drift off? Not if the dark circles that had lined the bottom of her eyes in the mirror that morning were any indication.
To Benjamin, though, she gave a quick and shallow nod before redirecting the conversation. “I have to thank you for both your calm and your help last night. I’m not sure what I would have done without you there.”
“It was the least I could do. All of that was too much to leave you and your aunt to handle.” Benjamin peeked out the screen door at the horse he’d tethered to the hitching post beside the bake shop’s back door and then stood up tall once again. “I only wish I could have helped to right such heavy furniture in Mr. Karble’s room so you do not have to worry about such things.”
She closed her eyes against the image of the guest room across the hall from her own, the period pieces her aunt had so lovingly collected in the years leading up to the grand opening of the inn tossed about like they meant nothing. But when she heard Ann Karble’s screams echoing up the stairs from the parlor below, she forced her eyes open. “The officers needed to leave the room exactly as it was found until their investigation is complete. And until Jakob can get in there, it can’t be released.”
“When he does, you will let me know so I can help?” Benjamin asked. “I do not want you moving such heavy things.”
“I’ll let you know. Thank you.” But even as she said the words, she knew the status of Room Six was the least of everyone’s worries.
A man had died. A man who had angered many, many people, including some both she and Benjamin called friend.
The jingle of bells in the shop’s main room cut through her reverie and guided her attention to the hands of her wristwatch.
9:55.
Shrugging, she turned on the two-inch heels of her boots and strode into the showroom, Benjamin following at a respectful distance. “Good morning, welcome to Heavenly Treasures…”
The more formal greeting died on her lips at the sight of Jakob standing just inside the shop’s front door with a camera in one hand and a pair of gloves in the other. “Jakob…uh, hi.”
The detective mustered a weak smile for Claire then tipped his head ever so slightly at Benjamin. “Ben. Good. I was hoping to track you down at some point today.”
Before Benjamin could reply, Claire moved still closer to Jakob, the uncharacteristic droop to the man’s broad shoulders sending her antennae pinging. “Jakob? Are you okay?”
“Long, long night. Sorry I couldn’t get to Diane’s before this morning but things were just too busy at the fairgrounds and then back at the station once we were able to locate the victim’s wife.”
“Where was she when everything was happening?” she asked before her brain had a chance to catch up with the inherent nosiness of the question. “Wait. I don’t really expect you to answer that.”
Jakob waved her worries aside and stopped at the counter in the center of Claire’s shop, setting the camera and the gloves down as he did. “Seems she went into Breeze Pointto do a little research at the library and then to an office store to mail some things. She found out about her husband when she called his cell and I answered it.”
She shivered at the notion of such a call. “Did you tell her on the phone?”
“Of course not. I told her who I was and asked her to come to the station.” Jakob lifted his hand to his face and exhaled slowly. “Officer Melnick brought her back to the inn when we were done talking and…you can probably take it from there.”
Once again, the memory of Ann’s cries from the bottom of the stairs looped their way through her thoughts, reminding her of the distraction she desperately needed work to provide for the next seven or so hours.
“Did you see her when you went to the inn this morning?” Benjamin asked from his spot somewhere behind Claire.
“No, she was still sleeping. Diane had made up a room for her on the first floor so I was
To Benjamin, though, she gave a quick and shallow nod before redirecting the conversation. “I have to thank you for both your calm and your help last night. I’m not sure what I would have done without you there.”
“It was the least I could do. All of that was too much to leave you and your aunt to handle.” Benjamin peeked out the screen door at the horse he’d tethered to the hitching post beside the bake shop’s back door and then stood up tall once again. “I only wish I could have helped to right such heavy furniture in Mr. Karble’s room so you do not have to worry about such things.”
She closed her eyes against the image of the guest room across the hall from her own, the period pieces her aunt had so lovingly collected in the years leading up to the grand opening of the inn tossed about like they meant nothing. But when she heard Ann Karble’s screams echoing up the stairs from the parlor below, she forced her eyes open. “The officers needed to leave the room exactly as it was found until their investigation is complete. And until Jakob can get in there, it can’t be released.”
“When he does, you will let me know so I can help?” Benjamin asked. “I do not want you moving such heavy things.”
“I’ll let you know. Thank you.” But even as she said the words, she knew the status of Room Six was the least of everyone’s worries.
A man had died. A man who had angered many, many people, including some both she and Benjamin called friend.
The jingle of bells in the shop’s main room cut through her reverie and guided her attention to the hands of her wristwatch.
9:55.
Shrugging, she turned on the two-inch heels of her boots and strode into the showroom, Benjamin following at a respectful distance. “Good morning, welcome to Heavenly Treasures…”
The more formal greeting died on her lips at the sight of Jakob standing just inside the shop’s front door with a camera in one hand and a pair of gloves in the other. “Jakob…uh, hi.”
The detective mustered a weak smile for Claire then tipped his head ever so slightly at Benjamin. “Ben. Good. I was hoping to track you down at some point today.”
Before Benjamin could reply, Claire moved still closer to Jakob, the uncharacteristic droop to the man’s broad shoulders sending her antennae pinging. “Jakob? Are you okay?”
“Long, long night. Sorry I couldn’t get to Diane’s before this morning but things were just too busy at the fairgrounds and then back at the station once we were able to locate the victim’s wife.”
“Where was she when everything was happening?” she asked before her brain had a chance to catch up with the inherent nosiness of the question. “Wait. I don’t really expect you to answer that.”
Jakob waved her worries aside and stopped at the counter in the center of Claire’s shop, setting the camera and the gloves down as he did. “Seems she went into Breeze Pointto do a little research at the library and then to an office store to mail some things. She found out about her husband when she called his cell and I answered it.”
She shivered at the notion of such a call. “Did you tell her on the phone?”
“Of course not. I told her who I was and asked her to come to the station.” Jakob lifted his hand to his face and exhaled slowly. “Officer Melnick brought her back to the inn when we were done talking and…you can probably take it from there.”
Once again, the memory of Ann’s cries from the bottom of the stairs looped their way through her thoughts, reminding her of the distraction she desperately needed work to provide for the next seven or so hours.
“Did you see her when you went to the inn this morning?” Benjamin asked from his spot somewhere behind Claire.
“No, she was still sleeping. Diane had made up a room for her on the first floor so I was
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