“A snake. Why not just poison the guy with a cookie or something?” Heather rammed her mouth shut. She’d reached the point of no return. The thought of murder in her hometown didn’t scare her anymore. It injected her with determination.
“Revenge killing,” Ryan said, immediately. “That’s the first thing that comes to mind.”
“What? Why?”
“Mr. Jones, sorry, Jimmy Bob Jones, was a poacher,” Ryan said. “We’ve been to his house several times to investigate, but he manages to hide his operation every time.”
“Jimmy Bob Jones,” Heather said, and palmed her face.
“JB for short. We’ve had a lot of complaints about this guy,” Ryan replied. He shook his head. “Given what we know now, it’s time we look more closely at those complaints.”
Heather whipped out her notepad and pen, then scribbled the victim’s name across the top of the page. She tapped her bottom lip with the end of the pen. “A revenge killing. That begs the question, who would have access to a coral snake? Who would know how to handle a coral snake without getting bitten?”
“I can think of one place in town,” Ryan replied. “The Sunny Hill Pet Store. They stock exotic critters too, as far as I know. I can’t remember the owner’s name, but she was definitely one of the folks who complained about the poacher.”
Heather scribbled the pet store’s name down on her notepad. “I’ll be sure to check that out.”
“Right,” Ryan said. “I’m gonna head to the car and call this in.”
“Yeah, I’d better get home and stop Lilly from devouring her own body weight in popcorn. You know how she gets,” Heather replied.
The girl had a fantastic metabolism, but she took advantage of it far too often and in the worst ways.
Dave and Lilly loved their junk food.
“I’d like to see you stop her.” Ryan laughed and looped his arm around his wife’s shoulders.
“Oh, I’ll figure out a way. I’ll threaten her with a broccoli bake for dinner.”
Ryan burst out laughing again. “Pure evil.”
Chapter 4
Heather unlocked the front door of Donut Delights and flipped the sign from closed to open.
Amy stood behind the counter and fiddled with the coffee machine. “Ugh, I need a double espresso this morning.”
“Espresso?” Heather asked, and turned to face her bestie.
“Fine, a double cappuccino. You know I can’t stand that bitter, stuff,” Amy replied, and stifled another yawn. She punched a few buttons, then clicked mugs onto the metal grate beneath the spouts of the machine.
Heather strode to the counter, then rounded it and plonked down in her stool. “Almost time for the morning rush. I wonder who our first customer will be today.”
The beginning of the day always intrigued Heather. Fingers of yellow-orange dawn crept across the tarmac outside and touched the windows of the store opposite the road.
“I think I’m allergic to waking up this early,” Amy said and turned on the milk frothing machine.
The front door to Donut Delights opened, and the bell tinkled overhead.
Heather straightened and hopped off her seat, though she had barely any energy. She’d spent the night pondering yesterday’s ‘snake murder.’
A familiar face had entered the store.
“Jamie?” Heather asked. She’d interviewed this guy a couple of weeks ago during the case of the murdered Private Investigator.
Jamie Purdue stepped up to the counter and smiled at her. He glanced at Amy, and she met his gaze and fumbled with the frothing machine. She switched it off, coughed into her fist, then smiled. “Hello,” she said.
Very un-Amy-like. She’d usually have a witty quip at this point in the conversation.
“Hi,” he said and returned her smile.
Heather glanced between the two of them. What was this awkward vibe about?
Amy noticed her gaze and returned to their cappuccinos. She poured the foam on top and used the spoon to spread it, evenly.
“May I help you, Mr. Purdue?” Heather asked.
“You can call me Jamie,” he replied. “I – uh, I’m not here for donuts.”
“Coffee?” Heather asked.
Amy jumped at the mention of coffee. Something had gotten under her skin. What on earth was it?
“No, thank you,” Jamie said and glanced at Heather’s bestie again. “I’ve come to talk about JB Jones.”
Heather arched an eyebrow. “Oh really?”
