Ice Cream You Scream: A Cozy Mystery (Caesars Creek Mystery Series Book 4) Read online

  However, the Brandon issue wasn’t so cut and dried. Something was pulling me towards him, yet I resisted. Was it because I’d known him since he was a youngster and it felt strange to have feelings for him? He was younger, but only by three years. And what would Stormi think? I didn’t want anything to upset our friendship. She might think it odd and well, I was trying to get over the strangeness of it too.

  But for tonight, I had the only man I needed. I picked Winchester up and put him in his little dog bed next to my bed. He snuggled into it and before I knew it, was snoring softly. We both had a restful night of sleep, which was good since tomorrow I’d need nerves of steel.

  *****

  The next day Winchester and I arrived bright and early at my shoppe to await Stormi and Paige. Paige called that morning, said Bruce had left for the airport, and that Brandon would be coming in to inspect the property. Once Brandon gave it the once over, we could start cleaning. I didn’t open my shoppe until 10am so that would give Stormi and me a few hours to help Paige clean.

  I put on a pot of coffee in the kitchen area of my shoppe as Winchester and I waited for everyone to arrive. As I sipped from my cup, Stormi arrived.

  “There’s my dapper little man,” she said to Winchester who immediately stood on his hind legs and spun around.

  We both laughed. “That little guy is full of surprises,” Stormi said as she rubbed his little body.

  “He’s so good too. Went right to sleep in his new dog bed and let me know this morning when he had to go out and do his business.”

  Stormi poured herself a cup of coffee. “That’s good. I never liked going through the puppy training stage. Cleaning up puppy poop is not my idea of a fun time. Speaking of puppy poop….Brandon is seeing someone.”

  I felt my heart literally drop to the floor with a thud. Now I knew it was true. The feelings I’d been telling myself weren’t real actually were. I wanted to kick myself for being such an idiot. Why hadn’t I been more accommodating towards Brandon? Miss Trixie told me not a month ago that she could see how he looked at me, but I brushed it off. And even though we’d settled our differences with one another regarding Trixie, I remained rather aloof towards him. I guess I didn’t want my true feelings to show. Now I’d messed up. Sure Brandon dated many girls, but had I waited too long? My luck I had.

  I attempted to keep my voice level. “Who’s he dating now?”

  Stormi sat down on one of the stools. “Some girl from Worthington. I guess he’s been dating her for a few weeks now.”

  I felt a lump in my throat. “You didn’t know?”

  “He didn’t tell me until last night.” Stormi bent over and scratched Winchester’s ears. “I’m sure it will last as long as all the others. Which means he’s probably stopped seeing her.”

  I could hope. “So you haven’t met her?”

  Stormi stood up and walked over to look out the back door. “Nope and I don’t want to. I got tired of meeting his revolving door of girlfriends. When he gets serious about a girl, then fine I’ll meet her, but until then he can keep them to himself. Speak of the devil…he’s pulling up now.”

  As much as I berated my heart for fluttering like a butterfly on steroids, it continued to pound in my chest. Before I knew it, Brandon was walking through the back door. He pointed towards the coffee pot. “I was hoping you’d have coffee brewing. I didn’t have a chance to make any this morning.”

  “Late night?” Stormi asked. Ugh! I really didn’t want to know.

  Brandon poured coffee into his mug. “Yeah, it was late.”

  Stormi wasn’t about to let that stand. “Go on…”

  Brandon turned around and took a sip of his coffee. “Nothing to tell really. Took Brooke out to dinner and then we ended it.”

  Stormi whipped around to face me. “What did I tell you?”

  I felt like crap not five minutes ago and now I felt as if I was floating. Funny how fast things can change. Now the question was…would I let him slip away again? I couldn’t ponder the situation long as that moment Paige walked in the door.

  Paige pointed towards the now almost empty coffee pot. “Thank God you left me a smidgen.” She grabbed a cup and said, “What did I miss?”

  Stormi waved towards Brandon. “He just broke up with his latest girlfriend. What does that make it now…number 1007?”

  Brandon didn’t seem to be in the mood to explain his latest squeeze and what occurred between them. Winchester inched over to smell his shoe. “Who’s this little guy?”

  I walked over to where Winchester was giving Brandon the once over. “This is Winchester. He’s my new housemate.”

  Brandon bent over to pet Winchester’s head. “Nice to meet you Winchester.”

  Stormi placed her coffee cup into the sink. “We found him running through the building next door. He looks a lot better today than he did yesterday.”

  Brandon rose back up. “Did he have tags?” Winchester jumped on his leg and Brandon obliged by scratching his ears.

  “No,” Paige answered as she took a sip of java. “I took him to the vet and he wasn’t micro chipped either. I’m surprised as he’s a very good boy.”

  I placed the now empty coffee pot into the sink. “He’d been on his own for awhile though. His hair was all matted and he needed a bath terribly.”

  “He looks clean today,” Brandon said smiling at Winchester. I swear, Winchester looked like he was smiling at Brandon as he stared up at him.

