Brian Holman hadn’t meant to hurt anyone, much less kill them, but reality struck when he smelled the blood and gazed at the crumpled corpses in front of him. There were two things he knew…he needed drugs, the faster the better, and he needed help. The kind of help that only big money could buy.
He knew that his sister had been dallying regularly with Cal Cramer, she had confided to him over breakfast after selling him her boyfriend’s pills. He also knew that she got her stash from the millionaire, and in his confused state, he believed that he could use that information as leverage.
“Where are the pills?” the executive demanded, when the filthy, crazed sibling of his girlfriend showed up at his estate and told him what had happened.
“I don’t know,” Brian whimpered. “I didn’t have time to look. I had to get out of there. Someone could have heard the gunshots…I don’t want to go to jail. I wouldn’t be able to survive in jail.”
“Find them,” Cal ordered, speaking through his teeth. “You’ve been stupid enough to buy drugs from that lying wench, you’re going to find that bottle and return it to me, or you’re going to pay dearly. Your life is worth less than nothing to me. You will find that bottle and bring it back to me, or you will find yourself sucking in vast quantities of salt water somewhere between here and the Bahamas.”
Brian nodded and begged for money and more pills so that he could think more clearly. Cramer tossed him a wad of bills and a couple of pills that he pulled from a silver case in his pants pocket. The junkie put the money absently in his pocket and threw the pills in his mouth, crunching them between his teeth.
“You should know where she kept them. If what she was doing was a secret that she kept from me, her husband, and everyone else, she had to have a hiding place. Where was it?”
“She kept the stash in the bear,” the junkie mumbled, feeling the drug hit his system and finally relaxing a bit.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Cramer demanded, wondering if the useless sap was hallucinating.
“Emi’s bear…she kept them in Emi’s bear,” Brian explained calmly.
“Then go get that bear,” Cal ordered. “And bring me the bottle, or you’re a dead man.”
Chapter 18
“So all of the destruction…the ruining of homes and businesses, was all caused by a murderous drug addict looking for a teddy bear?” Echo was incredulous.
Missy nodded. “Spencer was just trying to be helpful when he spotted the bear in the bag under the counter. He took it back to his place to sew up the tear in the back, and found the pill bottle with Cal Cramer’s name on it. When he saw what had happened at the cupcake shop, he assumed that the two things were related, and told Chas of his suspicions. Brian Holman destroyed the shop at night, then the next morning he hit Carla’s house as soon as she left for work. When he found nothing, he staked out the gallery, waiting for Kel to go to lunch, and did his search and destroy there. When that failed, he made his way to your house. How’s your neighbor, by the way?”
“He’s fine. It wasn’t a heart attack, just a panic episode, so they calmed him down, told him to stop smoking and lose weight and sent him home with some tranquilizers.”
“How did the murderer happen to end up at Spencer’s?” Kel asked, seeming far more chipper than he had the last couple of days.
“By accident, actually. He thought it was a back door to the Inn, which was his next target.”
“So, he just walked in on Spencer?” Echo asked.
“I’m actually not quite certain as to how all of that played out,” Missy shrugged. “From what I understand, Brian opened up to Spencer, and by the time Chas got there, he made a full confession.”
“Wow, so is Cal Cramer going to be held responsible for any of this?”
“Who knows? The DA is trying to decide whether to bother with charging him for unlawfully distributing narcotics. Brian is being charged with three counts of murder.”
“Isn’t it crazy how addiction can make someone so desperate that they’d do that to their own family?” Echo shook her head. “Speaking of desperation…you look like you might be feeling a bit better,” she said to Kel, who smiled wryly.
“Indeed, I am, and I have a bit of a strange request for you both,” the artist replied.
“We’re all ears,” Missy leaned forward.
“I would like the scraps and broken pieces of anything that was destroyed in Brian’s frenzied search.”
The two women looked at him curiously.
“Well, I guess that’ll save me from having to rent a dumpster,” Echo commented.
“Of course,” Missy nodded. “You can have anything you’d like. Are you going to share with us why you might want it?”
“All in good time, dear ladies,” he smiled at them affectionately. “All in good time.”
Chapter 19
The caterer had set up in the staging area of the ballroom, the tables were aglow with candlelight, and the “snowy” sky that Carla, Missy and Spencer had painstakingly created, hung sparkling overhead. All of the guests were dressed in white, in keeping with the theme, and dinner service was about to begin. The foyer door opened, admitting a new guest, and Missy hurried over to greet the well-dressed man.
“Good evening and welcome to the Beach House. I’m Melissa, one of the owners,” she introduced herself, impressed by the gentleman’s white tuxedo and deliciously scented cologne.
