Rolling Out a Mystery Page 2

  Sammy felt so disappointed. “Okay, thanks anyway. If you think of anything, you know where to find me.” She headed over to the drinks table to see if Heather was still around.

  There were no pirates in sight, so Sammy looked through the available drink choices until she found a cold can of Coke.

  “Just go easy on the rum tonight. You made enough of a fool of yourself at the last party, and you’re lucky I let you come again.”

  “Excuse me?” Sammy turned to the man standing next to her.

  His pale green eyes widened in surprise when he looked back at her. “Oh, I’m sorry! I thought you were someone else. Samantha Beaumont, right?”

  “Well, it’s Baker now, but yeah.”

  “Oh, I didn’t realize you were married.” Rob Hewitt, the host of the party and the former star of the football team, scooped some ice into a red plastic cup and filled it with Sprite. He was dressed as Robin Hood, but he had thrown the hood back and slung his bow over his shoulder.

  Sammy regretted keeping her married name, because it meant she always had something to explain. “I’m divorced now.”

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize.”

  “There’s no need to be sorry. I’ve been out of Sunny Cove for a long time, and I wouldn’t expect anyone to keep up with every little thing I’ve done.” Rob swirled the soda in his cup. “I stayed here because my father wanted me to take over his law practice. It’s not been a bad thing, but sometimes I wish I could have gotten away and seen the world.”

  Several more people filed in the front door, but Sammy still couldn’t find Heather anywhere. “Have you seen Heather? I came with her, but she disappeared a few minutes ago.”

  “Heather’s here?” Rob looked startled. “I didn’t know. I haven’t seen her.”

  “Okay. I’m going to find her. It was nice to see you again!” Sammy raised her Coke and moved off, hoping she looked more enthusiastic than she felt. Rob had always been a big jock and they had never known each other all that well in school, but he was a nice guy. Still, she didn’t feel very comfortable here and was ready to leave. She couldn’t very well do that without letting Heather know first.

  But her pirate friend had unexpectedly disappeared. She checked the kitchen and the hallway and found plenty of ghosts and witches, but no Heather. Finally, she stopped to ask Lindsay, who rolled her eyes and laughed.

  “It’s not my job to keep track of her. But yeah, I saw her having yet another fight with Billy York. No idea what happened to her after that.” She didn’t have her two friends with her for a change. Lindsay held her drink in one hand and fiddled with the material of her skirt with the other.

  “Thanks.” Sammy wasn’t sure what she should do. She didn’t want to be rude and leave the party without talking to Heather, since this had all been her idea anyway, but she was ready to go home and relax for a while. She was just turning toward the front door when a scream pierced the din of the crowd.

  Everyone looked to the stairs, and a woman with curly brown hair came rushing down. Sammy recognized her as Jamie Stewart. She had been the lead role in every play that Sunny Cove High School had put on. “There’s blood all over the upstairs bathroom!” she hollered out to the crowd. “It’s disgusting!”

  Sheriff Jones was now moving through the crowd toward her. “Is anyone hurt?”

  “I don’t know! You go look!” She ran down to the landing and pointed up the stairs as though a monster was after her.

  Jones trotted up the stairs. The crowd waited anxiously, and someone had turned off the music. He returned a few minutes later, muttering into his radio. “All right, folks. It looks like we might have a situation on our hands, so I need everyone to remain calm. Does anybody recognize this?” He held up a red and black scrap of fabric that he had picked up with a tissue.

  A wave of horror crept over Sammy’s skin. “That looks like part of Heather’s costume.”

  He nodded, his mouth a firm line. “Folks, I’ve got some other officers on the way. I’m going to clear out this house, but first I need the names and phone numbers of everyone here. If you could form a nice neat line near the front door, it would be helpful.”

  The attendees obeyed orders, but they didn’t do it quietly. Sammy stood in line, biting her lip and shifting her weight from foot to foot. She was relieved when she finally made her way to the sheriff. “Is there anything I can do to help?”