  “That’s why I don’t want to take him next door while we clean,” I said. “I don’t want him to get dirty all over again. But then I hate to leave him here by himself.”

  Stormi grabbed Winchester’s leash. “We can tie his leash to one of the spindles on the staircase. He shouldn’t get too dirty in that small of an area.”

  “Before any of you go traipsing around in there, and that includes you too Winchester,” Brandon said as he pointed down at him, “I need to perform a quick inspection to ensure there’s no ghosts on the second floor.”

  Stormi grimaced. “You had to go there didn’t you? I tossed and turned all night just thinking about what lies within the confines of that upstairs.”

  “Really Stormi?” Paige placed her used coffee cup in the sink with the rest of the cups. “I don’t need to scare you. You do a fine job on your own.”

  “Yes I know,” Stormi agreed.

  We all headed out the door, Winchester included. I attached his leash to the purple collar encircling his neck. Paige gave Brandon the keys to the building and he headed inside while we walked over to Paige’s SUV to gather the cleaning supplies.

  Stormi pointed to Winchester. “I have the perfect purple and green handkerchief for Winchester. You could tie it around his neck.”

  Paige opened the back of her SUV. “Maybe Stiff Tail doesn’t want to be dressed up.”

  Stormi bent down as if to have a conversation with Winchester. “Of course you do. I know a dapper dog when I see one.” Winchester woofed his response and Stormi took that as a yes.

  We stood and talked for about 15 minutes while waiting on Brandon. Now that I knew he was free once again, I would have to plot my next move. But should I talk to Stormi first? Before I could contemplate the matter more, Brandon stuck his head out the door. “I believe it’s safe for you ladies…oh and you too Winnie.”

  We grabbed our buckets, brooms and mops. We’d have to fill the buckets with water from my shoppe until the owner turned the water on in the building. Luckily, the electricity was already on and Brandon commenced upstairs to the attic to check out the wiring.

  I tied Winchester’s leash to the first spindle on the staircase. “Now Winchester, we girls need to clean, but you’ll have a clear view of us while we work.” He sat down and offered me his paw. “Yes, I know you don’t want to be tethered, but it’s only for a little while buddy. I just don’t want you to get dirty.” He laid down then as if he understood.

  Stormi brought over a small dish from the ice cream shoppe
filled with water. “Just in case you get thirsty big guy.”

  We commenced cleaning. First sweeping up as much dust as possible. Paige worked on the first floor and I used my broom to knock down dirt on the walls and cobwebs in the corners. Stormi swept the staircase starting at the top. When Paige took her broom into another room on the first floor, I loud whispered up to Stormi to come down. She sprinted down the stairs, creaking the entire way. So much for being discreet. Paige came tearing out of the back room. “Good grief, I thought someone fell down the stairs!”

  “No. just me walking down,” Stormi replied. “Sounds like some loose boards.”

  Paige made a face and turned back around to continue her task. Stormi looked at me. “What’s going on?”

  I looked at the floor. “I have something I want to ask you but I’m afraid to.”

  Stormi put her hand on her hip. “You’re kidding right. When have you ever been afraid to ask me anything?”

  “This is different,” I whispered.

  Stormi appeared concerned. “Now you’re scaring me. You can tell or ask me anything.”

  I looked at her. “It’s about Brandon.”

  Stormi shrugged. “What about him?”

  It was now or never. “What would you think if I asked Brandon to dinner at my place?”

  Stormi’s eyes grew large, but before she could answer, Winchester took off up the stairs with his leash attached.

  We stood staring after him. “How did he get loose?”

  I looked down and noticed the staircase spindle had come loose on the bottom allowing Winchester to pull the leash free.

  “Your little buddy is up here,” Brandon yelled.

  I started up the stairs. “I’m coming. Don’t let him get too dirty.”

  “Too late,” Brandon yelled. “You can let him stay. I’ll keep an eye on him while I check out the attic. Besides I think he may have a mouse trapped in one of the corners up here.”

  A mouse? Ugh! “Okay, you keep an eye on him,” I answered.

  Stormi squirmed. “Yuk, I hadn’t even thought about mice. Now I’m really on edge. I’ll be getting my drink on early today.”

  Suddenly Stormi looked at me. “Wait, what we were talking about? Something about asking Brandon to dinner?”

  Paige walked in the room. “What is all the commotion out here? Loose dog, yelling, talk of mice. It’s too early in the morning for all this hullabaloo.”

  Stormi saluted. “Yes boss.” Paige turned around and walked back into the side room to finish sweeping.

  But before Stormi and I could continue our conversation, Winchester came tearing back down the stairs with something in his mouth.

  “Oh Brandon, you let him get into something.” I called back up the stairs as Winchester flew past Stormi and me. We tried to grab his leash to no avail. Whatever he had in his mouth, he wasn’t about to give it up yet. We bobbed and weaved trying to grab the little goober. I grabbed Stormi’s arm. “Let’s stop chasing him and maybe he’ll stop.”

