Chocolate Heart Murder (A Maple Hills Cozy Mystery Book 11) Read online

  “How was business today?” Nikki asked.

  “We had quite a few customers after you left,” said Tori. “Seth was a big help, of course.”

  “Good. I am so glad you are home on break,” Nikki said to Seth.

  “Perfect timing,” he replied with a smile.

  “Okay, we had better get to the station before I get too comfortable,” Hawk said, passing a hand over his eyes. He and Nikki put on their coats and said goodbye to Seth and Tori, heading back out into the icy winter night.

  When they got to the station, Hawk headed right for the chief’s office. He looked up wearily and told them to sit down. He gave Nikki a weary but grateful smile. Hawk asked what the chief had learned from questioning the guests.

  “Well, most of them had not noticed Kim except when the wedding party came over to talk to them. Becky and Susan told me that Kim was acting strange, but they thought she had just had one too many cocktails. She was weaving around and slurring her words, saying she was tired. Her friends sat her at the table with a glass of water, hoping she’d sober up enough to enjoy the dessert course with everybody. Her friends went back to mingling with the party, and they were just as shocked as everyone else when she was found dead. I will be talking to them again tomorrow morning.”

  “Was the cause of death alcohol poisoning?” asked Nikki.

  “We’re not sure. The cause of death is still to be determined. We do not think it was alcohol poisoning, but it was some kind of poisoning. Her lips and fingernails were blue. Other things can cause a person to appear drunk. I am going to run some samples to the lab right now and put a rush order on things.” He tapped the open box on his desk that contained a number of glass vials of tissue and serum samples.

  “Can you call us when you get the toxicology report?” Hawk asked him.

  “Absolutely,” the chief replied, standing up with the box of vials, ready to leave.

  “What do you want us to do right now, Chief?” Hawk pressed.

  Chief Daily paused and looked at him and Nikki. “Son, we have so many statements to review…there’s no sense in you two trying to stay up overnight. You’d never get through it all. I’d much rather you got a good night’s sleep so you can be fresh for tomorrow.” Hawk nodded at his father’s words.

  They all stood and put on their coats. Hawk and Nikki followed the chief down the hall and out to the parking lot.

  “Drive safely, Dad,” Hawk said to the chief. They shook hands, and the chief got in his car and pulled out of the parking lot.

  Hawk turned to Nikki. “I’ll give you a ride home.”

  “Thank you. Why don’t you stay on my sofa tonight?” Nikki suggested. “Who knows when the chief will call, and this way you and I can come back together.” Despite her love for Hawk, she was still old-fashioned about some things in a relationship, and so was Hawk. The sofa was the best option.

  “That sounds like a good idea,” answered Hawk. He opened the car door for Nikki. They got in and he pointed the car towards her house. When they got to the house, Seth was still waiting up, but said goodnight with a yawn and left for bed. Hawk made up the sofa and said goodnight to Nikki. Nikki went to her room, her feet dragging on the stairs. I hope I can get some sleep tonight, she thought. She turned off her light and closed her eyes.

  CHAPTER SIX

  N ikki was sleeping soundly when she felt a hand on her shoulder. Someone was shaking her gently. She opened her eyes and saw Hawk standing over her.

  “What time is it?” Nikki asked.

  “It is around 4 a.m.,” Hawk told her. “The chief called. The toxicology report is in.”

  Nikki woke up quickly. “What were the results?”

  “It looks like a heroin overdose,” Hawk told her.

  The shock woke Nikki completely. “A heroin overdose?” she asked, sitting up.

  “Yes,” Hawk said.

  “Had Kim ever done heroin before?” Nikki asked.

  “I did not think so,” Hawk replied, “but you would be surprised at the number of people who use drugs and no one ever knows. It seems we have a new line of questioning to investigate with her friends.”

