Framed to Death (A Faith Hunter Scrap This Mystery Book 4) (5 page)

FIVE

I couldn’t get a hold of Charlotte on her cell, so I called Polished. While I waited for her to answer, I planned out my stops. Upcycle Wear. Made With Love. And even though it meant backtracking, I’d save Piece A Pie for last. I’d get there around lunch time and pick up some pizza along with information.

Charlotte finally answered. “Polished—”

“It’s Faith. I have three places on the ‘most likely to have sold the drugs’ list. I’m heading to store number one.”

“Not alone, I hope.”

“It’s not like I can bring along police backup or my grandmothers.”

“Let me see what I can work out. What’s your first stop?”

“Upcycle Wear.”

“Okay, I’m going to finalize a few things and then head over.”

“Is it a good idea for you to close your place?”

Charlotte let out a small bitter laugh. “I’ve had one visitor all morning, and all they wanted was to use my restroom.”

I hung up and headed over. Upcycle was a small store in a new shopping plaza near the high school. Most of the store fronts for rent in the center remained empty, and the high traffic time was on Friday nights when there was a home game at the football stadium and the large parking lot was used for overflow parking. Eden had tried morphing itself into a business-friendly town, wooing owners to open up shops here, but it hadn’t worked. Our proximity, or rather, lack of it, to the interstate hadn’t brought in droves of entrepreneurs like the town council thought.

Like usual, the lot was almost empty. I parked near the front door of Upcycle. The front doors were decorated with hanging clothing. Most of the apparel was little girl t-shirts turned into ruffled dresses adorned with cartoon characters. The items were cute, but I didn’t have anyone in my life who fell into that age category. Maybe Ted would like one for his daughter, though I didn’t know if our friendship was at the level where buying his daughter a gift wouldn’t be seen as something more—like that I’d showed up at a store to snoop around.

Unfortunately, Ted knew me so well that he’d know within a second I’d been out and about trying to prove my innocence and that Upcycle was on my list.

A bell jingled as I walked into the store. The front counter was littered with fabric remnants, ribbons, and business cards of all shapes and sizes. An attractive man wearing an Eden Volunteer Fire Department t-shirt tapped a business card on the glass counter. He looked over at me. Sally, the proprietor and seamstress, was nowhere to be seen.

I walked over to a display of dresser drawer satchels. There wasn’t much else I’d think a high schooler would be interested in. The small tulle bags were filled with potpourri. I picked one up, inspecting it from every angle. It was a little heavier than the ones the girls had in Polished, but I was sure the owner wouldn’t have the illegal substance out on display. I sniffed it.

“She has other scents in the back room,” the guy said.

“I’m just browsing right now. Thanks though.” Was there a way for me to get back there?

“I’m not sure—” Sally stepped out from the back, growing silent as her gaze found me. Her skin paled and she shot a worried look at the guy.

Seconds later, the door opened and Felicity stormed in. “I should’ve known it was you. I called the police. They’ll be here in a second.”

The owner exchanged another look with the guy. He rolled his eyes and let out a huge exasperated sigh.

“Don’t count on it, Felicity,” the guy said.

Felicity grabbed one of the satchels from the display and dropped it into her oversized purse. “Once they test this stuff in the lab, they’ll be here to lock her up.”

“You have to pay for that first or you’re stealing,” I said.

“No, I’m not. I’m confiscating contraband items.” Felicity clamped her arm against her purse.

“She can have it. Just get her out of here.” Sally practically collapsed against the glass counter. “And you too. I know what you’re doing here, Faith.”

“I’m here to look for a present…for a little girl.” I blurted out the first good reason my mind conjured up. I hoped Ted’s daughter liked ruffled dresses.

“I’m not stupid. My shop is the closest to the high school. I sell potpourri.” Sally picked up a newspaper and waved it around. “And the front page news story is about how the Scrap This owners’ granddaughter was taken to the police station for questioning regarding the distribution of Janie.”

