I thought about Lee Ann and the possible things that had driven her to the point of murder. I looked at my finger and bit at my nail. “I feel bad about all this. I keep wondering if there was anything I could have done differently. Maybe if I’d been closer to Lee Ann in recent years, she would have talked instead of killing. And poor Frank. He’s annoying and all, but when I beat him up in school, do you think I messed up his mind?”
Detective Scott shook his head. “One thing I can say without any hesitation. This was not your fault. I’ve seen a lot in my job, more bad than good, I’m afraid. Maybe you weren’t the kindest person when you were young. Maybe you made some mistakes, but I can say without
a doubt that you’re one of the good people.” He grinned. “Maybe a little stubborn and impetuous, but still very nice.”
I blinked. Had he just said something sweet to me?
He stood. “Don’t look so surprised. I can be nice, too.”
“Thank you.” I grabbed my purse and jumped to my feet. “I have to finish packing. Max is taking me on a cruise for a whole week.”
“I heard. Please have fun. You deserve it after all this. Now you can leave it all behind. When you come back, your life can return to normal.”
I wasn’t sure I wanted my life to return to normal. I didn’t like my kids being threatened, or even me, but I did like making mystery lists and thinking about them.
He walked around his desk and picked up something from the floor. “You might want this.”
I took my phone from his hand. He walked me out the door and stood there as I walked down the hall. I had a thought and turned around. “Next time, I’ll let you see my notebook,” I said. “It was quite thorough, if I do say so myself.”
His mouth fell open. “Next time?”
I didn’t answer, just turned around and chuckled all the way to my car. My visit with Detective Scott left me in a good frame of mind to deal with the next thing I needed to face. Before I could truly leave things behind, I had to beat my foe. The milk case at the Shopper’s Super Saver. I hadn’t been back since the murder.
I hurried to the back of the store to get it over with. As I stood in front of the glass doors, looking at gallons of milk, I remembered that horrible morning. Poor Jim Bob. He had been a very nasty man, but no one deserved to die like that.
“Trish?”
I whirled around. “Daryl.”
He wore the red Shopper’s Super Saver manager’s jacket. He’d gotten a promotion. Dweeb that he’d been, I suddenly saw what Abbie meant. He wasn’t bad as men went, although he wasn’t Maxwell Cunningham by any stretch of the imagination. Strangely, Daryl’s new position fit him. I found myself hoping that maybe some new self-respect would help him be more confident in his marriage.
“Hi,” I said and glanced behind me at the milk. “This is the first time I’ve been back since. . .you know.”
He nodded. “Why don’t you take three gallons of milk free for your pain. And. . .” He sighed. “As an apology for the road sign thing. I’m sorry. I was trying to protect my brother’s reputation.”
Who was I to throw stones, as my mother would say. I had done the same. “It’s over now, Daryl. And I’m sorry, too.”
“Listen, Trish—” He moved closer to me. “I owe you big time, and not just for that.” “For what?”
He glanced around. “Well, I know that without your help, I might have been arrested for Jim Bob’s murder. My fingerprints were on that hammer. I was hanging certificates in my office that morning. I managed to break some glass while I was at it, as well as smash my thumb.”
Another answer to a question. That’s why he’d been at the doctor’s office.
“You know, Daryl, I didn’t help with the investigation. I was a suspect, too. I mean—”
“Don’t be modest. Your mother has been telling everyone what you did.” He smiled at me. “You’re a real sleuth.”
Epilogue
Moonlight over the ocean is one of the most romantic sights in the world, especially wrapped in the arms of a man like Max. I leaned back against his chest, and his arms tightened around my shoulders.
I loved our cozy little deck. Although we’d attended a fancy dinner with the captain tonight, we’d eaten most of our meals out here alone, watching the water, discussing topics as mundane as our favorite cheeses and as complicated as world politics. We explored our faith, grateful to God for what we had and for each other. I had my wish—time alone with Max. Without guilt.
This was better than a honeymoon. No newlywed nerves to get over or awkwardness to work through. In the familiarity, we’d discovered things about each other that we’d never known before.
“Baby, are you happy?” Max nibbled my neck.
“Mmm.”
“Your dress makes me crazy.” He kissed my ear.
I smiled to myself. The red gown did exactly what I’d hoped.
He laid a hand on my stomach. “You haven’t been sick since we left.”
“No coffee. I feel really good.” Content. Peaceful.
“I’m happy, too,” he said. “Having another baby seems right, somehow. Like confirmation of how much I love you. Of our love for each other and God’s love for us.”
He couldn’t have said anything nicer. I extricated myself from his arms and turned around to face him. His black tuxedo and my dress added a dash of sophistication and mystery to the night, like we were the hero and heroine in one of Abbie’s novels. I ran his lapels between my fingers. Talk about making someone crazy. Nobody looks better in a suit than Max. I glanced up at his face.
He smiled and touched my cross necklace. “You’re still wearing it.”
“It means as much to me as my wedding ring,” I said, thinking how much Max meant to me and how grateful I was to God for him and my family.
He ran a finger over my lips. “I’m glad it’s all over.” His eyes looked fathomless in the moonlight.
“What’s over?” I murmured as I kissed his neck.
“Murder and mayhem. Police investigations.”
“Oh. That.” I didn’t want to admit to Max that I missed writing down clues.
He pulled me closer. I leaned my head against his chest, listening to the solid thump of his heart and sighed with pleasure. No interruptions. No children knocking at the door. No ringing phones. Just me and Max.
He stepped back, looked me up and down, and his eyes gleamed. “How about let’s go inside.”
I smiled. All of Max’s attention was on me. As single-minded as he was, that made for lots of fun. I, however, was more easily distracted, even from him for once. As we stepped back into our cabin, I told myself that when I got home, I was going to buy more steno pads, which were easy to use and transport. Maybe something would come up. I sort of liked solving mysteries.
###
About Spyglass Lane
Spyglass Lane Mysteries is a collection of Christian cozy mysteries—modern-day whodunnits with colorful characters and plenty of wholesome romance.
Discover other Spyglass Lane titles at Smashwords.com.
Table of Contents
Title Page
Spyglass Lane Mysteries presents:
Book One
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Epilogue
Murder in the Milk Case Page 20