Then at the last moment, she leaned in close enough to whisper, looking straight into the other woman’s dark, beady little eyes. “You killed her for nothing, Nettie. You had already lost everything.”
Turning away, Jesse moved her chair to the opposite side of the hallway. Nettie struggled to follow. Her nylon bindings cut deep grooves into her torso as she strained against them.
“I’ll burn this place to the ground before I’ll let anyone else have it!” she threatened, her words low and harsh with desperation.
“Well, good luck with that,” Jesse said over her shoulder as she began to walk away. “But, unless you can do it with the steam coming from your ears, I don’t think you’ll get another opportunity.”
Behind her, Nettie released the scream she’d been holding in. It echoed through the hallway behind Jesse, who just kept walking. She’d asked her questions and gotten her answers, but they brought no satisfaction.
This murder was as tragic and senseless as all the rest, and she had yet to hear a reason that mattered. All she wanted now was to go home, back to the place where things made sense and life was good.
~~~~~
Taking a detour into her room before rejoining the others, Jesse retrieved her cell phone from the bedside table and sank down in the high backed Victorian chair next to the fireplace. She had done what she came here to do. Vivian and Fisher could tie up the loose ends.
Propping her feet up on the chest at the foot of the bed, Jesse pushed the number on her contact list for Sheriff Joe Tyler of the Waite County Sheriff’s Department in Myrtle Grove, Oklahoma. Just the sound of the ringing phone seemed to lift a burden and take her one step closer to home.
“Sheriff Tyler.” His voice was brisk and businesslike, but it brought a bit of peace to Jesse’s troubled heart.
“Joe?” She hoped he wasn’t too busy, because she really needed to talk to him. And not only to postpone their meeting.
“Jesse?” The starch went out of his tone. “Where are you?”
“Uh-h-h.” Her brain instantly began sorting through the consequences of what she said next.
“Don’t lie to me,” he warned. “I know where you’ve been. All I’m asking is, are you still there? Or are you back home?”
“I’m still here.” Saying the words aloud, Jesse felt tears begin to burn behind her eyes.
She wanted more than anything to be back in her own home, sleeping in her own bed, going to work in her own wonderful tearoom with her friends, and sipping wine on the balcony with her mom late into the evening.
Thinking of her mother, Jesse longed to pour out all the hurt in her heart to the one person in the world who would care above all others. But she didn’t dare make that call, or she would fall apart completely.
“Are you okay? You sound kind of rattled.” Concern softened Joe’s voice into something Jesse wasn’t used to hearing from him.
“Yeah. Yeah, I’m fine.” She cleared her throat past the sorrow still lodged there. “I’m not used to being homesick, is all. And I’ve been busy, so maybe I sound tired.”
“Jesse, Jesse, Jesse.” She could almost see him shaking his head. Then his tone dropped to an intimacy she had never heard from him. “Have you been chasing killers again, Jesse? And have you figured out yet why catching one always makes you so sad?”
“No,” she answered, feeling every inch of the melancholy he was talking about.
“No, you haven’t caught a killer? Or, no, you haven’t figured it out?”
“Did you hear that Amanda Carmichael died?” Jesse asked, desperate to change the subject no matter how clumsily she did it.
And it wasn’t catching killers that made her sad. It was death in general. She had seen too many, and she had never gotten over any of them.
“Yes, I did,” he answered. “We’ve been looking hard at Celeste Landon for the drug overdose that put Mrs. Carmichael in the hospital. I don’t suppose…”
“Celeste had nothing to do with it,” Jesse said. “And that drug overdose was an accident.”
“Uh-huh,” he answered, clearly humoring her.
“The housekeeper killed Amanda. In a struggle. And for a reason so stupid.”
“Most of them are,” Joe agreed. “Stupid, that is. So is this still in the theory stage?”
“No. We have a weapon and a confession, more or less. Plus she knocked somebody unconscious, left her bound and gagged. Then drugged somebody else, and almost drowned me. We’ve got her tied up now and waiting for the police.”
