by Molly Dox
“What are you talking about?” Carmella asked him the same thing.
“Mom, I’m sorry. I’m going to live with Dad this summer before I move away. It was his idea. He said he’d pay for everything, and thought my transition would be easier.” He waited for her to freak out.
“You didn’t steal Anastasia? You’re moving in with Dad?” She regurgitated the words, trying to figure things out.
He sounded surprised. “Somebody stole the dog?”
“Yes, they did. I was broken hearted, but thankfully, she’s back now.” She held in the tears that were forming. “You’re not going to live with me?”
“Mom,” he said quietly. “Dad will let my girlfriend stay over.”
It was cut and dry. There was no way Carmella would allow that. “I see.”
“I’m sorry, Mom. I’ve got to go, but I’ll talk to you later.” Before she could answer, he was gone.
Carmella looked to Poppy. “He’s going to live with his father this summer.” Her face was pale.
“Are you okay?” Poppy asked before handing her a box of tissues.
“He’s all grown up, and now he won’t even be living with me any longer. Am I a bad mom?” Tears had turned to sobs.
“He wants his independence. It’s natural; this has nothing to do with you.” Poppy tried to reassure her friend.
“I have to call him. I can’t hold off anymore,” she said, her heart crumbling inside of her.
“Call who?”
It was too late, she was already dialing. “Peter, you conniving fool, you talked him into this,” she spit out before he could say a word. “And by the way, he told me what you’d done. How could you?”
“That stupid dog was all you ever cared about,” he shot out. “It was his idea. I told him I’d pay for it if he set up the details.”
“Wait, what?”
“I told him he could stay here if he helped me first. I sweetened the deal for him, in return for a favor.” Peter gloated.
Carmella’s jaw dropped. “It was you! You stole my dog!”
Poppy took a couple steps away from Carmella and dialed the police on her phone. “Yes, there’s a pending case…we just got a confession. Right…” she gave them his information and nodded to Carmella to let her know she’d made a call to the police.
“Your own son, you’re not even going to his college graduation, because of what, a dog show? Do you know how insulting that is, that you chose the dog over our kid?” He had more to say. He’d been holding in the grudge for too long. He rambled into the phone, belting out accusations and insults, one after the other. They only stopped when his doorbell rang. “Hold on, somebody is at the door.”
They could vaguely hear things in the background noise of his phone. “Peter Reynolds? We’re going to need you to come down to the police station. We have some questions for you.”
Carmella clicked off the phone. “I’m heading there to add a statement, will you come with me?”
Poppy agreed, and asked her father to cover the front desk one more time. Together the women headed off to the police station. Poppy made a note to pick up a bottle of Champagne on the way home. She wanted to bring it over to Panda. She owed him a sincere apology and congratulations on his news. She couldn’t be happier that he’d found someone special. So what if she was a little younger, if Panda was happy, it was worth it.
THE END
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Color Me Crazy – the first book in the Annie Addison Cozy Mystery series
Jersey girl and beauty shop owner Annie Addison is ready to enjoy the quiet off-season in her beachside town. When a long-time resident drops dead, all unmanicured fingers point to Annie. Teaming up with a friend, she’ll do whatever it takes to solve this mystery. Can her amateur sleuthing unravel the mess she’s in, or will she run out of time before she can clear her name?
With endearing characters and a small-town feel, this cozy mystery is perfect for a quick slice of puzzle solving. Get whisked away as Annie stumbles through a novella full of murder, mayhem, and misunderstandings. “Color Me Crazy” is a hair-raising mystery you won’t want to miss.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8