by Molly Dox
High Anxiety Dye Job
An Annie Addison Cozy Mystery
Molly Dox
Copyright 2014, Molly Dox
MollyDox.com
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Secrets have a way of getting out. And around Sandy Beach Island, secrets can get you killed. Jersey girl and beauty shop owner Annie Addison is thrust into another hair-raising scandal. Blackmail, murder, and mayhem have this small barrier island turned upside down. Annie will do whatever she can to solve the mystery. Can this amateur sleuth find the missing piece of the puzzle? Or will tables turn, putting her in danger?
“High Anxiety Dye Job” is a cozy mystery, perfect for a quick, light read. Curl up and enjoy a small-town feel, charming characters, and a clean read that promises to keep the ‘not-so-nice’ details off the page. (Clean read, no blood, no foul language)
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 1
Why Annie let Charlotte talk her into coming to a stupid awards dinner was beyond her. It’s not like anything else was going on in town that weekend, but this had to be the most boring, suck-up dinner she’d ever been to. It wasn’t even a real award. They just made some excuse up so the mayor could make a few bucks for his next campaign. It was also a chance for photo-ops with some big- names that stayed on the island year round. He collaborated with the police chief to put something together.
Charlotte went more for the entertainment of watching people act phony with each other, all while giving blow-by-blow analysis to Annie, and amusing herself.
Old-lady-bingo sounded better to Annie at this point. There was one just off the island that started at five on Saturdays. It was at the firehouse hall and went until nine. If you got there early, there was cake for fifty cents a slice. Not too shabby. That was Annie’s idea of a good way to spend Saturday night. She realized how sad that sounded, but quiet and uncomplicated were good in her book.
After Charlotte’s last play-by-play, Annie got up to stretch. “I’m going outside for some fresh air.”
“I’ll join you,” Charlotte said, admitting the night wasn’t as fun as she’d hoped. There were no bad manners on display, no drunken brawls, and nothing good to gossip about. She was hoping to keep things lively, but the dinner was a dud.
Heading into the night air, they went to the side of the building to get out of the gust of wind that was picking up. From behind them, they heard giggling. Annie and Charlotte turned around just in time to see the police chief and the mayor’s wife locked in an embrace. The kiss that followed was hardly friendly. It screamed intimacy. They were completely oblivious to the women standing against the side of the building watching them.
Annie’s eyes went wide. She turned back to look at Charlotte who already had her phone out and had snapped a picture. Annie whispered, “Charlotte!”
“What? How often does that happen?” She slipped her phone back into her purse. “You never know when something like that will help come in handy,” she said with a shrug.
“Like blackmail?” Annie clasped her hand over her mouth.
“Oh goodness, no, I just meant…” Charlotte looked at Annie. “Fine, I’ll delete it. Are you happy now?”
“Yes. And you should be too. The last thing you need to get involved is something scandalous.”
“Uh oh, this isn’t good,” Charlotte stared at her phone. “I must have hit the wrong button when I slid it into my purse.”
“What did you do?” Annie almost didn’t want to know.
Charlotte cringed. “Right, umm, you don’t want to know.”
Annie groaned and rolled her eyes. The last she needed to be involved in was trouble. She’d had enough excitement to last her a lifetime. She didn’t need any more.
***
It was no secret that Mayor Jeff Millbourne and his wife Sharon weren’t the most stable of couples, but Annie doubted he knew about her dalliance with the police chief. And she for one had no interest in churning the rumor mill. Turning a blind eye, she went back inside, urging Charlotte to join her. “We saw nothing!” Annie whispered, urging her friend to agree.
“Speak for yourself; I saw it with my own two eyes.” Charlotte gave her a devilish grin, but on seeing Annie’s reaction, she reeled in her fun. “Oh fine, I saw nothing.”
“And the picture? What happened to it?” Annie was on edge.
“Oh that? I deleted it. I was just teasing you earlier. It’s gone, okay?” What she didn’t know wouldn’t hurt her.
Annie sighed with relief. Sandy Beach Island didn’t need any more trouble. With a bumpy off-season, things were finally settling down again.
“I knew Sharon and Jeff had issues; they’ve had more than a few public squabbles, but the police chief? I’m pretty sure Gretchen would be surprised what her husband was up to. She puts on a good front, but from what I’ve seen they look pretty happy. Now we know why he’s smiling, and it’s not because of Gretchen.” Charlotte commented in hushed tones.
“Shh,” Annie said, quieting her friend. “Someone might hear you.”
Charlotte sat like a scolded child. She knew Annie had been on edge lately, after everything that had taken place recently, so she behaved for the time being.
Chapter 2
Gretchen Wylie arrived precisely at three o’clock. She should have slipped in an appointment earlier in the week, but time seemed to have gotten away from her. “Hey, Annie, how are things going?”
“Good. How are you today?” Annie asked.
“I’m still tired from last night’s award dinner. I wish they’d have given us a little more notice, but you know how Sharon is, always looking for ways to dig into people’s pockets for more money. At least there was wine. It made the gloating bearable.”
