“Seriously!”
The long whiskers over Esmerelda’s eyes flinched. “He didn’t kiss you?”
“Well, I mean… a lady doesn’t kiss and tell,” said Johanna as the memory of the kiss the night before came flooding back to her. It had been so perfect, she almost couldn’t take it.
“Uh-huh. Say no more. We know what happened, don’t we, Whit?”
Whitley nodded slowly, but her face was definitely not excited for her. “Yeah, I guess so.”
“Whit? What’s the matter? You look like you saw a ghost!”
Whitley sighed. “I feel like I have,” she admitted.
Johanna shook her head. “Like you have? What do you mean?”
“Es and Rocky found something this morning, Hanna.”
“You’re not making any sense. What do you mean they found something?” She looked at Esmerelda.
“They were playing around this morning. I was trying to keep them quiet so you and Mitch could get some sleep, but Es smelled something in Mitch’s closet.”
Johanna felt a wave of panic grip her body. “What did she smell?”
Whitley nudged Essy. “Tell her.”
“I smelled perfume in Mitch’s closet,” she said with a sigh. “I thought maybe he was keeping another woman from you or something, so I had to check it out.”
Johanna’s head bobbed. She just wanted Esmerelda and Whitley to get to the point. “And?”
Whitley handed a small book over to Johanna. “One of the baseboards wasn’t nailed very tight. Once Essy’s nose told her where the smell was coming from, Rocky took over. He pulled off the board and we discovered there was a hole in the wall behind it. We found this in there.”
“What is it?” asked Johanna as she looked down at the small leather-bound book.
“We’re pretty sure it was Felicia’s journal.”
“Her journal!”
Whitley nodded. “I glanced through it. I didn’t have time to really look. She was scared of someone, Hanna. It was a man.”
“A man? Like who?”
Whitley shrugged. “As soon as I realized it was Felicia’s, I knew I had to wake you up.”
Johanna’s mouth went dry as she stared at the book in her hands. Please tell me it wasn’t Mitch. “Who was it? Who was she scared of, Whit?”
Whitley pointed at the book. “I told you. I-I didn’t read it all. I wanted to read with you.”
Johanna touched the top of the book. Her fingers trembled as she slowly peeled the leather cover back and stared down at the sprawling feminine handwriting. She flipped through the pages and saw dates heading each page. She swallowed hard as she flipped to an earmarked page and one passage jumped out at her. “I don’t know what to do anymore. I’m scared.”
Jo’s blood ran cold. Suddenly, she heard the door behind her creak. She snapped the book shut and shoved it under her shirt and into the waistband of her sweatpants.
“Good morning,” said Mitch, sticking his head into the doorway.
Johanna felt her body freeze. What if it was Mitch that Felicia was scared of? “Good morning,” she said stiffly.
“You hungry?”
Johanna shook her head. “Mmm, nope.”
She glanced over her shoulder to see him rubbing a hand across his stomach. “I am. I’m starved. I could run out and get us a couple of bagels, and then I could call the office and tell them I won’t be in today. There aren’t going to be that many people there anyway. The Monday after Christmas is always pretty dead.” He spun her around to face him. “We could watch Hallmark movies together all day if you want?”
Johanna didn’t know what to say. She now wondered if all her instincts about Mitch had been wrong, if maybe she hadn’t looked closely enough at him as a possible killer. Had she been blind all this time because of her attraction to him? Her heart did flip-flops in her chest as her hands began to tremble. “I-I need to take Rocky for a walk,” she mumbled awkwardly.
“Oh, well, there’s almost a foot of snow out there, Jo.”
Johanna looked at Rocky who didn’t look the least bit anxious for his walk. “I know, but you know, nature calls. When he’s gotta go, he’s gotta go. I wouldn’t want him to go in your nice apartment.”
Mitch grinned. “Say no more. Let me get my coat. I’ll go with you.”
Johanna shook her head as she rushed towards the front door of his apartment. “No, it’s alright. I better go by myself. He—he’s kind of shy. You know, going in front of strangers.”
Mitch looked at Rocky curiously. “I’ve never heard of a dog having bathroom anxiety in front of strangers.”
