Alibis & Arranging
A Sparks & Joy Cozy Mystery
Nancy McGovern
McGovern Boooks
This is entirely a work of fiction. All people, places and events contained have been completely fabricated by the author. Any similarities to real people, places, or events are completely coincidental.
Alibis & Arranging Copyright © 2020 by Nancy McGovern & McGovern Books
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
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Contents
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1. The Closed Door
2. The Black Widow
3. A Quiet Death
4. Cleaning Up
5. Wills & Ways
6. In The Shadows
7. The Gossipping Maid
8. Potluck
9. The Bottle-Green Ford
10. Jonah In A Good Mood
11. An Unexpected Visitor
12. High Beams
13. The Shards
14. The Unicorn
15. Emmanuel Can't
16. The Crash
17. Breaking The News
18. The True Owner
19. Messy Days
20. A Serious Conversation
21. Childhood Memories
22. The Inferno
23. Too Many Accidents
24. An Empty House
25. Joy's Theories
26. Hidden Places
27. The Private Detectives
28. The Jewelry Box
Epilogue
One More Thing…
Let’s Connect!
Acknowledgments
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1
The Closed Door
The house was old and imposing, with pillars out front and untended gardens stretching as far as the eye could see. It looked like a woman decked out in her antebellum finest, peering down her nose at an unwanted guest. Aurora Sparks held a bottle of wine close to her chest. Standing next to her, Joy Russo sniffed at the roses climbing the walls, closing her eyes to properly appreciate their scent.
“This was supposed to be a dinner party, right? There’s nobody in there.” Aurora shamelessly peeked through the glass panel on the front door, only to see a dark hallway inside. Somewhere deep within the bowels of the house a yellow light flickered, but Aurora couldn’t hear any of the music or laughter that usually accompanied a party. “Are you sure this is the right place? And the right time?” Her finger leaned on the doorbell again.
“Right place, right time, right person,” Joy confirmed. “I’m sure of it all. Oh, wait till you meet Hilda. You’re in for a treat. 93 years old, four husbands buried and she’s still a firework. And you might be just the right Spark to light her up.” Joy’s smile widened in appreciation of her own joke.
Aurora, who had heard every pun possible involving her last name during the six months they’d been housemates, rolled her eyes. “Right, right. Because she loves telling old stories to new people.”
“Exactly. It’s pretty rare to get an invitation to her house, too, so you ought to feel lucky. The queen herself has invited you.”
“I suppose she’ll want to know all about that ghastly business with Chip Goggins.” Aurora sighed. “People have so many questions still.”
“As they should. It’s not often we get a murder in Bent River, you know. Quiet town like this, well, let’s just say that you should expect the rumor mill to keep chugging for a decade more on something so juicy.”
“I don’t know how you can be so cavalier about it all,” Aurora said. “I just want it all behind me.”
“Well, so does my family.” Now it was Joy’s turn to sigh. “Luckily the murderer’s in jail now - and all thanks to you.”
“Me? It was you who—”
“Never mind the past. Let’s talk about the future,” Joy jumped in. “For example, if you’re nice tonight and keep Hilda Braithwhite in a good mood, maybe she’ll finally agree to that memoir I’ve been trying to get her to write.”
“A memoir?” Aurora raised an eyebrow. “Let me guess, you want to write it for her?”
“Well, being a journalist is good and dandy but I need other projects to keep my income flowing,” Joy explained. “Hilda’s the perfect candidate. She has the pockets to pay me to write her story, she has a fascinating past that should sell copies and I’d be doing Bent River a favor by recording its history. You see? Win win.”
“I do see,” Aurora agreed. “Your business acumen is impressive. But are you sure tagging along uninvited was a good idea?”
“Nonsense. Hilda said you could bring a plus one. I’m sure you’d have preferred that hunk Max, but I’m what you get instead.”
Aurora opened her mouth to protest but Joy ignored her. “Now I just need to keep Hilda in a good mood and make her believe writing the memoir is her idea and not mine.” Joy tapped her chin. “How to do that is the question.”
Aurora pressed the doorbell for the fourth time. “Joy, she might have slept through her own dinner party.”
Behind them, a convertible pulled up. A silver-haired woman with an ethnic shawl thrown around her shoulders got out, followed by a man in a dark suit.
“The doorbell’s broken, didn’t my aunt tell you?” She smiled. “We have to go through the back. How long have you been standing there?”
“Long enough to not tell you.” Aurora smiled. “Thanks. I’d probably have hung out here all night otherwise.” She held out one hand. “I’m Aurora Sparks. This is my friend, Joy Russo.”
“Joy and I have met, of course. But it’s nice to see a new face in Bent River. Why, usually it’s people leaving town, not moving in. So it’s a welcome change.” The woman tucked a stray hair behind her ear and then gave Aurora’s outstretched hand a brief, delicate tug. “I’m Rosa. Rosa Dane. This is my…husband, Jonah. I’m Hilda’s niece.”