“Yeah, I figured you’d be investigating this case. I read about it in the paper this morning. I’ve got some information for you.” Jamie pressed his fingertips onto the glass counter.
“I’m all ears,” Heather replied.
Amy placed the cappuccino on the counter in front of her. Heather swept it up into her hands and took a huge sip. The warm coffee slid down her throat, and she sighed.
That was much better.
“Let’s sit down,” Heather said and circled the counter. She walked toward one of her wrought iron tables, then drew back a chair and sat down. She placed her cup on the glass top.
Jamie joined her a second later. Ames stayed behind the counter, her cheeks tinged pink.
Heather would have to quiz her about this later.
“What’s up?” Heather asked.
Jamie placed his hands on the table and brushed them over each other. “I started working at the Sunny Hill Pet Store about a week ago,” he said. “I like it there. I love animals, and this fit the bill for a great job.”
“Right?” Was this a segue to something else? “And you heard about Jones’ murder.”
“I assumed I’d be a suspect. We have a collection of exotic and local snakes in store. There are a few collectors who come from far and wide to purchase them. In fact, my boss, Sofia, wants to set up a fund for coral snakes.”
“A fund?”
“Yeah. She wants to invest research into expanding the genetic diversity among local snake populations,” Jamie said.
“You lost me for a second there,” Heather replied, then chuckled. “So basically, she wants to protect these snakes?”
“Yeah, something like that. Though, I’m kinda off the point here,” Jamie said.
Heather shifted and took another sip of her drink.
“Did you know that there hasn’t been a death reported from a coral snake bite since 1967? That’s when the antivenin was developed, I believe.” Jamie scratched his stubbly chin and folded his arms across his broad chest. “One of those snakes went missing from our store two days before Jones died.”
“That’s quite a lot to process,” Heather said. She patted down her apron and brought out her notepad and pen. She always carried it with her, for times like these.
Leads could pop up at a moment’s notice.
“And there’s more,” Jamie said. He checked that there weren’t any customers incoming, then leaned in. “I witnessed an argument between my boss, Sofia, and Jones the morning of his death.”
“What was said?” Heather asked.
“Sofia accused him of poaching snakes near the South Bosque River. Cottonmouth snakes, to be specific, and he laughed in her face.” Jamie grimaced. “It was right outside the store.”
“Did he come around often?” Heather asked. If Jones had been determined to annoy Sofia, it stood to reason that she might’ve snapped.
But would a woman who loved snakes risk endangering one to end the poacher’s life? After all, there hadn’t been any real guarantee that the snake would bite the poacher. That’d been serendipity for the animals of Hillside and an unfortunate turn of events for Jimmy Bob Jones.
“I don’t think so. I didn’t see him prior to yesterday morning, but boy, when he walked past Sofia lost it. She was furious at him and just launched an attack. Verbal, of course.” Jamie ran his hand through his thick brown hair. “It sounds like I’m trying to incriminate my boss, but that’s not it. I just want to be helpful. The last time you invest
igated, I wasn’t exactly cooperative, and the killer almost got away.”
“I appreciate it, Jamie,” Heather said and flashed him a smile. She wrote down a few notes, then underlined Sofia’s name. “I think you’ll be seeing a lot more of me, soon. And Amy, too.”
Jamie’s cheeks reddened. “Good. I – uh, I look forward to talking with you both again.”
Chapter 5
Ryan squashed in beside Heather on the bleachers and handed her a stick with a blob of bright pink cotton candy on the end.
“You know,” he said and gestured with his own blue colored blob. “I didn’t think they’d have treats at a dog show. Not the human kind, anyway.”
Eva Schneider shifted beside Heather and opened the Donut Delights box she’d brought along for her snack. “Who needs cotton candy when you can have one of Heather’s fantastic Iced Pumpkin Donuts?”
“I’ll have one,” Amy said and twiddled her fingers toward the box.
Eva slapped her fingers away. “Ah! What’s the magic word, dear?”
