Charlotte scooped up the puppy and hurried past the truck to enter the pawn shop. Declan stood beside a bed talking to Crystal, who didn’t seem happy with the conversation.
“I gave you the numbers before you unloaded,” said Declan.
“I know, but now that I’m looking at it, I think it’s worth more.” Crystal glanced at Charlotte and blanched.
Charlotte nodded. She recognizes me from that day with Frank.
“You’re the cop.” Crystal’s gaze darted to the truck where her friend had finally wrestled a padded chair to the ground.
Charlotte chose not to correct her. Crystal turned her attention back to Declan.
“Two hundred’s fine.”
“Okay.” Declan moved to the door to hold it open for Scruffy McNoShirt. He took the opposite side of the chair and helped him get it through the door. When it had been placed on its feet again, the man wiped his sweaty brow with the bottom of his t-shirt, flashing his skinny waist to the world.
“You tell him we want more for that bed?” he asked Crystal.
“I, yes, but, Mark—”
Skinny Mark cut her short to address Declan. “It’s worth more, man, come on. You know it.”
Mark’s tone sounded threatening. Charlotte glanced around for a safe place to put the puppy, just in case the situation grew more heated. Declan could certainly handle himself, but she wasn’t going to stand around holding a pocket-dog while someone tried to pummel her boyfriend.
Declan held out his hands. “I was just telling Crystal. I gave you my best quote before you unloaded. I do that on purpose to avoid situations like this.”
Mark began to rub his arms, becoming fidgety in a way that made Charlotte uncomfortable. He looked more than just agitated, and she suspected any money they received for the furniture would be spent on his addiction. He looked as if he needed something to calm down.
“Dude. No way. I thought about it and—”
“Mark, this lady works with the police.” Crystal blurted the sentence, her voice strained.
Mark’s gaze traveled from Charlotte’s eyes to her toes and back again before he sniffed and turned away.
He lifted his arm in the air and let it fall back to his side.
“Whatever, man. Do what you gotta do.”
Mark left the store to the sound of Declan’s tinkling store bell.
Crystal watched him go and then returned her attention to Declan. “There’s a lamp too. Two seconds.”
She ran outside and caught Mark at the back of the truck as he was hefting the tailgate closed. They argued, though through the glass Charlotte couldn’t hear what about. After a moment, Mark dropped the tailgate again, jumped in the back and grabbed a lamp. He hopped down and handed it to Crystal, thrusting it out hard so she had to step back to avoid being pushed over.
Charlotte looked at Declan. “Seems like a nice guy.”
Declan nodded, his eyes never leaving Mark. “Real prince.”
Crystal ran back to the store clutching the lamp against her chest. Her eyes were glazed with tears.
“This too,” she said, handing it to Declan.
Declan took the lamp and set it on a nearby dresser before heading to his cash register. He opened it to retrieve several bills, which he handed to Crystal.
She moved to take them but he held on to the money, forcing her to look at him.
“You can do better,” he said.
Crystal snatched the money from his hand. Charlotte could see her expression twist with what appeared to be anger. She told Declan to go make love to himself and stormed out of the store.
Charlotte and Declan watched as she climbed into Mark’s truck and he roared from the parking lot with a squealing of tires.
“Wow,” said Charlotte.
“You know that money is going right up his nose or in his arm.”
“And hers.”
Declan shrugged. “Maybe. Though there’s no evidence on her. I spotted the track marks on his arm the second he walked into the store. He’s been at it a while.”
Charlotte’s phone rang. It was Frank.
“Oh boy. He’s probably calling to give me an update on Darla. She got into Tilly’s limoncello stash.”
Grateful for the distraction from the depressing drama they’d just witnessed, she answered.
“Hello?”
“I thought you’d like to know I just heard back on those stollen loaves.”
“Yes?”
“They all had almond in them.”
Charlotte felt the blood drain from her cheeks.
That probably meant Mariska had baked the batch that ultimately killed Alice.
“I’m sorry to hear that.”
“Yep. I’m going to have to talk to Mariska again tomorrow. See if she remembers anything else.”
“Okay. Thanks for letting me know.”
She hung up to find Declan staring at her.
“What was that? You look like you got bad news.”
“I did. They found almond in all the stollens, which means Mariska had to have baked it right in.”
“But you said she was sure she hadn’t added nuts.”
“She is, and she wouldn’t lie about something this serious, but it doesn’t make any sense. How could the entire batch be contaminated without Mariska knowing?”
“So it had to be murder?”
“Or a tragic mistake. Like a mismarked bag of flour.”
“But you think someone switched out the flour?”
Charlotte sighed and stared out into the parking lot where the truck had been. “Which brings us back to Crystal.”
Declan nodded. “Or Mark. Though I can’t say he seems like much of a baker.”
Chapter Thirteen
On the way home from Declan’s, Charlotte stopped at Tilly’s to watch the video Darla mentioned. She had to agree the person handing out the puppies moved like a woman, but thanks to the poodle mask, she didn’t feel any closer to discovering the identity of
