Nosy Neighbor: All 7 complete Nosy Neighbor cozy mysteries PLUS: 2 short Christmas stories (A Nosy Neighbor mystery)

by Cynthia Hickey

  What had started out as a hobby to help sell books had turned into something much more. The desire to not only write about my investigating, but to help me, consumed me. I gazed into Matt’s eyes, knowing how much my answer was going to disappoint him.

  “I have to help.”

  He rested his forehead against mine. “How could I so desperately love such a stubborn woman? Your heart is one of the things I love most about you, but this isn’t a game. These people are dangerous.”

  “Can’t you close down the house?”

  “I could, but that wouldn’t stop those in charge. I need the top man in order to stop this atrocity.” He sighed and pulled me close.

  I rested my cheek against his chest, hearing the reassuring thump of his heart. He was a good man, and I understood why he couldn’t make a rash move. As much as he worried about me, I worried ten times that much about him. Life was simpler before he made detective.

  “I can promise that I won’t actively accuse anyone,” I said. “I’ll help from behind the scenes so you can do your job.”

  “At least it’s something.” He gave me a shaky smile that did nothing to reassure me.

  While I couldn’t stop getting involved in these mysteries that seemed to pop up on a regular basis, I still feared Matt would lose patience with me and call off our relationship. That would kill me. I knew the murder of my father, and the fact his killer was never brought to justice, was at the root of my obsession. It didn’t stop me. I still plowed ahead, disregarding the danger. I was a fool.

  “Did you just wipe your tears on my shirt?” Matt tilted my face to his.

  “Yes. It’ll dry before anyone sees.”

  “Don’t cry, sweetheart. I promised to always protect you.”

  “Who’s going to protect you from me?”

  He chuckled. “You aren’t as dangerous as you think you are.”

  We resumed our walk, my hand in his, and smiled at the neighbors we passed. When we got close to Carol Forbes’s place, I stopped and stepped behind a tree.

  “What are you doing?” Matt stood on the sidewalk, head tilted.

  “Hiding. Come here.”

  “If I come in the bushes with you, we’ll do more than quietly hide.” His voice held a threat of kisses. “I’ve been sorely deprived since coming home.”

  Face burning, she grabbed his arm and yanked him down. “Hush, silly. We can’t make-out in plain sight.” Gracious, they’d forgotten themselves once, falling over themselves on her porch, and Stormi’s mother still brought up the embarrassing fact at every opportunity.

  “Okay.” Matt squatted next to her. “I’ll bite. Why are we hiding?”

  “I don’t want to be seen by Carol Forbes.”

  “She must be used to your nightly walks by now.” He stood. “It’s too cold to cower behind the junipers. Come on, scaredy-cat.” He held out his hand. “The best way to hide is to act normal. Oh, wait. You are acting normal … for you.”

  I punched him in the arm and marched down the sidewalk ahead of him so he couldn’t see how much I enjoyed his teasing. I missed him so much when he was gone that it was a constant ache.

  A white car pulled past us and into Carol’s driveway. A woman in dress pants and white blouse got out and opened the back door of the car. A pudgy girl with multiple piercings and one side of her head shaved, shoved past her and marched toward the house. I could hear the woman’s sigh from where I stood. Her shoulders slumped as she followed the teen.

  They rang the doorbell and waited.

  I stepped into the shadow of a magnolia tree and motioned for Matt to be quiet.

  “Hello.” Carol, smiling wider and looking happier than I’d ever seen her, opened the door wide. “You’ve brought me another daughter to love.”

  “Whatever.” The girl stormed into the house.

  “She’s a difficult one,” the CPS worker said. “We’re having a tough time finding a permanent placement for her.”

  “Oh, she’ll settle in just fine.”

  Carol’s words sent chills down my spine. The newcomer might not fit the mold of the other girls, but I had a feeling that wouldn’t stop Carol.

  My stomach lurched. Another fly had gotten trapped in evil’s web. I turned and buried my face in Matt’s chest.

  “What can we do?”