“Puh-lease.” Amy grinned and removed a treat from the box, then took a bite. “Oh yeah. That’s Thanksgiving on the tongue.”
Heather craned her neck above the crowds of people and searched for Lilly. The contestants had lined up on the opposite side of the field, nearby a small decorative gate which led to a complicated course.
Dave sat beside Lilly and wagged his tail, totally calm.
“Dave is a changed dog thanks to that girl,” Eva said.
“He still pees on my carpets,” Amy replied. “He hasn’t changed that much.”
All four of them laughed together.
“Hey hon,” Ryan said. “We got the results back from those shoes. A woman’s size seven. Too small to be a man’s.”
“So, the killer was a woman,” Heather said and bit her bottom lip. At least, this distracted her from her nerves for Lilly and Dave’s performance. “A woman who despised the poacher.”
“Or a man trying to frame a woman.”
Heather’s mind flicked back to Jamie Purdue in Donut Delights. He’d seemed sincere, but why had he sought her out? Could it be that he’d come to see her to throw her off his tracks?
She’d dealt with killers who’d have done exactly that to get away with, well, murder.
An elderly woman shuffled onto the field, just ahead of the bleachers and raised a megaphone. “Quiet, now. The contest is about to begin.” Impatience tinged the woman’s sweet tone.
“Oh yeah, this is going to be awesome. Lils and Dave will be the stars of the show,” Amy said.
Heather crossed her fingers in her lap. “Why am I so nervous?” She muttered to her husband.
Ryan kissed her on the cheek. “Because she’s your daughter. You want what’s best for her.”
The old woman walked to the center of the small field and raised the megaphone again. “Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the annual Fall Fur Flurry!”
Applause ruptured the torpid silence.
The woman waved her hands for quiet, and it fell once again. “Our contestants will compete on this course. The dog and owner to finish first and with the least number of technical mistakes will win our grand prize.”
“Ooh, what’s the grand prize?” Amy hissed and took another bite of her donut.
The scent of cinnamon and dog shampoo twisted through the air and up Heather’s nostrils. It was a strange combination, but she liked it.
“The first place winner will walk away with a fully paid dog training course and,” the woman said, and paused for effect, “a fully paid family trip to New York to attend the Leatherstocking Cluster Fall Dog Show!”
“Wow,” Heather said and clasped Ryan’s hand. “Wow, wouldn’t that be exciting?”
“Like you could ever leave Donut Delights,” Ryan whispered back.
He had a good point, but if Lilly and Dave one, she’d be hard-pressed to say no to their newest family member.
“Our second place prize is a cash prize of two hundred dollars, written out to the owner, to be used at local grooming salons and pet stores. Third place is a voucher for a dog spa worth fifty dollars.”
Heather gobbled down some cotton candy, but it did nothing to soothe her nerves.
Lilly the star probably hadn’t registered any nerves at this point.
The girl had left the house in her Halloween costume, Indiana Jones, with Dave dressed as her research assistant.
“Contestants will be judged according to a point and timing system. There are three judges,” the woman said. “I am Penelope Walsh. Our second judge is Jerry Lee Lobos, and our third is Kiara Tinny.” She gestured to the folks at the table beside the obstacle course.
“Oh my gosh, this lady likes the sound of her own voice,” Amy groaned. “I wish they’d start already. I can’t take the waiting. Really gets my nerves up.”
“And without further ado, I’ll introduce our first contestant. Miss Lilly Jones and her doggy pal, Dave.”
Penny Walsh hurried over to the judging table and took her seat.
“She’s first,” Heather said, then grasped Ryan’s hand and squeezed. “It’s better that way, right? She can just get it out of the way and relax.”
Lilly stepped up to the cute, carved gate and clicked her fingers at Dave. He rose from his sitting position and wagged his tail, once.
Lilly bent and removed his leash.
She opened the gate, then directed Dave toward the first obstacle – a long tunnel.
Dave jostled through it and popped out the other end. Lilly ran alongside him and fed him a treat, then patted the end of a long balance beam.
