She shook her head, almost laughing.

  “You’re looking for a safe for your valuables. Or a dead bolt. Or maybe an alarm system.” At the look on her face, he explained. “I just helped a customer. There’s been a rash of burglaries. The rumors must be flying because I’ve sold a lot in the past couple weeks.”

  This time, she laughed. “If you saw my house, you’d understand. Just the rotting front steps keep the robbers away.”

  “Okay then.” He rubbed his chin. “Just give me a second. I’m usually pretty close at this. Aha!” He snapped his fingers. “You want…patio decor. That is also a big item. Not sure why since winter is coming whether we want it to or not.”

  “I don’t have a patio. But something to brighten up the outside of the house would be nice.” Yes, she’d get to fixing the steps soon.

  He smiled. “Follow me.” He led her to the back of the store, to the work area. “Dahlia?”

  A carbon copy of Darren stepped from behind a cluster of small propane tanks. She had the blonde hair, the dimples, but was stockier, more muscles. She looked to her brother, then to Belle. “Let me guess,” she said. “He’s trying to guess why you’re in the store and he’s been completely wrong.”

  Belle laughed. “Something like that.”

  “And I bet he hasn’t even introduced himself. I’m Dahlia. This is Darren, my brother, if you couldn’t tell.”

  “Not at all.”

  They laughed. They even had similar laughs, big laughs with wide smiles. Their happiness was contagious. “I’m Belle, owner of The Beanery.”

  Darren brightened. “We’ve been meaning to try it.” He made a sweeping motion with his arm to encompass the work that prevented them from visiting coffee shops. “You should come to the Everly Small Business Association.”

  Dahlia swatted him. “It’s not that official, really. Just a bunch of us business owners who get together to talk business. Trends we’re seeing. We talk shop. You’re more than welcome to attend.”

  “Actually, I’d love that. I’m new in town.”

  “Perfect way to meet people.” Darren stepped to the side. “Now, how about a pumpkin. I’ve been saving these gorgeous beauties. They would win prizes at the fair.”

  “I’d love one. Maybe a couple. You know, to hide the broken, rotting step.” She caught sight of a garden gnome complete with red pants and a red hat. “How about that guy?”

  “It’s the last one. You’re welcome to him. In fact, you’d be doing us a favor. I’ll give him to you half off.”

  “Thank you.” She hemmed and hawed, then finally said, “I’m actually here on behalf of the Women’s Charitable Organization.” When she saw their expressions, she rushed out the words. Maybe they’d had a run-in with Forsythia. “We’re holding a raffle at the Pumpkin Festival this weekend. All donations will go to the town library.”

  Right away, Dahlia said, “Of course. Anything for the library. I practically lived there as a child. How about a free pumpkin or a gift card or both?”

  “Some businesses have given both.”

  “Okay, then,” she said, smiling. She loaded up a cart with the larger pumpkin, several smaller ones, and the gnome.

  “You should stop in at the Chatter Box. Joy will definitely give something.”

  “The Chatter Box?”

  “Local pet store. She’s a big fan of parrots. She’s like…famous. Videos and products online.”

  Belle couldn’t believe her luck. “I’ll go there next.”

  “We’ll leave the cart out in front. You can pick them up when you’re done.”

  She already had a few bags. She hadn’t quite thought far enough ahead before making purchases on how she would get this all home.

  The bell on the door jingled when she walked into the Chatter Box. It made her want to be back at The Beanery. The store was filled with bright colors. It had a section for dogs and cats. Those being the biggest. But back in the corner, she could see the cages and toys. Belle knew exactly what she’d be buying.

  That section drew her like a magnet. She went right to it and studied the complex toys of wooden spools and ropes. They came in all different shapes and sizes. She wasn’t sure how long she stood there when someone spoke behind her.

  “Is there another bird lover in town?”

  Belle turned. A woman stood before her with dyed red hair, bright green eyes. Tattoos of birds ran along her arm. She looked hopeful.

