I hotfooted it back home, grabbed my purse from the foyer table, then headed back out and slid behind the wheel of my new silver Mercedes. I loved new cars. The look and smell of them. And, yes, I admit, the prestige. I worked hard to get where I was, and didn’t mind pampering myself a bit. It started with the newly-renovated Victorian I lived in, then spread to the car. Who knew what was next? Maybe a cruise. If my books kept selling the way they did, and Mom’s bakery did well, I could pretty much do whatever God placed upon my heart to do.
I stopped by Mary Ann’s house to pick her up. “We’ve another mystery to solve,” I said, the moment she got in.
“Who died?” Her blue eyes widened.
“No one, but the new neighbors don’t sit right with me. Dakota asked us to take this on as our first official case as private investigators.”
“You’re making me your partner?” She gripped my arm. “I’m a PI and a literary assistant?” Her voice rose several octaves. “Does life get any better than this?”
I laughed and freed myself so I could drive. “Dakota is an unofficial partner. His idea, not mine, since he’s underage. Since your job often involves gumshoeing around with me, I thought it only right to make it official.”
She clapped her hands. “Matt is going to turn all sorts of red. He hates when I go on sleuthing trips with you.”
He wasn’t too crazy about me going either, but short of arresting me, there wasn’t much the poor man could do. “Let’s get our coffee and pay a visit to Jane W.” I filled her in on my morning during the short time to Main Street.
“Thank God, there isn’t a dead body.”
Yet. Give it time. I had the unfortunate gift of stumbling across them, to the dismay of my family.
After purchasing our coffee, we strolled down the sidewalk toward Westin Realty. I stopped and gazed at the houses for sale in the window, dreaming of the time when I had my home to myself. What if Matt and I got married? Would we have to share with my family? I’d already converted the basement into an apartment for Mom, and the attic for my sister. Maybe I would be the one who had to move.
“Come on.” Mary Ann bumped me with her shoulder. “You love no longer being alone. Stop daydreaming.”
True. I pushed open the door and was immediately assaulted by a sweet air freshener plugged into the wall next to the door. My eyes stung and my nose burned. I practically ran to Jane’s desk in order to get away from it as quickly as possible.
“Too strong?” She asked.
“A bit.” I sat in one of the chairs across from her, leaving the other for Mary Ann, who was tossing the air freshener in the trash. I wished I’d thought of that.
“Use something more subtle,” she said sitting down. “You don’t want to cause a prospective client to have an asthma attack.”
Jane’s eyes narrowed. “Fine. What do you want? I doubt either of you are here to purchase a new home.”
“You are correct.” I settled into the comfortable padded chair. “I’d like to ask some questions about a new neighbor. Carol Forbes.”
Jane frowned. “Why?”
“I’ve had a complaint that she might be abusing her foster children.”
“Ridiculous. The woman came with impeccable references. I don’t do business with scum, Stormi.”
I almost brought up the realty scam to purchase all the shops on Main Street. She’d been quite the avid supporter of the idea. But, I wisely kept my mouth shut. Alienating someone with the influence Jane had wasn’t a good thing to do.
“If you’re sure,” I said, pretending to study my nails. I desperately needed a manicure. Typing was hard on a girl’s nails. “I wouldn’t want someone to pull the wool over your eyes, and I have it on good authority—”
“Whose authority?” She slammed her palms on the desktop.
“A friend of one of the foster children.”
“A child?” Her thinly tweezed eyebrows rose almost to the hairline of her bleached blond hair. “You’re wasting my time on the word of a child?”
“Can you give me the name of the property owner?”
“Definitely not. It’s an investment firm that can’t be bothered with such things.” She turned to her computer. “And neither can I.” She waved her hand in a shooing motion.
“Okay.” I stood, shaking my head at Mary Ann’s confused expression and led the way out of the office.
“You didn’t argue. You always argue.” Mary Ann crossed her arms.
“Let’s sit on the bench across the street. Just watch.” We hurried over and sat, partially obscured by a flowering potted plant.