“It’s always a pleasure to meet such a beautiful lady,” he kissed her hand, letting his gaze linger a bit too long on the graceful curves of her sequined white cocktail dress. “I’m Calvin Cramer.”
Missy snatched her hand away like it was on fire.
“You have a lot of nerve coming here,” she hissed, eyes flashing.
“I’m an invited guest,” he chuckled. “I wouldn’t have dreamed that a lovely little kitten like you would have claws. It’s adorable really. Now, do be a dear and show me to the venue,” he directed, oozing arrogance.
Just as Missy was about to give him a piece of her mind, the party’s host, Steve Jeppson, wandered out into the foyer.
“Cal,” he welcomed the treacherous snake with a handshake. “Good to see you out and about. It can’t be easy for you right now. How are you coping?”
Raising an eyebrow and glancing ironically over at Missy, he replied. “As well as can be expected, I suppose.” He followed Steve to the ballroom, leaving her steaming in the foyer.
**
Missy found Maggie in the staging area and pulled her aside.
“Darlin’ can you oversee the party for me? I’m suddenly not feeling well,” she explained all-too-truthfully. The very thought of Cal Cramer in her house turned her stomach. The philandering creep had paid the man who killed his wife and mistress, to trash her shop, Kel’s gallery, Carla’s house and the Inn. Who knows what might have happened if Spencer hadn’t stepped in.
“Sure, no problem,” Maggie agreed easily. “The caterer has this whole thing wonderfully under control – I would definitely use them again.
“That’s great, thank you,” Missy replied, distracted. “Have you seen Spence?”
“He’s been lurking about in the doorway by the ballroom entrance,” she chuckled. “You know how he is.”
Missy nodded. “Yes, thankfully, I do.”
She skirted around the main seating area, avoiding even glancing in Cal Cramer’s direction, and found Spencer, resplendent in his all-white attire, standing like a sentry just outside the ballroom’s entrance, as Maggie had said.
“Spencer…” she began.
“I saw him come in, Mrs. Beckett. I won’t let him out of my sight,” the Marine assured her, barely moving his lips. “The Detective is on his way.”
“Oh? Is there something that I should know about?”
“Not that I’m aware of ma’am, just a precaution.”
Missy clutched at the young veteran’s arm, knowing how much he’d done to keep them all safe over the past several days.
>
“Thank you, Spence, for everything. You being here means a lot to us, truly,” she smiled up at the Marine.
“No place I’d rather be, ma’am,” he flashed his killer dimples briefly, then looked past her to scan the room.
“When Chas arrives, would you let him know that I went home, please?”
“Of course. Have a good evening Mrs. Beckett.”
“You too, Spencer.”
Missy went back to the owner’s wing and slipped out of her beautiful dress, pulling on comfy yoga pants and a well-worn t-shirt. It had been a rough week, and she didn’t feel the slightest bit inclined to socialize with an arrogant executive who had wreaked havoc in her life. Chas came in about an hour later, bearing two platters loaded down with delicious food from the event.
“What are you up to?” she chuckled, relieving her husband of his burden.
“Celebrating,” the detective grinned.
“Celebrating what?”
“The fact that I have the most beautiful wife in the whole world,” he replied, kissing her. “And the fact that Cal Cramer just rode away from the party in the back of a police cruiser.”
“He did? What happened?”
“The DA decided to prosecute him on the drug charges.”
“Good riddance,” Missy frowned.
“Well, the reality of the situation is that he’ll probably do little to no time, but the fact that he’s being prosecuted at all will send a message to those who think that they’re above the law.”
“At least that’s something,” she shrugged, removing the foil from one of the platters. “Let’s eat, I’m starving.”
“Maggie said you left the party because you weren’t feeling well,” Chas raised an eyebrow.
“Suddenly, somehow, I feel much better,” she winked, and he swept her into his arms.
Chapter 20
“I can’t believe that Kel still had the gala after everything that happened,” Missy whispered to Echo as they milled about at the event.
The elegant redhead shrugged and sipped her champagne. “Maybe he needed a party to cheer him up.”
The two of them surveyed the space that was now empty of art, but spotlessly clean. There was a lone large sculpture covered with a sheet awaiting reveal in the center of the room. In addition to having done clean-up after Brian Holman destroyed all of his precious art, Kel had painted the various geometric walls in shades of red, orange and gold, creating a vibrant warmth in the hard-lined space.
“What’s under the cloth?” Missy whispered. “Do you know?”
