Pawsitively Deadly (Silver Springs Cozy Mystery Series Book 1)

by Ginny Gold

  “Thanks,” Josh says proudly. “I made it all myself. It’s taken years.”

  “I can imagine.”

  “What do you know about the secret your parents were keeping?” Josh asks unexpectedly, his eyes turning dark and Maggie backs up a step toward the stairs in surprise.

  “Nothing,” Maggie tells him, shaking her head, unsure of what he’s asking about

  Josh turns and walks back toward his display and Maggie’s heartbeat slows. But he turns again suddenly and there is anger written all over his face. “I don’t believe you. I know Clem doesn’t know. But they would have told one of you.”

  Maggie shakes her head again. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “How do you think they got some of their best antiques? You think they found them all at garage sales and flea markets?” Josh’s voice is dripping with rage.

  Maggie backs closer to the stairs, wanting to put as much space between them. She has no idea what he’s talking about but an alarm is going off in her head that he knows more about their death than he’s told her. You are in great danger rings in her mind and Maggie wants to get back upstairs.

  “I didn’t mean to kill them,” he says, quiet again.

  “You didn’t, what?” Maggie nearly shouts at him, coming at him, consumed by fury.

  Josh seizes that opportunity to skirt around her and dash up the stairs. Maggie is taken by surprise and it’s a moment before she follows. Before she reaches the top of the stairs, she hears the door click shut and locked and the lights go off. Maggie is plunged into darkness, held captive by her parents’ killer. And he thinks she has information he wants. But she has no idea what he’s looking for.

  CHAPTER 27

  Maggie sits down on the bottom step. She can’t even see her hand in front of her face. There are no windows, no spaces for light to enter. She tries her best to remember every detail of the basement but knows she comes up short. She can make her way to the displays, but that’s about it. She can’t even remember if there is a light switch somewhere.

  Maggie walks cautiously to the top of the stairs and places her ear against the door. She wants to know if Josh leaves so she can try to open the door without him coming after her.

  The house is silent except for his padded footsteps. From memory, she thinks he’s gone into the kitchen.

  Her bag! She wishes desperately that she had brought her cell phone with her on the tour of the house. All she had to do was slip it into her pocket. But now it’s in Josh’s control.

  And her tablet, with all of her notes. If he was good enough to fool the police and convince them that her parents committed suicide, could he be good enough to use her notes to frame someone else now that she knows the truth?

  Minutes later—Maggie has no idea how many have passed—she hears movement again. The same padded feet shuffle past the basement door, pausing briefly, and then continue toward what she thinks is the front door. Finally, the front door opens and closes and she hears nothing.

  Maggie tries the door knob though she knows it will be useless. And she’s right. It doesn’t turn at all. She thrusts her shoulder against the door but it doesn’t budge. The only result is a bruised shoulder.

  Maggie starts rummaging through her pockets for anything that might allow her to pick the lock. She curses herself for not wearing bobby pins in her short hair. They would at least keep her occupied in trying to escape even if they didn’t work.

  In her jeans pockets she finds chapstick—at least her lips won’t dry out—a receipt from her morning coffee, two pennies and a toothpick. While she might hate gum chewers, she sometimes finds herself chewing on toothpicks. She must have picked one up last night after dinner and stuck it in her pocket.

  Maggie fumbles in the dark to get the toothpick into the lock. It almost immediately breaks, leaving its tip inside the lock and worsening her chances of picking her way out.

  She sits down on the top step and thinks, but she doesn’t come up with any useful way to escape. She knows Clem will expect her, but how long before she comes looking for her? She could just assume their lunch was so enjoyable that Maggie stayed longer to get to know Josh better.

  Trista will eventually call. It’s not uncommon for Maggie to miss a call, but after their conversation this morning will Trista think something’s wrong if she doesn’t answer since Maggie was so adamant about getting more information today?

  Maggie quickly runs out of ideas for her own rescue, just as she hears the front door open again and footsteps make their way loudly to the basement door. She feels her way to the bottom of the stairs—twelve steps, she counts so she can more confidently make her way back to the top in the dark—and waits. For what, she isn’t sure.

  The door knob wiggles back and forth, like Josh is having trouble getting the key to work, before it opens and light floods the stairway, making Maggie raise her hand to shield her eyes. She doesn’t know how long she’s been in complete blackness, but her eyes need to adjust slowly.

  “Let’s get you out of here before Josh gets back,” a deep voice says and Maggie is surprised that she recognizes who the owner is.

  “Drew?” she asks, hesitant to trust him. She doesn’t know anything about him. But he has to be the safer option than staying down in the basement where she’s a sitting duck for Josh.

  Drew leads her up the stairs, holding on to her arm as she steadies herself against the wall with her other hand. “What are you doing here?” she asks when they reach the top of the steps.

  “I’m here to rescue you,” he says gruffly, not like the conversational tone he used the other night at Bingo.

  “But how did you know?” He doesn’t answer.

  Outside Josh’s house, Drew lets go of Maggie’s arm and starts running toward the street. Maggie follows, trying to understand what’s going on.

