Beside Abby, Finn wagged his tail happily. Thankfully, it seemed like neither of them sensed her anxiety or Baxter’s.

  “It went great!” Abby said. “Isaac has an early therapy session tomorrow morning, so we called it a night. We’re getting together tomorrow.”

  “Yay! I want to hear all about it. And don’t leave anything out!” Tassie waved her hand in a hurry-up motion. “Come on. Let’s go inside.”

  “What about your date with Jack?” Abby asked. “Lucy texted to tell me that you and Baxter were having dinner with him.”

  Tassie laughed and unlocked the door. “It wasn’t a date. We were talking about the murder investigation.”

  In her arms, Baxter gave her the side-eye, which she pointedly ignored.

  Her sister regarded her skeptically. “Uh-huh.”

  “Okay,” she said, glancing over her shoulder as she led the way into the entryway and flipped on the light. “I guess it was a date—kinda.”

  They almost kissed so that meant it was a date, right?

  “I knew it!” Abby exclaimed, following at her heels. “Well, I want to hear all about it. And don’t leave anything out!”

  Tassie laughed as her sister playfully used her own words against her, relieved when Abby locked the deadbolt with the key. She might have an imagination that worked overtime, but that didn’t mean there wasn’t someone out there.

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  “I’m going to run over to Gwen’s to pick up some cupcakes for Estelle,” Tassie said to her sister. “I figure that if I’m going to ply her for information, I should at least give her something in return.”

  Since she couldn’t very well ask David’s wife if she’d been having an affair with Conrad, Tassie would have to do the next best thing—talk to Estelle. The woman knew everything about everyone in town. Which was kind of a scary thing when she thought about it.

  Tassie picked Baxter up and gave him a quick kiss on the head. “I’ll be back in a few minutes and then we’ll go see Estelle. Sound good?”

  Baxter licked the tip of her nose in answer. Whereas he’d been wary of whatever was in the shadows last night, thankfully, he was back to his usual self this morning.

  She looked at Abby. “You sure you don’t mind running the store while I do some investigating today?”

  Abby waved her hand. “Not at all. Isaac is coming over in a little while so if I need help, I’ll ask him.”

  Tassie smiled but didn’t say anything. She and Abby had chilled on the couch with Baxter and Finn as well as mugs of hot cocoa and talked for hours last night about their respective evenings. It was obvious that Abby liked Isaac a lot, and Tassie admitted she felt the same about Jack, even though she wasn’t close to defining their relationship yet.

  Were they friends?

  Fellow dog lovers?

  A couple?

  They’d only gone on one date—if it was a date—so it was probably too early for them to be that.

  Maybe they were simply two people working together to solve a murder?

  Despite that almost-kiss last night, she wasn’t quite sure.

  Gwen, the owner of The Cozy Cupcakery, was helping another customer when Tassie walked in, so she smiled and waved at the petite blonde woman as she made her way to the counter. The delicious scent of chocolate enveloped Tassie followed by other scrumptious flavors. Vanilla, cinnamon, caramel, coconut, and peanut butter all swirled together in a delectable combination, and she took a deep breath, savoring it.

  A few people worked at the bakery with Gwen and today it was a wiry guy with dark hair and glasses. You couldn’t go wrong with any of the cupcakes Gwen baked, but Tassie decided to keep it simple with a four-pack of minis—one dark chocolate, one snickerdoodle, one salted caramel, and one chocolate chip. Unable to resist, she also bought two dark chocolate minis for her and Abby.

  Catching Gwen’s eye, Tassie gave her another wave as she headed for the door. It opened just as she reached it and she found herself face-to-face with Allen, the guy she’d spoken to yesterday at For Reel Sportfishing. The one who’d kind of flirted with her. Although, maybe saying face-to-face wasn’t quite accurate considering he was practically seven foot tall.

  “Hey,” he said, grinning. “You’re the woman with the true-crime podcast. From yesterday.”

