Nothing To Croak About (Silver Hollow Paranormal Cozy Mystery Series Book 3)

by Leighann Dobbs

  She turned a corner and heard another gasp, this time accompanied by a grunt and a squeak. There was moonlight streaming in through the front windows, and she could make out the silhouette of a man holding another person against their will. Issy blinked several times to clear her vision. By the time her eyes adjusted, her heart had nosedived to somewhere near her toes. It was Len Childs—not Troy—leaning against a mirrored wall in Jerry’s living room. He had his arm wrapped around Ember’s neck, holding her captive, and a gun pointed at her temple.

  “Let her go!” Issy shouted, though she knew it was useless. As useless as her magic would be in here. She didn’t know if Len knew anything about magic, but if he had, he’d been smart. By leaning against that mirrored wall, there was no way Issy could risk casting a spell against him without the possibility of it boomeranging back at her—especially with that gun so close to Ember’s head. The results could be deadly.

  Her original plans in tatters, Issy’s confidence waned. She and Ember had charged over here with the belief their magic would defend them against whatever Troy Holland might throw at them. She hadn’t thought it through and considered all the possible outcomes. Like a big fat magic-inhibiting mirror on one wall.

  “You nosy Quinns just can’t mind your own business, can you?” Len snarled, his face twisted with rage. “Now I’ll have to kill both of you too.”

  Issy met his gaze, doing her best not to let her terror show. “It was you? You killed Sarah Landers ten years ago?”

  “She had it coming.” Len squeezed his arm tighter around Ember’s throat, and she clawed at his forearm, struggling for breath. “Just like the two of you.”

  Panicked, Issy glanced into the open kitchen nearby. It too was in shambles—drawers on the floor, utensils tossed willy-nilly all over the place. She looked back at Len, working off her suspicions. “You’ve been looking for something.”

  “What have you done with Jerry Blaisdale?” Ember managed to say, still struggling against Len’s hold.

  Len snorted. “I figured you gals would have doped it out by now. I was the one who sent Jerry on vacation. Made up that whole story about it being a benefit from the paper mill and all. And good old Jerry… well, he’s so stupid, he bought it the same as he did ten years ago.”

  “Why?” Issy asked, sure she already had a good idea of the answer but wanting to keep him talking just the same. If he was distracted, that meant he was less likely to hurt Ember.

  “Why? To get Jerry out of here so I could look for the camera I gave him after that Florida trip during spring break.” Len shook his head. “I told Troy to ditch that camera, but no. He said his dad gave it to him and it had sentimental value, so he gave it to Jerry instead. I told him it could blow our cover, show we were down there goofing around instead of being up here at work like we were supposed to be, but Troy wouldn’t budge, and since Jerry was a camera buff and it was a new fancy model, he figured we could stash it with him until everything blew over. Jerry thought he was being nice, and he never figured out the real reason.”

  “And Troy never asked for it back after all these years?”

  “Oh, he did. I was nice enough to get it back for him. Well, at least that’s what Troy thought. See, I didn’t want to call attention to the camera. Didn’t want to raise Jerry’s suspicions, so I simply went out and got the exact same model and pretended it was the one he’d given to Jerry. The exact one his father had given him.”

  “So the real evidence of what happened to Sarah Landers has been hidden under Jerry Blaisdale’s roof the whole time? And no one but you knew it was there.”

  “Yep.” Len flashed a self-satisfied grin. “Brilliant, eh? Good thing for me there wasn’t any Facebook or social media back then. Otherwise all those dumb college kids would’ve been posting second-by-second updates of what they were doing every single minute of the day.”

  Issy shook her head. “That’s why you destroyed all the other cameras.”

  “Of course.” Len winked, and a cold shiver of fear ran through Issy. This guy wasn’t remorseful at all over what he’d done. In fact, he was proud of killing that girl. “I figured if I ruined the cameras, the pictures inside them would be ruined too. So I paid some ditzy blond to toss all the cameras into the pool one night at a party. I tried to get Troy to do it to save us some money, but he was too much of a goodie-goodie to go along with the plan.”

