“Sorry, that was the second part of the message I was supposed to deliver. Look, I can go running with you after my shift. I don’t have any clients tonight.”

  “Okay, that would be awesome. We’ll be ready. Just stop by when you are. But you don’t have to do that.” I appreciated my neighbor’s offer, but I didn’t want to take advantage of our casual friendship.

  “No problem. I’ve been meaning to get in a few workouts. Nic wants me to come down to New Orleans this fall for a marathon. He runs every day, kind of like you. Me? I’m more of a couch potato.”

  “You also work more hours than anyone I know in South Cove,” I reminded her. “Sometimes, that makes it hard to fit in self-care.”

  “Well, not today. And maybe I’ll keep running with you if you don’t mind. I know you like to clear your head during your runs.”

  “You’re welcome anytime.” I did like my solo running time, but I had a feeling Esmeralda wouldn’t be a Chatty Cathy during the run since she rarely played the social small talk game anyway.

  “I’ll see you at ten after four,” Esmeralda said, then she hung up.

  I wondered if she just wanted off the phone or if another call was coming in. Emma was watching me and the running leash. “Sorry, girl, we’ll go in a little while. I need to get a few things done first.”

  Emma went over to her bed and flopped down. Message received but not appreciated.

  I pulled out the laptop and decided to do some research on our newest business owner. I had been certain the body was hers, and Greg even said it looked like her. I thought back to the picture of the sisters in the shop lobby. Could that have been Harper’s sister? A twin?

  I could tell that Harper had been holding something back, especially when her boyfriend slash lawyer showed up. It was almost like they’d played this game before. I wrote down his name, too, hoping something I found would explain away the bad feeling I was getting. Greg didn’t hate it when I found out things via the internet. Not as much as when I went chatting with people. That really got under his skin. I get it. I wasn’t a trained investigator, but some things just fall into your lap.

  I keyed in Harper’s name and “designer.” A lot of the hits matched the history she gave us at the business-to-business meeting. But there were things she’d left out. Like how she was born in a small Idaho town. I was pretty sure she said she went to a California university right near her house. Had she meant to ignore her childhood in Idaho? I made a list of questions that omission brought up. If anything, Greg would have a great interview guide for his chat with Harper.

  She didn’t have a Facebook page, which I found totally suspicious. Of course, she would have found me friending her today probably just as suspicious. Especially with my history of investigating crimes in South Cove. Twitter had an account for the business, so I went back to Facebook to see if there was a business page. And, yes, there was. I went through all the posts for the last year. She’d announced the opening of her first shop as soon as she’d signed the lease, if not sooner. There were a lot of South Cove pictures, including a recent one of Coffee, Books, and More, with a caption from Harper that read: “My favorite coffee shop, ever.”

  I hearted the post. She’d know I had been here, but really, social media was part of my job. I saw Darla had done the same thing after the meeting and invited her down to the winery for a glass.

  A message from Darla popped up. “Did you hear about the murder?”

  I thought about ignoring it, but I knew that would just get me a phone call from our weekly newspaper’s roving reporter. Darla was in the know about everything. So I thought I’d see what I could find out.

  I leaned back and typed in a question. “Did you hear who was killed?”

  “They haven’t released a name yet. Lille said it was at Harper’s shop right across the street from the diner.”

  “Really?” I urged her on.

  “Yeah, and she said she saw you talking to Harper when the police went inside the shop. So what are you hiding?”

  Chapter 5

  When Esmeralda got to the house, I was ready. I’d hurried off the internet so Darla couldn’t see me ignoring her question. I’d turned my phone to silent so I wouldn’t hear the calls that came as soon as the computer went off. And now, I was just waiting for Darla to show up at my doorstep. So when the clock hit four and no one had shown up, I figured the winery must be hopping and Darla couldn’t get away.

  And if she left the winery now, she’d miss me since I’d be out running.

  I’d have to talk to her sometime, but I didn’t want to add any fuel to the flames of what was probably a sensitive investigation for Greg.

