Bear Truffle Murder (A Maple Hills Cozy Mystery Book 10)

by Wendy Meadows

  “What police?” Mr. King asked.

  “Don’t worry, I checked out the department. It’s small. They’re still trying to find this cabin. We’ll be out of here before they show up,” reassured Jim. Mr. King smiled.

  “I’m glad you did your homework,” he said to Jim. “Now, where was I? Oh yes, let’s break some fingers, boys.” The guards took a step away from the door. Andrew was shaking his head over and over.

  “Wait,” Nikki said to Mr. King. His guards stopped and looked at him. “How much money does Andrew owe you?”

  “I wouldn’t worry about that, darling. It’s out of your price range,” Mr. King replied.

  “Humor me,” Nikki demanded.

  “Oh, a feisty one?” Mr. King asked as he approached Nikki’s chair. He took her chin in his hand and tilted her face up to his. Nikki frowned, and Mr. King laughed. “Okay, I’ll tell you. He owes me $10,000.”

  “I have that,” said Nikki. Mr. King looked at her. He bent his face close to hers. “No, you don’t. You’re lying, trying to buy time.”

  “I am not lying,” Nikki said, looking right into Mr. King’s red–rimmed eyes. “Take me into town, and I will get it for you.”

  “I don’t believe you,” Mr. King said.

  “It’s true. Check my account. You’ll see it’s all there.” Mr. King let go of Nikki’s chin. She maintained eye contact with him.

  “You have $10,000?” Mr. King asked.

  “Yes. Take me to town, and it’s all yours.” Nikki never took her eyes off of Mr. King. She wanted his attention to be on her, not Andrew.

  “Why would you help this creep? He abandoned you,” said Mr. King, sneering at Andrew.

  “Despite what he’s done, I don’t want him to die,” said Nikki.

  Mr. King paced a bit and turned to Jim. “Do you have a cell phone?”

  “Yes, Mr. King.”

  “What is the bank’s number?” Mr. King asked Nikki.

  “It is 555-257-2575,” said Nikki.

  “Jim, dial that number and see what happens,” Mr. King commanded. He looked at Andrew, Hawk, and Nikki. “I do not want any funny business. No speaking out of line. Do not scream. Do not tell them what is happening here. If you do, I will kill you.”

  Jim dialed the number and put the phone on speaker.

  “Thank you for calling First United Bank, how can I direct your call?” Mr. King looked at Nikki. He signaled her to speak.

  “Hi Jenna, this is Nikki,” she said.

  “Hi Nikki, what can I do for you?”

  “I would like to check my savings account balance.”

  “Sure thing, Nikki, hold on just a minute.” The phone was put on hold. Mr. King threatened to kill Hawk and Andrew if Nikki tried anything. She said she understood. Jenna got back on the line. Nikki gave Jenna her password and account information. Jenna told her she had a balance of $12,000.

  “Is there anything else I can help you with?” Jenna asked Nikki.

  “No, thank you, Jenna,” Nikki replied. She wanted to scream for help, but she knew that would not end well. Jenna ended the call, and Jim put the phone back in his pocket.

  Nikki looked at Mr. King. “I will give it all to you. All you have to do is let us go,” she said. “Andrew was my husband and I loved him, once. We had a good life in Atlanta. Andrew skipped out on me. I didn’t know where he had gone. I was devastated. I decided to move to Maple Hills to start over. Andrew has a life in California, and I have one here. Just let us live our lives, please,” she begged Mr. King.

  Mr. King had been listening. He cocked his head and thought for a moment.

  “There’s a problem with your story,” he said. “Why would you move to a small town up north? Why didn’t you move somewhere else? No. I don’t believe you. I think what happened,” and here Mr. King looked right at Nikki, “is this: Andrew and you did not split up. You moved up here when he was in New York. He gave you some of my money. That is how you have that much cash in your savings account. You stole from me, too. That’s why you’ve been living up here. I’m surprised we didn’t know about you. You covered your tracks well.”

  “That is not it at all!” said Nikki. “I covered my tracks because I didn’t want Andrew to find me. I didn’t know why he left, but I was sure it was something I didn’t want to be involved in. I have saved up my money on my own. I did not steal from you. Like I said, this is the first time I’ve seen Andrew since he walked out on me.” Nikki ended this by glaring at Andrew.