  If you don’t trust anyone, the danger could be deadly. Maggie has to trust Drew.

  Drew turns out of the driveway and keeps running. Two driveways down, he gets into a white SUV and shouts for Maggie to do the same. Maggie is stunned.

  She opens the passenger door and peers inside. Drew has already shifted the car into reverse and is waiting—not patiently—for her to climb in. She does so, but keeps her hand on the handle, ready for a quick escape if things take a turn for the worse.

  “You’ve . . . been following me,” Maggie states.

  Drew ignores her and backs quickly out of the driveway. He speeds off, away from Josh’s house and toward . . . Maggie isn’t sure where.

  “Why have you been following me?” Maggie presses, staring at Drew who continues to ignore her questions.

  Drew finally pulls into the police station and turns to Maggie. “Your mother’s friends told me to keep an eye on you. So I did. And it proved helpful, I think.” He winks at Maggie and the butterflies start in her stomach. His eyes are the kind of eyes she could get lost in. “But now you have to go tell Detective Stevens what you know.”

  Maggie’s mouth drops open. “But . . . how did you know I got a confession?”

  Drew pauses, considering how truthful to be with her. “I’ve been following him too, for quite some time. He’s part of a bigger investigation and I bugged his house a couple weeks back.”

  “What do you mean? What kind of bigger investigation?”

  Drew winks again. “That’s for me to know, and you to . . . not find out I hope.”

  “If you had his place bugged, then you must have his confession on tape,” Maggie says, putting all the pieces together to get Josh arrested for her parents’ murder.

  “Yes. I’ll be coming with you.” Drew opens his door and steps outside. Maggie does the same. “But keep that bit of information about the bigger investigation to yourself. It’s bigger than this police department.”

  Maggie nods slowly. “So you’re FBI?”

  Drew shakes his head. “Not exactly.”

  Maggie follows Drew into the police station, still trying to figu
re out who exactly he is and what is role in all of this is. For the briefest of moments she doesn’t matter and is just glad that he was her rescuer.

  “Maggie? What’s going on? Is everything okay?” Detective Daniel Stevens asks as soon as Maggie walks through the front door. Her face gives away the panic she’s felt ever since Josh admitted to killing her parents.

  Maggie shakes her head and nearly bursts into tears as the truth sinks into her consciousness. She manages to keep it together and not collapse into a blubbering mess on the floor of the police station.

  Drew takes her by the elbow and leads her closer to Detective Stevens. “Maggie was able to get a confession from the man who killed her parents. I have it recorded. Let’s go into your office,” Drew says, taking charge.

  Maggie is suddenly overcome by a new fear. “Clem! I have to make sure Clem is safe! Josh is still out there somewhere!”

  Maggie tries to break free from Drew’s hold on her arm but he keeps her close. “You stay with Detective Stevens. I’ll go check on Clem,” Drew says, leading Maggie to the guest chair in Detective Stevens’ office. She sits and watches Drew leave.

  “We’ll send a car to her shop,” Detective Stevens calls after him.

  Drew waves to acknowledge that he heard the detective but he doesn’t slow down.

  “What happened? Tell me everything,” Detective Stevens says gently and Maggie finally breaks down.

  CHAPTER 28

  Maggie finally finishes telling Detective Stevens everything she knows just before five. Drew has come back with Clem, but there has been no sign of Josh McMann in all of Silver Springs. Drew has shared his recorded confession so the entire police force is out looking for Josh when Maggie wants to leave.

  “Are we free to go?” she asks Detective Stevens.

  He hesitates before answering. “You are. But I don’t feel comfortable letting you and Clem go home when your parents’ murderer is still out there somewhere. He was obviously targeting you, Maggie, and I want to make sure that you’re both safe.”

  “What are our options?” Clem asks. She’s kept her head on straight ever since she arrived.

  “I’ll stay with them,” Drew offers.

  “That’s one option,” Detective Stevens agrees. “Or you can stay with Denis and I can spend the night, too. Or we could all stay at your place. I just don’t want you alone tonight.”

  Maggie doesn’t want to be alone either. But between all of her options, she’d rather have Drew around.

  “I’ll call Denis and ask him to spend the night,” Clem says before Maggie has a chance to voice her opinion.

  “Can we stop at Two Sister on our way home?” Maggie asks Clem quietly before she makes the call. She tries her best to convey her message to her sister without having to tell her why she wants to visit the shop, aside from picking up her handbag minus her cell phone. She hopes their parents call so she can ask what Josh was after.

  Clem meets Maggie’s gaze and nods her head just enough for Maggie to catch it. Then she walks out of Detective Stevens’ office to call Denis.

  “Is it okay with you if I spend the night too?” Detective Stevens asks Maggie. “That way Drew won’t have to worry about you both,” he adds, looking in Drew’s direction.

  Maggie notices no hint of interest in her, just a desire to do his job and keep her and Clem safe. She nods in agreement and Detective Stevens leans back in his chair. “We’re just going to swing by Two Sister on our way home. We can meet you at the house.”