  “You were taking quite a risk that Jerry wouldn’t look at the pictures and figure things out,” Issy said.

  “I erased them, so I knew Jerry would never find them. But I know the cops have ways to recover erased data. I didn’t want the police getting that camera. Ten years ago, Jerry took it on the trumped-up vacation with him but turns out that wasn’t even necessary. The cops never even questioned Jerry or knew about Troy’s camera. But now that things were heating up again, I figured I better find that camera and destroy it.”

  “So Troy helped you cover up the murder?” Issy needed to keep him talking, get him away from that mirror, if possible. That way she could blast him with her magic and get this horrible situation back under control. “Doesn’t sound like a very good guy to me.”

  “Troy never knew about me killing that girl.” Len scoffed. “He thought I was just keen to cover up our secret trip during spring break so his dad wouldn’t get mad. It served my purposes, so I let him keep thinking that. Hyped it up too, saying I’d overheard his dad say that if he ever found out about a scandal, he’d disown Troy, cut him out of the paper mill and his inheritance. Well, that was more than enough to keep good-boy Troy on my tight leash.

  “The fact his dad had flown all the way down to Florida to bring us home and hustled us away in secret only reinforced the idea in his head.” Len shrugged. “After that, it was easy enough to play on Troy’s fears and insecurities to get him to help me cover our tracks at the paper mill and establish our alibi as interns once the story of Sarah Landers’s murder broke. I thought everything was scrubbed clean too, until I found Troy’s camera shoved in my backpack. That took a little ingenuity, but I convinced Troy to let Jerry keep the camera for him. We made up some story about it, and good old Jerry was too stupid to connect the dots and understand the significance.”

  “But why did you send Jerry on vacation again?” Issy inched to the side, hoping Len might follow suit and move away from the mirrored wall. Then she might have a chance of rescuing Ember. “Why not just ask him for the camera back?”

  “Jerry was meeting with that private detective. He was all worked up about investigating the case. He was dumb, but I knew he would get suspicious if I suddenly asked about that camera now. I figured if I killed the guy, the cops would lock up this house as a crime scene like they did Adele’s. Couldn’t get what I needed if it was locked up, so I sent him to Bermuda instead. Still can’t quite believe the poor schmuck fell for the same con twice.”

  So that’s why Gladys had seemed confused about the trips. It wasn’t because they weren’t offered to her, they weren’t offered to anyone.

  “So you killed Adele too?”

  “Had to. I saw the photos at Scott’s funeral. I had forgotten about that stupid old instant camera someone had at spring break until I saw pictures of Scott on that spring break vacation at his funeral. Then I heard that scraggly girlfriend of Scott’s asking Adele for some box of photos. I couldn’t take the chance that one of them would show my face.”

  “So you broke in and bludgeoned an old woman?”

  “I wouldn’t have had to if she’d just stayed in her bedroom. I was quiet as a mouse. Wanted time to go through all the books so I could just take the photos. I heard her moving around in the hall. I hid, and when she went into the kitchen, I came up behind her. She was a mean old thing, and something weird happened in there. There was a ghost or… something floating around. Spooked me so I grabbed anything that looked like it could have photos and ran. Got a bunch of crap like appointment books, but also got the photos.”

  “Why’d you
dump them in the dumpster?”

  Len scowled. “Stupid homeless people screwed me again on that. I put the albums in right before the truck was supposed to come. Would have gone to the landfill and been buried under a ton of garbage long before anyone even thought to look for them if that meddlesome girlfriend didn’t do her dumpster-diving routine.”

  “I still don’t understand why you killed Scott, though,” Issy said.

  Len made a face. “He’s the one person I didn’t kill. He really did kill himself. Maybe he overdosed by mistake, I have no idea. Honestly, if he hadn’t, I would never have known about those photos and we could have all gone on with our lives, fat, dumb, and happy. But now I’ve had to kill two other people, and it looks like I’m gonna kill two more.”

  “Why did you kill Sarah Landers in the first place?” Ember squeaked out.