  Esmeralda had stopped at her house and changed so she was ready to go. I led Emma out to the porch and locked my door, glancing up the road to see if I could spot Darla’s car. No traffic yet. “Let’s go.”

  “Who are you watching for?” Esmeralda asked as we made our way down the stairs and out of the gate that pretended to keep Emma in the yard. She could jump it, but it had been there since she was a baby, so she didn’t even question it now.

  “Darla. She’s on the story. I don’t want to tell her anything that would upset Greg’s investigation.” I hurried down the driveway to the sidewalk to meet Esmeralda. I needed to change the subject. “So how was your day?”

  “Better before there was a murder in town. Look, I know you talked to Harper. Did she tell you anything? She’s stonewalling Greg at the station. Her lawyer just keeps interrupting.” Esmeralda reached down and rubbed Emma’s head. “Greg’s getting a little grumpy.”

  “Thanks for the warning.” I started jogging toward the beach parking lot entrance. Hopefully traffic wouldn’t be crazy and we could get across Highway 1 without risking our lives. Last Fourth of July, Greg had to have an officer directing traffic all weekend to make sure people got across the road safely. “I’m making some soup tonight for dinner and maybe some bread. That way maybe he’ll eat something when he comes home late.”

  “He does take his job seriously.” Esmeralda stopped at the road and looked both ways. “It looks clear. Don’t kill the messenger but I’m supposed to tell you that he’ll need Toby this week.”

  “I figured. I called Deek and asked him if he could work with Evie to pick up Toby’s shifts. I think we’ll be fine.” We crossed the road, and the small talk stopped. At least for the run.

  We paused at the stairwell afterward, and Esmeralda took out two bottles of water and a small bowl from her backpack. “Let’s sit for a minute and take in the ocean.”

  “Sounds good to me.” I poured water into the bowl and offered it to Emma. She drank it all, then sat next to the stairs and watched the seagulls. I sipped my water and turned to Esmeralda. “So what aren’t you telling me?”

  “I was just waiting for you to ask. I pulled Harper’s business license application while Greg was talking to her, just to verify some things, and I found something interesting.” She pulled out a copy of the application and pointed to a column. “Harper has a partner. Did you know that?”

  “No, and she didn’t mention a partner at the meeting. I take it he or she is a silent partner?” I scanned the name. “Alicia Sanchez. Mother or some other relative?”

  “Maybe. I didn’t find anything on my search. Did she mention where she grew up?” Esmeralda sipped water while watching me.

  “She said California at the meeting, but the information online says Idaho. I was going to point that out to Greg when he got home.” I held up the copy. “Can I have this? Or are you breaking some kind of law?”

  “It’s perfectly natural for the person who runs the business-to-business meeting to do some information gathering on a new resident. Otherwise, how could you help them?”

  “Smart.” I tucked the paper into my jacket pocket. “It feels weird though, looking into Harper. She’s kind of the victim here since the murder happened in her shop.”

  “We’re not investigating her, we’re proving her innocent so she doesn’t get in over her head. Her lawyer seems like he’s more worried about how things would look than protecting her rights.” Esmeralda stood and threw the empty bottle into the recycler near the beach entrance. “I’ve got to go get some housework done. I should just bite the bullet and hire someone, but I hate to have someone in my house while I’m gone. I’ve got too many sensitive things there.”

  “I’m sure they’re bonded. Besides, I don’t think someone would steal from a police dispatcher.” I handed her the pet bowl she’d brought for Emma. “Thanks for the water.”

  “No problem.” She took the bowl and put it away. “But I wasn’t talking about things being stolen. I don’t want anyone touching anything in my reading room. It throws off the spirits.”

  “If you say so.” I snapped my fingers, and Emma followed me up the stairs. “Thanks for running with me. I appreciate getting out of the house without Greg worrying.”

  “You need your space as well.” She pointed to the fruit stand. “I’m stopping to get some kale for dinner. Do you need anything for your soup?”

