Meringue and Murder Read online

  “You can sit up if you want to,” he said.

  Margaret thanked him and sat up. She was dizzy and nauseous, but she kept upright. She wondered if she had another concussion, and if so how many she could withstand before getting permanent brain damage. Margaret stretched her neck and looked around. They were near the beach, but Margaret couldn’t tell exactly where they were.

  “You said you didn’t think I killed Mr. Stewart,” said Rocky.

  “That was before you kidnapped me,” said Margaret.

  “Look. I didn’t know who you were or what you were doing. I have some enemies in this town and I have to look out for myself. I thought you might be carrying a gun,” said Rocky defensively.

  “You call hitting a woman over the head and tying her up looking out for yourself?” asked Margaret incredulously.

  “Sometimes I do impulsive things,” said Rocky. “Sorry.”

  “Could you untie me?” asked Margaret.

  “Sure, but I would like to talk to you. Is that okay?” asked Rocky.

  “Okay, but I need to have my head checked out,” said Margaret.

  “We’re right by a hospital,” said Rocky. When he said that, Margaret looked out the back window. She saw the hospital and calmed down.

  “Fine,” said Margaret. Rocky got out of the car. He opened the back door and untied Margaret’s hands. She untied her feet and took a deep breath. She could smell the salt air. Rocky helped her out of the car.

  “What did you want to tell me?” asked Margaret.

  “Did you meet my old lady?” asked Rocky.

  “Yes,” said Margaret. “She claimed she hit you in self-defense. She said her brother had it in for you.”

  “I didn’t hurt her ever. That is why there was no evidence of abuse. I loved my wife, but she was crazy. That night when she hit me with the frying pan I had enough. I could have hurt her, but I didn’t. I called the police and reported what she had done to me, but she said I assaulted her. Her brother took her side because she was his family. I understand that. Unfortunately, he tried to have me arrested on charges that were in his sister’s head. I was the innocent one but because I look the way I do people make assumptions about me.”

  “I understand that,” said Margaret. “I do have to say, though, you need to be less impulsive.”

  “I am really sorry. I should have talked to you instead of tying you up,” said Rocky.

  Margaret knew he meant what he said. She came to a decision.

  “Look, how about this. My head hurts but I should be okay. Do you mind coming to the hospital with me so I can get it checked out? I don’t think I can walk that far,” said Margaret.

  “I’ll do you one better,” said Rocky. He bent over and scooped Margaret up. He carried her across the parking lot into the emergency room.

  “This woman may have a concussion. She was hit on the head,” said Rocky to the nurse on duty.

  The nurse leapt into action and told Rocky to put Margaret on a nearby gurney. Rocky did, and Margaret thanked him. He waited with Margaret while the nurse checked her head. The nurse looked at Rocky, but Margaret told her she was fine.

  “I have a question for you,” said Margaret to Rocky when the nurse was done examining her and left the room.

  “What is that?” asked Rocky.

  “How did you see us? The detective said we couldn’t be seen where we were,” said Margaret.

  “I just happened to see you in a reflection off another car’s window when I looked out my bedroom window. After I closed my drapes, I snuck back downstairs and watched you guys watching me,” said Rocky. “Then I saw you sneak up to my house, and I guess I just lost it.”

  “I see,” said Margaret. Always trying to see the best in everyone, Margaret thanked Rocky for bringing her to the hospital. She promised him she would not press charges and he thanked her. Rocky gave Margaret her cell phone back—he’d picked it up off the ground after hitting her—and said he would wait with her to make sure she was okay.

  “That’s okay,” said Margaret. “Unfortunately, this is not my first concussion.”

  Rocky looked upset.

  “I am so sorry,” he said again.

  “At least you stuck around and made sure I was okay,” said Margaret.

  “I’m glad you’re feeling better,” said Rocky. “You’re right, though. I have got to get a grip on my impulses.”

  “There are people who can help you with anger management,” said Margaret. “I can talk to my detective friend and let him know everything that happened. He will understand. I am sure we can find you some help.”

  “I would appreciate that,” said Rocky.

  Margaret remembered that David had left to find Ariel. She checked her phone. It was two in the morning. There were five messages from David. He had found Ariel. She had wandered into the woods behind Patty’s house. The second message asked Margaret to call him. He was concerned because he had not heard from her. Then several more messages, each sounding more frantic than the last. Margaret texted him saying she was okay and she would call him in the morning. The doctor came in and eyed Rocky before checking out Margaret.

  “He’s okay,” said Margaret, winking at Rocky. The doctor examined Margaret and he said she didn’t have a bad concussion. It was slight, but she should not drive for a few hours. The nurse gave Margaret an ice pack and Rocky offered to drive her home.

  “That’s okay,” said Margaret. “I can call my son. I appreciate the offer, though.”

  “I can wait with you until your son arrives,” said Rocky.

  “No, I’ll be fine, really. I’ll call you tomorrow, just put your number in my phone,” said Margaret. She handed Rocky her phone and he entered his number. He thanked Margaret again and left. Margaret phoned Zach. It took a few times phoning him, but he finally picked up.

