by Davies, Rae
“But she covered his alibi.”
“She’s his wife. It’s not unusual for people to lie to protect their spouse. I probably would have been more surprised if she’d turned him in.”
I was still curious about one thing. “So, did you know all along Malone did it?”
“No, but I knew something wasn’t right with them. Especially after I interviewed Ed and learned Crandell didn’t pick up the medicine man set until around three. Then I knew Marie Malone was lying about the feather. I was hung up on the motive, though. I thought for sure it was the set. When the Malones didn’t have it, I got stuck.”
“So what broke it for you?”
Blake paused. “Darrell. If you and Betty hadn’t bashed him upside the head, I never would have looked in his direction. I never would have found that damn medicine man set in his office, and Darrell never would have come forward as a witness to Crandell’s death. He saw the whole thing.”
Ah the glory, I took a minute to revel in this unexpected praise before jumping back in with questions. “So he actually witnessed the murder?”
“He was watching for Crandell out his office window. He saw Malone and Crandell arguing. When Malone left and it was obvious Crandell wasn’t getting up, Darrell hotfooted it down to the alley to look for the medicine man set. He didn’t find it near the body, so he took Crandell’s car keys and looked for his car. A rental in that little lot was easy to spot. He grabbed the bag with the set, tossed the keys into the drainage grate, and left. He was in such a hurry to get away before people started leaving work at five, he missed the weasel, which had rolled out of the bag.”
“So the fingerprints on the keys and car were Darrell’s?” I asked.
“Yes, and Mr. Deere was not too happy about being printed.”
I felt so sorry to hear Darrell had been inconvenienced. “Obviously he didn’t find any signs of the ruby in the items he had. That must have been when he realized it was in the weasel, but by then it was locked inside the police station. When he saw Silas with me and the weasel at Cuppa Joe’s he must have about split a seam.”
Blake replied, “That is a fair estimation. He broke into your shop to get the weasel before you sold it to someone else, but Kiska and the couple in the street scared him off. By the time you called him about the note, he was getting desperate. He says he came to your office to make an offer on the weasel.”
“Oh, yeah. Most people make offers with a cane poised above my head. Gives a whole new meaning to driving a hard bargain.”
“He claims he just got excited. He said he wasn’t threatening you.”
“Ask Betty. Kiska was holding him off.”
“Not according to his version. He said he was protecting himself from Kiska.”
“Kiska? Be serious. He wouldn’t hurt a fly. Darrell was going to pummel me.”
“Kiska is intimidating to non-dog people, Lucy. I don’t doubt Darrell was a little worried.”
I wasn’t about to buy that. As far as Mr. Deere was concerned, my rose-colored glasses were shattered. Blake, however, refused to see Darrell’s less-savory side. We hung up on only a slightly less frosty note than we began the conversation.
The man was impossible. He admitted I helped him by clobbering Darrell, but then he chose to believe the attacker instead of the attackee. And to even insinuate Kiska might have been at fault, well, that was unforgivable. I was better off without him; Blake, that is.
I tromped back to my office and made a few notes. Even though Ted had told me I was too close to be objective, and Blake had made me swear our phone conversation was off the record, I was writing the story. I would convince Ted, and hopefully Blake would relent. Even if I had to stand in line with all the other reporters for the “official statement,” I still had my own first-hand experience to use. That would be enough to write a killer article (pun intended) if I had no other choice.
I made my notes and stared at the wall. I couldn’t get into the shop owner thing after all the excitement. My head was spinning. It was Sunday. Rhonda would be at home.
I left Dusty Deals and drove to her house. She and Nostradamus were enjoying a picnic in their backyard. I filled her in on all the developments since I’d last seen her. She, of course, was mainly interested in Blake and the details of every conversation I’d had with him. Shaking my head, I left her to her picnic and went in search of the jacket I’d left at the Antebellum Friday night.
My buddy Steve was working the front desk. I don’t think he remembered me.
“Did anyone turn in a coat the other night?”
Steve stared at me blankly.
“Can I go look for it?”
He waved me up the stairs.
It took a few minutes to find my jacket stuck between two stacks of folding chairs in the small conference room. I tugged it out and walked to the curved staircase. As I started to descend, I saw Blake standing at the bottom. I let my coat trail behind me as I walked slowly down the steps.
“How’d you know where I was?” I asked when I reached the bottom step.
“I called Rhonda.” He stood quietly watching me.
I took another step down onto the floor less than a foot away from him. He pulled off his cowboy hat as he reached for me. Before his lips met mine, he whispered, “I must have a screw loose.”
Okay, okay it wasn’t the most romantic line I’ve ever heard (well, it probably is in the top five that have actually been directed at me), but it was the best I was going to get. And, when it comes right down to it, I did get my man so… frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn.
Epilogue
Ted and Blake both relented. I got to write the entire thing—front page on all five major Montana papers. And while Ted did not drop onto bended knee and beg my forgiveness, he did tell me what I’d done wasn’t bad for a “wuss.”
I think he was joking.
I haven’t gone back to work for him full time, but I am continuing to write—and that deer head has lost all its powers over me.
Marcy has taken over special sections for advertising, things like 101 places to spend your tax refund and countdowns to Christmas that start in July. And Ted is still looking for a crime reporter, if anyone is interested.
Rhonda and Silas are still dating. Silas made a down payment on a house with an outbuilding. His worm ranch is close to reality. Rhonda seems happy with him, but I don’t hold out a lot of hope for their relationship. She started taking a yoga class and has talked non-stop about her instructor.
Bill came back from his trip to learn he had almost bought a 12-carat ruby for 50 dollars—definitely the bargain of the century.
Gary is dating Angie. I see them on occasion pumping their way up a mountain. I have not gone back to any beginner rides.
Darrell is not in jail. He paid me the 200 dollars for my door and now avoids me like the plague. His siblings found out about the ruby, and they, along with Crandell’s family, are involved in a bitter court battle. Bill, who could argue he had a verbal contract to buy the weasel, has kept out of it. As it is, no one will probably see profit from the ruby for generations. I did a little research on the Internet and learned that Burmese rubies have sold for over 225,000 dollars a carat, making the Deere ruby possibly worth $3 million.
Blake is still cocky and a royal pain in my side. We haven’t gone on an “official” date yet, but we do bump into each other with growing frequency. Yesterday, I bought a new, unused toothbrush to keep in my purse, just in case.
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Cut Loose, book two in the Dusty Deals Mystery Series is available now!
About the Author
Like Lucy, Rae Davies loves antiques. This book is dedicated to her own Alaskan malamute who, like Lucy’s Kiska, was full of life and love.
Contact Rae
Website: http://www.RaeDavies.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RaeDaviesAuthor
Email: [email protected]
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/raedaviesa
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For romance and urban fantasy novels, visit Rae’s other persona, Lori Devoti.
Website: http://www.LoriDevoti.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LoriDevotiAuthor
Email: [email protected]
Like Romantic Comedy? Check out Love is All Around, also by Rae Davies.
5 Stars from Affair de Coeur Magazine!
Patsy Lee Clark knows what she wants - out of Daisy Creek and away from everything country. That is until Will Barnes rolls back into her life. This bad boy from her past spent fourteen years making up for teenage mistakes. Now he's ready for a fresh beginning. The harder Patsy tries to escape her Ozark roots, the more Will reminds her of what makes them special. The harder Will tries to start over, the more Patsy and her family get in his way. Can Will convince Patsy they belong together in Daisy Creek or will she follow her dreams and leave him and the Ozarks forever?
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Table of Contents
Prologue
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
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Epilogue
About the Author
Contact Rae