Norma glanced at each of us. “I thought it would be a great new mystery story for Stormi to write about.”
“No, way. For once, I’m listening to Matt and letting the police handle this one.”
Norma’s face fell. “The people I know won’t talk to the police, but they will talk to prostitutes.” She cast a sharp gaze on me. “It wouldn’t take much to turn you into a street walker. You could blend right in.”
I wasn’t sure whether I should feel insulted or pleased. “No, this is one I’m going to stay out of.”
“I’m glad you’ve finally come to your senses.” Mom pulled a sheet cake from the oven.
“Don’t act like you’re innocent in all this.” I hopped off the stool. “You’re the one who came up with a name for our nosiness.”
She glared at me. “The Hickory Hellos are a welcoming committee.”
“I want to join,” Norma said. “Then, we could snoop under the banner of the committee, expanding to my neighborhood.”
“You don’t live on Hickory.” Mom set the pan on a cooling rack.
“Fine.” Norma stood and tugged her short dress to the middle of her thighs. “I’ll have to find out what happened to Daisy on my own. I thought you women cared, but I was mistaken. You only care if it directly affects you.” She narrowed her eyes at me. “I doubt anyone will ever buy any of your sister’s products.” With her head held high, she sailed out the door.
I hated disappointing her, but having dealt with a psycho neighbor and a mentally disturbed librarian within the course of a year, left me with little desire to move on to bigger dangers. Not to mention the fact that Matt would absolutely kill me.
“You made the right decision,” Greta said. “If she’s as good a friend as you say she is, she’ll get over it and see the wisdom in your refusal.”
I hoped so. I swiped a piece of chocolate cake left over from something Mom had created, and headed home to work on my writing. My second full length mystery was loosely based on Daisy’s death, and even though I had no desire to go asking questions of gang members, it would be a nice addition to the story.
Back at home, I disengaged the alarm system installed during the last threat against me, and headed straight to my office. I booted up my computer and turned to stare out the window at my tranquil neighborhood of well-manicured lawns. Except for mine. Ever since Rusty Henley, after finding out his mother was a murderer, had disappeared, getting my lawn mowed and weeded had taken a back seat to other obligations. Still, unless I wanted a nasty letter from the Home Owner’s Association, I’d have to hire another gardener. I missed the kind, simple-minded, Peeping Tom Rusty.
The first thing I did once my computer came on was to check my emails, grateful that I no longer had to worry about a stalker threatening me to rush writing my next book. My agent wasn’t nagging me about a deadline yet, either. I promised her two books a year, and if I wasn’t off trying to catch murderers, could probably produce three a year. There was no sense in rushing a good thing, though, right?
Two hours and three thousand words later, I decided it was time to call Norma and try to patch our friendship. After four rings, her voice mail picked up. I left a message for her to call me, then headed to the kitchen for a sandwich.
I leaned against the counter as I ate and watched Sadie dash around the backyard, nose to the ground, bent on a mission. I’d been so busy lately, I’d forsaken our nightly walks. The evenings were chilly, but wouldn’t bother the Irish Wolfhound. I promised myself I would take her for a walk after supper.
I tried calling Norma again and left another message. Maybe I should drive to her house and apologize in person. I grabbed my car keys from the foyer table, set the alarm, and dashed through the chilly day to my Mercedes. Until Mom’s basement apartment was completed, I had no room to park in the garage and had to leave my “baby” outside.
As in most cities, you had a wide range of neighborhoods. I had the pleasure of living in upper middle class, Norma in lower. I pulled into her driveway and waved at the familiar group of youth standing on the street corner.
“She ain’t home.” Jamal, Norma’s neighbor, strode toward me in that loose-legged, hitched stroll that teenage boys seemed to be the only ones to master. “She’s working Melrose.”
“Working?” I frowned. “I thought she quit … that job.”
He shrugged. “Guess she likes it after all.” Keeping his posture belligerent, he lowered his voice. “You stick out like a sore thumb with that white skin and red hair. I hope you ain’t coming around to ask questions. My homies won’t like it. Word on the street is that you like to poke your nose where it don’t belong.”
