Maple Hills Mystery Box Set Read online

  “So you figure eating a carrot will help?” Lidia asked Hawk and rolled her eyes.

  “Can't hurt,” Hawk said in a serious voice. “I have a whole bag of carrots out in my jeep.”

  Nikki sighed. She walked up to Hawk and hugged his arm. “Come on, silly, you can buy me lunch since you're now a rich man.”

  “It'll be my pleasure,” Hawk told Nikki and kissed her nose. “Lidia, what can we bring you back from the diner? Lunch is on me.”

  Nikki looked at Lidia. All of a sudden, her friend seemed very lonely. “Hey,” she said, trying to sound casual, “why don't we lock up here and all go to lunch together?”

  Hawk caught onto Nikki's suggestion. He could see that Lidia seemed lonely, too. “Two beautiful ladies for lunch? Must be my lucky day.”

  Lidia hesitated. The fact was, she was lonely. Herbert was away visiting a sick relative in Wyoming. Of course, no one else knew Herbert was out of town. If anyone found out, Lidia knew, they would insist she come and stay with them. Nikki, of course, would be on the top of the list. Perhaps she was being silly, but she didn't want to impose on her friends. “I'm hungry,” she finally smiled.

  Hawk walked up to Lidia and swung his arm around her frail shoulders. “Take me to the bank, lady,” he winked at her.

  “Don't tempt me,” Lidia grinned back.

  Nikki went to retrieve her white jacket, worn more for style than warmth, from the coat rack next to the front door when Chief Daily walked in. “Hello, Chief Daily, we were—” Nikki stopped talking. Something in Chief Daily's eyes sent a horrible feeling screaming into her heart, shattering her peace.

  “Cynthia Grove was found dead in her home an hour ago,” Chief Daily announced. Reaching into the pocket of his coat, he pulled out a plastic bag holding a square piece of chocolate. Nikki stared at the plastic bag. Leaning forward, she saw that someone had taken a single bite out of the chocolate. Chief Daily looked past Nikki. His eyes were worried and his face red from the strong winds howling outside. “Hawk, Cynthia Grove was poisoned.”

  3

  “Poisoned!” Nikki gasped.

  Lidia reached out and grabbed Nikki's hand. “How do you know that old bat was poisoned?” Lidia asked Chief Daily.

  Chief Daily handed the plastic bag in his hand to Hawk. “Until the chocolate is tested, I don't. I've been a cop for a long time, though. My gut tells me Cynthia Grove died from poisoning.”

  “Who found the body, Pop?” Hawk asked, examining the chocolate.

  “Sam Heatherton, the old lady who cleans Cynthia’s house,” Chief Daily told Hawk. Then he looked at Nikki. “The chocolate in that bag came from your store, Ms. Bates?”

  Nikki nodded. “Cynthia Grove paid me a visit earlier. She was angry and upset with me. She still blames me for the mayor being sent to prison and his wife suffering a mental breakdown. She—”

  “That old bat swore to get even with Nikki,” Lidia exploded. “But Nikki held her tongue. She even gave Mrs. Grove a free piece of chocolate.”

  “Cynthia wanted a piece of your chocolate?” Chief Daily asked, confused. “It's a known fact that she doesn't like you living here.”

  “That old bat was being rude,” Lidia said. “She claimed she wanted a piece of chocolate to feed to her cleaning lady.”

  “I thought Cynthia was being insulting. I didn't want to argue with her or cause a scene in my store, so I gave her a piece of peppermint chocolate, and she left,” Nikki explained.

  “I see,” Chief Daily said and rubbed the bridge of his nose. Dressed in his work uniform, he looked old and tired rather than authoritative and smart. “I won't have any definitive answers until I send the chocolate off to the crime lab downstate. But as it stands right now, Ms. Bates, you, Lidia and the young lady who works here with you are all suspects. I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you all to come down to the station for questioning.”

  “I'll call Tori,” Lidia said and hurried off to the back office. Chief Daily followed her.

  “Oh, Hawk,” Nikki said, slowly placing her hands to her mouth.

  Hawk opened the plastic bag and sniffed the inside. Detecting a faint scent coming from the chocolate, he nodded his head. “It's something, all right,” he told Nikki and closed the bag. “The crime lab will tell us for sure.”

  “I didn't poison Cynthia Grove,” Nikki protested.

