Free Lemon Pies and Little White Lies by Ellery Adams Page A

could have been a Saint Patty’s Day prank. We made a number of arrests last night. Several townsfolk had too many pints of green beer. A few of them are still sleeping it off in our holding cell.”
    When Ella Mae didn’t respond, Officer Wallace touched her arm. “Do you have any known enemies?”
    “Loralyn Gaynor and I have disliked each other since birth, but this isn’t her style.”
    “Do you want me to write this up? I’m not sure there’s much to investigate, but—”
    “No.” Ella Mae shook her head. “I’m sorry I even called you. I was scared at first, and then furious. But it’s just a window.”
    Officer Wallace dropped the brick into an evidence bag. “I’ll keep this just in case, and I’m going to file a report as soon as I return to the station so you can get an insurance claim started. I hope you know someone in the glass business.”
    “Reba does.” Ella Mae reached for the broom. “Thank goodness we’re closed tomorrow.” She smiled. “Thanks for coming, and good luck dealing with the guys in lockup.”
    When Officer Wallace was gone, Ella Mae swept and vacuumed the floor, and then she and Chewy moved to the front porch. Ella Mae opened her laptop, took a sip of coffee, and tried to concentrate on creating an invitation again.
    “How can I word this so that it sounds like more than a bake-off?” she asked Chewy. “Because it’s so much more than that. It’s a dynamic, multifaceted celebration of pie.”
    Chewy responded by releasing a contented moan and then rolling onto his back, his paws dangling limply over his belly. His eyes remained shut, but his nostrils were quivering.
    “You keep chasing those dream squirrels.” Ella Mae smiled down at him.
    But Chewy was unable to sleep for long. A police cruiser pulled to a stop at the curb and Officer Hardy alighted from the car. Seeing Chewy, the two boxers in the passenger seat launched into a round of frenzied barking. Chewy bolted to his feet, his bark of surprise high and shrill.
    “Shhh!” Ella Mae scolded. “He’s one of the good guys.” Setting her laptop aside, she gestured at the empty rocking chair next to her. “I see you brought your K-9 units with you,” she teased, knowing full well that the boxers were Hardy’s beloved pets, and then her smile vanished. “Is this an official visit? Because Officer Wallace already responded to my call about this.” She jerked her thumb at the broken window.
    He frowned and moved closer to the jagged glass. “When did this happen?”
    “I don’t know. I came in at lunchtime and found a brick in the dining room.”
    Hardy released an exasperated sigh. “If I discover any more evidence of last night’s tomfoolery, I’ll have to ask the mayorto impose a curfew for our next Saint Patrick’s Day.” He turned to Ella Mae. “I’m sorry that you have to deal with this, but I hope I can cheer you up a little. I was able to locate Mrs. Drever.”
    “Thank goodness!” Ella Mae exhaled in relief.
    “She’s in Edinburgh with her daughter,” Hardy continued. “They’re both safe, but Mrs. Drever was understandably shaken by the news about Mrs. Mercer. She and her daughter have booked flights and should be in Havenwood by tomorrow evening.”
    “And Mrs. Mercer’s son?”
    Hardy looked pained. “He arrived late last night. His mother’s death has hit him hard. She was all the family he had.”
    Ella Mae fell silent. Here on the front porch, with birds flitting in the dogwood trees and clumps of cheerful tulips and daffodils swaying in the mild breeze, it seemed hard to believe that so many people were grieving. Finn Mercer. And countless people overseas.
    In her mind, she saw the clover in the center of the storm. She thought of the clover drawn on the brick and couldn’t help but glance at the identical shape burned into her palm. Closing her hand into a tight fist, she said, “Mrs. Mercer had a dog. Coco. She’s at Canine to Five. Maybe seeing her would bring a