  Len gave a derisive snort. “The girls always liked Troy and Scott better. Never liked me. When we hit the beaches at spring break, that Sarah was all over Scott like white on rice. I tried talking to her, but she wouldn’t give me the time of day.” Len squeezed Ember tighter, and she gagged, her feet scrabbling on the hardwood floor. Issy held her breath, desperate to figure out how to save her cousin. “But I got Sarah to pay attention to me in the end.”

  Through the dim light, Ember met Issy’s eyes, and a silent understanding passed between them. Ember ceased her struggles and gazed up at Len, batting her eyelashes. “That’s not true, Len. We always liked you.”

  He scrunched his nose and looked down at her. “You did?”

  “Yes,” Issy chimed in, moving a tad closer to them. She forced a smile. “And look at all this stuff you’ve kept covered up for years. You’re so clever, Len. Isn’t that right, Ember?”

  “Oh yeah.” Ember straightened slightly as Len’s hold on her throat loosened. “No one ever suspected you killed Sarah Landers. We all thought it was that drug addict, Scott. And don’t worry, we won’t tell anyone either, Len. Will we, Issy?”

  “No. My lips are sealed.” Issy moved closer still, thinking if she could flatter him enough to let Ember go completely then she could hit him with a somnambulism spell. A sleeping incantation would knock them all out for a while, but at least it wouldn’t hurt anyone if it bounced back through the mirror. She’d have to make it a powerful one, though. It wouldn’t help Ember if it knocked Issy out and left her cousin to fight Len on her own. “You always were smart in school, got the best grades, and now you’re the right-hand man to the wealthiest family in Silver Hollow. Seems you were always destined for great things, Len.”

  “I am pretty smart, not going to lie.” Len gave a smug chuckle, and Issy swallowed hard against the bile rising in her throat. Lying had never sat well with her, and lying to a known killer didn’t make the situation any better. Still, she would do what had to be done to save Ember and herself. “How’d you get the staff at the Tropic Ranch Hotel to keep quiet about you and Troy staying there?” Issy asked. “Surely someone on the staff or one of the other guests might’ve mentioned you and Troy being there, especially after your hasty departure.”

  “Pffttt.” Len grinned. “That part was easy. The staff I paid off. The other guests were mostly drunk and unreliable witnesses, so no need for money. They discredited themselves. Even poor Scott Brundage was easy enough to fool. The guy was so wasted he blacked out most of the trip. Then, as soon as the news broke of Sarah’s murder, Troy’s dad pulled some strings to avoid any bad publicity from our ill-advised trip and any association between the body and the Holland family name.” Len gave a disgusted sigh. “Old Mr. Holland was always so worried about a scandal. He never did ask either of us about our involvement with Sarah Landers. Probably didn’t want to know, in case he heard something he didn’t like. Like I said, once we were back home in Silver Hollow, Troy and I worked on the internship program the rest of the week to support our alibi. We even made up elaborate scenarios to vouch for each other during the time we’d missed down in Florida. We were each other’s alibi. And, of course, Troy’s dad has pull.”

  Issy thought back to their meeting with Gladys and how the older lady had mentioned the elder Mr. Holland not wanting his name linked to any scandal. She sidled closer to Len, taking a deep breath and clenching her fists, preparing her magic to strike. “Why don’t you let my cousin go, Len? Like she said, we won’t say a word to anyone.”

  As if realizing just how close Issy had gotten, Len frowned and tightened his hold on Ember again. “Stay back!” he yelled, pressing the gun harder against Ember’s temple. “What are you girls playing at?”

  “Nothing.” Issy squinted as headlights glared in brightly through the living room windows.

  Len inhaled sharply and scowled at Issy, his tone accusatory. “You brought the cops!”

  “No.” Issy held her position though her knees were knocking. “I swear, we didn’t. Please don’t hurt Ember.”

  “Shut up!” Len looked around wildly, as if searching for an escape route. “There’s no more time for talking. I need to get out of here.”

  Through the brilliant white light now filling the room, Issy saw Len’s hands shaking, his finger trembling on the trigger of the gun. If he made one slip, one false move, he could kill her cousin, possibly kill her too…

  Without another thought for her own safety, Issy unclenched her tight fists and hurled the first nonharmful spell she could think of at Len—a fainting spell. Unfortunately, with all the tension in the air and her own hands shaking from fear and adrenaline, Issy’s aim was off.

