Sadie frowned as she looked back at Palmer. “I don’t get it.”

  “Denial?” Palmer offered. “Like I said earlier, people grieve in different ways.”

  “Maybe,” Sadie said with a slight shake of her head. She turned to once again look at the woman who’d just lost the person closest to her.

  While Sadie understood the notion that people reacted differently to death and grief, she still could get past the happiness that was so evident on Elle’s face.

  And the more that she watched Elle, the more uncomfortable Sadie became. After all, Elle had just lost her sibling in a horrific manner... her twin sibling no less. That made Elle’s reaction all the more chilling.

  From what Emma had told her, she shared everything with Elle. They talked about everything. Had few secrets from one another. They were close and had so much in common.

  Sadie just couldn’t imagine smiling, much less laughing at a time like this.

  “Hey,” Palmer said as he pointed toward the door with one hand while reaching for a toffee with the other. “Isn’t that Adam who just walked in?”

  “Adam?” Sadie said, looking in the direction Palmer had indicated. “You mean Emma’s fiancé?”

  “Yeah.”

  Sadie stared at the tall fair-haired young man. He was positively beaming. His gaze quickly found Elle and he made his way to her with a determined stride.

  They looked at one another and exchanged warm greetings. Adam gently brought his hand to Elle’s waist and stood close to her as they spoke. After a moment, he pulled her in for a long hug.

  “I don’t get it,” Sadie whispered. “I mean... I just don’t get it. Was yesterday all a dream?” Her voice grew louder. “Did I imagine it all? Am I the only one who is aware that a young woman died here yesterday?”

  Palmer put a calming hand to her shoulder.

  “Sorry,” she said, once again regaining control of her emotions. It was like being on a roller coaster as her anger and pain competed with the disbelief of what was going on around her. “I just don’t get it,” she said once more.

  Palmer simply harrumphed as he tasted his toffee.

  “Am I the only one who is devastated by Emma’s sudden death?”

  Palmer picked up another toffee and handed it to her. “These are really good.”

  Sadie looked at the candy in his hand then glared up into his eyes. Frowning, she tilted her head to the side. “Seriously?” She turned back to watch Elle and Adam.

  “Look at them,” she went on as Elle lay a flirtatious hand on Adam’s arm. “Look at her. She is literally flirting with what would have been her future brother-in-law.” She looked at Palmer again. “Tell me that I’m not going crazy.”

  He chewed on his toffee. “You’re not going crazy, Sadie.” He once again held out the toffee to her. “You’re just letting your emotions get the best of you.”

  Finding it impossible to keep her emotions in check, she grabbed a bunch of toffees out of his hand, walked outside of the tea shop and threw them as far as she could, letting out a scream.

  Palmer walked outside to join her, his hands in his pocket.

  “Feel better?” he said.

  Cracking her first genuine smile since finding Emma, Sadie nodded.

  “Good,” Palmer said, “Now, that’s the Sadie I know.”

  Chapter 5

  “You’re staring,” Palmer pointed out as he leaned into Sadie.

  Pressing a smile, she pulled her gaze away from Elle and Adam, and looked at the goings on of the toffee tasting. Everyone seemed to be enjoying the flavors that Elle had created, and Sadie was happy for her.

  “I’m going to go get a cup of tea,” Sadie said. “Want some?”

  “No,” Palmer said as he ate another piece of toffee. “I’m good. I want to enjoy the sweet rush of sugar to my brain without the added effect of caffeine.”

  Sadie headed to the long table that was set up with various teapots each with the name of the tea in front of it; Chai, mint, oblong, orange pekoe and Earl Grey and more.

  As she poured some Earl Grey into a large red tea mug, Sadie bumped into the woman who’d come up beside her.

  “Oh, sorry,” Sadie said.

  “My fault,” the woman said as she reached for the pot of mint tea. “I sneaked up on you there. I just had myself a third toffee and my head is spinning from too much sugar. I need something hot and fresh to calm it.”