Less than five minutes later, Jane locked her realty office door and climbed behind the wheel of her Audi. Without a glance in our direction, she sped toward Oak Meadows Estates.
“See?” I grinned. “She can’t stand the fact there might be something going on that she isn’t aware of. She’ll do the snooping for us.”
“Will she share the information?”
“I’ll argue it out of her if she doesn’t.”
“What will you do if she is abusing the kids?”
“Turn her into CPS.” Nothing made me more angry than abuse…of anything. Children, women, animals…it didn’t matter.
“What now?” Mary Ann wrapped her lips around the straw of her watered down drink. “You finished your latest book. Unless you have a reason to snoop some more, we have a free day.”
I sat in shock. When was the last time I had a day with nothing planned? I honestly couldn’t remember. A free day and my boyfriend was undercover somewhere. I sighed. Just my luck. “Let’s go see what Mom has baking.”
We stepped into Mom’s shop. Dakota sat at the back work table, stuffing his teenage face with a cupcake.
“Why aren’t you in school?” I grabbed one of the chocolate on chocolate cupcakes from in front of him.
“Leave him alone,” Mom said. “He’s worried about his friend.”
“He told you?”
“You certainly didn’t.”
“I only found out last night. I haven’t seen you.”
“You could have left a note.”
I opened my mouth, had nothing to say in response, and filled my mouth with cake instead. I glared at my nephew. If he involved my mother in our private investigation business, there’d be no peace in town. She’d think she had a legitimate reason to investigate everyone.
“Seriously, Stormi,” Mom said. “Why you don’t want me involved in your life is beyond me. I think I’ve proven myself to be quite the detective. Remember when we were kidnapped? Who was it that snuck away and went for help?”
“You.” I sighed. “Fine. Do you have information for me?”
“Not yet.” She frowned. “I’ve only just heard of the alleged abuse. Since I’m the president of the Hickory Hellos, I’ll take a cake over tonight and befriend the fiend.”
If anything could soften Carol Forbes, it was one of Mom’s creations. The devil himself would start singing praises after one bite. Her talent could only be a gift from God Himself.
“I don’t want you to go alone. You can’t take Dakota and I can’t go. I’ve already made my acquaintance.”
“I’ll go,” Greta said, stepping out of the supply room. “I’ve just delegated myself second-in-command of the Hickory Hellos. Being a former police officer, I should be able to determine whether the woman is hiding something.”
I told them how one of the girls was Ivy’s daughter. “If looks could kill, you’d be planning my funeral.”
“Well, you’re probably the reason she’s in foster care,” Mom pointed out. “Why shouldn’t she be mad?”
I hadn’t known Ivy had a daughter. Not that it would have mattered. As a murderous gang leader’s girlfriend, and having had a hand in the death of a prostitute, she needed to be put away, mother or not. I refused to feel guilty about Melody. Except, I did.
Now, I needed to find a way to make her life easier. If exposing abuse was the way to do it, then I’d do
everything in my power to get to the bottom of my nephew’s allegations. One way or the other, I’d do my best to make it up to Ivy’s daughter.
3
“I’m off to deliver a cake.” Mom held a delicious looking chocolate creation on her second best cake plate. “If I’m not back in thirty minutes, call the cavalry.”
“I am the cavalry,” Greta said, patting her pocket that had a suspicious gun-shaped bulge.
I wasn’t law enforcement, but I was pretty sure she shouldn’t be carrying. But, as an ex-cop, she probably had a license. Still, these two women weren’t the type you wanted showing up on your doorstep with a gun.
I grabbed Sadie’s leash. “I’ll follow and stay discreetly in the bushes.”
“That isn’t necessary.” Mom gave me one of her ‘looks’. “Greta and I will be perfectly fine.”
“I have to walk the dog. I might as well go in the same direction as you.”
“Just don’t interfere before I can win this woman over.” She marched out the door, followed by Greta, leaving me and Sadie to bring up the rear. Sometimes Mom made me feel just like a child again.
