Traveling Town Mystery Boxset

by Ami Diane

  Ella smacked her forehead. “How could I have been so stupid? He did it.”

  “Who? The mayor?”

  But she wasn’t listening. The conversation she’d heard, the shouting about his cows dying. But that would mean…

  She rubbed her fingers over her temples. She’d hiked by the dairy and farmhouse but hadn’t noticed any jewelweed. Of course, she hadn’t been looking for it.

  “I gotta go.” Ella dashed up the bank the rest of the way.

  “Where’re you going?” Jimmy yelled after her as she crested it.

  Ella waved her hand dismissively, not wanting to stop and explain her theory. She’d already wasted too much time looking at the wrong suspects. As it was, the plant was probably already destroyed.

  She raced down Main Street, her bare feet hitting the pavement and sharp rocks. Periodically, her hands drifted down to the hem of her dress to keep from flashing anyone.

  Conversation and laughter floated through the open doorways of the church as she passed. Shadows grew over the sidewalk in the fading light like hands telling her to slow down and think through what she was doing. But Ella ignored them.

  He did it. Mayor Bradford had killed his own daughter, and this time, she was certain.

  CHAPTER 30

  MANURE AND HAY wafted on the breeze as gold and red bands of light stretched across the sky.

  By the time she reached the dairy and adjacent farmhouse, Ella was walking half bent over her knees, gasping for air. Her feet felt like they’d walked over glass.

  Clutching a stitch in her side, she pulled herself together. The fence around the yard stretched the perimeter like a white skeleton—except in the spot where the repair had been made.

  Ella studied it with piqued interest this time. The new boards stood in sharp, dark brown contrast to the rest of the enclosure.

  That’s how they got in.

  After wiping her damp forehead, Ella hobbled over to the flower bed bordering the old farmhouse. She didn’t see any jewelweed, so she slowly walked the entire bed, scanning the foliage, until she’d arrived back in her original spot. No jewelweed.

  Ella shook her head, hands on her hips. She had been so certain. It all made sense. It was possible he’d ripped the plant out afterward, but she hadn’t found any disturbed soil.

  She was missing something. Squeezing her eyes closed, she went over her theory again.

  A thought hit her. Plunging her hand into the pocket of her sundress, she retrieved her cell phone. Despite not being able to make calls or access the internet with it, she found herself carrying it out of habit, as well as comfort.

  Ella swiped through the notes she’d taken several days prior. For each hand-colored drawing or photo of a poisonous plant, she scanned the flower bed.

  On the third swipe, she landed on one that looked familiar. In front of her, directly under a window, were clusters of small white flowers amidst leaves, unique in that if she squinted the flowers were reminiscent of puffy clouds.

  She pulled in a sharp breath and held the colorful drawing up to the live plant. It was a perfect match.

  Excitement rolled through her, immediately followed by a wave of fear.

  She zoomed in on the paragraph of information regarding the poisonous plant.

  Ageratina altissima, also known as White Snakeroot:

  …poisonous to humans. Symptoms include: weakness, nausea, severe vomiting, tremors, delirium, and death.

  Ella swore under her breath. She’d done it. She’d found the plant responsible for killing Kay.

  Behind her, footsteps whispered over the grass. She shot up as a two-by-four swung at her. Her hands were halfway to her head when the board connected with the right side of her skull.

  She stumbled back and tried to face her attacker, but the ground tilted underfoot. The corners of her vision dimmed, then all faded to black as she felt herself falling into an abyss.

  Ella’s bed shook. Her first frantic thought was that it was an earthquake. She shot out of bed, only to hit her head on something metal.

  A splitting headache radiated from a different spot. When she attempted to reach up and touch it, she discovered her hands wouldn’t work properly, like they were glued together.

  She blinked away the fuzziness and confusion. Images flooded back. The white snakeroot. The two-by-four coming at her.

  She sucked in a lungful of stuffy air that smelled faintly of grease and something she didn’t want to know the source of.