  “I’m working on it.” He wrapped his arms around me. “As fast as I can. If I rush it, we might save these girls, but doom a lot of others.”

  “So, they’re collateral damage?” I peered up at him. How could he be so callous?

  “I didn’t say that. You have to trust me.”

  I sighed and stepped back. I’d try. That’s all I could do. With one more glance at Carol’s house, I turned toward home. The neighborhood was on its own for the rest of the evening. I needed to soothe my worries with hugs from Matt and prayers to God.

  “I’m sorry I can’t tell you more,” Matt said.

  “I understand.” Truthfully I did, but it still rankled that we couldn’t storm that house.

  We hadn’t gone ten steps before a scream rent the air. We turned as Rusty bolted from the side of the house.

  Carol yanked open the front door. “Don’t come back. We’ll mow our own yard.” She slammed the door.

  Rusty shrieked when he saw us. “The new girl is bad. She took off her clothes and smiled at me.” He raced away.

  I didn’t know whether to laugh or be stunned. I’d told him countless times not to peek in people’s windows. Sooner or later he was bound to see something that would scar his innocent mind forever. Still, I had counted on him digging up information.

  “He’s going to get arrested one of these days,” Matt said.

  Expelling air sharply out of my nose, I slipped my hand in Matt’s and started again for home.

  6

  The house alarm woke me at two a.m. The shrill sound cut through my nightmares of dead teens and almost ripped my heart from my chest. I bolted out of bed, grabbed my pink nine-millimeter from the nightstand drawer and thundered downstairs.

  “I have a gun!” I slipped on a throw rug and skid to a halt in front of my niece’s shocked face.

  “When did you get that?” She frowned and punched in the code to disable the alarm.

  “A while ago. Why are you just now getting home?” I glanced up the stairs. If Angela found out, we’d have to hear her lecture for hours.

  She hid behind her curtain of hair. “I lost track of time.” She tugged the neckline of her tee shirt up and the hem of her skirt down. “Don’t tell Mom.” She brushed past me and headed upstairs.

  While my sister and I rarely saw eye-to-eye on anything, I was pretty sure that we would agree that two a.m. was inappropriate for an eighteen year old to come strolling in the door. Still, I wasn’t a narc, and Cherokee was legally an adult. That didn’t mean I wouldn’t be keeping a close eye on her. Especially with all that had happened over the last few days.

  I peeked out the window, didn’t notice anything out of the ordinary, and headed back to bed. Before he went to school, I’d see whether Dakota knew his sister’s boyfriend’s last name. It wouldn’t hurt to have Matt run his name through the system.

  Before I could get upstairs, Angela came into the house and reset the alarm. The whole household would be awake soon at this rate.

  She gave me a sheepish smile. “Fell asleep watching a movie.”

  “Sure.” Who was I to judge? There were plenty of times I’d like to succumb to temptation, but I held tight to a vow I made in high school, and Matt respected my decision. I’ve often wondered if that’s why the love scenes in my books are so moving, because I’ve put all the pent up emotions into them.

  “Why do you have your gun?” Her eyes widened. “Were you going to shoot me?”

  “Only if you were an intruder.” I shrugged and headed back to bed. The sun would be up way earlier than I would want.

  The next time I opened my eyes, the sun streamed through a crack in the bedroom curtains,
promising a warmer than normal day for late September. The clock showed eight a.m. and the doorbell rang with a ferocity to match Sadie’s barking.

  By the time I got downstairs, no one was there. I glanced down and lifted Mom’s cake plate from the doormat. At least they returned it. I would have liked to speak with whichever girl had dropped it off, though. How could I get close enough to them to ask questions without the eagle eyes of Carol seeing me?

  Would casual conversation go against the promise I made Matt? It wasn’t accusing anyone of anything, or even putting myself in danger. I would only be checking on the welfare of some teens that had been dealt a rough blow by life.

  “What’s all the racket?” Mom asked as I entered the kitchen.

  “Someone brought back your plate.” I set it in the sink.

  “And this morning?”

  “Angela and Cherokee coming home.”

