Missy DeMeanor Cozy Mysteries Boxset

by Brianna Bates

  Tonya nodded sympathetically, while Noreen pursed her lips. She’d known Olivia for a long time too, filling in for Missy a couple of times when she couldn’t babysit the girl. Noreen hadn’t been as close to her, but it still must have hit her hard.

  “Noreen?”

  The three women turned. Vinnie had called to her from the hallway. He filled the doorway.

  Noreen raised her hand. “Hi?”

  Vinnie motioned for her to come into the hallway. “I need to ask you a few questions.”

  Noreen looked at Tonya before crossing the gymnasium floor. That told Missy everything she needed to know about their friendship. Noreen obviously looked to Tonya for more support right now than Missy. Which was really saying something. Earlier this year, Missy had gotten the police to drop murder charges pending against Noreen by identifying the real killer.

  Missy couldn’t help but feel a little bitter about that. She took a deep breath and told herself the look probably meant nothing. Noreen had almost gone to prison for murder earlier this year, so right now she was probably just really nervous even though she had nothing to do with Olivia’s death.

  As Noreen stepped away, Missy fidgeted. Now she and Tonya were alone without the Noreen buffer. Missy tried to think of something to say to the other woman, but she was at a loss. The only thing they had in common was Noreen. And it was pretty obvious they didn’t like each other.

  Missy decided to not even try. She laughed to herself. It was silly to worry about making small-talk at a time like this. She should have been focused on asking questions. Whether Vinnie’s request for her assistance was sincere or not, Missy was determined to help in some way. It was just her nature. That and the fact her friend was lying dead in the hallway outside.

  “Did you ever get a chance to talk to Olivia?” Missy asked. She almost wanted the killer to be Tonya. That would have made things so much easier.

  Tonya was busy ignoring her. She had her phone out and was thumbing through email.

  Missy repeated her question.

  Tonya finally looked up from her phone with a polite smile. “I’m sorry?”

  Missy asked her question for a third time.

  “Oh.” Tonya stopped smiling and went back to her phone. “No, not really.”

  “Is it no, or is it not really?” Missy asked.

  Tonya’s eyes darted up at her. “Excuse me?”

  “You heard me,” Missy said, tiring of repeating herself to this woman.

  Tonya lowered her phone and faced Missy fully. “I was busy picking you up. I wasn’t here.”

  Missy could tell she’d gotten under the woman’s skin. “That’s not what I asked.”

  Tonya laughed sardonically. “I don’t have time for this.”

  “For what?” Missy asked innocently. “I’m just making conversation.”

  “Your passive-aggressive attitude is exhausting. I don’t know why Noreen likes you.”

  “You—”

  Tonya put her phone in Missy’s face. “I have to take a very important call. Unlike some people, I don’t have the time to be an amateur investigator. But since you have so much spare time, feel free to investigate and interrogate someone else.”

  Before Missy could think of a snappy comeback (could she ever?), Tonya turned on her heel and walked toward the exit. So Missy had driven not just Alison outside, but also Tonya. She watched as the woman made a big show of her phone call, putting the cell to her ear in an exaggerated fashion and talking very loudly in corporate jargon, referring to the “ask” and throwing out phrases like “demonstrating transparency” and being a “value-add.”

  Missy just shook her head. She looked around the room. Olivia’s closest friend, Sharon, was standing in the corner by herself. She was in the middle of a good cry. Probably not the best time to question her, but Missy didn’t know when she’d get another opportunity.

  “Sharon?”

  Before Missy reached the woman, Vinnie stuck his head into the gym again. Sharon stopped crying and looked across the room and raised her hand. Sharon walked toward Vinnie as Noreen came back in. So Missy would have to wait to talk to her.

  Noreen walked over. Missy smiled at her friend, hoping to make the most of this rare Tonya-free moment to smooth things over.

  “Hey,” Missy said. “How’d it go?”

  Noreen shrugged. “Okay. I don’t think I need Nancy Drew this time, thank God.”

