Maple Hills Mystery Box Set 3 Read online

  “I’ll take care of them,” declared Lidia.

  “Thank you,” said Nikki. She handed Lidia a napkin and pointed to her upper lip. “You have an egg cream mustache.” Lidia laughed while she wiped it off. She thanked Nikki and went to help the customers.

  “What are your lunch plans?” Nikki asked Hawk.

  “It’s funny you should ask,” he replied. “I was thinking of taking Seth out to lunch. I want to talk with him about work stuff.”

  Seth looked up with a smile. “Do you mind, Mom? I’d love to pick Hawk’s brain about different cases.”

  “It’s true,” said Hawk. “He keeps me on my toes, just like his mom.”

  “That’s fine with me,” said Nikki. “We’re not too busy right now. You can start when lunch is done.”

  Seth thanked her, and Hawk smiled. They both got up, and Hawk kissed Nikki goodbye. “I’ll see you later,” he said as they walked toward the door.

  Nikki was delighted that Hawk was taking Seth under his wing. Seth had changed his major in college a while ago to reflect what he saw as a strength in Nikki. He told her she was the reason he was going into criminal justice. Nikki was thrilled that he was pursuing something that he liked. She wished him the best and hoped he would not get hurt. She was glad that he had the chief and Hawk to look up to. Those were the two men in town Nikki could count on to always have her back. From the start, they had been kind and loyal to her. Nikki looked out the window and watched Seth and Hawk walk to the diner. Seth was talking animatedly, and Hawk was nodding in encouragement. Nikki smiled knowing that Hawk only wanted the best for Seth and her. After dealing with a former husband who cheated, Nikki had been gun-shy when it came to relationships. She was glad to feel safe and comfortable around Hawk. She made a mental note to make him some of his favorite chocolates as a thank you. Nikki turned and looked around the store. She mentally saw the way the milkshake and float counter would fit in. Maybe I should buy everyone those pointy hats the soda jerks used to wear, she thought. She laughed at the image of Hawk wearing one of those hats. Nikki walked into the kitchen and started making some chocolates for Hawk. She pulled out the dark chocolate and opened the refrigerator. There were fresh strawberries. Nikki pulled them out and melted the chocolate. Hawk will love these, she thought as she dipped the strawberries in the chocolate.

  2

  Nikki heard the phone ring in the shop. She waited and heard Tori answer. Tori called out for Nikki, and Nikki put down the last strawberry she had been dipping. The strawberries looked and smelled delicious.

  “I’ll be right there,” she told Tori. Nikki took off her apron and washed her hands. She walked into the store and picked up the phone.

  “Hello?” she said. There was no answer. “Hello,” she repeated. There was silence and then the phone went dead. Probably a wrong number, Nikki thought. She asked Tori what the caller had wanted, but Tori said the caller had merely asked for the owner. Tori said it was a male voice, but beyond that she didn’t know who it was. Nikki looked at the phone and saw that the number was unknown. Nikki was put off for a moment, but then she saw the store was getting busy. She put the phone down and ran back to the kitchen to put Hawk’s strawberries in the refrigerator. Nikki then went back to the front of the store and started to wait on customers. Nikki, Tori, and Lidia had been steadily busy since Valentine’s Day. The mayor’s daughter had gotten married that holiday and had requested a special order of Nikki’s chocolates for her rehearsal dinner and reception. Nikki had to admit that her business had picked up afterwards. She was not complaining. The three women were kept busy that day for about an hour. Seth and Hawk came back from lunch smiling in a conspiratorial way. Nikki wondered what they were up to, but Hawk just smiled and waved goodbye. Nikki supposed he had to go back to his office. Seth joined her behind the counter.

  “Did you have a good lunch?” she asked him.

  “Yes,” he said. He grabbed some chocolates from the back and started restocking the case.

  “What did you guys talk about?” Nikki asked.

  “You know, work stuff,” said Seth. “Why don’t you go and grab a bite to eat,” he suggested to Nikki. “We can hold down the fort.”

  Nikki realized it was past her usual lunchtime. She decided to take Seth up on his offer. Nikki asked Lidia if she wanted to go to lunch with her.