  “She’s telling the truth,” Andrew said. “I haven’t seen her since I left her in Atlanta. The stuff in New York was all my doing. Please don’t hurt her. It’s me you want. Do whatever you want to me. Take her money and let her and her friend go.”

  “That is tempting,” said Mr. King, turning on his heel and pacing away from the group. He turned around. “But no. It’s too late. Your friends have seen me. Sure, I’ll get her money on my way out of town. I can be persuasive when it comes to bank tellers.” His guards chuckled. “I don’t need any of you. You have taken up enough of my time. Now, hand me your gun,” he said to Jim. Jim handed him his gun. “I will shoot Andrew. After that, you can take care of these two. Now, untie them and let’s get this over with.” His bodyguards walked over and helped Jim untie the hostages. Hawk tried to get up, but the bodyguard held him down. Mr. King turned around. “It’s a pity. You are kind of cute,” he said to Nikki as he pointed the gun at Andrew’s head. Just then, there was a loud noise, and the door burst open.

  Chapter Twelve

  The door broke in, and the guards jumped back. It was the SWAT team. They rushed in. Andrew and Hawk stood up. They both tried to get to the bodyguards. The SWAT team yelled and aimed their guns at the guards, Jim, and Mr. King. Mr. King dove for Nikki. Nikki had started to get up and felt nauseous again. She had sat back down. Next thing she knew she was being lifted from the chair. She could feel a large arm around her neck. Mr. King had grabbed her and had the gun pointed at her head.

  “Everyone stop,” he commanded. “I have a hostage. I will shoot her. Let me walk out of here, and I will think about letting her go.” He pulled Nikki toward the back porch door. Nikki regained her footing. She looked at Hawk. She smiled and winked at him. Hawk smiled back. Nikki raised her right foot and brought it down hard on Mr. King’s loafers. Mr. King yelled and let go of Nikki. He dropped his gun. Hawk ran over and tackled him. Nikki grabbed Mr. King’s gun and pointed it at him. Hawk then quickly threw some cuffs on Mr. King. The SWAT team put the others in cuffs. At that moment, the chief walked in. He saw Hawk and walked over to him.

  “Are you okay, son?”

  “Yes, Dad, I am okay. Here,” he shoved Mr. King toward the chief. “I cuffed him for you.” The chief smiled and hauled Mr. King out of the room. Nikki gave Mr. King’s gun to the police. She turned around and saw Andrew. She walked over to him. Andrew opened his arms as though he honestly believed she would hug him. Nikki stopped, reached up her arm, and slapped him. She turned around and walked over to Hawk.

  “I’m ready to leave now,” she declared. Hawk smiled and took her hand. They walked out in the woods to his truck.

  “Hey, how about me?” yelled Andrew.

  “Get a ride from one of the cops,” suggested Hawk.

  “Yeah, you deserve to be in the back of a cruiser,” said Nikki. Andrew’s shoulders slumped, and he walked over to the police. One officer said he would give him a ride, and he stuck him in the back of the car. Nikki and Hawk smiled, and they continued on their way to Hawk’s truck.

  “You know, you were very brave back there,” said Hawk.

  “Thank you,” said Nikki. “I was scared out of my wits. I cannot believe Andrew brought that into Maple Hills.”

  “It’s okay,” Hawk soothed her and stopped. He held her close and kissed her.

  Nikki relaxed in Hawk’s arms. “Well, we need to go to the station,” she said. “The chief will want our statements,” she said.

  “Okay,” said Hawk
. “We can get someone to look at your head while we’re there.”

  “That sounds good,” said Nikki, instinctively reaching to touch the back of her head where she had hit. “I have a wicked headache.”

  Hawk opened the truck door for her. He helped her in. They drove down to the station where they were met with police and SWAT vehicles. Hawk parked near the station and got out of the truck. He helped Nikki out, and they went into the precinct. Andrew was there waiting, and he got up when they came in. Andrew started to walk towards Nikki, but he was interrupted.

  “Mom!” Seth called out, darting right past his father without even noticing the man’s presence. He walked over to Nikki and gave her a gentle hug. “What happened? Where’s Dad?” Nikki said it was a long story, and she nodded towards Andrew. Seth spun around, realizing he had walked right by him. Andrew smiled at Seth and held his arms open. Seth just shook his head and walked away. Nikki felt a lump of pride in her throat, but she was still saddened because she knew Andrew’s presence alone was enough to hurt Seth. She swallowed her tears and wiped her eyes. The chief walked over.