  Sheriff Jones had proven to be friendly when he wanted to be, but right now he was in the middle of an investigation. “Absolutely not. I just need your phone number so I can contact you if I need a statement, but I don’t want anyone to get involved in this.”

  She nodded, but she wasn’t happy about it. “Will you let me know if you find out anything? I’m worried about her.”

  His sapphire eyes softened slightly. “I’ll see what I can do.”

  3

  Melt a Stick of Butter

  It was difficult to return to work the next day, not knowing what had happened to Heather. But Sammy knew that it wasn’t going to do anyone any good if she just sat around in her apartment and pretended to be sick all day, and she knew Helen was counting on her. She showered and dragged herself down the stairs to work, throwing herself into her baking to keep her mind distracted. She churned out several more batches of cinnamon rolls, since they just couldn’t seem to keep them in stock, and then she concentrated on several loaves of bread. One or two would get sliced up and served with Helen’s soups, and the remainder would be wrapped and set out on the pastry table. Sammy had a feeling they would be gone before noon.

  She had just placed her last two loaves in the oven when Helen poked her head in the kitchen. “Sammy, there’s someone at the counter who would like to see you.”

  Her heart thundered nervously as she dusted flour off her hands and pushed through the swinging door, imagining that Sheriff Jones had come to give her an update. But the woman at the counter who looked so hopefully at her was definitely not Sheriff Jones.

  “Hi, Sammy. I don’t know if you remember me. I’m Valerie Girtman, Heather’s mom.” She was a plump woman of middle age, but she was only an older version of Heather. Her dark hair was starting to go gray, and her eyes were a lighter shade of blue than her daughter’s.

  Sammy hadn’t spent a lot of time at Heather’s house, but there was no mistaking the resemblance. “Of course, I remember you. What can I do for you?” Again, she held out hope that there was good news coming her way. Maybe Jones had talked to Valerie and asked her to pass along a message.

  Heather’s mother leaned her elbows on the counter and wrung her hands together. “I was just hoping you might have heard something from Heather. She had told me the two of you were going to that party together. I don’t like that she goes out so much, but I thought it would be all right since you were going to be there. But she never came home last night, and Sheriff Jones came by the house to tell me part of her costume had been found. I’m so worried about her, Sammy. I don’t know what to do.” Tears swelled in her eyes.

  Sammy came around the counter to put her arm around the older woman. “I’m so sorry. I don’t know anything, either. I’ve been thinking about her all day, though. I’m sure we’re all just overthinking it. That’s what Heather is always telling me, anyway.”

  Valerie nodded and sniffled. “I hope you’re right. Things haven’t been very easy on Heather, you know. She just always seems to be making the wrong decisions. She was like that even when she was a kid. I had hoped she would grow out of it, but now I’m not so sure she ever will. She had even moved back in with me because she couldn’t afford to pay her own rent anymore. I told her she could as long as she kept herself on the straight and narrow, but now all I do is sit at home and worry about her because I don’t know where she is or what she’s doing.” She paused, looking uncertain. “I’m worried that something might have happened to her, but I also have to admit that this isn’t the first time something like this has happened. She goes out on t
he weekend, and then she just decides to stay somewhere without telling me about it. I just want her to have a good life, you know?”

  Reaching behind the counter to grab a tissue, Sammy replied, “I know. I’m really sorry I don’t know anything more.”

  “That’s all right, sweetheart.” Valerie patted her hand. “I have to tell you I was so relieved when Heather told me you were back in town. You were always such a good influence on Heather, and I hope that it will continue. Maybe you can get through to Heather in ways that I can’t.”

  Sammy appreciated the compliment, but she also felt as though Heather’s wellbeing was entirely her responsibility now. But nobody could expect her to make Heather do a full about-face in an instant. “The two of us aren’t as close as we used to be,” she admitted, “but it’s been nice to get to know her again.”

