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“What’s going on?” Melly asked, a thread of concern coming through in her voice. “You didn’t run out of gas, did you?”
“Full tank. The truck’s new. It only has a few thousand miles on it.” I unbuckled and left the truck, walking around the vehicle to the hood. Melly slid from her seat and joined me.
An odd, sweet smell drifted through the air.
I glanced her way. “Someone cut my radiator hoses and disconnected the battery.” I nudged my chin toward an index card lying on the engine. “They also left a calling card.”
Melly stood on her tiptoes to read the black letters scrolling across the white card, but I could see them quite well from here.
Stop investigating.
Or else.
I lefteverything alone and called Detective Carter, who said he’d be here shortly. I also called Cryptid Car Care and they said they’d send someone out with parts to do a quick repair here in the lot. They’d also make sure nothing else had been sabotaged.
We sat in the truck. Melly fretted. I studied the building, looking for cameras.
“We’re not giving up,” Melly said in a shrill voice. “Whoever framed Grannie Rose is not getting away with this.”
“I won’t stop until they’re the ones worried about going to jail.”
“Thank you.” Her lower lip trembled.
I scooted across the bench seat and lifted her onto my lap, wrapping my arms around her. “We’re going to clear her name.”
“We’ve barely started looking for clues and this happens. What motive do they have for poisoning six people? And why try to blame Grannie?”
“Your grandmother could be collateral damage. They may have been trying to hurt one of the others, and her punch was convenient. No one would suspect a thing if a drink made with sherbet was extra sweet. They’d think she just messed up the recipe, something that wouldn’t be unusual for someone her age.”
“Never Grannie. She doesn’t have even one sign of dementia or Alzheimer’s. Not yet anyway. Her mother was sharp until she died at the age of ninety-two.”
“Your grandmother is fortunate.”
“I feel like time is ticking away and we’re not making progress,” she said. “I’m not criticizing you. I know you did some investigating last night, and you’ll fill me in on what you found. But I’m worried. What if we can’t find any evidence pointing to someone other than my grandmother?”
“I’m not going to let that happen.”
She looked up at me. “I appreciate that. I’m grateful you’re helping me figure this out. But some people are very good at hiding their tracks.”
“There will be clues. We’ll put them together.”
Detective Carter pulled in at the same time as the wrecker. After giving the yeti mechanic the go-ahead, she started replacing the hoses and looking at the engine to make sure nothing else had been sabotaged. She also took care of the battery.
Detective Carter removed and bagged the note. “I don’t know if I’ll discover any clues from paper.”
The note was written in block letters with what looked like a permanent marker.
“There are no cameras on the building or in the lot,” I said.
“Good observation.” Detective Carter squinted around the empty parking lot. “And they hide a key in a fake rock. I don’t think there’s anyone in town who doesn’t know where it is.”
I’d thought the same thing. They should install a door with a code or restrict access. Have someone let them in. There were plenty of things that would make the place safer.
Detective Carter grunted. “I’ve told all the businesses in town that they need to come up to speed on security, but most ignore me.”
“The church isn’t wealthy,” Melly said. “They probably can’t afford to add cameras.”
“And look what happens.” He held up the clear bag. “I’ll ask around to see if anyone passed the lot and sawsomeone near your truck, but with the long driveway, the odds are slim.”