He hopped up and pattered along its length, no barks sounded. Not a single complaint.
“Are we one hundred percent sure that’s Dave out there?” Ryan asked.
“I’ve never seen anything like it,” Heather replied. “He’s fantastic.”
Lilly clicked again, and Dave hopped off the balance beam. He turned a circle, barked and leaped into the air.
The crowd applauded.
Lilly directed him through several traffic cones, left, right, left until Heather’s head spun from the changes in direction.
The course continued, and Dave went through each obstacle. He stumbled and fell once, but hopped up and resumed the course. A true champion.
Lilly stopped in front of the judge’s table and bowed. Dave rose on his hind legs and barked once, then dropped back down.
The crowd cheered and whooped. The judges scribbled down their scores.
Chapter 6
Heather stopped Lilly in front of the pet store and place a hand on her daughter’s shoulder. “You know I’m super proud of you, right?”
“We all are,” Amy said and grinned from beside the door. “Our very own heroin.”
“I only got second place,” Lilly replied. “But I’m super excited to get Dave some cool stuff.” She took out her prize money and flashed it at the pair of them. “Maybe a new doggy cushion? Or a ball? Or, oh, one of those milk bone things.”
“Let’s go inside and check it out,” Heather said. She opened the front door of the Sunny Hill Pet Store.
They stepped out of the Hillside afternoon and into the scent of wood shavings, feathers, dog food and all those other pet store smells that sent Heather right back to the day she’d brought Dave home as a puppy.
Lilly grinned and disappeared among the toys and cages. She was on a mission of her own.
“Look at her go,” Amy said and folded her arms across her chest. “She really is a mini-you, Heather. A total go-getter.”
“Stop, you’re making me blush.” Heather patted her bestie on the back, then turned to the counter.
A woman stood behind it, beside a dogfood display. A collection of fluffy toys for cats sat on top of the wood, in front of her.
“May I help you?” She asked.
It wasn’t a coincidence Heather had chosen the Sunny Hill Pet Store for Lilly’s shopping adventure.
“A
re you Sofia?” Heather asked, and extended her hand.
A frown flickered across the woman’s forehead. She swept her dark hair back, then shook Heather’s hand. “Sofia Lopez, yes. I’m the owner of this store. How may I help you?”
“Is Jamie here?” Amy asked, then rammed her teeth together to block any further questions.
Sofia blinked at her. “No, his shift ended an hour ago. Do you want me to take a message for you?”
Amy shook her head but didn’t say anything.
Heather narrowed her eyes at her best friend. She’d have to have a chat with Amy sooner rather than later. Her behavior had upgraded from mildly strange to downright weird.
“Miss Lopez,” Heather said. “Do you have a minute to chat?”
Amy sauntered backward and bumped into a parrot cage. The bird squawked at her, and she yelped. “I’m going to go check on Lilly.”
“Sure,” Sofia said and focused on Heather rather than the commotion her bestie had made. “Do you need help with your pet? I can’t offer medical advice, unfortunately.”
“No, nothing like that,” Heather replied. She brought out her notepad and pen, then scratched Sofia’s name across the top of the page.
“You a reporter?”
“I’m a private investigator working in conjunction with the Hillside Police Department.”
“I see,” Sofia replied. “And you want to ask me about the break-in?”
“I – pardon me?”
Sofia gestured to the back of the store. “We had a break-in a few days ago. Someone stole a very valuable snake. I believe Jamie reported it to the police.”
Heather made a note of that. Ryan sure hadn’t mentioned anything about a break-in being reported, and he would have, given that they’d discussed the pet store directly after the discovery of JB’s body.
“I came to discuss the murder of the poacher, Jimmy Bob Jones.”
“Oh,” Sofia said. “Yeah, I read about that in the paper. To be honest, I’m not unhappy about it. He was a horrible creature.”
“Why do you say that?” Heather asked, pen poised above paper.
Iced Pumpkin Murder: A Donut Hole Cozy Mystery - Book 26 Page 2