  Sadie smiled at the unfamiliar woman who wore a chic pale gray business suit with a royal blue silk blouse that had a silk cravat knotted at the neck. “I’m Sadie,” she said. “I’ve never seen you around town. Are you a friend of Elle’s?”

  The woman poured some mint tea into a small and delicate porcelain teacup, set the teapot back down then held her hand out to Sadie. “I’m Tina True. I came in from New York City.”

  “Oh?” Sadie said. “I didn’t realize that the invitations for this tasting event went all the way to the big city.”

  Tina chuckled. “I’ve known Elle for a little while now. We’ve been talking about this tasting event for a long time.” She looked around, assessing the success of the evening. “And I’m happy to say that it is a success. Good for her. I’m proud of what she’s accomplished.”

  “So, you know Elle?”

  “Oh, yes,” Tina said. “I know Elle very well and I know of Emma, though I’ve never met her. From what Elle has told me, they are two of the hardest working women in the business. Very determined and perseverant. That’s what a successful business needs... that and one hell of a good idea. Elle has the creativity and Emma has the business savvy.”

  To hear her speak of Emma, one would think that she wasn’t aware of the twin’s death. Sadie wanted to bring it up but decided to wait.

  “New York City is a good distance from here,” Sadie said. “How did you meet Elle?”

  “Oh, Elle comes up to New York on a semi-regular basis. We met quite a long while ago, and she comes up to visit me when she can.” Tina looked around. “I’m the one who got Elle to consider making toffees.”

  “Really?” Sadie said, clearly surprised. She had never heard of the woman who seemed to know Elle so well.

  Tina laughed. “I guess I should have been more specific in my introduction. “I’m Tina True of True Toffees Candy Company.”

  “Oh,” Sadie let out. “Yes. I’ve heard of those toffees. Very good.”

  “Thank you,” Tina said. “And from what I can gather of what I’ve tasted so far here, Elle has mastered the art of making some very high quality toffees.”

  “She’s always been a fast learner,” Sadie said. “When she puts her mind to something, she goes for it with everything that she’s got.”

  “You’re right there,” Tina said. “And considering the fact that she’s thinking of selling this place, I think it could be a very...”

  “Wait a minute. What?” Sadie said. “Elle is thinking of selling this place? Since when?”

  Could it be that Elle was so distraught over the death of her twin sister that she would sell the business that they’d both worked so hard to build?

  On the one hand, she could understand how it might be difficult to go on with the business without her sister. But to sell it?

  “We’ve been in discussions over selling this quaint little business for a while now,” Tina said. “Elle thinks that this could be the perfect prototype for a string of tea and toffee shops.”

  Sadie was once again stunned. So, the sale of the little business had nothing to do with the pain of losing her sister. It’d been in the works for a while.

  “Actually,” Tina went on. “That’s why I’m here tonight. I wasn’t really sold on the idea of a toffee and tea shop. But Elle has proven me wrong. Judging by the turnout tonight, I think a series of tea and toffee shops could work out great. People really seem to enjoy the combination. I’m also thinking of combining Elle’s toffees with coffee. She really has way with unusual flavors that work and I think that they can easily be married with flavorful coffees.”

  Sadie didn’t know what to say. Emma and Elle had worked so incredibly hard to make this little tea shop a success. There’d been so many sleepless nights and so many other sacrifices.

  Could Elle really sell it?

  She caught a glimpse of Elle and Adam in the corner, cozy and cute as they chatted together. Seated at the corner table, their foreheads were practically butted up against one another. They painted a nauseatingly cozy picture... while her sister and his fiancé lay dead and cold at the morgue.

  Hmm, Sadie mused as she tried not to stare.

  Emma had expressed her concern about her twin sister. How would Elle react when she found out that Emma planned to move to New York with Adam?

  Emma had been worried about her sister, about leaving her alone.

  Sadie couldn’t help but wonder if Emma had any idea what Elle was really up to. And why was Emma’s fiancé so cozy with Elle?

