“What?” I said surprised. That set me to thinking. Was there something my magic could do to get us out of this?
Rory said, “Like wish us onto the side of the road or slow the car down. I know it’s stupid. But my mom believed in that stuff. She used to tell me if I wished hard enough things would happen. I know it’s stupid.” He sounded embarrassed. “Forget I said anything.”
“My mom told me if I wanted something bad enough, I should get it myself or marry someone rich enough to get it for me,” I told him. “Ugh, no wonder you hate rich people. But she’s just…Mother.”
“And you love her,” Rory said. He was smiling at me. “It’s a miracle you’re as level headed as you are.”
“Ha ha, if I were so level headed I would stop getting kidnapped by murderers,” I said.
He nuzzled at my neck. “Fair enough.”
But Rory’s story about his mom had given me an idea. It was an insane madcap idea. But if I could just slow Carl down, then maybe Garza could catch up to us.
I closed my eyes and focused on the windshield of the car we were in. I focused on it, envisioning it until I could see the clear glass plainly in my mind’s eye, almost as if it was right in front of me. I imagined it slowly shifting to a smoky green tint then solidifying becoming an opaque wall of color.
The air filled with the scent of freshly cut lavender. I opened my eyes. Did it work?
Rory and I huddled together in the trunk of the car, listening to each other breathe. Nothing happened. All we heard was the road. But the ride suddenly got rougher. We shuddered and rolled around in the back of the trunk, banging into the sides of it.
The sirens were louder than ever now. The car jolted and the jarring quality of the ride indicated that we were off the road. We tensed, holding on to one another. The car jumped and hit something. We were slammed into the back of the trunk and it popped open. The car rocked and we were tossed free.
I imagined us hitting the ground softly. The scent of lavender followed us as we fell. We did hit the grass but it was hard and we rolled. We slid to a stop. Cop cars swarmed over the lawn around us in a protective phalanx. Garza was over us in seconds.
“Don’t move,” she commanded. “The paramedics are on their way.”
“Carl?” I asked.
She didn’t bother to answer. She just drew her gun and walked past us. Rory groaned but sat up. I did a mental inventory. Nothing felt broken but everything felt bruised.
“Are you okay?” Rory asked.
“Bruised and battered, but alive,” I told him.
We gingerly got to our feet. The cops had surrounded the Challenger, and Carl had his hands up. Garza dragged him free of the car and handcuffed him. Two of her officers read him his rights as they dragged him out and to a waiting paddy wagon.
“I did it for you, June,” he screamed as they ducked his head into the wagon.
Garza came back. “I thought I told you two not to get up. The way that trunk popped and ejected you both, you should have cracked ribs to say the least. Honestly, you should both be pulverized.”
“I feel pulverized,” Rory replied, “if it makes you feel better.”
I laughed. We hugged.
“You are one lucky lady,” Garza told me. “You too,” she said to Rory.
“Let me guess,” I said, “You’re going to want us to come down to the station and make a statement.”
“You…” Garza laughed and it made her seem almost like a nice person, almost. “Yes. I might even put you on the payroll if you keep this up.”
We dusted off. Thankfully, the car had rolled into a group of saplings, plowing them into splinters. Those trees and the grass had slowed the car enough to keep us from being crushed, or worse.
“Wow, look at the windshield,” Rory said, “Its granny smith green! How did that happen?”
I stared in wonder. “Wow,” I breathed.
Chapter 12
We were finally going to get some pizza!
I was starting to regret having Rory pick me up at the house. Everyone was in the sitting room, being nosy and waiting to see him. I was dressed in a nice mint and pink dress and fending off the cats, who were determined to get hair on me. The Aunts were whispering amongst themselves. When they stopped whispering they would look over at me and then giggle.
I rolled my eyes. “What are you doing over there?” I asked.
“Nothing,” Auntie Joe lied. “We are minding our own business.”
“No, we’re not,” Aunt Sarah said. “We’re gossiping about Rory.”
“We’ve decided we like Rory,” Hazel added. “And as a rule I don’t like anyone, so that’s saying something.”
“Aunt Hazel,” I laughed. “That’s not true. You would bake your worst enemies a chocolate cake.”