“Good grief, Jesse!” His voice jumped an octave and was no longer calm, soothing or understanding. “You’re going to get your idiot self killed if you don’t stop poking around where you have no business!”
“Well, nobody even believed this was a murder when we started poking,” she shot back.
“And I suppose you’ve dragged Vivian into all of this!”
“Not all of it,” Jesse said, once again miffed at his way of blaming everything on her. As if Vivian needed any dragging to get involved in any of it. In the next breath, Jesse realized that her shakiness was gone, and she no longer felt any urge to cry.
“When are you coming home?” he demanded.
“If I had wings, I’d be on my way right now,” she said softly. As quickly as it had come, her irritation was gone, taking her sadness with it, but homesickness still squeezed at her heart like a fist. “But, Amanda’s attorney plans to meet with everyone once more. I’ll be leaving here on the same boat he takes.”
“Boat?”
“It’s an island. A small island.” Jesse sighed. “Anyway, I don’t know if I’ll make it home by tomorrow evening. That’s what I called to tell you.”
“Just give me a call when you have an arrival time. I’ll pick you up, and we’ll grab a bite to eat no matter what time it is.”
“Thank you.” For a fleeting moment the urge to cry returned and then as quickly eased. “I’m pretty sure I’ll be hungry. And tired. And maybe a little grumpy. Think you can deal with all that?”
“I’m a big boy, Miss Jesse. And as much as I hate to break it to you, none of that‘s particularly new.”
Jesse threw back her head and laughed, the first time she could remember being truly happy in days.
“I’m serious as a heart attack, young lady,” he said. “Don’t you laugh at me.”
“I know.” She laughed again. “You sound like my mother. I can’t wait to get home.”
“We’re gonna discuss some new rules when you get back here.”
“Yeah, that’ll work.”
This time he laughed—a quick bark—and then he was serious again. “You be safe. And I’m not kidding. If there’s any problem at all, let me know, and I’ll come up there and get you.”
Jesse tried to speak, but nothing came out. She drew in a long, shaky breath before she managed, “Okay.” After another deep breath, she said, “Uh, could you let Mom know I’ll be in later than I’d planned? I’ve got to get back downstairs and keep this thing moving. And if I call her myself, I just know I’ll start crying.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll take care of it. And don’t forget to call me with your arrival time.”
After the connection went dead, Jesse sat there not wanting to move. Her life had just taken a major shift into uncharted territory. It was scary and exhilarating and, yeah, mostly just scary. She hadn’t been particularly successful with men in the past. And nothing about this man had been easy up to this point.
“Jesselyn!” Vivian called from the connecting room seconds before she appeared in the doorway. “The police are here! This is so exciting! Usually you’re the one who gets yelled at by the police! This will be my first time ever. Can I do the talking? Please? You look like you’re feeling a lot better, by the way. Hurry now! We don’t want to miss anything.”
Vivian turned and rushed away. Jesse put her phone back on the bedside table and prepared to follow, mentally getting her bags in order. The essentials were her purse, her passport and her p
hone. Plus some real shoes. That and the clothes on her back were all she had to have to be on her way.
She scooped her backpack off the floor and set it on the foot of her bed. The next time she picked it up, she’d be ready to walk out the door for home, which at this moment was everything she had ever wanted.
Dear Reader,
If you enjoyed this cozy mystery, and I hope you did, please go to Amazon to leave a short review so I’ll know. Thank you so much.
Remember to sign up for Loulou Harrington’s mailing list for even more recipes, special offers, giveaways and all the latest information on what’s happening with the Myrtle Grove Garden Club Mystery Series at:
Website: http://loulouharrington.com
(Your information will always be confidential.)
Other cozies from the Myrtle Grove Garden Club Mystery Series are:
Murder, Mayhem and Bliss (Book 1)
Murder Most Thorny (Book 2)
A Misty Morning Murder (Book 4—first chapter after Recipes)
Also, the Anthology: Happy Homicides 5: The Purr-fect Crime
Featuring the short fiction: Deadly Purr-suasion: A Little Bit of Magic Mystery by Loulou Harrington
(A brief excerpt is featured at the end of this book.)
