Murder on Applewood Circle

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by Jane T O'Brien




  Murder on Applewood Circle

  A Rebecca Snow Cozy Mystery

  Jane T. O’Brien

  This book is fiction. All characters, events, and organizations portrayed in this novel are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons –living or dead—is entirely coincidental.

  Copyright 2019 by Jane T. O’Brien

  All rights reserved. No parts of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the inclusion of brief quotations in a review.

  Books by Jane O’Brien

  Bristol Falls

  Glenwood Hills

  Cumberland Heights

  Murder in Forest Glen

  The Mystery at Shelby Lake

  The Mystery of Waverly Island

  Murder in Pinewood Bluff

  Camden Corners Collection

  Camden Corners Book One

  Camden Corners Book Two

  Camden Corners Book Three

  Samantha Degan Series

  Murder in Stonehill Manor

  Murder in Lancashire

  Murder in Ashville

  Murder at Seabrook Shores

  Molly Ryan Series

  Murder in Hillsboro

  Murder in Kincaid Towers

  Murder in Evergreen

  Murder at Coventry Hill Inn

  (Introducing Cassandra Cross)

  Cassandra Cross Series

  Murder on The Isabella

  Murder at Channel Two

  Murder in Newcastle

  Murder at Cranberry Creek

  Rebecca Snow Series

  Murder in Oakwood Park

  Murder on Bradbury Hill

  Murder on Applewood Circle

  Finian Frog Children’s Series

  Fabulous Finian Frog

  Finian Frog Falls in Love

  Finian Frog and Farley’s Wishes

  Finian Frog and Froglet Freddy

  Hennessey Hound Tales Children’s Series

  Happy Hennessey Hound

  Hennessey Hound and the Bully

  The Characters

  Rebecca Snow… Local morning show hostess, a volunteer member of the Oakwood Park Community Playhouse and amateur sleuth. Rebecca is happily married to Andy Snow and is a lifelong resident of Oakwood Park. Rebecca and Andy have two grown children.

  Alexander Snow… The eldest of Rebecca and Andy’s children. Alex is an attorney and former confirmed bachelor until meeting Lindsey Sutton and her toddler son, Jamie.

  Mackenzie Snow Morgan… Rebecca and Andy’s daughter and a registered nurse. A one-sided childhood crush on her brother’s best friend, Jake Morgan, became a mutual attraction upon her return to Oakwood Park from an extended working vacation in Europe. Kenzie and Jake are married and living in their new home on Applewood Circle.

  Jake Morgan… A long-time friend of Alex Snow and husband of Kenzie. Jake is a partner in a local accounting firm and was the prime suspect in the deaths of the billionaire Bradbury sisters.

  Detective Daniel North… A relatively new member of the Oakwood Park community and another wavering confirmed bachelor. Dan has partnered with Detective Erica West, the cop who looks like a fashion model.

  Harvey Rutledge… An energetic octogenarian, former high school drama teacher and local actor. Will Harvey, with the help of his friend, Rebecca Snow, untangle the mysteries surrounding his granddaughter and the stranger who is found dead on Applewood Circle?

  Prologue

  Mr. and Mrs. Jake Morgan return from their honeymoon to settle into their new life on Applewood Circle.

  Harvey Rutledge looks up with a smile after pulling a stubborn weed from under his prized Linden tree in the front yard of his house. He waves to the couple as Jake scoops Lindsey in his arms and carries her over the threshold of the couple’s new home.

  Laughing, Lindsey waves back.

  “Welcome to the neighborhood you two, we’ll let you get settled before the entire neighborhood descends upon you,” calls Harvey.

  The six houses on the circle surround an island with large boulders, small shrubbery, plants, and a well-manicured lawn.

  Early one morning, when Vivian walks her little dog, Buffy, she stumbles upon the feet of a man lying near a rock on the grassy island.

  Buffy barks while Vivian tries to arouse the man. She sees his face and lets out a blood-curdling scream. His eyes are open and he’s staring blankly into space. She grabs Buffy, holding him in her arms while his barking continues. Vivian tries to run but her feet refuse to budge.

  Who is this man and who on the circle had reason to cause his violent death?

  Chapter One

  With Kenzie in his arms, Jake closes the front door of their new home with his foot, almost losing his balance.

  “Put me down before you drop me on my head, Jake,” Kenzie says laughing.

  Jake obliges, and the couple gazes into the space that is their beautiful, empty living room. The wedding gifts they received are in their wrappings waiting to be opened. Before their marriage, Jake lived in a furnished apartment and had nothing of his own to bring to the new house. Kenzie lived in her parents’ house after her return from Europe and had only the single bed she’d slept on since her seventh birthday.

  With the wedding to plan, a mystery to solve, and the closing on the house a day before they were to leave on their honeymoon, it didn’t leave time for purchasing furniture.