Aunt Hazel preened. “I might. I have an excellent chocolate cake recipe. I use real melted chocolate. But I would glare at them as I handed it over.”
“Perfectly iced,” Aunt Sarah said.
“Perfectly iced,” Aunt Hazel agreed. “Fine, yes. But the point still stands.”
Sarah and Joe laughed at their older sister. I was glad they were teasing her and not me. While I was grateful that my date was being met with approval, at least from the Aunts, I was a bit nervous after our kiss.
Nervous? Well, now. Excited, actually. What did this mean for me and the mailman-turned-sleuthing-partner-in-crime?
“I want you to pet me,” Trouble said, eyes wide and innocent. “I have an itch on my back. Just let me climb up onto your lap so you can reach it properly.”
“Not a chance, cat,” I told the wicked thing. “There are three aunties over there just waiting to scratch your itches.”
“They don’t do it right,” Trouble said with an indignant sniff. “They never scratch like you do. You are like a masseuse. Please?” He tapped me with a large paw.
“You know you just want to get me all hairy, so no.”
“You used to be my favorite,” he told me, his eyes filled with regret. “Now it will have to be Joe.”
Trouble quit the room as Mother entered. She was dressed in an elegant ivory pant suit. Livvie’s eyes lit up. Cats are a perverse species. She headed for Mother, but Aunt Sarah managed to catch the cat before she could get hair on Mother’s pristine outfit.
“Darling,” Mother began. “A pizza date, really? Why not the opera? Or that little French place on Fifth? I hear they have twelve varieties of amuse-bouche. Your father is going to take me there for our anniversary. It’s tr��s magnifique. “
“Mother, I adore you. But I adore pizza even more. La Boehme has nothing on cheese and pepperoni. I even picked the pizza parlor. It’s Giuseppe’s. They have the greatest garlic knots in the whole state, possibly the universe. Besides, I get enough culture around here, from you.” I flattered.
She sniffed in an unconscious echo of Trouble. The Aunts chuckled. Mother sat in the arm chair and pretended to peruse a magazine. She wasn’t fooling anyone. Father was at work, but besides him, absolutely everyone was now waiting to see Rory. Shameless. Simply shameless.
The doorbell rang. Mother waved me back to my seat. “Girard will get it. Don’t look so eager.”
I rolled my eyes, but stayed put.
“Hello,” Rory called. I saw Girard wave him into the sitting room.
He stopped inside the door when he saw the size of our audience.
“Hello ladies,” he greeted them cheerfully. “You’re all looking absolutely fetching. Especially you, Hazel.”
Charmed, Hazel beamed. No wonder she liked him. That was pandering and he knew it. I caught his eye and he winked at me. I warmed.
Rory’s brown hair was mussed even more than usual from the wind. He was dressed in a dark pair of jeans and a t-shirt with a kitten on it under a button down. Mother was staring at him like a hawk, evaluating, but for once she didn’t say anything. That was unlike her. I wondered if maybe she was finally thawing towards Rory.
“Read
y to go?”
“Yes,” I said standing up.
“Have her home safely, please,” Mother said.
“Yes, ma’am.” Rory agreed.
“Not like that Sinclair fellow,” Aunt Hazel commented. “He couldn’t even keep his date from being kidnapped.”
“To be fair, that isn’t how dates usually go,” Aunt Sarah chimed in. “You don’t go to dinner with a sword to fend off kidnappers.”
“That’s how some of my dates went,” Auntie Joe said, with a sly wink in Rory’s direction.
Rory snorted, trying not to laugh outright. “You must have gone on some very interesting dates, Joe.”
“I’ll say! One time I started out in San Francisco and we ended up in Philadelphia. Sarah had to wire me money for a flight home.”
“I made her stay there for three days so she would learn her lesson,” Aunt Sarah said.
“Did you?” I asked.
“No,” Auntie Joe said, giggling.
“She met another man and left for Vermont,” Aunt Hazel said with a laugh.
“His name was Armand. Who could resist? He spoke French like zees,” Auntie Joe explained.