  “Oh, Nikki, I know that,” Hawk said and gently put his arm around her shoulders. “But we do have a murder, and your chocolate was found at the crime scene, kiddo.”

  Nikki closed her eyes. She listened to the wind howling outside. The temperatures were slowly dropping down into the upper forties. Suddenly, Nikki felt very cold, and the idea of winter approaching scared her. The thoughts of hot chocolate and snowball fights and warm fireplaces seemed sad and lonely rather than warm and comforting. “Hawk, someone in this town hates me more than Cynthia Grove did. Whoever that person is, he or she killed that poor woman to make me suffer.”

  “Yep,” Hawk agreed, drawing in a deep breath. “The only problem is we don't know who that person is. A lot of people here were loyal to the mayor and are very bitter that you exposed him. I hate to admit it, but some people would organize a parade if you were handcuffed and hauled away to prison yourself.”

  “I know,” Nikki said sadly. “I see the looks.”

  “But,” Hawk added, “there's a lot of people in our little town who think you're great, too.”

  Nikki struggled to smile but failed. “Oh, Hawk!” She threw her face into Hawk's chest and began crying.

  “Hey, now, it's okay,” Hawk said, gently wrapping his arms around Nikki. “We'll figure out who killed Cynthia Grove, you just wait and see. Ol' Hawk is on the case.”

  Lidia walked out of the back office with Chief Daily. “Tori is on her way to the station and—” Lidia stopped talking. She saw Nikki crying, cradled in Hawk's arms.

  Chief Daily kicked at the floor with his right foot. “I'm going to make some changes to this town and get the bad eggs out once and for all,” he promised. “Until then, I'm afraid this establishment must be closed for investigation.”

  Lidia looked at Nikki. Then she slowly glanced around the chocolate shop. Her heart broke. “I can't stand it, I just can't stand it,” she said as her own tears began to fall. Grabbing her coat, she ran outside.

  “Can we eat first?” Nikki asked Hawk, wiping at her tears.

  Hawk looked down into Nikki's beautiful, tear-soaked face. “Of course we can,” he smiled. “Pop, we'll be over at the diner.”

  Chief Daily shook his head. “I want Ms. Bates out of sight and out of mind for now,” he ordered Hawk. “I'll run over to the diner and get lunch for everyone. As soon as word of Cynthia Grove’s death gets loose in this town, a lot of angry people are going to be storming into my office demanding answers. And I think you know how the news about the murder is going to get out, too.”

  “Sam,” Hawk said.

  Chief Daily nodded. “That old woman has a tongue laced with grease. I ordered her to keep quiet, but I doubt she will. I predict this town will be ready to light torches and go after Ms. Bates with pitchforks before dinner time.”

  “Sam will tell people about the chocolate,” Hawk said miserably.

  “Oh dear,” Nikki moaned painfully.

  Chief Daily walked up to Nikki and carefully put his hand on her shoulder. “Ms. Bates—Nikki—I know you didn't kill Cynthia Grove. And I intend to find the person who did. But for now, please, I beg you, do as we ask you.”

  “Of course,” Nikki agreed and wiped at her tears. With sad eyes, she looked around her chocolate shop. “Lidia and I were going to change the store into a hot chocolate shop before the first snow arrived...” Unable to say any more, Nikki walked outside.

  Lidia was standing out on the front sidewalk hugging her arms. The wind was up, blowing leaves across the empty streets and up against quiet storefronts. “If you dare say you're leaving, I will never forgive you,” Lidia told Nikki, staring
at a warm bakery across the street. “You're—no, we—are fighters, do you hear me?”

  Nikki put her arm around Lidia's trembling shoulder. “I'm not going anywhere,” she promised. “We still have a hot chocolate shop to create.”

  Lidia looked into Nikki's teary eyes. “You are an amazing woman, Nikki Bates, and I am proud to be your friend. I'm going to stand by you no matter what. We're both upset and heartbroken right now, but mark my word, in a couple of weeks we'll be back in our store talking about throwing snowballs at each other.”

  “You're my family, not my friend,” Nikki told Lidia and hugged her tightly.

  “I know, honey, I know,” Lidia replied and hugged Nikki back.

  Nikki glimpsed movement across the street. Gently letting go of Lidia, she saw an old man staring at her. “Who is that?” Nikki asked.