  I shook my head. “I’ve got everything. I’ll see you tomorrow, or at least Saturday? You are coming to the party, right?”

  “Of course. I wouldn’t miss it for the world. And don’t you dare push it off because of this. Greg can take one night off during an investigation. Besides, it might help him think if he’s not focused on finding a murderer twenty-four seven.” Esmeralda crossed the highway with us, then turned to cross Main Street to the fruit stand.

  “You tell him that. I’m not poking the bear,” I called after her. Emma whined and looked across the street. “Your friend will be fine. We, on the other hand, will be in double dutch trouble if we don’t get home before Greg.”

  We hurried up the hill, and as I unlocked the front door, Emma stood watch. I grabbed the mail out of the box, and we went inside. Emma went right to her water dish and drank again. Then I let her outside, just in case. She wasn’t a puppy, so we didn’t have a lot of accidents, but she needed her time outside, even when she’d just got home from a run.

  I set the mail on the kitchen table and went through it quickly. I needed to get the soup started, but I had a minute. Bill, bill, bill, junk, junk, and a catalogue on wedding dresses. The marketing lists had found me. I might not be ready to say yes to the dress, yet, but the wheels of sales had already started. I’d tried to decide what type of figure I had to see what I should look at and what I should stay away from, but mostly, for me, it was certain colors. And since I was determined to be a pretty bride, I focused on the classics. I knew I’d have to try on some dresses before I could even see myself in an all-white gown with a train and a veil without seeing a white cupcake or marshmallow. Maybe Aunt Jackie was right, maybe a few pounds off would make me feel better about the dress part of the upcoming event.

  Of course, we hadn’t set a date yet, so after this engagement party, I didn’t really have to worry about it for a while.

  The soup simmered on the stove and a loaf of bread baked in the oven when my phone rang. “Hey, Amy, what’s going on?”

  “Are you kidding me? I was in a meeting with Marvin all afternoon, and I get home and Justin asks me how you’re doing since you were at the crime scene? Did you even think about calling me?” Amy was talking a mile a minute.

  “I didn’t call you because I wasn’t hurt or even involved. All I did was find a body. I don’t even know who it was.” I opened my laptop and keyed in “Alicia Sanchez” to see how many hits Google would give me. Way too many.

  “You found a body. That’s enough. Do you need me to come over? Justin has supper ready, but I could have him hold it for a while.”

  “Amy, I’m fine. No bumps or bruises. Esmeralda came over, and we went running. I’m calm and relaxed. Eat your dinner. Don’t worry about me. Come by the shop tomorrow, and we can have coffee together.” I paused, not wanting to rat out Esmeralda, but maybe Amy knew more about Harper’s partner. “Hey, what do you know about Harper having a partner in her shop?”

  “How did you find that out? She wanted it to be a secret. I told her it had to be part of the business license, but no one would see the original paperwork.”

  “Don’t be mad.”

  Amy sighed loud enough that I could hear it over the phone. “I’m not mad. I should know better than to think anything is a secret in this town. Anyway, it’s a relative. She didn’t tell me how close, but she did say they wanted to support her in this business.”

  “I just don’t understand, one, who would have been in Harper’s shop, and two, who would kill someone in Harper’s shop. It feels like someone must have been trying to kill Harper, don’t you think?” My mind was wandering.

  “I have no idea. I’m just glad you’re okay. I’ll come by for my break tomorrow. Marvin’s heading into the city for a meeting. I think they’re taking a long weekend, but you didn’t hear that from me.” She laughed and added, “And that’s why no one can keep a secret here. I’m just as bad as the rest of you. Have a good night and stay safe. I take it you’re alone?”

  “I’m not alone. I have Emma.” My dog thumped her tail on the floor when she heard her name. “Go eat. We’ll talk tomorrow.”

  I texted Greg, letting him know that soup and bread would be ready at seven. The response I got made me smile and sad at the same time. He loved me, but he’d be late. Keep the soup warm.

