Temptation Trails - Page 140

I didn’t know who I could trust anymore.

Except Harper. And if I were being honest, my brothers. There wasn’t much any of them could do to help, but I knew they’d have my back no matter what.

I left and headed into town to Tilikum Blossoms and Blooms. Although I didn’t know if that was where the flowers Jasmine had received had come from, it was the only florist in town, so a good place to start. If it proved to be a dead end, I’d still find an angle to use on Matt. One way or another, he and I were going to have a conversation.

The front of the store was basically covered in plants and flowers. Pots spilling with colorful blooms lined the sidewalk and bouquets filled the window. I went inside and was hit with the scent of roses.

I liked the way Angel Cakes smelled a lot better.

Margie Curtwright had owned Blossoms and Blooms since it opened, as far as I knew. She was in her sixties, with short silver hair and a friendly smile. Her beige apron had the store logo on the front, and she wore a little flower tucked behind her ear.

“Well, hello, officer.” She tucked a flower into an arrangement-in-progress. “What can I do for you today? Something for your lady love?”

“Actually, I was hoping I could talk to you.” Although while I was there, flowers weren’t a bad idea.

She lifted her eyebrows. “About what? Surely I’m not in trouble.”

“No, ma’am, not at all.”

“That’s a relief. What can I help you with?”

“I’m investigating—”

She gasped. “The Jasmine Joyner murder.”

Of course she knew. Everyone did. “Yes. Not long before she was murdered, Ms. Joyner received flowers, but she didn’t know who’d sent them. I’m wondering if there’s a way to track down whether they might have come from your shop.”

Her brow furrowed. “That’s a tough one. What kind of flowers?”

“They were white, with lilies.”

“And you don’t know who sent them?”

“That’s what I’m trying to find out. At the time, Jasmine assumed they were from her ex-boyfriend, but I suspect she was wrong.”

She shook her head. “No, no, it wasn’t a boyfriend.”

“What makes you say that?”

“White lilies? Those aren’t I love you flowers, or I’m sorry flowers. I suppose if he just waltzed in and chose an arrangement on his own he could have sent those. But if he had help, that isn’t what he would have left with. Not for an ex-girlfriend. A white arrangement with lilies? Those are funeral flowers.”

I stared at her for a second and she gasped again.

“Funeral flowers,” she whispered. “Oh my.”

That would certainly send a message. “I have an approximate date. Is there any way we could look to see if there’s a purchase record?”

She tapped her lip. “Only if the customer paid with a credit card or check. If they paid with cash, I wouldn’t have any information on them. But I’m afraid I don’t keep credit card records that long. I don’t have anything that goes that far back.”

My shoulders tightened, but I tried not to let my frustration show. I knew it had been a long shot, but I was still pissed. I needed a damn break.

“Oh!” She held up a finger. “I wonder.”

I hesitated, waiting for her to explain, but she just stared into the distance for a long moment.

“You wonder?”

“Sorry, I was thinking. Years ago, we suspected an employee was stealing from the till. We set up a camera. Sure enough, we were right. After that, we sort of forgot it was there. Just left it running.”