“Home Sweet Murder”
An Allegra Mitchells Mystery
Volume One
Eliza Brookes
© 2019
Eliza Brookes
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other non-commercial uses permitted by copyright law.
This story is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner & are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental. Products or brand names mentioned are trademarks of their respective holders or companies. The cover uses licensed images & are shown for illustrative purposes only. Any person(s) that may be depicted on the cover are simply models.
Edition v1.00 (2019.07.22)
Special thanks to the following volunteer readers who helped with proofreading: Christine S., Kari Wellborn, Dick B., Julie Pope, M. McMath, Renee Arthur, Toni Tran, Amanda Peters, Michele Beschen, RS, JayBee and those who assisted but wished to be anonymous. Thank you so much for your support.
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Table of Contents
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Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter One
Allegra Mitchells arrived in Llewes Cove the same way she left it all those years ago — mysteriously and in style. She hopped off the rickety old bus, clutching her backpack strap to her. It was early morning, and most of the shops had not opened yet. She might live out of a suitcase most of the time, but Allegra knew how to do so well. She took great pride in the fact that her outfit was pristine and that her hair did not look like it had just spent four hours on a humid old bus.
She took a deep breath and turned to wave at the bus driver. He did not even wait for her to close the luggage compartment before roaring off in his tin can. Smoke poured out from the back and Allegra was left to cough in the unhealthy vapors. She sighed and turned to the old bus depot. It was still a sad old building that needed a lick of paint. Or a bulldozer, whichever came first.
The sun was just starting to peep over the horizon, and a small breeze swept through the air, causing her to hug her jacket closer. Allegra Mitchells stood there, almost expecting Grumpy Old Dot to come trundling up in her modest station wagon, berating her for taking so long. She smiled faintly at the memory. It had been ten years to the day now when she had left this town for good. The corners of her mouth turned down as she remembered the circumstances.
She shook her head impatiently, trying to get rid of the unhappy memory. All that mattered was that she was home, and her great-aunt Dot would be happy to see her despite how they left things all those years ago. Allegra might not have had much else, or anything really, but at least she had the amazing gift of looking on the positive side of things. If it suited her mood. She smiled fondly as she passed the little building. The first time she had climbed off that bus, Grumpy Dot had bought her a bag of treats to cheer her up.
With a contented sigh, she picked up her single suitcase and began the long walk to her great-aunt's house on the other end of town. As she walked through the town, she was reminded of the strange nature of time. In some places, like New York, time was like a raging river that moved too quickly to be appreciated. In a town like Llewes Cove, whose only claim to fame was that the tourist office dubbed it “The Friendliest Town in America!”, time trickled slowly. You had to keep checking your watch to make sure that it was moving. In ten years, not a single thing had changed. The same stores opened at the same time and were even painted the same color. She wondered vaguely if the people had changed at all. Probably not, but one could hope.
That hope vanished when the grocer walked up to his shop and stuck his keys into the door with a jangle. He looked up, as if sensing her presence, and sneered under his bushy, greying mustache. She gave him a mischievous smile, obviously, the good man remembered her. He scoffed and muttered under his breath before pushing the door open with his foot and kicking it closed behind him, as if to remind her of her lifelong ban. It felt good to be home.
The famous Californian heat made itself known as she passed the town square. She wiped her brow and looked at her phone, resting for a moment. Everything in Llewes Cove could be found through the town square. It was oddly designed, with the back of most buildings facing the beautiful coast instead of in front of it. It appeared as though the town was split in two. On the marina, there were a few lively seafood restaurants and a dilapidated fair on the docks. You could buy an all-access ticket and risk your life on the rickety rides or chance food poisoning at one of the many stalls. It was the gem of the town. If she remembered correctly, which she did, the townsfolk did not get along well with the business owners who lined all their businesses on the dock, which was creatively nicknamed "Dock Street". Hence, the split. Tourists were welcome on either side, and by welcome, the townsfolk preferred it if they stayed by the dock. Allegra was welcome on Dock Street, but she was not welcome in the town itself.
Allegra glanced over to the main street that connected the two sides, and she wished she was going there. Unfortunately, she was required to pass through the whole town to get to her great-aunt’s house. Great-Aunt Dorothy, or Grumpy Dot for short, was a special case. She belonged to neither side. During the summers that she spent there, Allegra had tried her best to understand why both sides welcomed Grumpy Dot. Grumpy Dot had laughed and said that she was too stubborn to fall in line, and most of the townsfolk had given up on her. She was grumpy and brusque, so naturally, everyone liked her. The truth was that Llewes Cove hated newcomers. The original founders of the town preferred exclusivity, and never welcomed newcomers. The divide in the town could be explained in a few simple words. Dock Street belonged to people who welcomed tourists and the town square belonged to those who did not. They could function just fine on their own, thank you very much.