  “You’ll have to come to the house for dinner some night. Well, I’d better get going. I have a few more people on my list to talk to today.” She slid off the stool gracelessly.

  “The sheriff is letting you help?” Sammy asked, realizing as she said it what a silly question it was. “Sorry, it’s just that he told me I wasn’t to get involved when I asked if there was anything I could do.”

  Valerie gave her a watery smile and patted her arm. “Oh, honey. Sheriff Jones can say whatever he wants, but I’m her mother. I’m going to do anything and everything I can until my little girl comes back home.”

  “Good luck. I’ll be sure to call you if I hear anything.”

  “Thank you, dear.”

  Sammy watched her go, suddenly feeling much more connected to her little community than she had in a long time. Even if she didn’t think she belonged, it was clear that there were others who needed her. Austin was one of them, and now so was Heather.

  4

  Mix in the Sugar

  Sammy didn’t sleep well that night. She had a very comfortable mattress, and the apartment above Just Like Grandma’s was a clean and cozy one. But every time she closed her eyes, her mind started working on the problems of Heather and Austin. They were completely separate issues, but they equally demanded her attention. She constantly saw images of Heather in that pirate costume, and the scrap of cheap cloth that had been torn from it and covered in blood. She would wake and roll over, reminding herself that she couldn’t do anything about it until morning, but then she would dream of Austin, wondering what would become of him if she didn’t take steps to help.

  She was relieved when her alarm went off in the morning. She hadn’t gotten nearly enough sleep, and that was going to make for a long day, but it was too much of a frustrating effort to do anything but get up and hop in the shower. She made a cup of strong coffee and vowed to make the most of her day.

  Firing up the oven first thing, Sammy started with her pastries. The cinnamon rolls had once again been depleted, and so she started a batch of those before moving on to biscuits and rolls. She hadn’t even taken the cinnamon rolls out of the oven before Helen stepped into the kitchen to see if she had any available, and the first dozen were sold individually to customers who were dining in.

  The breakfast rush was just beginning to slow down when Austin came in, looking hopeful. He sat at the counter without being prompted and stared at Sammy until she had time to come around to him.

  “How are you today, Austin?”

  “Not very good,” he admitted quietly.

  This gave her pause. It was rare that he answered any question with something other than enthusiasm or a random fact. “Why’s that?”

  “I’m very hungry,” he admitted.

  “You know I’ll get something for you. Don’t you have any food at home?” She had avoided asking about his home life too much, because it seemed to be such a touchy subject with everyone else in Sunny Cove. But maybe she wasn’t giving him enough credit.

  “The fridge has three packets of ketchup, half a bottle of mustard, a jar of pickles and a plastic container with mold in it. Penicillin was discovered in 1928.” His eyes lit up a little at finding another historical fact to tell her.

  “I’ll try to remember that. You know, Austin, I’ve been thinking about you a lot. I think what you need is a job.” She watched him carefully, unsure of how he would react. He had been known to be volatile sometimes, and Sammy didn’t know him as well as Helen or Sheriff Jones did.

  “A job?” he echoed. “Here?”

  “No, not here. I think we need to find something that suits you better.”

  “Like what?”

  Sammy lifted one shoulder and let it fall. “I’m not sure. That’s why I need your help. Tell me what you like to do, and maybe I can help you find a job that’s right for you.” She didn’t say that she would also have to find a place that was willing to hire him, since he wasn’t someone that everyone in Sunny Cove was willing to deal with. She would figure that part out for herself.

  “What I like to do? Nobody’s ever asked me that.” He looked off into the distance as though he would find the answer there.

  “That’s okay. You think about it for a minute, and I’ll get you something to eat.” She trotted back to the kitchen, fixing up a couple of plates that other customers had ordered and delivering them before getting Austin the last cinnamon roll and a cup of coffee.

