Free Sweets Forgotten (Samantha Sweet Mysteries Book 10) by Connie Shelton
Authors: Connie Shelton
came
into the kitchen.
Julio hung up his baker’s jacket
and told Sam he’d set two timers for the different sized cake layers. He was
out the door and rumbling away on his noisy machine within moments.
Sam noticed Jane meandering through
the kitchen. “I’m sorry I really don’t have anything for you to do,” she said.
“I can call the shelter if you’d like a ride back.”
“Oh, that’s okay.” Jane said
without enthusiasm. She was carrying a borrowed purse that must have been
someone’s Goodwill donation. “I think I’d like to walk back.”
Sam wished her luck and resumed
sorting the trims in the plastic bins. As soon as the front door bells tinkled,
she sensed that Becky had something to say.
“Okay, you can get it off your
chest,” Sam said, keeping it casual as she worked.
“I’m suspicious of her,” Becky
said.
“In what way?”
“She just seems too ‘with it’ if
you know what I mean. She works the chocolate like a pro and yet she can’t
remember her name?”
“They say amnesia can be like
that. Skills from the past aren’t forgotten. Otherwise, people with amnesia
wouldn’t remember their language or how to dress themselves.”
“It’s other stuff, too. I think
she’s faking.”
*
* *
Kent Taylor looked a little
haggard by late afternoon and Beau suggested they stop for coffee and a review
of what they’d learned so far. He thought of Sam’s bakery, a mile or so away,
but had a feeling he would get caught up in other topics and would have to
explain why he hadn’t made further progress on that Jane Doe amnesia case. Java
Joe’s was only a block over so he headed there.
“We’ve got zilch at the victim’s
house,” Taylor said as he sat down with his high-octane blend called The
Waker-Upper. “The one neighbor was interesting though. Gossipy ones are a
little hard to take but sometimes you get the best information.”
“Yeah, it’s always amazing how
people really believe their neighbors can’t hear a screaming match. Might be a
good idea to put the son, Bentlee Robinet, on your interview list for when you
get back to Albuquerque.”
“Already have. A father-son
battle usually doesn’t get told just the way it happened, but the emotion
always comes through. I’ll know if the kid hated his old man enough to do
something about it. We’ll know if we have both motive and means.”
Beau sipped his own
regular-strength coffee.
Taylor continued: “Holbrook
Academy is notorious for being a haven of designer drug use,” Taylor said.
“Those rich kids can afford anything and somebody always makes sure they get
what they want.”
“You didn’t mention ‘opportunity’
but with Bentlee right there in the city where his father died, it does fill
out the trilogy of requirements for a valid suspect.”
“I’m not giving up on the wife,
either,” Taylor said. “She conveniently disappears on the day her husband
died.”
“Maybe a little fling on the
side? She heads out the moment he leaves town?”
“It fits with keeping two cell
phones. The boyfriend might be the only one with access to one of the numbers.”
“If she and the new honey went
away somewhere she might not have gotten the news about her husband.”
“That’s the innocent explanation.
Could be that she and the new honey wanted Zack completely gone forever. She
would most likely inherit his half of that multi-million-dollar business. I
want more on her background.” Taylor’s nervous index finger tapped the side of
his paper cup.
“Meanwhile, this afternoon I’m
thinking we could get some interesting info at the offices of ChanZack
Innovations.”
“When both cats are away the mice
will really play?”
“Exactly.”
They finished their coffee and
got back into Beau’s cruiser. Ten minutes later they were taking the elevator
to ChanZack Innovations’ upper suite in the Appleton Center. The gorgeous
receptionist, whose name plate identified her as Amber Carter, was no
into the kitchen.
Julio hung up his baker’s jacket
and told Sam he’d set two timers for the different sized cake layers. He was
out the door and rumbling away on his noisy machine within moments.
Sam noticed Jane meandering through
the kitchen. “I’m sorry I really don’t have anything for you to do,” she said.
“I can call the shelter if you’d like a ride back.”
“Oh, that’s okay.” Jane said
without enthusiasm. She was carrying a borrowed purse that must have been
someone’s Goodwill donation. “I think I’d like to walk back.”
Sam wished her luck and resumed
sorting the trims in the plastic bins. As soon as the front door bells tinkled,
she sensed that Becky had something to say.
“Okay, you can get it off your
chest,” Sam said, keeping it casual as she worked.
“I’m suspicious of her,” Becky
said.
“In what way?”
“She just seems too ‘with it’ if
you know what I mean. She works the chocolate like a pro and yet she can’t
remember her name?”
“They say amnesia can be like
that. Skills from the past aren’t forgotten. Otherwise, people with amnesia
wouldn’t remember their language or how to dress themselves.”
“It’s other stuff, too. I think
she’s faking.”
*
* *
Kent Taylor looked a little
haggard by late afternoon and Beau suggested they stop for coffee and a review
of what they’d learned so far. He thought of Sam’s bakery, a mile or so away,
but had a feeling he would get caught up in other topics and would have to
explain why he hadn’t made further progress on that Jane Doe amnesia case. Java
Joe’s was only a block over so he headed there.
“We’ve got zilch at the victim’s
house,” Taylor said as he sat down with his high-octane blend called The
Waker-Upper. “The one neighbor was interesting though. Gossipy ones are a
little hard to take but sometimes you get the best information.”
“Yeah, it’s always amazing how
people really believe their neighbors can’t hear a screaming match. Might be a
good idea to put the son, Bentlee Robinet, on your interview list for when you
get back to Albuquerque.”
“Already have. A father-son
battle usually doesn’t get told just the way it happened, but the emotion
always comes through. I’ll know if the kid hated his old man enough to do
something about it. We’ll know if we have both motive and means.”
Beau sipped his own
regular-strength coffee.
Taylor continued: “Holbrook
Academy is notorious for being a haven of designer drug use,” Taylor said.
“Those rich kids can afford anything and somebody always makes sure they get
what they want.”
“You didn’t mention ‘opportunity’
but with Bentlee right there in the city where his father died, it does fill
out the trilogy of requirements for a valid suspect.”
“I’m not giving up on the wife,
either,” Taylor said. “She conveniently disappears on the day her husband
died.”
“Maybe a little fling on the
side? She heads out the moment he leaves town?”
“It fits with keeping two cell
phones. The boyfriend might be the only one with access to one of the numbers.”
“If she and the new honey went
away somewhere she might not have gotten the news about her husband.”
“That’s the innocent explanation.
Could be that she and the new honey wanted Zack completely gone forever. She
would most likely inherit his half of that multi-million-dollar business. I
want more on her background.” Taylor’s nervous index finger tapped the side of
his paper cup.
“Meanwhile, this afternoon I’m
thinking we could get some interesting info at the offices of ChanZack
Innovations.”
“When both cats are away the mice
will really play?”
“Exactly.”
They finished their coffee and
got back into Beau’s cruiser. Ten minutes later they were taking the elevator
to ChanZack Innovations’ upper suite in the Appleton Center. The gorgeous
receptionist, whose name plate identified her as Amber Carter, was no