Mint Chocolate Chip Mysteries, Books 1-3
Page 45
Peter laughed in my face. “What difference does it make?” He grabbed my arm. “But you’re going to tell me where the girl is. I saw her leave, but somebody picked her up before I could grab her.”
Bile rose from my stomach, at the realization of how close Izzy had come to being a statistic. Rage filled me. I had to concentrate. Channel it to my benefit.
“Your luck has run out, Peter. You should have left when you had the chance.”
“What? And walk away from the biggest deal of my life? That bumbling Officer Walker messed up my plans once, traipsing around following a hunch. But that won’t happen again. Nothing will get in the way this time.” He yanked my arm, pulling me closer. I kneed him in his groin with all my adrenaline-fueled strength.
He grunted and bent over but didn’t release me.
“Let. Her. Go!”
Stacy’s harsh voice, echoing in the barn like the beat of a base drum, was music to my ears. It gave me hope.
Peter forced me around as his human shield. Now I faced Stacy. She stood in the barn doorway, feet apart, both arms raised steady in front of her chest, with a gun aimed at us.
She moved closer and snarled, “Hurt her and you’ll make my day. I’d like nothing better than to shoot you and rid this earth of your evil.”
Peter’s hand, slick with sweat and his breathing coming in shallow bursts, tried to sound confident. “I doubt you’re aim is that good. You’ll have to shoot both of us.”
Without thinking, I lunged and twisted as far as possible to one side.
A deafening blast filled the barn. Moments later, I choked from the acrid smell. Peter shrieked, dropped my arm, and fell on the cement, writhing while clutching his foot.
I ran. Instinct and fear guided me.
“That’s a warning. Now, get up before I shoot your other foot,” Stacy said, with an unwavering focus on Peter.
Sirens screamed behind me. People ran toward the barn. Everything moved at lightning speed in one blur of activity. All I could think of was Izzy. I had to find her. I ran to the kitchen door, a stretch that seemed to take forever. I burst inside, gasping for air.
“Izzy? Jasper?” I screamed.
I heard muffled barking and followed the sound to Ron’s locked bird room.
“Izzy? Are you okay?”
“Stacy told me to stay in here with Jasper. Can I come out now?” she asked. My heart leaped. Her voice sounded so small, so frightened.
“I don’t have the key, Izzy, but I’ll go find Ron. Are you okay?”
“Uh-huh. Jasper’s here with me. She’s really good company.”
I slumped against the wall, drained. I needed a moment for my legs to stop trembling before I could go for help.
“Sunny?” I heard feet pounding on the floor toward me. “Is she okay?” Ron asked when he appeared around the corner, his face white as a sheet.
I nodded. “Stacy locked her in the bird room with Jasper.”
Ron unlocked the door. He crouched down in front of Izzy, his arms out to enfold her in a comforting embrace. “Hey, Izzy, everything’s okay. Stacy was just being extra careful. You can come out now.”
Izzy, with her big intense eyes that understood so much, looked at Ron. “I didn’t like Peter. He wasn’t nice to Andy.” She stood up and patted her side. “Come on, Jasper.”
I held my hand out toward Izzy. “How about we go to the kitchen and rustle up a snack. I know I’m hungry.” As soon as my thoughts turned to food, I felt like I could demolish a whole bag of donuts.
“Okay,” Izzy said, as if it were any other day. “I like pancakes.”
“I bet you like them with chocolate chips, right?”
With her special quizzical expression, Izzy looked at me and asked, “How did you know?”
“Just a lucky guess.”
When we walked into the kitchen, Stacy stood at the sink filling the tea kettle, like nothing exceptional had just happened. “Your friend is outside.”
What was with the people in this house? Didn’t catching a killer count as the equivalent of dodging a hurricane?
“Hitch?” I said, trying to mimic Stacy’s nonchalance.
“Oh, him, too. No, I meant that other friend. She’s got a surprise.”
Having a conversation with Stacy was like trying to decipher a puzzle without all the pieces. But for now, I had to keep my promise to Izzy. “We need a snack,” I said.
She turned around and smiled at Izzy. “You deserve something extra special this morning. I know you love pancakes, so how about some extra-large ones sprinkled with chocolate chips.”
I stared at Stacy. Something had changed. This woman had barely been civil to anyone since I’d first met her at Shakes and Cakes. Now? It was as if she’d read my mind. She smiled and offered to make pancakes. Izzy’s favorite kind. What an upside-down day!
She clapped her hands, startling me. “Now, you two get outside and see that surprise while I get the pancakes whipped together. You too, Ron. I don’t need gawkers around while I’m working in my kitchen.” She flapped her hands shooing us out the door.
Izzy and Jasper dashed through the door, apparently recovered from their short time locked in the bird room.
Tilly walked toward us.
With a dog on a leash.
A dog I’d never seen before.
34
Izzy’s arm curved around Jasper’s neck. What was Tilly up to now, I wondered.
A black lab mixed with something that resembled a mop pulled at the end of Tilly’s leash. Its tail waved a friendly greeting.
“This is Champ,” Tilly said as he strained toward Izzy.