  The women shared a smile.

  Missy undid her ponytail and rubbed her scalp. She felt a headache coming on, and a ponytail was not going to help. She fluffed her dark red, wavy hair that was in desperate need of a trim.

  “Hey, Nor,” Missy began. “I just wanted to say sorry for my behavior of late. I’ve been feeling real blah.”

  Noreen nodded. “It’s okay. Me too. I keep waiting for Brett to drop the bomb on us.”

  Brett was the owner of the used bookstore where they both worked, Books and Crannies, For awhile now, he’d been warning them of a possible closure. The last few months had been particularly slow at the store. Missy could count the number of customers she’d seen on her last shift on one hand, and have fingers to spare.

  “Yeah,” Missy said.

  She didn’t want to think of job-hunting right now, but she really needed to. Ever since she’d graduated, she’d worked at the bookstore. It didn’t pay great, but she loved what she did and she found ways to supplement her income. Being an avid reader, she copy-edited marketing materials and website copy for local companies. She also rehabbed old furniture and heirlooms and flipped them at flea markets. Last year, she’d used her profits from that to cover a few mortgage payments.

  Everything seemed to be changing. Very soon the bookstore might close, her relationship with Noreen these days was different, and for the last year her life just seemed stuck on pause. When Tyler had returned, it had dredged up a lot of old feelings, leaving her very confused. And while investigating these recent murders, she’d learned things about her closest friends—and about herself—that surprised her.

  Yes, things were changing.

  She really needed to prepare for life after the bookstore, but just couldn’t bring herself to do it. Whenever she thought deeply about it, she got nowhere. There were a lot of things she wanted to do, like work the flea markets, copy-edit, or even open a tea room…but when appraising these things honestly, she just didn’t know if she was capable. By working in the bookstore, she’d learned a little about inventory management and a lot about interacting with customers, but other than that it hadn’t instilled any profound business acumen in her.

  “Hey.” Noreen nudged her shoulder. “I’m sorry about Olivia.”

  Missy smiled. She hadn’t been thinking about Olivia, but when Noreen mentioned her name it brought out the tears again. They both leaned in for hugs, and almost immediately they were crying at the same time.

  “I’m sorry too,” Missy said.

  “She was a nice girl,” Noreen said when they let go of each other. “Do you know what happened?”

  Missy knew she probably wasn’t supposed to share details, but this was Noreen. They might have had a stupid argument earlier today, but that didn’t matter. They were lifelong friends and she trusted Noreen as much as she trusted her own mother.

  “She was stabbed,” Missy said.

  “Stabbed?” Noreen shuddered. “What a horrible way to die.”

  “Yeah.”

  They stood there a moment, lost in their thoughts. As sad as Missy was, she was also happy to have Noreen to herself. These moments were rare these days, and Missy—

  “Hey, Tonya,” Noreen said.

  AUGH!

  The tall blonde woman came over and looked at Missy. “I have to leave. Can you get your things out of my SUV?”

  Missy didn’t know where she was going to put them, but then again, that wasn’t Tonya’s problem to solve.

  “Sure.”

  Chapter Seven

  V innie had been talking
to Sharon for at least twenty minutes. Most of the other women had been told they could leave and were doing so now. Missy had been hoping Noreen would stay and hang out with her, but her friend said she wanted to get home for a quick workout before—of course—she and Tonya went out tonight with Carter and Tonya’s new beau. Noreen had told Missy all about their plans for the evening, before realizing she hadn’t invited Missy.

  “You should come out,” Noreen had quickly added.

  “That’s okay. I wanted to work on my scrapbooking pages for the competition today so I’ll do that tonight.”

  Noreen didn’t try to convince her too hard. “Are you sure?”

  “No thanks, I’d just be a third wheel. Or in this case, a fifth.”

  They’d hugged again and shed more tears before Noreen left. Now Missy was basically on her own with all her scrapbooking supplies. While she waited for Sharon to come back out, Missy said goodbye to the Little Old Ladies. Their grandsons had shown up to carry their many supplies and drive them home. Missy thought it was adorable. Then the rest of the women packed up and drifted out.