  She nodded. “My granddaughter has been late a lot lately. I haven’t decided whether to tell Angela or not.”

  “Me, either. She’s eighteen, and her mother does the same thing. I doubt she’d listen to us.”

  “I’m heading to the mall in a bit to find something to wear to this party thing on Friday. Want to go with me? Greta will watch the shop, then she’ll go when I get back. Mr. Bomberg called again to remind us that even the hired staff wears formal dress.”

  “Unless I want to wear something of Angela’s, I’d better go with you.” I doubted my sister would ever lend me another item of clothing. The last two dresses I borrowed for dates with Matt ended up ruined because of me either being shot at or beat up. It would be best if I ruined a dress of my own this time.

  I guessed we decided against church that morning. After changing into my usual clothing of jeans and a tee shirt, I grabbed a yogurt and climbed into the passenger seat of Mom’s van. I sent Mary Ann a text, telling her to take the morning off.

  “What do you plan on wearing?” I asked Mom.

  “A formal looking pants suit. The dresses for women my age make me look frumpy.”

  I dug into my meager breakfast. “I’m thinking something slinky and black. Sexy. I’m going to do some snooping and men don’t know how to say no to a woman oozing sex appeal.” I just hoped I could pull off the charade without falling off whatever heels I bought.

  “Great idea! Greta and I can hold down the fort while you mingle. Make sure to iron your hair. You want it to look like liquid fire. Oh, and wear red lipstick. Men can’t think around a woman with red lipstick.”

  “Yes, Mom. Don’t forget to stop for coffee.”

  “You could buy another house with what you spend on frou-frou coffee.” She stopped in front of Delicious Aroma. “Bring me back something.”

  I hurried in, placed our orders with a kid I didn’t know, and gazed around the room. No Norma, no Tyler. Oh, well. I didn’t have time to talk anyway. If my friend had information for me, she’d call or text.

  Five minutes later, drinks in hand, I rejoined my mother and we started the hour drive to Little Rock.

  “What’s new with the foster girls?”

  “A fourth girl joined them last night. I guess she caught Rusty peeking and did a strip-tease. Almost frightened the poor man to death.” I laughed. “Can’t say I haven’t warned him plenty of times. Now, he isn’t allowed over there to do any work.”

  “You’ll have to find a new spy.” Mom pressed her lips together. “Greta thinks the girls are sex slaves.”

  I choked on my drink. “I’m starting to think the same thing.” I explained Matt’s subtle hints and how he’s going after whoever is at the top of the organization. “I could be completely wrong about Bomberg, but his business card sounds sleazy enough for him to be involved, don’t you think?”

  She shrugged. “It could just be something like a toy convention.”

  “Gross. Change of subject.” Although, I’d take that over what I feared was really going on.

  When we reached the mall, we skipped the large department stores and hit the specialty boutiques. I found several dresses to try, but knew the instant I put on the second dress that there was no need to try another. The black dress fit like a glove, falling off one shoulder, covering the other with a four inch strap, and skimming my hips to fall to the floor with a flirty little kick of a hem. The back plunged to my waist. I felt prettier than I’d ever felt in my life.

  I chose a pair of sparkling red heels and dangling red earrings. No necklace, no bracelet, nothing to take away from the power of the dress. I refused to cringe at the price tag, paid for my purchase, and sat on a small white sofa in front of the store to wait for Mom. While I waited, I watched out the window.

  Spotting Heather, Melody, and Rosie strolling in and out of people and handing out business cards to men, I handed my dress and shoes to the cashier. “Hold these, please.” I dashed out the door and into the atrium.

  Once men had a card in hand, they ogled the girls like they were prime sides of beef. It was enough to make my stomach churn.

  “Put your eyes back in your head,” I ordered one particularly lascivious old fart.

  I knew I couldn’t interfere, not without breaking my promise to Matt, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t keep a discreet distance between me and the girls and make sure no one bothered them.

  Dakota darted out from the record store, grabbed Heather’s arm, and dragged her to the food court. Now, I was safe to make an approach. “Dakota Nelson!”