“Nice to meet you.” Jonah gave them a big smile. He stood almost a foot taller than Rosa, with broad shoulders and a rugged face. He looked comfortable in his suit and yet, when he shook Aurora’s hand, she could tell by the calluses that he was no stranger to rough work.
“Jonah owns one of the largest farms in Bent River,” Joy explained to Aurora. “You’ll see his stall at the farmer’s market every Saturday morning. My mom insists that no other strawberries in the world taste quite like his.”
“Ah, your mom’s a flatterer.” Jonah’s smile only widened.
“But did I hear right? Rosa said ‘husband’?” Joy’s eyes had narrowed and her shoulders hunched up. Aurora recognized that look - the look of a reporter who’d just heard a scoop. “When did that happen?”
“Oh…well, we’ve been together ten years anyway. I guess we decided to finally bite the bullet and make it all legal.” Jonah gave an embarrassed but pleased smile. Joy grinned, tucking this information away to be handed out to her aunts and mother. It was well known around town that Jonah, being a very eligible bachelor in a very small town, had played hard-to-get all his life. So Rosa had finally managed to pin him down! Good for her.
Rosa held out a hand and proudly displayed a diamond on a gold band. “We aren’t traditionalists. We ran off to Reno and had a quick
, quiet ceremony. We’re too old to do anything fancy.”
“Nonsense. Sixty is the new thirty,” Jonah said. “And the town is going to expect a big to-do once they find out.”
“Oh, there will be rioting in the streets if there isn’t a party.” Joy laughed. “Bent River’s very own Romeo and Juliet finally get their happy ending. We all deserve a celebration!”
“Sounds like there’s quite the story behind it all,” Aurora said.
″Let's just say that there was something of a feud between Hilda Braithwhite and Jonah's family, the Tanners.″ Joy smiled. ″Since they first started dating, it’s been like a Hatfield running away with a McCoy.″
″Oh, nothing like that. Joy, don't exaggerate.″ Rosa looked displeased.
″No? So should I go in and announce the happy couple, then?″ Joy grinned.
“Well…no. Let me break it to Aunt Hilda first. Gently.” Rosa looked suddenly nervous.
“Just blurt it right out.” Jonah laughed and tightened his arm around Rosa. ″We're adults, Rosa. Remember that. What’s she going to do, bite you?″
“You don’t know her. She just might,” Rosa said grimly.
2
The Black Widow
They walked around the house to the back, through what felt like a tropical jungle. Dense ferns lined the path, occasionally reaching out to pet a cheek or caress hair. Not a speck of light lit the way, save for the flashlight on Rosa’s phone. Yet it was a pleasant feeling - the night sky shone bright above them, and crickets gossiped in the background while flowery scents hung heavy in the air.
As they came closer to the back, a dim-yellow glow gradually grew brighter. Aurora gave a pleased murmur. Fairy lights clung to trees around the backyard. Candles appeared and lit their path forward. Right in the middle of a grass clearing was a large table with three people already seated: a worried-looking man with a bald spot on the back of his head, a sharp looking woman with impeccably-parted hair and Hilda herself.
After everything Joy had told her, Aurora had imagined an imperious woman, someone who’d tower over the group. Instead, she was face-to-face with a sweet, benign old lady with a shrunken body and close-cropped, white hair. Hilda bestowed a smile upon them all, which turned to a frown immediately as her sharp eyes caught the glint of candlelight on diamond.
“What’s this, Rosa? A ring on your finger?”
Hilda’s voice was mild but Rosa seemed to shrink a little. By her side, Jonah slipped his hand into hers.
“We were going to announce it tonight,” Jonah said. “Give us your blessing, Aunt Hilda. We’re newlyweds!”
“Hm.” Hilda seemed to skip over his words. Her eyes were pinned on Rosa’s finger. “Come closer. Let’s have a better look.” She stretched out a hand and Rosa obediently went over.
Beside Aurora, Joy was holding her breath. Aunt Hilda might look benign and sweet, but who knew what was going on in that brain of hers? Rosa, who knew her aunt all too well, seemed to be preparing for the worst. She placed her hand gingerly into her aunt’s. Fingers closed around hers and Rosa was yanked closer.
Hilda examined Rosa’s hand intently. She looked up and Aurora had to take a step back at the fierceness of her expression. She looked absolutely furious. If looks could kill, Jonah would have been a dead man. The moment passed quickly, however, as the demands of civil society pressed upon Aunt Hilda.
“Very nice, dear. Congratulations to you both,” she said. Then, with a wave, she motioned for everyone to be seated.
“Milly! Bring out the soup!” she called.
A young housemaid dressed in a suit that made her look twice as old, hurried out and began serving each person. Aurora smiled in thanks as a broth smelling of lemongrass and mushrooms was placed in front of her.
“Ah, excuse me. I forgot introductions in all this excitement,” Hilda said. “Aurora, this is my stepson Russell. His father and I were quite the couple once upon a time.” She nodded toward the man with the bald spot, who gave Aurora a distracted smile and then turned his attention to Rosa.