  She glanced over her shoulder before nodding. Everyone in the Cupcakery knew who she was and also that she didn’t have a podcast. She didn’t want them overhearing and blowing her cover.

  Tassie slipped through the door he was still holding open, giving him a smile. “Yeah. Allen, right?”

  Grin broadening, he closed the door, stepping aside so they weren’t blocking the entrance. “Right. Is your podcast available to download yet?”

  Her nonexistent podcast. Nope.

  “Not yet,” she said.

  He looked disappointed at that. “What’s the name of the podcast? I’d really like to listen to the other episodes you’ve done.”

  She considered making something up but didn’t want him searching for some podcast that didn’t exist and getting suspicious.

  “Um…” She gave him a sheepish look. “This is actually my first episode, so I’m still workshopping the name.”

  “Oh. That’s cool.” He thought a moment. “Are you going to tell your listeners that you think David killed Conrad?”

  She opened her mouth then closed it again, not sure how to answer that. Since she’d never listened to a true crime podcast, she didn’t know if the podcasters ever accused anybody. Probably not. That seemed like it would get them into legal hot water.

  “No,” she finally said. “I feel it’s better to tell listeners what I learn and let the audience decide for themselves.”

  Allen nodded. “That makes sense. You know, David was acting kind of squirrelly after you talked to him yesterday.”

  That was interesting. And suspicious. “Did he say anything about Conrad?”

  Preferably something incriminating.

  “Not anything specific,” Allen said. “It’s crazy to think David could have killed him. Before Conrad won the lottery, they were best friends. David has this cabin near Waverly Lake and the two of them used to go up there all the time to freshwater fish.”

  “Do you happen to know where this cabin is?”

  “Off of Millview Road,” Allen said. “It’s pretty easy to find. David and Conrad went up there a few days before Conrad was murdered. I think David thought it might help patch things up between them, but instead, they got into a huge scuffle.”

  Huh. More proof that David was the killer maybe. Tassie wondered if there was anything at the cabin that could tie him to Conrad’s murder.

  Allen cleared his throat, shifting from one foot to the other. “Um, I was wondering if maybe you’d want to grab coffee sometime?”

  Tassie blinked. She’d been in a dating drought for months and now she had two guys interested in her. Admittedly, Allen was cute and seemed nice, and before she’d met Jack, she probably would have been interested in him. She’d never been into dating more than one man at a time though. Not that there was anything wrong with it, but it simply wasn’t her thing.

  “I’m kind of seeing someone,” she said, wanting to let him down as gently as she could.

  “Oh.” Allen flushed. “Yeah, of course. I should have realized.” He glanced around like he was trying to look at anything other than her right then. Finally, after staring down at his boots for a moment, he met her gaze again. “I better get going.”

  She nodded and opened her mouth to tell him that it was nice seeing him again, but he’d already ducked into The Cozy Cupcakery.

  Well, that was all kinds of awkward.

  Sighing, Tassie walked next door to her own shop. Hopefully, she hadn’t hurt his feelings too much.

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  Tassie walked into the Bluewater Bay Historical Society fifteen minutes later along with Baxter, armed with mini cupcakes and peanut butter doggy treats. She couldn’t very well bring something for Estelle and not bring anything for Snickers.

  Nestled among fir trees, red oaks, and maples, the historical society was in a beautifully restored two-story house with white clapboard and colonial blue shutters. Each room housed artifacts and memorabilia from different eras of the town’s history dating all the way back to the 1700s. From old photos to antique furniture to meticulously preserved clothing to original maps and shipbuilding tools, there was something intriguing in every part of the place. Tassie wasn’t sure how they did it, but the building even had an old-fashioned smell to it.

  And while it might seem like Estelle spent all her time minding other people’s business, she took her job as curator of the historical society very seriously. Bottom line, she knew her stuff.

  Estelle was in the room the historical society had converted into an office doing something on the computer and looked up as Tassie wandered in with Baxter, her lips curving into a smile.

