by Jenn Cowan
Facials & Fugitives
A Cozy Spa Mystery (Book 4)
Jenn Cowan
JRC Press
Copyright © 2018 Jenn Cowan
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, organizations, places, events, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual person’s, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the author.
The author acknowledges the trademark status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction. The publication/use of these trademarks is not associated with or sponsored by the trademark owners.
Created with Vellum
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
A Note from the Author
About the Author
Other Books by the Author:
1
“Roar!”
“Ahh! Please don’t eat me.” I cower down behind the receptionist desk for a moment before peeking over the top at a golden lion holding an orange trick-or-treat bag with a pumpkin on the front.
He grins, revealing a gap between his two front teeth. “Trick-or-Treat.”
I smile and drop a Twix bar in his bag. “Happy Halloween,” I call after him.
He thanks me and skips out to his parents waiting by the spa door.
“You’re great with kids,” Josh says, sneaking a Snickers bar from the bowl.
I slap his hand. “Those are for the kids.”
He smirks. “You bought enough candy to feed the whole town, Autumn. Besides, Bobby said he’s shutting down the Business Halloween Crawl right at six so everyone can go to the park for the bonfire and ghost stories.” He glances at the clock, which shows it’s five minutes to six then wiggles his eyebrows at me before popping the mini Snickers bar in his mouth.
I laugh and flip my long blond braid over my shoulder and straighten my crown. My light blue glittery gown shines underneath the fluorescent lights, and these silver heels are killing my feet. I bend down and take them off with a sigh.
“Are you going to change before the bonfire?” he inquires, before stuffing another Snickers bar in his mouth. He wipes his hands off on his jeans, then pushes his black sweater up to his elbows. "This face paint is itchy. It won't make me break out, will it?" He wiggles his green nose. His face is painted green with black stitches on his forehead. Josh's attempt at Frankenstein isn't great, but at least he's trying. Halloween's not his favorite holiday. He's more of a Christmas guy.
I roll my eyes at him then wiggle my toes to get some circulation back in them. “Your face is fine. I'm not sure about the bonfire though. Queen Elsa loves the cold, but Massage Therapist Autumn, not so much.”
“I do like the costume though.” He gives me a once-over then winks at me.
I feel my face heat up. It’s been two months since Josh has asked me to be more than friends and I’m still thinking about it. I know I should give us a try, but I’m scared. Yep, that’s me. I'm a big ole scaredy-cat. If I date Josh and it doesn’t work out, I lose my best friend. It'll be weird and awkward like it is with Travis. I can’t bear the thought of that happening. On the other hand, it could work, and we could live happily ever after or at least happy most of the time.
The bell above the door chimes and I slip back into my heels before spinning around to see who it is.
“Autumn, I love your costume,” Cat gushes, bounding up to me, She's dressed as an Egyptian princess. Her short straight black wig touches her shoulders, and her face is done up with heavy make-up “What do you think of my costume?” She turns in a circle, showing off her white and gold gown.
“Very authentic,” I say, reaching out to adjust her gold crown with blue beads on it.
She grins then eyes my candy bowl. “Trick-or-Treat?”
“Aren’t you a little old for this?” I wink at her, so she knows I'm teasing.
“That’s what I told her.”
I glance up, and my mouth goes dry. If I didn’t recognize Travis's voice, I wouldn’t have realized it was him leaning against the spa door. He looks almost like John Travolta from Grease. Dark hair slicked back, white t-shirt clinging to his bulging biceps, black jeans and even the T-birds black leather jacket hooked onto his index finger.
“Cat got your tongue, Autumn…or should I say, Queen Elsa?” He bows slightly then smiles.
My heart flutters, and I take a deep breath to calm it. I swallow and shoot a glance at Josh. He’s frowning but pretends to be interested in the candy on the desk. I clear my throat and stand up a little straighter then focus on Cat. “I think she has one more year of trick-or-treating. You won't be fifteen until next month, right?”
She nods then sticks her tongue out at her dad.
He chuckles and shakes his head.
“Are you going to the bonfire?” I inquire while I drop two Snickers and a Twix in her bag.
She shrugs and mutters something I can’t hear. Maybe my hearings going right along with my eyesight. Getting old is not fun.
Allison appears in the doorway. She’s the perfect Sandy with curly blond hair and a tight black jumpsuit and heels. “Regina ran out of candy, and there’s a herd of kids coming this way. She wants to know if you have any more, Autumn.”
“I do.” I grab a bag of Twizzlers and M & M’s from behind the counter. I’m not a huge candy fan, but I love Halloween and always go all out. I may have gone a little overboard when it came to decorating the spa this year.