I stayed a respectful fifty paces behind them, when in actuality, I wanted to be next to them. When they strolled up the drive to Carol’s, I ducked behind a row of evergreen bushes and commanded Sadie to hush. Like a good girl, she plopped on the ground next to me.
Ugh. I wouldn’t be able to hear a word from that distance. I doubted whether Carol knew Mom was my mother. Couldn’t I nonchalantly stroll down the sidewalk, pausing to tie my shoe at the appropriate time? I didn’t see why not.
I coaxed my big lazy dog from her resting place and walked as slow as was possible and still move forward. I’d just reached the end of Carol’s driveway when she opened the door. I bent over to tie my shoe. Darn. No laces. They were slip-ons. Maybe that wasn’t visible from the house.
Mom stopped frowning at me and grinned. “We’re the Hickory Hellos. You know, since we live on Hickory. We’d like to welcome you to the neighborhood with this cake freshly baked from my bakery, Heavenly Bakes.”
“This is the friendliest neighborhood I’ve ever moved to.” Carol took the cake, not sounding at all pleased about the friendliness. In fact, she acted more like it was a bother.
“Do you need help with your shoe?”
I glanced up to see Rusty peering down at me. “No, thanks. Just getting a pebble out.” I stood. “How would you like another job mowing this yard?”
“For the same ten dollars you pay me?”
“Of course.” I actually made sure eighty dollars got deposited into his account every month, but in Rusty’s mind the number ten was larger than eight, even with the y tacked on the end. I couldn’t ask him to openly snoop, he’d do that anyway, and voicing the fact would only have him spill the beans if Carol asked. “Wonderful. I’ll let the woman know you’ll mow in the morning.”
“Not too early,” he said. “I don’t wake up until six.”
“I’m sure she would prefer more like eight.” I patted his shoulder and moseyed up the drive, pretending like I didn’t know Mom or Greta.
Carol was clearly not happy to see me. I couldn’t help but wonder what someone had said about me. Still, I smiled. “Good evening. Don’t be alarmed in the morning when a young man mows your lawn. It’s a gift for being a new neighbor.”
She sighed and shook her head. “We don’t take charity. I’ll pay for it myself. How much?”
“Just hand him ten dollars and he’ll be over the moon.”
She nodded. “Thank you for visiting. We’ve had a long day and it’s time for bed.”
I glanced at my watch. Eight p.m.
A car stopped in front of the house and a curvy girl with thick hair hanging to her waist slid out, tugging a short red dress down to a respectable length. She giggled and closed the door. Her smile immediately faded once the car pulled away. With her head down, face hidden behind her curtain of hair, she made her way up the drive.
“Rosie, greet our new neighbors.” Carol’s eyes hardened.
The girl, clearly startled, jerked. “Nice to meet you,” she said in a thick accent. She scuttled past us and into the house.
Greta’s gaze followed the girl into the house, then narrowed when she turned back to Carol. “Teenagers are hard. You have your work cut out for you with three beautiful girls.”
“They aren’t too bad. Goodnight. Thank you for the cake,” she turned to me, “and the lawn.” She closed the door.
I didn’t speak to Mom or Greta until we were out of sight of the house. “You suspect something, Greta. Out with it.”
“Two things.” She held up a finger. “One … what mother doesn’t seem upset when their daughter gets out of a car half-dressed? Two … that young lady’s demeanor changed as soon as the car left. It was like a curtain fell over her face.”
“Carol didn’t seem happy when Rosie got home,” I said.
“Not happy because she looked like she did, or because we were there to see her?” Greta crossed her arms. “I might be seeing something that isn’t there, but that girl, Rosie, was scared. Whether of Carol or whoever was in the car, I don’t know. Point is … my gut tells me something is going on at that house.”
Our guts were in agreement. “Dakota is friends with one of them. He thinks his friend is being abused.”
“That’s a good explanation. But, before we get CPS involved and disrupt these girls’ lives further, we need to do a big more investigating.”
Again, in agreement.
“Why not let CPS do the nosing around?” Mom asked.
I looked at her as if she’d grown another eye. “Really? I thought you enjoyed this type of thing.”