  Missy remembered she had to do something about her truck. She couldn’t just leave it roadside, as much as she wanted to. That would mean calling somebody for a tow. She had no idea how much that cost, but if it was anything significant, it would be an issue.

  She took out her phone and dialed. Her mother answered right away, like she’d been waiting for the call.

  “Missy, dear, I’ve heard the news. It’s just awful.”

  Missy wasn’t surprised. News had traveled fast in small towns like Grove City since before the internet. Now it moved even faster.

  “It’s terrible,” Missy said, choking back her tears. “She was such a sweet girl.”

  “Who would do this to her?” Mom sounded really shaken up. “She was a sweet girl and to think you used to babysit for her…”

  Was her mother crying? Missy couldn’t remember the last time Mom had cried in front of her. Probably not since her father had taken his own life, almost fifteen years ago.

  “Mom, you okay?”

  “Yes, dear.” Mom sniffed. It came through as a blast of static over the phone. “It’s just heartbreaking when the young die. It goes against all the laws of nature. If it were someone my age, okay, I could understand. But this? No. In a small town like this, people are supposed to die of natural causes.”

  Missy wondered how many details had gotten out. She decided to keep what she knew from her mother, who was having a really difficult time with this from the sound of it.

  “So, I was actually calling for your help.”

  “My help?” Her mother perked up. “Are you investigating this murder too?”

  “No.” Missy laughed. “Well, actually, I guess I am. But that’s not what I’m calling about.”

  “What is it?”

  “Dad’s truck—”

  “Your truck, Miss.”

  No matter what, her mother refused to refer to anything as Dad’s anymore. Even though he’d bought the truck and she had inherited it from him.

  “The truck is dead.”

  “Oh no.” Mom knew enough about her financial situation. She knew Missy had experienced one too many lean months of late. Losing the truck was a hardship. “Do you want me to pick you up?”

  “Actually, I was calling about getting it towed. Do you know anybody?”

  “Of course,” Mom said. “I’ll call Ben Ryan.”

  Missy had thought of Ben Ryan too, the semi-retired mechanic who’d handed over his business to his two boys. But ever since the ownership change, all Missy had heard about was how high the prices had gotten.

  “How much do you think it will be?” Missy asked. “Because—”

  “Don’t worry about it, Miss. I’ll take care of it.”

  As much as Missy needed the help, she still hated the idea of accepting any money from her mother. She was in her late thirties now and had been able to take care of herself ever since college. It felt like she was taking a serious step back here.

  “Mom, I’m going to pay for it, I was just wonder—”

  “It won’t cost us anything. Ben Ryan owes me a favor,” Mom said.

  Missy thought she hadn’t heard her mother correctly. How could the old mechanic owe Mom any favors? The thought only piqued Missy’s curiosity. Even though she had been adult for a long time now, Mom still kept things from her out of a motherly sense of overprotection.

  “Are you sure?”

  “Don’t think about it another second,” Mom said. “Just tell me where the truck is.”

  Missy did, both grateful for the help and also a little ashamed. She should be able to pay for a tow job at this point in life. But again, she’d never prepared for the eventuality that the truck would one day die and she’d need a new vehicle. As together as she was about most things, this was not one of them.

  As they wrapped up their conversation, Sharon came back into the gymnasium. Vinnie was right behind her. Missy saw this as her opportunity.

  “Mom, I’m sorry, I have to go.”

  “But, dear, how will you get home with all your things?”

  Missy didn’t know but she didn’t want to miss her chance of talking to Sharon right now. “I’ll figure that out, thanks, Mom.”

  She hung up and started walking to the table where Sharon had been working earlier this morning.

  “Missy.”

  She looked across the way. Vinnie smiled at her from the other end of the gymnasium. She was about to roll her eyes—she really wanted to talk to Sharon—but then she saw the smile on his face. Again, it was a mixture of ironic, easy-going, and lustful. She liked it.

