Murder, Malice and Mischief

by Quinn, Lucy

  “You do that,” Evie said, setting Sunshine on the floor. “I’m going to call Trace and see if he knows anyone.” She slid out of her chair and disappeared into the next room.

  Luke glanced at the clock. “It’s a little late to call Cassie. I think I should wait until the morning.”

  Billy piped in. “I know who delivers the mail at Riverwoods. Kyle Johnson. Want me to call him? Feel him out for what he knows?”

  Dora didn’t like the idea of bringing Billy any further into the situation. Besides which, she wasn’t sure his friend would have any useful information as a mailman. She reached over and touched Billy’s arm. “That’s sweet, but I think one kidnapped mailman is all my conscience can handle.”

  Billy placed his hand on hers. “Sure. But I have another way I can help. Jock and Brian weren’t exactly worried about the things I heard.”

  Maybe the caffeine of her cappuccino had just kicked in, or maybe it was because Luke set food down before Dora, but she perked up and said, “Tell us more.”

  Chapter 22

  Evie listened to Trace’s voicemail message for the third time. She didn’t actually think he knew anyone who either worked or lived at Riverwoods. And she knew he was likely still on the stage of whatever gig the band had that night, but she wanted to hear his voice.

  The showdown at the alligator park had shaken her up more than she cared to admit. But when they were driving away from the scene, she’d known Dora was one gasp away from falling apart, and Evie had managed to stay strong for her friend. But now she could see that Dora was compensating for the trauma by jumping into action, and it was time for Evie to catch her breath.

  Her body began to shake with the delayed shock, and she wrapped her arms around herself. She hadn’t signed up for kidnappings and bullets flying. Not that she would change anything she’d done to help Dora.

  Dora was her best friend and she’d walk through fire to get her out of a jam. But this was starting to get intense. More intense than Evie had bargained for. Evie lay back down on the bed, staring at the ceiling. She knew Dora was right. They couldn’t just leave Luke and Billy hanging in the wind while they took off to New Orleans.

  And what about Trace? It wasn’t a secret that Evie was involved with him. Would Brian and his criminal friends go after him in order to get to her and Dora? It was more than probable. Her heart stopped for a moment before it filled with so much emotion for her sexy boyfriend that she thought it might burst. She picked up her phone and sent Trace a text. Miss you. Call when your gig is done. Doesn’t matter how late.

  It was only a few minutes later when the phone rang, but Evie had already imagined a shallow grave full of the bodies of her friends. Her heart lurched when she saw Trace’s name pop up on her phone. She answered and said, “Hey, baby. Did you have a good crowd?”

  “What’s wrong?” he asked, his voice full of concern.

  “What makes you think there’s anything wrong?” she asked, wondering if he’d heard something. Had they already started looking for him? Her insides went cold, and she sat straight up on the bed.

  “Evie, you don’t ever call me during a gig. And you sure as hell don’t ever call multiple times and not leave me messages.”

  That was true. She loved teasing him and leaving dirty little messages on his phone when he was too busy to talk to her. She couldn’t even the remember the last time she’d called and hadn’t told him exactly what she wanted when he got back in town. “Fair enough.” She let out a deep sigh. “Do you know anyone associated with Riverwoods?”

  “The assisted living place on the north end of town?” he asked, sounding confused.

  “Yeah. That’s the one.”

  There was silence on the other end of the line, followed by a muffled voice as he asked the same question of his bandmates. When he came back on the line he said, “I don’t, but Jax has a cousin who works there.”

  She heard Jax yell out, “Cal.”

  Trent asked, “Why?”

  “There’s some crap going down here that I can’t really talk about. I would, but… I don’t want to put you in the middle of it. We need an in over at Riverwoods so we can try to work this out before it turns into a major nightmare.” Although, from where Evie sat, it already was.

  Silence again.

  “Please don’t worry about me, Trace,” Evie said, trying to keep the tremble out of her voice. The truth was, he should be worried. He should be terrified. After what happened at the gator park, she should be curled up in a ball, falling completely apart. But she wouldn’t. She couldn’t because Dora needed her.

