“Please, she's going to kill me!” the woman begged in shear panic. “I don't know why...everything was going according to schedule. We stopped in a small town outside of Albany, New York, to rest. I was in my room. The next thing I remember, a hand grabbed my face and I went unconscious and woke up here.”
“Probably chloroform,” Hawk pointed out. “Ma’am, who is this woman?”
“Veronica Greendale. My name is Amanda Dennington. Please, you have to help me.”
“Mrs. Dennington, we're here to help,” Nikki assured the frightened woman. “Can you tell us where Mrs. Greendale went? Why did she leave you alone?”
“I really don't know,” Amanda said, watching Nikki return to the knots. “I woke up tied up. Veronica was standing at the window, looking out—like he is doing. She had a knife in her hand. And then, all of sudden, she ran outside. That's when I managed to kick the phone over.”
“Ma’am,” Hawk said, “the reservation your group arranged—”
“Veronica arranged this trip,” Amanda interrupted Hawk. “I had my concerns, but my husband convinced me to allow her to prove her skills in order to become more welcome in the women's club...on probation, of course.”
Hawk looked at Nikki. “You're good,” he told her.
“Did Mrs. Greendale say anything to you?” Nikki asked fighting with the knots.
Amanda nodded her head. “She kept telling me that she was going to become the most powerful woman in Atlanta and use me as an example. I always knew that woman was foul.”
“Did she say anything else?” Nikki asked, managing to untie one knot.
“Something about how time was running out,” Amanda explained, slowly calming down. “I noticed a change in her behavior when she made a call.”
“Where?” Hawk asked. “When did she make this call?”
“This morning, “Amanda explained. “Veronica called this establishment. I must say, her entire demeanor changed afterward. We were preparing to leave the hotel we had rested at...perhaps it was seven in the morning. Around, oh, five, Veronica insisted we stop and rest, claiming she was suffering from a headache.”
“I see,” Nikki said, managing to untie a second knot. “After you stopped, Veronica kidnapped you and brought you here, after she canceled the reservation.”
“People will be searching for me,” Amanda insisted. “I will see that woman behind bars for the rest of her life.”
Still peering out into the storm, Hawk whistled at Nikki. “We have company,” he said and rushed away from the window. “Ma’am,” he said lifting Amanda back into the bed and then snatching up the phone and setting it back into place, “act dumb. Nikki, put the gag back on.”
Moving as quickly as she could, Nikki replaced the gag and then ran into the bathroom with Hawk, closing the door halfway. Seconds later, the door to the room opened. “Get in there,” a man said, shoving a woman across the threshold.
“We can work this out!” Mrs. Greendale pleaded. “Jack, I'm sorry, you have to believe me. I—”
“Shut up!” a man in his mid-fifties roared. The man, Nikki saw, peeping through the bathroom door, didn't look like any killer she had ever seen. He was pleasant-looking, like someone she might see browsing around in her store, trying to pick out some chocolate for his wife. Nikki watched the man shake rain off the clear plastic poncho he was wearing over a brown suit and then aim the gun in his hand at his wife. She watched the man's face transform from pleasant into lethal.
“Please,” Veronica Greendale pleaded, dropping down to her knees. With tears streaming from her eyes she begged for her life.
“You tried to kill me mere minutes ago, and now you want me to spare your life,” Jack Johnson told his wife. “And look at her—you bring this woman here to murder her in order to marry the mayor of our fair city.”
“It's all political, Jack,” Veronica explained, “Sam has no interest in me romantically, but he promised to help me if I killed his wife. He told me that he would arrange for us to be married in order to make me popular with the media.”
“You sicken me!” Jack yelled. “First, you try and have your assassin kill me. Oh, I knew. I outsmarted all of them. I took the president of the security firm and killed him. That's right. I invited him over for a drink. I knew Old Danny Boy wanted me dead, so I killed him and hid his body. That night I put his body in my bed. When your assassin came into my bedroom, he filled Danny Boy full of holes and then set my house on fire. But I was waiting.”