  He stepped in front of Heather. The chivalrous gesture melted my heart but not my resolve.

  “How did you get to the mall, and why are you here?”

  “I came with you.”

  “What?”

  “I heard you and Grandma talking, knew Heather was coming, and laid quiet in the back of the van.”

  I scratched my head. “How did you plan on getting home?”

  He shrugged. “I would have figured it out when the time came.”

  I motioned my head toward the hall leading to the restrooms. “You two follow me. We’ll have more privacy over here.”

  Clearly worried about what her friends were thinking, Heather glanced in their direction before following me. “I can’t be long. My friends are patient and close-mouthed, but—”

  “No need to explain. I’m more worried about my nephew than you.” So not true, but I needed to gain her trust and Dakota was the easiest weapon I had at my disposal. “You can’t be sneaking off to meet girls without letting people know where you are. Why is your relationship such a secret anyway?” I glanced at Heather.

  “It’s complicated,” she said, avoiding my eyes. “Dakota is a good friend. Nothing more.”

  “Not allowed to date?” I did my best to look sympathetic rather than nosy.

  “Something like that,” she mumbled.

  “Stop being nosy.” Dakota glared and took Heather’s hand. “Come on, before she asks for your blood type.”

  “You asked for my help. Don’t forget that!”

  He glanced over his shoulder, holding a finger over his lips.

  “What do you need help with?” Heather looked from him to me.

  “Nothing. Let’s go.”

  “I think it would be the best thing for you, Dakota, if you were waiting by the fountain in exactly thirty minutes.” There. I’d done my best imitation of a bossy aunt and, hopefully, kept Dakota’s reputation intact. I didn’t know anything more than I did a few minutes ago, but if my plan worked, Heather might start looking at me and Dakota as people she could trust. And, I’d managed to act outraged in front of the other girls. If there was anything I could do for them, I prayed they’d find a way to come to me.

  Melody met my gaze, then turned away. The other girl, Rosie, set her jaw and stared. She wouldn’t be easy to win over. I smiled and headed to retrieve my dress.

  As I passed a store closed for renovations, I almost ran over Carol as she stepped into the main thoroughfare. “Oh, hello.” I glanced around, hoping that Dakota was no longer wit
h Heather.

  “Hello.” Carol tried looking around me, but I shifted my weight.

  If Dakota was still with the girls, he needed time to see what was happening so he could break free. “I don’t remember the malls being this crowded when I was young,” I said, smiling. “I guess kids have more money now.”

  “I guess. Excuse me.” She pushed me aside.

  No matter. I could see the girls and my nephew was nowhere in sight. I breathed a sigh of relief and stepped into the boutique where Mom was purchasing her outfit. I retrieved my gown and shoes before joining Dakota outside the boutique doors.

  “That was close,” he said, leaning against the wall.

  “I wish you’d tell me what is going on.”

  “The picture is getting clearer. I grabbed this off the floor where some man tossed it.” He handed me Bomberg’s business card. Only these had a phone number written on the back. “I called it, but the woman on the other end didn’t make any sense. She said I was too young to be calling. They only cater to adult men. What does that mean?”

  It meant I’d be giving Matt the business card.

  7

  “Here.” I handed the business card to Matt when he came over later that night.

  He read the card and scowled. “Where did you get this?”

  “Carol’s girls were handing them out at the mall.” I pulled a quilt over me. The look on Matt’s face chilled the living room by twenty degrees. Not that I feared he’d turn that simmering anger on me, not at all, but I still thought it wise to let him process the information quietly.

  He pulled out his cell phone.

  “What are you doing?” I stiffened.

  “Calling the number on the back. It looks like I’ll be attending a party on Friday.”

  Oh. “Me and Mom are, uh, serving at that party.” Wait for it. One, two…

  “Excuse me?” His brows rose as he turned to face me on the sofa.

  “In our defense, we didn’t really know what we were agreeing to. Of course, Mr. Bomberg’s request that I wear a formal dress triggered a little warning, but—”