  “It’s not easy to not worry, Evie,” he said gently. “You sound… different. Do you need me there?”

  Evie remembered something that made her regret the weak moment when she decided to call him, and she knew she had to do something to prove to Trace she was fine. She found a way to sound confident when she said, “I appreciate that. I really do. But you can’t. You have a record label coming to check you guys out tomorrow.” She might have wanted Trace by her side, but she loved him too much to ruin his big break, and she added, “Besides, seriously, we’ve got this handled. It’ll probably all be over by the time you could get here anyway.”

  Trace blew out a breath. “Yeah. We do. I’m nervous, Evie.”

  She let out a silent sigh, relieved she’d managed to convince Trace she was fine. “Nervous is good, baby. This is a big deal, but you know how those nerves disappear the moment the spotlight hits you? You get that cocky grin and start to strut and—" She let out a small growl of desire.

  Trace laughed softly. “Damn it, woman, you make me want to come there to help you out—of your clothes.”

  Evie laughed. “You’re going to be great. I’m sure of it.”

  “Thanks. I’ll call as soon as we know anything.”

  “I’d love that. Any time of night. I won’t care.”

  “If you’re lucky, it’ll be a booty call.”

  She chuckled but her mood sobered, because flirting with Trace was good for her heart but not so good for getting out of trouble. “Can I get Cal’s phone number? We need some information to make sure our plan is solid. That would be a tremendous help.” She wasn’t sure if they’d call him, but she thought it would be good to have the option.

  “Sure, babe. I’ll get Jax to text it to you.”

  “You’re the best. Good luck tomorrow night!”

  After Evie ended the call, her heart felt lighter, and the wave of doom that had settled over her chest had eased. It wasn’t a lot, but with a Riverwoods employee’s number, at least they had a place to start.

  Evie rose from the bed and bounded down the stairs, anxious to give Dora the news.

  When Dora saw Evie, she said, “You’ve got to hear this. Billy was just telling us what he overheard Brian and Jock talking about.”

  Sunshine jumped into Evie’s lap once she sat to listen, and a plate of food thumped before her as Luke set it in front of her.

  Billy said, “I was telling them about the fight Jock and Brian had over donating to an animal rescue place.”

  “Jock does have a thing for animals,” Evie said.

  “Big enough he was willing to steal for them.” Billy gazed longingly at Evie’s plate, and she pushed it over to share with him.

  “Thanks. I can’t believe I’m still hungry after the feast I already inhaled earlier,” he said as he stabbed a piece of beef with his fork. He chewed a bite, and when he swallowed, he got right back to business. “I’m not quite sure on the details but it sounded to me like the two were fleecing old folks at some home.”

  “Probably Riverwoods,” Dora added.

  “Jock said he saw the check Mr. Tuttle had given Brian for the animal rescue and that he didn’t think he was getting paid enough considering the amount.”

  “Hold on,” Evie said over a mouthful of food. She swallowed it down and asked, “Brian was getting checks from old people at Riverwoods to go to an animal rescue?” She recal
led the conversation they’d overheard at the dry cleaners where he was annoyed that Jock wanted to save Sunshine. And the way Brian acted toward her pup, he was no animal lover.

  “That’s what it sounded like,” Billy said.

  Evie said, “Well that stinks more than three-day-old fish. How is this tied in with the Franklins? Why would Brian have cared about the flash drive?”

  “I have a theory,” Dora said. “Think about why one would launder money. So it can’t be traced.”

  “Like by relatives who aren’t getting the inheritance they expected,” Luke said.

  “Right,” Dora continued. “Brian was volunteering at Riverwoods and convincing people to donate to his animal rescue. Only the animal rescue part of his business doesn’t exist. It’s a front for his retirement plan. And he needed to wash the money so that it couldn’t be traced back to his shell corporation.”

  “Oh!” Billy said. “The flash drive they were after has that information.”