  The spell hit Ember instead, and she sagged heavily against Len, dead weight in his arms.

  Unable to support Ember and still hold the gun, Len dropped her to the floor and aimed directly for Issy instead.

  “Say hi to Sarah for me,” Len said, his icy tone chilling.

  Time seemed to slow around Issy as she watched Len pull the trigger. More headlights beamed into the windows, spotlighting the scene as she threw herself to the ground, instinctively trying to avoid the bullet. Sirens wailed and tires screeched on the asphalt driveway. Through a haze of smoke and the acrid stench of gunpowder, Issy crawled across the debris-riddled floor toward her cousin. “Ember? Are you okay?”

  Behind her, she was vaguely aware of a loud crash. With her cousin cradled in her arm, she turned to see the front door kicked open and Dex standing there like an avenging angel.

  “Come here!” Before Issy could resist, Len grabbed her around the neck, like he had Ember, and yanked her to her feet. The only difference this time was that Dex had his weapon pulled as well, pointing it at Len. And he looked more than ready to use it, if his harsh expression was any indication.

  26

  In a split second, Dex took in the scene before him. Ember on the floor, unmoving. No visible blood, so she could be unconscious. Issy held captive, sheer terror in her eyes. Dex’s gut clenched tight. Len Childs sneering behind her, the barrel of his semiautomatic aimed straight for Dex’s heart.

  His first instinct was to shoot first and ask questions later.

  Except that Len held Issy before him like a shield. No way Dex could take the shot and not hit her. And he’d rather shoot himself than hit Issy with a bullet. As if sensing this, Len grinned and slowly moved the gun until it rested against the side of Issy’s soft neck, right over her jugular. Issy’s gorgeous green eyes widened as she stared at Dex, a silent plea in her gaze. She was paranormal, made of magic, yet she seemed completely helpless. He wasn’t sure why, but the idea gutted him just the same.

  Looked like it would be up to him this time to save the day.

  “Put the gun down, Mr. Childs, and let’s discuss this,” Dex said, narrowing his gaze on Issy. He willed her to stay calm even as his own pulse thundered loudly in his ears. “You don’t want to do this. There are other cops right behind me, and you can’t get away.”

  “Shut up!” Len shouted. “You drop your gun, or I’ll shoot your pretty little girlfriend here.”

  Can’t. F
ail. This. Time.

  Dex kept repeating that mantra in his head even as flashes of the old kidnapping case flooded his mind. This time would be different. This time he would save the day because this time there was even more at stake, at least where his heart was concerned. This time Issy’s life rested in his hands, and he wouldn’t, couldn’t let her down.

  He needed a plan, something clever to get her away from Len. He tried stepping closer, but with each footstep, Len’s hold around Issy’s neck tightened. Issy gasped for breath, clawing at Len’s forearm until Dex was scared she’d suffocate.

  “Drop the weapon,” Len repeated, shoving his gun harder into the side of Issy’s neck. “Do it, or I’ll shoot her. I swear I will. Blow her head off and get out of here before you even take another step at me.”

  Running through all his training in his head, Dex knew the key to apprehending Len was to get the guy to relax. The second his gun slipped away from Issy’s neck, Dex would strike. Now, how to accomplish that? It had been a long time since those classes at Quantico, and Dex hadn’t thought he’d need those tactics anymore after moving to the paranormal division. But he’d been wrong. He glanced over and caught Issy’s eye again, saw the fear in their seafoam-green depths but also saw a spark of her affection for him there. And in that instant he knew. What he and Issy had was right.

  Never mind that she rushed into danger. Never mind that she was some kind of witch. Dex had been wrong about a lot of things when he’d first come to Silver Hollow. Dex didn’t plan on being wrong about things anymore.

  “You’re right, Len.” Dex stepped closer and crouched, as if he was going to put his gun on the floor. His gaze never left Len’s finger, trembling on the trigger of his weapon. “I can’t win. I can’t let you shoot Issy, so I’m putting my gun down.”