Rocks Can Be Deadly (Sage Gardens Cozy Mystery Book 5)
Page 13
“No. No one goes anywhere. I need to fix this.” Cory gripped the gun tight in his hand.
“How is this going to fix anything?” Mick shook his head. “Cory, it’s my fault, I did this.”
“Did what?” Leila looked across the desk at him. “What is happening here? Please will someone tell me?”
Mick cleared his throat, then met Leila’s eyes. “I’m the one who killed Ryan, Leila. I’m sorry. It was an accident, but I’m the one who did it.”
“What?” Leila’s eyes widened. “Why! Why would you do that?”
“I didn’t mean to I just didn’t want him to hurt you, or Cory. I wanted you both to have the chance to have the happiness that you deserve. Is that really so wrong? Besides, it’s not like I planned it. It just happened.” He stared at his own hands with disbelief. “All I know for sure is that there is no way to go back. And this isn’t the way to go forward. Cory, I need to pay for what I did.”
“We’re at an impasse, Cory. There’s nowhere that you can go from here. Are you really going to kill us all?” Eddy stood up from his chair and looked straight at the man. “I don’t think that you will. I think you know that you’re in a tight spot, and the only way out is to put down that gun.”
“Sit down.” Cory released the safety on the gun. “I’m not asking anyone’s opinion on this. You sit down while I figure it out.”
Leila began to cry. “I’m sorry, Cory. This is all my fault, I never should have brought you and your father into this drama with Ryan. I thought he was finally out of my life for good, now he’s ruined everything.”
“It doesn’t have to be ruined.” Samantha placed a hand on Leila’s shoulder. “There’s still a chance that this can be settled. Like Mick said, it was an accident, a good lawyer can help him prove that. As for Cory, he hasn’t done anything that we can’t all forget about. There is still an opportunity here to turn things around. Cory, don’t you want to give Leila that chance? Are you going to take away the one person she truly loves?” Samantha turned her attention on Cory. Thick streams of sweat ran down his cheeks. He gripped the gun so tight that his hand shook. It was clear that he had never fired one before. “Cory, this isn’t the way. Just put the gun down and we can figure this out together.”
“No,” Cory whispered the word. “I can’t. My Dad was brave enough to protect me, now I have to be brave enough to protect him. Can’t you see that?”
“Cory, all I can see is that you are hurting and you need help.” Samantha moved towards him with cautious steps. “Leila’s crying, your father is begging you to stop, no one here thinks that you’re making a good choice right now. We know how much you love your father and Leila, you don’t have to prove that to us.”
“But it doesn’t matter!” Cory held tightly to the gun. “It’s all messed up now! Everything I was about to have, is gone! What is the point? So, what if four people die, I don’t care. I need to make sure that my father stays out of jail.” He aimed the gun directly at Samantha.
“No you don’t!” Eddy jumped up and slid in front of Samantha. “I’m warning you now, boy, pointing a gun at this woman will guarantee my wrath. Lower you weapon, now.”
Samantha’s heart pounded as she prepared herself for the sound of a bullet being fired. When she didn’t hear one, she peeked over Eddy’s shoulder. Cory had lowered his weapon some, but not all the way.
“Cory no, please. Even if you were to kill them all, I promise you, I would still turn myself into the police. I couldn’t live with the burden of one life on my conscience, please don’t add four more.”
Before Cory could answer his father, the glass of the office window broke. A canister was tossed inside and began to spread smoke as soon as it hit the floor. Eddy took the opportunity to lunge at Cory. Cory was so disoriented by the smoke that he didn’t realize what Eddy was doing until it was too late. Eddy wrestled the gun from his hand and backed off fast.
“Everybody out!” Eddy pointed towards the door. “I don’t know what’s in that smoke.”
“Who’s out there?” Samantha lifted her shirt collar to cover her nose and mouth. “What are we walking out into?”
“I don’t know, but it has to be better than here.” Jo placed a hand on Samantha’s shoulder and the two made their way out of the room. Leila followed behind them.
“Cory, Mick, let’s go!” She called back into the smoke. Mick emerged from the room but Cory was nowhere to be seen.
Walt was the last one through the door. He coughed and waved his hand in front of his face. “Horrible smell, really.”
“Are you all right?” Samantha nearly passed out on the spot as the voice spoke up a few inches from her ear. She jumped back and turned to see Peter.
“Peter! What are you doing here?”
“I was looking out for my client. I wanted to find out who actually killed Ryan. So, I’ve had my eye on these two. I saw everyone go in and then not come out. When I looked in the window I saw that you were being held hostage.”
“And you just happened to have a smoke bomb?” Eddy looked at him with a raised eyebrow.
“It’s a tool of the trade. I have some great supplier connections from being on the force. With the crimes I investigate I have a lot of tools at my disposal.”