  “I like to watch TV,” he finally said when she came back.

  There were no jobs that would let him just sit around and watch TV all day, but it was a start. “What kind of shows do you like to watch?”

  “Documentaries,” he answered instantly.

  Sammy nodded. It made perfect sense, considering he was always spouting off random information. “I should have guessed that. Is there anything else you like to do? Or that you’re good at? Do you know how to clean?”

  Austin scrunched up his face. “Uncle Mitch doesn’t clean much. There are seven cobwebs in the bathroom.”

  “I see. Hmmm.” This wasn’t going very well. She tapped her fingers against her cheek as she turned to look out the window, trying to think. The autumn breeze was in full swing for the day, sending a balled-up newspaper rolling down the sidewalk. Maybe she didn’t need to rely on Austin being capable of any sort of skilled labor. “Do you think you could pick up trash on the side of the road?”

  “People throw away seven pounds of trash every day,” Austin recited.

  “That’s terrible, and I know that it doesn’t all make it into the trash can. How would you feel if someone paid you to pick up trash?”

  His eyes lit up in a way Sammy hadn’t seen before. “I’d love it!”

  “Great! You give me some time, and I’ll find you a job doing just that, okay?”

  “Okay!” Austin realized the food was in front of him, and he dug into the cinnamon roll. “This is good, Sammy.”

  “Thank you.” She was feeling excited about the prospect of finding Austin a job. There might not be many people who would be willing to let him into their business, but surely they would let him work outside. Maybe he could also rake leaves or pick up fallen branches, but she would have to start with one thing at a time. And Austin’s most immediate concern needed to be his empty stomach. “Do you know when your Uncle Mitch is going to go shopping? To get you some food?”

  “Every time he flips the calendar,” he replied eagerly, bobbing his head and glad that he knew the answer to something.

  But that meant there was still a week until the first of November, and Austin wouldn’t have any food in his house. “I tell you what. There are some leftovers in the back. I’ll package them up for you and you can take them home. You can share with Uncle Mitch, too.” She hurried into the kitchen before she started to cry at the thought of anybody going without food.

  Austin’s eyes lit up when she presented him with a bag of containers. “You get on home and make sure your uncle gets some food. And make sure he knows that you didn’t steal it. I gave it to you because I want you to have it, okay?”

  He nodded. “When do I get to pick up trash?”
>
  Her heart went out to him. She wanted so badly to change his situation, but she had to remember that she was only one person. “As soon as I find someone who can pay you. I’ll let you know as soon as I do. Can you write down your phone number for me?”

  He had a memory like nobody she had ever met before, and so of course it was no problem for Austin to remember his own phone number. He scribbled it out in childlike handwriting on a piece of paper and trotted out the door, his bag of food in hand.

  That evening, just as Sammy sat down with a notebook and a pen, a knock came at her door. It was Helen with a vase of flowers. “I happened to be walking past the florist’s this evening, and I saw this in the window. I thought the pale blue of the vase would go wonderfully with your apartment.”

  “Oh, thank you so much!” Sammy was flabbergasted that her boss would do something like this for her. “You’ve already done so much for me, including giving me a job and an apartment to rent.”

  “And you’ve done quite a lot for me, too,” Helen said with a smile. “I like knowing that I have a good person up here instead of just some random transient who will trash the place and then move on. And you have no idea what an addition you’ve been to the restaurant! I don’t think I’ve ever seen the place so busy, and I’m sure it’s because of all the delicious things you make.”

  “I can’t be making that much of a difference,” Sammy demurred as she cleared a spot on the coffee table for the vase.

  “Yes, you are!” Helen insisted. “No reason to be shy about it! I’m thrilled, that’s for sure.”

  “Well, I wish I could figure out how to make a difference in other ways.” Sammy sat down in front of her notebook once again. While she had been at work, she had been excited to come up with ideas for helping Austin, but now the task seemed daunting.