“Young man, do not take my daughter to Vermont and definitely don’t develop a French accent,” Mother admonished, but she was almost smiling, her lips curling upwards ever so slightly.
This was major progress. I stared at her blandly, and she glanced away.
“Alright, leave him alone,” I said. I turned to Rory. “Let’s get out of here before Auntie Joe and Aunt Sarah offer to show you how to hotwire cars and rob banks.”
“Wait, that sounds really educational. I’d like to learn,” Rory began, but I took his hand to lead him out of the danger zone.
“Next time you’re here,” Aunt Sarah said, “I’ll teach you a thing or two.”
I waved at them. “You leave him alone,” I said, a sharp warning in my voice. This set them all off and we left to them laughing and telling stories about their criminal histories.
In the fresh air, I relaxed. Rory opened the door for me. I hopped into his car. Max Stewart was putting a ‘Re-Elect the Mayor’ sign on his lawn as we drove past. I was feeling generous enough to wave. He frowned, watching us go by. I would never get what Ruby saw in him.
“Sorry about my aunts,” I said.
“I like them,” Rory admitted. “I don’t have much in the way of family. So it’s definitely novel.”
“Try living with them,” I grumbled.
“I’ll pass, thanks,” he said, eyes on the raod.
It didn’t take us long to get to Giuseppe’s. After we parked, Rory came around and opened the door for me. I offered him my hand and he helped me out. I couldn’t resist giving his fingers a little squeeze. He beamed.
The pizza shop was crowded, as usual. It only had about ten tables and a few seats around a rail in the back where people could pop in, eat a slice and disappear out a backdoor like mysterious pizza bandits. That was what I normally did. Rory smiled at a few of the patrons and led me to the only open table at the back. It had a small reserved sign on it, which Rory pocketed. My heart melted.
“How did you do that? Kathy doesn’t do reservations,” I asked.
“Kathy’s a friend.” Rory glanced over towards the back, where John, who normally bussed, was putting an election board. Kathy who owned the shop, and apparently was friends with Rory, was incredibly political. She ran a poll every season. I secretly thought she had pool going. I might try to get in it this year.
“If you can get reserved seating at the best pizza place in town, then Kathy is the best friend in town to have,” I said. I was jealous. Kathy was always polite but reserved with customers. How did he get an in?
“Hi there, regulars,” Jane Coldwell greeted. She was my favorite waitress. “What can I get you Ella? The usual?”
“So you are a regular,” Rory said with a laugh.
I nodded.
“I thought you were kidding about wanting to come here. I should have known you were a secret pizza addict.”
“It’s not much of a secret,” Jane added. “What can I get you, Rory? Soda to start?”
He nodded. When Jane walked away to get our drinks, Rory turned to me. “So, Elaine is in critical condition.”
“How did you find that out? No one will tell me anything. I begged Ruby and I even left a message for Garza.”
Rory beamed. “My neighbor works in Mercy Hospital, on the late shift. He was there when they brought them both in. Elaine was pretty messed up. She was in surgery for ten hours and they’re still not sure if she’s going to pull through. He says Neil was dead when they brought him in.”
I had heard that much from Auntie Joe. The band members had each called to tell her. It had been a depressing evening. I sighed. “I liked Neil.”
“I liked Carl,” Rory said. “I can’t believe he shot Neil and Evelyn. Killing Hank was bad enough. But why did Neil deserve to die?” He picked up a napkin and started folding it into halves and quarters. “I hope Evelyn pulls through. I’ll let you know if I hear anything.”
“Yes, I would love that. She was a good client for the few days I sleuthed for her. I wish I could have gotten the mystery solved sooner. I know Carl had his reasons for killing Hank. But Neil was just a loose end,” I said. “He was too close to everyone involved and he eventually would have put it together. If it makes you feel any better, Carl wasn’t planning on killing Evelyn. Garza says she walked in on Carl pulling the gun on Neil. He had no choice if he wanted to get away with it. Mother is sending flowers.”
Jane came back with our drinks and we thanked her. I smiled brightly, asking, “What’s the buy-in for the election pool?”
“Gambling is illegal,” she said blandly, before adding, “Ten dollars.”