  “Actually, if it’s okay, I’d like to go to the shop with you,” Drew says. “I was there earlier and I think I might have left my wallet.”

  Maggie has no idea if that’s true or not but no one protests.

  Clem walks back into the office and announces, “Denis is on his way to our house. If we’re done here, I need to pickup my things from Two Sisters and we’ll meet him at home. Good?”

  Everyone nods and Maggie, Clem and Drew leave the police station. All three of them pile into Drew’s white SUV and head toward Two Sisters. Maggie is on high alert the whole time, looking for Josh’s red sedan. Clem and Drew seem to be doing the same thing because no one says a word on the short drive.

  “Thanks for the ride,” Clem says, getting out of the back seat.

  “I’m actually going to come in for a minute if that’s okay,” he says, turning the car off.

  Clem glances nervously in Maggie’s direction but Maggie just smiles and nods before turning and walking toward the shop. Clem unlocks the front door and lets them all inside. Immediately, the telephone booth rings and the two women make a mad dash for it. Maggie wins the foot race and picks up the receiver.

  “Mom?” she asks.

  “Hi Maggie—”

  Maggie cuts off her mother before she can say anything else. “We caught him. Josh McMann is guilty of your murder.”

  There’s a pause on the other end of the line before her mother says, “Hmm. You’re sure?”

  “Yes,” Maggie says, exasperated. “He confessed to me.”

  “Why? Why did he want us dead?” her mother asks.

  “Well, that’s what I wanted to ask you about. He said you had a secret that he wanted to know. He asked me how I thought you get all of your antiques.”

  “Estate sales,” her mother answers quickly.

  “That’s what I thought.”

  “Well, if he thinks there’s anything else, then he’s off his rocker.”

  That is exactly what Maggie needed to hear so she could sleep tonight. She knew in her heart that her parents wouldn’t have kept a secret that was worth their lives from her and Clem. But hearing it from the source is reassuring.

  “I’m glad this is over,” her mother says, much calmer than any other conversation they’ve had in the last few days.

  “Me too, Mom,” Maggie says. She exchanges a smile with Clem. “Does this mean you won’t be stuck anymore?”

  “I’m not sure.”

  “If you are still stuck, you know where to find us.”

  “I love you girls,” their mother says and then the line goes dead.

  When Maggie hangs up the receiver and she and Clem leave the phone booth, Drew is looking at them like they’re crazy. “Did I hear you say you were talking to your mother?”

  Maggie and Clem exchange a quick look and for the first time in decades Maggie knows exactly what Clem is thinking. “Yeah, it’s our way of having closure,” Maggie says.

  Drew nods slowly but clearly doesn’t believe a word she says.

  “Anyway—” Maggie is cut off by the sound of her second cell phone ringing, her disposable phone that only two people know the number to.

  Maggie and Clem both walk quickly to the back office and Maggie answers. “Trista?” she asks.

  “Maggie. I put it together. Marco Rubin is Josh McMann.”

  Maggie breathes a sigh of exhaustion. “Thanks.”

  Trista pauses but Maggie doesn’t hang up. “Is everything okay? Garth called me earlier because you weren’t answering your phone. He said some guy did and hung up when he asked for you.”

  Maggie’s brain puts the final pieces together and she knows how to catch Josh. “I’m fine. I gotta go. Tell Garth I’ll call him tomorrow.” She hangs up and turns around to two stunned faces staring at her. She says, “My cell phone. I left it in Josh’s house. Also, he’s stolen the identity of Marco Rubin. But we can catch him by tracking my cell phone.”

  Just as she finishes speaking, the phone at the register rings and Clem runs to answer it. “Two Sisters Antiques and Imports,” she says calmly and professionally. “You did? Already? . . . Great . . . Thanks.” She hangs up and tells Maggie, “They caught him. He was driving west. But there are only so many ways out of Silver Springs and they acted fast enough that everyone knew to look for his car.”

  No one speaks for several moments. They digest the update and realize that they’re all safe. Finally, Drew says, “Well, I guess I’m done here. I found my wal
let in my pocket.”

  Maggie smiles at him and knows he was only looking out for her. Again.

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Ginny Gold lives in the high Rockies and wouldn’t trade it for the world. She loves anything outdoors—especially skiing, cycling, and gardening, though living at over 9,000 feet does make for a short growing season. You can also find her volunteering with local nonprofits and schools when she’s not cooking up her next cozy mystery for her loyal readers.

  BEFORE YOU GO . . .

  If you enjoyed this installment of The Early Bird Café Cozy Mystery Series, be sure to join my FREE COZY MYSTERY BOOK CLUB! Be the first to know about new releases, promotions, sales, new recipes, and even be entered to receive advanced reader copies. Join the club here—http://www.ginnygoldbooks.com

  OTHER BOOKS BY GINNY GOLD

  The Early Bird Cafe Cozy Mystery Series

  Rise and Die

  Deadly Surprise

  Dead and Berried

  Croaked Wheat

  Smashed Potatoes and Gravy

  Gingerdead Man