Chocolate Crunch Murder by Susan Gillard

squeezed back.
    They crept toward the corner, one toe at a time. The squeaks and scratches continued from within the building. Heather stopped at the back of the building and peered around the wall.
    The door to the burger bar’s storage room stood ajar. A man stood just inside, hunched slightly, his long, dirty beard brushing against the top button of his coat.
    “Hammond,” Heather whispered. “Oh gosh.”
    “The weird guy? The weird guy is the rat guy. Just like Bob the Bug Debunker said. This is like a fairytale. The Pied Piper –”
    Hammond turned toward the door and the women ducked back, breathing hard.
    “You see, darlings,” he grunted. “Nobody can hurt you now. That bad man tried to have you killed and look what happened. He’s dead. I exterminated him.”
    Heather’s gaze darted to Amy’s phone. She’d switched off her flashlight app, but the camera was open, recording Hammond’s evil rhetoric.
    “That exterminator guy is next. I know what he’s been up to, cruising around near our home. Don’t worry. I won’t let him hurt you, my lovelies.”
    Amy gagged. Heather poked her in the ribs, then pressed a finger to her lips.
    She leaned in close to Amy’s ear and whispered, “We can’t let him leave the room. We can’t let him see us, either.”
    Amy nodded, an incremental bob of her head.
    “We have to lock him in.”
    Amy shook her head this time, vehemently.
    “We have to. Then call Ryan. Save the video.” Heather hissed each word, breathless.
    This was the worst, most far-fetched murder case she’d had the displeasure of investigating. No wonder they’d been unable to figure it out. Feeding pet rats, protecting them, wasn’t a motivation any sane man of the law would look into.
    Another of Hillside’s crazies on the loose. Unbelievable.
    Heather shuddered.
    “I’m going for it,” Heather whispered.
    Amy tried to grab at her, but Heather shook her free.
    She darted around the corner and sprinted to the door.
    Hammond looked up at the commotion, a frown wrinkling his pallid forehead. “Hey! Stop right there!”
    Heather grabbed the door handle and slammed the door shut. “Shoot, I can’t lock it from the outside, Ames. Call Ryan! Now!”
    “I’m not good under pressure,” Amy whimpered, but she dialed hurriedly.
    Heather counted the beeps of her number pad. Hammond banged on the inside of the door.
    “Let me out!” He yelled. “You’ll pay for this, you horrible witch. You’ll pay! Don’t you dare try to hurt my babies. I’ll kill you. I’ll kill anyone who comes near them.”
    Heather blocked out the noise and focused all her strength on holding the door shut.
    Hammond grabbed the door handle and turned it. Heather held fast. “Hurry, Amy. He’s going to get out!”
    Amy hung up the phone. “Ryan’s on the way. He said he’s just around the corner. He was on his way to speak to Mrs. Morton because of the new evidence about the life insurance policy.”
    A siren wailed close by. Lights flashed. Tires screeched to a halt.
    And in no time, Ryan Shepherd arrived, and it was all over.
     
     
Chapter 20
    “By far the creepiest man I’ve ever put in cuffs,” Ryan said, raising his milkshake in a mock salute. “This is a strange toast to that. And the hour’s pest control had to put into dealing with those rats.” He slurped choc shake through the straw, then smacked his lips and turned to Heather. “I couldn’t have done it without you, as usual.”
    “Stop, you’re making me blush,” Heather replied, and winked at him. She loved the praise, but it’d been a close call there.
    She’d been so convinced that it was grumpy grandma behind it all, that she’d missed a couple of obvious signs.
    Like the constant reappearance of exterminators and rats. Even if Lilly’s video, for heaven’s sake.
    Heather got up and walked to the array of donuts spread across three Donut Delights wrought iron tables.
    The early afternoon had heated up the front of the store, but