Cozy Mysteries Women Sleuths Series: Box Set III: Books 9-12

by Hope Callaghan

  Loretta hoped investigators would make quick work of clearing the library and she could finish her shift and head home.

  Apparently, business was slow for investigators. Two crime scene vans showed up, along with another Collier County Sheriff’s vehicle – and none other than Officer Ward Purvis, who, for whatever reason, did not particularly care for Loretta.

  Officer Purvis nodded at Loretta and turned to Officer Gatlin. “Whatcha got Phil?”

  Officer Gatlin briefly explained the situation as Officer Purvis and the crime scene investigators listened in. They inspected Loretta’s hands first, taking a swab sample, more pictures than a hand model, and then told her she was free to wash them but to stay close by.

  She thanked them and told them she would be inside working if they needed her. Loretta hurried into the library, which was busier than she’d ever seen it in her life, correctly guessing it was due to the fact everyone in town was trying to figure out what police and investigators were doing there.

  Iris Huggins was willing to oblige the crowd and Loretta listened to her tell the tale of the bloody book with great relish as she eased past the front desk and headed to the bathroom.

  Loretta washed her hands multiple times, used the bathroom and then washed them a couple more times, just to be safe.

  She stepped out of the bathroom and smack dab into a huge crowd of gawkers. It appeared every resident in the town of Misery was now milling about, including Lacy.

  She caught Loretta’s eye and shuffled over. “What in the world happened? Iris said you found a bloody book inside the book bin.”

  “Maybe,” Loretta said. “Police aren’t sure. It’s either that or some super sticky candy.” She placed the palm of her hand against her sister’s cheek. “Does my hand still feel sticky to you?”

  “Agh!” Lacy wrinkled her nose and jerked back. “Gross! Tell me you didn’t just touch me with a bloody hand.”

  Loretta turned her hand over and inspected her palm. “I got it all off. Geez! Don’t have a cow.”

  Apparently, during her telling about the bloody book, Iris mentioned to the residents how Loretta had touched the potential evidence and the crowd closed in around her, causing her to feel a tad claustrophobic.

  Lacy slunk away and snickered at Loretta from the fringes of the crowd.

  Loretta tried to explain over the din of voices that the police weren’t sure the book had blood on it, but she might as well have been talking to herself.

  The good citizens of Misery wanted a little action and a simple candy-coated storybook wasn’t what they wanted to hear.

  Finally, she gave up, elbowed her way through the crowd and squeezed her way to safety behind the counter, and stood next to Iris Huggins.

  “They’re ruthless,” Iris whispered under her breath.

  “They’re bored,” Loretta said. “They’ll leave once the police leave.”

  Officer Ward Purvis, accompanied by another man Loretta could only guess was a plainclothes police officer or crime scene investigator, entered the lobby and made their way to the counter.

  Officer Purvis’ eyes scanned the crowd and paused when they locked with Loretta’s eyes.

  The mob parted and the two men approached the counter. “We found a body behind the bushes. The victim was clutching this in their fist. Does this look familiar?”

  Purvis lifted a gloved hand with flourish. In his hand was a headband…a hot pink headband, identical to the one Loretta wore almost every day.

  Loretta instinctively lifted her hand and patted her head. Her headband was missing. “I don’t…”

  The other man, who was with Officer Purvis, spoke. “We would like to ask you to kindly accompany us to the police station to answer a few questions.”

  He turned to the crowd inside the library. “Okay folks. The show is over. You need to leave the premises.”

  Chapter 3

  “You-you’ve got this all wrong,” Loretta stammered as she slid into the back of the police cruiser and stared at the stream of people exiting the library. Some of them walked past the police cruiser and glared at Loretta.

  Officer Purvis ignored Loretta’s protests and slammed the door in her face before climbing into the driver’s seat and starting the car. He glanced in the rearview mirror. “Save it for the interrogators…I mean detectives.”

  Loretta clamped her mouth shut. She knew Officer Purvis didn’t care for her, but this was taking it a little too far. How could they believe the headband was Loretta’s, even though she wore an identical headband almost every day?

