by Gayle Leeson
“Sorry,” I said. “This’ll probably hurt.” I quickly ripped the tape off. “Where’s Scott?”
“Scott? No, it’s—”
Before she could finish her sentence, she headbutted me and knocked me to the ground. Almost immediately, I realized she’d done that to keep Harry Ostermann from hitting me on the back of the head. When Jackie crashed into me, I fell into Harry and caused him to stumble. Before he could right himself, I grabbed him by the ankle and pulled. He started falling like a giant oak, and I rolled to the side to keep from getting smushed.
Of course, Harry rolled onto his side and seized me before I could get out of his reach. He hauled me back toward him and drew back a meaty fist.
I raised my knees to my chest and kicked as hard as I could. Harry let out a raspy breath, and I managed to clamber out from under him. He was now lying face down on the ground in front of me. I dove onto his back.
Unfortunately, I underestimated Big Harry Ostermann. He was able to pull himself into a standing position with me clinging to his back. As he stood, I had to wrap my arms around his neck, afraid I’d fall. And, then, he tried to shake me off. I held on for dear life, but I wasn’t sure how long I could keep it up.
“Ryan, where are you?” I yelled as loudly as I could.
“Right behind you.”
A quick look to my right ensured that I wasn’t hallucinating. There was my gorgeous boyfriend standing beside me in his uniform with his gun drawn. It was the sexiest sight I’d ever seen.
“I love you,” I said.
“Ostermann, I have a Glock 22 pointed at the back of your head loaded with fifteen rounds,” Ryan said. “I want you to slowly raise your hands and, after Amy drops off your back, get on your knees.”
I let go and slid onto the ground. I stepped to the side and allowed Ryan to handcuff Harry. Then I went to help Jackie with her restraints.
“Is this where the credits roll, and you and Ryan ride into the sunset on a horse with no name?” she asked wryly.
“Don’t be ridiculous. The horse is named Butterbean.”
{ }
Chapter Twenty
T
he paramedics had insisted on taking Jackie to the emergency room to get her checked out. I rode with her and asked her how Harry had gotten the drop on her.
“I was on the patio cleaning tables, singing along to the radio, and I saw Harry pull up. I didn’t think much about it. I figured he was either looking for HJ or Scott.”
“Was Scott still there then?” I asked.
“No, he’d left about five minutes earlier. Harry saw me and came around the side of the café. I went over to tell him that we were closed and that Scott and HJ weren’t there, and he grabbed me and pulled me outside.”
I rubbed my hand over my face. “I’m so sorry I didn’t hear you. I’ll never listen to anything while I clean ever again.”
“Nonsense. We’ll just know to never leave the doors unlocked before and after business hours again.” She took my hand. “Thanks for coming after me.”
“You’d have done the same for me.”
“True.” She grinned. “But I’m tougher than you are.”
“Uh-huh. Who was it again who got the best of Big Hairy Ostrich-Man?”
“Ryan,” she said.
I couldn’t argue with that.
When we got to the hospital, I remained with Jackie while the doctor was examining her. She had some cuts and bruises, but she didn’t have a concussion.
The doctor was a woman not much older than Jackie and me, and she had a soothing voice. “You’ve suffered physical and emotional trauma, Ms. Fonseca. I’ll be happy to refer you to a therapist if you need to talk with someone.”
“I’m fine,” Jackie said.
“I know.” The doctor handed Jackie a card. “This is a hotline you can call any time of the day or night.”
“Don’t be too proud or too stubborn to accept it,” I told Jackie.
She took the card reluctantly. “I’m not a therapy kind of person.”
The doctor smiled gently. “Every feeling you might go through for the next few days—from exhaustion to denial to anger to confusion—is normal. Understand that, be kind to yourself, and talk with someone if need be.”
When the doctor left the room, a nurse came in. “There’s a whole bunch of people here to see you. One young man, in particular, is pretty anxious about it. I think everyone else can wait until you’re released. It won’t be much longer.”
“I’ll step outside and tell Roger he can see you now,” I said.
Before I could even get all the way into the hallway, Roger hugged me. “How is she, Flowerpot?”
“She’s fine.” I pulled him to the side of the door before the nurse came out and knocked us both sideways. “Whatever you do, don’t baby her. You’ll just tick her off.”
“I know, I know. But I thought I’d stop for rocky road on the way home.”
I smiled. “Let Mom and Aunt Bess bring the ice cream. She needs to stay at the Big House tonight.”
“She all right with that?” he asked.
“Probably not, but Aunt Bess will make her.”
THAT EVENING I WAS sitting on the porch when Ryan’s red convertible drove into my driveway. My lips curved into a smile...but straightened right back out when I saw another car park behind him.
