Death by Chocolate Sundae: A Cozy Mystery (Caesars Creek Mystery Series Book 2) by Constance Barker Read Free Book Online Page A

had been accused and arrested for murder. It had to be upsetting. Colton set up the laptop on one of the Shoppe’s tables and we gathered around. I had Teresa sit down next to Colton.
     
    We explained to her that I remembered having surveillance cameras in the Shoppe and that the images from the tape showed Mr. Brooks peering in the store shop window.
     
    “That’s strange isn’t it?” Teresa asked as she fidgeted in her chair.
     
    “That’s what we thought,” Stormi answered. “And then he came by the Shoppe today.”
     
    “He did?” Teresa sat looking at the blank computer screen.
     
    “Yes, kind of scared us, but he said he was thinking of renting out the space next door,” Stormi continued.
     
    “Is that right.” Teresa seemed a million miles away. She sat slumped in the chair. Maybe she was on anxiety medicine and it was making her loopy headed? We weren’t sure what was going on.
     
    Colton loaded the video and we watched transfixed to the screen. He fast-forwarded the video until it showed Mr. Brooks staring in the front window. This time, instead of just clearing the image of Mr. Brooks’ face, Colton attempted to make the entire frame clearer. It took some time, but we all watched in silence.
     
    Suddenly Paige exclaimed, “What’s that he’s holding in his hand?”
     
    Sure enough, Mr. Brooks was holding something. Colton sectioned off that part of the image and zeroed in on it. With each click, the image of Mr. Brooks’ hand became clearer and clearer until we all saw it.
     
    A pill bottle.
     
    How could we have missed it before? Likely because we were more interested in determining whom the person was and never noticed he was holding something in his hand.
     
    “Oh lawdy…we got the smoking gun,” Stormi muttered.
     
    At that moment, the door chimed and for the second time today we girls jumped, except for Teresa who remained staring at the monitor. To our relief it was Sam walking through the door.
     
    “Sorry I’m late,” she replied as she walked over to her Mother’s side.
     
    “Honey, I don’t believe you’ve met Mrs. Parker,” Paige said as she introduced her daughter. Teresa continued to stare at the laptop screen.
     
    “Nice to meet you,” Sam said. Teresa paid no attention to her.
     
    We all looked at one another wondering what was wrong with her. I knew she’d been through a lot the last few days, but she was starting to freak us out.
     
    “Teresa…are you okay?” I asked.
     
    “What a minute,” Sam interjected. “I saw you…the night of the murder. I saw you standing in the shadows watching what was going on inside the store.”
     
    Finally, Teresa turned her head slowly to stare at Sam. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I was at home with my husband.”
     
    “I’m sure it was you,” Sam countered. “We almost bumped into one another. You were leaving and I was just getting here. I asked if you knew what was going on and you said no and left in a hurry.”
     
    Now we were all confused. First, we discover Mr. Brooks holding a pill bottle and now Mrs. Parker was also at the scene of the crime? What was going on?
     
    “Teresa,” Paige began, “Were you here that night?”
     
    Teresa looked at Paige and then to the rest of us.
     
    “Yes I was,” she finally mumbled. “I received an anonymous phone call close to 9pm. The caller told me to come down to The Frozen Scoop Ice Cream Shoppe immediately if I wanted to end this lawsuit against my husband and me. But the caller also told me not to tell my husband. We were in such a sad state that I was desperate to do anything, even lie to my husband as I left the house that night. By the time I arrived, I noticed Mr. Jenkins’ car parked in front of the Shoppe. I didn’t want to go in so I sat in my vehicle across the way and waited. Suddenly I saw movement within the Shoppe and I got out of my car to get a better look.”
     
    We hung on every word, just like this afternoon