“Wait, where’s Cory?” Leila turned back towards the room. The smoke had cleared, but there was no sign of Cory.
“He must have taken off.” Eddy shook his head. “I guess he can’t face what’s happened here.”
Leila hugged Mick and looked into his eyes. “I know why you did it, and even though I don’t condone it, I know that you did it for Cory and me.”
“I’m sorry, Leila. I wish I had never gotten on that train.”
“But you did.” Peter held out a set of handcuffs. “I can take you in myself if you want. I can help you explain what happened.”
“You would do that?” Mick’s eyes widened with gratitude.
“Yours isn’t the only life that Ryan ruined, Mick. But, you made a terrible mistake and you’ll have to face the consequences.”
“I know.” Mick lowered his eyes. He folded his hands behind his back. Peter handcuffed him and led him to his car.
Once Mick was settled in the backseat Peter turned to face Samantha, Jo, Eddy, and Walt. “In case you were wondering, I’m not a murderer.” He winked at Samantha and then got into the car. Samantha felt her heart sink.
“Don’t worry, you weren’t wrong to suspect him.” Eddy placed a hand on her shoulder. “All of the elements were there. Money, family, and experience in life and death situations. He was the perfect suspect.”
“Maybe,” Samantha sighed. “But he was also once my friend, and maybe if I had taken more time to listen to him, to give him a reason to trust me, I would still be able to count him as a friend.”
Eddy chuckled and squeezed her shoulder. “That’s where you’re wrong, Samantha.”
“What do you mean?”
Eddy tilted his head towards Peter’s car as it pulled away. “That man never had any interest in being your friend. He was, and probably still is in love with you, Samantha. Nothing you do can change that.”
Samantha rolled her eyes. “You’re way off on that one, Eddy.”
“If you say so.” He shrugged.
“People! We’re going to be late!” Walt urged them towards the street. “We have to go right this second.”
“I guess we better call another cab,” Eddy said.
“Anything other than a police car.” Walt sighed.
“When were you in a police car?” Jo raised an eyebrow.
“Don’t worry, we’ll have plenty of time to talk about it on the way home.” Eddy pulled out his phone to call a cab.
“Love is a really funny thing isn’t it.” Samantha looked over at Jo. “Love of family, love of a romantic partner, it makes people crazy.”
“Maybe.” Jo frowned. “But from what I hear, it’s worth it.”
“Don’t believe it, it’s all c
hemicals and endorphins.” Walt began to lecture them both.
“Oh yes, it’s going to be a very long trip back to Sage Gardens.” Samantha laughed.
The End
From the Author
Thank you very much for reading Rocks Can Be Deadly, the fifth book in the Sage Gardens Cozy Mystery Series. If you enjoyed the book and would like to be updated when I release a new book you can sign up for email updates at http://www.cindybellbooks.com/newsletter. I will never share your email and you will only receive emails from me when I have released a new book, am offering a discount or when I have giveaways.
About the Author
Cindy Bell is the author of the cozy mystery series Sage Gardens, Chocolate Centered, Bekki the Beautician, Dune House, Heavenly Highland Inn and Wendy the Wedding Planner.
Cindy has always loved reading, but it is only recently that she has discovered her passion for writing romantic cozy mysteries. She loves walking along the beach thinking of the next adventure her characters can embark on.
You can sign up for her newsletter so you are notified of her latest releases at http://www.cindybellbooks.com/newsletter.
More Books by Cindy Bell
Sage Gardens Cozy Mysteries
Birthdays can be Deadly
Money can be Deadly
Trust can be Deadly
Ties can be Deadly
Chocolate Centered Cozy Mysteries
The Sweet Smell of Murder
Dune House Cozy Mysteries
Seaside Secrets
Boats and Bad Guys
Treasured History
Hidden Hideaways
Dodgy Dealings
Suspects and Surprises
Wendy the Wedding Planner Cozy Mysteries
Matrimony, Money and Murder
Chefs, Ceremonies and Crimes
Knives and Nuptials
Mice, Marriage and Murder
Bekki the Beautician Cozy Mysteries
Hairspray and Homicide
A Dyed Blonde and a Dead Body
Mascara and Murder
Pageant and Poison
Conditioner and a Corpse
Mistletoe, Makeup and Murder
Hairpin, Hair Dryer and Homicide
Blush, a Bride and a Body
Shampoo and a Stiff
Cosmetics, a Cruise and a Killer
Lipstick, a Long Iron and Lifeless
Camping, Concealer and Criminals
Treated and Dyed
Heavenly Highland Inn Cozy Mysteries
Murdering the Roses
Dead in the Daisies
Killing the Carnations
Drowning the Daffodils
Suffocating the Sunflowers
Books, Bullets and Blooms
A Deadly Serious Gardening Contest
A Bridal Bouquet and a Body