by Molly Dox
When he first met Nick at one of the firehouse gatherings at the end of the summer, he knew he’d found his man. No room for advancement for way too long, a cop’s salary that didn’t keep up with the cost of living in the fancy community, and looking for some action, an adrenalin rush. When he finally got him alone, the cop’s face dropped like lead. How dare he think he’d go crooked…but when he heard the amount of money involved, suddenly he perked up. He could easily double his yearly salary with this gig. There was a list of homes, if they hit a handful and got in and out, they’d be done and nobody would be any wiser.
Nick wanted money, but Ian, Mr. South Carolina, wanted the thrill of lighting a place up. He chose empty homes. It was crucial that he targeted resort and vacation areas. He didn’t want to hurt anyone, but needed to light things on fire. He needed it to be big, and then he needed to show up and fight the fires he set. He needed it like a heroin addict needed a fix. Fires were his fix.
When Annie got so involved in the last investigation in town, Nick knew it was smart to keep her close. He saw the glint in her eye when she talked about this stuff. Better to know what she and others were talking about to keep his back covered. He hated to use her that way, but he couldn’t risk losing his career. It was a part-time gig that was almost over. Six more houses on the list and he’d wash his hands of it, discarding whatever little evidence came into the police station.
Annie’s scream pierced the air as Nick grabbed her. Pip heard the scream and ran out the door that was still open, lunging at the officer’s leg. Annie watched as Nick tried to kick off the dog, yelling in pain. Taking a hint from Pip, Annie bit down on Nick’s arm. It worked; he released her with a yelp. Annie took off running into the street…a car was coming. She stood in the center of the road, flagging down the vehicle. “Call 9-1-1,” she cried out. “Help me!”
The car stopped and let the distressed woman in. Her dog jumped in with her.
“Lady, are you okay?”
“9-1-1,” she was babbling, trying to calm herself.
The man held out his phone for her to use.
Catching her breath, she called dispatch, telling them what happened. A shiver ran through her. Nick was gimping to get into the van to drive away. She read the tag to the police dispatcher and sadly gave his name to them. “It’s Officer Nick Rossi of Sandy Beach Township. He tried to kidnap me. I think he’s involved in the arson cases.” She also gave them Ian’s name as a possible accomplice and told them what she knew.
The man in the car’s mouth dropped open.
Hanging up the phone, Annie thanked the man for stopping. He may have very well saved her life.
***
Nick gave up Ian to lighten his own sentence. Plea bargains were struck, and puzzles were solved.
Annie sat on her sofa staring at the wall. Things could have gone even worse. She snuggled Pip and thanked her for coming to her rescue. “You’re the best friend a girl could ask for.”
Nobody expected a police officer to be involved in the crimes, so the talk of the town was alive with gossip. At least everybody would rest easy that night, knowing the crime spree had ended, and Sandy Beach Island could go back to the quiet place they all knew and loved.
THE END
Thank you for reading “A Tangled Mess” – an Annie Addison Cozy Mystery. Look for more titles by Molly Dox coming soon. If you enjoyed this story, please consider leaving a review so others can decide if this is a book they would like. Thank you for your time. If this is the first book you’re reading in the Annie Addison Cozy Mystery series, be sure to look for “Color Me Crazy” which starts it all. Thank you again for your time.