Johanna nodded, wide-eyed. She’d totally just made that up. “Yeah, it’s a real thing. They’ve done studies on it.”
“Uh-huh. Well, are you coming back after your walk?” he asked as she tugged on her coat and boots.
Johanna glanced over at Whitley, who gave her a sideways look.
“Tell him no,” hissed Whitley as Esmerelda strolled into the kitchen behind Rocky.
Johanna pursed her lips. “Umm, I don’t think so.”
“Really? Why not? I was hoping maybe we could spend the day together.”
“Tell him you have to go home to take your medicine!” said Essy from the floor.
Without thinking, Johanna parroted Essy’s suggestion. “I have to go home to take my medicine.”
“Your medicine? You’re taking medicine? Is everything okay?”
Her face flushed. She wanted to palm her forehead, but she was too busy tugging on her last boot. “Oh, no. Not my medicine. The cat’s medicine. You know, I’m watching her for a friend and she’s supposed to take this de-worming stuff every day. Otherwise her worms might come back.”
Mitch made a face. “Oh. I see.”
Johanna nodded. “Yeah. It’s really, you know. Gross. So, I better go. And take the kids.”
Mitch grabbed Johanna’s hand as she went to reach for the door. “Well, when am I going to get to see you again? I had a really great time last night.”
Johanna swallowed hard. I had a really great time last night too. “Oh, umm. You know, I have this book I’m trying to finish, and I’m really behind. So, umm. I’m not really sure.”
“Well, are we going to try and figure out the truth about what really happened to Felicia? Do you still have time to work with me on that?”
Johanna stared at her hands then. She didn’t know what to say. Felicia’s leather journal dug into the soft flesh of her stomach, begging her to read the contents. “Can we talk later about that? I really don’t want Rocky to have an accident in your apartment. I’ll feel terrible.”
He let go of her hand then. Johanna couldn’t help but feel bad about the way she was leaving. “Okay. Is everything alright, Jo?”
Johanna nodded and silently prayed that it was. “Yeah. I just really need to get home.”
“Hey, Jo, listen, I’m sorry if I moved too fast for you last night.” His face looked concerned.
She gave him a tight smile. “No, it’s not that. I just need to get home.”
Mitch leaned forward and held his arms open. “Can I at least give you a hug goodbye?”
Johanna felt tears burning behind her eyes as she nodded. He wrapped his muscular arms around her. She closed her eyes and put her head on his shoulder, silently praying that it hadn’t been Mitch that Felicia was scared of. It just couldn’t be.
She pushed herself out of his arms before he could see the tears falling. “Goodbye, Mitch.”
“Bye, Jo.”
32
Johanna’s teeth chattered as she, Whitley, Rocky, and Esmerelda trudged through the snow while heading south on Lexington Avenue towards her apartment.
“Remind me again why we didn’t just let Mitch drive us home?” asked Whitley’s tiny voice.
Johanna glanced over at her. “I don’t know, Whit. I panicked. What if he’s the one Felicia was scared of?”
Esmerelda teetered around Johanna’s shoulders, searching for a comfortable
way to lie on their walk home. “I thought you said Mitch was working the day she was killed,” she said before finally getting comfortable.
Johanna’s mind had already gone back to Felicia’s mother telling her that he’d had a pretty good alibi the day that Felicia was killed. “He was. But it never occurred to me that he might have had someone else do the dirty work for him. You know, to make it look like it wasn’t him.”
Whitley hugged her arms around herself. “You really think Mitch was capable of killing her?”
Johanna winced. Of course she really didn’t think Mitch was capable of murdering Felicia! He seemed to love her too much. But in her mystery novels, it was always the person they’d least suspected that had done the dirty deeds. And in this investigation, Mitch was the person she least suspected. Had she let her feelings for him cloud her judgment? “My instincts tell me it wasn’t Mitch, but that doesn’t mean my instincts are always right.”
“My instincts tell me he didn’t do it either,” agreed Whitley, patting Rocky’s side as he trotted between her and Johanna. “And I certainly don’t think it would have been a big deal if he’d driven us home. It’s freezing out here!”