  “We’re ready to take your statements.”

  “I’ll go first,” Andrew pushed ahead. Hawk stopped him.

  “No. Nikki goes first. She needs to see a doctor,” he insisted. Andrew agreed and sat down. Nikki thanked Hawk and followed the chief back into the interrogation room.

  Later, after Nikki had seen a doctor and everyone had given their statements, the FBI appeared. The chief said they wanted to talk to Andrew some more. Hawk and Nikki waited while the FBI talked to him. Nikki was sitting down by the chief’s desk when Andrew walked back in. A bureau officer was with him.

  “Usually, we do this in private, but Andrew wanted you to hear this,” said the bureau officer. He closed the door and sat down by Nikki. Andrew and Hawk remained standing in the room. “We have offered Andrew a deal,” the officer said. “If he testifies against Mr. King, any charges he has coming will be dropped. Now, this will involve witness protection.” Nikki looked up at Andrew.

  “I want to take the offer,” he said. “I’m just concerned about Seth.”

  “Seth will be fine here with us,” said Nikki. “Hawk and I will keep him safe.”

  “Okay,” Andrew agreed. “Can I talk to him? The officer said we have to leave soon. I… I might never see him again. I have some things I want to say.”

  “I’m not sure,” said Nikki. “He didn’t want to talk to you earlier.”

  “Please, can you just ask him? Everyone can be in the room. I just want to apologize,” Andrew pleaded. Hawk reassured Nikki he would be there.

  Nikki agreed and went to look for Seth. She found him talking to an FBI agent.

  “Hey, Mom, I was just telling this agent about grandpa,” Seth said. Nikki smiled. Her father had worked for the FBI. Nikki had attended the academy until she and Andrew had gotten married.

  “Seth, your father wants to talk to you.”

  “I don’t want to talk to him,” Seth replied with a frown.

  “I understand. I need you to know that Hawk and I will be in the room with you. You don’t have to talk to him, but I think it might be a good idea. If you feel uncomfortable or want to leave, that’s fine. I will not keep you there.”

  “Okay. I’ll go, but if he says one bad thing about you, I am out of there.”

  “If he says one bad thing about us, you’ll probably have to hold Hawk back,” Nikki said and laughed. Seth laughed with her. They walked back to the chief’s office. The chief was at his desk.

  “Hawk took Andrew to interrogation room one,” he informed Nikki. “He said you could meet them there.”

  “Thank you, Chief.”

  Nikki and Seth walked to the interrogation room. Hawk was standing, and Andrew was sitting. Nikki motioned to the seat across from Andrew, and Seth sat down. Nikki walked over to Hawk and leaned on him. He put his arm around her, and they listened to Andrew.

  Andrew had tears in his eyes. “Seth, you have grown up to become a wonderful man,” he said. Andrew continued, “I am so proud of you. Your mother has done a fine job raising you despite my actions. I wanted you to know that I’m sorry. What I did was wrong and unforgivable. I love you, Seth, and I want only good things for you.”

  Seth kept quiet while Andrew talked. He stared at Andrew. When he was sure Andrew was done, he said, “I forgive you, Dad, but I never want to see you again.” He looked at Nikki. She nodded. He got up and walked out. Andrew had tears running down his face. He wiped them off and turned to Nikki.

  “Thank you,” he said. “Hawk, could you ask the FBI agent to come in? I’m ready to leave now.” Hawk looked at Nikki, and she nodded. He opened the door and stuck his head out and asked the officer to come in.

  Meanwhile, Andrew spoke to Nikki. “I am so sorry for everything I have done. I never should have walked out on you. I was and am a coward.”

  Nikki looked at him. “What you’re doing right now is brave,” she reassured him. “You’re leaving to protect your son.”

  Andrew thanked her and told the FBI agent he was ready to go. As he walked by Hawk, Andrew thanked him and said he was confident Hawk would keep Nikki and Seth safe before he left with the agent.

  Hawk held Nikki close. She felt tired suddenly and said she needed to sit down. Hawk helped her to the chair and pulled the other one around across from her. He held her hands in his.