Echo shook her head. “I have no idea. I begged him to tell me, or at least let me take a peek, but he wanted to surprise everyone. Oh yay, there’s Carla,” she couldn’t keep the sarcasm from her voice when she spotted the decorator. Last time both of them had attended an event showcasing Kel’s art, a very drunk Carla had pushed Echo into a sculpture, falling on top of her and destroying the piece.
“Ladies,” Carla greeted them, giving Missy a kiss on the cheek and looking at Echo like a bug under a microscope. Clearly things were back to normal between the two of them, the brief respite from their snipe-fests apparently over.
“Please tell me that’s punch in your cup,” Echo commented nastily.
“Thus far, it’s in the cup, but if you continue to speak, it may end up on that wretched dress of yours. Might be an improvement actually,” she drawled.
“Okay, kittens, let’s sheath the claws, shall we?” Missy put a hand on each of their arms. “Tonight is about Kel, and none of us is going to spoil his moment after what the poor man has been through,” she reminded them sternly.
Carla opened her mouth to reply, but they were spared from her response by Kel tapping on his champagne glass on the second level of the gallery, where he held the tab that would raise the sheet covering his only piece of sculpture.
“Attention everyone. Attention,” he called out, waiting to speak until the room quieted down. “As most of you know, I’ve had a bit of a rough time lately, but I’m a firm believer that out of our most difficult times comes our greatest inspiration. When one has lost everything, one has to pull from the bottom of one’s soul that which is good and charitable and filled with hope. From the ashes of despair, one must rise like a phoenix, so that the artistic voice is never silenced. Ladies and gentlemen, it is my honor and joy to present to you this evening….The Phoenix!”
The artist dramatically whipped the sheet from the sculpture, and a collective intake of breath stole the very air from the room. With the broken pieces and belongings that he’d gleaned from his former collection, Missy’s shop and Carla and Echo’s homes, he had crafted a glorious phoenix that rose majestically between walls of crimson, tangerine and umber.
Tears sprung to Missy and Echo’s eyes, and even tough as nails Carla looked down for a moment, swallowing hard. Echo raised her glass, her eyes meeting those of her boss and friend.
“To new beginnings,” she called out, unashamed of the tears that fell.
“To new beginnings,” was the hearty reply from everyone in the room.
Kel raised his glass to each of the trio ladies in turn, and drank to them all.
Chapter 21
The shop had been surprisingly easy to clean up when all of them pitched in, so the next week, Kel, Echo and Missy resumed their spots at the bistro table for morning coffee.
“There was a bidding war for The Phoenix,” Kel announced, raising his coffee mug as a toast.
“That’s understandable, it was breathtaking,” Missy commented.
“I agree. I wish my house recovered as well as your business,” Echo remarked glumly.
“Slow going?” Missy asked.
The redhead nodded. “There was a ton of remodeling to do before this whole mess, now it seems overwhelming. I just want to take a sledgehammer to the place and start over.”
“Worked for me,” Kel observed dryly.
“I’m sure Spencer wouldn’t mind helping out,” Missy suggested.
“I know, I already asked him,” Echo grinned. “What’s next on the agenda at the Inn?”
“The Jeppson group checked out today, and thankfully, despite all of the weirdness, they left happy and booked a party for next year,” she announced. “There’s a newlywed couple coming in next week, and a whole bunch of cupcakes that need to be made and delivered locally.”
“Wow, we’re going to be hitting it hard all the way up until Christmas, aren’t we?”
“That’s the plan.”
“Well, if you need a party conversation facilitator, do let me know. I’ll try to make time in my busy schedule to help you out,” Kel offered cheekily.
“You’re always on the list,” Missy assured the artist. She headed back to the kitchen to grab a tray. “Well, these are the last ones, enjoy,” she directed, setting down the platter of vegan and regular Double Chocolate cupcakes with Peppermint Frosting.
“Delightful,” Kel’s eyes practically rolled back in his head. “And what little treats will you two be cooking up next week?”
“You’ll just have to wait and see, but I’m thinking that you’ll be pleased,” Missy teased.
“That, my dear lady, is a foregone conclusion.”
“Here’s to good friends, good cupcakes, and rising like a phoenix,” she beamed at her beautiful flame-haired friend and the ultimately talented artist, raising her mug. “I don’t know what I’d do without you two.”
“You’ll never have to know,” they replied in unison, clinking their mugs against hers.
Copyright 2015 Summer Prescott Books
All Rights Reserved.
A letter from the Author
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Summer Prescott
Peppermint Murder: A Frosted Love Cozy Mystery - Book 22 (A Frosted Love Cozy Mysteries) Page 6