Massage & Murder (A Cozy Spa Mystery Book 1)

by Jenn Cowan

  A scream and angry voices come from the waiting room.

  Apparently, it could.

  4

  Josh and I exchange a curious look, forget our coats and head toward the waiting room. We step into the waiting room to find Bobby Biggs lunging for Travis. Travis pushes his daughter, Cat out of the way. She staggers and falls back onto the plaid couch. I rush to her side and move her behind the reception desk.

  Josh tries to separate the two men, but between the shouting and the flying fists, he’s struggling. It’s like watching two football players fighting with the ref trying to break them up. Someone is bound to end up hurt. I glance around for help. Where are all the officers? This is a crime scene.

  As if reading my mind, two officers come rushing in and try to restrain Bobby while Josh and another officer try to hold onto Travis. I let out the breath I’ve been holding. The shouting continues, but at least no fists are flying.

  I ignore the men, even though I’m curious what they’re fighting about, and focus on Cat. She’s shaking beside me; my heart breaks for her. The girl just lost her mother and the two fathers in her life are acting like a bunch of teenage jocks. Men. I shake my head in disgust.

  Her short red hair is sticking to her freckled face. Tears are about to spill from her green eyes. Eyes she got from her father. I glance at Travis. His suit is wrinkled and his face is red. Blood drips from his nose. I sneak a peek at Bobby. The bulky guy is bleeding from his lip onto his wrinkled dark suit and striped tie. His left eye is turning black and his short brown hair is sticking up in all directions like he just rolled out of bed.

  A whimper beside me pulls me back to Cat.

  “Let’s get you something warm to drink.”

  She nods and stands. I place my arm around her shoulder and guide her back toward the break room. She starts to cry again, which only makes my heart ache even more. The poor girl must be devastated over her mother’s death. I glance down the hall and shudder when I see the yellow and black crime scene tape across the door to the blue room. An image of April flashes through my mind and I force it away. Cat needs me. I can dwell on everything else later.

  I steer her toward the couch and motion for her to sit before hurrying to prepare her something to drink. “Tea, okay?”

  “Chamomile,” she whispers.

  I smile. A girl after my own heart. “It’s my favorite.”

  She gives me a small smile. “Mine too. Mom hates it…hated it.”

  I cringe and try not to roll my eyes at the same time as I prepare the tea. The blond officer is watching me closely. Probably afraid I will taint the evidence. I ignore him and say, “Not everyone can appreciate the flavor or the benefits.” I bite my lip, hoping that didn’t sound rude.

  “That’s exactly what I say.”

  I beam. I can’t help it. This girl is more like her father than her mother. Thank the good Lord for that. I hand her the tea mug that says Relax, which seems fitting for the situation. “I’m so sorry about your mother.”

  Cat wraps her bony hands around the mug. “She had it coming.”

  “What?” I try to keep my voice level, but her words catch me off guard. I glance at the officer, but he’s checking something on his phone. So much for diligence.

  “No one in town likes her. Everyone smiles to her face then talks about her behind her back. Well at least they did.” She takes a sip of tea.

  I’m not sure what to say. Lying doesn’t seem to be an option. The girl obviously has things figured out. “Cat, do you know who might want to hurt your mom?”

  Cat shrugs. “Everyone.”

  Huh. Smart girl. “Has your mom had any issues with anyone lately?”

  “Half the town. She was always lighting fires and Bobby put them out. It’s what they did. Why they worked.”

  This girl was wise beyond her years.

  “Bobby thinks my dad killed my mom. That’s why they’re fighting,” Cat whispers, eyeing the police officer, who is scrolling through his phone.

  My mouth drops open. “Your dad wasn’t even here when your mother…well when it happened.”

  Cat gives me a look. “He was here.”

  “He was?”

  “We were having breakfast since this is the last day of Christmas break. He got a call from the station. You reported an attempted break in. He’s the only detective on duty since the other two are on vacation.” Cat takes another sip of tea. Her hands shaking slightly.

  “Did you come with him?”