Annie couldn’t help but notice the dig at the mayor’s wife. “You looked great, if it’s any consolation.”
“I would have looked better if I had gotten a touch-up, but time slipped away from me. I’m ready now.” Gretchen looked in the mirror, leaning in closer, noting the new grays that had made an appearance. “And my poor husband has to look at me like this.”
“How is Chief Wylie doing?” She almost choked on the words, not wanting to say a peep about what she’d seen the night before. There was part of her that wanted to share the news, and let Gretchen know she was married to a two-timer, but Annie was afraid of getting involved in anything after the last few months she’d had.
“He’s fine, just always about business. That man would live at the police station if I let him. I think he misses the action out on the street. It’s a good job, but you know, his dad was pushing for it.” She flicked a piece of nail polish off the corner of one or her nails. “I haven’t seen him much lately, but that’s how it goes.”
“I just need to mix up your color and I’ll be right back,” Annie said.
“Sure thing, I need to make a quick call anyway. Take your time.”
Annie went into the backroom to get the hair dye mixed to the right shade.
“…so if he thinks he can…” Gretchen glanced up into the mirror mid-sentence, seeing Annie walking back. She composed herself quickly. “I’ve got to go.
I’ll talk to you about this later. Not a word to anyone. Promise?”
“Is everything okay?” Annie hated to ask. She knew what she saw the previous night and a piece of her felt like she should say something. It’s just that last time she got involved in something, it became a complete mess. It’s not my business, pretend like you don’t know anything. She closed her eyes for a second and then re-opened them.
“Fine.” Her tone was flat. “Why do you ask?”
“No reason, just the call.” Annie shrugged. She was just as happy to drop it as Gretchen.
“I should have waited until I left. How rude of me. I’m sorry.” She covered quickly.
“No problem at all.” Annie was about to bring up another topic when Gretchen did it for her. Annie’s mind raced. Does she know about her husband and Sharon? Is she turning a blind eye? Did she just find out?
“Didn’t Jeff look fabulous last night? That new workout regimen he’s on has really paid off. I can understand why he was looking for photo-ops. He looks at least ten years younger. Not that his wife can keep up. All the sun, poor dear, not enough sunblock, her creases are getting deeper.” Gretchen got cattier by the moment.
Annie wondered how Gretchen would feel knowing that ‘old lady’ she was speaking of had caught the eye of her own husband. She tried to push it from her mind. It wasn’t easy, it kept popping back in.
“Now, Jeff has been a delight and positive influence on this island. It’s such a shame his wife is such a social climber. You’d think it would be enough to be the mayor’s wife, but no, she always wants more, more, more.” She stopped and clucked her tongue. “Oh, I didn’t even ask, I’m sorry. She’s not a client of yours is she?”
“Actually, no, she’s not. I don’t know her that well.” Annie wasn’t sure what to say. She felt trapped between what she knew and what she was hearing.
“Well, she got lucky landing Jeff Millbourne, but I’m not so sure I can say the same thing for him. And trying to stuff her sausage-sized body into that dress last night,” she nitpicked. “I was almost embarrassed for her. It was atrocious. She was trying too hard.”
Annie steered the conversation in another direction once again, hoping to guide Gretchen away from this one. “Any plans for the holidays?”
“You know…the usual, folks, kids, big dinner, blah-blah-blah.” She gave a pretend yawn. “It will be fine, as long as Sharon doesn’t try to force anymore make-believe award ceremonies on us.”
Annie groaned to herself. Gretchen was like a dog with a bone.
Chapter 3
Annie was good and ready to lock up for the day. A quiet night at home sounded perfect. Pip would be waiting for her. That little dog was her hero. Who knew that the dog she saved at the rescue shelter would turn around and save her at a later date? It was a perfect match.
Arriving home, Pip greeted her at the door with more excitement than usual. Annie laughed. “What’s going on, girl?” Pip bounced around. Together they walked through the house to her back door. She knew as soon as she opened the door to let the dog out just what the excitement was about.
“Squeak, you’re back.” Pip went barreling out the door and chased the cat up onto the fence. Annie talked to the cat like he could understand. “I bought you some food, just in case you’re hungry. I mean, you’re hanging around here so much lately. I’m wondering if you ever go home.”
The cat made a habit of visiting their yard and tormenting Pip with the fact that he could jump on the fence and stare down at the dog. Pip sat and whined. Annie went in to get a small bowl and filled it with dry cat food. She placed it on the step where the cat kept coming back to when the dog was inside. Pip took too much interest in the cat food, so Annie shooed her back inside after taking care of business and left the food out for the feline.
Settling on the sofa, she gave her dog a good ear scratch while trying to decide what to make for dinner. When her phone rang, Annie leaned forward, dragging her cell phone from her purse. “Hello?”
“I’ve got a secret,” Charlotte teased.
“Oh, do you now?” Annie bit. Was it about the night before or something else?