  “Let me get dressed and we can go in,” Nikki told Hawk. He left, and she threw on some jeans, a sweater, and boots. Nikki rushed down the stairs where Hawk was waiting with her coat. She left a note for Seth on the kitchen table and shrugged on her coat, adrenaline racing through her once again. It was so early that as Hawk drove them to the station they encountered no traffic. It was still dark, and the moonlight lit up the snow, turning it bluish in color. Nikki watched the snow out her side of the truck and it was a grim reminder of Kim’s face and hands.

  Hawk rushed to the station, and they went inside. The officer at the front desk told Hawk his father was talking to the medical examiner. Hawk and Nikki went down the hallway to the medical examiner’s office and went in. He and the chief were talking in the corner. They stopped when they saw Hawk and Nikki.

  “Come on in,” the medical examiner said to Hawk and Nikki.

  “What have you found out?” asked Nikki.

  “Well, there does not appear to be any evidence of prior heroin use,” said the examiner. “There are no track marks present on her arms, no injection wounds on her arms or feet. She appeared healthy, except for the large amount of heroin in her system. I did, however, find a puncture mark in her neck.”

  “That is odd,” said Nikki.

  “That’s what I thought,” said the chief.

  The medical examiner took them over to the body. He showed them her clear arms and feet. He showed them the puncture mark in her neck. It was small. Nikki was impressed that the medical examiner had found it.

  He explained further that he would send some of Kim’s hair to be tested for prior heroin use, just in case. Strands of hair could show opiate use from a month ago, or longer. “Based on the lack of injection sites, however, I’m doubtful about that. Her medical history doesn’t show any prescribed opiates, either. My theory,” said the medical examiner, “is that someone injected this young lady with pure heroin. They injected it into her neck, and it caused her to overdose.”

  “That’s so awful,” said Nikki, feeling sick to her stomach.

  “It would explain why her friends thought she was drunk,” said Hawk. “A heroin overdose is similar to alcohol poisoning. It can cause some similar symptoms, like sleepiness, slurred speech. I can understand why her friends thought she was drunk.” The medical examiner covered up the body.

  Nikki nodded. “We should go talk with Susan, Becky, and the rest of the wedding party,” she suggested. Hawk agreed. The chief said he would send deputies to pick up a few of Kim’s friends and bring them in for questioning. Hawk and Nikki volunteered to go to the hotel where the wedding party was staying. Nikki remembered that Susan had told her they were staying in the hotel so they could be together the night before her wedding. “She told me that at the party,” she told Hawk and the chief.

  “If we go there, we can question them quickly and figure out if anyone else has a history of drug use,” Hawk said. The chief agreed. Hawk and Nikki quickly left in Hawk’s truck and drove to the hotel.

  When they got there, the front desk was abandoned. Hawk rang a bell on the desk, and a sleepy manager appeared after a few minutes. Hawk showed the man his badge and asked what rooms the wedding guests were staying in, specifically the bride, groom, and their attendants. The man gave Hawk the room numbers. Hawk requested to use the conference room, and the man agreed. He also asked the manager to brew some coffee and have it ready in the conference room. It was going to be a long morning.

  Hawk and Nikki split up. Nikki went to Susan’s room, which was near all her bridesmaids, and Hawk went to Tim’s room, near the groomsmen and best man’s rooms. They woke up the guests and asked them to go to the conference room for more questioning. Susan was upset, and Nikki reassured her that everything was going to be okay. She explained that she and Hawk just needed a little more informati
on. Susan agreed, and Nikki ushered her and her gaggle of sleepy, tearful girls down to the conference room. Tim was already there, and Susan rushed over to him. They hugged and sat together at a table.

  Hawk and the manager talked, and the manager set up a room for Hawk to question the guests. Although usually they would separate people before questioning so they could not coordinate their stories, Hawk had suggested that the group atmosphere might relax everyone’s nerves and help convey the message that no one was a suspect yet. This was true. But Nikki desperately hoped they would find a clue that would lead them somewhere today. She suggested they talk to Susan and Tim first so they could get back to sleep.

  “It is her wedding day, after all,” said Nikki. Hawk agreed. When it was clear that Susan was still shaky and tearful about her friend’s death, they also agreed to question them together. Nikki called Susan and Tim back to the smaller room set up by the manager.