  “Where are you, Mom?” asked Zach. “I thought you were on a stakeout, but David called me to ask if I had picked you up. We’re driving around looking for you. David got your message and he is a bit frantic.”

  “Before I tell you where I am and what happened, please know that I am okay,” said Margaret. “Where is Ariel?”

  “She is with a sitter David hired,” said Zach. “Now, where are you?”

  “I’m at the hospital. I was calling to see if you would give me a ride home,” Margaret explained.

  “Why are you at the hospital?” asked Zach.

  “I’ll explain when you get here,” said Margaret. “Don’t rush, I am okay.”

  About fifteen minutes later, Margaret heard Zach and David down the hallway. They came into her room and Zach gave her a hug.

  “I will never leave you alone again after this,” said David. “This is all my fault.”

  “No, it isn’t,” said Margaret. “It was just a big misunderstanding.”

  “What about a concussion is a misunderstanding?” asked Zach. Margaret told them to calm down.

  “Can you please take me home? I’m fine, I just need some sleep. I promise I will tell you everything in the morning,” said Margaret.

  Chapter 12

  Back at Margaret’s house, David helped Margaret out of the car and Zach held the front door open. David carried Margaret upstairs to her room.

  “You need to get home to Ariel,” said Margaret. “She will be worried about you.”

  “She is probably sound asleep. Zach and Patty wore her out,” said David.

  “Still, if she wakes up and you’re not home, she will be worried,” said Margaret.

  “Fine. But I need you to come by my office before you open your shop,” said David.

  “I will,” said Margaret. She promised David she would tell him the whole story in the morning. David said goodnight and Zach brought Margaret an ice pack. She had gotten some painkillers at the hospital and she could feel them taking effect. She thanked Zach for the ice pack and drifted off to sleep.

  The next morning, Zach brought Margaret breakfast in bed. He told her that Patty was openi
ng the store and Margaret should take her time getting to David’s office and work.

  “Who did this to you, Mom?” asked Zach.

  “It was one of our suspects,” said Margaret.

  “Well, they should be your prime suspect now,” Zach said.

  “Not really,” said Margaret. “It’s complicated. I will explain everything to you later.”

  “Okay,” said Zach. “Do you want me to drive you to David’s office?”

  “Yes, please,” said Margaret. Her dizziness had subsided, but her head still hurt. She didn’t want to be distracted by the pain while driving. Zach told her he would take her in when she was ready. Margaret enjoyed her breakfast and coffee, and then Zach drove her into town. He took her directly to David’s office per David’s instructions the previous night. Margaret balked a bit.

  “I need to check the store,” she told Zach.

  “The store is fine. David gave me orders to bring you here right from home,” said Zach.

  Margaret sighed. “Okay,” she said. “I will call you when I am done. Please go help Patty with the store.”

  “On my way,” said Zach.

  Margaret walked into David’s office. She said hello to the receptionist, who waved her back. Margaret walked down the hall and into David’s office. He was sitting by his computer entering some data.

  “Good morning,” said David.

  “Good morning,” said Margaret.

  “So. Are you going to tell me what happened last night?” asked David.

  “Yes, as long as you promise not to react to anything until I am done with my story,” said Margaret. David reluctantly promised.

  “After you left, I was about to call Zach when someone hit me over the head,” said Margaret.

  “What? Who hit you?” asked David.

  “You know, this will go faster if you don’t interrupt me,” said Margaret. David scowled, and Margaret continued.

  “When I woke up I realized I was tied up in the back seat of a car. It was not moving. I recognized the driver. It was Rocky,” said Margaret. David started to bolt from his chair.

  “Let me finish,” Margaret insisted. David reluctantly sat down.

  “He thought I was a threat to him,” said Margaret. “He had seen us staking out his house. I explained who I was. When Rocky realized I wasn’t there to hurt him he untied me. We talked for a bit,” said Margaret.

  David sighed and put his head in his hands.

  “He told me he never laid a hand on Julie and I believe him,” said Margaret.

  “Margaret, he assaulted and kidnapped you. How can you defend him?” asked David. “Tell me why I should not go and arrest him right now.”

  “Because I’m not pressing charges,” said Margaret.

  David was dumbfounded.

  “How can you not press charges?” he asked.

  “He apologized,” said Margaret simply.

  “Oh, so he said he was sorry so now it is okay?” asked David.

  “He was scared,” said Margaret. “He admitted he acted impulsively. He was never going to hurt me.”

  “He hit you over the head!” David almost yelled.

  “He thought I had a gun or something,” said Margaret. “I was looking in his windows, so I don’t blame him for freaking out.”

  David was clearly frustrated. Margaret understood but she held her ground.

  “He took me to the hospital and stayed with me until the doctor came to check on me. He was going to stay until Zach got there but I sent him home. I promised him I would give him the name and number of an anger therapist. Rocky wants to get his anger under control, David,” Margaret insisted. “That tells me he is not an abuser. My ex had anger issues, but he would never admit it. The fact that Rocky wants to get help is good. He wants to rein this in before he causes anyone any pain.”

  “Anyone besides you,” muttered David.