  “The former owners left the washer and dryer, we will unpack and start a wash before we leave for the furniture store. We’ll stop by Mom and Dad’s on our way home, they have my old sleeping bag in the attic and you can use Alex’s. We’ll have a camp out in our new bedroom.”

  “Unless you want to stay in a hotel until we can get furniture delivered.”

  “No, I love this house, I don’t want to leave it even for a few days. We can come home and open our wedding gifts,” said Kenzie.

  “Should we do that first? We don’t want to buy a toaster if we have one in the pile of gifts.”

  They received two toasters and three blenders along with several serving dishes, glassware and towels in various colors.

  Kenzie looked out the living room window as an older man with a beard walked by glancing her way.

  “We’ll need curtains for the windows too,” she said feeling on display.

  The doorbell sounded, Jake opened the door to his new in-laws, Rebecca and Andy. They were both laden down with boxes and sacks.

  “Welcome home Mr. and Mrs. Morgan, we thought you might need a few things,” said Rebecca.

  Andy carried his toolbox and curtain rods. Rebecca pulled out old curtains she’d saved from before her latest redecorating venture. She wasn’t normally a saver, she’d planned to give them to the Community Playhouse for use on a set, however, her daughter’s privacy was more important.

  “Mom, Dad, this is great, we didn’t plan this well. Any other couple would have furnished a house before they were ready to live in it.”

  “You had other things on your mind, said Andy, giving Jake a fatherly look. I’m glad your ordeal is in the past, son.”

  “Look, Andy, they already have a curtain rod. We will hang these up here and in the dining room. Eventually, you can buy ones you like but these should do for now. We brought the boxes you left at the house, Jake, and most of Kenzie’s clothes and personal items. Oh, here are a few things you will need in the next few days,” Rebecca said handing Kenzie a shopping bag filled with toilet paper, hand soap, and other everyday items Kenzie hadn’t realized she w
ould need because they had always been there for her. While Kenzie spent time in Europe working as a traveling nurse, housing was included either at the hospital or a private home. Rebecca wondered if she should have encouraged her daughter to live on her own but wanted her close to her before she left the nest forever.

  Kenzie and Jake laughed when Andy brought two sleeping bags into the house. One with images of Barbie and the other with Bart Simpson on his skateboard.

  “We’ll let you kids get on with your shopping. You are welcome to stop by for dinner tonight,” said Rebecca.

  “Thanks, Mom, Jake and I will grab a hamburger. After buying out the furniture store, we’ll stop at the mall and return one toaster and two blenders and buy a set of dishes. Who knew marriage would be so much trouble?” Kenzie laughed and squeezed Jake’s hand.

  As Andy pulled out of the driveway, Rebecca smiled remembering how overwhelming it was when she and Andy first furnished their house. They were content with their parents’ old furniture and anything else they donated to the cause. Eventually, they bought new things but kept some older tables and lamps to remind them how happy they were in their first and only home as man and wife.

  “Rebecca,” said Andy interrupting her thoughts. “Does that old man look familiar?”

  Rebecca glanced the man’s way and had an uneasy feeling when she looked at his soulful eyes as he looked back at her. “He looks vaguely familiar,” she said when she smiled and waved in his direction. He didn’t acknowledge her and kept his slow pace around the circle appearing to look for someone or something in or around the houses.

  “Do you suppose he is lost, maybe he wandered off from a nursing home or the hospital. Should we call the police?”

  “No, he’s just an old man taking a walk. Maybe his hearing or eyesight are failing and that is why he didn’t acknowledge you.”

  Andy likes to tease his wife about her sixth sense although even he admits, her instincts rarely fail.

  ***

  Deciding on furniture wasn’t as easy as Kenzie thought. She and Jake agreed on the color but there were so many styles to choose from. It wasn’t like picking out a pair of shoes. If they pinched her toes they ended up in the back of her closet. If she tired of the furniture, she’d be stuck with it. Finally, they chose the first sofa they’d looked at and decided quickly on two chairs to go with it. Seeing a bedroom set they both liked, they chose it without looking further.

  “Jake, I’m tired and hungry, we’ll take Mom up on her offer of the card table and chairs for the kitchen. We’ve spent enough money for one day. Tell me you’re not sorry we bought a house we have to fill.”

  “I’m not sorry about anything; I’d live in a shoe with you if I had to. Let’s get something to eat and then go home to our Barbie and Bart sleeping bags.”

  Chapter Two

  Harvey and Vivian Rutledge’s Home

  “Harvey,” said his wife, Vivian, “I’m inviting the newlyweds to our home for a neighborhood barbeque today. It’s been two days and we haven’t greeted them properly. The happy couple can take a break from each other for one evening.”

  Harvey put his arms around Vivian’s waist and nuzzled her neck. “If I remember correctly, we didn’t want a couple of old geezers interrupting our honeymoon either.”

  “Harvey Rutledge, they married almost two weeks ago. We were at the wedding. They have had more than enough time to hide away from the world.”