Orange and black candles glow from inside pumpkins and sit in the windows, and I even have the essential oil diffuser emitting cinnamon and clove. The spa looks like someone hasn’t dusted in years with all the cobwebs I have hanging from the corners. Several large black spiders sit among the webs, and a skeleton sits on the leather couch. Witches and ghosts hang from the ceiling. Our real ghost has moved on. I was kind of sad to see her go, but I’m glad we could help her.
“Here you go,” I say, handing over the candy.
Allison takes it with a smile. “Thanks. Be right back.” She gives Travis a peck on his cheek before heading over to the salon.
Cat rolls her eyes.
Travis blushes and runs a hand through his wig.
Another group of trick-or-treaters dressed as Paw Patrol characters makes their way over to me. I ooh and ahh over their costumes while Travis steps up to the counter to chat with Josh. Cat helps me pass out the candy then plops down next to the skeleton on the couch and digs into her bag.
I make my way over to the guys and set down the candy bowl. They're discussing football stats, so I open the safe under the counter and retrieve the deposit bag to take to the bank once we close. “Huh?”
“What?” Josh asks, grabbing a pack of peanut M & M’s from the bowl.
“The deposit bag feels kinda light.�
�� I unzip the green bag and gasp.
“What’s wrong?” Travis furrows his eyebrows and leans over the counter.
A few more kids make their way into the spa, but I’m too stunned to acknowledge them.
Travis grabs the bowl and lets them help themselves then motions to Cat to handle the bowl, which she eagerly jumps up to do.
“Autumn, what is it?” Josh leans toward me. His face portrays a mix of confusion and worry.
I blink and hand the bag to Josh.
He peeks inside. “It’s empty. Where’s all the cash?”
“I-I don’t know.” I sway slightly, and Josh reaches out to steady me.
“Sit down, Autumn.” He gets up and gently guides me down into the chair.
My head pounds and my vision blurs. Today was a hectic day. We ran a Halloween special, something we never do, but Sally insisted on it since the spa has been slower. She thought it would be a great way to drum up some business. Facials were discounted, and Josh gave complimentary five-minute chair massages from ten to eleven, which usually led to someone booking an hour massage. The day was beyond booked, and most of our customers paid in cash, which is rare. I put a little over a thousand dollars in the bag. Where did it all go?
Josh rechecks the cash bag. “Are you sure you didn’t leave the cash in the office safe?”
I frown and bite my lip. “The Halloween Crawl started a little early, so I was rushing to close down the register. I’m pretty sure I counted everything up here and threw it in the safe.” I gesture to the safe under the desk.
“I’ll check the other safe.” He drops the cash bag on the counter and hurries from the room.
I nod and send up a little prayer the money is in the office safe. Why Vicky thought the spa needed two safes, I guess I’ll never know. It is nice not having to go to the back office to get more cash if we need to make change for a customer.
Josh comes back in, running a hand through his dark hair.
My stomach drops and I know the answer before I even ask it. “It’s not there, is it?”
He shakes his head.
I swallow the lump forming in my throat. Is this my fault? Did I leave the money out on the counter and someone took it? I think back to everything I did when we closed. I turned off the hot towel cabis' and table warmers, wiped down surfaces and oil bottles, put dirty sheets in the hampers, and re-made the massage tables. I also finished charting, closed out the credit card machine, documented the checks, counted out the cash and made a deposit receipt then stuffed the money in the deposit bag and put it in the safe. Nope. There’s no way I left it out. I’m positive.
Travis clears his throat. “Did anyone else see you counting the money?”
I swivel around in the chair. I forgot Travis was standing there. “Um.” I rack my brain. “Josh came up with the candy and was filling the bowl while I was counting the money.”
Travis raises an eyebrow at Josh, who holds up his hands in retreat.
I scoff. “Josh didn’t steal the money. He has more money than he knows what to do with.”
Travis furrows his brow but doesn’t say anything.
Josh nudges me.
Oops. I was supposed to keep that little tidbit a secret. Shh. Don’t tell anyone, but Josh is a millionaire. Shocking, I know. It seems Harold taught Josh a few things about investing and Josh has made a killing in the stock market. I was flabbergasted when I found out last month. I can’t believe he didn’t tell me sooner. We never keep secrets from each other. I doubt he would have even told me if it weren’t for the fact I was snooping, I mean searching, for Christmas presents. Josh always buys his Christmas gifts way in advance, and I enjoy hunting for mine every year. Only this year I stumbled upon a box of bank statements with large numbers and lots of zeros.
Travis seems to chew on that information for a bit before moving on. “Was anyone else up here with you?”
“Just Maggie. She was going on and on about her costume and her plans for the Halloween costume contest on Thursday.”
“Did you leave Maggie alone with the cash?”
I frown and bite my lip. “No. I put it in the safe and Josh, and I have been here ever since.”
“So, you never left her alone up front?”
