Maple Hills Mystery Box Set 3 Page 8

  “Are you Hawk?” the officer asked. Hawk said he was. The officer told him to jump in. Hawk thanked him and got in the car. He told him to head for Simms Street. The officer put on his lights and raced off after Nikki and Brian.

  Nikki was getting closer to town. Her mind was racing. Where is Hawk?

  “So, why did you kill Susan?” she asked Brian. “You seem like a nice young man. What turned you into a killer?”

  Brian moved a little in his seat. He turned to face her when he answered.

  He spat out his words. “It is all my father’s fault.”

  He waited for Nikki’s reaction. She just kept driving with her eyes on the road trying not to think about the knife.

  Brian went on. “I was never good enough for him. He told me so many times. No matter what I did, I was too slow or too stupid. I made A’s in high school, but it wasn’t enough. Why didn’t you take up fencing? he would ask. Why aren’t you going to Yale?” Brian laughed a mirthless laugh. “Even this trip they are on. I wanted to go. I begged to go. But do you know what he said?” He paused and looked at Nikki. She kept on driving. “He told me I needed to stay home and study. He told me I was not good enough to be class valedictorian. He told me I was going to lose to a girl. He said if I lost to her he would disown me. What else was I supposed to do? With her out of the way, the prize was mine. I would be the class valedictorian and my father wouldn’t disown me.”

  “Why were you going to kill the girl you were with today?” Nikki asked.

  Brian looked at Nikki and laughed. He practically howled. Nikki moved her head back as far as it could go so he would not accidently cut her.

  “What are you talking about?” he asked.

  “We were coming to save the student.”

  “I wasn’t going to kill her.”

  It was Nikki’s turn to be shocked. She tried to turn her head, but he held the knife closer.“You weren’t trying to kill her? What were you doing there, then?” Nikki asked.

  “I was asking her about her GPA. I wanted to make sure I was far enough ahead of her. She was close, but I figured out she was not a threat. Really. I had this in the bag until you and Hawk showed up.”

  Nikki was stunned. She was glad the student was not going to be hurt, but she thought for sure Brian was going to kill her.

  “Now, don’t get me wrong, if she had passed me, an accident would have had to be arranged,” Brian said.

  Ah, there he is, thought Nikki.

  “And, sorry to say, Seth will have to go. He knows too much, and so do you. It won’t be easy for me. I liked him. He was the one who introduced me to Susan. I’m not sure how I would have approached her if it wasn’t for him. All those times we had lunch together and studied. It was easy to grab Susan’s notebook and rip out a few pages. I knew Seth’s fingerprints would be on the notebook paper, so I thought I would be able to frame him. Or, at least, he would be involved in the investigation. I did not know that you would stick your nose into this. I thought Susan would have died in a car accident on the way to her aunt’s. I must not have cut the brake line enough. I did not even expect you to be in this car. I was going to steal it and drive back to town to kill Seth and Tori. I won’t hurt you, though. Not right now, at least. I still need you.”

  As Brian was talking, Nikki noticed something down the road. She thought she saw flashes of red and white. She thought about slowing the car down, but then it hit her. She sped up.

  “Hey, why are you going so fast all of a sudden?” Brian asked.

  “I just want to get home,” she said with tears in her eyes.

  “You want to hug your baby one more time?” Brian leered.

  “Something like that,” she said as she sped up and got over the hill. Brian’s eyes opened wide. It was his turn to be shocked. There were about twenty cop cars blocking the road with their lights flashing.

  “Slow down, or I’ll cut your throat,” Brian threatened, but there was a tremor in his voice.

  “Try it, you punk! I have dealt with stronger, meaner men my whole life. Be ready to die because I can’t drive in snow!”

  Brian lunged for the wheel, but Nikki was faster. Nikki spun the truck quickly. It skidded sideways for a moment and then momentum won, and the truck tipped and rolled. It rolled again and shot sparks as it slid along the road. It came to a halt about twenty feet from the cop cars. The chief was already running. He got to the truck and yelled for paramedics. EMT’s were there in a hurry. There was a lot of blood. The windshield was smashed. Suddenly another cop car arrived, sirens blazing. Hawk jumped out of the car and ran to the truck. He looked in. Nikki opened her eyes. “It’s about time you got here,” she said before passing out.