“The woman next to him is my accountant, Teresa,” Hilda continued. “She handles everything about the finances of the estate. She must be the sharpest woman in town.”
Teresa smiled eagerly at this praise. “Pleased to meet you.”
″Oh, we've met before,″ Joy chimed in as they shook hands. ″You're president of the local historical association, aren't you?″
″By default.″ Teresa sighed. ″I'm also currently the one-and-only member.″
″Must have some very interesting meetings then.″ Joy smiled.
Teresa smiled back politely at Joy's humor, but her eyes seemed to keep going to the ring on Rosa's finger.
“And this…” Hilda raised an eyebrow as she turned to look at Joy, “is Joy Russo, isn’t it? I was expecting you’d bring that nice Maxwell Goggins along, Aurora. It would have rounded out the party nicely. Oh, well.”
“I…er…” Aurora didn’t really know what to say. Honestly, Max was technically her boss - even if he did treat her like an equal - and it would have been awkward to bring him along.
“Max is my lawyer, you know. Before him, Chip handled my affairs,” Hilda said. “Yes, I was rather expecting you’d bring Max along.”
“I guess Aurora thinks I’m more fun.” Joy grinned and held out a hand. “Very pleased to see you again, Hilda. Last time we met was at the pumpkin contest on Halloween, wasn’t it? You were the head judge and I was covering the event.”
“Ah, so you still work for the town rag, then?”
“The Bent River Bulletin, yes,” Joy said. “I’m sure you read my article last week on housing prices.”
“I don’t bother anymore,” Hilda said. “By the time you get to my age, you learn that it’s enough to read the paper once or twice a year. Most of the rest is fluff and sensationalism.”
Aurora winced. Poor Joy. Hilda certainly wasn’t making it easy for her.
“Now you, Aurora,” Hilda said. “Max and I had a long talk the other day. He was telling me you’ve done wonders organizing his office. Isn’t that right?”
“Oh…uh…yes.”
“He said you were so good at it, you should be doing it for a living. He was full of praises for your work.”
Aurora flushed. “Well, it was nothing. Just part of being his assistant.”
“Good. I’ve talked it out with him and I’m going to hire you,” Hilda informed her. “He can spare you for a few hours on Tuesdays and Thursdays. That plus weekends.”
“Hire me?” Aurora blinked.
“I’ve got mountains of paperwork and miscellaneous items to sort through,” Hilda said. “And, at my age, I need someone with a sharp pair of eyes and capable hands. A brain would be a nice plus, but I can handle that part.”
“Well…this is certainly an unusual job interview.” Aurora smiled tentatively. “I’m not exactly sure—”
“Nonsense. You can begin this week,” Hilda said. “I trust you’ll find my payment adequate. I’m sure you could use some extra money.” This final statement was emphasized with a look toward Aurora’s shoes.
Aurora flushed. Her shoes were perfectly decent. A little old and worn, perhaps, but perfectly fine otherwise. Besides, she really didn’t need the money. Thanks to her recent, unexpected inheritance, Aurora had quite a lot of financial security now - enough to lead a quiet and happy life in Bent River without getting involved in Hilda’s messes.
So she should have said no. Only…only the idea of rummaging around a stack of paperwork and finding out the history of Bent River through Hilda's eyes had a certain appeal to it. Aurora was nothing if not a nerd, and Hilda looked like she’d have some great stories to tell. Then there was her other idea - a persistent, if silly, idea that had been popping up unexpectedly in Aurora’s mind these last few months.
More than one person had praised Aurora on her organizational skills, and there was nothing she loved as much as taking a messy space, working her magic on
it and creating a new reality. It was like art to her. If only she could figure out a way to make it a business. Aurora didn’t want to be Max’s secretary forever, after all. If Hilda liked Aurora's work, the word of mouth might spread, leading to other customers. It could be the start of a new venture.
“Well, then that’s settled,” Hilda said, taking Aurora’s silence as agreement. “Milly! Next course!”
The maid appeared again and, this time, a crisp Gorgonzola salad with blistered grapes, candied walnuts and a spicy vinaigrette was served. Aurora took an appreciative bite, and then another. Hilda seemed more interested in the company than the food, however.
“Oh, it’s going to be a fun trip down memory lane, cleaning up the library,” Hilda said. “I’ve had four husbands, you know. I’ve always told Rosa she should marry thrice, at least. Once for money, once for lust, once for the connections.”
“And what about love?” Jonah asked, giving Rosa a friendly wink.
“Love. Pshaw.” Hilda sniffed. “In my day, men knew their place. They provided, and the women helped them thrive. Men nowadays are terrible. They want the woman to earn money, raise children, handle the groceries and the schedules and the doctors and the birthdays and the barbeques, all while also finding time to be a good-looking therapist who gives regular ego massages.”
“Sounds like you’re meeting all the wrong men.” Jonah sounded a bit put off.
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