He walked around the store with Hunter while Brad interviewed the owner. “They had to know what they were looking for,” Hunter said, his sharp gaze moving around the room.
Hunter had once served as an undercover narcotics detective for the Virginia State Police. He switched to the local sheriff’s department and fell in love with a woman caught in the middle of his operation. He and Belle now had a house with a bay view to raise their baby in.
Hunter directed him to which areas needed to be taped off for the fingerprinting officer once he finished with the door.
“Deputy Perdue, secure the office, please,” Brad said.
Aaron knew the detectives would want to ensure the security feed was not disturbed or erased while they were there.
“Got time to listen to the interview?” Hunter asked, looking at him.
Aaron sucked in a quick breath. “Oh hell yeah.”
Aaron had just started studying for his detective examination, and Hunter’s offer was an invaluable experience. Listening to the questions Hunter posed for the owner and his daughter when she arrived, Aaron was determined to commit them to memory. He watched the owners' faces, noted their expressions, and listened carefully to what they said.
Stepping outside where the burglar entered, he gladly took the camera from Hunter and began taking pictures. Hunter knelt and inspected the area, voicing his analysis of the visual clues aloud so that Aaron could listen as he photographed where indicated. He returned the camera, saying, “I appreciate the insight, Hunter.”
The stoic detective flashed a small smile and nodded. “You’ll make a damn good detective, Aaron.”
“Yeah, when all the studying is finished, and I pass the exam.”
“Got a timeline?”
“I’m shooting to take the exam in the spring. Get the holidays over, and then buckle down to prepare for it.”
“You staying here or looking to move on?”
Aaron chuckled. “With Andy and Dad here? I’m perfectly happy on the shore. As long as there’s a position and Colt will take me.”
Colt Hudson was the sheriff of North Heron County. He was also a native of the area and would probably remain sheriff until he retired, which was a long way off. Aaron found Colt to be a good man, an excellent sheriff, and a friend, so he would consider it an honor to be a detective under Colt.
His stride was swift as he met Lisa at their parked vehicle. Glancing down the sidewalk, he noticed the bakery’s crowd had thinned, offering the perfect chance to check it out. He turned to his partner. “You want something? I’m going to check it out.”
“Yeah. Coffee and any kind of pastry. I’m going to take a few minutes and return a call from my mom.”
With a nod, he jogged down the sidewalk and pushed open the door, hearing the sound of a bell tinkling above him. He stepped inside, and his gaze roamed the welcoming interior. There were white tables with red and white chairs dotting the small area for those having their coffee and treats. A counter was on one side with bakery items filling the shelves. The scent of coffee, along with vanilla, chocolate, and cinnamon wafted past, and he inhaled deeply. A pretty redheaded woman with a sweet face was behind the counter, her bright red apron proclaiming the name of the establishment was hers in cheerful letters.Bess’s Bakery and I’m Bess!
He chuckled, admiring her looks and confidence. She bustled through the door into the kitchen. Another woman moved down the counter, and his attention was snagged and then held captive. This woman had the same auburn hair and blue eyes as Bess, but something about her took her from pretty to beautiful in Aaron’s book. Her apron, which did nothing to hide her delicious curves, simply proclaimed the bakery's name, so he was anxious to learn her name.
Her wide and genuine smile ignited warmth in his chest. A light blush graced her cheeks. “Hi, what can I get for you this fine morning, Deputy?”
He turned on his charm and replied, “How about your name?”
She laughed and shook her head. “Sorry, I’m not on the menu.”
“Too bad,” he quipped, aiming his smile straight toward her. “But I guess I’ll settle for two coffees and two of your favorite pastries.” He inclined his head toward the outside and added, “My partner sent me in and said she wasn’t picky.”
The woman looked down at the case and nibbled on the corner of her bottom lip as though giving great thought to his request. “It’s very hard to choose which pastry I like the best. I was her official taste tester when my sister was developing all the recipes. But I would have to say her éclairs are beyond compare.”
He grinned wider. “Then I’ll take two of those and see if I can find out more information about you. You just confessed that your sister is Bess, the owner.”
“Perhaps…” Her gaze dropped to his name on his uniform, then lifted back to his face, her eyes widening slightly. “Perhaps, Deputy Bergstrom, I simply left you a clue. After all, you are trained in ferreting out information from clues, aren’t you?”
He laughed as she turned her back to him and filled to-go cups with coffee. Looking over her shoulder, she found his gaze.“I’m sorry. I forgot to ask if you wanted room for cream and sugar.”
“Room for both in both.”
As she set the cups on the counter, she moved to the display case and placed two of the éclairs into a bag. She turned toward the back and called out, “Hey, Bess, the éclairs have sold really well today. Got any more?”