Great-Aunt Dorothy had moved here with her late husband over fifty years ago. Her mother had been born and bred in the town, so the town accepted her. But she was also a newcomer, so Dock Street, who belonged to people who ironically were also born and bred in the town, welcomed her too.
Grumpy Dot had never been one for convention, so she built her house outside the town, facing away from the beach. Grumpy Dot claimed that she wanted to see the natural Californian beauty instead.
A
llegra wiped the sweat from her brow and glared at her heavy suitcase as if it was to blame for this entire ordeal. She grumbled to herself, upset that the tiny town did not have a taxi service. Although Allegra had spent most of her time traveling in and around massive cities. It was easier to get lost in the crowd there. In a small town, you stood out. She had forgotten that tiny towns, like Llewes Cove, were not fond of public transport. To be fair to the town, taxis, and busses would be a waste of money since almost everything was within walking distance. Besides, most people had cars. She could imagine the disapproving look on her great-aunt's face when she found out that her great-niece didn’t have a car. Or an apartment. Or a boyfriend. As if on cue, her phone beeped in her pocket. She ignored it and mentally calculated how much further she had to go.
Behind her, a car drove soundlessly through the street. It passed her, and as if it recognized her, it stopped. Allegra tilted her head curiously, wondering who was in the car. It was a suburban hatchback, used to transport kids in an upper middle-class home to wherever their little hearts desired. After which mommy would go visit the country club or scrapbooking group. The car reversed, and the head of an attractive young woman popped out of the window. Allegra groaned internally.
“As I live and breathe! Is that you, Gypsy?”
Allegra rolled her eyes and tried not to glare at the one person who she wished wasn’t still in the town. Ashlee Smith had been a pain from the moment they had met over fifteen years ago. She looked like her main aspiration in life was to improve the community by being the chair of the Home Owner’s Association. Even as a teenager, her life-long goal was to be Prom Queen. After that, it was her life-long ambition to see her daughter take the crown. And granddaughter, and so on and so forth.
Ashlee was not a bad person. Well, truth be told, that fact hinged on Allegra’s mood. She and Ashlee had been tossed together as children and everyone expected them to get along. As children, the two pretended for the sake of the adults. Dot seemed satisfied when she saw the two of them playing together. Ashlee’s mother believed that allowing her precious beauty queen to play with the neighborhood stray counted as community service.
That view was shared by the little beauty queen. Ashlee made a real effort to be Allegra’s friend because she honestly believed that it was a form of charity. This fact grated on Allegra’s nerves. She had hoped that because they were both adults now they could stop pretending. Obviously, she had been wrong. Ashlee and Allegra were polar opposites. But Ashlee would rather die than admit that someone did not like her, even to herself. They could have been friends, but every time they spent time together it felt like a play date organized by their parents. That, and Ashlee Smith was possibly the most judgmental person Allegra had ever met. Which was an achievement in this town.
“In the flesh, Ashlee Smith” Allegra declared, gesturing down at her body.
“Why, we weren’t expecting you for another few days! Oh, and it’s Ashlee Mathers now, I got married” Ashlee gushed, running a hand through her blonde highlights and subtly showing off her larger than normal wedding ring. Allegra could never work out why people couldn’t just dye all their hair blonde. Why did it have to be different shades and streaks?
Allegra walked up to the car, ignoring Ashlee’s strange comment, and spotted Ashlee’s sister, Ellie, sitting in the car. She smiled broadly at her old friend. Ellie was everything that Ashlee wasn’t. She was soft-spoken and incredibly gentle. Ellie looked up, her face tear-stained, and waved half-heartedly. Allegra frowned, wondering what had happened now.
“How did you know I was coming?” Allegra muttered, still looking at Ellie.
“You haven’t heard?” Ashlee asked, a slight downturn to her smile.
“Heard what? I’ve just come to visit Grumpy Dot,” Allegra explained, turning her attention to Ashlee. In the passenger seat, Ellie let out a strangled sob and began crying. Ashlee winced and looked at Allegra with sympathy.
“You mean, you really haven’t heard? Your mom said she would let you know…”
Allegra's heart jumped into her throat as she looked at the two sisters. Grumpy Dot was fine; they were just being their usual overly-dramatic selves. There was nothing to do for miles, so the townsfolk had developed the nasty impression that they lived in a soap opera. Every little thing was stretched to hyperbolic proportions. If the rain came early, they were in for flooding. If the flu broke out, their lives were in danger and shops closed for the week. She remembered when someone (it was her, it was always her) vandalized the statue of the town founder. The police were called, and a full investigation was launched. People were convinced that there was gang activity in town. It was so serious that they considered assembling a task force.