  “Tassie!” she exclaimed. “What a lovely surprise! And you brought cupcakes! At least, I hope those are for me.”

  Laughing, Tassie set the bakery box down on the desk along with the bag of treats for Snickers. The Corgi sauntered from where he’d been chilling on his plush bed to greet a happy Baxter.

  “They are,” Tassie said. “And those are for your fur baby.”

  Estelle opened the bag to offer a tiny treat to Snickers. Then, at a smile and nod of approval from Tassie, handed one to Baxter as well. Estelle lifted the lid on the bakery box next, her eyes lighting up at the sight of the mini cupcakes.

  “These look absolutely delicious,” she said. “Would you like one?”

  “As tempting as they are, I already treated myself to one when I stopped by The Cozy Cupcakery to pick these up for you.” Tassie grinned. “Those are all yours.”

  Estelle chose the snickerdoodle one and carefully unwrapped it then took a nibble before looking at her. “Not that I don’t love cupcakes, but something tells me that you didn’t come all the way over here just to bring me a box of Gwen’s goodies.”

  On the walk over, Tassie had toyed with the idea of saying she’d stopped by the historical society to check out the quilt exhibit that Estelle had mentioned the other night at the art gallery, but she got the feeling that the woman would see right through that.

  Best to go with the direct approach.

  “I need the scoop on something, and no one knows more about what goes on in Bluewater Bay than you,” Tassie said.

  Estelle preened, seeming to consider that as she finished the other half of the cupcake. Then she carefully closed the box, perched on the edge of the desk, and gazed at Tassie.

  “Flattery will get you everywhere, every time, all the time. Cupcakes don’t hurt of course,” she said with an amused wink. “What do you want to know?”

  “Was David Campbell’s wife cheating on him with Conrad?”

  “With Conrad?” Estelle stared at her for a moment, then laughed. “Good heavens, no! Whatever gave you that idea?”

  “I overheard some people talking about it,” she said casually. She didn’t want Estelle to know she’d been playing amateur detective and asking around. “What makes you so sure she wasn’t?”

  “Because she’s cheating on him with her personal trainer.” Estelle let out a snort. “Talk about a cliché. You’d think the woman could be a little more original.”

  That was one way to look at it, Tassie supposed.

  Estelle reached around behind her to pick up her coffee mug from the desk and took a sip. “Not that David cares, mind you.”

  Tassie frowned. “Why is that?”

  “Because he’s having an affair too.”

  “With whom?”

  Estelle sipped her coffee. “The mayor’s wife.”

  Tassie’s mouth fell open. “No way!”

  Estelle nodded. “Oh, yes. They’ve been secretly seeing each other for years. Even before her husband became mayor.”

  Wow. Tassie wondered if the mayor would be so quick to dismiss other suspects in Conrad’s murder if he knew one of them was the man that his wife was cheating on him with.

  “Conrad was actually seeing a woman in Cutler’s Cove,” Estelle continued. “A kindergarten teacher, I think.”

  Tassie was stunned for the second time in as many minutes. All the kindergarten teachers she knew were sweet and soft spoken and not the kind of women she’d picture getting involved with a man like Conrad.

  “Do you know her name?” Tassie asked.

  Estelle thought a moment. “Annette Henderson, I believe.”

  Tassie nodded, committing the name to memory. She’d like to talk to the woman and see if she could tell her anything about Conrad. Of course, she had to figure out how to locate her. Tassie didn’t go to Cutler’s Cove very much and didn’t know anyone there so that might be tricky.

  “What do you know about her?” Tassie asked.

  “Not much,” Estelle admitted with a sigh. “When it comes to networking, my reach does extend as far as Cutler’s Cove. Unfortunately, Annette Henderson is rather a mystery.” She smiled. “Speaking of which, what about you and Bluewater Bay’s handsome new detective?”

  Tassie did a double take. “What about us?”

  Estelle’s eyes twinkled. “A little birdie told me that the two of you went on a date last night.”