  13

  The snow gently dropped from the sky. The trees had been coated with white fairy dust. A cardinal hopped from branch to branch looking for something to eat. Nikki saw all this through her front window. Hawk came up behind her.

  “Enjoying the view?” he asked while very gently touching her shoulder.

  “Yes,” Nikki answered, holding his hand.

  They stayed there for a little while. They watched the snow blow in circles as it descended to the earth. I am glad to be home for Christmas. Seth called them to eat from the other room. Nikki stood up, and Hawk walked her to her seat in the dining room. Seth, Tori, and Lidia and her husband were all there. They feasted on some southern delights that Seth and Tori had prepared for them.

  “I wanted everyone to know that Brian is in jail and will be there for a very long time,” Hawk announced to the table.

  “That is where he belongs,” said Seth, giving Nikki’s hand a squeeze.

  “Yes,” agreed Lidia and Tori.

  “So, are you going back to college in a couple of weeks? If you want to take the semester off, I am sure your professors would understand,” reassured Nikki.

  “No, I want to go back. What happened to Susan and Brian has made me more determined to get my degree. I want to be able to walk across that stage with all of you watching,” said Seth with a smile.

  “I like that idea,” replied Lidia.

  “Well…we would have to close the store,” pondered Nikki, and then she grinned.

  Everyone laughed. Nikki was glad to hear real heartfelt laughter in the house once again. All of a sudden Nikki heard something. There was a knock on the door.

  Hawk told Nikki to stay sitting and that he would answer the door. Nikki sat at the table and listened. She heard Hawk say, “thank you, she’s right in here.” Her interest was piqued, and she tried to look down the hall. Hawk came back, followed by a bunch of children.

  “What is going on?” asked Nikki. She looked at the children and recognized the boy and girl that had been in her shop buying chocolates for their mother for Christmas. Another customer had helped them pay and had complimented Nikki on her patience.

  “Look what the snow blew in,” exclaimed Hawk.

  The group of children were shivering and wet from the snow. There was a woman with them that Nikki recognized from the shop. The woman looked at the children and lined them up. She lifted her hand up in a sweeping motion and then brought it back down. The children started singing “Away in a Manger.” Hawk leaned over to Nikki and explained, “They were caroling, and the two youngest children insisted they needed to carol at your house. When they heard you were here, they wanted to come inside. Besides, it is cold out there.” Nikki smiled. This is beautiful. I could have gotten up, but Hawk is very protective. He hasn’t let me out of his sight since the accident. Nikki squeezed Hawk’s hand. The children sang “Little Drummer Boy,” and Nikki laughed. They were very enthusiastic about the “Rump a pa pum’s.” Then they sang “Silent Night,” and a tear ran down Nikki’s cheek. Hawk looked over and gently put his arm around her shoulder. Nikki had walked away from the accident after passing out with a dislocated shoulder. The doctor insisted she wear a sling for a couple of weeks, but she would not need surgery. Brian had knocked his head on the glass and h
ad received a mild concussion. He was led away from the car in handcuffs. Nikki focused on the children. When the song ended, the little girl and boy came over to see Nikki.

  “We made these for you. You made our mom really happy.”

  The little boy handed Nikki a couple of homemade ornaments. They were beaded Christmas candy canes. Nikki smiled and thanked the children. She asked Hawk to show them the Christmas tree and help them hang the ornaments.

  There were oohs and ahhs when the children saw the tree, and Hawk boosted them up to put the candy canes near the top. The children thanked him, and he led them back to the kitchen. Lidia and Tori distributed some freshly baked cookies, and the children thanked everyone.

  “Thank you!” Nikki said enthusiastically. This had helped bring the spirit of Christmas back into her home. The children left, and Hawk cleaned up the wet snow from their boots with some help from Seth and Tori.

