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

by Cynthia Hickey

  He stopped before going outside and said, without turning around, “I assume y’all aren’t going anywhere.” He left.

  “Why would he say that?” Angela stared after him. “We can’t possibly be suspects. Isn’t that what they tell suspects?”

  “I’m sure everyone at the resort is a suspect.” I stood and put my hands on Cherokee’s shoulders. “The decision seems to be taken away from us. Are you all right?”

  “As long as I’m with all of you, I’m fine.” She put a hand over mine. “I know what you’ll do to keep us safe. I’ve seen it first hand. There’s no place I’d rather be than where you are.”

  Okay, I was going to cry. I wrapped my arms around her from behind. “You’re a strong, sweet young woman. You would have found a way to save yourself if I hadn’t come up with a plan.”

  She tilted her head back to look up at me. “But you don’t stop looking, Aunt Stormi. You’re like a pit bull.”

  “I am, aren’t I?”

  Mom joined in, hugging me from behind. “That’s what we Nelsons do. Go after and protect what’s ours. Now, the Granger’s killer has made this personal. Let’s come up with one of Stormi’s famous plans.”

  The problem with that idea is…I hadn’t a clue where to go from there. “I don’t know what’s next.” I broke up our huddle. Out of desperation, I said, “Rusty, you haven’t seen or heard anything other than the bear, the hike, or the chef with the knife, have you?” I figured I should be as specific as possible.

  “New chef.” He stuffed a chocolate-chip cookie whole into his mouth.

  “And?” I waited for him to chew and swallow.

  “New knives.”

  “Where did the old chef go?”

  “That mean woman fired him.”

  “Cheri?”

  He nodded. “Right after ambulance take Wayne and Matt.”

  I couldn’t imagine that the police let the man leave, though. “Do you know where the old chef is now?”

  “In the bunkhouse.” He shoved another cookie into his mouth, dribbling crumbs down the front of his overalls as he talked. “All the workers live in a building hidden by trees.”

  I suppose the resort would want something less attractive than the cottages hidden. “Can you show me?”

  He nodded and shoved what was left of the cookies down the front of his bib. “Follow me.”

  I motioned for Maryann to come along, and did as I was told.

  11

  The bunkhouse, a sprawling L-shaped building painted a soft tan color, was masterfully hidden by flowering bushes and thick evergreen trees. Doors lined the long building, signifying separate living quarters. Unless you knew the dirt path led to the building, you’d have no idea. The resort clearly didn’t want the guests to see such a plain, cement block building. I also had a strong guess that Cheri resided somewhere…prettier.

  Rusty knocked on a door at the far end and stepped back in order for me to take over. “His name is Chef Ryan.”

  “Thank you.”

  A tall man, who looked like he was of Italian descent, answered the door. A red and black flannel shirt strained across a round belly. A thick beard covered half of his face. “Yeah? Guests aren’t supposed to be back here.”

  “I apologize for disturbing you, but I’m a private investigator, hired by Amber Granger, to investigate her husband’s death. May we come in…?”

  “Ryan Bertolinni.” He peered over my shoulder. “Rusty! Yes, come in.”

  “He’s my friend,” Rusty said, pushing past me.

  I shot an amused glance at Maryann and stepped into a surprisingly clean room. I didn’t know why I always expected men who lived alone to be messy. Obviously, it was a preconceived idea I needed to let go.

  “Have a seat. I have cappuccino.”

  Maryann and I accepted readily. Rusty wanted a soda.

  Once our host had our coffee, he sat in a large easy chair. “Well, what do you want? Isn’t both of the Grangers dead?”

  “Yes.” I blew on my drink.

  “How can you work for a dead woman?”

  “Obviously, she hired me before her death.” I had a feeling the man was laughing at me, but I couldn’t see a smirk under all the facial hair. “You were fired for losing a knife, correct?”

  “I didn’t lose a knife.” His eyes hardened. “I had one stolen from me. It was from a personal set. Very expensive.”

  “You’ll get it back eventually.” If he was innocent. I set my coffee on the short table in front of me, almost forgetting my resolve not to drink anything I didn’t see prepared.