  Exactly who was part of this aforementioned network Estelle had? And why was Tassie having dinner with Jack something they considered important enough to report to her?

  “It wasn’t a date,” Tassie insisted.

  From where he sat on the floor, Baxter gave her the look—the one that said he knew she was being less than honest.

  Okay, maybe she was.

  “You know,” Estelle said. “There’s an old saying that if you share dessert with a man you just had dinner with, then it was most definitely a date.”

  Tassie gave her a look. “I’m pretty sure that no one has ever said that.”

  Estelle merely shrugged and took another sip of coffee.

  “How do you know everything about everyone in town anyway?” Tassie asked.

  Estelle smiled. “A good curator never reveals her sources.”

  Tassie wanted to point out that was reporters not curators, but then remembered she’d used the same line on Jack at dinner last night.

  “Fair enough,” she said with a laugh. “Thanks for the info.”

  “Thanks for the cupcakes and doggy treats. And if you need the scoop on anyone else, you know where to find me.

  Pulling out her phone, Tassie texted her sister to tell her that she was tracking down a lead. As she’d expected, Abby was totally cool with that.

  She had the best sister ever.

  Slipping her cell into her crossbody bag, she started down the sidewalk toward the police station with Baxter. After talking to Estelle, she realized the best way to find Annette Henderson was to ask Jack for help in that department. Police always had all those fancy resources. They knew where people lived and what kind of car they drove. Stuff like that.

  Besides, she’d promised him that she wouldn’t do anything dangerous. And since wandering around the woods looking for the cabin of a suspected murderer probably fell into that category, he might want to go with her and Baxter.

  She didn’t remember that it was Saturday and Jack might not be working until she got to the police station, but the door to his office was open and the light was on. She said a quick hello to Henry, who was working the counter, as well as Ellie Walker, the weekend dispatcher, then walked over to Jack’s office. He was standing behind his desk, staring down at something on the computer, a scowl on his face.

  Tassie knocked lightly on the door. “Everything okay?”

  He sighed. “I couldn’t get a warrant for Belinda Meyers’ phone. Apparently, overhearing her talk about paying for someone to do something she didn’t want anyone to know about right after her ex gets murdered isn’t considered probable cause. So, there’s that.”

  “That stinks,” she said. “But on the bright side, I think I might have another lead.”

  Tassie quickly told him about the conversations she’d had with Allen and Estelle. Leaving out the part about the deep-sea fisherman asking her out and the historical society curator inquiring about their date, of course.

  “So,” she said with a grin. “You feel like going for a hike?”

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  The mid-morning sun bathed the blue water of the bay, turning it into hundreds of dazzling diamonds as she and Jack drove toward Cutler’s Cove. Even though she’d lived there her whole life, Tassie was still awed by how beautiful this part of Maine was.

  Even though you could practically see the town of Cutler’s Cove from Bluewater Bay, thanks to all the inlets and coves, no one had ever built a bridge to connect the two, so it was a thirty-minute scenic drive along the bay.

  And the company wasn’t half bad either.

  Tassie smiled at that. Actually, the company was absolutely perfect.

  As for Cutler’s Cove, it was just as quaint and cozy as Bluewater Bay but in a more whimsical, almost quirky way. Tassie couldn’t put her finger on what made it so different. Maybe it was the peaked arch over the main street welcoming you to town or the gigantic bell buoy tipped on its side in the park near the harbor.

  “That’s a cool looking church,” Jack remarked, gesturing with his chin as they drove along the harbor road.

  Tassie followed his gaze to see him looking up at a big, beautiful building with turrets, bell tower, and stained glass up on a hill overlooking the harbor. “It used to be a church from the 1700s until the turn of the twenty-first century but now it’s a private home. People say it’s haunted.”

  His mouth twitched as he glanced at her. “Haunted, huh?”

  “That’s what they say. I heard they really do the house up right for Halloween.”

  He seemed to consider that. “Maybe we should come back here and check it out. If your game, I mean.”