  I closed my laptop and went to the living room to find a movie I could eat my dinner with. I wouldn’t be alone. I had my dog and a new rom-com I wanted to see. I missed Greg, but he’d hate this movie. So watching it tonight was perfect.

  * * * *

  The next morning, my alarm woke me to find Greg had been home and his side of the bed had been slept in, but my betrothed was already out of the house from the sounds of it. Emma was watching me from a spot on the floor near the door.

  “Did Greg leave?” I asked her and got a bark in return. “Did he feed you?”

  No answer. I knew he had, but Emma would never admit it in the hopes of getting a second breakfast. “Give me a few minutes, and I’ll let you out.”

  She laid her head down, so I knew she wasn’t in a hurry to go outside. Another clue that she’d spent some time with Greg this morning. I got ready for work and slipped on some tinted sunscreen and some ChapStick to count as makeup.

  Downstairs, I found the soup pot washed and put away and a note from Greg. “Soup was great. Maybe I’ll be home tonight. I’m working it out so I can be off on Saturday. Don’t worry.”

  Me? Worry about missing a party? I guess I should be, since it was our party, and if Greg couldn’t come, that meant I’d have to do it alone. I poured my coffee and let Emma out for a few minutes.

  I turned on the television, but the local news was out of the city and a murder in South Cove rarely rated a spot in the reporting. Instead, I heard about all the robberies that were going on in the city. One had been in the apartment building where I used to live. My neighbor, Kara Bailey, was on the television talking about how she didn’t feel safe at home anymore.

  I made a note to call her after work when I got back home later. I hadn’t talked to her for months. I hadn’t told her about my upcoming marriage. She’d been there for me during and after my divorce, but once I’d moved to South Cove, we didn’t seem to get together much anymore. She didn’t like driving out to see me, and I wasn’t ever in town. Especially after I opened the store.

  I hated that I’d lost touch with Kara. I was going to fix that tonight. I filled my travel mug, gave my dog a kiss and a chew bone, and went to hide my sofa pillows. Emma had been good for a long time, but she did love tearing up sofa pillows. Especially when she was left alone for a while.

  Walking up the street to town, I enjoyed the birdsong and the echo of the ocean waves. I loved walking to work because I got to relish the quiet. And the sounds of nature. I waved at an artist who was working on a painting outside her studio. We smiled at each other but didn’t talk. She was in the groove, and I knew it. Besides, my commuters were on their way, and I needed to have coffee ready for them so they could get to their jobs.

  I was an essential part of the community and of commerce everywhere. I provided coffee, the elixir of working and creative people everywhere.

  Okay, maybe I was a little over the top today.

  By the time the commuter traffic slowed down, I was ready for a break. I still hadn’t started reading Deek’s book. I took a handful of pages and put a clip on them and the rubber band back around the other part. Then I took it and the coffee to my favorite part of the sofa where I could watch the front door, just in case.

  When Amy came in at ten, that section was read and my coffee was cold. She met me at the coffee bar. “What are you reading?”

  “Deek’s book. It’s really good. Engaging. I didn’t want to stop.” I dumped out my cold coffee and refilled it with fresh. “What can I get you?”

  “A copy of that book, for one.” She sighed when I shook my head. “Okay, just plain coffee with room for sugar and cream. Esmeralda’s watching the phones, so don’t let me forget to take her back a large black coffee.”

  “Sounds good.” I came around the bar after pouring the coffee and sat on a stool next to Amy. “I’m so glad you stopped in today. I’m a little less calm about this whole thing than I was yesterday. What if it’s just some random killer who’s targeting businesses in South Cove? Maybe I should have two people on each shift just in case.”

  “Might not be a bad idea, but usually these things settle out that someone was killed for a specific reason. Sherry would be the only one who’d want you dead, and she’s been saying that for years.” Amy sipped her coffee. “But you’re really okay? You weren’t hurt, were you?”