  Her “bed” was still shaking. On her left, light seeped in through a seam. She waited for her eyes to adjust.

  “Oh, crap.”

  She was in the trunk of a moving car. Panic spread through every nerve ending.

  Ella screamed and pounded her fists against the trunk, discovering her wrists were bound together with rope.

  Despite her hysterical cries, she knew it was of no use. She could scream as loud as a fog horn, but no one would hear her. The entire town was at the potluck, enjoying lasagna and homemade ice cream like she should be doing.

  Ella gasped and swallowed. Her head pounded like a steel drum. Gingerly, she reached for the knot on her scalp and winced.

  Think, Ella.

  This was almost worse than Six pointing a gun at her or that time she’d leaned over a candle and accidentally set her hair on fire.

  Her situation was bad, granted, but she’d been through worse—which really said something about her life decisions if being knocked out, kidnapped, and locked in the trunk of a car wasn’t her worst day.

  Where was he taking her?

  She sucked in a ragged breath and wondered how much oxygen she had left. Squinting in the dark, she searched her surroundings.

  She remembered some cars had safety release cables in case people got stuck in the trunks, but that was in newer vehicles. In a town from the past, who knew how ancient this car was?

  Her fingers probed all around but found nothing except rusted metal and moldy carpet liner. At least she’d found the source of the smell. She was beginning to fear it was her.

  In the absence of a release cable, the taillights were her next best option or at least that’s what she remembered from a news segment on television.

  “And who said TV was useless?” she muttered to herself as she maneuvered her body.

  Her building headache had now bloomed into a jackhammer in the side of her skull. Gritting her teeth against the pain, she groped around for the taillights, found one, then kicked it hard using her bare heel. Not only did it not crack, but her heel had a buzzing feel to it.

  Again and again, she kicked until she heard a crack splint the glass. Bearing down, she gave it one last donkey kick. Her bare foot broke through the glass, and the shards ripped through her skin.

  She hissed but shoved aside the pain as she twisted to peer out the small opening. Fresh air whipped at her face.

  Outside, the sun had dipped below the horizon, but there was still enough light by which to see.

  Now what?

  Her stomach lurched into her spine, and the dust cloud trailing behind the car began to dissipate as the vehicle rolled to a stop.

  A cold sweat broke out across her forehead. The driver-side door opened, and one side of the car rose as someone heavy got out. This was her chance.

  Ella scrambled onto her back, her feet towards the latch. Just as the trunk popped open, she kicked with her bloodied foot.

  But her abductor had been expecting it. He dodged his head to the side.

  “Oh, Ella.” Mayor Bradford sounded as disappointed as if she’d just spilled his favorite drink. “Why couldn’t you just mind your own business?”

  “I’ve been asking myself that same question.”

  “I noticed Jimmy chase you out of the potluck. He certainly knows how to make a scene. When he came running back, whispering something to Will, I knew you’d figured it out. You’re just too clever for your own good.” He sighed then motioned her out with his thick fingers. “Well, come o
n. Haven’t got all day.”

  “No, you know, I’m good. This is actually quite cozy in here. I was—”

  “Out.” He snaked his fingers around her arms and yanked with surprising strength.

  “Where are we?”

  “Come see.”

  Ella reluctantly followed him around the side of his car and faced the direction of Keystone. Twin Hills stood sentry behind the greenhouses’ plexiglass roofs. He’d driven her past all of it, further north than she’d ever been in the traveling town.

  His hand clamped around her elbow, and he whirled her around. The road stretched before them a few yards before ending abruptly in sand. Endless dunes stretched to the horizon.

  He had taken her to the boundary line.

  “See that? It’s the end of the road for you.” He barked out a laugh, doubling over. When he’d collected himself, he gasped, “Pretty clever, eh? I didn’t plan that.”

  “You’re a regular Bob Hope.”

