“Thanks.” I smiled at him. “That. What Cash said.” I tried to enunciate, but I knew my words were slurring. “That was a bunch of hooey.”
Sam laughed. “I am sure you’re right.”
“Darn tootin’.” I couldn’t hold back my yawn this time.
“Caro, hrisu mou, get some rest.” He tucked the blanket around me.
My cell phone trilled Mama Kat’s ring, and I heard Sam pick it up.
I could only hear his side of the conversation, but it was enough for me to know there was going to be a very long interrogation, aka phone conversation, with the Queen of Guilt in my future.
“No, I’m sorry, Caro’s not available. She’s asleep,” he said politely.
There was a pause.
“Who am I? I’m her friend, Sam Gallanos. Yes, it’s a pleasure to meet you, too, Mrs. Lamont. Ah, Katherine, of course.” Another pause, much longer. “No, I’ve been to Texas but you’re right, I have never been to an authentic Texas barbecue.” He laughed. “Certainly, Katherine. I’ll tell Caro you called.”
Holy Guacamole! I was done for.
I laid my head back down on the pillow carefully. I knew it had been a mistake not to call her and fill her in, but sometimes, like when you’ve nearly been killed, you get a pass. You get to be a coward. I needed to sleep first, deal with my mama later. After a good night’s rest, I’d rally my courage and call her.
I’m sure Sam locked up when he left, but I was out again before he’d closed the door.
Chapter Twenty-Six
THE NEXT MORNING I carefully shampooed my hair in the shower and let my Irish-Setter-auburn curls air dry. I lightly ran my fingers over the lump. The swelling was down, and my spirits were up. Sam had called to check on me, and Malone had called to say I could stop by the police station at my convenience to give my statement.
I still wasn’t sure how Callum MacAvoy had gotten wind of Betty’s rescue mission. I knew he monitored the police scanner, but he’d been ahead of all the other news stations. Actually ahead of Malone, so he had to have been either been following me or Betty.
At this point, I wasn’t sure it mattered.
I was certain he was going to report a sensationalized version of the events, and there wasn’t a thing I could do about it. But considering all the events of the past week, I didn’t even hold it against him.
The most important thing was that thanks to Betty’s quick thinking and penchant for not minding her own business, Heidi was alive, I was alive, and Wayne Kemper was behind bars.
I flipped on the television as I started the coffee. The Channel 5 News meteorologist was finishing up her forecast posing in front of a large overlay of southern California. Orange County weather was going to be exceptionally lovely, cloudless and sunny. And I was exceptionally thankful I was going to be around to enjoy it.
The television screen went to commercial break but not before it flashed a teaser. A PR shot of Jake and Cash from their company website. “And up next, the story of two computer billionaires and a tale of murder and intrigue.” The main anchor looked into the camera and smiled. “Don’t touch that remote.”
“Great. I can hardly wait.”
Dogbert came to see what I was talking about.
The commercials were over, and the news was back. “Here we go,” I told him.
Mr. TV filled the screen smiling like he’d just won the lottery. Well, I guess he’d gotten his story.
“The whole sensational saga started here,” Callum MacAvoy intoned in front of a panoramic picture of Jake and Cash’s storybook mansion. “And ended here.” There was a video roll of Wayne’s dingy blue cottage, police cars with flashing lights angled in front of the house.
“Where this man held two women hostage.” On the film Wayne was escorted out in handcuffs. (I didn’t really remember that part very well.)
“Two Internet tycoons, a software application to help Fido get fit, and a marriage gone wrong. It cost Jake Wylie his life, and it almost cost these two beautiful women their lives as well.”
The screen showed side-by-side color pictures of Heidi on the beach in a pink bikini and me in a one-piece and a sash in the Miss Texas swimsuit competition.
Oh, for cryin’ in a bucket! Where had MacAvoy gotten a hold of that photo?
That man. I gritted my teeth. I wished him bad karma.
“And today in a News Five exclusive, we have in the studio the woman who was right in the middle of the fray when it all went down. Welcome, Betty Foxx.”
The shot widened to an interview set, and MacAvoy slid into a dark-brown, plush swivel chair beside Betty. She’d dressed for her TV appearance in a fancy gold pajama set (I didn’t know if this was a Jackie-O one or not), and as a fashion accent, she had a red satin scarf flung around her thin shoulders. Her handy dandy wicker handbag sat square on her lap.
“We arrived on the scene together where Ms. Lamont was tied to a chair and Ms. Sussman was bound and gagged in a shed behind the house.” MacAvoy’s melodramatic delivery made my skin crawl.