  Stormi was gasping for air. “Works for me!”

  As I suspected Winchester was wearing down as well. He finally stood a few yards away from us panting. He slowly lay down and began chewing on his new toy. We gradually crept towards him, cooing baby talk the entire way. He chewed but his eyes never left us. When we got close enough to see what he had, Stormi grabbed my arm to stop me. She called to Paige in the other room.

  “Paige!”

  “Yes.”

  “Did you happen to bring your Halloween party decorations over here already?” Stormi and I stood straight as sticks awaiting her answer.

  “No,” Paige yelled. “We just got the key. I wouldn’t bring anything over until we cleaned the joint.”

  “Then you better get out here,” I yelled.

  Paige walked out of the side room carrying her broom. “What now?”

  Stormi and I pointed towards Winchester. “What is he chewing on?” Paige asked as she walked closer. Then she stopped dead in her tracks. “Oh crap! Is that what I think it is?”

  Stormi answered. “Well, if you’re thinking it’s a skeleton hand….then yes.”

  Winchester ignored us and continued to gnaw on the skeletal fingers.

  Paige, Stormi and I stood like statues watching Winchester, none of us willing to move an inch.

  Paige tore her gaze away from Winchester and looked at Stormi and me. “Is that all there is…or is there more?”

  Stormi remained entranced with Winchester. “You mean is there more skeleton somewhere in the building? My best guess is…yes.”

  Paige placed the end of the broom against the wall. “Where’d he get it from?”

  I pointed upstairs. “He ran up there and Brandon said he was scratching at a corner of the room on the second floor, and then he went into the attic to check on the wiring.”

  “Is Brandon still in the attic?” Paige asked.

  “Brandon!” Stormi yelled, giving Paige and me a start.

  “What?” He yelled.

  “Are you still in the attic?”

  “Yeah…why?”

  “You need to come down here,” Stormi replied. “Like now!”

  We heard noises, assuming it was Brandon leaving the attic and entering the second floor. Then the noises stopped. We looked at one another. The only noise was Winchester’s teeth as he chowed down on the bony fingers.

  “Brandon!” Stormi yelled.

  “We’ve got a situation up here.” He yelled from the second floor.

  Stormi grimaced. “Does it involve a skeleton?”

  “How’d you know?”

  Paige scowled. “Well, crap! Figures Bruce and I would pick the place with a dead body to set up shop.”

  “I’ll call Greg,” Stormi said, referencing her police boyfriend Officer Manning.

  Another adventure was about to begin.

  *****

  The next few days were a flurry of activity next door as a forensic crew took the skeleton (even the gnawed on hand) and any other evidence they felt was warranted, which wasn’t much. Paige called Bruce to let him know of the surprising events. Suffice it to say, I think he was happy to be away on his business trip when it all went down. Once the police were certain they didn’t need anything else from the building, Paige, Sammy and the rest of us could commence with the cleaning and Brandon with the handy work.

  It seems that the area of the wall on the second floor that Winchester was scratching at held the skeleton. The wall had likely rotted from moisture from the body as it decayed, making the wood soft and eventually allowing Winchester to scratch it loose. I assume he’d been at the task for a while, since that’s where we found him, and he wasn’t about to give up until he’d found his prize. He wasn’t very happy about letting Officer Manning have the hand he worked so hard to get, but new toys and a few puppy treats were encouragement enough.

  The owner was notified of the discovery, but since he’d never even been in the building, he didn’t have much to offer the police. He’d purchased the building in 2008 when real estate prices plummeted and used it for storage only. In fact, that’s what the building had been used for the last 40 years. Prior to that, the police would have to search through old records at the county seat.

  That week at the Frozen Scoop ice cream shoppe, everyone was a twitter about the discovery next door. No one could believe there’d been a dead body in the building for 40 years. Everyone had a theory, but none of them seemed viable. It was difficult not to speculate. Soon Stormi had significant info from her boyfriend, Officer Manning.

  “Just had lunch with Greg,” she said, marching into the shoppe on a Saturday afternoon. Paige and I were busy making a three chocolate ice cream cake while Sammy took care of the front. Winchester lay in his little dog bed taking a snooze. He raised his head to look at Stormi and then promptly went back to sleep.

  Paige wiped her hands on her apron. “Has he learned anything about poor ole skeletor?”

  Stormi laid her purs
e on the counter and pulled out a sheet of paper. “I made sure to write it all down because you know how scatterbrained I am. Anyway, a man went missing around 40 years ago by the name of Clifford Ewing. From what forensics can tell, the height and build match this Clifford dude. So now they have to do DNA testing to make sure.”

  I placed my finished ice cream cake into the freezer. “How will they do that?”

  Stormi continued. “The man never married or had any children, but he had a sister who is still alive. Supposedly they can take a DNA sample from her, test it, and see if it’s enough of a match to his DNA.”