  “I am so sorry to be doing this right now,” said Hawk to the couple.

  “That’s okay,” said Tim. “We are willing to do anything you need, right sweetie?” he asked Susan.

  “That’s right,” said Susan, putting on a brave face despite her tears.

  Hawk proceeded to question Susan and Tim. They both had alibis for the day, which was expected. A bride and groom on the day before their wedding were never alone, what with final fittings at the tailors for the men, and hair and makeup consultations for the ladies, and a dozen other errands. The couple had always been with someone, and the questioning went quickly. Neither had seen anything to indicate that their dear friend had struggled with any addictions, either. Hawk finally thanked them and told them they could go back to their rooms. With obvious relief, Susan and Tim thanked him and quickly left.

  Next Nikki asked Becky to come in. She entered, and they talked for a few minutes. She, too, had an alibi for the day. She was either with Susan all day or one of the bridesmaids or Susan’s mother all day long. They told her she could return to her room. After that, they questioned the rest of the bridal party one by one. They were all cleared and told to go back to their rooms. Afterward, Hawk and Nikki called the chief.

  “Everyone in the party has been vetted,” said Hawk. The chief said he had questioned Kim’s friends as well, and he had no suspicions of any of them.

  “Maybe we should talk to the wedding planner and the wait staff again,” suggested Nikki.

  “That is a good idea,” said Hawk. He told his father they were headed to the venue. Nikki was certain the wedding planner would be there. By then, it was seven in the morning and light was beginning to spread across the little town, but it was still frosty and cold.

  As they approached the building, Nikki told Hawk to park in the back by the service entrance. Sure enough, there were cars in the parking lot. Nikki and Hawk entered and found the staff setting up for the wedding reception. Nikki asked a young man carrying chairs where to find Madeline.

  “She is in the foyer. I think she is overseeing the guest cards,” the staff member replied. Nikki and Hawk went to the front of the building and found Madeline instructing an assistant on how to arrange the cards on the table. Nikki and Hawk walked up to her and Hawk cleared his throat. Madeline turned around and told the young woman to continue what she was doing, and she would come by to check it later.

  “What can I do for you?” she asked Nikki and Hawk. “Are you here to set up your table?” she asked Nikki. Nikki panicked for a moment. She had forgotten the table she was supposed to set up. She took a deep breath and told herself to calm down. She could get through this. Meanwhile, Hawk cut in to inform Madeline that they needed to question the staff.

  “Again?” asked Madeline a bit sharply. “I am on a tight schedule here. I do not have time to be answering questions.”

  “I understand that you are busy,” replied Hawk. “I promise this should not take long. We will interview people one at a time. Nikki can arrange everything and make sure we do not miss anyone. They can keep working before and after we question them.”

  “Okay,” Madeline said, though she did not sound reassured. She knew there was no use arguing with the detective. “Who do you want to talk to first?” she asked.

  “Why don’t we start with you?” Hawk answered.

  “Of course,” Madeline said smoothly. “Fire away.”

  “Can you give me a list of workers?” Nikki asked Madeline. “That way I can get people organized while Hawk is questioning you.”

  “Okay. It is here in this folder,” Madeline answered Nikki, handing her a manila folder. Nikki thanked her and started reading down the list. Hawk took Madeline into a small room and shut the door. Nikki walked around and checked to make sure everyone was there and gathered phone numbers and addresses to save time during the questioning. Nikki explained that Hawk had some follow-up questions and that they would be called in alphabetical order. A few of the staff members looked at each other, and Nikki wondered if some of them had been traumatized by the events last night. They went on working and waited to be called.

  When Hawk sent Madeline out after questioning, Nikki told her how she would be calling the staff. Madeline agreed and went back to the foyer to continue supervising the guest cards while Nikki ushered the next person in. Luckily, the whole process went just as smoothly as it had with the wedding party. Nikki wondered what Hawk was going to find, however. When he was done with everyone, they found Madeline and thanked her.

