Franks smiled. "We're just dropping by to talk to people again. Can we speak with you for a few minutes?"
"Sure, but I'm not sure what I can tell you." She held the door open. "Come on in. The house is a mess, but we can sit out back again."
"Still have your grandparents in town?" Amy asked as they entered the house.
"Yeah, they decided to stay until after the funeral. Mom's getting all that planned out today and talking to Dad's lawyer about what the next steps are. I just couldn't bring myself to sit through all that. It's too hard."
"That's understandable. It sucks that you have to plan and grieve at the same time," Amy commented.
"Yeah, Mom's holding it together better than I am." Becca led them through the kitchen.
Franks noticed a large bakery box on the counter as they passed by. "That from Sweet Things?" He pointed.
"Yeah. Sad, isn't it? I hope she rebuilds. I really love her cakes. Mom got that one for us the day of the explosion. Grandpa likes Sweet Things carrot cake, so Mom got it for him." Becca slid the sliding glass door open so they could step outside.
"She got it the day of the explosion?" Amy asked, glancing over at Franks.
"Yeah, after Dad said he wasn't coming with us for dinner. She's got a key to the bakery and Kathy doesn't mind if Mom grabs stuff sometimes. As long as it's not a special order, but Kathy marks those and keeps them in a certain fridge we all know not to touch." Becca stood by the table. "Grandpa finished it off last night or I'd offer you some. Can I get you a drink instead? I think there's soda."
"No, we're good, but thanks," Franks told her.
Becca sat down. "So, have they found out what happened? What caused the explosion?"
"Not yet, but they're working day and night to find out," Amy said. "We just want to verify everyone's statements again. See if you might have remembered anything else since we last talked."
Becca shook her head. "Nothing, but I wasn't really there. I mean, I was in the car while Mom ran in to talk to Dad, but I was on the phone with a friend. I knew she wouldn't be long."
"How long was she in there?" Franks asked.
"I don't know, maybe ten minutes, maybe less. I wasn't really paying attention. She came out, pointed to the bakery, I thought she was going in to get cookies, but she came out with a cake for Grandpa. Then we left and came home to get my grandparents to go to dinner."
"How long was your mom in the bakery?" Amy asked.
"Maybe five minutes, if that. It wasn't long. I was still on the phone when she came back to the car, and I hadn't been talking to Liz that long. I could maybe look at my call log on my phone and tell you exactly, because I hung up once Mom got back in the car."
"That's okay." Franks didn't need the information. Just knowing that someone had gone into the bakery after Kathy Willgrow had closed for the day was enough. He didn't want to accuse Hillary of anything yet, but his mind was already going there, working out ways she could have messed with the gas in the bakery before leaving. "You haven't recalled any issues with employees or anything since we last talked?"
"No. In fact, I've mentally gone through the entire staff trying to think if anyone would want to hurt Dad or the restaurant, but there isn't anyone. Seriously, everyone got along. I don't know if you've ever worked in a busy kitchen, but it's like a family. Everyone has a job and it's that flow that makeseverything work. If people don't get along or someone is upset with someone else, it ruins that flow. Dad was big on making sure his staff were happy and enjoyed their jobs. He was always willing to help people learn and advance." Tears filled her eyes. "Sorry, I just miss him so much."
"It's understandable." Amy reached over and placed a gentle hand on Becca's arm. "I can't imagine how hard this is for you."
Franks hated pushing her with more questions, but now that he knew Hillary had gone in the bakery, he had no choice. "How mad was your mother that night that your dad wasn't going to dinner?"
"Furious, but that wasn't unusual. Mom and Dad fought a lot about the hours he put in at work. She said he needed to be home, and he reminded her that he had to work to pay bills. Mom wanted all the stuff that came with a successful restaurant, but she hated that Dad wasn't home more. I think after a while, Dad would stay at work just to avoid getting yelled at. Mom can be a bit much when she doesn't get her way." Becca looked up at them. "Not that Mom's a bad person. I mean, I get why she wanted Dad around more. I did too. But I would go to work with him and get time there with him. Mom never did that."
"Does your mother work?" Amy asked.
Becca shook her head. "Never has that I know of. She was always home with me when I was little."
Franks nodded. "And you never heard of any issues between Tyler Chris and your father?"
"None. They were best friends. I call him Uncle Tyler. He's always been around and I've never heard Dad and him fight. There was once, years ago, they disagreed about replacing the carpet at the restaurant but even that wasn't a fight. They ended up flipping a coin. That's how well they got along. He even called me last night. Me, not Mom. He wanted to know how I was holding up. He's just a good man." Becca was openly crying now.She reached for a box of tissues on the table, probably left there from the last time they'd interviewed them.
"Okay, I think that's all we need from you then. Again, if you remember something or think of anything that might help us, give us a call." Amy set her card on the table in front of Becca. "I'm so sorry we have to keep bringing all this up."
"It's okay." Becca sniffed. "I want answers too. If someone installed something wrong or equipment wasn't hooked up right, I want them to pay for causing this."
Amy stood and gripped Becca's shoulder. "We do too. We'll see ourselves out. Tell your mother we'll arrange a time to speak with her again once she has time."