  “I bet it does,” Evie said as she and Dora locked gazes. Having that flash drive would be all they needed to put Brian away. It was also what they needed to clear Dora’s name and end this crazy adventure. The only problem was the flash drive was on its way to New Orleans. “But we don’t have it.”

  Chapter 23

  The defeated look on Evie’s face made Dora want to hug her best friend. She understood exactly how Evie felt, but this latest development was in her wheelhouse, and she was a little bit excited when she said, “We don’t actually need it to implicate Brian. All we need to do is find a relative with power of attorney.”

  “Someone who has access to their elderly relative’s finances.” Luke said. “Smart.”

  “Thanks,” Dora said as the familiar feeling of pride for being right filled her, like she’d just gotten the best grade in math class. Again. “Then we can find proof of a check to Brian’s fictitious animal rescue.” She grinned as an even better idea came to her. “In fact, I bet this charity doesn’t even have 501c3 status. I know a nasty IRS accountant who’d be perfect to tip off.”

  “How do we make it happen?” Luke asked.

  “For starters, I need the name of the rescue charity.”

  “Well,” Evie said as a smile Dora recognized turned up her lips. “This sounds like we need to scheme, and I have some ideas.”

  Dora laughed. It was good to have her friend back doing what she did best. And she never thought she think that, but it turned out Evie’s scheming ways were darn handy when one was on the run from the law. “I bet you do. Throw them out there.”

  “Oh boy, here we go,” Luke said.

  Billy grinned. “Whatcha got, Evie?”

  “Well, we need to get close to the Riverwoods residents. We could try infiltrating the dirty-old men population. I know someone who gives a sexy lap”—Evie stumbled over the last word, catching her impulsive utterance too late—“dance”.

  Dora’s cheeks flushed red, horrified Evie had brought it up, and she thought Sunshine was on her side when the little dog let out a growl. Or maybe the pup was ashamed of Dora, too. She dropped her head to hide her face as she mumbled, “I have no idea who you mean.”

  “Joke!” Evie said quickly in an attempt to cover up her mistake. She let out a nervous laugh. “As if either of us would do something like that. Jeez.”

  Dora’s face was still heated though, and she knocked her fork onto the floor and bent to retrieve it so that her flush would fade before Luke could see it. But as she squatted down to get it, so did Luke. They bumped heads, and she jerked back as stars flashed before her eyes. “Sorry!”

  “No, I’m sorry,” Luke said. “I’ve got a really hard head. Are you okay?”

  Her forehead right above her left eye throbbed as Dora touched it gingerly, and to her horror she felt a welt already forming. “Yeah. I’ll be fine.”

  When she put her hand down, Luke frowned. “Oh boy, no you’re not. I’ll get some ice.”

  When Dora sat back up in her seat, Billy said, “Wow. That’s some goose egg you got there.” He frowned. “And it keeps getting bigger.”

  “Great.” Just what she needed on top of everything else that had happened. A third eye like Cyclops.

  Evie had the good sense not to stare too hard. “Ouch, Dor.” She mouthed, Sorry.

  You should be, thought Dora, a little peeved that Evie had almost let the cat out of the bag about one of her more embarrassing moments. But when Luke returned and lifted Dora’s face with one hand as he pressed a bag of frozen peas to her forehead, she forgave Evie in an instant. It was nice to see the concern on his face. All for her.

  “Thanks,” she said as she reached up to hold the peas and gazed into his eyes.

  He smiled and stroked her cheek with his finger lightly as he removed his hand. They stared at each other for a moment before Billy said, “Maybe you could do a cooking class. What do you say, Luke?”

  Sunshine gazed up at Evie and growled.

  “Good idea, but that would take a lot of planning,” he said. “And approval from the nurses for all the various diets the residents are on.”

  “Right,” Billy said. “I think they all know how to make mashed potatoes and Jello already.”

  Sunshine let out a yap and pawed at Evie.

  “Okay,” Evie said as she pushed her dog off her lap. “I think Sunshine needs to go out.”

  Sunshine didn’t head toward the door, though. She moved to the middle of the floor and danced around in a game of chase the tail.

  “What has gotten into you, Sunshine?” Evie asked.