  “So, why are you still questioning people?” she asked. “I thought I heard people say she died of alcohol poisoning. It’s so sad, she’s so young.”

  “I am not at liberty to discuss the case right now,” said Hawk. “I will ask that you and your staff be ready for more questions as needed. We have your contact information.”

  Madeline sighed and agreed. She went back to work and Hawk and Nikki returned to the parking lot.

  “Everyone is clear,” said Hawk once they were outside. “No one stands out as a suspect.”

  Just then, Hawk’s phone rang. “It’s the chief,” he told Nikki. He talked to him for a few minutes and then hung up.

  “What did he say?” asked Nikki.

  “Dad said the mayor is hopping mad. He refuses to cancel the wedding and wants to know what is happening with the investigation. Dad did not want to tell him anything at first, but the mayor threatened to fire him. Dad figures he’s just upset, but he doesn’t want to risk his job. He told the mayor about the overdose. He said the mayor was shocked. He’s known his daughter’s friend for years and said Kim did not seem the type to use drugs. He badgered him for more details until he revealed that they suspected foul play.” Hawk paused a moment. “See, this is why my father is such a good police chief. He knows the mayor will never come in for questioning, but he might reveal a few details if he thinks he’s getting inside information.” Hawk smiled.

  “So what did the mayor say?” Nikki was tense.

  “The mayor went quiet for a couple of seconds. He said that Susan had appeared worried when he had talked to her last night, after it all happened. The mayor said she told him that Susan and Tim were worried that someone was out to get them. Of course, the chief asked him why Susan and Tim would think that. The mayor told him Susan said she just had a gut feeling. Susan still did not know about the overdose at that time, of course. The chief told him that he did not suspect Susan and Tim’s lives were in danger, but he could not rule it out. Well, that did it. The mayor is now demanding that the investigation be wrapped up quickly. He wants a suspect found before the wedding. The mayor authorized overtime and told us to mobilize as much manpower as we need. After all, Susan is his little girl and this will be her special day, by hook or by crook.” Hawk grimaced.

  “Well, I guess we’ve got our work cut out for us. Let’s head back into town,” suggested Nikki.

  “Okay,” agreed Hawk. “You can help me review the witness statements.”

  “I wish I could Hawk, but maybe later…I still need to finish up the
chocolates for the wedding,” Nikki said.

  Hawk agreed to take her to the shop, and they drove into town. As they drove, Nikki looked at her phone. Seth had sent a message saying Tori had picked him up and driven him to the shop. They were already there with Lidia. He told Nikki not to worry, they had the shop covered. Yeah, but who has the wedding covered? she thought as they neared town.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  N ikki was feverishly at work decorating a tray of chocolates when Hawk came in. He had gone to his office to check in and consolidate his notes. Nikki was finishing the icing on the strawberries. They all looked beautiful. Seth and Tori were helping her with the chocolates. They were putting some finishing touches on the other fruit. Hawk came into the kitchen, followed by Lidia, and said hello.

  “How are the chocolates coming? You ready to get back to the investigation? We still have plenty of time before the wedding later today,” he said.

  Nikki twirled the icing bag with a flourish and pulled it up. “Done,” she said. “All I have to do is cut the angel food cake, and we are ready to go.” She glanced desperately at the clock. “Oh no, is that the time? We’re supposed to deliver the chocolates right now!”

  “I can cut the cake,” Lidia offered.

  “Yes, and we can take everything to the venue,” Seth chimed in.

  “If they take the chocolates and come right back, I can run the store by myself for at least an hour if need be,” said Lidia.

  “This is our busiest day of the year,” argued Nikki, despairing.

  “Yes, but most of our customers have placed and picked up their orders already. I can handle the last-minute traffic, and it will not take Seth and Tori long to set up the table. They will be back before I know they are gone,” Lidia reassured Nikki.

  “Well, okay,” Nikki agreed.

  “Good,” said Hawk. “I’ll drive you home and meanwhile we can catch up about the investigation. I have been going over my notes and have not gotten any further. Maybe if we go over everything again together, we will think of another angle to investigate.”