Champ sniffed Izzy’s hand, then gave her cheek a lick before he sniffed Jasper’s nose.
“He likes me,” she squealed.
“I knew he would,” Tilly said. “That’s why I brought him over. His owner, a dear friend of mine, just went into a nursing home and can’t take Champ along. Her biggest worry is finding the best home for her buddy.”
Tilly crouched in front of Izzy. “I talked to your mom this morning, and she said she’d like to adopt Champ. But it’s a lot of work and a big responsibility and your mom will need you to help. What do you think?”
I pinched my lips together. I should have known Tilly was up to something when I didn’t see her car in her driveway this morning when I left for Ron’s house. I should have guessed she’d find the perfect dog for Izzy to help her through her traumatic experience. I should have known because it’s exactly what Tilly did for me when I was ten.
Hitch put his arm around my shoulders. “Take a picture for Jess,” he whispered in my ear.
I did, through misty eyes, as I watched this amazing ten-year-old girl and a goofy black lab mix bond instantly. It brought back memories.
“Anyone want pancakes?” Stacy shouted from the kitchen door.
“Come on, Champ. Stacy made us pancakes.” Izzy skipped to the door with Champ happily sticking to her side. I could imagine Izzy sneaking her new friend bits of pancake (without the chocolate chips, of course) while Stacy’s back was turned.
“You did a great job,” I said to my Newfie as I stroked her head. “But I think Izzy has a new best friend. You okay with that?” She looked up at me and woofed as if she was telling me that now she could focus on those tabby kitties that started this whole mess.
With so much going on, I’d forgotten all about them.
Hitch nudged me with his elbow. “Don’t worry, Sunshine. I took care of the kittens already. I knew you had other things on your mind.”
“How’d you know what I was thinking?”
“Lucky guess.” He kissed my cheek, a tender and welcomed gesture. “You owe me another dinner date, you know. The last one didn’t go as planned.” His warm breath sent shivers over my neck.
“You won’t get an argument from me. I already know what I want to try next time.” The memory of blackened spicy scallops made my mouth water.
Tilly butted into our romantic momen
t. “Hitch and I can’t leave you alone for a minute without you getting yourself into trouble, Sunny. Why did you follow Peter into the barn?” I heard concern under her scolding.
“Wait a minute.” I held my hands up. “You didn’t know he was the killer. It wasn’t until I saw his gold pen slide out of his shirt pocket that everything came together. By then, I’d already sent Izzy into the house. I guess she said something to Stacy that got her worried.”
“That’s right,” Ron said, joining our circle. I hadn’t even seen him standing nearby. “She said something didn’t feel right about how you sent Izzy inside with Jasper. Stacy has a good nose for trouble, and she wasn’t going to let a second murder happen on her watch.”
“Her watch?” What an odd way to describe a housekeeper’s responsibility.
“There’s something none of you figured out, but Stacy said it’s time I let you all know. She was part of the team, too. With Andy and me. I’m not sure she’ll ever forgive herself for being late to work that morning, but she had a flat tire. Sometimes, things just happen.”
“Like a broken ladder rung,” I said. “Does Jess know everything now?”
“She does. Thanks for giving us that space last night. I decided I had to tell her. She cried and thanked me and apologized for leaving because of Andy. But, it’s all good now.” His smile indicated it was more than just good.
“And Izzy has a new friend. That girl has a constant guardian because, as much as we all try, sometimes we miss something. Champ won’t, though. I promised Jess.” Tilly said. “Now… pancakes?”
Ron and Tilly walked toward the kitchen door.
Hitch took my hand. “Stacy told me how you still managed to get a knee into Peter and throw him off just enough so she could get off a good shot. She said you’re a tough one, loyal, and brave, and I’d better not let you get away.”
“She said that?” Before all this started, I would never have believed, anything about Stacy could warm my heart.
“And she also said that you’d better not ever think about making pancakes in her kitchen. She’s very particular.”
We walked inside. I knew I was wearing a big smile. Stacy, Ron, Tilly, and Izzy sat around the kitchen table with a big platter of pancakes. Champ had his head on Izzy’s lap, and sure enough, I saw her slip him a bite of pancake. He wasn’t going anywhere.
In a short while, with bulging stomachs, I felt warmed by my circle around the table. I felt like I’d lived through a whole day even though it was only ten in the morning.
Ron slid his chair back. “I have an announcement. Little Blue is leaving today. All the travel arrangements have been made and by late this afternoon, she’ll be in her new home.”
“I’ll miss her,” Izzy said. “But she’ll be happier with other birds like her.”
I looked at Izzy and saw a younger version of myself.
Such a smart girl.
In Pineville, Sunny Shaw stumbles into one sweet disaster after another! Ready to find out what happens next?
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When you sign up, you will also receive a free collection of novella-length mysteries from our authors, so definitely don’t delay!
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About Emmie Lyn
Emmie Lyn shares her world with her husband, a rescue terrier named Underdog, and a black cat named Ziggy. When she’s not busy thinking of ways to kill off a character, she loves enjoying tea and chocolate in her flower garden, hiking, or spending time near the ocean.
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