  “Sure,” said Lidia. Seth had brought Tori a sandwich, so she could sit in the kitchen and eat while keeping an eye on the store.

  “Where do you want to go?” asked Nikki.

  “There is the new sandwich shop across the square. Does that sound good to you?” suggested Lidia.

  “Sure,” said Nikki. She was going to grab her jacket, but she opened the door first.

  “What perfect weather,” Nikki said, deciding to ignore her jacket. “Let’s go.”

  After lunch, Nikki walked back to the store. It was quiet. Tori was in the back, eating, and Seth was wiping down the counters.

  “Thank you,” Nikki said to Seth.

  “You’re welcome. I thought I would clean the windows in a bit.”

  “Really? Usually I have to twist your arm to get you to wash windows,” Nikki said with a laugh.

  Seth shrugged. “I’m happy to help.” He smiled, but Nikki didn’t notice, nor did she notice the extra bounce in his step.

  Nikki spotted the mail on the counter. She grabbed a cup of coffee and sat at a table to sort through the mail. She threw out the junk and put the bills aside to be sorted and opened later. Fortunately, she did not dread opening the bills anymore. She sat back and sipped her coffee. The door opened, and a tall woman with jet-black hair walked in. Nikki did not recognize her. She was made up and wore jeans and a dressy top. The woman walked to the counter and asked Tori what was good. While Tori was showing her the chocolates, the woman looked around the shop. She seemed to dismiss her surroundings and then she saw Nikki. When she looked at her, Nikki felt like daggers were piercing her skin. It had been a while since she felt that uncomfortable. The feeling reminded her of when her ex-husband would look at her after having too much to drink, right before he started yelling at her. Nikki shivered. The woman shifted her gaze back to Tori. Nikki stood up and walked over to the counter.

  “Can I help you?” Nikki asked, a bit defensively.

  “No,” the woman answered dismissively. The woman paid for her order and left. Nikki walked over to the counter and asked Tori what the woman had said to her. Tori shrugged.

  “She just asked who the owner was. I pointed to you.”

  “Did you see the way she was looking at me?” Nikki asked.

  “No, I was wrapping her order. What was she doing?”

  Nikki thought about telling Tori about the feeling the woman had caused, but then she stopped. Maybe I was making something out of nothing, she thought.

  “Never mind,” she told Tori. “It was probably my imagination.” Nikki started to walk back toward the kitchen. The odd phone call and the woman’s stare had her on edge. A child burst into the shop and ran past her, yelling. Nikki jumped and caught herself before she said something to the child. A few seconds later, his mother walked in and chastised the child for running around. Nikki decided she should stay in the quiet kitchen for a while. She went in the kitchen and asked Lidia if she would help Tori on the floor. Lidia agreed, but she noticed Nikki’s mood. She walked to the front of the store and left Nikki alone in the kitchen. Nikki checked the chocolate covered strawberries and saw that they would be ready in about an hour. Nikki then sat down and sorted through her orders. She found a couple that needed to be started, and she got up and pulled out the ingredients. When she reached for the flour, it slipped out of her hand and crashed to the floor. She stooped down to pick it up and started to shake. The tears came a few seconds later. Nikki felt a gentle hand on her shoulder and she turned her head to see Lidia standing over her. She gently guided Nikki to a chair in the kitchen. Lidia cleaned up the flour while Nikki composed herself. When the flour
was cleaned up, Lidia sat down next to Nikki. She took her hands in hers and asked what was going on.

  “There was a weird phone call this morning, and a few minutes ago this woman walked in. She glared at me. When I asked if I could help her, she dismissed me and left the store. I would not have cared about that, but the way she looked at me…” Nikki shivered. “I thought she was going to hurt me.”

  “Was she involved with the chocolate competition?” Lidia asked. Nikki had entered and won a chocolate competition that past winter. She had also solved a mysterious death. She had made some new friends, but there were some people who had a sour taste in their mouths after she had won the contest.

  Nikki thought for a moment. “No, I have never seen her before.”