  “Yes, I do. A parrot.”

  “Okay, what’s your troubles. There are always troubles with parrots. What kind?”

  “A blue-fronted.”

  “Ah. Have you built the trust bond?”

  “I’m trying. I inherited him a few months ago. He’s well trained, but to be honest I’m not sure how to make the leap from feeding him through his cage to him being willing to perch on my hand.”

  “I’ve got you covered.” She lit up with her passion for the subject. “I have a series of videos on my website. Basically, you bribe with food, you start with a perching stick, and hold it at the entrance of the cage with the treat just out of reach. The bird has to step on the perch to get the treat. Then, eventually, you move to using your hand. It takes time. But it’s worth it.”

  “How many birds do you have?”

  “Only one. I’d love more but wouldn’t be able to give them the time needed.”

  “I understand.” Belle nodded. “I’m Belle. I own The Beanery. Even though I don’t work full time, somehow life gets busy.”

  “Joy Stilton. Nice to meet you.”

  The conversation dwindled after that but it wasn’t awkward. Joy was busy putting together items, like wooden pegs and spools. “This is on the house. One bird lover to another. Toys are expensive. You can save a lot by making your own. Plus, it’s a good activity for the non-direct time you spend with your bird.”

  “Great idea.” If she didn’t ask about Todd McGovern now, she never would. “You must run into a lot of people. Have you ever met or heard of a Todd McGovern?”

  “Nope. You should ask Sally at the salon. She knows everyone.”

  Belle was curious about what she might know about the murder. “I suppose you’ve heard about what happened to Jeremiah Fisher?”

  “Everyone has.” She grabbed another handful of pegs. “Not sure anyone is completely surprised. That man had a way of insulting everyone. They came in all the time. His wife, complaining about anything she bought for her pooch. After a while, I stopped suggesting products. Let her choose, even if it was inferior merchandise.” Joy fell silent, frowning.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “I hadn’t thought about it until now, but they had a big fight right here in the store, a few days before…. I wonder if that’s something I should tell the coppers.”

  “Probably,” Belle said. “What were they fighting about?”

  “That I can’t tell you. Fights make me nervous. I tried not to listen. In fact, I haven’t seen them for a while.”

  Interesting. Belle realized the more information she gathered, the more conversation-starters she would have with Claire while they manned the booth at the festival. The challenge would be making it natural to the conversation and not an interrogation. Claire would see through that. It would be worth it, because there seemed to be more going on between Jeremiah and Claire than anyone realized. Once again, Belle hoped Detective Mona Malloy was as good as she was confident.

  She stood outside Steele Hardware with her piles of bags and pumpkins and the garden gnome. How to get it all home? She could make several trips. A voice in her head said, Call a friend. It was true. She had friends. She didn’t want to bother Bixby, but she could phone Lucas or his parents.

  Just then, a squad car pulled up. It was Lucas. The window went down. “Need a ride?”

  She wanted to cry. “Yes! How did you know?”

  “Oh, a little birdie by the name of Bixby suggested you might be tempted to make purchases in all the stores you visited, and would probably have too much to carry home. He also said something about you wanting to walk everywhere.”

  Belle felt the heat rise in her cheeks. He’d understand if he saw the gigantic station wagon that was now hers to drive.

  They loaded everything into the trunk of the car and drove to Belle’s. She hadn’t talked with him since he was removed from the case. When they pulled into her driveway, she peeked at him, trying to gauge his annoyance level. “Want a cup of coffee?”

  “Love one.”

  Chapter Ten

  Coffee swirling with the pumpkin spice creamer, the strong scent filling the air, was exactly what Belle needed. Just the process of making it relaxed her. She’d determined from her dwindling supply of energy that she was not a born shopper. It was exhausting! Two straight days of it.

  Lucas looked like he needed some comfort too. There was so much she wanted to ask him. She was bursting with questions but wasn’t sure he was in the mood to talk about what happened.