  “Nikki, let’s go out to dinner tonight. I think we have both earned a nice night out on the town. What do you think?”

  Nikki smiled. It wasn’t often that Hawk suggested dinner out. Usually he cooked for her. She thought about it and said she wanted to check with Seth first. Hawk left her there and found Seth. Nikki told Seth that Hawk wanted to take her out to dinner.

  “I know this has been a rough day. If you want, I’ll stay at home with you tonight,” Nikki said.

  “Thank you, Mom, but you should go out. You and Hawk deserve a nice night out. Tori offered to make me dinner. She wants to stay at her place and play some games and just be together. I told her I would if you didn’t need me.”

  Nikki laughed. Seth was a wonderful son. “Thank you, but I should be fine with Hawk.”

  “Okay,” said Seth. “Tori will be happy.” Seth smiled and bounded away. Hawk helped Nikki up.

  “Let me take you home, and you can get a shower and get changed,” Hawk suggested.

  “That sounds like a plan,” said Nikki. She was looking forward to a hot shower and a nice dinner out. She hugged and kissed Hawk. “What would I do without you?” she asked.

  “You’d be just fine. You are one tough lady.” Hawk smiled at Nikki and took her hand. “I will drop you by the house and pick you up by six. How does that sound?”

  “That sounds wonderful,” Nikki said. She smiled, and they walked together to Hawk’s truck.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Nikki got into the shower. It felt good to wash the day off. She flinched as the water hit her face and head. She didn’t feel dizzy or nauseous anymore, and the medicine the doctor had given her had taken away her headache. She got out of the shower, and she looked in her closet. She picked out a red dress. It was short and sleeveless. She put on some red pumps and gently applied her makeup. She heard Hawk downstairs and quickly put on some earrings. As she walked down the steps, Hawk whistled.

  “You look stunning,” he said. He helped her with her shawl. Nikki took his arm, and Hawk led her to his truck.

  “Where are we going?” Nikki asked.

  “It’s a surprise,” said Hawk.

  “A surprise?” asked Nikki.

  “Yes.”

  “Can I guess?” she asked.

  “No,” Hawk said. Nikki knew Hawk was no good at keeping secrets. She knew if she asked him questions she would figure out where they were going. She decided not to pester him that night, so she stretched and relaxed in her seat. Hawk smiled. They drove into town, and Hawk parked by the only gourmet restaurant in Maple Hills
.

  “Wow, what’s the occasion?” Nikki asked.

  “Why do I need an occasion to take you out to dinner?” Hawk asked as he helped her down from the truck. He pulled her close and kissed her. “My occasion is that I have a beautiful woman on my arm. I want to show you off,” he said. Nikki laughed. She walked with him into the restaurant. I suppose surviving the world’s worst encounter with your girlfriend’s ex is worth celebrating, Nikki mused. They were seated immediately. The waiter brought over some wine. Nikki smiled as the waiter uncorked it at the table.

  “Did you order this?” Nikki asked Hawk.

  “Yes, I did,” he said, smiling.

  Nikki smiled. Hawk was usually a beer kind of guy, but he enjoyed a good wine, too. She sipped from the glass the waiter handed her. It was delicious.

  “You have good taste,” Nikki told Hawk.

  “Thank you, ma’am,” he replied, still smiling at her.

  The waiter came over with a cheese platter. “Did you order that, too?” Nikki asked Hawk.

  “Yep. Your dinner is taken care of tonight,” Hawk said. Nikki was excited. She could not wait to see what was coming next.

  “You were very brave today,” Hawk said, taking Nikki’s hand.

  “Thank you, but I could not have done it without you,” she said.

  “We make a good team.”

  “Yes, we do,” Nikki agreed.

  The next course was a spring greens salad with homemade dressing. Nikki ate it all, enjoying the spiciness of the greens and the sweetness of the dressing. After the salad came the main course. Hawk had ordered lobster risotto for both of them. It was rich and creamy. Nikki savored every bite.

  “I’m full,” she told Hawk.

  “I hope not,” he said.

  Just then the waiter appeared with dessert.

  “This is a special dessert we made for the happy couple,” the waiter said. Nikki looked at Hawk. He smiled. The dessert was strawberries and cracked black pepper in a champagne flute. Hawk pierced a strawberry and fed it to Nikki.