All Fudged Up (A Candy-Coated Mystery) by Nancy CoCo Read Free Book Online Page B

alike. “Then good luck to you, little girl. That place hasn’t been profitable in fifty years.”
    I fisted my hands, the paper crumpled. My eyebrows furrowed. I could feel the heat rising in my face. “You’re wrong. I’ve been over the books. Papa left me enough to prove the place was profitable.”
    Pete’s smile widened. “Oh, sweet, sweet, little girl.”
    Every time he called me that I swear I wanted to deck him. If he patted me on the head, I was going to take him down. Even if it meant everyone would think I really was a killer.
    “Your granddad’s profits didn’t come from the hotel business. I suppose if he didn’t tell you where they came from, then I’ll let you figure that out on your own.”
    I narrowed my eyes. “What does that mean?”
    “Next.”
    “That’s me. Nice to see you again, little girl.” He turned on his heel. “Good luck with the fudge business.” His laughter took the sincerity right out of his words. I swear the other people laughed with him. What did they know that I didn’t?

Chapter 7
    I didn’t make the cutoff. I know, frustrating, right? I suppose I should have known better when I saw how many people were there and the fact that only forty-five minutes were left until closing. Probably the purple ribbons should have also been a clue, but I was as stubborn as the locals.
    My only satisfaction was the fact that I made the clerk stay thirty minutes after closing. No, she didn’t help me. If I couldn’t go home happy, neither would she. I argued with her about closing for so long she had to get a local cop to come and throw me out.
    Officer Charles Brown was the young cop from the night before. He recognized me immediately. “Ms. McMurphy, are you having trouble?” The man was straightforward, his green eyes sincere and his light brown hair gleamed like caramel in the sun.
    “Someone accidently turned off power to the McMurphy,” I protested. “I have the paperwork right here authorizing it to be turned on in my name.”
    “The office closes at five PM . Perhaps you should have come in earlier.” He was nearly a full head taller than me and he stood between me and the locked door to the utility. The gun on his hip was added incentive not to make too big a fuss.
    “I came down the minute the power went out,” I explained. “My contractors need power and so do I—especially if I hope to have any protection from killers.”
    “I’d be glad to walk you back to the McMurphy and check it out for you. But you’ll have to wait until the morning to get your power turned on.”
    I noted that he wore a purple ribbon on his blue police jacket. “Officer Brown, is it?”
    “Yes.” The wind was warmed by the sun and ruffled his hair.
    “Look, I get that you don’t really know me.” I shoved my hands in the pockets of my jacket. “But I’m a nice person. I spent the last six years of my life preparing to make a career out of the McMurphy. I can’t do that without electricity.”
    “I understand.” He pointed toward the McMurphy. “Shall we walk?”
    “Fine.” I let him turn me away from the utility. That battle at least was already lost. “Look, I get the purple ribbon. You probably grew up with Trent Jessop.”
    “He was in my class at school.”
    “Really?” The scent of fudge and beach blew through the air. A horse-drawn taxi clomped by. It was empty. The pace on island was slower, more relaxed. It was one of the things I loved about it. “I thought you were younger.”
    “I’m thirty-three.”
    “Huh, okay.” I felt the heat of a blush rush up my cheeks as we walked back toward the hotel. “I want you to know that I have nothing against the Jessops. The last thing I want is to cause trouble on the island.”
    “Good.”
    “But I need power and apparently having a ticket doesn’t mean anything at the power office. People who came in after me were waited on first.”
    “If you’re talking about Betty Hutchins, she has a long history of