  Harvey laughed, he knew when Vivian made up her mind she would follow through with her plan. He didn’t point out that this is the twenty-first century and lovemaking is no longer put on hold until after the wedding.

  ***

  Vivian and Harvey’s four sons and their families gave them each a smartphone for Christmas. Harvey complained that the telephone that hung on his wall was all he needed or would ever need. However, after his grandson showed him all the things his new phone could do, including playing the classical music he loved, Harvey was sold. Although Vivian still liked the feel of a receiver in her hand, she found she liked texting her friends. She sent a group text to the neighbors on Applewood Circle inviting them to meet the newlyweds.

  “Vivian, hadn’t you better invite the guests of honor before you throw a party for them?”

  “Oh, dear,” she laughed, “I think that would be a good idea.” Vivian brushed her hair, freshened her lipstick and walked across the lawn to Kenzie and Jake’s house. She knocked gently hoping she wasn’t disturbing the newlyweds.

  Kenzie opened the door. “Hello, Mrs. Rutledge, please come in. I have a fresh pot of coffee brewing. I’m trying out a wedding gift.”

  Kenzie led her to the kitchen where she offered a seat at the card table. “Mom and Dad let us borrow it until we buy a dinette set. We have some new furniture for the living room and bedroom coming today. I’m especially looking forward to our new bed.”

  Realizing how it sounded, Kenzie’s face turned red. “I mean,” she sputtered, “it will be nice to have a bed again, Jake and I have slept in old sleeping bags since we’ve been home.”

  “Believe it or not, I know about sex, Harvey and I have four children,” Vivian laughed. “Please call me Vivian, you are no longer in Mrs. Rutledge’s history class.

  “I’m here to invite you and Jake to our home for a barbeque with your new neighbors. Everyone is eager to meet you and welcome you to the circle.”

  “Jake and I would love to come, he’s working today, but I’m sure he will be happy to meet everyone.”

  Kenzie poured Vivian a cup of coffee and warmed a Danish. They sat at the card table and talked like old friends.

  “We moved here ten years ago. Harvey and I were the first on the circle. Our children grew up in a big house on Elm Street. The bedrooms are on the second floor and the washing machine is in the basement. That is too many stairs for these old knees. It was hard leaving so many memories behind, but we have been happy here and the wonderful neighbors make it like a family.

  “Our granddaughter, Erin, is moving to Oakwood Park to teach fifth grade at the elementary school. I’m happy she is following in her grandparents’ footsteps. Erin is a sweet girl and not much younger than you, Kenzie. She was sensitive as a child and blames herself for her parents’ divorce.”

  “I believe that’s often the case with children of divorce. Does she have siblings?”

  “Yes, two older brothers. They were teenagers when our son, Richard and their mother, Denise, separated. It hurt the boys, but Erin felt she was responsible for the breakup.

  “Harvey and I suspected Richard was troubled, but most married couples go through rough times. We didn’t think much about it until the day Richard stopped by the house with a sobbing Erin. Without explanation, he asked if we would watch her for the afternoon.

  “Erin eventually calmed down and told us what had happened. She was spending the day with her friend Stacy who lived on the next block. Erin came home to ask her mother if she could go with Stacy for ice cream.

  “When she arrived home, she found her mother in bed with a man. They didn’t hear her or see her standing at the door. Erin thought the man was hurting her mother and called her father from the kitchen telephone.

  “Richard rushed home and found his wife and her lover in a state of undress sipping champagne. He hurried Erin out of the house and brought her to us. I can only imagine what happened when Richard returned home.

  “Erin didn’t understand, she only knew after she called her father, nothing was the same again and blamed herself for the divorce. Now she is older and knows her mother’s unfaithfulness was the reason; however, she still thinks she is to blame.”

  “I’m sorry you and your family had to endure the pain of a breakup.”

  “Yes, it was an unpleasant time. Richard confessed he and Denise were having problems before her indiscretion. Richard married again to a lovely woman named Julie. Richard had a job opportunity and he and Julie moved to Michigan where Erin finished her studies. Denise lives alone in
her childhood home in Garfield two hours west of Oakwood Park. Our grandsons visit her often, they are good boys. Erin is closer to Richard and Julie than she ever was with her mother.

  “That’s enough of that talk, tell me about your honeymoon trip out west. Did you enjoy your visit with the Bradbury girl?”

  ***

  “Oh, yes. It’s beautiful country. Jake and I plan to go back again soon.”

  On her walk home from Kenzie’s house, Vivian thought she saw a man turning the corner and leaving the circle. She knew almost everyone in the neighborhood and wondered about the stranger. She had an uneasy feeling but Harvey and her pooch, Buffy, distracted her.

  “Buffy thought you’d left him for good, Viv. I trust you had a nice visit with our new neighbor.”

  “Oh, yes, Harvey, Kenzie Morgan is like her mother. She’s a lovely girl. I told her about Erin and her parents’ divorce. I hope Erin talks about it with Kenzie. It’s time she stopped blaming herself for something not of her doing.”

 

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