  “Sharon.” Missy walked past the dark-haired woman. “I’m real sorry about Olivia. Can I call you later?”

  “Ye-ye-yes.” Sharon descended into tears again. Missy gave her a quick hug, and then walked out to talk to Vinnie.

  Chapter Eight

  S o who did it?” Vinnie asked.

  “I’m sorry?” Missy asked.

  “Who. Did. It?”

  Missy gave him an incredulous look. “Are you asking for real?”

  “For real.” He was very serious.

  “I have no idea.”

  He almost looked disappointed. “Damn.”

  “I need more than a couple hours,” Missy said.

  “Ah well.” Vinnie looked down the hall and Missy followed his eyes. It had been roped off with Police Tape. She couldn’t see the spilled photographs anymore either. Presumably they’d been taken into evidence. “Got time for a few questions?”

  Missy got a crazy idea. “Sure, but only if you can drive me home.”

  He looked at her funny. “How did you get here?”

  “My truck died.”

  He snapped his fingers. “So that confirms Tonya and Noreen’s whereabouts. Thanks.”

  She shook her head. A murder was supposed to be a serious occasion, but this guy was almost joking around. She wondered if it were all an act, if he was trying to catch her off-guard.

  “Who do you think did it?” she asked.

  “I have no idea.”

  He’d teased her, so she figured that made him fair game. “Disappointing.”

  He shrugged. “More so for you. I don’t know the victim or these women at all. You’ve known them your whole life. You should have it figured out by now.”

  “But I’m not a detective,” Missy said.

  “Aren’t you?”

  His eyes were playful, his mouth teasing. She liked him. There it was. She liked him. Even though he was probably putting on an act. Even though he was at least ten years her junior. Even though he was in incredibly great shape and she…was not. Even though his boss was Tyler Brock, the man she’d had feelings for forever.

  Even though everything.

  ***

  Fortunately, Vincent Carmine had an SUV. Otherwise, they would have needed to make two trips to transport all her scrapbooking supplies. And even though
Missy was glad to get a ride from him, she couldn’t help but feel disappointed that Noreen hadn’t tried to help her more. While it was true she had a small car, they could have…

  Missy dismissed the bad thoughts. She was unhappy about Noreen’s budding friendship with Tonya and now wasn’t really being fair to her friend.

  Missy got into the passenger seat. Vinnie started the engine and looked over at her.

  “Wanna get a drink?”

  Missy thought she’d misheard him. “Excuse me?”

  “You know.” He mimicked tipping back a beer. “A drink.”

  Saturday afternoon and Missy had…nowhere to be, actually. She wanted to spend time tonight working on her spread for the Scrapbooking Competition in a week, but she was mostly done and had plenty of time to finish the last page. She didn’t need to work on it tonight. Tomorrow was a short, early shift at the bookstore, leaving her much of the afternoon and evening to work on it.

  But at the same time, it felt odd getting a drink with one of Tyler’s employees. She couldn’t say why, but it just didn’t feel right.

  “It’s just a drink.” Vinnie winked. “I didn’t ask for your hand in marriage.”

  His joke broke the tension of the moment and her anxiety disappeared. “Sure. Just a drink. Sounds good.”

  “Really?” He was surprised she’d said yes.

  “Yeah.” She looked over at him. He was so young. “Did you want me to say no?”

  He grinned ear-to-ear. “No, but I figured you’d turn me down.”

  “Why?” She couldn’t wait to hear this answer.

  “A pretty woman like you usually has a boyfriend.”

  “Ha.” She laughed a little too quickly, a little too loudly. But rather than backtrack, she decided to fess up. “It’s been longer than I care to admit since I had a boyfriend.”

  “The plot thickens.”

  Vinnie asked where she wanted to go and she told him it didn’t matter, then thought better of it. She wasn’t really dressed to go out, not that this was a date. It wasn’t. She was pretty sure it wasn’t. But she was dressed pretty casual, so she suggested Hank’s.