  “Oh my god.” Dora knew exactly what Sunshine was trying to say. “It’s so simple; I can’t believe we didn’t see it.”

  Sunshine stopped moving to tilt her head at Dora as if to say It’s about time. Goodness people are stupid.

  “Places like Riverwoods love it when people bring in friendly pets. The residents who don’t have their own companions enjoy the chance to play with a dog.”

  Evie patted her legs. “Sunshine!” And when the little dog jumped into her arms, she nuzzled her. “You genius. That sounds like a solid plan.” Evie gave Dora with a mischievous look. “Although, not nearly as scheming as I usually like.”

  Dora grinned. “I know. We should probably wear sensible shoes.”

  “I don’t know,” Evie replied. “The stiletto as a weapon wasn’t a bad idea.”

  Dora knew an olive branch from Evie when she saw it and offered one of her own. “Neither was smizing. But really, Evie. How does one actually smize?”

  Luke and Billy had confused looks on their faces, and Luke said, “I’d like to know how to smize too.”

  “Fine. I’ll show you,” Evie said. “Everyone, smile as if I’m going to take your picture.”

  Billy, Luke and Dora pasted on camera-ready grins, and Evie said, “Now widen your eyes and think about something that makes you really happy. The point is to make your smile genuine.

  Dora thought about how nice it had been to have Luke’s help, and she glanced over at him. But when he looked back at her with the goofiest looking grin she’d ever seen, she couldn’t help it; she burst into laughter. He did the same, and before she knew it, Billy and Evie had joined in.

  And while it was probably a release of the day’s wild roller coaster of emotions, the truth was they did have something to smile about. They had a plan to take Brian and Marco Franklin down, and there was something about justice that did Dora’s heart good.

  Chapter 24

  Dora leaned in close to the bathroom mirror to floss her teeth. Evie had gotten ready for bed first, and while Dora could have done so at the same time, she’d spent quality time snuggling Sunshine. She was still shaken up about the drama of the day and needed time to process it.

  It was decided that Billy would stay over until they were sure Brian and the mob weren’t in a position to do anything to him. Luke set him up in his office with a blow-up mattress for the night. The women were in Luke’s room, and Luke planned t
o sleep on the couch.

  In the morning they were going to call Riverwoods to schedule a dog visit with Sunshine for the residents, immediately, if possible. The hope was that they’d find a dog lover who also happened to donate to animal rescue charities. Maybe even Mr. Tuttle who Billy had mentioned. If they were lucky, they’d not only get the name of Brian’s charity for the IRS, but they’d also be able to get the name of a relative with power of attorney in order to facilitate getting their hands on a check written to Brian’s fake charity for evidence of the scam, which would lead to the money laundering involving the Franklins.

  Toothpaste squirted out of the tube as she put it on her toothbrush. The plan sounded solid to Dora. And like something that wouldn’t get any of them into hot water since there would be no breaking and entering, no fake personas, and no visits to a shady business dressed in skimpy clothing. But it didn’t seem to settle her nerves much. She looked at her toothbrush and sighed. She needed to talk in order to process her day.

  Without brushing her teeth, she walked back into the bedroom to chat with Evie. But when she got there, she heard light snoring from both her friend and Sunshine. Evie had a leg hanging off the bed out from under the covers, for temperature control, Dora knew. And Sunshine was curled up in a tiny ball and snuggled into Evie’s side.

  Dora smiled. It had been a long day for all of them, and she was glad to see they could sleep. She knew that was probably what she needed too, but it wasn’t going to come anytime soon. Too much was racing around in her head. Evie called Dora’s jumbled thoughts the voices in her head, but Dora refused to use that term since it made her sound crazy. Perhaps a cup of tea would help her relax. She heard Luke rustling around in the kitchen and figured she could make a quick cup before he finally settled down.

  She made her way into the kitchen to find Luke must have had the same idea, because he was dunking a tea steeper in a mug of steaming liquid when she walked in. “Hey, there,” he said. He lifted his mug up. “Chamomile. Want some?”