  Everyone sat down, and Nikki asked Seth, “What will you do after you graduate? Are you going to move to Boston or New York?” Seth had mentioned both as possibilities at one time or the other. He had also contemplated moving back to Atlanta.

  “Actually, I would rather move back here to Maple Hills,” he replied to the delight of Nikki and Tori. Tori kissed his cheek. “I cannot think of any other place I would rather be than right here with my two favorite ladies,” he added.

  Nikki smiled. She wanted Seth to have the life he wanted, but she was secretly glad he wanted to be in Maple Hills.

  Hawk cleared his throat a bit, and Nikki looked at him.

  “You know, I would love to be a part of this family, too,” he said.

  Nikki took his hands in hers and said, “You already are.” Hawk kissed her, and they watched the snow continue to fall and cover the world around them.

  Chocolate Heart Murder

  Book Ten

  1

  The small town of Maple Hills was being transformed into a winter wonderland of love. Valentine’s Day was approaching, and Nikki watched as the gazebo on the town green was decorated for this very special occasion, with garlands of glittering snowflakes and hearts all around. However, this would not be just an ordinary event, because the mayor’s daughter was getting married on Valentine’s Day, and in the small town of Maple Hills that counted as a special holiday. Nikki smiled as she watched the workers climb ladders to string lights around the park. The wedding was a week away, and it was the talk of the town. Everyone was excited and happy for the mayor’s daughter. Maple Hills was a small town with a strong community where everyone watched out for each other, which was exactly why Nikki liked the town so much. Coming from the big city of Atlanta, it was nice to live in a cozy town.

  Nikki looked around her chocolate shop with a smile. The shop was decorated for Valentine’s Day, much like the rest of Maple Hills. There were red hearts covering the walls and small dishes of sample chocolate hearts throughout the store. Nikki had even created a special drink, red velvet hot chocolate, just for the holiday. Her customers were enjoying a taste of the south in this cold, snowy winter. Valentine’s Day was always a busy time of year for chocolatiers, and this year was no exception. Nikki had a reliable base of local customers that had grown to include people from neighboring towns, and it was even busier this season, especially since Nikki had won a popular chocolate competition. Nikki had a reputation for making good chocolates that tasted so good you knew they came from the heart. She put her soul into her confections, and it showed.

  Nikki turned from the window to help the next customer. Mrs. Handle, an elderly and sweet woman, was taking her time deciding which chocolates would be best for her husband. She finally picked out a half pound of white chocolate truffles and bonbons, and Nikki arranged them in a box and wrapped it in red tissue paper with white hearts. Mrs. Handle thanked her and turned to leave. Just then the door opened, and the mayor’s daughter came walking in. She held the door for Mrs. Handle and walked up to the counter where Nikki was placing some more striped mint chocolates in the gleaming display case.

  “Hello, Susan,” Nikki said with a smile as the young woman approached the counter.

  “Hello, Ms. Bates,” Susan replied. “You look busy today.”

  “Yes, I’m getting ready for Valentine’s Day. It is one of the busiest times of the year for me,” she replied.

  “Could I take a moment of your time to talk with you?” asked Susan.

  Nikki readily agreed and motioned to a table nearby. Susan was in her early thirties, tall and dark-haired, and always walked confidently into a room. Her wedding was the event the town had been buzzing about for a month, but she never seemed to let the attention go to her head. Susan was not a regular customer, but she would occasionally get some hot chocolate to go. Nikki wiped her hands on her apron. On the spur of the moment, Nikki poured Susan some of the red velvet hot chocolate. “Try this, it will help soothe your nerves,” Nikki said with a sympathetic smile. She gave Susan the hot chocolate and sat across from her.

  “Oh, thank you, Nikki. This is perfect,” Susan said after sipping the chocolate. Her face lit up, and she smiled. Nikki could see the stress melting away, at least for now.

  “You’re welcome,” said Nikki. “You must be stressed with all the planning.”