“I do, but I don’t want to alienate a neighbor.”
I rolled my eyes. “The important thing here is the girls. I don’t think we need to involve CPS yet. They tend to yank the kids and investigate later. Foster kids of this age have already been bounced around enough.” I prayed I wouldn’t come to regret my decision. Keeping a close eye on Carol’s house and its occupants became my top priority, and something I would discuss with Matt when he called.
“Smart move involving Rusty.” Greta grinned. “That boy sniffs out trouble better than a hound.”
“The hard part is getting the information out of him.” I climbed the porch steps and let Sadie into the house before settling on the porch swing. The night carried a definite chill, but sitting and softly rocking always helped clear my head.
I set the swing into motion with my toe and rested my head against the back so I could stare at the stars. It wasn’t quite as pleasurable as sitting with Matt. Nor as warm. I wrapped my arms around my middle and ran back over the events of the last two days.
One: Dakota thinks his friend is being physically abused, thus setting me off on another mystery adventure. Two: Three young girls, all pretty, live with Carol Forbes. All three wear the minimal amount of clothing and seem scared of their own shadows. Three: Greta feels the same as I do … something is fishy at the foster home. Four: I had no idea what to do next.
I closed my eyes and listened to the night around me. A car driving slowly down the street. A dog barking a couple of streets over. The sound of laughter. Wait. That’s Dakota. I stilled the swing and peered through the trellis that, in the spring, was covered with climbing roses.
“Just take the money,” he said. “I don’t want you to get in trouble when you get home.”
“I didn’t earn it.”
“They don’t know that.” Dakota wrapped her fingers around some cash. “Please. It’s all I can do at this point.”
She kissed his cheek. “Keeping my secret is enough.” She turned and, like a vapor, disappeared around the corner of the house.
My snoop radar was tingling. But, I knew without asking that my nephew would tell me nothing. He was the king of keeping secrets.
My cell phone rang.
Dakota whirled to face the porch. “Aunt Stormi!
Were you listening again?”
“Just resting.” I fished the phone from my pocket.
“Don’t repeat a word of what you might have heard.” He banged into the house.
I pressed the on button and shrugged. “Hello?”
“Hey, gorgeous!”
“Matt.” Immediately my world fell into place. “This isn’t your usual number.”
“No, and I only have a few seconds to talk. I love you.”
“I love you, too.” I wanted to run the foster home questions past him, but also didn’t want to waste a single second on anything but listening to his voice. “Are you staying safe?” I knew he couldn’t tell me much, but that little bit would settle my fears.
“Pretty much.”
That wasn’t exactly what I wanted to hear. “I miss you.”
“Ditto. But, we’re wrapping things up. It appears things might have moved a bit closer to home.”
“That’s good, I guess.” I set the swing back into motion, not entirely sure we wanted whatever crime he was trying to stop from moving closer.
“How are things on your end?”
“There is something that I need to discuss with—”
“Gotta go, babe.” Click.
I sighed and slipped my phone back into my pocket. Why couldn’t he still be an ordinary street cop like when we first met? Every day I had to remind myself that God loved him more than I did and would watch out for my hunky hero. Still, worry teased at the fringes of my mind on a daily basis.
Cherokee strolled up the sidewalk, swinging her purse, wearing a skirt that cupped her bottom like saran wrap. Maybe that’s how all the young girls dressed and nothing was out of the ordinary with Carol’s girls. “Hey,” I said, as she approached the porch.
“Hey.” Her smile was a bright light in the night.
“You seem happy. Date?”
“The best. I met the sweetest boy the other day at work.”
“What’s his name?”
“Rory.” She leaned against the porch railing, looking younger than her just-turned-eighteen age. She showed her Indian heritage and hardly anything from her blond mother. My niece was an exotic beauty. I was surprised she didn’t have more boys knocking on the door.
Nosy Neighbor: All 7 complete Nosy Neighbor cozy mysteries PLUS: 2 short Christmas stories (A Nosy Neighbor mystery) Page 63