  Maryann did the same.

  Ryan laughed. “You think I’d poison you in my home? I’m already at the top of the police’s suspect list. That Rodriguez said I was big enough to throw a knife at a bear. Stupid! Only a truly desperate person would do something so foolish. I am not that type of person.”

  “Ryan is a good cook,” Rusty said. “Gives me free food. He didn’t kill anyone.”

  “See?” Ryan’s teeth flashed. “I’m innocent.”

  While I didn’t think the man guilty, I just wasn’t sure I liked him. “How could someone get their hands on one of your personal knives? Do you leave them in the kitchen?”

  “Of course. Why carry them back and forth? I lock the kitchen every night. Whoever took my knife had a key card.” He planted his hands on his thighs and pushed to his feet. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got a whole lot of nothing to do since I’m unemployed.” He opened the front door. “Rusty, you come see me any time. Ladies, keep your distance. Haven’t you heard? I’m mean enough to tangle with a bear.” He slammed the door.

  “What a rude man.” Maryann stormed down the path. “We didn’t learn a thing.”

  “We did. We learned that only someone with a key card could have taken his knife. The unfortunate thing is…we also know how easy it is to steal one.” I headed for the pool area, not ready to go back to the cottage without Matt, my very own stolen key card nestled in my pocket.

  My cell phone rang as I shed my shoes and stuck my aching feet into the hot tub, thankful the pool area was empty. Since it was nearing the dinner hour, the pool wouldn’t be empty for long. The guests tended to gather there after they’d eaten. I pulled my phone from my pocket, relieved to see Matt’s number. “Is everything okay?”

  “Yes. Wayne and I are on our way back. He took ten stitches in the shoulder. Could have been worse.”

  I said a prayer of thanksgiving, then told Matt of my conversation with Bertolinni.

  “You didn’t go alone, did you?”

  “No, Rusty and Maryann were with me.” I left out the fact I almost drank the man’s coffee. “I’ve learned not to investigate alone.”

  “That’s my girl. See you in an hour. Love you.” Click.

  “What now?” Maryann swished her feet in the water. “We could interview someone else.”

  “Cheri, maybe. If anyone knows anything about everyone here, it would be her.” I doubted she’d tell us anything, though. The woman took her job very seriously. “I want to get into Mr. Boyd’s room.” Maybe I could skip dinner and order room service. Instinct told me that Boyd Industries was not on the up and up. That sheet of fake companies and bank accounts had to be related in some way to Seth Granger quitting Boyd Industries.

  “We need to find out if Seth had any family besides Amber,” I said. “Maybe he told them why he quit working for Boyd.” I knew I was searching for a piece of rice in a salt shaker, but I couldn’t sit back and wonder. Answers didn’t come to a person that way. At least not to me. I had to pound the proverbial pavement.

  Voices on the other side of the hedge, signaled dinner time. “I’m going to meet Matt at the cottage, then sneak into Shelby’s room. If you see her, or Lawrence, trying to leave the restaurant before I get back, stall them.”

  “What if they never show up at the restaurant?”

  I bit my lower lip. “Pull the fire alarm. No, don’t do that. Sprinklers will come
on.” While my books kept me supplied with a steady income, I didn’t relish paying for repairs due to sprinklers. I dried my feet off with my socks, then slipped them into my shoes. “I’ll think of something. If I don’t see them before I head upstairs, I’ll make a plan.”

  “Be careful. I know what your plans are like.” She put on her shoes and headed for the restaurant.

  I hated doing anything by the seat-of-my-pants, but there were a lot of people at this resort, and I’d made very little leeway. We’d be released as persons of interest soon and able to return home. I still had a lot to do before that happened. I never got my second massage in order to grill Bri some more, I still wanted to talk to each of the bridesmaids, and somehow, I needed to get Cheri to spill her guts. That woman had to know a ton! The trick would be getting her to talk.

  Matt and Wayne weren’t back yet. I glanced at my watch. I’d leave a note as to where I went and Matt could catch up with me. In the meantime, I’d take Mom. With my purse slung over my shoulder, I headed for the restaurant.