I drew back a little. I wasn’t surprised it was news; I was surprised I hadn’t considered that happening. My sleep deprivation was worse than I thought.

“Daniel Burke being here is more proof.” Felicity stamped her foot.

Daniel, the guy in the Fire Department t-shirt, crossed his arms, looking with sympathy at Felicity. “And why’s that, Felicity?”

“Because you were at the bonfire the football team held the night of Brandon’s accident. Don’t think Brandon hasn’t told me how often you show up.”

“I was there because the owner of Made With Love asked me if I could make sure the kids put the fire out correctly. He was afraid his place would burn down. I warned him about letting the team have the after-graduation celebration behind his property, but he thought it would bring in some business. Parents being grateful.”

“And did it work?” I asked.

Not that I wanted a bonfire behind our store, even if we had the proper set-up. Our “backyard” consisted of asphalt and dumpsters.

“The teens asked about holding one in the clearing behind my store since it’s close to the high school,” Sally said. “That’s why Daniel is here. I wanted his advice.”

“I don’t believe either of you,” Felicity said. Daniel and Sally continued with their conversation, not carrying about Felicity’s opinion.

“Not a good idea,” Daniel said. “The field out there gets really dry and with all of these empty buildings, it could spread quick.”

“I guess my merchandise isn’t something that would interest teens anyway. It’s not like I’d get a bump in sales for it.”

I looked around the store. Upcycle had a lot of cute clothes, most of them geared toward the preschool and elementary-school set who were in love with princesses. I examined the clothing closer. The stitching was intricate, each piece with a different pattern. “Have you thought about giving classes? Some scrappers love sewing on their pages, and you have some beautiful stitching on your pieces.”

Sally smiled at me.

“That’s a wonderful idea. I can whip up a sample board and some ideas for one.”

“Sounds great. I’m working on some new classes for the fall. Drop it by and I’ll talk to my grandmothers. I’m sure they’ll go for it.”

“Why are you helping her?” Felicity asked me through gritted teeth. “She’s our enemy.”

Our?

My confusion apparently showed on my face as Felicity rushed into an explanation. “Charlotte told me to meet you here so I’d see you weren’t the one selling the drugs. You were just a victim of circumstance.”

“I’m not the dealer,” Sally screeched.

Daniel patted her hand. “Don’t worry. Two weeks ago, she was certain it was Andrew Taylor and got him suspended from the volunteer fire squad. By tomorrow, she’ll have a new choice as the town drug dealer.”

“He deserved it. Norman never should’ve let him join. He knows his son-in-law is a drunk.”

“Doesn’t make him a drug dealer,” Daniel said.

“He was also at the bonfires. And I know that’s where those children are getting the drugs.”

“Then why let Brandon attend them?” Daniel leaned against the counter.

“It was a team event. I believed he’d be protected. But no one cared about him.” A tear snaked down Felicity’s reddening cheeks.

“Why didn’t he call the police and tell them?” I asked.

“He didn’t think it was harmful,” Felicity said. “And he didn’t plan on ever using it.”

“He changed his mind?” The anger coming from Felicity seemed to come from something deeper than just her son using the synthetic marijuana.

“No. Someone tricked him into taking it.”

“What?” the three of us shouted together.

“Brandon had too much to lose if he started taking drugs. He knew he’d have scholarship offers coming in. It was his only way to go to college.” More tears cascaded down her face as her whole body trembled. “We can’t afford to send him.”

“Who would’ve done that to him?” I placed an arm around her shoulders.

She shrugged.

“Are you sure?” Daniel asked. “The football team is rowdy and has gotten away with vandalism, but I don’t see Coach Rutherford ignoring teammates drugging each other.”

“I have it on good authority,” Felicity said.

“Who?” I asked.

“My son. Brandon swears he didn’t take it, but says someone did give him a cigarette that night. He was told it was just tobacco.”

“Tell the police,” I said.

“I have. Chief Moore doesn’t believe me.”

The boy, or in this case, woman, who cried wolf syndrome.

“Give him the proof,” I said.