Don’t Miss the RECIPES on the next page!
Recipes from the Gilded Lily Tea Room
ROASTED SWEET POTATOES
Ingredients:
Sweet potatoes (1/2 to 1 per person)
Olive oil
Crushed, dried Italian herbs (rosemary, basil, oregano)
Directions:
Peel and cut sweet potatoes into narrow French-fry strips.
Place on roasting, pizza or cookie sheet; drizzle lightly with olive oil.
Crush dried Italian herbs between palms over top of potatoes (1 Tbsp. per potato).
Toss potato strips to coat evenly with oil and herbs.
Spread flat on sheet with space between.
Place in oven preheated to 400-410 degrees and bake 20-30 minutes.
Potatoes are done when easily pierced by fork and are sweeter when well done.
(Salt not necessary; potatoes are sweet and savory)
~~~~~
LYN’S TOMATO, BASIL, FETA SALAD
Ingredients:
Fresh tomatoes (Roma works well, with more meat and fewer seeds, or cherry tomatoes)
Fresh lime (1/2 medium sized or 1 small)
Fresh sweet basil leaves
Feta, plain, crumbled
(6 oz. container of feta, 1 large Roma tomato or cherry tomatoes, 4-6 large basil leaves)
Directions:
Dice tomato into small pieces or quarter smaller tomatoes
Finely chop basil
Mix with crumbled feta
Squeeze lime juice onto mixture and toss
Makes an excellent, light salad
Also works well served on bruschetta
~~~~~
For a sneak peek at Book 4 of the series, A Misty Morning Murder, read on:
Excerpt
A MISTY MORNING MURDER
A Myrtle Grove Garden Club Mystery
Loulou Harrington
Chapter One
Over the sound of her drumming heartbeat, Jesse reminded herself to slow down and breathe. She had called Joe Tyler during her layover in Dallas to let him know her flight was on time and should arriving in Tulsa a little before 8 p.m.
“I’ll be there,” he’d said, but something in his voice sounded hesitant.
“What’s up?” she’d asked. This whole “first-date-that-wasn’t-a-date” thing was awkward enough without anything else adding to it.
“Nothing much.” He did a lousy job of sounding casual. “A slight change of plans, that’s all. I’ll explain when I see you.”
She’d wanted to argue, but her plane was being called. She’d spent the remainder of her flight time home reassuring herself there was nothing to worry about. After all, he was the Sheriff of Waite County and not her private taxi driver. Maybe something had come up, and he had to work. Maybe the “alone time” over dinner he had planned would be fast food carryout and a hurried drive back to Myrtle Grove.
Jesse wished it didn’t matter to her, but what had seemed like a nuisance a week ago when she’d first agreed had become something she was looking forward to. And now she’d spent the last hour worrying that she was going to be dumped on her doorstep with a McDonald’s sack in her hand.
She jockeyed for a clear view past the other passengers hurrying down the corridor ahead of her. Beyond them were the glass doors to the luggage pickup and freedom. She saw people waiting just behind the glass doors, and her heart lifted to know that someone waited for her, too. Maybe.
An instant later, she saw him. Standing tall, separate, and in full uniform, he looked more like he was waiting to arrest someone than to meet her for a date that wasn’t really a date. What he’d actually invited her to was a meeting with dinner included, a “talk” in a casual setting, with food and wine. She clearly remembered the mention of wine.
Sheriff Joe Tyler looked up and made eye contact as Jesse came through the revolving door. He smiled and took a step forward, then stopped, seeming almost as awkward and hesitant as she felt. He took off his hat, mauling it between his hands, as he watched her approach.
“Hi.” Jesse came to a halt in front of him. Other passengers streamed around them, but she barely noticed.
“You’re looking good,” he said.
She was wearing a flannel shirt and blue jeans with her ever-present, neon pink sneakers. Her hair had been slept in all the way from Seattle, and her makeup was practically nonexistent. He was either genuinely glad to see her or lying through his teeth.