  I leaned close to Mom’s ear as she stood in a buffet line. “I need you to come snooping with me.”

  “Now?”

  “Yes.”

  She shoved her plate into Dakota’s hands and rushed after me. “This is always worth skipping dinner over.”

  “We’ll order in later.” I pressed the elevator button. “Did you see Shelby and Lawrence?”

  “They didn’t want the buffet. They went to the actual restaurant part.”

  Good. That would take longer.

  Mom rubbed her hands together. “It’s about time we went to their room. I was starting to think you’d lost your nerve.”

  “I’ve been kind of busy.”

  The elevator doors opened. Cheri stood inside, staring at the floor. She heaved a heavy sigh before noticing us waiting to get on. A heavy burden seemed to rest on her shoulders more and more each day. “Pardon me?” She brushed past us and headed in the direction of the restaurant.

  I shrugged and pushed the button for the second floor. When the doors opened again, I peered out, looked both ways, then walked as fast as possible, without running, to Shelby’s room. I slid the key card into the slot. “Yes! It still works.”

  We pushed inside. Their suite must take up most of that side of the second floor. Large windows covered one whole wall of a room designated as a living room. I peeked through the curtains.

  Lara, one of the bridesmaids, ducked between a couple of the cottages. Mr. Bertolini, followed her, staying to the shadows. Behind them, trailed Cheri. What in the world was up with those three? Clouds, pregnant with rain, scudded across the moon. A flash of lightning lit up the sky.

  “What are we looking for?” Mom’s question pulled me back to the task at hand.

  “Anything that would point to Lawrence Boyd being a crook.”

  “Right. I’m headed for the love nest.” She opened double doors that led into a bedroom with a king-sized bed.

  Spotting Lawrence’s briefcase, I pulled on a pair of rubber gloves I always kept in my purse, and set the case on the table. Several files rested inside.

  One contained legitimate looking pages, maybe from a slide show presentation focused on marketing. Another looked like a resume for Cheri Mason. Maybe our little manager wasn’t as happy at her job as she let on. The third folder contained bank information.

  I flipped through the pages. Bingo! Line after line of various large amounts of money being funneled into Boyd Industries, then into several off shore accounts. I snapped pictures with my cell phone, not forgetting Cheri’s resume, then slid the folders back into the case. I froze as footsteps sounded in the hall along with raised voices. When they moved on, I exhaled deeply.

  “Mom, we’ve got to get out of here.” I stepped into the bedroom.

  Mom turned from the dresser. She held a small clear bottle in her hand. The sort one might find prescription pills in. “This bottle smells like seawater.” She held it up to the light. “I can’t tell if that little blob use to be a jellyfish or not.”

  “Bring it with us. We should go.” I took a quick glance around, fully intending to pay another visit to the room. But, experience had taught me that staying too long only resulted in disaster.

  I hurried and opened the door, letting out a shriek to see someone standing there. When I got over my shock, I smacked Matt in the chest. “You scared me to death! What are you doing out here?”

  “Keeping guard. You closed the door, so I couldn’t get in.” He gave me the crooked smile that always sent my heart flying. “Let’s go back to the cottage and share information.”

  “You found out something? When?” We strolled back to the elevator.

  “I made a few calls while Wayne was getting stitched up. I thought it prudent to look into Seth’s background.”

  “I was thinking the same thing.”

  The three of us got into the elevator. Matt pressed the button for the first floor.

  The elevator lowered, then stopped with a jerk. We stood in silence for several seconds before the elevator started to move again. Upwards this time, then down again, only to stop with a jerk. By the third time, my stomach roiled.

  “What in the heck?” I braced my hands on the walls.

  Mom pressed the call button with urgent frequency. “Why isn’t anyone answering? I’m going to throw up from all this bouncing.”

  The light flickered out, casting us into complete darkness.

  “What happened?” My heart hammered in my ears.

  “I think we lost electricity. It was getting ready to storm when I came into the building.”

  I could hear him moving around. “Check the panels overhead.”

