Scone Cold Killer

by Lena Gregory

  “Let’s go.” He waved her toward him with the gun.

  She started forward. Movement from the side of the building caught her attention. She tried to see what it was from the corner of her eye, without alerting Mark. From where he stood in the doorway, the door he still held open blocked his view of the corner of the building.

  She inched forward slowly, allowing tears to flow. Her anger would have allowed her to hold them back—at least, for the moment—but she wanted to appear weak, vulnerable. Maybe he’d make a mistake.

  Hunt poked his head around the corner.

  She sucked in a breath, then cried harder. This time she couldn’t have held it back if she’d tried.

  “Hurry up. I don’t have all night.”

  Hunt crept around the corner and edged closer to the door, gun trained firmly on the open door.

  Gia kept her gaze locked on Mark. “You don’t have to do this, you know.”

  “Yeah, I know. But I have no intention of spending the rest of my life living in some ramshackle motel. Or a one bedroom apartment over your café.”

  Hunt silently held up a finger.

  “You’re a great cook. I’m sure you could get a job in a restaurant that pays better.” She didn’t really care what he did. If she could keep him talking another few seconds, Hunt might be close enough to help her. Then maybe Mark could spend his days cooking for the other inmates.

  He laughed. “No thanks. Now get in here.”

  Mark let go of the door and lunged for her.

  She dove to the side, slammed into the concrete, and rolled.

  “Freeze, Cooper.” Hunt held the gun steady. “Lower your weapon.”

  Ignoring Hunt’s order, he spun back toward the door, but it had already fallen shut. He punched the side of the building, then laid the gun on the ground and held his hands out to the sides.

  “On your knees.” Hunt crept closer, gun still pointed at Mark. “Hands behind your head.”

  Sonny rounded the other corner of the building, gun in hand, attention fully focused on Mark. “Go ahead. I’ve got him.”

  Hunt finally holstered his gun and handcuffed Mark, then hauled him to his feet.

  “Take care of her.” Sonny grabbed his other arm then nodded toward Gia and led Mark away. “Mark Cooper, you have the right to remain silent…”

  Hunt held out a hand. “Are you all right?”

  She nodded and took his hand. “Miranda Ainsworth is—”

  He pulled her to her feet and looked her over. “We already have her.”

  “But how?”

  “She was running out the front door when we arrived. Sonny arrested her. We knew Mark had gone in, but we couldn’t see him or you. I was just coming around the back of the building when you burst out and nearly gave me a heart attack.”

  She forced a little laugh. “I mean how did you know I was in trouble?”

  “Harley.”

  “Harley? I don’t understand.”

  “Harley saw you at the park with Trevor, so he knew the two of you were friends. A little while ago he ran into the ice cream shop demanding Trevor call the police. Said you were in trouble. Trevor has known Harley for a long time, and he said he’d never seen him inside a building. Figured if he came inside, especially as agitated as he was, you needed help.”

  “But how did Harley know?”

  “He stopped by to pick up his dinner, but it wasn’t out yet. He sat down just over there.” He pointed to a wooded area at the far edge of the lot. “There’s a clearing a few feet into the trees, with an old stump Harley likes to sit on, that allows a perfect view of the back of the shop. And the dumpster. He was hanging out there the night Remington was killed, saw Cooper dump him.”

  “Why didn’t he tell anyone?”

  Hunt shrugged. “Harley is a nice guy, a really nice guy, and he saved your life, but he has…issues too. When it mattered, he called. He said he just saw the bad man he told you about going into the café.”

  Oops. She was probably going to have to explain why she hadn’t mentioned that.

  Hunt pulled her into his arms and rested his chin on her head. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

  “I am.” It surprised her to realize that was true. She wrapped her arms around Hunt’s waist and laid her cheek against his chest. The strong, steady rhythm of his heart soothed her. And she indulged in the comfort he offered. She needed it, even if just for a moment.

  He set her back too soon and took her hand. “Come on. Savannah’s waiting out front, and she’ll kill me if I take too much longer.”

  “Savannah? What’s she doing here?”

  “She came as soon as she heard.”

  “You called her?”

  “Of course not.” Mischief danced in his eyes. “This is Boggy Creek, Gia. Half the town knew the instant Harley stepped through the ice cream shop door.”

  This time her laughter was heartfelt.

  Chapter 24

  Gia stood on the sidewalk, staring up at the All-Day Breakfast Café sign above her front window. With Bradley gone and the mystery of who killed him solved, she could return to New York and try to begin putting her life back together. But did she really want to?

  “Are you going to stand here all day, or are you going to open?” Savannah’s voice held a note of worry.

  “Sorry, just thinking.”

  “Yeah, well don’t think too much.”

  Gia laughed and headed toward the door. Even if she planned to return to New York, she’d still have to open the café today. “Thank you, again, for staying with me last night. I really didn’t want to be alone.”

  “No problem, as I told you the last hundred or so times you thanked me.”

  She fitted the key into the lock and opened the door, then flipped the lights on before turning and locking the door behind her. She wouldn’t open for another hour. “You’re sure you don’t mind driving all the way back out to the house to pick Thor up for daycare?”