  “I was waiting in the car. He didn’t think he’d be long. Then I saw the ambulance and several police cars so I came inside to see what was going on. No one would tell me anything. Just told me to sit on the couch and wait for my dad. I thought it was protocol. Contain the scene. Protect the victim. That sort of thing. I just figured someone slipped and hit their head or something. I didn’t think someone was…” She took another sip of tea. “Then Bobby showed up and I knew something happened to mom. She was complaining all weekend about her neck and I saw her SUV in the parking lot so I knew she was here.” She sniffles.

  “Why does Bobby think your dad hurt your mom?”

  “Don’t answer that,” Travis barks, stomping into the room. “Let’s go, Cat.” He holds out a hand to help her up.

  “I want to finish my tea.” She lifts her mug as if showing proof.

  “It’s time to go.”

  Cat opens her mouth to protest, but I cut her off. “Take the mug. We have plenty.”

  “Are you sure?” She glances down at the mug and runs a slender finger over the words.

  “Positive.” I pat her arm and smile.

  “Thank you,” she whispers and returns the smile before standing up next to her dad.

  I didn’t realize how tall she was until she stood next to Travis. She came up to his shoulder and was his mini me. “You’re welcome.” I stand felling incredibly short in their presence. “Please let me know if there is anything I can do.” I keep my eyes focused on Cat, but can feel Travis’s eyes on me.

  Cat nods and lets her father guide her from the room.

  I watch them leave then stifle a smile when I see him and Josh sizing each other up as they pass each other in the hall.

  Josh glares after Travis before turning his attention to me. “It’s not even noon and this place is like a three-ring circus.”

  I shake my head. “Are you alright?” I take in a bruise forming on his cheek.

  He shrugs and heads to the stove, ignoring the officer, who seems to have forgotten his duty to contain the scene and has resorted to texting. Josh pours himself some tea while I pull the Arnica cream from the medicine cabinet. When he collapses on the couch, I slather his cheek with the cream. He hisses at me, but I ignore him. “Hopefully, it won’t bruise too badly.” I replace the cap, toss the cream on the coffee table and lean my head back on the couch. “Can you believe April Biggs is dead? It seems like a bad dream.”

  Josh pinches me.

  “Hey! What was that for?” I rub my forearm.

  “Waking us up if we’re dreaming.” He smirks.

  I swat his arm. “Not funny.”

  “Who’s laughing?” His face appears innocent, but I can see the gleam in his eyes.

  I roll my eyes then rest my head on his shoulder. “Did you get any details on the fight?”

  Josh sighs. “Apparently, April was wanting to ship Cat off to boarding school and Travis was fighting her on it. They were about to go to court over it.”

  “Why would April want to send Cat to boarding school?”

  Josh shrugs. “Only thing I caught over all the yelling was it was a prestigious girls school and looks good on college resumes.”

  I scowl. “April was always about what looks good on paper.”

  “That she was.” He takes another sip of tea. “I’m starving. What did you bring us for lunch?”

  “How can you think of food when someone was just murdered?” I shift so he can get up.

  “I’m a guy. We
can always eat.” He heads to the fridge and pulls out the Tupperware filled with salad and grilled chicken. “Want some?”

  I hold up my hand and fight the urge to gag. He sits back down and digs in while I think about what Cat told me. Everyone in town has a motive to kill April, but who actually did? It’s the billion-dollar question, one I have to prove before Travis decides to pin the murder on me. Not to mention he never asked me about the attempted break-in. Was that person trying to break-in to kill April or was there another reason?

  5

  I shift in the wooden pew. My wool coat is practically suffocating me even though it’s freezing outside. Josh arches an eyebrow at me. My face is flushed; I can feel it. My vision blurs; I may pass out. If we weren’t jammed into the middle of the pew, I would slip out and escape into the fresh air. The church smells of candlewax and Pine-sol. I grab a pamphlet and fan myself. How much longer can Preacher John keep talking? He’s said practically the same thing three times.