Word on the street? “People are talking about me?” A shard of ice stabbed my gut.
He nodded. “Ever since Daisy died, folks are wanting to know iffen you’re going to get involved. I advise against it.”
“There isn’t anything to get involved in, Jamal. Daisy died because she was allergic to poison ivy.”
“Who put the poison in that face cream?” He poked me in the chest. “Look. I like you, but I’m saying you need to stay away from this side of town.” He turned and shuffled back to his homies.
His advice sounded close to being a threat. Why did everyone automatically assume I was going to be nosy? I was starting to get a complex.
I got back in my car and headed to Melrose Street. I doubted that Norma was actually turning tricks again, but just pretending to could get her killed. Why was she so bent on finding the killer of a girl she had barely known?
Afraid to park my car and leave it unattended, I slowly cruised the street. When I finally spotted Norma, I honked my horn and pulled alongside her. Another girl started to approach, saw me behind the wheel and stalked off, saying she didn’t swing that way. I shrugged. “Norma.”
She leaned in the window. “What are you doing here? You’re going to blow my cover.”
“Get in the car. This is too dangerous.” I hit the button to unlock the door.
She sighed and slid in. “Did you change your mind?”
“No.” I pulled away from the curb. “I did come to apologize though. Jamal told me where to find you.”
“Stay away from him, Stormi.”
We pulled into her driveway. I stayed in the car and glanced toward the group of boys. “He warned me about getting involved, so I’m now warning you.”
Her hands shook as she lit a cigarette. I normally didn’t allow people to smoke in my car, but understood her nervousness. I rolled the window down a few inches.
She took a puff. “If they’re warning you, they already think you’re involved. I’d find someplace to hide out for a while.”
Although I wasn’t a smoker, I was tempted to take a drag. I clutched my shaky hands around the steering wheel. “What about you?”
She shrugged. “I’m one of them.”
“So was Daisy.”
Without looking at me, she said, “That’s why I need your help before something to happens to me.”
5
Norma knew just what to say to get me to agree to help her. At least I drove home and called Matt before doing anything stupid, unless you count my response to Norma’s plea as not the brightest thing I’ve ever done.
He sat at my kitchen table, hands clenched on the table in front of him. “You told her what?”
“She pleaded with me to help her.”
“You aren’t in law enforcement. She should have gone to the police.” He ran his hands through his wheat-colored hair, making it stand on end like stalks of golden fields. “When are you going to learn?”
It was a very good thing that I left out Jamal’s warning. “I’m getting quite good at solving mysteries.”
“Out of sheer luck!” He bolted to his feet and planted his hands, palm down, on the table with enough force to rattle the spoons in our coffee mugs. “You’ve faced down the barrel of a gun both times.”
“Both times, my wit and ingenuity have gotten me
out alive.”
He shook his head. “All you’ve done in the past is put your nose where it didn’t belong and get lucky. Think about it, Stormi. You haven’t solved these crimes. You’ve been a victim both times, and the police has rescued you.”
I straightened in my chair. “Only because I discovered enough evidence to make the guilty person nervous.” There was no way he could convince me that I didn’t have a hand in the capture of two seriously mentally-ill killers. If I didn’t, then what was I thinking? Why write my romantic mysteries from the point-of-view of first person … me?
“Why won’t you listen to me?” He moved around the table, took my hands in his, and pulled me to my feet. “Every time you put yourself in harm’s way, I die a little. Don’t you care?”
“Of course, I do.” Tears welled in my eyes. “But if you know me, then you know I can’t turn away someone who needs me.”
“Let me help Norma.”
I stared into his chocolate-colored eyes, ready to tell him everything Jamal had said.
“Aunt Stormi.” Cherokee leaned in the doorway. “Sorry to break up the lovefest, but I can’t find my backpack and I’m headed to Megans to do homework.”