“I’m sorry! I told you! When he came in the bedroom, I panicked!”
“We noticed,” said Esmerelda. “He’s literally got to be wondering what in the hell just happened.”
Johanna’s mittened hands went to her mouth as she sucked in her breath. “You think?”
Whitley nodded. “Yeah. It was a little bit of a rush to get out of there. He probably thinks you don’t like him anymore.”
“Well, what if we get home and read Felicia’s journals and find out Felicia had been scared of Mitch?”
“What if we get home and find out that it wasn’t Mitch that she was scared of?” said Whitley. “Then you just totally bumbled this whole thing up for nothing.”
Johanna rolled her eyes. “It wouldn’t be the first time, trust me.” She adjusted the journal in her waistband. “Alright. If we get home and find out that it wasn’t Mitch, then I’ll text him and apologize.”
“You can’t text him, Hanna. You’ve got to call him!” countered Whitley.
“Fine. I’ll call him. Happy?”
Whitley snuggled up next to Johanna. “Yes!”
The minute they got inside, Whitley rushed to pull one of Johanna’s blankets around her shoulders. Johanna shed her coat, hat and boots, and strode into the kitchen to put on some hot coffee, while Esmerelda and Rocky and their frozen fur, headed straight for the furnace to defrost.
“That was the longest walk of my life!” said Whitley through chattering teeth.
“Mine too,” agreed Johanna. She raced into the living room to curl up on the sofa with a blanket and Felicia’s journal. It hadn’t been the longest walk of her life because of the cold, but instead because she’d worried the entire thirty-five-minute walk that she’d get home to discover that Mitch wasn’t who he seemed to be after all.
Whitley crawled onto the sofa and snuggled up next to her. “My heart’s pounding like crazy right now.”
“Ditto,” said Johanna as she cracked open the journal and began to flip through the pages, scanning for Mitch’s name. “Where do we start?”
“I don’t know. When did Mitch and Felicia meet?”
Johanna thought about it for a second. “I’m pretty sure he said that they met in March.” She flipped through the book and began scanning pages from March 2011 forward, looking for Mitch’s name. Finally, she found an entry. “Aha! I found something.”
Whitley squealed. “Eee!”
“Read it out loud,” hollered Esmerelda from in front of the furnace.
Johanna nodded and began to read. “April 11, 2011. A few weeks ago, a man came into my office looking to buy an apartment. His name was Mitchell Connelly. Nice guy. We closed on the property today. He brought a bottle of champagne and invited me to celebrate with him at his new apartment. Something about this guy is different. He makes me giddy.”
“Aww,” cooed Whitley, looking up at Johanna. “That’s kind of how you feel about him, isn’t it?”
Johanna suddenly found herself feeling guilty. Maybe she shouldn’t be reading this without Mitch. But she couldn’t help thinking, but what if…
She ignored Whitley and flipped the page. “April 12, 2011. After work I stopped for a slice at that new pizza place that just opened up on the corner across from the bodega by my building. Oh my God, I have no idea how that place passed its health inspection. Memo to myself. Don’t go back there ever again.”
“Skip the food talk and get to the good stuff!” said Esmerelda.
Whitley nodded. “Yeah, we just want to hear the juicy details.”
Johanna scanned the pages, looking for more stuff of interest. She had to know the truth.
“Okay, here we go… April 27, 2011. Ugh. Some days I hate my job. One of my coworkers won’t leave me alone. I’m pretty sure it could be considered sexual harassment at this point. Told the boss, he said we’d keep an eye on it. Let’s hope he quits.”
Whitley lifted an eyebrow. “Maybe it wasn’t Mitch she’s scared of after all!”
Johanna’s heart began beating faster in her chest. She flipped forward further.
“June 16, 2011. It happened again. I was working late, and same coworker cornered me in the storage room and asked me out yet again. I told him I had a boyfriend, but he didn’t really seem to care. He wouldn’t let me out. I just about dropped a knee on him. I really wish I would have. I haven’t said anything to the boss yet. Maybe I’ll tell him tomorrow.”
“Aww, that poor girl!”
