Chocolate-Covered Crime by Cynthia Hickey Page A

“I’m going down the list of Mae Belle’s appointments. We aren’t going to town, but away from it.”
    “Who’s the target tonight?”
    “Larry Bell.”
    Ethan’s brow furrowed. “Okay, but you and April stay together. Don’t do anything stupid.”
    I grinned. “You know me.”
    “Yes, I do.”
     
    “Where are we, and what are we doing here?” April leaned forward to peer out the front window of my car.
    Larry Bell’s farm, actually nothing more than a small ranch house and barn, seemed deserted beneath the full moon. “We’re investigating.”
    “Oh, Summer. I don’t want to be wandering around in the dark, in a strange place, looking for a murderer. Besides, what happened to Claudia helping you find the killer of her ‘baby’?” April’s pale face shone from the light of the moon.
    “She seems to have lost interest.” I shrugged. “Besides, she’s going home tomorrow. I’d rather be with you. Remember that time at church when you said you would be my sidekick?”
    “That was before you almost got yourself killed. Twice. I don’t think I’ll do well with being kidnapped and shot at. Not to mention Joe will have a coronary.”
    We shoved open our doors and slid from the car. “Maybe you’ll get lucky and no one will be home.”
    “I can only hope.” April slammed her door. The sound reverberated across the yard.
    “Shh. We need the element of surprise.”
    nRd elApril rolled her eyes. For a best friend, her behavior and her lack of a sense of adventure let me down.
    “Just follow my lead. You’re only here for support. I’ll do the talking.” I gave her what I hoped was my most reassuring smile. She frowned and followed me onto the front porch. After receiving no response from knocking, we peered through the front window into a room full of shadows. “Let’s go around back.”
    April clutched my arm. A coyote howled in the distance. “How can you do this? I’m terrified. I should’ve got my cell phone out of your car. Oh no, I’m turning into you. You never remember your phone. At least then Joe would have been only the push of a button away.”
    “Stop being a baby. Do you know you’re rambling?” I pulled free from her grasp and cupped my hands around my eyes to see through a grimy kitchen window. “You’re in luck. I don’t think anyone’s home.” I grasped the knob. The door pushed open with a turn of the knob.
    “What are you doing? This is breaking and entering. Joe’s going to be livid.” April regained her death grip on my arm.
    “You already said that, and we aren’t breaking and entering. You’re a real scaredy-cat, you know that? The door opened by itself. Mostly.”
    Something crunched under our feet as we stepped into the kitchen. I pulled my newest toy from the pocket of my jeans. A pink, pen-size flashlight. The beam revealed food crumbs on the floor, dirty dishes stacked in the sink, and grease splattered across the stove. This place definitely lacked a feminine touch.
    I moved into the living room and stepped into a maze. Magazines and newspapers were stacked five feet high or more in every available inch of space, only leaving room to walk between them. Claustrophobia threatened before we took another step. I tried to pull my arm free of April. “Let go of me, and take a look around.”
    “No way. I’m staying right beside you. This place gives me the creeps. I feel like a mouse in some weird science experiment. You know, like how long does it take to find the cheese? And what is that smell?” She gagged and pulled the neckline of her shirt over her nose.
    “Most likely the several days’ worth of dirty dishes piled in the kitchen. Spoiled food. And something else. . .like cat urine.” I shone the light around the space we stood in, revealing nothing but towering paper walls. “There’s got to be something here to let me know what Larry’s relationship with Mae Belle was.”
    I led the way. A cat sailed over our heads, and I shrieked. It