Page 66 of Colton Family Bodyguard (Coltons of Mustang Valley)

Callum took the box and opened it. Inside were what appeared to be ordinary chocolates. She removed the card from the flowers.

Reading aloud, she said, “Thank you for preparing me all the wonderful meals. It’s signed Abigail.” She looked up at Callum. “That’s my client who lives in the house where that man almost ran me and Evie over.”

He took the box of chocolates. “We have to tell Kerry.”

“Kerry...why?” Did he think Abigail sending these was significant? That had been her first thought, as well, but would the killer be this subtle? He had already tried to run her down and shoot her. He must know Evie wasn’t with her now. If the chocolates were poisoned, he would only take out Hazel, not the star witness.

“It may be nothing but we have to be sure. If they turn out to be all right, I’ll replace the box of chocolates.”

She glanced at the flowers. Was there a way to poison those?

“I think we’d all be dropping dead already if those were casting off any toxins,” Callum said, having read her thoughts.

“Abigail is a new client. If these are from her, it’s good to know I won’t be losing her.”

“This doesn’t seem like the killer’s MO,” Callum said. “It’s more like what an ex-boss would do for revenge.”

“Carolyn?” She still could not imagine her capable of murder. Why would she try to kill Hazel for leaving the restaurant? Even if she blamed her for her ruin, would she really resort to murder?

* * *

A few days later, Kerry called with the results of toxicological testing done on the chocolates and they came back negative. She’d also confirmed that Abigail sent them.

Callum asked Patsy to bring a replacement box to the front desk of the inn without Hazel knowing and was waiting for her call.

Hazel stood behind the kitchen counter, where she had worked for hours on a new order. The flowers, now in a vase, were still fresh on the dining table.

“Callum?” Hazel asked.

Judging by her tone he sensed a serious question was on the way.

“Yes?”

“Can I ask you something about Annabel?”

Yup, here they went. Mentally preparing himself, he said, “Yes.”

She set down the knife she’d been using in the kitchen. “Do you still keep in touch with any of the friends you had together?”

What made her ask that? “We didn’t really have any friends in common, only mine and hers.”

“Why haven’t you spoken with her parents in all these years?”

“They don’t want to hear from me.”

“You indicated that before, but I have my doubts. If anything, they’d be more upset that you didn’t keep in touch. You were the last person to be close to her. You were going to have a baby together. Don’t you think they’d like to talk to you? You could tell them things about her in the days before she died. Was she happy? Maybe some special moment you two had. They probably needed that and you abandoned them.”

“I didn’t abandon them. I got their daughter killed. Seeing me would only remind them of that.”

“Now, see, there’s where I think you’re wrong. You said they invited you to the one-year memorial and you didn’t go.”

“I couldn’t go.”

“Right. You were out of the country, but you could have called and told them that.”

He looked over at her, unable to refute her point. “Okay then, I couldn’t have gone even if I was available.”

“Now that I believe,” she said. “You’ve been running all this time. You buried her and your emotions. You didn’t even tell your own family about her death.”

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