Johanna nodded and flipped the page, curious if Felicia had indeed told her boss what was going on the next day. “June 23, 2011. Mitchell stopped into the office to take me out for lunch today. I introduced him to everyone at work. I really really really like this guy. I sort of wonder where he’s been all my life.” She glanced up at Whitley and stuck out her bottom lip. “Aww, she didn’t tell her boss.”
“She didn’t write about it anyway.”
“Yeah,” agreed Johanna, flipping through more pages. One page was highlighted with a big doodled heart. “July 4, 2011. OMG! Mitchell proposed! I am an engaged woman! We went to the fireworks together and he popped the question right there beneath the light show! It’s only been three months since we met. Is that crazy? Yes! It’s crazy! I know, he hasn’t even met my parents yet! But he’s the one. I can tell. He’s perfect! Setting a date soon. We don’t want to wait!”
A soft grin covered Johanna’s face. She could feel Felicia’s excitement in her words and in the way the ink pressed harder into the paper. She had been so happy. Johanna’s heart hurt for both of them.
“Keep reading!” pushed Esmerelda from the floor.
Johanna glanced over at her and smiled. “I thought maybe you fell asleep.”
“Of course I’m not sleeping! I want to help solve this case too!”
Johanna looked down at the journal and flipped through another page. “July 6, 2011. Welp. Mitchell and I set a date! We’re getting married on August 13th. Can you believe that? I know, I know. It’s less than a month away, but the church was available that day. Mom thinks we’re crazy. She hasn’t really come out and said it, but I know that’s what she’s thinking! I can’t wait to be Mrs. Mitchell Connelly!!”
Johanna turned the page and kept reading aloud.
“July 8, 2011. Ugh! I am so mad I could just about burst! Stupid problem child at work groped me again today! I told him I was getting married and my fiancé wouldn’t like him putting his hands on me, but he just laughed. I really want to tell Mitchell what’s going on, but I know what will happen. He’ll either want me to quit and find a different job, or he’ll go down there and pound this guy. I can’t quit now. I’m up for a big promotion and I have a real shot at getting it. And I don’t want Mitchell to do anything to him, because I don’t want him getting in trouble, especially right before the wedding. I’ll j
ust have to stick it out. If this keeps happening after I’m married and the boss won’t handle it, I’ll have to take matters into my own hands.”
“Wow,” said Essy. “That really sucks. I would have punched him.”
Whitley nodded. “Me too!”
“At least it doesn’t sound like it was Mitch,” said Johanna with a smile. “That’s such a relief.”
“A huge relief,” agreed Whit.
“July 15, 2011. Things at work are getting worse. Yesterday when I was going out to my car, he raced to catch up to me. He told me he and the rest of the office were going to Syd’s for a drink and he wanted to know if I wanted to go too. I told him no, and he asked if I thought I was too good for them now that I was getting married. I said of course not, I just had a lot of wedding plans to take care of, and he immediately got upset about me marrying a total stranger. I kind of laughed at him, like he couldn’t possibly be serious! When I laughed, he shoved me up against my car. Made me hit my head and everything! If Mitchell knew, I think the guy would be a flattened pancake right about now. I’m so mad that I’m tempted to tell him.”
“Tell him!” shouted Whitley, crossing her fingers.
“No doubt!” agreed Essy.
“July 23, 2011. I had my first dress fitting today!! Mitchell’s going to love my dress! I can’t wait to be Mrs. Mitchell Connelly! Just a few more days!”
Johanna flipped the page.
“July 26, 2011. I am freaking out right now! Stupid a-hole at work told me if I married Mitchell he’d make me regret it. And this time he told me if I said a word about it to him or the boss he’d shut me up permanently. I don’t know what to do anymore. I’m scared.”
Johanna flipped the page again and frowned. “That’s it, guys. That was the last entry.”
“That was it?” Whit’s brows lifted.
“She probably got busy with wedding stuff and work,” said Johanna. Her heart hurt for Felicia. That bastard of a coworker! Johanna knew exactly who had killed her now, and she wasn’t going to let him get away with it!
“I know where we’re going now, girls. Get warmed up, and then we’re off to trap a murderer!”
Snow Cold Case_A Mystic Snow Globe Romantic Mystery Page 26