Read Treacherous Tart for Free Online Page A

outside. I just wanted to help that poor cat.”
    Maggie sighed heavily. Frank looked at them both like they were crazy.
    â€œSo you weren’t here when Mr. Wickerson came in?” Frank asked Clara.
    â€œNo.” Clara’s gaze lingered in the distance. “I was trying to find where that darn cat hides. I think she may not be alone.”
    â€œI know Mr. Wickerson was dating you, Clara—courtesy of Maggie’s boyfriend.” Frank’s voice was kind but inquisitive. “How long has that relationship been going on?”
    Aunt Clara tapped her chin with a flour-covered finger. “Let me see. It was earlier in the fall, after Maggie met Ryan and I went out with Ryan’s father. Garrett was too vocal for me. I can only take politics in small doses.”
    Frank rolled his eyes. “You know I can only afford one new car on my salary. My wife drives it. I have a Toyota that had seen better days a hundred thousand miles ago. I would really like to make captain. If I can figure out what happened to Mr. Wickerson, that would be good. Sometime in the next six months or so would be even better.”
    â€œAunt Clara has only been dating Donald a couple of months,” Maggie clarified. “They met at the library. Donald said he loved mince pie. They spent some time together. That’s all we know.”
    Frank rocked a little back and forth on the stool. His brown hair needed a cut, and his usual cheap suit had something that looked like ketchup on one lapel.
    â€œIn other words, neither of you knows anything about why or how Mr. Wickerson ended up dead.”
    â€œYes. That’s right.” Aunt Clara held her head up as she started crying again. “He was a very nice man. I can’t imagine why anyone would want to hurt him. I never believed those stories about him.”
    â€œBut you know about the six wives?”
    â€œYes,” Clara admitted. “Maggie told me about them just last night because Ryan was concerned.”
    â€œWhy was he concerned?” Frank seemed determined to drag it all out into the open.
    â€œThey were afraid Donald might try to kill me.” Clara started crying again. “It would be ironic if it wasn’t so sad.”
    â€œWell, we don’t know anything for sure yet.” Frank shrugged as he got up from the stool. “Time will tell. Thanks for telling me what you know. I’ll give you a call if we need anything else from you. Does either of you know if Mr. Wickerson had any family?”
    â€œYou should probably ask Ryan,” Maggie suggested. “He knows all about him.”
    Aunt Clara impulsively hugged him. “Thank you so much, Detective Waters. You’ve been a good friend to us. Would you like some pumpkin pie? I have one that’s cool.”
    â€œThat’s okay, Clara.” He smiled and changed his mind. “Maybe I could take it to go?”
    Maggie found a box and gave him the whole pie.It couldn’t hurt. Aunt Clara had a theory that pie made everything better. Maybe she was right.
    A police officer came to the kitchen door. “Detective Waters? The assistant medical examiner wants to talk to you.”
    â€œExcuse me, ladies. Thanks for the pie.”
    Maggie and Aunt Clara followed him. All the customers were gone, but the police and EMS people still filled the shop. There was a young man sitting on the floor beside Donald’s body, which was now covered by a green sheet.
    â€œWhat’s the news?” Frank asked him.
    â€œIt looks like a nine millimeter, close up. I found powder burns on his coat. Whoever shot him was looking right in his face as he did it. This wasn’t an accident. I’m afraid this is murder.”

----
----
Five
----
----

    F rank told Maggie and Aunt Clara that the crime scene team would have to make a thorough sweep of the pie shop. “Nothing extensive. We know he wasn’t killed here. You should be able to reopen