might have been left behind by a patient that was here for a few days.” Dana gave Aunt Mary’s full name. “She came in her not long ago.”

“Oh, yes,” the woman said with a grin. She then rolled her eyes. “I remember Miss Mary all right.”

“You do?” Dana’s heart exploded with excitement. Well, that was good news, right? It had to be. Maybe the receptionist could help Dana with some information? She seemed really helpful.

“Who could forget her? She was a real Miss busy body.”

“She was?”

“Yes, she was.”

“But she’s an invalid?”

“Well, she can’t do too much on her own, but as you know, there’s nothing wrong with her mouth.”

Dana grinned.

“Well, what can you tell me?”

“I can tell you this. Miss Mary sure likes to read. A lot.”

“I know. That was always Aunt Mary for you. Always reading a book or a newspaper.”

The woman then looked around in the lost and found box near to her reception desk. “Ah, yes. Here it is.”

The woman pulled out a pink-rimmed pair of glasses with a tint in it.

“Yep, that’s one of Aunt Mary’s favorite pair of reading glasses.” Dana gladly took the pair from the woman. “She’s had it for like ever. Where did you find it?”

“I found it when I found
her
.” The woman arched her brow, giving Dana a can-you-believe-it look.

“Excuse me? When you found
her
? Found her where?”

“Snooping around in my stuff.”

“Snooping around in your
stuff
?”

“You sure like to repeat everything I say, don’t you?” the woman teased with a grin. She peered over her black-rimmed glasses at Dana.

“Sorry, I just…I’m in shock.”

“I’m only pulling your leg, sweetie. Your Aunt Mary’s a darling really. Always rolling about in her wheelchair. She likes to keep my company up here at the front. She ain’t as sickly as the other residents. I tell you, she may not be able to walk, but she can sure talk. Your auntie snapped at me when I caught her, too. Imagine that? I asked her what she was doing looking through my admissions files.”

“Your admissions files?”

“Yes. My admission files.”

“But what could she have possibly wanted in there?”

“Beats me. I guess she got bored here. She really didn’t want to be here, you know.”

Just then, a thought sprung into Dana’s mind.

“Can I ask a really big favor of you?” Dana pleaded nicely with the woman. “It would really mean a lot. Lives are at stake here.”

The woman then arched her brow and gave Dana a dubious look.

“I shouldn’t be doing this, you know?”

“I know. I’m really sorry. I would never ask you to do anything that would jeopardize your job or patient confidentiality. But…I really need to know what Aunt Mary was looking at. This could answer quite a lot and help in the investigation of…”

“A-ha. It’s about the murder of that poor girl, isn’t it? You know, my niece is a Vegas dancer, too. She’s always wanted to open up her own dance school one day to help kids learn a new skill and keep active and all that.”

The receptionist then sighed for a moment. “I’ll do what I can to help you. If it means catching that creepy woman hater killer. Doctor Cromwell left us some strict order for her.” The woman pulled out a file.

“Oh, dear.”

“What is it?”

“The wrong physician file. I keep getting them two mixed up.”

“Which two?”

“Doctor Bernie Cromwell and Doctor Chester Cromwell. They both work here PRN you know. It confuses the hell out of me.”

Dana’s heart stopped.

“Doctor
Chester
Cromwell?”

“Yes, why?”

Dana felt as if the life had been sucked out of her. “Was Dr. Chester Cromwell married by any chance?”

“I’m not sure. I never saw him with a wedding band.”

“Hmm.” Dana thought to herself. Something didn’t sit right at all.

“I have to go,” Dana said. “Thank you so much for your help.”

Very critical. She didn’t have much time to prove who the real killer was.

BOOK: Blueberry Cream Cupcake & Murder (A Dana Sweet Cozy Mystery Book 2)
13.29Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
ads

Other books

Rendezvous by Amanda Quick
Short of Glory by Alan Judd
Tumblin' Dice by John McFetridge
Love Drugged by James Klise
SpiceMeUp by Renee Field
Blade of Fortriu by Juliet Marillier
The Instant When Everything is Perfect by Jessica Barksdale Inclan