  “If I had to be the one who got hurt I am fine with that,” said Margaret. “I would rather be hurt because he was scared than be hurt because he was angry.”

  David sighed. He sat back in his chair.

  “Fine, we will do this your way. I will, however, make a note that he is in anger management and will have his therapist report to me if he skips any sessions,” said David. “And that is nonnegotiable.”

  “I think he can live with that,” said Margaret. “Let me call him and you can talk to him.”

  “You have his number?” asked David incredulously.

  “Of course, how else was I going to get ahold of him?” asked Margaret.

  David sighed again and shook his head.

  “You are something, Margaret Nichols,” he said, holding out his hand for the phone. Margaret gave it to him and David called Rocky. After David had talked to Rocky, he offered to take Margaret back to the candy shop.

  “That’s okay. Zach said he would pick me up,” said Margaret.

  “Oh no, not that again,” said David, standing up and putting on his jacket.

  “What are you talking about?” asked Margaret.

  “That is how you got hurt in the first place. I have time before I meet with forensics. I will drive you to your store,” said David.

  “I suppose you are going to walk me inside, too,” said Margaret.

  “Of course,” said David, smiling. Margaret stuck her tongue out at him but followed David to his car. They drove to the shop and David walked Margaret inside. Patty walked over and gave Margaret a hug. She turned to David.

  “I am so sorry again about last night,” Patty said to David, laying her hand on his arm. David patted Patty’s hand.

  “It’s okay, really,” said David. “Ariel thought it was a great game of hide and seek.” Patty smiled. David said his goodbyes and left the shop. Margaret went to the kitchen and Zach followed her.

  “Okay, now what happened?” said Zach.

  Margaret told him to sit down and she explained everything. Zach had similar reactions to David, and she settled him down. After talking to Zach, Margaret had an idea.

  “Zach, can you pull up our surveillance cameras on my laptop?” asked Margaret.

  “Sure,” said Zach. “Why?”

  “It is just a theory I have,” said Margaret.

  Chapter 13

  Margaret looked at her surveillance footage. Her cameras were aimed inside her store, so Margaret had initially thought they would be useless in the investigation. But Rocky had said something that triggered an idea. Rocky had seen Margaret and David in a car window’s reflection. If he could see them in a reflection, maybe Margaret could see Mr. Stewart’s killer.

  Margaret looked through the footage from the time she had seen Mr. Stewart get back to the store with his van. Margaret knew she would have to keep an eagle eye out for anything as she didn’t have time to look at the footage in real time.

  Margaret sped up her cameras and looked at the film until she saw Maria enter her nail salon. Margaret had not seen anything in the reflections from the counter. She went out to the store and looked around. She looked outside where the entrance to the alley was and then looked at her cameras. Margaret then went back into her kitchen and viewed the footage again, paying attention to the jars on her shelves. This time her luck changed. About two hours after Mr. Stewart got back to his store, Margaret saw something flash on one of the jars.

  She paused the video and rewound it. She decreased the speed as the flash appeared. Margaret stopped the camera. There in the jar’s reflection was something gold. Margaret zoomed in on the gold object. It was a gold minivan. Margaret racked her brain trying to remember where she had seen a gold minivan. Just then, Margaret’s phone rang. It was David.

  “I just heard back from forensics about the fingernail sliver we found on Mr. Stewart’s body,” said David.

  “Let me guess,” said Margaret, “it was from a woman.”

  “How did you know?” asked David. “Never mind, you can tell me when I get there.” David hung up and Margaret grabbed her coat and p
urse. She dashed out to the front of the store.

  “What’s going on?” asked Zach.

  “Make a copy of my surveillance video and send it to my phone and David’s office,” said Margaret.

  While Zach did as she asked, Margaret booked it out the door. She ran over to the alley by Mr. Stewart’s shop and looked at the ground. She pulled out her phone and took a picture. David’s car appeared around a corner and Margaret didn’t wait for him to park. She went out into the street and jumped in his passenger seat.

  “What did you find?” asked David.

  “I’ll tell you where to go and I’ll explain along the way,” said Margaret.

  Margaret and David drove down the long driveway. Margaret kept her eye out for anyone suspicious, but no one appeared. They turned and ended up by a large house. There was a gold van parked in the driveway.

  “Are you sure about this?” asked David.

  “Yes,” said Margaret. “Let me show you.” She handed her phone to him. David watched the video and whistled.

  “Here is the picture of the tire tracks. I took it this morning, but they are still fresh,” said Margaret. David studied the picture. He got out of his car and walked toward the front door. The front door opened and Dia Webster appeared. She looked at David and Margaret, confused.

  “May I help you?” she asked.

  “Yes,” said David. “Do you mind if I ask you some follow-up questions?”

  “No, I don’t mind,” said Dia.

  “Where were you the night of Mr. Stewart’s murder?” asked David.

  “I was here,” said Dia. “My husband can vouch for me.”

  “Is he here?” asked David.

  “Yes,” said Dia. “Let me get him.” She went back inside the house. Margaret and David went over to the van. David stooped down and looked at the undercarriage. He grabbed a pen from his pocket and pulled out something from below the car. Meanwhile, Mr. Webster appeared, following Dia.