“It’s yours to dispose of as you see fit, as long as it’s in Winston’s best interest.” Mr. Crook was starting to lose patience with me. I think I understood enough. “Thank you, Mr. Crook. There’s one thing I need you to do for me.”
Once the paperwork was signed and we were done, Winston and I sat in Mom’s car while I absorbed what had just happened. “Winston,” I finally said. “Do you want to live in Violet’s house?”
Winston sat for a moment, blinking his big eyes at me, tail wagging in uncertainty. Finally, he said. “I want to live with Mary. Wherever you are, I want to be with you.”
The only reason I didn’t give Winston a hug was I didn’t want to crush him. But I gave him a vigorous belly rub which he enjoyed immensely.
Now that we were finished, I pulled out my phone.
I had two pieces of unfinished business to take care of.
Clare was sitting outside the Chancery Court building when I walked up. Her eyes were closed and her face was tilted up to enjoy the sunshine.
“It’s a pretty day,” I said as I walked up.
She shielded her eyes from the sun. “Naomi, how are you?”
“Good. The question is, how are you?”
“Not too bad.” She scooted over as an invitation to sit down. Winston jumped up on the bench between us and she rubbed at his ears. “What did you want to talk about?”
“Nothing really. I wanted to make sure you’re okay. I understand they’re holding Kevin for trying to sell stolen property?”
“Yes, the silly man broke into Violet’s house and stole her jewelry. He meant well, though. He was going to sell it so we could have the money to move to New Mexico and start a life there.” Clare sighed softly. “He was always so impulsive. With Aunt Violet’s settlement I can be comfortable. You’re a rich man, Winston.”
“I want to make Mary happy,” he said.
“Are you sure you’re okay with this?”
“Absolutely. You know, when I first came to Harmony Grove, I only wanted a relationship with family. Harry was so amazing and understanding. I wasn’t ready for the reception I got from Violet. She was mean and cruel and when she found out Kevin and I were involved, she made his life sheer misery. Even though she wanted no relationship with me. I don’t understand it.”
I shrugged. What was there to really say? “I’m sorry, Clare.”
“Oh, don’t be. I’ll be fine. I have Harry, and a job here while I wait for Kevin. At least that crazy woman isn’t around to stalk him anymore.”
No one had suspected just how unhinged Belinda had become over Kevin. Enough to commit murder.
Something still bugged me. “Clare, how did you end up kidnapped by Belinda?”
Clare huffed out a breath. “Since stalking Kevin wasn’t getting her results, she started calling me at work. Said she wanted to “talk”,” she finger-quoted. “Kevin and I had no interest in feeding her delusions but she wouldn’t let up.”
“That was the call when I last saw you.”
“Yeah. By then, I’d had enough of her and decided to meet her at her shop. When I got there, she was unhinged. And she was armed. I think she was just going to kill me but then your sister came back to get her phone. She saw Belinda’s shotgun and freaked. Belinda didn’t have any choice but to take us both. Then she stole Winston from you and took us out to Kevin’s hunting shack and came up with that scheme to kill us all for reasons I still don’t understand.”
“Jealousy. Revenge. Heavens, it sounds so horrible,” I said. “I would have been scared witless.”
“We both were. Thankfully, you and the chief found us before she did anything that drastic.”
Things were slowly getting back to normal. It had been a tense few hours. Robbie said Sarah still had nightmares. At least it was all over now.
I squeezed her hand. “Just so you know, we won’t be pressing charges for the stolen jewelry. I don’t know if it will change things. Maybe it will be enough so Kevin won’t be in as much trouble now.”
She covered her mouth to stifle a sob. “That’s incredibly generous of you, Naomi.”
“Winston doesn’t need it and I have no use for it as his guardian. It’s not my style.” Once things died down, I’d look into giving Clare the jewelry as a gift.
Clare looked at her watch and sighed. “I hate to run but I have to get back to work.” We stood and she pulled me into an awkward hug. “Thank you for...well, you know.”
“Sure. See you around,” I said.
Winston jumped down. “Bye, Mary!”
She laughed. Before she went back in the building, she called after us. “Naomi. When you’re free one afternoon, how about lunch?”
That made me smile. “I’d like that.”
With one final wave, she disappeared back into the building.
“I like Mary. She’s nice.”
I dug my phone out of my purse for one more call. “Yes she is. Now, Winston, we have one more thing to do.”
Jolene, Winston and I waited at the mailbox for Pieter and Inge to show up. Sarah offered to watch the shelter so they could meet with us.
They drove up in Pieter’s Kia and set the hazard blinkers on before they climbed out and met us at the security gate of Violet Pickering’s house. “Naomi, my dear, Sarah said this was urgent,” Pieter said.
Inge stared quizzically at the house. “I don’t understand why we’re here at Violet’s house.”
There was no good way to do this without me completely choking up. It wasn’t helping that Jolene was behind me hiccupping in a happy cry. “This is so beautiful,” she whispered.
I held up the house keys. “Winston wanted you to have this. The house and acreage are now yours. You can move the animal sanctuary into a bigger facility with much more room to expand and grow. The money we make in donations from the craft fair will hopefully help get it remodeled and ready to reopen soon.”