  Chapter 6

  The next morning, despite Orchid’s persistent clawing request that she get up and Biscuit’s occasional delicate yelp to indicate that he was growing hungry, Sadie stayed in bed and stared up at the ceiling.

  The pain of Emma’s death was difficult to accept, but Elle’s reaction to her sister’s death was downright confusing.

  Throughout the night, Sadie had tried to find ways of justifying Elle’s actions, but there really was no logical justification.

  Then again, she was reluctant to accuse Elle of having anything to do with her sister’s death.

  Orchid lay down on Sadie’s chest and stared into her eyes.

  “I know you want me to get up and feed you, Orchid,” Sadie said. “But I just don’t have the strength this morning.”

  “Meow.”

  Sadie stroked the feline, finding a degree of calming pleasure in the simple motion of running her hand over the cat’s silky soft fur.

  Can you feed me now?

  Sadie smiled at the gray cat and sat up. “Fine. You win. I’ll get up.”

  Me, too? Biscuit sat up on his haunches and waved his front paws.

  “Yeah. You, too.”

  Feeling a little robotic, Sadie got up and went through the motions. She opened a small can of cat food for Orchid and scooped some into a small dish which set on the counter. She then poured some dry kibble into Biscuit’s dish and put it on the floor.

  You forgot to change my water. Biscuit pawed his empty water dish.

  “Sorry,” Sadie said as she picked up his empty dish, filled it with fresh water and set it back down on the floor.

  Her phone rang and for a moment she considered ignoring it. She didn’t feel like talking to anyone. She was tired and not in the mood to put on a brave face.

  Glancing at the phone on the counter she saw that it was Palmer calling and picked up the phone to take the call.

  “How are you feeling this morning?” Palmer said when Sadie had taken the call but had yet to say a word.

  “Hmm,” she groaned with a shrug.

  “That bad, huh?”

  “Hmm.”

  “Is it too much to ask that you meet me at the tea shop?”

  “What for?” Sadie said, immediately regretting the bluntness of the question.

  There was a long moment of hesitation.

  “What for, Palmer?”

  “I have information...” He hesitated again. “About Emma.”

  Sadie wanted to be optimistic. If nothing else, she could at least participate in the investigation. “I’ll be there in ten minutes,” she finally said.

  She ended the call abruptly and set her phone down. “I don’t know how I’m going to get through this one, guys,” she lamented to her pets. “I’m overwhelmed with emotions.”

  Orchid continued to eat while Biscuit looked up at her with sympathetic eyes.

  Shrugging, Sadie headed back into her bedroom, through on a pair of jeans and a faded blue sweatshirt that had a mustard stain on the cuff. She took a quick glance at her disheveled reflection in the mirror, shrugged, then slipped into her rain boots.

  On her way out, she grabbed her phone and her purse, glanced one last time at her eating pets, and headed out to her car.

  She took the long way around to get to the tea shop. As she drove down the winding country road, she tried to find pleasure in the beautiful fall colors. The trees still clung to a few of their red, orange and yellow leaves, though a fair number of leaves covered the ground.

  But even the beauty of her surroundings couldn’t raise her spirits.

  She thought of Palmer and wondered what information he could have, but somehow, she found that she wasn’t as interested in hearing Palmer’s findings as she should have been.

  “Damn it, Sadie,” she scolded herself. “Shake out of it.”

  She finally arrived at the tea shop and found Palmer inside seated at the very same table Sadie had been working at the day Emma died.

  Looking up from his cup of tea as she approached him, he frowned as he gave her a quick up and down glance. “Did you come to repair a pipe?”

  Sadie grimaced as she looked down at her shabby attire but was in no mood to discuss fashion. “What do you have?” she said as she sat down across from him.

  “Oh,” he said with surprise. “Straight to the point.” He looked at her for a long time, his gaze holding hers. Without saying anything, he reached out to place his hand over hers. “I know this is difficult, Sadie. You’ll get through this. We’ll get through this. I’m here for you.”