  Lidia drew her watery eyes across the street. An old man wearing a dark green windbreaker was staring at Nikki. “Let's go,” the old man told a toy fox terrier attached to a blue leash he was holding in his right hand.

  Nikki watched the old man walk away and vanish around a street corner. “I've never seen that man before,” Lidia said, her brow furrowed, “but he sure seemed interested in you.”

  4

  Hearing Hawk and Chief Daily step outside, Nikki turned and watched Chief Daily close the front door to her chocolate shop. Hawk offered a supportive smile, but his eyes dropped to the sidewalk like wet sand. “Ready, ladies?” he asked.

  “Hawk,” Nikki said, “an old man was standing across the street staring at me. He was walking a small dog.” Nikki pointed to the street corner where the old man had vanished. “He went that way, down Dove Avenue.”

  “Go,” Chief Daily commanded.

  Hawk didn't waste another second. He dashed across the street on his long legs. Nikki watched him dash around the street corner with worried eyes. Chief Daily put a warm hand on her shoulder. “Everything is going to be all right, I assure you,” he promised Nikki.

  Nikki patted Chief Daily's hand. “I know,” she said, her voice empty of confidence.

  Ten minutes later, Hawk returned empty-handed. Shrugging at Chief Daily, he explained that he couldn't find anyone on Dove Avenue. “I searched over on Pine Street and Peppermint Lane,” he added. “The old man you ladies saw must be Houdini.”

  “Could the man have ventured into any of the stores?” Chief Daily asked Hawk.

  “All the stores are closed,” Hawk answered. “I checked the doors.”

  Chief Daily rubbed his chin and looked at Lidia. “You never saw the man before, Lidia?”

  Lidia shook her head resolutely. “Not in my life, and I know every face in this town. The old man watching Nikki was a stranger.”

  “Okay,” Chief Daily sighed, “no laws in this town against someone walking a dog and stopping to look at you. We better get on down to the station.”

  Hawk looked out across the street at the stores that would soon fall into hibernation for the winter. Allowing the wind to wash over his face with cold fingers, he studied the stores with careful eyes as the leaves continued to dance and the sky above slowly began to turn gray. “Pop,” he said in a low voice, “I've got a funny feeling on this one.”

  “Me, too,” Chief Daily agreed.

  Nikki was surprised that she was able to eat. She was even more surprised to find that she was hungry enough to eat every bite of food on her plate. Standing in Hawk's office near the window, holding a white plate in her hand, she put a bite of delicious turkey in her mouth. “Good,” she said.

  Lidia and Tori were sitting in two brown chairs Hawk had pulled into his office. Lidia looked down at the turkey dinner sitting on a plate resting on Hawk's desk. “Please eat,” Tori begged Lidia.

  “Please,” Hawk supported Tori. Sitting behind his desk, he worked on a turkey sandwich.

  Lidia was hungry. It was just that her stomach was tied in knots. Hesitantly, she grabbed her plate and began to nibble on stuffing. “Happy?” she asked.

  “Yes,” Hawk told her. “I know you're upset, but you need your strength.”

  “Yes, dad,” Lidia rolled her eyes. “Oh, I'm sorry,” she quickly apologized. “I'm worried. That man we saw...he was so creepy.”

  “Thin gray hair, glasses, green windbreaker, brown pants...” Hawk said, putting down his sandwich. “Not much to go on. Mr. Ross matches that description... so do Mr. Walton and Mr. Gordon. Lidia, those men aren't creepy. Why did the old man you saw raise your eyebrows?”

  “It was the way he looked at me,” Nikki answered for Lidia. “Very creepy, Hawk.”

  Tori looked at Lidia. “It's going to be okay.”

  “I hope so, dear,” Lidia tried to smile but failed.

  Nikki walked away from the window, put her plate down on Hawk’s desk, and folded her arms together. “I'm going to find that man,” she announced.

  “Oh no, you're not,” Hawk objected.

  “Yes, I am,” Nikki argued, “but, not in the way you're thinking. Hawk, let me go back to the chocolate shop, and you keep watch from a safe distance. When the man appears—if he appears—grab him.”

  Hawk considered Nikki's suggestion. “Worth a shot,” he agreed and finished off his sandwich. “Lidia, you and Tori stay here in my office.”

  “No way,” Lidia said, putting her plate down. “I'm going with Nikki, and so is Tori. We're a team.”