“Tell us what happened next.” The reported turned to Betty.
“I knocked on the door, but no one answered.” She shook her silver curls.
“And then?” MacAvoy encouraged.
“Then I opened the door, saw the killer standing over Carol, and I jumped him.” Betty made chopping motions with her hands.
“Wayne Kemper is a pretty big guy, Mrs. Foxx. Weren’t you afraid?” MacAvoy asked.
“Nope. Not me. I smacked him with my purse.” The geriatric superhero held her purse aloft with big grin and waved the end of the bright-red scarf that matched her bright-red eyebrows.
Good grief, did no one check the woman before she left the house? Surely her daughter or someone knew she was going to be on TV. Melinda, really? Couldn’t you help the lady out?
The camera moved in for a close-up of Betty, and as it did I noticed the glittering pin holding her scarf in place.
I leaned forward to see it better.
It was an antique brooch. A gold basket of multi-colored fruit. Emeralds, diamonds, rubies. It was very familiar.
It was mine.
While I had been about to be killed by a maniac, the little sticky-fingered imp had taken advantage of being in my house, had found Grandma Tillie’s brooch in my jewelry box, and had poached it for my cousin.
I’d been soft, thinking about calling a truce, feeling all sentimental, and all the while my sneaky cousin had been plotting to get the brooch back.
I’d been had.
Fine. That’s how you want to play this? Well, then.
Game on, Melinda.
Game on, Betty.
Game on.
The End
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Pet Treat Recipes
Toria’s Catnip Cookies for Aristo-cats
These are preservative free and contain no artificial coloring. They are Toria-tested, and she guarantees even the most high-class kittens will not find them lacking. Not recommended for people to nibble on . . .
You’ll need:
1 cup of all-purpose flour
1/4 cup of whole wheat flour
2 tablespoons of wheat germ
2-4 tablespoons of catnip
1/3 cup of milk
2 tablespoons of vegetable oil
1 tablespoon of molasses
1 egg
Here are the steps: (Toria oversaw the prep work. Even staying below the stairs while the treats were baking to assure the highest of quality.)
Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.
Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl (flour, wheat germ, and catnip).
Add the wet ingredients (egg, milk, vegetable oil, and molasses).
Mix until thoroughly blended and then work the mix into a dough.
Lightly flour your work surface. I use wax paper or parchment paper on my counter top to make cleanup easier.
Remove a portion of the dough and use a rolling pin to
flatten the dough until it’s about a 1/4 of an inch thick.
Cut the dough using a cookie cutter of your choice. I had a crown-shaped one that seemed to please Toria, but there are many fun choices available.
Place the cut cookies on a very lightly greased cookie sheet.
Bake them for 10-15 minutes, or until they are crisp and lightly browned.
Once they’ve cooled, I’d recommend putting them in several small freezer bags. It’s important to remember since these are preservative free, they can spoil and so should be refrigerated. Also, unless you have several cats or your cat entertains frequently, it’s best to divide the treats up and freeze them. Then when you’re ready to use the treats you can take a bag from the freezer, let it thaw for several hours, and you’re ready for afternoon tea.
Thelma and Louise’s Southern Chick N Biscuits
Thelma and Louise didn’t care for Toria’s Aristo-cat Cookies (a little too high flalutin’ for them); instead they prefer these down-home Southern Chick N Biscuit treats. Perfect for a barbecue or a Sunday afternoon lounging at home on the windowsill.
You’ll need:
1-1/2 cups of cooked chicken (shredded)
1/2 cup of chicken broth
1 cup of whole-wheat flour
1/3 cup of cornmeal
1 tablespoon of catnip
1 tablespoon of soft margarine
Here are the steps:
Preheat the oven to 350 F.
Combine the chicken, broth, and margarine and blend well.
Add the whole-wheat flour and cornmeal.
Blend well with a fork.
Knead the dough into a ball and roll to 1/4 inch.
Cut into one-inch-sized pieces and place on a cookie sheet.
Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 20 minutes.
Let cool and serve.
Easy to make and cat-tested, these treats are also preservative free so you’ll definitely want to refrigerate them. (That is, if there are leftovers.)
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Acknowledgements
We’d like to thank the amazing team at Bell Bridge Books and especially Deborah Smith, our editor. Your talent and expertise have made our books better books and us better writers. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts. Also, Danielle and Niki, the Marketing Queens at BBB, you rock.
Christine Witthohm, our agent, at BookCents Literary Agency, you continue to awe us with your zeal and support to help us reach our goals.
A huge thank you to the mystery-writing community where we’ve learned so much and discovered so many new friends.