  “Of course, I’m sure.”

  Having Thor, who would probably weigh in at over a hundred pounds full grown, might be an issue in an apartment in New York. Especially the size apartment she’d be able to afford. Plus he wouldn’t have a yard to explore.

  “I wanted to get here early this morning, so I’d have time to prep everything. With Mark gone, I’ll have to do all the cooking myself.”

  “You’ll be fine. You love to cook, and I’m confident you’ll find a replacement. Besides, if you ask me, Mark made the eggs a little too well done.”

  Gia laughed. She couldn’t help it. As far as Savannah was concerned, you couldn’t make eggs too well done. “You’re a good friend.”

  “Yes, I am.” She tilted her head and smirked. “And you can check that in the plus column of the reasons to stay in Florida list you’ve been silently compiling in your head since last night.”

  “How—”

  “Oh, please. I know you better than you know yourself.” Savannah sat on a stool at the counter.

  “I haven’t decided to leave.” Gia started filling the coffee pots. Not that she expected any big rush, but she still had to have coffee going. Besides, after sitting up most of the night talking with Savannah, if she didn’t fuel up, she wasn’t going to make it through the day.

  Savannah looked around the empty dining room, then leaned across the counter and lowered her voice. “I’m not supposed to tell you this.”

  Her interest piqued, Gia stopped what she was doing and moved closer. “Tell me what?”

  “I’m supposed to add another name to the list of reasons to stay. Discreetly, of course.” She winked.

  “Oh, and who’s name would that be?”

  “Seriously?”

  She honestly couldn’t think of who she meant.

  “Hunt.”

  Gia’
s heart skipped a beat, but then reality hit. “He thinks I’m good for you.”

  “Oh, please. You mean to tell me you didn’t see the way he looked at you last night? The way he hovered over you?”

  “He considers me a good friend of yours, Savannah, maybe even family. That’s all.” She couldn’t hide the disappointment that thought brought. Not from Savannah. She knew her too well.

  “Girl, you have been out of the game too long if you can’t spot a man who’s interested in more than just friendship.”

  “Stop.” She held up a hand. The last thing she needed was Savannah playing matchmaker. “He’s not interested in me that way. Besides, I don’t poach.”

  “Poach? What are you talking about? Who would you be poaching from? Hunt hasn’t had a serious relationship since…hmmm…ever.”

  “What about Sonny?”

  “Sonny?”

  “Yeah, you know, the blonde?”

  She shook her head. “I don’t know her.”

  A knock on the front door interrupted the bit of hope that had started to surface. Earl peeked in and gestured toward the lock, then held up two shopping bags.

  “What the heck?” She unlocked the door and let him in. “Hey, Earl.”

  “Hey there. How y’all doing?” He set the bags on a table and tipped his hat.

  “Hi, Earl.” Savannah waved.

  Earl pulled off his fisherman’s cap and dropped it on the stool where he usually sat. “Heard you had a bit of trouble yesterday and lost your cook.”

  “How did you hear that already?”

  Earl laughed, a deep, contagious belly laugh. “Boy, you really do have a lot to learn about Boggy Creek, don’t you?”

  “I guess I do.” She wasn’t sure whether the rumor mill went into the plus or minus column, so she’d just keep it in mind, for now.

  “Anyway. I figured with losing your cook after closing yesterday, and opening as early as you do, you wouldn’t have had time to get grits.”

  Gia’s cheeks heated. “I’m sorry, Earl, I—”

  He held up a hand to stop her and gestured toward the bags he’d put on the table. “No worries. I wasn’t sure if the boy even taught you how to make them.”

  “Actually, he didn’t.”

  “Well then, you’re lucky to have me.” He picked up the bags and headed toward the kitchen. “I picked up everything I needed as soon as I heard, so I was able to soak them overnight. I’ll make them this morning while you do everything else you have to do, but tomorrow, I’ll be here bright and early for your first lesson.”

  She choked up. “I don’t know what to say, Earl. Thank you.”

  “Nah. That’s what friends do,” he threw over his shoulder as he pushed through the door to the kitchen.

  “Earl goes in the plus column.” Savannah made a check mark in the air with her finger.

  “Yeah, yeah.” But the rumor mill moved a little toward the plus column as well. “Can you do me a favor and start cutting up the vegetables for the omelets?”

  “Sure. Where are you going?”

  “There’s something I have to do.” She left Savannah in the kitchen with Earl and pushed open the back door. She paused in the doorway a minute, remembering how Hunt had snuck up on Mark from the corner of the building, then peeked behind the door before walking out.

  She kept her gaze straight ahead as she hurried past the new dumpster that now sat in place of the one Bradley’s body had been found in. Now that Mark was gone, she’d have to put her own garbage out, so she’d have to be able to look at a dumpster in the parking lot again at some point. But not today.

  She checked the ground for snakes and spiders before stepping into the woods at the edge of the lot. Luckily, the clearing was only a few feet in. Otherwise she would probably have chickened out and run.

  Harley sat on a stump in the middle of the small clearing, eyes closed. He opened his eyes when he sensed her. “What are you doing here?”