  The fact she hadn’t remembered to slip hers on that morning was a little disconcerting. Then she remembered she had tried to find it, but it was missing. She assumed Lacy had borrowed it since the girls wore the exact same hairstyle and the exact same headband.

  Loretta narrowed her eyes and she gazed out the window. Was Lacy the killer?

  “Who…is the victim?” she asked.

  “Molly Crisco, a local.”

  Loretta frowned. She had heard the name around town, and not in a good way. The woman was a floozy, bouncing from man-to-man, at least that’s what Lacy had told her.

  Lacy walked past the patrol car and mouthed some words at Loretta she couldn’t understand. She hoped her sister was on her way home to collect Uncle Ichabod and then planned to drive to the station to try to help.

  The ride from the library to the Collier County Sheriff’s Department didn’t take long, but it gave Loretta a few moments to gather her thoughts. The police couldn’t suspect her of killing Molly Crisco, although the flimsy evidence did point in her direction.

  She was the one who found the bloody library book. Molly’s body wasn’t far from the drop off bin. She was clutching a headband; identical to the one both Loretta…and Lacy wore.

  The fact her own headband was missing might be incriminating evidence, but how would Officer Purvis know that, unless someone told them? Her eyes narrowed. Had someone…the killer…been on scene during the investigation, and thrown Loretta under the bus?

  That made the most sense. If Loretta could only figure out who had been lurking around during the investigation, she might be able to piece together a list of suspects.

  Lacy had been there, for sure, both earlier and after the police arrived on scene. Loretta quickly dismissed her sister as the killer. Annoying – yes. Killer – no.

  What about Iris Huggins? Had Iris taken out the illustrious Molly Crisco and set Loretta up to take the fall? Was that the reason she’d been so anxious for Loretta to clean out the bin?

  Many people had arrived at the library around the same time as investigators…almost the entire town!

  The police car turned onto the side street, which ran adjacent to the police station, and rolled to a stop near the back. “We’re here.” Officer Purvis climbed out of the car and made his way to the back door of the cruiser.

  He opened the door and waved Loretta out. “Follow me.”

  The officer led the way and Loretta trailed behind. He opened the back door of the station and held it while Loretta stepped inside. She had been inside the station before, but it had been awhile.

  The same drab gray walls and uninteresting tile floors greeted her. The place was depressing to say the least. She couldn’t imagine working in such a dreary place day in and day out. No wonder Officer Purvis was an unhappy man.

  “In here.” Officer Purvis pointed to a door on the right.

  Loretta shuffled inside and perched on the edge of the seat closest to the door.

  “Detective Zackery will be along shortly to ask you a few questions. Can I get you some water…a cup of coffee?”

  Loretta started to say no but changed her mind. “Yes. Water would be great.”

  The officer stepped out of the room and closed the door behind him.

  Loretta contemplated bolting, but that would make her appear guilty as all get-out and she had nothing to hide. She had not murdered the poor woman and was going to prove her
innocence.

  The police had no hard evidence to charge her, and she vowed that as soon as she left the station, she was going to figure out whom the killer was.

  Officer Purvis returned and placed a bottle of water on the desk in front of Loretta. “Your sister is out in the lobby raising Cain.”

  Loretta unscrewed the cap and took a sip as she smiled, envisioning loose cannon Lacy causing an uproar out front. “So I won’t be here long,” she joked.

  “Lord help us. I hope not.”

  Detective Zackery entered the room and closed the door behind him. He eased past Loretta and sat beside her instead of across the room on the other side of the desk. Officer Purvis settled into that seat.

  “Tell me exactly what happened this morning, from the moment you arrived at the library,” Detective Zackery said.

  Loretta sucked in a breath and filled him in on her day, starting with the first assignment given to her by Iris Huggins, to empty the book bin outside.

  “Did you see anything suspicious the first time you emptied the bin?” the detective asked.

  “No. Nothing at all.” Loretta shook her head. She detailed the rest of her morning, how she had replaced several books on the bookshelves, picked up a few discarded cups and napkins. “It was getting late and Iris asked me to check the bin a second time.”