I turned back to Rory. We both held up ten dollar bills and added our names to the pool. I put down Helen Christianson, but Rory wouldn’t let me see his.
“It’s like letting you see me vote. That’s supposed to be anonymous.”
“I let you see mine,” I complained and tried to steal his paper. Jane twitched them out of our fingers before I could see, and Rory laughed. I would have sulked, but then my plate of garlic knots arrived. I picked on up. It was hot, but smelled delicious. I blew on it so I could eat it sooner.
“Carl is pleading guilty to everything. Ruby let that slip when we were on the phone this morning.”
“That’s something,” Rory said. “A little something, but I’ll take it. I will also take this,” he said, and stole a garlic knot. I gave him my best scandalized expression. He bit into it and burned his tongue. I snorted.
“Anyway, that means we’re done being junior detectives for now.” I was a bit sad about it. Not that I was a fan of murder, but the cases were so interesting, and the sleuthing was fun. Definitely less boring than regular life. “I guess we’ll have to find something else to do with our super sleuthing time.”
Rory smiled. “Well, I still have to deliver the mail. So at least I have that.”
“And I do still have aromatherapy clients,” I mused. “Even so, my nights and weekends are mostly free.”
“Mine too,” he said. “Maybe you could take up paper mache. And I could take up knitting. I’ve always wanted to have a sweater with uneven arms.”
I laughed. “Or multiple arms.”
“And in terrible colors,” he said solemnly.
The bell over the door rang and Rory paled. I turned to see Detective Garza enter Giuseppe’s. She made a beeline for our table. She looked gorgeous as usual in her black pencil skirt and deep purple Oxford shirt. Her heels clicked on the linoleum. Rory grabbed my hand and gave me a frightened look.
Garza noticed and smirked. “What are you two doing here? Conspiring? There are laws against that sort of thing, you know.”
“Just eating pizza,” Rory said meekly. “Well, garlic knots. The pizza is after. I mean, we haven’t ordered it yet.”
Garza arched an eyebrow
at him, turned to me and said, “Miss Sweeting, it’s nice to see you not looming over one of my homicides.”
“Is it?” I asked nervously. “It’s not something I plan on doing in the future.”
“Relax, guys,” Garza said and smiled. “I’m just here for the pizza. I love the Hawaiian.”
She looked almost friendly when she smiled. We smiled back sheepishly and she swiped a garlic knot. Harumph. I was going to have to get a second order if this kept up.
“Hopefully this is the only place I bump into you two. That would be nice for a change, wouldn’t? Our town’s been a little too active lately, if you ask me.” Garza said, and waved when she saw Jane come out of the kitchen with a ‘to go’ order. “Enjoy your evening.”
When she clicked away in her three inch heels, Rory and I both let out breaths we hadn’t known we were holding. I started laughing first, and Rory followed.
“You grabbed my hand for protection?” I teased.
Rory held on. “I am not letting go, either. That woman scares the hell out of me.”
“You are absolutely adorable,” I said, and did something I had always wanted to do. I leaned forward and ruffled his silly, messy hair. It was softer than I’d expected, and I was charmed by it.
“I could say the same thing about you,” he said. I knew he was resisting the urge to fix his hair and somehow that made him cuter.
“Oh, please do,” I encouraged, feeling silly.
“Ella Sweeting,” he said, leaning forward so that his warm breath tickled my face. “You are absolutely adorable.”
THE END
Ella���s sleuthing adventures aren���t over! Click here for the next book, or visit http://www.lisbethreade.com/2016/12/a-corpse-at-polls.html
Poison Shake
a Three Scoops Ice Cream Shop short cozy
When Maddy moves to Creekside Hills and opens the Three Scoops Ice Cream Parlor and Bakery, she’s hoping to get her life back on track.
But finding herself as the prime suspect in the murder of the busty blonde her supposedly reformed husband’s been shacking up with isn’t quite the track she’d hoped for. And when word gets around about the poison shake she served, her customer base melts to nothing.
A Spell of Murder: An Ella Sweeting Aromatherapy Magic Cozy Mystery (Ella Sweeting: Witch Aromatherapist Cozies Book 2) Page 10