It wouldn’t have happened if Ashlee hadn’t snitched on her. In Allegra’s defense, it was a pretentious statue. And she was bored. All she did was egg the statue, but everyone acted as though she had carved obscene gestures into the bronze and defiled the man’s grave. She hadn’t, of course. It was just that no one believed her. Grumpy Dot had laughed for days about it, and Allegra always smiled at the memory.
“Oh, honey,” Ashlee breathed when Allegra gave them a confused look. “You better come with us,” Ashlee declared, unlocking the car. Allegra looked around as if looking for an excuse. When she couldn't think of one, she sighed and climbed into the car. Several toys were strewn about, and a child's car seat took up most of the seat.
“Sorry about that,” Ashlee said, turning around and tossing a few toys away from Allegra’s feet.
“What is wrong?” Allegra asked, ignoring Ashlee’s fussing. Ashlee stilled and turned around, looking out the windshield dramatically. Allegra fought an annoyed sound and counted to ten in her head.
“I’m so sorry, darling,” she said finally, turning and looking at her with sympathy.
“About?” Allegra asked, fighting the urge to snap at the woman. Ashlee took a deep breath and looked up at the roof, dramatically batting her eyes. If she had been a little more ambitious, she could have ended up with her very own soap opera.
“Your great-aunt is dead,” Ellie said, her voice muted. Ashlee made an indignant sound and turned on her sister with murder in her eyes.
Allegra’s heart sunk to her feet. The sound of the sisters arguing quietly was drowned out and she felt her heart stop. She pushed the emotion away and looked at the two.
“That’s impossible, I spoke to her a week ago.”
Ashlee frowned and turned back to Allegra, “It was sudden. They say she had a vicious lung disease. It was too late. You know Grumpy Dot, she never asked for help.”
The reality suddenly became all too real. Grumpy Dot had asthma and weak lungs. Her parents had smoked when she was younger, leaving her with impaired breathing ability.
“When did it happen?” Allegra asked, trying to hold back all the emotion. She didn’t know what to do now.
“Just two days ago,” Ashlee replied, “We contacted your mother.” Allegra scoffed, no wonder she didn’t know. Her mother was not the most thoughtful person on the planet, and Grumpy Dot had told her so.
“Come on,” Ashlee said gently, “we’ll get you booked into the Inn.”
Chapter Two
The Inn was a comfortable bed and breakfast that overlooked the town square. As Allegra looked around, she was reminded of how time never seemed to move in the little town. Ashlee and Ellie were talking to the surly innkeeper who kept giving Allegra suspicious looks. At one point, she waved at him only for him to jerk back and give her a glare. She took her time looking around, keeping an eye out for anything interesting. In truth, her mind was racing. She had called Grumpy Dot just a few days before. She wanted to make sure that she didn't show up here and find that Grumpy Dot wasn't at home.
"How long are you staying?" the innkeeper barked when she reached up to touch one of the various ornaments.
“I’m not sure,” she admitted weakly. The truth was a little more complicated than she had anticipated an
d now she wasn’t sure what her plan was moving forward. “I’ll probably stay until after the funeral.” A horrible thought struck her, and she looked toward the sisters, “Who is planning the funeral?” She didn’t know how to plan a funeral. She wouldn’t know where to begin.
“I am,” Ellie said quietly. Allegra nodded thankfully, she preferred to let Ellie do it. She was a whizz at planning events. That, and she trusted the mild-tempered girl a lot more than her unruly sister.
“And I’m helping,” Ashlee announced reassuringly. Allegra felt her mood deflate and she just nodded.
"You can stay for a week," the innkeeper interrupted, holding out a room key. "You can't stay longer because I have a scrapbooking convention booked here."
“A scrapbooking convention?” she asked weakly. She didn’t know there was such a thing.
“Yes,” the innkeeper nodded vigorously, “It’s going to be three days of intense scrapbooking.” Allegra nodded as if she had expected as much and lifted her bag. “Come,” he said with the surliness of a professional, “I’ll show you to your room.”
“If you need anything, let us know,” Ashlee called out after her.
The innkeeper, whose nametag identified him as Ray, led her up a darkened stairway, stomping his feet loudly.
“Here we are,” he announced, flinging the door open with a theatrical flair.
“Wow,” Allegra muttered when she realized that he was expecting an enthusiastic response. Every surface of the room was covered with flowers. The wallpaper was an obnoxious flowery pattern; the bedspread and upholstery matched the wallpaper. Fake flowers were placed everywhere, and the furniture was old, ugly and heavy. She smiled faintly at Ray’s broad grin.
“We call it the East Room,” he said proudly.
“I would have guessed ‘Flower’ room,” she mumbled.
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