  “Do you think it was an unusual request?” Detective Zackery asked.

  Loretta shrugged. She hadn’t worked at the library long enough to know if it was an unusual request. “I-I don’t know,” she confessed. “I haven’t worked there long enough to know if it was normal. I was getting ready to head out so maybe she wanted me to check it so she wouldn’t have to leave the front desk unmanned.”

  She went on. “Why don’t you ask her?” It seemed like a very good question to Loretta. Why weren’t the police questioning Iris Huggins?

  “We are,” Detective Zackery said. “She’s on her way down here now. We had to wait until she was able to close the library and we were able to secure the perimeter.”

  Loretta finished telling about her morning. “After Officer Purvis told me I could wash my hands, I came out of the bathroom and was immediately surrounded by most of the town of Misery.”

  Detective Zackery gave Officer Purvis a quick look. Investigating the crime scene would be difficult now that most of the town had descended on scene and perhaps accidentally tampered with evidence.

  “Can you remember anything…anything at all that sticks out in your mind?” he asked.

  “No.”

  Detective Zackery abruptly stood. “That’s all for now Loretta. If we have any other questions, we will contact you.”

  Loretta eased out of the chair. “How long will the library be closed?” Not that she would have to worry about it; certain Iris Huggins would tell her she was no longer needed.

  “We don’t know yet.” Officer Purvis met Loretta at the door and opened it. “Hopefully that sister of yours has calmed down.”

  “If you don’t take me to see my sister in less than five seconds, I’m gonna call News Channel 9 and tell them there’s something very suspicious going on down at Collier County Sheriff’s Department,” Lacy threatened.

  Loretta rounded the corner and grinned when she caught sight of Lacy waving her cell phone in the face of the poor, unsuspecting clerk behind the counter. The young bespectacled man’s eyes were wide with terror and he was shaking his head.

  “Calm down there young lady.” Officer Purvis said. “Your sister is free to leave.”

  Lacy spun around. “About darn time!” She slipped a protective arm through Loretta’s arm. “The next time you question one of us, we want an attorney present.”

  “Hopefully there won’t be a next time,” Loretta muttered under her breath.

  “I was tryin’ to keep her calm,” Uncle Ichabod said, “but she was on a roll.”

  Officer Purvis held the front door and Uncle Ichabod, followed by Lacy and Loretta, stepped out onto the sidewalk as they made their way to Lacy’s pick-up truck.

  “Well? Do they think you had something to do with the woman’s death?” Lacy asked. “The woman had more enemies than Fred Perlman.”

  Fred Perlman was the owner of Jackson Giants, Mississippi’s NFL team, and had recently released their beloved quarterback, Tyson Hadley. The entire state of Mississippi was threatening to boycott the team.

  “I don’t know,” Loretta confessed. “All I know is that it wasn’t me.” She thought about the headband Molly was reportedly clutching in her hand. Had she battled with someone, another woman, and during the altercation somehow managed to grab hold of the headband?

  “Did you borrow my headband this morning?” Loretta climbed into the passenger seat while Uncle Ichabod slid into the back seat.

  Lacy shot her sister a quick glance before starting the truck and shifting into drive. “I couldn’t find mine so I borrowed yours. I’m heading into Glimmer later today and will pick up a pack at the dime store so you can have yours back.”

  Loretta clicked her seatbelt and tugged on it to make sure it had fastened. Lacy wasn’t the best driver in the world. In fact, Loretta avoided riding with the speed demon whenever possible. “It’s not the headband. It’s the fact that Molly Crisco was clutching the exact same headband in her hand when her body was found.”

  Lacy frowned. “Oh no. I…” She clutched her chest. “You don’t think I had something to do with the tramp’s death, do you?”

  “Lacy!” Uncle Ichabod reached forward and tapped her shoulder.

  “What? Okay! The woman’s death.”

  “No, I don’t. But someone does and that someone either wears a headband exactly like ours – or I’m being framed.”