  “Are you ok?” Josh whispers in my ear.

  I nod.

  “Then quit fidgeting.”

  I wish I could. I hate funerals. Have since my grandfather died. I threw up in the middle of the aisle when I saw his stiff body. Of course, I was only five at the time. My stomach flips at the memory. I hate dead bodies. Live ones are fine, but dead ones not so much, especially when I’m being accused of killing the deceased.

  April is on display in a shiny coffin with a silk lining. Dressed in a red suit and silky white blouse, her blond hair frames her face and her make-up is picture perfect. She looks like sleeping beauty. Only she’s not. She’s dead and someone here killed her.

  I glance around the small church. It’s a sea of black. The town of Daysville wears black to funerals. Not gray. Not brown. Just black. It’s a sign of respect. A sign of mourning. At least that’s what my mother told me when I threw a tantrum about having to wear a black dress to my grandfather’s funeral.

  Now, black is one of my favorite colors. Although I only wear this black dress to funerals. It reeks of death and hangs in the back of my closet until someone dies. I had to have it dry cleaned because it’s been over a year since old man Wyatt passed away at the ripe old age of one hundred and two. That’s what happens in Daysville. People die of old age, they’re not murdered.

  I shiver at the thought. A murderer is among us. It doesn’t make sense. Who would kill April? Sure, everyone wanted to, but to really kill her, who would do that? And why?

  I spot Bethany and Vicky sitting a couple rows in front of me. They’re whispering back and forth. I pursue my lips. Vicky left the reception desk shortly after I came out. April was planning to open another spa in town which could have put Vicky out of business. Maybe I will add my boss to the suspect list.

  Suspect list?

  Yes, I’m creating one.

  Why?

  Because my ex-boyfriend thinks I killed the mother of his child in some sort of sick revenge for something that happened over fifteen years ago. Does he really think I would hold a grudge that long? Ok so I have, but still, I didn’t kill her.

  I can see the top of Travis’s head. His red hair sticks out in the first pew along with his daughter’s and his aunt’s. They’re a red-headed trio. Cat is sitting next to her dad. She’s sniffling and her red hair is falling around her face. Regina is on the other side of her with an arm wrapped around her slender shoulder.

  Bobby and the Mayor are across the aisle in the other first pew. Both men are dressed in dark suits and look stoic.

  The rumor pool has been swirling since the murder. Some people in town suspect me. Mrs. Wright with her squinty eyes and wide rimmed glasses shoots me an evil look. I smile and nod. She scoffs and turns away. That’s right, I will not be bullied by these people. Most of them have known me since I was in diapers. I’m not a killer. I’m a healer.

  I spot Nikki sitting two rows behind Bobby. Her green eyes are glued to the back of his head. She’s the complete opposite of April. Long black hair falls in loose curls down her back, olive skin glows in the candle light and her black dress clings to her petite yet toned body. There’s nothing fake about her. She owns the Yoga studio in town and spends her spare time volunteering at the soup kitchen and in the children’s wing of the hospital. Why Bobby chose April over her is another mystery. Could she have killed April? Much like me she was at the spa and has means and motive.

  April stole the love of her life. Although Bobby never had a child with April, he did marry her. Not that Bobby didn’t want a child, he did, but years of trying led to no children so everyone was convinced he couldn’t have any. Bobby and April traded more children for businesses. They began taking over Daysville. The businesses became their children and of course, Cat. They all seemed to get along so why was April planning to send Cat away to school? It didn’t make sense.

  I glance at Travis again. I better put him on the suspect list too. He was at the spa, in the break room where he had access to the knife and he has a motive to kill April. If someone was going to send my daughter away, I would probably kill them too. Travis didn’t have the money to fight April in court. Regina always talks about how he pays a lot in child support even though April is loaded. It never made sense to me, although I’ll never understand custody situations. Court fees alone would probably break him. It may be a stretch to accuse Travis, but I can’t rule anyone out, even a detective. My freedom and reputation depends on it. No one is going to want to get a massage from a suspected killer. The sooner I find out who killed April the better.