  With tears suddenly burning her eyes, she looked at him as she set her other hand over his. “I know you are, Palmer,” she said with difficulty. “And I do appreciate it. I’m sorry if I’m being testy. I’m just...” She pulled in a long, jagged breath.

  “I told you before,” he said. “You don’t need to apologize. I understand.” With his free hand, he reached down into his leather bag and pulled up a folder, set it on the table and opened it. “That’s why I took the liberty of starting on this investigation without you.”

  “You did?” Her remark was half surprise and half relief.

  “I can tell that your heart’s not in this one, Sadie. I mean, I’m sure that you’re eager to have this case solved, but you’re clearly far too emotional to be effective in this investigation. It’s a personal case. Emma was a good friend of yours so I don’t mind doing all the leg work and getting to the bottom of this.”

  “Thank you, Palmer,” she said softly. “You know, there are days when I don’t know what I would do without you.”

  He smiled as he gave her hand a final squeeze and retrieved his hand to pull out the report. “I’m sure that it will come as no surprise,” he began as he put the report of his analysis down in front of Sadie.

  She barely glanced at the document. “It’s Elle, isn’t it?” she said, her voice cracking with emotion.

  “I’m afraid the evidence points to her, yes.”

  “I can’t believe it.”

  “I’m having a hard time believing it myself.”

  Sadie looked at him. “But why? What motive could she possibly have?”

  She tried to think back. She’d known them for so long and they had always been so tight, so close. It was impossible to believe that Elle would kill Emma because of her upcoming nuptials. No. Sadie was certain that Elle would be happy for Emma.

  Then again, though she had known them since their days in high school, she didn’t know them that intimately. Maybe things weren’t so great between them after all. And the way Elle flirted with Adam...

  “I found several of Elle’s hair knotted up in Emma’s tights.”

  Sadie nodded. “I sort of figured you would.”

  “I really am sorry, Sadie. I wish I would have found evidence that pointed to anyone else.””

  She nodded again. What more was there to say?

  The door to the tea shop opened and a police officer walked in.

  “Over here, Joanne,” Palmer said as he waved the officer over.

  “Hello,” the young officer said, smiling at Palmer.

  “Joanne, this is Sadie.”

  Sadie nodded and pressed a tired smile.

  “Sadie Silver,” the young officer stopped smiling when she looked at Sadie and said as she took a critical up and down look at her. Her gaze stopped momentarily on the mustard stand on Sadie’s cuff. “I’ve heard a lot about you.”

  “Oh?” Sadie said with little interest.

  “Yeah,” Joanne said. “Kenwood talks about you all the time.”

  Palmer bristled a bit and shuffled his reports back into the folder and back into his trusty leather bag.

  “He’s always saying how you’re a real sleuth and how he loves working with you. You’re fun, smart, talented, and beautiful... in fact, I’m sure that he would be working on this with you right now if he wasn’t in New York City. What an awful time for him to be out of town.”

  “Right. Right. Well,” Palmer cut in as he stood. “I’m sure that you didn’t come all the way down here to discuss... well... that. How about we get down to the business at hand.”

  “Oh,” Joanne said. “Right.” She unlatched the safety mechanism of her holster and pulled out her gun. “Ready.”

  Palmer stopped her before she could turn away. “I really don’t think that your gun will be necessary.”

  Joanne looked down at the gun. “Oh.” She put it back in its holster and pulled out her handcuffs.

  “What’s going on?” Sadie said as she got to her feet.

  At that moment, Elle came out from the back and headed to the neighboring table with a fresh pot of tea and a small sampler platter of her toffees.

  Palmer looked at Joanne and gestured toward Elle.

  Getting his message, Joanne waited for Elle to set the teapot and platter down then approached her. “Miss Elle Grandy?”

  “Yes?” Elle said, looking at the officer.

  “You’re under arrest for the murder of Miss Emma Grandy?”

  “What?” Elle let out.

  “What?” Sadie echoed.

  “We have reason to believe that you are involved with the murder of your sister,” Officer Joanne went on. “You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you.”