  “That's right,” Tori added stubbornly.

  “You're also two individuals who are under questioning for the murder of Mrs. Grove,” Hawk reminded them. “So you either sit here in my office or sit in a jail cell, ladies.”

  “Stay here,” Nikki pleaded with Lidia and Tori. “I have a feeling our missing friend will appear if I'm alone.”

  Lidia narrowed her eyes at Hawk. “If anything happens to her, mister, you're going to feel my anger.”

  Hawk held his hands up in the air. “I promise to bring Nikki back in one piece, okay?”

  “You better,” Tori snapped. “We know where you...uh, work.”

  Hawk looked at Nikki. “I guess I better bring you back in one piece if I want to make it through this day in one piece.”

  Nikki felt grateful that Lidia and Nikki cared so much about her. She quickly gave them a hug apiece and left Hawk's office. Walking outside, she paused and took in the beautiful day set before her with a brilliance and color that no poet could place into words. Allowing the cold winds that were exploring the day to touch her face and play in her hair, Nikki closed her eyes. “Home...sometimes we have to fight for home,” she whispered.

  Feeling Hawk put his right hand on her shoulder, Nikki opened her eyes. “What are you thinking?” he asked.

  Nikki turned around and looked into Hawk’s caring, concerned eyes. “I moved to Vermont to begin a new life, Hawk. It would be easy to run back to Georgia, to give up on what I have here in this little town. I never expected to fall in love again and meet people who would become my family. I'm very happy, Hawk...and content. My ex-husband, if he were here, would insist I leave at once. He never liked to rock the boat, as people say.” Nikki paused as images of her ex-husband floated into her troubled mind. “What would I do if I left Vermont? Where would I go? This is my home now, Hawk—you, Lidia, Tori—you're all my home.”

  Hawk gently caressed Nikki's cheek with his hand. “You're going to make it, Nikki,” he said softly. “I know right now we've been dropped into another case, but we haven't lost yet, have we? You wait and see, in a few days you'll be back at your shop selling that excellent chocolate you make.”

  “And then what, Hawk?” Nikki asked, touching his hand. “Will the cases keep coming? Will we ever have peace?”

  “Does it really matter? As long as we're together, that's all that matters,” Hawk explained and gently kissed her. “You listen to me,” he said, pulling Nikki into his arms, “there's a killer loose in our town, and we're going to catch whoever the killer is. I need you to be strong, though, and go into the dressing room and pu
t on that brilliant mind of yours, okay? Go yank off the sadness I see in your eyes and put on the fighter that lives in you.”

  “Do I really have a choice?”

  Hawk looked deep into her eyes. “Yes, you do,” he said.

  Staring back into Hawk's eyes, Nikki felt his words sting her heart. “Okay, Hawk...I'll go change.”

  “That's my girl.” Hawk smiled and walked Nikki to his jeep. Before he opened the passenger side door, he reached down to his ankle and pulled up his pants leg. “Here,” he said, pulling a gun out of an ankle holster.

  This simple gesture seemed to say, You have no way out, Nikki; you're trapped in the rabbit hole forever, forever, forever. “No,” Nikki said, pushing the gun away. “I have to solve this case my way, Hawk.”

  Instead of arguing, Hawk returned the gun to the ankle holster. “Okay,” he said and drew in a deep breath, “let's go.”

  Nikki glanced up at the dark sky overhead and then climbed up into the passenger's seat. “Could it snow tonight?” she asked Hawk as soon as he was behind the wheel.

  “Temperature is dropping pretty fast, and the rain will start in another hour or so. It's possible we could see some snow tonight. If not snow, at least some sleet.”

  Nikki felt a cold chill grab her heart. Suddenly, she felt like a lone character in a mystery novel, trapped in a dark night that was never going to end. “I'm ready,” she told Hawk and grew very silent.

  5

  Nikki unlocked the front door to her chocolate shop and walked inside as if nothing were wrong. She flipped the wooden sign in the front window from “closed” to “open,” removed her coat and hung it up, and walked to the back office. That's when she noticed the door to the office was ajar. “Come in, Ms. Bates,” a voice called out.

  Nikki felt a shiver slither down her spine, but instead of running, she drew in a deep breath and cautiously pushed the office door open. The old man was sitting in the office chair at her desk. “Who are you?” Nikki asked.