Who is that? Oh, no...it’s his parents.
I stood. “Hi.”
“Hi.” Ryan climbed the steps and gave me a quick peck on the lips. “How are you feeling?”
“I’m all right,” I said. “A little sore.”
“I imagine you’ll be even achier tomorrow.” Michelle examined my face. “It could’ve been worse. It’s no way near as bad as the time I got mugged in Nevada. David was at a conference and hadn’t called to let me know he’d be late.”
“She always has to add that part,” David said, with a glum half-smile.
“It explains why I was standing on the street alone when that...that villain...came out of nowhere.” After her admonishing glance at her husband, Michelle turned her attention back to me. “He tried to take my purse, but I fought him tooth and nail and held him off until the police got there. I still have a scar on my hand that I got during the struggle.” She thrust out her left hand.
I couldn’t see the first sign of a scar, but I frowned at her hand as if I did. “Wow.”
She nodded. “I know. I was lucky not to have suffered worse injuries.”
David grinned. “Ryan said you’d leaped on that man’s back and was giving him what-for when he got there.”
“I had to do something. He was holding my cousin hostage.”
“Well, I say good for you,” David said. “If you ever think you’re going down, at least, go down fighting.”
“Amy is fortunate that Ryan was there to save her,” Michelle said. “I’d prefer everyone to avoid fights when possible...especially Ryan...but nobody listens to me. David, go get that afghan for Amy from the car please.”
He immediately did as she asked. So, obviously, he listened to this woman who preferred everyone to avoid fights and who’d been in at least three that I knew about.
David returned carrying a peacock blue and white granny-square afghan.
“Oh, my goodness,” I breathed. “That’s gorgeous.”
“Ryan told us about your fancy room,” Michelle said. “I hope this afghan matches. He seems to think it will.”
“It’s perfect.” I hugged the afghan to my chest.
“Good. It might help you rest better.” Michelle looked away. “I had a hard time sleeping after my ordeal.”
“I can imagine.” I ran my hand over the afghan. “This is so soft. Poor Hilda Dinsmore can’t compete with this caliber of work.”
Michelle beamed. “Well...no...she really can’t, can she?”
And we said it together: “Bless her heart.”
“We need to go and let Amy get some rest,” David said. “Do take some aspirin o
r something before you go to bed. You’ll be sorer than you think you’ll be tomorrow morning.”
“Ryan, take care of her.” Michelle waved as they strolled to their car.
“I can’t believe your mom gave this to me.” I looked at the afghan. “It’s beautiful.”
“You’re beautiful. And I did pay her for the afghan, but that’s beside the point.”
I laughed. “Did I tell you how happy I was to see you today?”
“Did I tell you how unsurprised I was to see you?” He draped an arm over my shoulders and led me into the house. “When Scott went by the café and saw that your car was gone, he called Ivy immediately.”
I frowned. “Why would he call Ivy? How does Scott even know Ivy?”
“She’s his sister.” Ryan laughed at my shocked expression.
“Huh...they are like Daphne and Shaggy from Scooby Doo.” I shook my head. “But why didn’t he tell us they’re brother and sister?”
“Well, when Ms. Pridemore was killed while Scott was working for the Ostermanns, Ivy instructed him not to let on to anyone that they were related. She was afraid it would compromise the investigation.”
“But why did he continue working there?” I asked.
“To see what he could learn. For the record, he didn’t know about the marijuana patch until today when HJ asked him to help get rid of it.”
We sat on the sofa, and I placed my legs across Ryan’s lap. He covered them up with his mom’s afghan.
“They were all in on it then?”
Ryan shook his head. “Only Harry and Nadine. HJ found out about it and tried to eradicate the crop before the DEA came in and seized it...which is what happened after the paramedics took you and Jackie out of there. He didn’t want his parents to get arrested. That’s why he came to see Sheriff Billings. He was trying to figure a way out for them.”
I rested my head against the sofa cushion. “And did the Ostermanns confess to killing Gladys Pridemore too?”
“Nadine did.” Ryan slipped my sandals from my feet and began to massage my arches. “Does that hurt?”
I shook my head. “It feels wonderful.”
“Good.” He continued his narrative. “Nadine thought she’d get a lighter sentence if she blamed everything on Harry, so she did.”
“Will she get a lighter sentence?”
“I don’t think so,” he said. “She was every bit as involved as her husband.”
“She’s the one who called the café that Saturday, wasn’t she?”
“Yep. Nadine wanted to make sure Ms. Pridemore was found and declared dead so the will would be executed. With the woman being pretty much a recluse, having food delivered to her seemed like the best option.”