  For some reason, Sir Jack, was unusually quiet after she fed him a cut-up apple between the bars. “Just you wait, Sir Jack. You’re going to be sitting on my shoulder in no time at all.” She grabbed one of the wood and peg toys and placed it in the cage. “But you’ll love this.”

  She joined Lucas on the couch deciding he needed a dose of cheer. She told him about the people she’d met, her impossible choices on what to buy in the stores, what she ended up buying, the small business association, which turned out might be much more informal than the Women’s Charitable Organization, which would be quite a relief. When she finished with all the good cheer, she was out of breath.

  Lucas showed a hint of a smile, making it all worth it. “I see what you’re doing,” he said.

  She blinked. “What?”

  “Talking about everything but Jeremiah Fisher. Everything but the case, and what happened the other day.”

  He was putting up a good front. He had to keep it together for Lexie, who must sense the tension between her uncle and her grandparents. She softened her voice, “How are you holding up?”

  What could almost be a growl escaped. “Fine.”

  Okay, he so wasn’t fine. “Hey, you’ve been there for me since I’ve arrived in town.” She couldn’t quite get herself to say, Now it’s your turn. She resorted to humor. “I cry on your shoulder all the time.”

  He burst out with a laugh, then turned his gaze on her. There was warmth there, and caring, and empathy. Something softened and went all gooey in her chest. “Sure, if that’s how you remember it happening.” He smiled. “Fine. I don’t trust this Detective Malloy. I don’t know anything about her. She made a point to tell me my dad is a top suspect.”

  “That’s not fair. I’m not sure any of them have a solid alibi.”

  “They don’t.”

  “But it’s more than that, isn’t it? It’s your dad?” she prodded.

  Lucas opened himself up, he allowed Belle to see the hurt and frustration. “He won’t talk to me about it. Something’s up and he’s shutting me out.”

  She could tell that made him doubt his father’s story. “There’s no way your dad killed Jeremiah. It has to be something else.”

  “Well, then he shouldn’t be acting so guilty!” He slumped on the couch.

  “Did you receive any new or interesting cases?” she asked.

  He grunted. “Complete demotion. Some residents have complained about burglaries. Personal items stolen. I’ll be working on stuff like that.”

  “That’s interesting.” Belle thought back on her conversation with Darren at the hardware store. “Good thing you drove me home and said yes to my offer for coffee.” She added a bit of smugness to her voice.

  “Why is that?” he asked.

  “Because I have information that will crack your case wide open.” Yes, she was going to make him beg for it. “Fine. When I was at the hardware store, Darren, the owner, mentioned that a lot of people have come into the store for safes and alarms. Stuff like that. You might want to talk to him.”

  “Thanks. I will.” He peeled himself off the couch. “How about we set up those pumpkins on the porch?”

  It didn’t take long. Belle absolutely loved the bright spots of color. The splash of orange. There was the larger pumpkin and several smaller ones. “Thanks,” she said. “It looks very seasonal.” She changed the subject. “Are you going to join me tomorrow in canvasing the businesses? We could fish for information about the robberies, or perhaps new info on Jeremiah.”

  “Absolutely. How about at noon?”

  “I have a hair appointment. You can meet me outside the salon.” Of course, this would also prevent her from walking all over town.

  “Sounds like a plan.”

  Sally was just as nice as she had been the day before when Belle walked into the hair salon. It was a noisy place, filled with the chatter of the workers and blow dryers, but once she sat in the chair, the world grew smaller and it was just the two of them.

  It was only a few minutes into her haircut when Belle realized that casually dropping conversation starters with Sally, then letting her talk about it wouldn’t work. In Belle’s mind, the list she had, which included Jeremiah Fisher, Claire Fisher, possibly Mia Harmen and Jamie Finch, was crumpled and thrown into the trash. She’d be lucky to squeeze in a question about the raffle.