  He wiped a tear from the corner of his eye. “We’re at the border.”

  “I noticed. Thanks for playing tour guide. I appreciate it, but I really should get back to the potluck. Those cookies aren’t going to feed themselves.” She tilted her head. “Wait, no. That’s not right. That sounds like I want to feed the cookies—”

  “Enough!”

  Ella winced slightly then did her best to mask the quiver in her voice. “Okay, I’ll play. Why have you brought me here?”

  “Why do you think?” His gaze lifted from her to the dunes. “We’re due for another flash.”

  “I thought you couldn’t predict them?”

  His face turned purple with a building annoyance. “Here’s what’s going to happen. I’m going to put you back in that trunk, put the car in drive, and place a brick on the gas pedal. It’s going to roll forward, taking you over the line. I imagine you’ll crash, oh… there.” He jutted a finger at the trough of the nearest dune. “Then you’ll probably bake in the car and die within a day or so—”

  Ella slammed her foot onto his shoe. The move did little damage but succeeded in distracting him. He growled in pain and released his grip on her.

  She ran towards town, her hands still awkwardly bound in front of her. Two yards later, his feet crunched over gravel right behind her.

  He caught a handful of her hair and ripped it back. Pain tingled over her scalp, adding to her splitting headache, and stars traced her vision.

  He wrapped a thick arm around her waist and dragged her back to the car.

  “Valiant effort, my dear.”

  “Can’t blame a girl for trying,” she wheezed.

  “I’m afraid you’re not going to escape death today. Now, where was I? Oh yeah. How long you last will be up to you. I’m going to ask you some questions, and if you tell me everything, I’ll throw you in the back seat. However, if you lie to me or hold anything back, I’ll throw you in the trunk. Deal?”

  Maybe he wore a suit and tie, but he was no different than Six, a wolf hiding in plain sight.

  A hot tear threatened to escape. “You’re a monster.”

  “Mm.” He glanced at his watch.

  Suddenly, everything about the man in front of her disgusted her. The crescents of sweat under his arms. The way his pale, clammy skin pulled taught over rolls of fat. Even the smell of mothballs and cedar turned her stomach.

  She swallowed the bile at the back of her throat and spat, “How could you kill her? Your own daughter?”

  His eyes widened a fraction as if he’d never considered the question. “Because she was going to leave.”

  “Other people have left.”

  “Yes. But who would want to live in a town where the mayor couldn’t get his own daughter to stay? We were supposed to be a family.”

  “Then, why not leave with her?”

  “Why would I want to? I run everything here. This is my town.”

  She didn’t buy it. “She was going to expose you before she left, wasn’t she? My God, the dirt she must’ve had on you…”

  He bent so close she could see the spittle on his lips. “You have no idea.”

  She recoiled until she ran into the car. “I heard you at Tom’s. You poisoned the cows to test—”

  “I didn’t kill them. They’re the ones that gave me the inspiration, actually. They broke into the yard. Ate the snakeroot and died.”

  His words churned in her head. “The milk?”

  He clapped as if she’d just performed a trick.

  “But why accuse Tom of killing them in the first place?”

  “To throw you off. I was already there, squaring my bill when I saw you running. I knew you were poking your nose where it didn’t belong.”

  Ella’s cheeks burned at being duped so easily.

  It dawned on her that he might actually succeed in killing her. A hot lump formed in her throat at the prospect of not seeing her friends again, at not ever getting the chance to return home.

  “You know why the town jumps, don’t you?”

  He laughed. “I’m glad you think so much of me. I know nothing about it, except that it’s great. I wouldn’t change it even if I could.”

  “But all of these people separated from their families…”

  “I’m done answering your questions.” He pulled a handkerchief out of his suit jacket and dabbed at the sweat glistening over his pate. “Now, you answer mine. Who broke into Kay’s, and what did they take?”

  “I don’t know.” The response came too fast, and she knew he didn’t believe her.