  “Yes. You might have noticed that there have been just a few decorations going up in the park,” Susan said with a twinkle in her eye. “I am so excited about getting married, and I want every detail to be perfect. You have the best chocolates around, and I was hoping I could get you to have a table at my reception. If it’s not too late, that is,” she added hastily. She continued, seeing the encouraging smile on Nikki’s face. “I was hoping for some special chocolates and a chocolate fountain. This hot chocolate is wonderful, but I do not suppose a hot chocolate fountain would be practical.”

  “I would love to set up a table with some of my chocolates and a chocolate fountain for you. And no, I would not recommend hot chocolate; however, you are welcome to come in anytime this week and get some of the special Valentine’s Day hot chocolate on the house to try,” Nikki replied. She was excited, but her mind was racing as she started planning how to make this work on top of the extra batches of special chocolates she was already making for Valentine’s Day.

  “Thank you, Ms. Bates. I appreciate you being willing to do this so last-minute.”

  “I am happy to help you have the perfect day,” Nikki replied.

  “Also, please consider this an invitation to the wedding. I hope you and your staff will also be able to make it.”

  “I wouldn’t miss it,” Nikki replied.

  Susan thanked her again and stood up to leave. “Oh, those strawberries look scrumptious. I’ll take a dozen of them.” Nikki had crafted delectable chocolate-covered strawberries for Valentine’s Day. They were a hit with her customers.

  Nikki got up and boxed the strawberries for Susan. Susan paid for the chocolates, thanked Nikki, and left, the bell on the door tinkling behind her. As soon as she had gone, Lidia finished with another customer and then walked over to the table. Lidia was Nikki’s trusted partner and assistant who helped run the shop and make the chocolates. She was an older woman with a strong work ethic. Nikki appreciated having her around.

  “What did Susan want to talk about?” Lidia asked, intrigued. They walked back to the kitchen together.

  “Susan would like a table of chocolates and a chocolate fountain at her wedding. I told her I would make it happen, and now I need to figure out what kinds of chocolates I’m going to make for her.” Nikki sat down at the work table in the kitchen and Lidia joined her.

  “Well, we already have the strawberries – maybe you could do a special batch of those?” Lidia suggested.

  “That’s a good start,” replied Nikki. “We could also dip some other fruit in chocolate. That would make a pretty arrangement.”

  “Should I order some oranges and grapefruits so we can get started?” Lidia asked.

  “Not yet. Let’s figure
out what else we are going to do and run it by Susan first,” said Nikki. They talked a bit and came up with a plan. Nikki called Susan. She explained the menu to her.

  “I thought we would create some chocolate-dipped fruit and other fruit candies and have a chocolate fountain with different items to dip,” Nikki told Susan.

  “That is a great idea,” Susan said excitedly. “I already tried the strawberries on my way home, I couldn’t resist! They were amazing. Thank you again for getting this together so quickly. When you make the chocolate-dipped fruits, can it include our wedding colors somehow?”

  Nikki was certain she could make it work, and they worked out the final details in no time at all. “I’ll get on this right away,” promised Nikki.

  When Nikki got off the phone, she made a list. “There’s no time for us to place an order through our usual produce supplier, Lidia. We’ll have to get everything from the grocery store, I suppose.” Lidia was excited by the challenge of helping to craft the elegant candies and chocolates for the display, and quickly left for the store.

  How am I going to get everything done? Nikki thought for a moment and picked up her cell phone again. I’ll give Hawk a call. He’ll be able to help me. Hawk was a local detective who occasionally helped Nikki at the store. She also helped him with his investigations. It worked out well. He was tall, dark, and handsome, and his heart belonged to Nikki.

  “Hey, Hawk, do you have a minute?”

  “Anything for you, Nikki,” Hawk replied sweetly into the phone.

  “Susan stopped by today and asked me to set up a table for her wedding. Lidia offered to do the shopping, and I have Seth and Tori here to help; however, I could use an extra set of hands this week. Is there any chance you could give me a hand?”