“There isn’t any.” Felicity’s shoulders collapsed forward. “Just ‘she said, she said.’ And the other she has a better standing in the community.”

“Which she?”

Felicity left the store without dropping a name.

Felicity sat in the passenger seat of my car as I drove to Made With Love. She was so distraught, I couldn’t in good conscience leave her to drive herself home. Besides, I had a feeling she’d show up there herself. Not a good option either. I also hoped bringing Felicity with me created some trust between us, and she’d share the name. And it would be good to have her to act as a distraction while I looked around. If there was one thing Felicity had proven, she was good at disruptions.

Made With Love was located on the edge of town, near the bridge leading residents out of Eden and into Maryland. The two-thousand-square-foot two-story house was on the right side of 220 on a small incline. The house was painted a cream color with light blue shutters, holding onto its original quaint charm.

“When we get there, I’ll do all the talking,” I said.

“No. I have the right to confront them myself.”

“And that’s the problem. We don’t want to confront them, we want to talk. You catch more flies with honey.”

“I don’t want flies. They’re nuisances and have no redeeming value.”

I stayed silent. She had a point, though not a very good one.

The front and side gravel parking lots were empty. Paper cups, plastic sandwich bags, and empty matchbooks littered the area. Using the tips of my index finger and thumb, I snagged a couple of the sandwich bags and tossed them into my backseat.

If these bags had contained some Janie, the police now had real evidence. I also took a few photos on my phone of the ones I left behind. I wasn’t quite sure if Ted would—or even could—take my word for it.

And I was even less sure that having Felicity Sullivan as my back-up witness worked in my favor.

We walked into the store. The walls that had separated the main area into living spaces were knocked down, turning the area into a thousand square feet of retail space, most of it empty of merchandise. There was a wrought-iron spinning rack near the door with handmade scarves hanging from the hooks. Bookshelves held a few children’s and recipe books, but otherwise they were bare. On the wall behind the register area were tall shelving units filled with small bottles of essential oils and organza bags filled with potpourri. The bags were similar in style to the one I saw at Polished.

With a pile of papers in front of her, Dawn Carr hunched over a granite countertop, fingers shoved into her hair.

I approached her, wanting a closer view of the fragrances.

Dawn’s attention was so focused, she didn’t hear us come in or Felicity’s heavy stomping. The papers were for an insurance policy for the store. I should ask my grandmothers where we kept ours. It was another part of the business I didn’t know anything about, and while I hoped we’d never use it, I should know where it was for safekeeping.

“May I see one of the bags of fragrances?” I asked.

“Sure,” Dawn said, without taking her gaze off the paperwork. She plucked a bag from the rack and handed it over.

The scent of roses and lemon wafted toward me. Tiny bits of lemon peel were in the bag, along with rose petals. This type of potpourri wasn’t ground as much as Janie. The organza was a pale blue, the texture the same as the Janie satchel.

“What are you doing?”

A furious Chad Carr snatched the pouch out of my hand. His tattered jeans hung low on his skinny frame, and his Eden High School t-shirt was two sizes too large for his lanky frame.

“Shopping,” I said.

Where had Felicity wandered off to? I didn’t see her in the main part of the building.

Dawn gathered up the papers, shoving them into a cardboard box. “Honey, Faith isn’t doing anything wrong.”

“She’s playing Miss Innocent.” Chad grabbed my arm. “I want her out of here.”

“Why? Are you hiding something?” Felicity wandered over with a blinged-out lighter in one hand and something similar to an electronic cigarette in the other. “Do you just add the potpourri mix into this contraption and light it?”

“Why don’t you ask your son?” Chad sneered at her. “I’m not stupid. You two are here to blame me for his accident. I already told you I didn’t give your kid anything.”

“I know it’s you.” Felicity threw the vaporizer at Chad’s head. He easily swatted it away. “Brandon attended your bonfire—”

“It wasn’t my bonfire, you psychopath,” Chad said. “It was the football team’s party. I just supplied the venue.”

