At Wick's End - Tim Myers [65]
I looked carefully down the hallway before I headed down the stairs, just in case anyone was there. I wanted to keep a low profile going into At Wick’s End. It wouldn’t do to have my plans spoiled by someone watching me.
Four hours later, I had the new candle poured. I was admiring my work when I sneezed again. It wasn’t caused by the scent I’d used in pouring the candle though. I was coming down with a cold. I had been forced to guess at the exact size of the candle, since many of the molds we had were similar, though not identical, but I figured the killer wouldn’t be able to tell the difference either. Matching the color was a little harder, adding a little bit of red dye at a time to the melted wax, then checking a drop on waxed paper to see the true final result. I had a chip of Belle’s candle as a test piece, so the match ended up being much closer than I had expected. Since my nose was clogged, I wasn’t sure how much scent to add, but I put in a modest amount of cinnamon and hoped it was enough.
I now had a nearly perfect match to Belle’s candle, with one important exception. I’d found a plastic jewel used to embellish candles similar to the genuine one in Belle’s effort, and I made sure one edge of it was touching the mold when I poured the wax. Belle’s hiding place had been flawless, but I actually wanted everyone to see that something was in there.
I was just checking the results of the second part of my plan when Eve walked up outside the candle shop the next morning.
“Harrison, I just put that display up last week. Why did you replace it already?”
I pointed to the window. “I wanted to show off what I’ve been learning. Do you like it?”
“It’s a fitting tribute, putting Belle’s candle there.” I’d put my substitute at the end of the line, clearly marking the date Belle had made it for the killer’s benefit. The display showed the progression of the pouring of a candle, from a chunk of wax and some dye near a double-boiler, then on to the molds, wicks and sealers along with a careful scattering of rocks and shells, and finally to the finished product.
It was as clear as I could make the progression Belle went through to hide that diamond, but the beauty of it was that only the killer would see the true meaning behind it.
Eve walked inside and peered closely into the display. As she started to pick up the candle, she said, “What’s that on the edge of the candle? How unlike Belle to be so careless with her placement.”
I stopped her and said, “I’ve got it just the way I want it. Belle was probably just in a hurry. Hey, it happens to the best of us. Are you ready to get started on our day?”
“I’m ready,” she said as her gaze lingered on the candle itself. Was she studying the red candle out of curiosity, or did she suddenly realize what Belle had done? Eve would certainly bear watching over the next few hours, along with everyone else who stepped inside At Wick’s End.
I’d been expecting something to happen early on, and I found myself on edge as I watched the access to the window display. Millie came by around ten-thirty. “Nice window, you’all.”
‘Thanks,” I said. “Who’s minding the store?”
“We had a lull so I locked the cafe up. I wanted to try this new recipe for my pumpkin doughnuts on you. It’s getting to be that time of year again. Would you two mind taking a taste and telling me what you think?”
Eve said, “I’d love to. Just a nibble, though.”
Millie’s response was to hand her an entire doughnut, just after she handed one to me.
I said, “Hey, how do you know I wanted one?”
She just smiled. “We haven’t known each other all that long, but I think I know you better than that.”
I said, “I wish I had the willpower to say no just to prove you wrong, but I can’t. They smell too good.”
It was wonderful, nothing short of perfection as I bit into the doughnut. I pretended to take my time, carefully considering all aspects of the doughnut’s bouquet, texture