  Chapter 4

  Lacy grabbed a yellow pad and pen from the corner desk and flopped into the kitchen chair. “Let’s start with a list of suspects.” She watched as her sister settled into the chair across the table.

  Uncle Ichabod slipped an apron over his head and reached behind him to tie the back. “Baking always gets my juices flowing. How ‘bout some peach cobbler?”

  He didn’t wait for an answer as he began pulling bowls from the cupboard and ingredients from the pantry. “Maybe you could start with a list of people who came into the library after you checked the bin the first time and then the second.”

  “Good idea.” Lacy gazed at her sister expectantly.

  Loretta tapped her fingers on the tabletop. “Well, there was Clairee Bureaux, the new postal employee. She stopped by to drop off a book during her break and she came inside. Ethel Cutter came in too. She asked Iris about a library book which was on order.” She scrunched her brows. “I think it was something about the history of Collier County.”

  Ethel Cutter owned the corner grocery store.

  Lacy scribbled on the notepad while Loretta talked. “Anyone else?” she prompted.

  “Well, there was this guy. He stopped by the desk to talk to Iris as I was heading to the back to put away some of the books. I didn’t catch his name. He was kinda short and chunky…and bald.” She shrugged. “The only reason I remember him was because he didn’t look like the book reading type, if you know what I mean.”

  “Maybe Iris can tell us who the man was,” Uncle Ichabod said.

  Loretta was about to reply but was interrupted by a knock. She hopped out of the chair and headed to the door.

  Savannah Dogwood, a Breezy Point resident who lived in a small cottage behind Uncle Ichabod, Lacy and Loretta, waved through the glass pane. Loretta motioned her in.

  Savannah strolled into the kitchen, set Barkley, her Chihuahua, on the floor and leaned against the doorjamb. “Whew! You sure do know how to stir up a hornet’s nest,” she said.

  Barkley circled Loretta’s legs - his signal he wanted her to pick him up. “So you heard about Molly Crisco’s body being found in the bushes near the library?”

  “Hear about it?” Savannah blew air through her pursed lips. “Good glory of the mornin
g! Iris Huggins is making the rounds, telling anyone who will listen you should be behind bars. She told me she thinks you used your job at the library as a ruse to dump Molly’s body and are now trying to lay the blame squarely on her shoulders.”

  Lacy dropped her chin in the palm of her hand. “Well, we can cross off talking to Iris Huggins.”

  Savannah shifted her gaze to Lacy. “You’re not off the hook, either, sister. Iris said she thinks you two are the deadly duo and is trying to convince everyone you were the lookout while your sister tossed the body in the bushes.”

  Lacy squared her shoulders and dropped her pen. “That no good for nothing piece of crap Iris. I think she did it! In fact, I’m now on a mission to find the killer and I’m convinced it was Iris. She had opportunity.”

  “What about motive?” Loretta asked.

  “We’ll get there,” Lacy said. “All we need to do is dig up the dirt on Miss Molly Crisco and I know exactly where to start!”

  There was only one person Loretta could think of that Lacy could get the dirt on someone, and that person was Ernie Sapp, the owner of Misery’s bar, Clink and Drink. Ernie was the town’s unofficial gossip. If you needed to find out anything about a Misery resident – past or present – your best bet was to talk to Ernie.

  If you wanted to hit Ernie up, you had to get to him early in the day; otherwise, he would be drowning his sorrows in the suds and his memory wasn’t that great.

  “Do we have to go there? The place smells nasty.” Loretta glanced at the clock on the wall. “It’s almost three o’clock now. It might be too late to catch him sober.”

  Lacy darted to the door. “I’m not going to sit around waiting for police to build a case against me. We need motive which means we have to find out who Molly Crisco was running around with at the time of her unfortunate demise.”

  “I’ll go with you,” Savannah offered.

  They might get somewhere with ole Ernie if Savannah tagged along since he was infatuated with Savannah. It was close to an obsession and he had even started sending her flowers. The flowers creeped Savannah out and they made Loretta nervous.