I scoffed. “Naturally. I mean, they couldn’t find her themselves. That would look bad.”
“Let’s not talk about the Ostermanns anymore. Let’s talk about you...and me.”
My eyes lowered to my hands. He was going to ask me about what I said. I could say I’d told him I loved him in the heat of the moment...but I didn’t want to lie. I loved Ryan Hall. I wasn’t exactly sure when I fell in love with this man, but I was absolutely head over heels. And I wasn’t afraid to admit it. I raised my eyes to his.
“I love you too,” he said.
{ }
Recipes from the Down South Café
Low Carb White Fish Pomodoro
This recipe is courtesy of Sommer of A Spicy Perspective. Get more information (including nutrition and Sommer’s tips) at
https://www.aspicyperspective.com/low-carb-white-fish-pomodoro/
Ingredients
3-4 skinless white fish fillets (grouper, cod, monkfish, halibut)
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 shallot, peeled and finely chopped
28 ounces crushed tomatoes (1 can)
1/2 cup roughly chopped basil
1 teaspoon honey
Salt and pepper
Instructions
Place a large skillet over medium heat. Add the oil. Salt and pepper the fish fillets on both sides. Once the oil is hot, sear the fish fillets until cooked through. For thin fillets like grouper, cook 2 minutes per side. For thicker fillets like cod, cook 4 minutes per side. Remove from the skillet and set aside.
Add the garlic and shallots to the skillet. Saute for 2-3 minutes to soften. Then add in the crushed tomatoes and honey. Stir and simmer for 5 minutes. Taste, and salt and pepper as needed.
Stir in the fresh basil and add the fish fillets back to the skillet. Simmer another 1-2 minutes to reheat the fish. Serve warm as-is or with a side of raw zucchini noodles.
{ }
Diet Cola Brownies
You can find recipes for these all over the Internet. I tried them and loved them. I didn’t tell my son they were made with Diet Coke and Low-Fat Brownie mix, and he loved them too!
Ingredients
12 oz can Diet Cola
1 box of brownie mix (I used Betty Crocker Low-Fat Fudge Brownie Mix.)
Instructions
Empty brownie mix into large bowl. Add 12 oz. diet cola. Using a handheld mixer or whisk, combine until batter is free of lumps.
Pour mixture into a 9 x 9 pan treated with nonstick cooking spray.
Bake according to brownie mix instructions, adding an additional 5 to 10 minutes baking time.
Links to Additional Foods Prepared in Apples and Alibis
Stuffed Pepper Casserole –
https://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/stuffed-pepper-casserole/55349f80-93ac-4bdc-bdca-2ebbe4c59424
Crock Pot Party Mix –
https://www.gimmesomeoven.com/slow-cooker-chex-mix-recipe/
Homemade Belgian Waffles -
https://thesaltymarshmallow.com/homemade-belgian-waffle-recipe/
{ }
Also by Gayle Leeson
Down South Café Mystery Series
The Calamity Café
Silence of the Jams
Honey-Baked Homicide
Ghostly Fashionista Mystery Series
Designs on Murder
Perils and Lace
Kinsey Falls Chick-Lit Series
Hightail It to Kinsey Falls
Putting Down Roots in Kinsey Falls
Sleighing It in Kinsey Falls
Victoria Square Series (With Lorraine Bartlett)
Yule Be Dead
Murder Ink
Embroidery Mystery Series (Written as Amanda Lee)
The Quick and The Thread
Stitch Me Deadly
Thread Reckoning
The Long Stitch Goodnight
Thread on Arrival
Cross-Stitch Before Dying
Thread End
Wicked Stitch
The Stitching Hour
Better Off Thread
Cake Decorating Mystery Series (Written as Gayle Trent)
Murder Takes the Cake
Dead Pan
Killer Sweet Tooth
Battered to Death
Killer Wedding Cake
Myrtle Crumb Mystery Series (Written as Gayle Trent)
The Party Line (short story/prequel)
Between A Clutch and a Hard Place
When Good Bras Go Bad
Claus of Death
Soup...Er...Myrtle!
Perp and Circumstance
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Gayle Leeson is known for her cozy mysteries. She also writes as Gayle Trent and Amanda Lee. To eliminate confusion going forward, Gayle is writing under the name Gayle Leeson only. She and her family live in Southwest Virginia with Cooper, the Great Pyrenees in the photograph with Gayle, and a small pride of lions (cats, really, but humor them).
If you enjoyed this book, Gayle would appreciate your leaving a review. If you don’t know what to say, there is a handy book review guide at her site (https://www.gayleleeson.com/book-review-form). Gayle invites you to sign up for her newsletter and receive excerpts of some of her books: https://forms.aweber.com/for
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