  Lidia patted Nikki’s hand. “Well, no one is going to hurt you. We are all here for you. We’ll take care of you,” she said this soothingly, and Nikki felt her muscles relaxing. It was nice not to be dismissed. Nikki felt loved, and that warmth helped her to regain her composure. She thanked Lidia, and Lidia offered to help her with her orders. Nikki thanked her again, and the two women got to work.

  Tori and Seth were wiping the counters down as Nikki was counting the register. The closed sign was on the door. Lidia had left earlier to pick up her husband. The shop door opened, and Nikki looked up. Hawk walked in. He smiled at everyone and walked over to Nikki and gave her a hug and kiss.

  “Almost done closing up?” Hawk asked.

  “Yes,” Nikki replied. She put the deposit in a bag.

  “Would you like to go out to eat after you drop off your deposit?”

  “Sure,” Nikki said, smiling at him. She grabbed the deposit bag.

  “I can drop that off for you,” said Tori.

  “Thank you,” said Nikki. “If you want to come in a little later tomorrow that would be fine. Lidia and I can hold down the fort until noon.”

  Seth and Tori thanked her. Seth told Nikki they were going to a concert that night and that it might run late. She imagined that allowing Tori to sleep in would be well received.

  “That’s fine. If you need to sleep on Tori’s couch, let me know,” Nikki said.

  “I will call or text you later,” Seth promised.

  Nikki thanked him and went back to the kitchen.

  “What are you doing back there?” Hawk asked.

  “You’ll see. Just sit down, I will be back in a minute,” Nikki told Hawk. She got the strawberries out of the refrigerator and put them in a box. She wrapped them up and took them into the front of the store.

  “These are for you,” Nikki told Hawk as she handed him the box.

  Hawk looked up at her and smiled. “What is it?”

  “You’ll have to open it and see,” said Nikki laughing. Hawk opened the box and smiled.

  “My favorites,” he said, pulling one out. “What did I do to deserve this?” he asked.

  “It’s just a thank you. I appreciate all that you have done for Seth and for me,” said Nikki. “I love that you listen to Seth and are excited by what he says.”

  “He is a smart kid,” said Hawk. “He gets that from his mother.”

  Nikki thanked him. Hawk stood up and held up a strawberry by her mouth.

  “Bite?” he asked. Nikki laughed and took a bite.

  “Are you ready for dinner now?” Nikki asked.

  “Sure,” said Hawk. “I’ll leave the strawberries here, and we can grab them after dinner.”

  “Okay,” said Nikki.

  Hawk grabbed Nikki’s jacket. She thanked him, but said she wouldn’t need it that night. It was still warm outside, and Nikki was enjoying not wearing a heavy winter coat. Hawk offered to carry her jacket for her, and Nikki thanked him. They locked up the chocolate shop and started walking down the sidewalk, hand in hand. There was a gentle breeze blowing, and Nikki noticed the other people who were walking had a slight spring in their step. Warmer weather will do that to you, she thought. Just then, Nikki noticed a car moving slowly on her left. She turned her head and saw a dark-haired woman driving. The woman looked right at Nikki and glared. Nikki slowed down and Hawk turned his head toward the car.

  “What do you want?” Nikki asked the driver loudly. The driver did not answer. Hawk stepped toward the car. The woman turned her head forward, accelerated quickly, and drove away, screeching the tires as she left. Nikki started shaking. Hawk put his arm around her shoulder and comforted her.

  “What was that about?” asked Hawk.

  “I honestly don’t know,” said Nikki. “She showed up in the shop earlier today and glared at me the whole time.”

  “Did she buy anything?” asked Hawk.

  “Yes. Tori waited on her. When she looked at Tori, she smiled. When she looked at me it was like I had killed her cat or something.”

  “That’s weird,” said Hawk. “Did she look familiar to you?”

  “No, why? Did she look familiar to you?”

  “No, I just wanted to make sure there were no hard feelings out there about the candy contest or something.”

  “Lidia said the same thing. I didn’t recognize that woman, though. I have never seen her before today,” replied Nikki. “Do you think you can look into this?” she asked Hawk.

  “Sure. I will get on it first thing tomorrow morning. It looked like a local rental. I can call the shops and ask if anyone matching her description has rented any cars lately.”

