Pumpkin Spice Lies: A Pumpkin Hollow Mystery, book 16 by Kathleen Suzette (you can read anyone .txt) 📕

He nodded. “Oh yeah. I’m sure I’ll do that until I retire. It’s a nice little school, and I always enjoy the kids.”

“I bet it’s a nice place to work,” Christy said. “Did you hear what happened to one of the students there? Hailey Strong?”

He frowned again, and I watched him carefully. Was that a flicker of something I saw in his eyes?

He nodded. “It’s a shame; she was a good girl. I had her in one of my classes last year. She was a good student, and I hated to hear what happened to her.”

She was a good student? That made me wonder. According to Polly’s sister, she was troublesome when she was in high school.

“I just can’t imagine what could have happened to her,” I said sadly.

He looked at me and nodded. “It seems crazy, doesn’t it? I hope the police are taking a close look at her boyfriend.”

“Joey Harper?” I asked.

 He nodded. “He was so controlling of Hailey. Hailey complained about him from time to time. I told her a girl like her didn’t need to waste her time on a relationship like that, and she should break up with him.” He shrugged. “I don’t know if she ever did.”

“Did she say anything in particular about their relationship?” I asked him.

He looked at me a moment, then nodded. “Yeah, he accused her of cheating on him, and she swore up and down she never had. And I believe her. Like I said, she was a good girl, and I just can’t imagine her doing that.”

It bothered me that he kept referring to her as a girl. She was a young woman.

“I didn’t know Hailey well,” Christy said and glanced at me. “It’s just sad that somebody so young was murdered. Her life just cut off the way it was.”

He nodded and glanced back over his shoulder. “Say, would you girls like to come in? I could maybe order a couple of pizzas.”

My eyes went wide. No way was I going into his apartment. There was something about him that I didn’t like. “I’m sorry, I’ve got to get home. We just wanted to stop by and say hello and welcome you to the apartment complex.”

Christy nodded. “Yes, my boyfriend is coming over in a few minutes. Thanks for the offer though.”

He nodded, looking disappointed. “Of course. Maybe another day.”

Christy smiled but didn’t agree to pizza with him on another day. I didn’t either. There was something about this Frank Gillespie that bothered me. A lot.

“Well, thanks for the fudge.”

We said our goodbyes and headed back to Christy’s apartment.

“I don’t like him,” Christy whispered.

“Neither do I. You better keep an eye on him.”

She nodded. “Believe me, I will.”

I didn’t know about Frank Gillespie. He put off a vibe that made me feel not so safe around him.

Chapter Thirteen

“I love the fudge you sell here,” the woman in the princess costume standing in front of me said. She looked to be in her late fifties, but she wore the princess costume well.

“Thank you,” I said nodding, and went back behind the front counter. “We love to hear that. Fudge is one of our specialties, and we all love to indulge in it as well as make and sell it.”

She chuckled and peered into the display case. “Oh my goodness, you’ve got pumpkin spice fudge back?”

“We do. You had better get some of it because it’s only here for another week or so, and then it won’t be back until the Halloween season starts.”

She nodded and looked at me. “I’ll take a pound of it. It’s my favorite. I’d also like half a pound of peanut butter fudge. I think that’s my second favorite.”

“I’ll get that for you right now,” I said, opening up the display case and removing the two trays of fudge.

She began humming as I got to work cutting the fudge and wrapping it for her. “Are you enjoying Pumpkin Hollow Days?”

She nodded. “I love it. I’m so glad that you all added this event to the summer months. But I’ll be back during the Halloween season, too. Probably two or three times.” She chuckled. “And that means return visits here to the candy store.”

I smiled and put her fudge into paper bags. “We love hearing that, too. Return customers are our favorite kind of customers.”

I rang up her fudge, and she paid for it and left the shop.

I turned and looked at my mom as she came out of the kitchen, her apron dotted with bits of fudge.

“It’s getting hot back in that kitchen.”

“You need a rest. You’ve been on your feet all morning long.”

“You know what? I think I’m going to take a short walk and stop by Amanda’s and pick up a coffee. Can I get you anything?” She untied her apron, folded it, and brought it over to me to put behind the counter.

“I would love a pumpkin spice latte. I can’t get enough of it. Can you get it iced for me?”

“One iced pumpkin spice latte coming up. I’m going to go back to the kitchen and see if Linda and Christy want anything, and then I’m going to go for that walk.”

“Take your time,” I said. “We’ll handle everything here.”

She grinned and headed back to the kitchen.

I looked up as the front door opened, and a young woman walked through the door. She smiled at me and headed to the front counter.

“Hello,” I said, turning to her. “Is there something I can help you with?”

She nodded, beaming. “Yes, I heard that you all might be hiring. Can I get an application?”

“Sure.” I pulled out a printed form that my mother had made up and slid it across the counter