I sighed and pulled away. “Check the living room. The last time you lost it, it fell behind the sofa.” The moment for true confessions had passed. If I told Matt about Jamal, and the boy was questioned by the police, it could increase the danger to myself and Norma, thus putting my family in danger. How could an innocent ladies party have turned into this?
“Thanks.” She ducked back out of sight.
“You’re keeping something from me,” Matt said. “It’s the first month of a new year. Can’t we try and start it off on the right foot? The beginning of a year without secrets?”
The month of December had flown by, Angela wailed over lost Christmas sales, and I’d done nothing to help her. What kind of a sister was I?
Oh, how I wanted to. I gazed into his eyes again, a big mistake, since it always made me lose my resolve, and start talking. I told him about Norma’s rumors, Jamal’s threat, everything, even repeating what I had said before.
His face reddened to the point I thought his head might explode. “Why weren’t you going to tell me?”
“I don’t want you questioning Jamal. I don’t want the gang to come to my house. There are teenagers living here.” And my nephew Dakota wouldn’t think twice about mouthing off if someone threatened us.
“I can’t take another leave of absence to protect you.” He inhaled sharply through his nose. “And, I can’t keep asking Ryan to babysit you.”
I didn’t think Koontz would mind, especially since it seemed as if an attraction was growing between him and my sister, but I agreed. I was on my own on this one. The thought turned my blood to ice. “Maybe it’s all smoke and mirrors. The threat might mean nothing. I’ll be discreet.”
“Once again, I’ve lost the argument.” Matt dug his car keys from his pocket. “I’ve got things to do.” He planted a quick kiss on my lips and left.
I sagged onto my seat. What had I ever done to deserve such a man? Once, he’d had enough of worrying about me, and I’d broken off our relationship. To no avail. He had refused to take no for an answer. How long until he was the one who called it quits?
I needed to make friends with Jamal and his “homies”. One glance at the clock showed it was pizza time. I ordered three large pizzas. When they arrived, I left a note on the refrigerator that supper was inside, then took one of the pizzas outside to my car. I texted Norma that I was coming and drove to her place.
As with every other time I’d been there, Jamal and his friends were on the street corner. Didn’t they have anything else to do? Didn’t the January weather bother them?
I grabbed the pizza and strolled through light snowflakes in their direction. “You boys hungry?”
“What are you doing here?” Jamal took the box and handed it to one of the other guys. “Don’t you listen to reason?”
“If you asked my boyfriend, he would tell you no.”
“That cop?”
I nodded.
“He know you’re here?”
“Should he?” I wrapped my arms around my middle in an attempt to keep warm. These boys seemed to be around Dakota’s age. Maybe Mom was wrong about food being the best way to break into a teenage boy’s world.
“You scared?” Jamal sneered.
“Nope.” I turned, my insides skittering like ants, and headed for Norma’s front door. “Just spending time with a friend and thought you boys would like the leftover pizza.”
“The pizza is still warm,” he called out.
My legs were trembling by the time I rang Norma’s doorbell. She opened it and yanked me inside. “You are the craziest person I’ve ever met. Those boys are dangerous.”
“They aren’t so bad.” Ivy, one of the women from the party, crossed her long dark legs. “The pizza was a nice touch.”
I glanced around the living room, noting Ivy, Ginger, Lacey, and Sissy all sipping on glasses of wine. “You have company. I’ll go.”
“Stay.” Norma waved me toward an empty seat. “It’s only our monthly meeting.”
“It’s her attempt at getting us to clean up our lives,” Lacey said. “We come for the food and wine.”
Norma shrugged. “At least they’re honest. Wine?”
I shook my head. Now what? I couldn’t very well talk to Norma about my conversation with Matt with virtual strangers hanging on every word. Maybe the meeting wouldn’t last long. After all, night time was their best working hours, right? And maybe I was making a totally rash, clichéd assumption.
I sat back and listened as Norma spoke of all the ways that leaving the oldest profession in the world behind her had benefited her. From the bored looks on her friends’ faces, they’d heard it all before. I felt sorry for my friend. She tried so hard. But, since I didn’t have anything better to say, I kept my mouth shut.