  “Thank you,” said Nikki, giving Hawk a hug and kiss. “I feel safer with you around.”

  “You can take care of yourself,” Hawk reassured her.

  “I know,” Nikki said. “But, it is nice to have you by my side.”

  Hawk looked into Nikki’s eyes. He pulled her close and kissed her again. “There is no need to worry. I have your back. Now, let’s get to the diner and eat something.” Hawk put his arm around Nikki’s shoulder and walked with her to the diner. They opened the diner door and the owner told them to take a seat. Hawk picked a comfy booth and ordered some coffee for them. They ordered their dinner and talked while they were waiting for their food. Nikki told Hawk again how much she appreciated him taking Seth under his wing.

  “It’s really been a pleasure for me,” Hawk told Nikki. “Seth is intelligent and eager to work. The chief loves having him around. He sorted through a box worth of old files today. The chief had wanted me to do that, but I’ve been too busy with my own paperwork. So, believe me, I’m glad to have Seth around.”

  Nikki smiled and sipped her coffee. She looked out the window at the park and was happy to see the new green leaves on the trees. Spring was in full bloom, and summer was right around the corner. The waiter came by and gave them their dinner.

  “Dig in,” said Hawk, reaching for his fork.

  “Will do,” smiled Nikki.

  3

  Hawk and Nikki were just finishing dinner when Nikki’s phone rang. It was Seth.

  “Mom, you need to come by the shop. The window in the door is broken, and it looks like someone robbed the store.”

  “Wait, weren’t you and Tori going out tonight?”

  “We were. We stopped by Tori’s to eat something and on our way out of town we drove by the shop. I noticed the glass was broken. I’m in the store right now. The money you keep in the register is still here. I thought I would look in the kitchen.”

  “Get out of there. Do not go into the kitchen,” Nikki demanded. Hawk looked up. Nikki pantomimed paying the bill. “Call the police. We’re on our way.”

  Hawk was waiting to pay the bill, and Nikki told him what had happened. The owner overheard them and told them to get out of there, dinner was on him. Nikki thanked him, and she and Hawk ran out of the shop. Hawk called his father, Chief Daily, and filled him in. Nikki and Hawk ran down the street toward the chocolate shop.

  When they arrived, Seth and Tori were outside. Seth told Nikki he had called the police, and they all heard sirens coming their way. Hawk told them to wait there. He pulled out his gun and went into the shop. Nikki waited
anxiously. She did not enjoy waiting. A few minutes later, he reemerged.

  “It’s all clear. There’s no one inside,” he reassured Nikki.

  Nikki let out a breath she didn’t realize she was holding and thanked him. She told Seth about the woman from earlier. Seth was concerned, but Nikki told him it probably wasn’t related to the break-in. She just wanted him to be aware of the situation.

  The police arrived and cordoned off the sidewalk in front of the shop. Nikki and Hawk took advantage of the cordon and went into the shop to look around. The counters were still intact, and the register was not opened. The trophy from the candy competition had been moved and other things on the shelves had been pushed out of the way. Hawk’s chocolates were on the floor. They looked like they had been stepped on. There were boxes and papers all over the floor. Nikki dreaded going into the kitchen, but she bravely opened the door. There was flour and sugar strewn all over the tables and floors. Some canisters had been pushed aside and dumped. The refrigerators were intact, but the shelves had been messed up. Some candies were ruined, but most were left untouched. Nikki was glad she locked most of her candy in the shelves in the front. She had intended on putting them in the refrigerator after work. Thinking about it, Nikki realized most of the loose chocolates would keep in the display overnight. Nikki could feel the tears well up in her eyes, but she stubbornly wiped them away. There was too much going on for her to start crying. Hawk came up behind her and took her hand. He gave it a squeeze and gave her a hug. Nikki and Hawk went back outside. A young officer was talking to Seth, and Seth turned when Nikki came out of the shop.

  “Are forensics here yet?” Hawk asked the officer.

  “Not yet, Detective Daily, but they should be here any minute,” the officer responded.

  “Okay. I want them to dust for prints,” Hawk said.

  “I will let them know,” said the officer.