  “That only happens in the movies, sweetheart.”

  Oh. “Then what are you looking for?”

  “Something that opens the door.”

  “I’m pressing all of the buttons,” Mom said. “Nothing is happening. If we start jerking again—Oh!”

  The elevator sank like an amusement park ride. We stopped with a jolt and the doors opened onto complete darkness. I had a flashlight app on my cell phone, and pressed the button to give us some light. “I didn’t know this place had a basement.” None of the buttons showed that it did.

  “Let me see your phone.” Matt held it up. “Smell that?”

  “What?”

  “Tobacco.” He pointed to what looked like a large amount of dried herbs, a bucket of water, and some cheesecloths. “I’m willing to guess someone else is about to be poisoned.”

  12

  “How?” I glanced up at Matt.

  “You soak the tobacco leaves, then drain through a cheesecloth, making the strongest liquid nicotine possible. Very toxic.” He wrapped the evidence in the cheesecloth. “Let’s get out of here before your phone battery dies.”

  Too late. The light continued to dim until it cast us into total darkness again before we reached the elevator. “Matt?”

  “Stretch out your hand until you touch me. Grab a hold of my belt loop. Anne, you do the same. I saw some stairs to our right. I’ll try to find them.”

  “I have a cigarette lighter in my purse,” Mom said.

  “Why? You don’t smoke,” I said.

  “For emergencies. I used to carry a screwdriver as a weapon until I bought my gun. I wasn’t keen on the idea of hand-to-hand combat. Here it is!” Soon, a small flame lit up a one-foot area around us. “I thought I taught you girls to be prepared for anything.”

  “This will do.” Matt handed me the confiscated evidence, then took the lighter from Mom. He held it high, hissing occasionally when the flame got too close to his fingers.

  A door slammed. A lock clicked into place. So much for locating the stairs.

  “Someone just locked us in.” Fear spread through me like a forest fire. I didn’t like the dark, wasn’t exactly afraid of it, but that little flame from the lighter wouldn’t last forever.

  “Stay close,” Matt said. “I’m here. You a
ren’t alone.”

  “God is with us,” Mom added.

  I think Matt meant himself, but knowing both, three counting Mom, were in the dark with me was a huge comfort. “Any ideas?”

  “It’s a basement. Most of them have at least a small window.” He let the flame die. “I’ll light it again in a second. It’s burning my fingers.”

  I nodded, knowing he couldn’t see me, and not caring. I stood so close to him, I could feel his body heat. He radiated a lot of heat. But enough to smoke? Wait. I sniffed. “Is that smoke?” My heart stopped.

  “It is. Let’s find that window fast.” He lit the flame again. “There.”

  I caught a glimpse of shiny glass when lightning streaked. “There’s something in front of the window.”

  “Just boxes, I think. Anne, hold the lighter.”

  Mom held it close to her face, her eyes wide. “This would make a great horror flick. Three people trapped in a basement, smoke filling the room, and a psycho in the corner with an ax. All we’re missing is the psycho.”

  That was debatable. “Please, be quiet.” This was not the time for her imagination to convince mine to join her scary fantasies.

  “Just trying to break the silence. That’s what scares me the most. Silence.”

  Matt stepped away. Thuds of boxes being tossed filled the space.

  “Maybe we should call the fire department,” Mom said.

  “That would be nice if we had a phone. Mine is dead.” Seriously?

  “I have mine.”

  Silence screamed in a basement quickly filling with smoke. My eyes watered.

  “Why didn’t you say something before?” Uh-oh. Matt had lost his patience.

  “We were looking for a light,” Mom said. “I don’t have the flashlight app on my phone. I’m a bit stressed, and obviously not thinking clearly.”

  “It still provides light.” He said the last word sharply. “Call Wayne, then call the fire department. In that order. Now.”

  “Okay, no need to get mean.” The face of Mom’s phone lit up. “Wayne? It’s Anne. Matt, Stormi, and I are trapped in a basement under the main building. It’s filling with smoke. I need you to find us, quickly, please. Matt is losing his patience. I have to call the fire department now. Bye!”