Pieter stared at the keys as he tentatively took them from me. He shared a wonderful smile with Inge, who was wiping at her face. “Naomi...this is so...”
“Not me, Winston.”
Winston was a little dog with a big heart.
Epilogue
The weather for the day of the craft fair was made to order. The sun was shining but it wasn’t oppressively hot. The trees on the green of the old Courthouse grounds provided cover for the First Annual Animal Rescue Dog Show, running concurrently with the annual craft fair which lined both sides of the streets in the square, with overflow stretching down side streets for blocks. Food and music contributed to the carnival atmosphere and the air was electric with excitement, the scents of food and the drone of local blues musicians.
The main show ring was sectioned off to display the various costumes of owners and their dogs. A second area was a makeshift agility course, not a full one for obvious reasons. Still it was a fun pattern for owners and their dogs to run, with timed events for prizes as well as just to give their dogs an opportunity to run their energy off.
What started as a simple idea, a dog show to ask for donations to keep the animal shelter operational, turned into quite an event.
A dog trainer from Madison donated her time for a one-hour introductory obedience class. The vet clinic held several mini-seminars on animal health care. Maxine baked her cookies to sell, with 100% of the proceeds to go to the animal shelter. I organized a free nail trimming table next to the vet information booth.
Even though I organized all this, I wasn’t about to complain if I had the chance to work beside Dr. Kane Sawyer. To watch him with the animals was magical. He had the touch. He was very easy on the eyes and a delight to listen to as he gave his mini-seminars.
“Naomi!” Pieter Handel waved to get my attention and motioned me over to talk with him and Harry Stillwell. He grabbed my hand and shook it vigorously. “I was just telling Harry this has been a banner day for the shelter. It’s only lunchtime and already we have record-breaking donations. If the Women’s League decides to hold
to Violet’s request to not renew our funding, Harry has said the museum has agreed to be a sponsor!”
The delight and obvious relief was clear on Pieter’s face.
“That’s awfully nice of you, Mr. Stillwell.”
“Violet Pickering, God rest her soul, was a bitter, mean-spirited woman. If the Women’s League wants to be that shortsighted, well, I will do my level best to petition the town to set aside some of its budget to help as well,” Harry said, shaking my hand. “We won’t let the animal shelter go under, will we, Miss Cooper?”
“Absolutely not,” I said. “We’ll petition the county if we have to. Where’s Inge?”
Pieter looked kindly in the direction of the museum. “After I gave her the donation totals, she had to step away to the women’s room for a moment to rest.”
“Oh, is she okay? I can go check—”
“She’s fine. Just needed a moment to collect herself.”
“Of course. Well, thank you both so much for your efforts in this.” I gestured around us. “Mr. Stillwell, the Courthouse green is just beautiful. Thank you. We couldn’t have done this without you.”
Harry beamed and said his goodbyes when he spotted the mayor. He was never one for compliments.
A group of young people stepped up to talk with Pieter about volunteering opportunities and I took that moment to slip away. I was starving and the food vendors were calling my name.
“Would you care to share my funnel cake?” Kane Sawyer appeared out of nowhere at my side. “They’re always too big for me to eat by myself.”
Funnel cake, one of my weaknesses. “I’d ask if you were sure but honestly, if you tried to take it away now, I’d chew on your arm.” I tore off a piece and stuffed it in my mouth.
So much for impressing the good doctor. Ladylike, I am not.
“No Winston today?” he asked.
I sucked my fingers to get all the powdered sugar off and shook my head. “He’s with my mother, actually. Apparently he likes to ride in her purse. It’s certainly big enough. I think cavernous purses are a mom-thing.”
“Like bad jokes are a dad-thing.”
“So I may have to get a canvas bag big enough to tote my dog around.”
He laughed.
It was a nice laugh.
We strolled towards the gate leading to the craft fair tables on the square.
“I’m glad we came down. The office, I mean. It was a good community outreach opportunity. I had to fight Dr. Lloyd for the privilege.” He mimicked Rock Paper Scissors.
“Best two out of three?” I laughed. “Something tells me you cheat.”
He shrugged. “When I was at vet school, I was the reigning RPS champion at the pub where we hung out.”
It was hard not to be impressed. Kane struck me as that sort of man. He had unusual definitions of fun. Unpredictable. “That’s a laudable achievement right there.”
“It’s served me well.” He stopped walking when his phone rang. “I have to take this,” he said, handing me the funnel cake. “Bon appétit. Don’t get sick. Maybe one afternoon I’ll be able to take you out for a real lunch.”
With a wave of his phone, he stepped away to take his call.
I stood there, dumbfounded. And more than a little giddy. Did he just ask me to lunch? Where the heck was Jolene when I needed her?
I made it as far as the gate near the corn dog vendor when a sharp whistle pierced the air. Isn’t it funny how whistles are recognizable? My dad used to whistle just like that to call me in for dinner when I lost track of time down at the park.
