Creamed at the Coffee Cabana: A Cozy Mystery (Sweet Home Cozy Mystery Series Book 1) (6 page)

Harvey stroked Miss Pickles’ fur. “Son, how did you know it was Meghan not Mike?”

“Mildred,” he answered.

“Mildred!” Essie exclaimed. I thought she was going to fly out of her chair.

Eli got up to pour himself a cup of coffee. I’m such a poor hostess, but I was still reeling from the day’s excitement.

Eli sat back down, tore off the top of a pink sweetener packet, and poured the contents into his coffee. “Mildred stopped in at the station yesterday. She told me about her encounter with Francine in your back room and how she lost her vintage button. She also told me how you ladies found it and gave it back to her.”

Essie looked like a ghost, and then of course threw me under the bus.

“It was Lily’s idea…she thought it best to question Mildred and then give her back the button.”

I made a face at Essie. “Thanks for having my back Auntie.”

“Now Eli,” Hildie interjected. “We just knew Mildred didn’t have anything to do with Fannie’s demise, and didn’t want to scare the poor thing by having her hauled down to the station like a common criminal.”

Eli held up his hand. “It’s alright ladies…but next time let me in on any findings at a crime scene.”

“So what else did Mildred tell you?” Toe asked. I’m sure he wanted to get back to the story instead of hearing us squabble. Can’t blame him.

Eli stirred his coffee then took a sip. “Mildred said she remembered seeing Mike when she came out the back door of the shop. But then she remembered also seeing Meghan. She thought it odd though because it was as if Meghan was spying on Mike because he didn’t notice her. Then she remembered something else. Mildred told me that the day Fannie warned her about putting her in the special edition, that she met Meghan leaving Fannie’s house. Meghan was mad and didn’t even speak to her. When she saw Fannie, she asked what Meghan’s problem was. She said Fannie just waved her hand and said Meghan wasn’t happy with something that was coming out about her husband in the next edition.”

“So Meghan found out that Fannie was exposing Mike?” I asked.

“Yes,” Eli answered. “We’re not sure how because only two people know and one is dead and the other isn’t talking.”

“But how did you figure out that it was Meghan that killed Fannie? I mean I figured it out when she let it slip about my new tea flavors. I hadn’t offered them to the public yet and the only way she would know about them is if she had been in the back room.”

“Her coming after you only seals the deal to me,” Hildie replied. “She knew she’d slipped up when she mentioned the tea.”

I shivered. I hated to think what may have happened if Eli hadn’t been there.

Eli continued. “We believe she followed Mike when he went to make the phone call. She then saw Mildred and Fannie slip into the back of the Coffee Cabana. After Mike and Mildred left, she entered the back of the shop and tried to reason with Fannie about the paper. Just like with Mildred though, it didn’t work. Meghan took matters into her own hands. She picked up a rag or potholder, then grabbed the iron skillet, and hit Fannie over the back of the head. Only she didn’t have a proper grip on whatever she used to grab the skillet, because there was a thumb print on the top of the handle.”

Aha! We all nodded, realizing that’s how the police fingered her.

“We needed to get her prints, but she wasn’t visiting Mike in jail. So we had to make Mike privy to our suspicions. Mike called Trevor on his cell phone and asked him to bring a glass that his mother had drunk out of that day to the station. Of course the boy didn’t understand, but Mike told him it was important and not to let his mother know. Then he told him to pack a bag and to stay at a friend’s house. We didn’t want the boy near her. She was willing to kill to save face and let her husband languish in jail…we didn’t know what she’d do to her son.”

I shook my head. “And here we were just there last night trying to support her.”

“We did what we thought was right,” Hildie said. “And I’ll help anyone I think is in need. We just didn’t know she was a murdering maniac.”

At that moment, Miss Pickles awoke from her nap, stretched and yawned. She then looked at Essie who was sitting next to Harvey.

“Don’t you give me no lip girl,” Essie told the cat.

Miss Pickles let out a squeaky meow. Guess she was still half-asleep. Miss P didn’t have to worry about Essie moving in on her territory though. I think my aunt was positioning her sights on Toe, although she wouldn’t admit it. At least not yet.

And I now had a new image of Eli Davis. He didn’t seem as cocky as I had thought before. In fact, he was downright sweet when he wanted to be. Maybe love would bloom for both my aunt and me this coming spring. All I knew was I had to get home and call Jules and tell her the latest on Fannie’s murder. And how Officer Eli Davis saved my life that day. Heck, I decided to make it a girl’s night. I picked up a pizza, headed to my best friend’s house, and we talked and laughed until late into the night.

Thanks for reading!

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You can read my books for free with Kindle Unlimited. These books are all from the Caesars Creek Mystery Series.

A Frozen Scoop of Murder
(Caesars Creek Mystery Series Book One)

Death by Chocolate Sundae
(Caesars Creek Mystery Series Book Two)

Soft Serve Secrets
(Caesars Creek Mystery Series Book Three)

Ice Cream You Scream
(Caesars Creek Mystery Series Book Four)

Double Dip Dilemma
(Caesars Creek Mystery Series Book Five)

Melted Memories
(Caesars Creek Mystery Series Book Six)