At Wick's End (Book 1 in the Candlemaking Mysteries) Read Online Free Page B

to run, you know.”
    I wanted to follow her out and observe, but
Eve said, “Practice makes perfect, Harrison.”
    So I went back to my wax and started a
brand-new candle. I was beginning to see why Belle had gotten
hooked. Candlemaking could be a lot of fun.
     
    After I’d rolled and rerolled candles more
times than I could count, I was ready for a break. Eve was involved
in a deep discussion with one of our customers about the advantages
of pellets versus blocks, a conversation that went entirely over my
head. I waved to her, said I’d be back soon, and decided it was
time for another cup of Millie’s coffee. If I was lucky, maybe I’d
get a dollop of insight about what really went on around River’s
Edge too. I had a feeling that if anyone had her finger on the
pulse of the place, it would be the owner of The Crocked Pot.
    I was just leaving the shop when a uniformed
police officer walked up. “Are you Harrison Black?” he asked in a
deep baritone.
    “ I am,” I admitted. “I
assume you’re here about the robbery. Where did Mr. Young
go?”
    “ He had to get back to his
office, but not before he assured me that nothing had been taken.
Pardon my saying so, but there’s not much there worth stealing. It
could just be that the thief tore up the place out of frustration.
That would explain the mess.”
    “ I don’t buy that for a
second,” I said. “Nobody’s going to walk up to the only apartment
on the second floor of this building and break in on a whim.
Whoever did this was after something.”
    The officer shrugged. “I can pass your
concerns on to the sheriff, but there’s really nothing else I can
do here.”
    “ Thanks for coming by,” I
said, trying to keep the disappointment out of my voice.
    The officer must have caught it, though.
“I’d honestly spend more time on this if anything of value was
missing, but we’ve just had a homicide committed during a jewelry
store robbery and we’re working on it with every free
man-hour.”
    “ I heard about it on the
news. The store owner was the one killed in the robbery, wasn’t
he?”
    “ That’s why we’re giving it
so much attention. There was half a million dollars in diamonds
taken. Don’t worry, we’ll catch them soon enough.”
    “ And I’m left to my own
devices. I understand perfectly.”
    The cop looked at me a second more, tipped
his hat and walked to his squad car.
    It appeared that Belle’s break-in wasn’t
going to be a high priority for the local police.
    I’d just have to solve that particular
mystery myself.
     
     

Chapter 3

    “ This one’s on the house
too,” Millie said as she slid a cup of coffee across the counter to
me. “Having to deal with Belle’s death, your inheritance, and a
break-in all in the same day is too much to expect of
anybody.”
    “ How did you know about the
break-in?” I asked as I sipped the coffee. It had a nutty taste
that startled me at first, but it quickly grew on me.
    Millie laughed as she took a swipe at the
counter. “Oh please, Harrison, I knew what happened long before the
squad car showed up. There’s something you should know—River’s Edge
is a great deal like its own small town. It’s hard not to know
what’s going on in other people’s lives around here. With one
obvious exception.” She hesitated, towel in hand.
    “ I’m waiting,” I said after
taking another sip. “You can’t leave me hanging like
that.”
    Millie said, “I really shouldn’t be starting
rumors. You’ll find out soon enough yourself.”
    I said, “Millie, I’m counting on you to keep
me informed around here.”
    She snapped, “And what exactly gave you the
impression that I’m such a busybody?”
    Oh, no, I’d put my foot in it again. “I
don’t think that at all. It just seems to me that The Crocked Pot
is a gathering place for everybody around here. Sorry if I offended
you.”
    She shook her head and laughed softly.
“George, that’s my husband, says the same thing. I guess