Wedding Bell Blunders: A Freshly Baked Cozy Mystery - Kathleen Suzette (parable of the sower read online TXT) 📗

us. “Well, it’s good to see the two of you getting out and getting some exercise.”

I narrowed my eyes at him and came to a stop in front of him as he came to a stop. “You say that like we never do that kind of thing.”

He shrugged. “It just seems like it’s been a while since I saw either of you out here.”

“That was only because you two were planning your wedding,” Lucy said. “Maybe if she had a little more help from you, she would have been able to get out and get some exercise.”

Alec chuckled. “Maybe so. Maybe so. What are you two up to today? Besides getting your exercise in?”

I shook my head. “Alec, who do you think killed Richard Thomas? Honestly? Who have you got in your sights?”

He shook his head. “I’m not really sure. I’d like to pin it on his cousin because everybody knows that he’s supplying drugs around town, but he’s a slick one.”

“I don’t know, Alec. He seems like your typical boy-next-door.” We had discussed my trip to the grocery store, and he hadn’t been happy about it, but I told him I just happened to run into him while picking up ice cream. I didn’t go into too much detail about our exchange.

“That’s why he’s gotten away with so much for so long.” He shook his head. “Honestly, it’s kind of amazing what he’s gotten away with.”

“The police can’t put him away?” Lucy asked.

“Oh, they’ve tried. Believe me, they’ve tried. And one of these days he’s going to get what he’s got coming to him. You wait and see.”

“He’s that bad?” I asked.

He nodded. “He’s been supplying high school kids with drugs. There just might be somebody keeping an eye on him as we speak.”

I nodded appreciatively. “Good. If he’s selling drugs to kids, he needs to be put away for a long time.”

“What a shame,” Lucy said, shaking her head. “Honestly, I don’t understand how people get involved in drugs and then do something like selling it to kids.”

“It takes all kinds,” Alec said. “Well, if you ladies will excuse me, I’m going to finish my run.”

He leaned over and kissed me. “I’ll see you later,” I said, and we headed on down the running path.

“That Jared sounds like a bad guy,” Lucy said.

She wasn’t kidding. As innocent and nice as he seemed, it would make him easily approached by people who might not ordinarily have gotten into drugs. Especially high school kids.

***

When Lucy and I finished our run, we decided that a trip to the Cup and Bean was in order. I didn’t want to undo the good I’d done on my run, but I needed a coffee. And maybe even a scone. Okay, maybe I was going to undo the good I’d done on my run. We got in line and looked up at the chalkboard menu on the wall while we waited our turn.

“That orange mocha sounds good,” Lucy said as we stood in line. “I like orange and chocolate together.”

I nodded. “It does. So does the blueberry coffeecake latte.” I glanced at the display case that held the baked goods. I needed to back off the baked goods, but we had exercised, hadn’t we? Certainly we had burned enough calories to be able to indulge a little. We scooted forward as the line moved ahead, and when we got to the front counter, we gave our orders. I settled on an apple cinnamon scone and a blueberry coffeecake latte. Then we headed back to a corner table.

Mr. Winters sat at the other end of the room, and he caught my eye and gave me a nod, then turned back to his newspaper.

“Look who’s here,” I said.

Lucy nodded. “I see. I wonder if he knows anything new?”

“I don’t know. Maybe we’ll stop by his table before we leave.”

I took a bite of the apple cinnamon scone and nodded appreciatively. “This is really tasty. I don’t think I’ve seen this in the display case before.”

Lucy picked up her chocolate scone, took a bite, and nodded. “This is good too. They had new items in the display case today.”

I glanced over to the opposite corner of the room, and I was stunned to see Della and Jared sitting at a corner table.

“Don’t look now, but there’s an odd couple in the corner over there,” I said, looking at Lucy.

Her eyes got wide, and she very slowly turned to look. When she turned back to me, her eyes were even bigger. “Wow. I never expected to see the two of them here together. What do you think is going on?”

I shook my head and let my eyes travel over to where they were. Della was leaning forward over the table, and they looked like they were having an intense conversation. “I wonder what that’s about.”

“Maybe Jared wants Richard’s job?” Lucy asked me, one eyebrow raised.

I nodded. “Maybe. But don’t you think Della would know what Jared has been up to? I mean, if she knew that Richard was out back selling drugs, she had to have seen his cousin coming around from time to time. And if not, she would have heard the rumors.”

Lucy shook her head and took another bite of her scone. “Drugs make strange bedfellows.”

“You can say that again. I’m just shocked.”

I took a sip of my coffee. Could Della really be ignorant of what Jared had been up to? He had to have appeared at her back door now and then while Richard was there. Or maybe Della didn’t care. Maybe she had her own drug issues, and she wanted to hire someone that could be her supplier.

“You need to let Alec know about that. There’s something not right about it.”

I nodded. “You can say that