  Sally talked about her grandchildren, their accomplishments, how one loved to dance. The cost of it all. The costumes, the travel, the competitions were mind-blowingly expensive. The other ones played soccer and the cello. Then she talked about her children, the parents. She’d tsk, shaking her head, then mention the amount of time the kids were on their screens.

  Belle managed to squeeze in a response. “At least they’re active.”

  That sent Sally into another round of conversation, which she somehow then switched to the economy, which led to the price of houses today and how were young couples or singles supposed to buy a starter home when they were all over three hundred thousand or half a million dollars?

  Talking about the housing market would have been the perfect opportunity to talk about the open house, but right then, Sally led her to the dryer. That conversation was over. Belle sat, the heat pouring down on the silver foils adding up in layers in her hair. She hadn’t even been sure what foils were, but they made her look silly. Belle took the time to regroup. She might need to just interrupt Sally mid-stream to ask the questions. She now had two questions. That was it.

  The first, about the raffle. She had to ask that.

  The second, about Todd McGovern. Now, Belle realized she could go to the town office. They would know if someone with that name lived in town, but what if they were from out of town? She’d bring that up with Lucas. Somehow, she was certain he would check with the town offices in the surrounding areas, too.

  Sally rinsed out her hair, trimmed it, then blew it dry. Belle was amazed at the noticeable but not obnoxious streaks of blonde in her darker hair. It wasn’t bleach-blonde but just a few shades lighter of dark brown. She was sure her hair would never look this good again.

  She couldn’t believe the hour and a half had slipped by. Belle wasn’t sure she’d said more than two sentences. As she was paying, a customer had entered behind her. Sally was talking.

  Belle would just have to interrupt.

  Finally, seeing Sally’s attention shift from her to the next customer, Belle blurted, “Would you like to donate to a raffle for the Pumpkin Festival?”

  It was miraculous. Sally stopped talking, and didn’t seem bothered at all she’d been interrupted. That was when Belle realized her missed opportunity. She could have blurted out questions any time without it being rude.

  “What kind of raffle?”

  “It’s for the Women’s Charitable Organization. We’re asking local businesses to donate gift cards or products. All the money raised will go directly to the library.”

  “No overhead getting taken out,” Sally lowered her voice, “because I’m not sure about that Forsythia Wright.”

  “No overhead. We don’t take a cut of anything. We’re all volunteers.”

  A broad smile broke out on Sally’s face. “I’d love to. How about a cut and highlight? As long as you show off your new color to the crowds.”

  Belle quickly added her second question. “Do you know a Todd McGovern?”

  The woman had never been quiet for this long, Belle was positive. Sally thought. Belle could see her running through the lists of customers in her head, the names of people she’d heard talked about in the past thirty years.

  Finally, she said, “Nope, never heard of him.”

  “Where’s Belle and what did you do with her?” Lucas asked when he picked her up. He studied her, squinting his eyes. “Looks a little like Belle, but I’m not sure.”

  Belle fake-punched him in the arm.

  “Okay, fine.” He reached out to touch her hair, then pulled back. “Don’t want to touch the masterpiece. Looks fantastic.”

  Belle didn’t push it. What was he supposed to say—it looks terrible? Stop, she told herself. You can trust him. It didn’t matter anyway what he thought. “Shall we go to Simmons? It’s one of the places I haven’t asked.”

  “Gee, I wonder why?” Lucas asked.

  “One word. Oliver Simmons.” The son of the owner, Joel.

  Oliver clearly didn’t like her and loved to gloat whenever she entered, because he never visited The Beanery. Belle was sure it was beneath him.

  She jumped right into talk of the unsolved murder. “Have you looked for this Todd McGovern, the showing Jeremiah had the day it all happened?”

  “I’ve checked at the town office. I checked with surrounding towns. I checked known criminal records. Nothing.”

  “Well, Sally has never heard of him. That’s saying something.”

  “It could easily be a fake name.”

  “There’s no reason to use a fake name with a showing—”

  “Unless you want to kill someone.” Lucas finished Belle’s thoughts.