I chew on my lip. “Well, yes. Josh couldn’t find the candy bowl, so I went to help him find it.”
“And the safe was locked?”
I nod.
“Does Maggie know the combination?”
I narrow my eyes at him. “What are you insinuating, Detective?”
He shrugs. “Maggie’s new to Daysville. Word around town is she’s been awful jumpy lately. Do you know why?”
I purse my lips. It’s true, Maggie has been kind of jittery, but today she was smiling and bubbly. Like whatever was bothering went away. There’s no way she would steal the money. I'm almost ninety-nine percent sure of it.
Travis glances around like he wants to be sure no one is listening then lowers his voice and leans toward me. “Stan at the Pawn Dive says she’s been selling off a bunch of stuff lately. Expensive stuff, high priced jewelry, to be exact. Rare pieces he’s never seen before. He has me running a check on them.”
My jaw drops and my eyes practically bulge from my head. “You’re joking.”
He shakes his head.
“Maggie doesn’t even wear jewelry. Where would she get rare pieces from?”
"According to Stan, she inherited them.”
“No crime there.”
He gives me a look like I’m being naïve.
I fight the urge to stick my tongue out at him.
Allison waltzes in the spa and sidles up to Travis, linking her arm in his.
My gut twists slightly, but not as much as it used to. I think I’m getting used to the idea of these two together.
“Regina is locking up and heading over to the park. Are you two going to join us?” She gestures to Josh and me.
Josh puts an arm around my shoulder and squeezes it.
I smile up at him. We cleared up our “relationship status,” much to the town’s dismay, but there’s a pool going around on when I’ll figure out he’s supposedly my soulmate, and we’ll get married. “We’ll be there shortly. I should probably file a report, right Detective?”
"Yes," Travis replies then explains to Allison what happened.
She covers her mouth in horror. “That’s awful. You poor thing.” Allison reaches over the counter and squeezes my hand. “I’ll take Cat to the park and meet you guys there."
Cat perks up at the mention of the park and sets the candy bowl on the counter. “Can I go meet my friends now?”
Allison’s face drops. “I thought maybe you and I could spend some time together. Just us girls.”
Cat shoots her dad an annoyed look and rolls her eyes when he gives her a stern one in return. “OK,” she mumbles.
Allison squeals and claps her hands together then gives Travis a quick kiss before looping her arm around Cat’s. She starts listing off all the things they’re going to do while practically dragging a reluctant Cat from the spa.
Travis shakes his head then turns back to us, but before he says anything his phone rings. He answers and listens intently. His face is unreadable except for the flexing of his jaw. “We’ll be right there.”
“What’s wrong?”
“Maggie’s been arrested.”
I gasp. “Arrested? For what?”
“Suspicion of murder.”
2
I pace the waiting room at the police station. My sparkly heels click with each step. My feet are throbbing. I really should sit down, but I can’t. Not until I know what's going on with Maggie.
Josh is bouncing his leg and chewing his nails.
I smack his hand with my next pass and shake my head.
He gives me a sheepish look and tucks his hands underneath his legs. “Sorry. I-I just, what's taking so long?”
“I don’t know.” I plop down next to him. We’ve been here for almo
st two hours, and no one has told us a thing. There’s nothing from the Daysville grapevine, so I’m wondering if there’s even been a murder. Surely, if someone in town were dead, word would have gotten out by now. I recheck my phone.
Another text from Cat asking when her dad could come and rescue her from Allison. The girl acts like Allison's torturing her. I've never hung out with Allison, so maybe Cat is being tortured. I roll my eyes at my silliness. I’m sure they’re having fun.
I yawn and rest my head on Josh’s shoulder. He wraps an arm me and pulls me in closer. My sheer dress isn’t warding off the cold that infiltrates the room every time the door opens. The smell of burning wood is seeping in through the door and makes me think of my fireplace. I could be curled up with a good cozy mystery and some chamomile tea right about now. I yawn again and close my eyes. I’m about to doze off when I hear Travis and the Captain yelling on the other side of the door. Words like "no body and covered in blood" are all I can make out between their ranting and raving.
Travis mumbles something I can’t hear. A door slams then he storms into the waiting room. He’s changed out of his costume and into his standard pressed white shirt and dark slacks with shiny shoes. His dark wig is gone, and his red hair is sticking up in all directions. He scans the room, which is surprisingly full tonight. When his eyes land on me, he motions for me to join him. Josh and I follow him back to his office. He gestures to the two chairs in front of his desk.
We sit down quickly and wait patiently for some details.
Travis eases down into his seat behind his desk and clasps his hands in front of him. He leans forward, his elbows resting on top the desk. His green eyes flash with a hint of annoyance. “Maggie was pulled over for speeding earlier tonight. Her clothes soaked with blood."