“And the refreshments. Including the Janie,” Felicity said.

“Take your crazy friend out of here before my wife calls the cops.” Chad motioned for her to pick up the phone.

“Come on, let’s go home.” I took hold of Felicity’s shoulders, steering her toward the door. “We’re not going to get any answers.”

“No.” Felicity weaved away from my control. “He hurt my son. I won’t let him hurt another child.”

“I didn’t hurt your kid,” Chad said. “He hurt himself.”

“You’re a liar. A drug dealer. A dream crusher. A life stealer.” The open lighter shook in her hand like she was driving over a mile-long stretch of potholes. She clamped her teeth together, breaths hissing out of her.

Chad looked more amused than stricken by the list of insults Felicity heaved at him. His smile enraged Felicity further. She rubbed her thumb viciously over the steel roller. I was close enough to hear it click. No flame. I exhaled in relief, hoping it was either broken or, better yet, out of fuel.

“My son’s life is ruined because of you.” Felicity held the business end of the lighter at Chad. “He almost died. He’s paralyzed. Lost his scholarship. Won’t be able to go to college. He could’ve been in the NFL, and now he won’t ever leave Eden. You. Ruined. His. Life.”

Chad pursed his lips and mimicked the sound of chopper blades. “Maybe if you worked instead of helicoptering over the kid, he could’ve gone to college.”

Felicity brought the lighter to life, moving it toward the scarves. “How dare you blame me.”

Crop it all. I should’ve made her stay in the car. Heck, I should’ve left her at Upcycle Wear and let the police deal with her. Why in the world was Charlotte out to get me? I didn’t need an unstable mother tagging along.

“You’re blaming me.” Chad fisted his hand and swung at Felicity.

I snagged her around the waist and twisted. Unfortunately for me, I reacted at the same time as Chad and received a sharp smack to the back of my head. My face slammed into the back of Felicity’s skull. The lighter clattered to the floor. I released Felicity and spun around.

“Chad, leave them alone.” Dawn pushed herself into our melee, dragging Chad away.

Chad blinked a few times. “That was on her. She got in the way.”

“You think it would’ve been better if you hit Felicity?” I gently rubbed the sore spot on the back of my head.

“I was defending myself and our store. She threatened to set the place on fire.”

“You’re an evil, vile man.” Felicity’s hands were hooked into talons. If she was a few steps closer, she’d be able to rip out his eyes and heart.

Chad raked a look of superiority over Felicity. “Just call me Satan.”

“Oh my God.” Dawn paled, hands cupped around her mouth.

I smelled smoke.

Chad cursed, running for the area marked restroom. “The scarves are on fire.”

A small flame leapt from one scarf to another, the silk ones quickly catching on fire while the wool smoked. I toppled the display over and stomped on the blaze, while Felicity turned into a frozen statue. Dawn hightailed it over, brandishing a broom above her head.

Between my jumping and her swatting, we had the fire almost out when Chad heaved a bucket of water onto us and the scarves. “Where’s your fire extinguisher?”

“Not working,” Chad said.

“I didn’t mean for that to happen,” Felicity said.

“Right.” Chad took the broom from his wife and shoved the sodden strips of wool toward the door. “Just leave before I call the cops.”

“Why don’t you?” Felicity crossed her arms and smiled smugly. “I’d love for them to come by and check this place out.”

And I’d rather not be there when they arrived. This situation wouldn’t bode well for me.

“We’re leaving.” I hooked my arm through Felicity’s and forcibly dragged her out.

“But…but…” Felicity’s anger took away her ability to speak.

“We’re not going to find out anything now,” I said.

“So we’re back where we started.” The look Felicity fixed on me sent a chill through my body. I was back to being the villain.

Felicity’s grieving heart desired someone else to blame rather than face the fact that Brandon likely created his own nightmare. Someone in this town knew the truth. I just had to find the right mix of indignation, barely contained anger, and nervousness to get the gossip started. The majority of the town attended the high school games, so that was where I’d go for answers.