  “I came to say thank you.”

  He nodded once. “You’re welcome.”

  She’d racked her brain all night for some way to repay Harley, something he would accept from her, something more than just a meal. “I was thinking about something.”

  He tilted his head and studied her but didn’t respond.

  “When I worked in the deli in New York, the owner ordered newspapers every day. I thought it would be nice to offer the same thing at my café. Customers could buy them or just sit and read them while they waited for their food. The thing is, if the papers don’t all sell, you have to rip the cover off those that are left and return them to the company. But that leaves the rest of the paper, and I hate to let anything go to waste, so I was thinking. I could leave a stack of papers on the table out back for you with your dinner every night. Would you be interested?”

  “I sure would.”

  “All right then.” She wanted to offer him more. “Also, I know you don’t like to be inside much, but I’ve decided to leave the apartment over the café empty for now. I’ll leave a key in a fake rock by the door. If you ever need a place to sleep or want to take your food upstairs to eat, you’re more than welcome.”

  The early morning sunlight reflected off the tears in his eyes. “Thank you, ma’am.”

  “You’re very welcome, Harley. You’re a good friend. Thank you for everything you did for me. I know it wasn’t easy for you, but you saved my life.” She crossed the clearing and leaned down to give him a quick hug, then left, not wanting to make him uncomfortable. But Harley definitely went in the plus column.

  As she stepped out of the woods, a snake slithered from beneath the leafy underbrush. She screeched a little, then started to hyperventilate. Okay. Snakes went in the minus column. Along with spiders. And alligators. And bears. And skunk apes. Of course, she could just lump them all together as critters. Then she’d only have to put one check in the minus column.

  She ran across the parking lot, yanked open the back door, and plunged into the shop.

  “What happened?” Hunt grabbed her arms and studied her.

  “S-s-snake.”

  “Did it bite you?” He looked down at her ankles sticking out of her capris.

  She shook her head.

  Humor filled his eyes. “Did it do anything to you?”

  “Not exactly.”

  “So you are simply offended by its existence?”

  “I wouldn’t say offended exactly…more like terrified.”

  “So, I suppose snakes went in the minus column.”

  She poked him in the chest. “Hey. Don’t you make fun.”

  “I would never make fun of you.” He pulled her into his arms.

  “Yeah right,” she mumbled against his hard chest, surrounded by the woodsy scent of his aftershave.

  “Okay. Maybe a little.”

  She breathed in his scent one last time, then stepped away. Even if he wasn’t seriously involved with Sonny, she didn’t feel right getting too close to him while he was seeing her.

  “Did you get to talk to Mark?”

  “Yeah. Come on out front. I need a cup of coffee.”

  When Gia walked into the dining room and saw Sonny sitting at the counter, she stopped short, but recovered quickly. “Good morning, Sonny.”

  “Good morning, Ms. Morelli.” She stood and extended a hand, which Gia shook. “My full name and title is actually Agent Sondra Keller.”

  “Agent?” Fear gripped her. “I don’t understand.”

  Hunt laid a hand on her lower back and guided her to a table, then pulled out a chair for her to sit, and lowered himself into the seat next to hers.

  Sonny sat across the table from them and pulled out an ID card. She offered it to Gia, waited while Gia looked at it with no clue if it was real, then put it back into her pocket when Gia handed it back.

>   “I don’t understand. What would an FBI agent want with me?”

  “I’m with the Cyber Division.”

  “Cyber?”

  “Yes, we were in the middle of an investigation involving your ex-husband when he was killed.”

  “What kind of investigation?”

  “Cyber fraud. He was allegedly stealing credit card information online.”

  “Credit cards?” Gia hadn’t thought he could get any greedier, or steal any more than he already had. Yet, even out on bail, he was looking to score another hit. He was obviously confident he would beat the charges. Typical of him.

  “Yes. I was already here, trying to determine if you had any involvement with Mr. Remington’s activities, when he was found dead. Detective Quinn was kind enough to turn over the boxes of evidence you found, and we were able to track all the transactions back to Mr. Remington. You’ve been cleared of all charges.” She stood and slipped her thin purse strap over her shoulder.

  Gia stood. “Thank you, Agent Keller.”

  “Sonny.”

  Gia smiled. “Would you like a cup of coffee or something to eat before you go?”

  “No, thank you. I have a flight to catch. But I did enjoy my breakfast the other day, so whenever I’m in the area, I’ll be sure to stop in.”

  “Thank you. It was nice meeting you.”

  “Nice meeting you too.” She turned and said good-bye to Hunt.

  He walked her to the door and unlocked it for her, then locked up again before returning to Gia. At the rate people were stopping in this morning, she’d have more visitors before she even got the café open than she’d had in the past two days.

  “Why didn’t you tell me she was an FBI agent?”

  “I couldn’t, Gia. Besides, it was better for you that you didn’t know. I wouldn’t have let anything happen to you, but I knew you weren’t guilty, so I figured she’d clear you and that would be the end of it.”

  “And what if I was guilty?”

  “Then I guess I’d have had to help you get out of trouble, but I never doubted you. Not even for a minute.”