“Thanks. You’re not wearing sunglasses.” She gazed into his warm chocolate eyes that held just a touch of cinnamon today, and she smiled. “You have nice eyes when you’re not fussing at me.”
“Was that flirting?” he asked, sounding surprised.
“Not very good, was it?” A little bubble of happiness pushed its way past her worry.
“I’m flattered that you would even try.” He smiled back at her. “Sorry about the uniform. I didn’t have time to change. I have other clothes in the truck, but…”
His words dribbled to a halt, a frown pulled at his brows, and his gaze slid away. Jesse knew the lead-up to bad news when she saw it.
“What?” she demanded. Her irritation ground both happiness and worry under its heel. “I’m really hungry, and I’m guessing our dinner plans have changed. Can I at least get a takeout sandwich someplace?”
His eyes found hers, and he shook his head. “Your mother sends her apologies, but something has come up, and she asked me to bring you straight home.”
“Is she all right?” Jesse’s heart thudded with dread and plunged to the pit of her stomach. She should never have left so suddenly. Her mother was almost seventy, too old to be…
“She’s fine,” Joe said, interrupting Jesse’s runaway guilt.
But her relief didn’t last long as her mind took off in another direction. “The tearoom?” People depended on her. She couldn’t just go running off the way she had done and expect everyone else to pick up the slack. What if…
“The business is fine. As far as I know.”
“Well, what is it?” she demanded, now in a hurry to go straight home.
“You’ve got company. And that’s all I’m saying.” He took her elbow and turned her toward the escalator that would take them down to the baggage area and the short-term parking lot beyond. “Do you have any bags checked?”
Without breaking stride, she gestured toward the backpack she still wore. “I’ve got it all.”
Joe slipped his hand under the shoulder strap and slid the backpack away from her and into the crook of his arm. Jesse started to protest but ended up flexing her shoulders instead. It felt good to be free, and it was the least he could do if he wasn’t going to feed her.
She looked aro
und and realized the other passengers had cleared the area, leaving the two of them alone. The setting seemed intimate suddenly.
Taking her elbow again, Joe stopped her just short of the escalator. “I’m sorry tonight didn’t work out.” He stood very close, looking down at her, his chest against her shoulder.
Tall for a woman and athletically lean, Jesse wasn’t used to feeling petite, but he had a way of making her feel almost tiny next to him. And it wasn’t just his size. He crowded her in a way few people ever had, man or woman. He insisted on trying to protect her whether she wanted it or not. He gave her advice she didn’t ask for or appreciate. And this was the first time she could ever remember hearing the word “sorry” come out of his mouth.
The man was an irritant, like a grain of sand to an oyster, but so far there was no pearl anywhere in sight.
“We will have dinner,” he said. “We will talk. Just not tonight.”
She looked up at him and forgot to breathe. Storm clouds swirled in the depths of his eyes. His jaw was clenched, and his body was tight as a bowstring. And then he kissed her.
Long, slow, and deep…he drank her in like she was the last drop of water in his world. Jesse leaned into him, her shoulder to his chest, nothing else touching, and everything she knew was in that one point of contact. Her blood pounded in her ears, her knees trembled, and still she couldn’t draw a breath.
When he lifted his head from hers, she wasn’t sure she could stand on her own.
“That’s a promise,” he said in a voice that sounded as rough as she felt.
She nodded, afraid to look directly at him and pretty sure she couldn’t talk if she wanted to. Just getting to his truck seemed Herculean. Damn him anyway. She couldn’t remember the last time she had felt this way. In fact, she couldn’t remember ever feeling this way. And he seemed just fine. Still breathing. Still walking.
His hand at her elbow, he guided her down the escalator, past the luggage carousels and outside while Jesse tried to pretend she hadn’t just stepped off a carnival ride that left her head disconnected from her feet.
The drive to Myrtle Grove was long and silent. Jesse had lost her appetite but eventually regained her ability to think straight. By the time Joe’s truck pulled up in front of the stately Victorian that was both her home and her business, her brain and feet no longer felt as if they belonged to two different people.
Murder on a Silver Sea (Myrtle Grove Garden Club Mystery Book 3) Page 25