Death Waxed Over (Book 3 in the Candlemaking Mysteries) by Tim Myers Read Free Book Online

idea who
might have killed her?”
    Jubal said, “Sheriff Morton asked me that
same question. I haven’t a clue who would want her dead. Gretel was
so alive, do you know what I mean? And now her life’s been snuffed
out like an errant candlewick.” He dabbed at a tear, then said,
“She always said I was too dramatic. I’ll miss so much about
her.”
    “ So what happens to the shop
now?” I asked.
    “ I don’t have a clue. I
suspect all of her worldly goods were tied up in it. I suppose it
will all go to her brother. She and Hans were estranged, but as
twins, there was a real bond between them.”
    “ Their parents named them
Hans and Gretel?” The cruelty of some people when they named their
children astounded me.
    “ I admit, it was a difficult
time for them growing up. As if their being fraternal twins wasn’t
enough reason for them to stand out. Honestly, I don’t even know
how to find Hans. He dropped out of sight a dozen years ago, and no
one in the family has seen him since. It’s been thirty years since
I’ve laid eyes on the man myself.”
    “ There’s no one
else?”
    He shook his head. “Our line is a dying
branch of the family tree. Besides Hans, I’m all that’s left.”
    I couldn’t think of anything more to say, so
I said, “If there’s anything I can do, let me know, okay?”
    Jubal shook my hand. “That’s quite kind of
you, Harrison. I may take you up on your generous offer later,
after I’ve had a chance to find out where things stand. Thank you
for stopping by.”
    I was at the door when Jubal said, “I just
thought of something. It’s probably nothing, but we got the
strangest telephone call yesterday. It upset Gretel quite a
bit.”
    “ Do you know who was
calling?”
    Jubal shook his head. “No, but I did hear
something Gretel said. I’m not even sure I heard her correctly, I
was standing six feet away. As I said, it’s probably nothing.”
    “ What did she say?” I
asked.
    He hesitated, then said, “I remember
thinking how odd it was. I could have sworn she said, ‘I’m not your
wife,’ but Gretel never married. I must have misunderstood
her.”
    “ Well, if you think of
anything else, let me know.”
    Jubal said, “Am I correct in assuming you’re
looking into what happened to Gretel yourself?”
    “ I need to clear my name,” I
said simply.
    “ Of course, I understand.
I’m willing to help you in whatever way I can, Harrison. Believe
me, I know from experience that rumors can be fatal.”

Chapter 5

    When I got back to my apartment at River’s
Edge, there were twenty-seven messages waiting for me on my
machine. I couldn’t face listening to them, though. I grabbed a
jacket and headed up the secret hatch tucked away in my closet. As
I climbed the rungs to the roof, I was glad no one else in the
world had access to my hideaway. With twilight fading, the air was
shifting from brisk to downright cold on the rooftop overlooking
the Gunpowder River, but I was willing to put up with the
plummeting temperatures to get away from the world for a while. I
took out my lawn chair from the storage box and grabbed a heavy
blanket. The wind had blown out the clouds, leaving a night sky
filled with stunning starlight. We were far enough from Micah’s
Ridge to avoid most of the direct illumination, and when Pearly and
I had installed lights around the complex, I’d made sure none of
them interfered with my stargazing. Thinking of Pearly made me
wonder what my handyman had been up to lately. The fact that he’d
been dating and supporting my main competition was something I had
a hard time getting used to. I’d thought Pearly was one of my
staunchest allies at River’s Edge, always there when I needed him,
but I was beginning to wonder if I’d misplaced my trust in him. Had
that been what he’d wanted to talk to me about at the fair? Was he
having a guilty conscience about his relationship with Gretel? I
wasn’t sure how I was going to act toward him after the