He stood in the corner of the green talking with another man. At the man’s feet was an amazing specimen of English bulldog with a charming leather and metal stud collar. Ignoring everyone else, of course I had to go say hi to the dog.
When I got closer, I realized that Dad was talking to Chief Reed. The dog was on the leash the chief held.
So, our esteemed police chief was a dog person?
I don’t know why I was so surprised but I was. “What a winner of a day,” Dad said as he squeezed my shoulders in a hug. “I’m so proud of you, honey. Me and your mom both. This was a triumph.”
Embarrassment colored my cheeks and I shrugged shyly. “It was really a community effort. I’m just glad Violet’s death and Belinda’s arrest didn’t put a damper on it. Thanks for the swift work on that, Chief,” I said.
He nodded in that silent way of his. Like at the grocery store, he was dressed in that new clothing casual sort of way. Nice jeans, a button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled up to reveal tattoos, black swirling line work that disappeared beneath his sleeves.
I honestly didn’t take our police chief to be a tattoo aficionado. Those definitely were not the tattoos of a misspent youth. They looked fairly new as well.
“Did you see your mother?” Dad asked.
“She and Gramma were heading to the stall that had painted gourds.”
He kissed my cheek. “We have no more room in the backyard for gourd birdhouses. I need to stage an intervention.”
“And who is this?” I said after Dad left. I can’t believe he left me alone with the chief. I needed something to take my attention away from the chief’s arms before I thoroughly embarrassed myself.
In an instant, the chief’s physical attitude changed. He was no longer guarded but open and expressive as he sank to his heels next to his dog. “This is Motohed.”
My attention went from the dog, to the tattoos, to his boots. He was wearing motorcycle boots. If he rode a Harley, I would swoon. I swear to goodness, I would swoon like a ravished heroine from a 1980s romance book.
“May I?” I asked, gesturing to Motohed.
“He’s a people dog,” Chief Reed said.
I knelt in front of Motohed to scratch at his ears.
“Miss Cooper. Naomi. I was talking to your father and, well—” He rubbed at his face. “I’m usually not this...”
He called me by my first name. I’d take that as a minor victory.
It was hard to wait out the long silence. Clearly, he was struggling with something.
“I don’t have a lot of practice with this but do you think you could make some time in your schedule to have lunch soon?”
Ooookay. Not what I was expecting. My heart fluttered a little.
“Lunch?” I asked stupidly.
He nodded. His attention was on Motohed but his gaze flicked up briefly to meet mine.
Was he...? He was nervous? Chief Reed was nervous?
Not as nervous as I am, pal.
“Um, sure, Chief. I’d like that.”
My answer unclenched something. Not sure if it was in him or me or the tension of the moment. “Good. And...Alistair. I’m Alistair when not in uniform.”
I got first name privileges, too?
Two lunch dates and first name privileges. What an awesome way for my day to pan out.
“Who is a handsome fellow?” I cooed to Motohed, looking for a way to break the tension.
“I most definitely am a very handsome fellow. I come from a very good family,” he said.
Startled, I tipped back to land on my butt. Did I...did he? I looked from Motohed to Chief Reed, who gazed fondly at his dog.
“He loves to talk. He has a great, rumbling bark, doesn’t he?”
“Yes. Yes he does.”
The End
Author’s Notes
After reading and watching cozy mysteries, and falling deeply in love with them, the only natural course was for me to write one.
What you hold in your hands is my first attempt. It was a fantastic opportunity to stretch myself as a writer and as a fan.
Why didn’t anyone tell me that writing cozies were this much fun? I had such a blast that I can’t wait to write more of Naomi and Winston’s adventures.
Luckily for me, I did not write this book in a vacuum. I had plenty of help along the way. Each of them uniquely contributed to my taking a step out on faith to write a cozy mystery.
My mother, a cozy reader herself, continues to be my solid support and true number one fan. She stays in my corner when I whine that the world is against me, gently guiding me forward in the way only a mother can.
Truth, best friend, ruthless editor, and indefatigable cheerleader for over a decade. Always supportive, she is never afraid to red pen all my darlings to their graves, and does so with wit and humor to take the sting away.
Hailey Turner, one of the most talented writers I’ve had the pleasure to know. Her contagious enthusiasm, accompanied by pics of her precious four-footed fur babies, always bring a spot of joy in my life. As does their owner.
Rev, forum buddy, fellow excellent writer, who is always there with encouragement and excitement, especially when I am at my lowest self-confidence. Her continued faith in me as a writer is instrumental in keeping me at the keyboard when everything looks grim.
It would really make my day if you would consider reviewing Bone Is Where The Hearth Is on Amazon. Your honest reviews, positive and negative, would be most appreciated.
Cover design by: Connor’s Cozy Covers
Edited by: Truth In Editing
Proofing by: Picky Cat Proofing & Copyediting
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Also by Maddie Sutton
Naomi & Winston Mysteries
1 - Bone Is Where The Heart Is
2 - Hearth And Bone available for preorder now!
Watch for more adventures with Naomi and Winston
coming soon!
3 - No Bone About It
4 - Been There, Bone That
5 - Charity Begins At Bone
Bone Is Where the Heart Is Page 15