  Movement by the back door catches my eye. Sally. She slips out letting in a blast of cold air. Where’s she going? More importantly why is she here? She didn’t really even know April. She’s only been in town for a little over a month and every interaction she’s had with April has been anything but pleasant.

  Maybe I should add Sally to the list. April did insult her massage technique. Not a strong motive, but she did make the girl cry.

  Sally moved to town about a month ago and hasn’t made much of an effort to get to know very many people. She’s quiet and withdrawn. There’s a story there, but I can’t seem to draw it out of her.

  She’s young. Maybe twenty. Lives alone in an apartment close to the spa. A building owned by Bobby and April.

  Hmm. Maybe she has more motive than I thought. Eviction? I saw her last paycheck. It was barely enough to cover groceries let alone rent and utilities.

  If the girl could just get more clients, she’d be fine. Massage therapists make a decent hourly wage. Of course, owning the spa is more profitable, but Josh and I aren’t quite ready for that commitment. Not that we haven’t discussed it, but we don’t want to step on Vicky’s toes. She pays us well and we don’t have to worry about employees, overhead expenses, business licenses or other small business owner stuff.

  We get to set our own schedules. Work and go home. It’s a pretty sweet deal. Except when you don’t have clients…like Sally. Most days she sits around the spa waiting for clients. Some days she works on one or two people and other days she just sits in the break room waiting for a walk-in. Bethany mentioned last week about letting her go, but since the spa has been closed the past four days for the investigation, I doubt she’s been fired.

  I need to talk to Sally. Get more of her story. I can’t jump to conclusions. Facts. I need facts. All the good amateur sleuths do that, right? As soon as Preacher John is done droning on about April’s accomplishments, I can try and find Sally.

  Oh good, he’s done.

  We stand and pray. I bow my head and feel someone staring at me. I glance over to see Mary, the hospital director, staring at me. Her mousy face is pinched, brown eyes wide, curly salt and pepper hair smashed down by her black hat. She motions for me to come over to her. Everyone is filing out of the pews. I squeeze Josh’s hand and nod toward Mary.

  He follows my gaze and whispers, “I’ll grab you a plate.”

  My hero. My stomach growls it’s thanks. First stop, Mary
then I can eat. The Biggs are hosting a buffet in the town hall after the funeral. The burial is family only so everyone else gets to go eat.

  I excuse my way through the crowd, but can’t find Mary. Where did that mousy woman disappear too?

  “Autumn.”

  The voice sends shivers down my spine. I turn around and come face to face with Travis. Cat is on his right so I focus on her. “I’m so sorry for your loss.” I reach out and squeeze her hand. She squeezes back.

  “Thank you. I have your mug. I can bring it by the spa tomorrow.”

  I open my mouth to tell her to keep it and the spa is currently closed when Travis says, “Cat, will you please go find your aunt? She went to the bathroom. We need to head to the cemetery.”

  Cat nods and let’s go of my hand then shoots me a knowing look and disappears.

  I stare after her. What was that about?

  Travis clears his throat.

  I tug on the strap of my purse and glare up at him.

  He smirks. “The investigation at the spa was finished yesterday so you should be able to resume business tomorrow.”

  That’s strange why didn’t Vicky call me and let me know? I must have had a look on my face because Travis leans down and whispers, “That is if you still have a job.”

  I frown and fight the urge to stomp on his foot. “Why wouldn’t I?”

  “People don’t want a massage from a murderer.”

  I gasp. “I would never hurt anyone let alone kill someone. You know me, Travis. I scoop up spiders and release them outside. Killing April? Why? Why now? If I wanted to kill her, why wouldn’t I have killed her in high school?” I hiss.

  Travis shrugs. “Some people just snap. Years of holding onto feelings.”

  I fume. “That’s ridiculous. There’s no feelings. I didn’t kill April. Got it?” I poke his chest to get my point across.

  He covers my finger with his hand. The touch sends a spark through my body. I quickly pull it out of his grasp.