My cell phone buzzed. It was Matt asking where I was. He had gone back to my house, only to find out I was gone. I couldn’t very well tell him where I was, so I ignored the text.
“Is that from your handsome cop boyfriend?” Ivy grinned, her teeth startling against her ebony skin. “Maybe you should invite him over to liven up this meeting.”
“Thanks a lot, Ivy.” Norma frowned. “I’m being serious here and all you can think about is a man. A taken one at that.”
“Honey, most of the men who buy my time are taken.” Ivy set her empty glass on the coffee table. “I appreciate what you’re trying to do here, but my man likes the money I bring in. I don’t see that changing anytime soon, for me or my sisters-in-crime.”
“Our Johns aren’t as understanding as yours was,” Lacey said. “We even hint at leaving and we get punched.”
“They can’t make you stay.” Tears welled in Norma’s eyes. “Do you know what the lifespan for a prostitute is?”
“That’s why I plan on grabbing everything I can now,” Sissy said. “While I’m a hot commodity.”
“Y’all are hopeless.” Norma grabbed a napkin and wiped her eyes. “I worry about you, that’s all.”
“You need to stop coming down to Melrose, too.” Ivy stood. “Some of the other girls are complaining about you infringing on their turf. If you want to see us, keep having the meetings, otherwise, it’s time we parted ways.”
“I’ll keep having the meetings. I won’t give up.” Norma headed to the door to let them out. Once they were gone, she plopped down next to me. “I know you’re here for a reason. Spill it.”
I told her of Matt’s concerns about me getting involved. “Not to mention the fact that I haven’t the slightest idea where to start asking questions about Daisy.”
“I found out a bit tonight.” Norma refilled her wine glass. “Turns out our little flower might not have been as sweet as she seemed. She’d been threatening some people, bad people, about something she knew. None of the girls knew what that might be.
As usual, it’s just rumor, but it might be our motive.”
My cell phone buzzed again. I told Matt I was out to dinner with Norma. “Let’s go grab a burger. I don’t want to lie to Matt again.”
“Let’s go to Leroy’s. They don’t act like they want to throw me out every time I walk though the door.” Norma grabbed her purse and followed me out to my car. “You don’t mind if we bring something back for Tyler, do you? He’s always hungry after working at the coffee shop.”
“Of course not. You must be very proud of him.” I eyed Jamal and his friends. “He kept away from that life.”
“It wasn’t easy. Him and Jamal grew up together. They’re friends, but not close anymore. If we didn’t still live in the neighborhood, I’d fear for his safety when they met.”
“Is Jamal that bad?”
“He can be.” Norma clicked her seatbelt across her. “Then, at other times, he’s the sweetest guy. That boy is a product of his environment. I pray every day that he finds a way out. Sissy is his sister.”
“Really?” I glanced at him again. “They don’t look anything alike.”
“Different daddy, most likely.”
I backed the car from the driveway and kept backing up until I pulled alongside Jamal. “Hand me the empty box off the sidewalk, would you? Have a little respect for where you live.”
He laughed and handed me the box. “Why do you care? You drive up here with your charity pizza and fancy car.”
Norma leaned across me. “Don’t sass! This is my friend. She’s welcome here any time she wants. You be nice, or I’ll tell your mama.”
“Whatever.” He turned away.
I pulled away from the curb after tossing the box in the back seat. “His mama?”
“That’s the only thing that will get to him. That boy loves his mama. She works two jobs just to keep a roof over their heads while he does nothing but cause trouble. It’s a shame. You’ll meet her soon. She’s a waitress at Leroy’s.”
“Does she know Daisy?”
“I doubt it. Shaunda Brown is an upstanding, church going woman. She barely talks to me, and only when she has to.”
Nosy Neighbor: All 7 complete Nosy Neighbor cozy mysteries PLUS: 2 short Christmas stories (A Nosy Neighbor mystery) Page 34