A Deadly Delicious Delivery (A Chocolate Centered Cozy Mystery Book 2) by Cindy Bell Page B

alert.”
    “Sure. It’s my job to keep the residents here safe. Mind if I use the door?”
    “Go ahead, the room has already been contaminated.” Luke locked his eyes on Ally’s. Ally’s stomach twisted. As the security guard walked out of the room, Luke called down to the police officers below. “I’ve got this. Go on home.”
    The officers didn’t argue. The lights and sirens were soon gone. Luke however, continued to stare right at Ally.
    “What were you thinking?”
    “Luke.”
    “Wait, don’t. I don’t even know if I want you to speak to me. I don’t even know how I’m going to write this up. This is unbelievable. I told you I wouldn’t arrest you for the murder, did you think I wouldn’t arrest you for breaking and entering? For contaminating a crime scene?”
    “You have to do what you have to do, Luke.”
    “I didn’t tell you to talk, yet.” He ran his hands back through his hair which Ally noticed had gotten a little longer. “What am I supposed to do about this, Ally? Jensen saw you here. I can’t just sweep this under the rug. You’re the prime suspect in a murder, and then I find you breaking into the victim’s apartment?”
    Ally swallowed hard. She couldn’t think of a single way to defend herself. “The chocolates weren’t from our shop. I showed my grandmother the picture of them and…”
    “Wait, what? Did you take the picture out of the folder?”
    “No, I took a picture with my phone.”
    “Ally! Wow.” He shook his head and turned his back to her. He didn’t seem concerned about her fleeing. “You told me that I could trust you.”
    “I only showed her. And she could tell that they were not our chocolates. Someone is trying to frame us, Luke!”
    Luke spun around to look at her. “Why would they have to do that?” He glowered. “You’re doing a fine job of it yourself.” Ally lowered her eyes feeling remorseful.
    “I just thought maybe I could find something to make all of this go away. And I did.” Ally held up the box of chocolates. “I found these in the air vent. These were the chocolates I brought to the open house. They’re not even opened.”
    “And that means absolutely nothing, Ally. Because you could have been planting them here when I caught you. There’s no way to prove where those chocolates came from, because you compromised the crime scene. Your reckless choice has now forced my hand. There is no way to get out of this. I will have to reveal what happened here tonight to the prosecutor’s office, and they will decide whether there is enough evidence to go ahead with an arrest warrant.”
    “You’re going to arrest me?”
    “It’s the last thing I want to do, Ally, but I have no choice. You did this, not me. Now let’s go.”
    “Are you going to handcuff me?”
    “Not tonight. You’ll have maybe a day before the prosecutor’s office reviews the information. I suggest you use it to get a good lawyer.”
     
    ***
     
    When they reached the base of the stairs, Ally turned to look at Luke.
    “I’m sorry.”
    “Me too.” He shoved his hands into his pockets. “You should go. Did someone drive you here?” He sighed. “Let me guess. Mrs. Sweet?”
    “I don’t want her to get into any trouble.”
    “You shouldn’t be getting into trouble either, Ally. I find it hard to believe that she thought this was okay for you to do.”
    “She didn’t want me to.”
    “So, you just decided to risk everything?”
    “I don’t want her to lose the shop.”
    “If you had been patient, I could have figured all of this out. Don’t you know that if you are innocent, which I believe you are, I am willing to fight for you?” Ally looked up at his words. She met his eyes. He held her gaze without the slightest attempt to look away from her. “I’ll do whatever it takes, Ally. But there are rules that can’t be bent or broken. Now, I’m in an awful position.”
    Ally was still stunned by his words. She sighed and held out the box of