Also a heartfelt thank you to our readers. You’ve touched our hearts with your enthusiasm for Caro and Mel. You have become our family. We love to hear from you! Keep those letters and emails coming, and make sure you sign up for updates so you don’t miss what we’re plotting next.
Mary Lee and Anita aka Sparkle Abbey
About the Authors
Sparkle Abbey is the pseudonym of two mystery authors (Mary Lee Woods and Anita Carter). They are friends and neighbors as well as co-writers of the Pampered Pets Mystery Series. The pen name was created by combining the names of their rescue pets—Sparkle (Mary Lee’s cat) and Abbey (Anita’s dog). They reside in central Iowa, but if they could write anywhere, you would find them on the beach with their laptops and, depending on the time of day, with either an iced tea or a margarita.
Mary Lee
Mary Lee Salsbury Woods is the “Sparkle” half of Sparkle Abbey. She is past-president of Sisters in Crime-Iowa and a member of Mystery Writers of America, Romance Writers of America, Kiss of Death, the RWA Mystery Suspense Chapter, Sisters in Crime National, and the SinC Internet group Guppies.
Prior to publishing the Pampered Pets Mystery Series with Bell Bridge Books, Mary Lee won first place in the Daphne du Maurier contest, sponsored by the Kiss of Death chapter of RWA, and was a finalist in Murder in the Grove’s mystery contest, as well as Killer Nashville’s Claymore Dagger contest.
Mary Lee is an avid reader and supporter of public libraries. She lives in Central Iowa with her husband, Tim, and Sparkle, the rescue cat namesake of Sparkle Abbey. In her day job, she is the non-techie in the IT Department. Any spare time she spends reading and enjoying her sons and daughters-in-law, and five grandchildren.
Anita
Anita Carter is the “Abbey” half of Sparkle Abbey. She is a member of Mystery Writers of America, Romance Writers of America, Kiss of Death, the RWA Mystery Suspense chapter, and Sisters in Crime.
She grew up reading Trixie Belden, Nancy Drew, and the Margo Mystery series by Jerry B. Jenkins (years before his popular Left Behind series). Her family is grateful all the years of “fending for yourself” dinners of spaghetti and frozen pizza have finally paid off, even though they haven’t exactly stopped.
In Anita’s day job, she works for a staffing company. She also lives in Central Iowa with her husband and four children, son-in-law, grandchild, and two rescue dogs, Chewy and Sophie.
About the Authors
Sparkle Abbey is the pseudonym of two mystery authors (Mary Lee Woods and Anita Carter). They are friends and neighbors as well as co-writers of the Pampered Pets Mystery Series. The pen name was created by combining the names of their rescue pets—Sparkle (Mary Lee’s cat) and Abbey (Anita’s dog). They reside in central Iowa, but if they could write anywhere, you would find them on the beach with their laptops and, depending on the time of day, with either an iced tea or a margarita.
Mary Lee
Mary Lee Salsbury Woods is the “Sparkle” half of Sparkle Abbey. She is past-president of Sisters in Crime-Iowa and a member of Mystery Writers of America, Romance Writers of America, Kiss of Death, the RWA Mystery Suspense Chapter, Sisters in Crime National, and the SinC Internet group Guppies.
Prior to publishing the Pampered Pets Mystery Series with Bell Bridge Books, Mary Lee won first place in the Daphne du Maurier contest, sponsored by the Kiss of Death chapter of RWA, and was a finalist in Murder in the Grove’s mystery contest, as well as Killer Nashville’s Claymore Dagger contest.
Mary Lee is an avid reader and supporter of public libraries. She lives in Central Iowa with her husband, Tim, and Sparkle, the rescue cat namesake of Sparkle Abbey. In her day job, she is the non-techie in the IT Department. Any spare time she spends reading and enjoying her sons and daughters-in-law, and five grandchildren.
Anita
Anita Carter is the “Abbey” half of Sparkle Abbey. She is a member of Mystery Writers of America, Romance Writers of America, Kiss of Death, the RWA Mystery Suspense chapter, and Sisters in Crime.
She grew up reading Trixie Belden, Nancy Drew, and the Margo Mystery series by Jerry B. Jenkins (years before his popular Left Behind series). Her family is grateful all the years of “fending for yourself” dinners of spaghetti and frozen pizza have finally pai
d off, even though they haven’t exactly stopped.
In Anita’s day job, she works for a staffing company. She also lives in Central Iowa with her husband and four children, son-in-law, grandchild, and two rescue dogs, Chewy and Sophie.
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