  Without warning, he slapped her across the face. She saw stars again and bit her tongue to keep from crying out.

  “Who?”

  “His name’s Casper. Real friendly ghost—”

  He slapped her again. Her face began to grow numb, and she ground her teeth, glaring at him. If her hands weren’t bound, she would’ve pummeled his face into ground beef by now.

  He repeated the question.

  Ella pressed her lips together. If she told him the truth, he’d just kill Six. She had no love for the outlaw, but nobody deserved to die at the hands of this monster.

  She couldn’t do that to another human being. If she was going to die today, then let it be saving someone else.

  Raising her chin, Ella glared at him, making it clear, she’d say nothing more.

  “How very disappointing.”

  He picked her up. She screamed and kicked the air as he tossed her into the trunk. Her coffin.

  “If you’ll excuse me, I have a long walk back. Enjoy the ride.”

  CHAPTER 31

  THE TRUNK LID slammed shut, and darkness engulfed her. A moment later, the engine roared to life.

  She was rolled into the back as the car lurched and crawled forward, then she heard the driver-side door slam shut followed by the crunch of gravel as Mayor Bradford walked away.

  Ella thrashed at her metal cage, screaming until her voice turned raw.

  Gradually, the car slowed, crested a dune, then picked up speed. It was not unlike being on a roller coaster—only without the fun.

  With no means of escape, Ella orientated her body to brace for impact. It came a second later, rattling her teeth and jarring her bones.

  She blinked away more tears that threatened to flow. Crying would not save her.

  “Well, it can’t get any worse,” she said aloud.

  The car jolted and settled, sinking several inches in the soft sand.

  “I stand corrected.”

  Time behaved strangely, slowing then speeding up again. She had no idea how long she was in there, but sweat poured down her face and each breath was a struggle, despite the broken taillight.

  The pain in her head had dulled and now felt like a stake driving slowly into it, which wasn’t really an improvement so much as a lateral move. All the while, the temperature inside continued to climb.

  Putting her mouth to the broken glass, she screamed for help. Her hope that someone would hear her sank after each unanswer
ed shout. A sob escaped her, and she rolled onto her back.

  This was it. She’d never stop the time flashes, never see her parents again, never find out who won the latest season of The Voice or whatever iteration of singing competition Hollywood producers would come up with.

  “They’re all just a bunch of American Idol wannabe shows, anyway,” she rasped aloud to console herself then realized those would be her dying words.

  She shrugged inwardly. She was okay with that.

  “Ella!”

  Shifting her ear near the busted glass, she stilled and listened to the delusion playing out in her head that sounded so much like Will.

  “Ella!”

  She rolled her head in time to see the inventor slide down the dune. After blinking a few times and ensuring herself that she was, in fact, seeing him, she shouted for him to hurry.

  It wasn’t just the heat and lack of oxygen that concerned her, but the haunting words that they were due for another flash. She didn’t want both of them stranded in the desert.

  Will scrambled out of sight around the side of the vehicle. It shifted, and she feared it would keel over onto its side. A second later, she heard the jangle of keys as he unlocked the trunk.

  A wave of cool, oxygenated air swept over her. He helped her crawl out, and together, they collapsed back onto the dune.

  “When you slid down the sand, you looked just like Indiana Jones.”

  “Who?”

  “I may have a concussion.” She rolled over and flung her wrists over his head for a hug. “Thank you.”

  Embarrassed, she untangled herself and tugged at the ropes digging into her skin. There wasn’t time to undo them.

  “We have to hurry,” he said, getting up. “It’s not safe to be outside the boundary.”

  He helped her stand, and they clawed up the dune. Overhead, stars began to pierce the veil of the oncoming night as the last of dusk touched the landscape.

  They jogged towards the demarcation in the sand and gravel. Sand stuck to Ella’s blood-covered foot.

  “It was Mayor Bradford,” she panted.

  “Yeah, I figured that’s where you went based on what Jimmy said.”