Charlotte spilled the news. “I’ve just made the most delicious apple pie, and oh, wait, what? I made two? What a coincidence. Would you like one?”
“Fresh pie? How soon can you be over?” Annie decided that this was a very good secret, indeed.
“How soon can you open your door?” Charlotte had the last laugh. She’d just pulled up.
Annie greeted her friend at the door. “Mmm, that smells amazing. Do you want a slice?”
“I’ll pass, I just had two at home. I swore I’d just eat one, and then I was digging in again. Are you busy?” Charlotte asked.
“When am I ever busy? Sit and talk.” Annie slipped out a piece of pie onto a dish and settled back on the sofa to talk to her friend.
“Did anything good happen at work today?” Charlotte quizzed.
“No, just Gretchen ranting about Sharon, saying she looked like a sausage in her dress and she was getting old. It was all catty.”
“I know it’s wrong, but I love that stuff.” Charlotte laughed. “I never said I was a proper lady all the time.”
“Gossip is fine, when it’s with me.” Annie chuckled at her biased comment. “I’m the exception to the rule.”
“Do you think she knows anything?” It was a good question.
“I don’t know. I overheard a little bit of a conversation she had on her phone, but it didn’t point to anything,” she answered. “Are you going to visit the kids for the holidays?”
“I thought about it, but I was just out there. I may go again after the holidays, when airfare drops a little bit. They soak you around the holidays because everybody is traveling.” Charlotte was fidgety.
Annie squinted, and then arched an eyebrow. “Okay, spill. You’re way too fidgety. Something’s up.”
“What? Why do you say that?” She tried to play coy.
Annie wasn’t buying it. “Really?”
“Fine. I didn’t delete the picture last night. I just pretended to. Now I want to look at it closer to see if Sharon looks like a stuffed sausage,” she admitted.
“Char!”
“I know, I know. I’m bad. I’m a bad influence. Why do you hang around with old ladies anyway?”
Annie laughed. “I kind of want to see, but I hate being like that. I’ve been there, the weight thing. It’s just, it’s hard. I’m torn between doing the right thing and saying no, and wanting to look.”
“Okay, I’ll tell you what. I’ll hold the phone up, and you can decide if you want to open your eyes or close your eyes. I’ve got to get a better look.”
Annie sighed. She knew curiosity would get the better of her. It wasn’t actually the dress she was curious about, but the body language between the mayor’s wife and Chief Wylie. They looked pretty intimate when they saw them that night, but maybe she misjudged what was happening.
“Wow.” They both replied at the same time.
“She doesn’t look bad at all,” Charlotte said.
“Yeah, she carries it well. Maybe Gretchen is jealous. Either way, they were certainly, umm, close together in that picture.”
“Did you see where his hand…”
Annie held up her own hand. “Yes, can we drop it now?”
“All I’m saying is there’s more than a kiss to that. Those two are doing naughty things together.” Charlotte was sucked into the gossip.
“Did you make this yourself?” Annie closed her eyes, enjoying the cinnamon-spiced apple pie.
“Honestly, I bought one and doctored it up with extra cinnamon and sugar. But don’t tell the people at the bake sales, they think I make them from scratch. I take them out of the store tin and change it.”
Annie shook her head. “You’re a piece of work.”
Chapter 4
When Sharon Millbourne was reported missing, word spread quickly. When she turned up dead, rumors spread fa
ster than a fueled wildfire.
Mayor Millbourne took the news hard, regardless of the fact that their marriage had been going through a rough patch lately. He was either a really good actor, or he genuinely loved his wife.
The only information that was reported was the time of death and weapon used. The time of death was given as a rough estimate and she’d been shot with a revolver using a .38 caliber bullet. They’d try to match any casings that were found with a weapon, but with a revolver, casings didn’t expel automatically, so they weren’t expecting to find much.
News of another murder on Sandy Beach Island had people on edge. The wealthy-beach playground was having a rough season. It had been mostly crime-free for years. Now it was seeing more action than it ever had. It wasn’t good for property values. Already, the price of homes slipped a bit after the arsons. With talk of another murder, the values would fall again.
People spoke in hushed whispers, each one looking over their shoulders. Trust was something of the past. These days you didn’t know what might happen.
In a matter of days, they had their first suspect. Chief Wylie was brought in for questioning. It was awkward and unusual to have to question the very man that held higher authority than you, but it was the only way. Frisco, one of the senior officers, called in for back-up. He wouldn’t do this one alone. Normally it would be the mayor who would be called in, since he’d appointed the chief, but as it was the mayor’s wife that died, that wouldn’t do. In this case, he deferred and asked for state government help. It was a risky choice, but with a homicide, there was no margin for error. The state police sent a higher-up to sit in on the questioning.
It didn’t look good for Chief Wylie. They believed one of his personal revolvers was used. The chief was suspended without pay while they continued the investigation. The small town paper picked up on the news quickly. The headlines screamed, “Chief Wylie Benched. Turn in Your Badge and Gun!”