“Jack, please...”
“Shut up!” Jack yelled. “Oh, I was waiting,” he continued. “I knew Danny Boy’s plan. I knew about the fake license, the birth certificate, the whole party, Veronica. Your assassin was going to be me, good old Jack Johnson...good old, gullible Jack Johnson. Only I'm not so gullible after all, am I?”
“Jack, please...anything...” Veronica begged.
Jack ignored his wife. “When your assassin drove off in my car, I called the car phone. I gave your little friend the shock of his life. That's when he left town, at my orders, to come here and wait for further instructions. You see, Veronica, I had a hidden camera in the bedroom. I caught him shooting Danny Boy. I also knew about your reservation. Not a bad place, I like it.”
“I...oh, Jack, please.”
“I came here, Veronica, and I killed him. I injected a heart attack serum into that worthless low-life,” Jack finished. “The only problem was, that stupid boy came into the room before I could get my money. I had to wait and kill the old people, but my patience was wearing thin, so I killed them. I'll kill that little brat later tonight. That's right, wife of mine, Jack Johnson is in control. What do you think about that?”
“I think you should put your gun down,” Hawk yelled, bursting out of the bathroom. Nikki, like a faithful partner, followed behind, aiming her gun at Veronica.
“Don't move,” Nikki yelled.
Taken off guard, Jack threw his eyes at Hawk. Unable to control his rage, he aimed his gun at Hawk and tried to fire off a round. Hawk was prepared. Squeezing the trigger, he fired. The bullet screamed across the room and hit Jack in his right wrist. Crying out in pain, Jack dropped his gun and grabbed his wrist. Veronica dashed for the door. Nikki fired her gun, putting a bullet in the door. Veronica froze. “Not bad,” Hawk complimented Nikki. Wiping sweat from his face he took a deep breath. “Man, you hit a home run with this one, partner.”
“A lot of lucky guessing,” Nikki confessed. “What do we do now, Hawk? The phones are out.”
“First things first,” Hawk said marching up to Jack and slinging him down onto the floor. “Who is the assassin? What is his name? I want answers!” he yelled.
“A nobody,” Jack yelled back, holding his bleeding wrist, “a loser Danny yanked from prison, just like the rest of us.”
“How come I couldn't find any information on him? We found your information.”
“Security Level Black,” Jack confessed and then threw his deadly eyes at Veronica. “Security Level Black means an inmate was sentenced to death by the justice system and had no real reason to live. Danny called them his 'moles' because they would do whatever he said. My lovely wife there easily manipulated this guy, not knowing he was sent to kill her as well as me.”
“What?” Veronica asked, as the color drained from her face.
“You were dating a psycho,” Jack began laughing. “The man's name was Alistair Belton, a man sentenced to death for killing five people. He's better known as the Freeway Killer. You really know how to pick them.”
“Shut up!” Veronica screamed, and then she began crying as if she were the victim.
“You're both in hot water,” Hawk promised. Glancing at Nikki, he nodded. “We still have a long ways to go. Two people are dead, and we have Zach to deal with. The newspaper is going to throw your name all over the place. Your life in town isn't going to be easy for a while. Are you still planning on leaving town?”
“Not on your life,” Nikki smiled. “I have too muc
h chocolate to make. Besides, what would you do without me, Hawk?”
Hearing the door creep open, Hawk aimed his gun at the door. Chief Daily appeared, soaking wet from the rain. With his gun drawn, he studied the room. “Power went out in town. I went over to Nikki's cabin. A young lady named Tori told me you two came out to the lodge. I tried calling but the line was out. Is everything okay?”
“Depends if you still want me to leave,” Nikki told Chief Daily.
“If you try, I will arrest you,” Chief Daily replied, putting his gun away. “You're still bad luck, but in a good way,” he smiled. “Hawk, I need answers. Start talking.”
“Nikki will do all the talking, Pop. Right now, we have two dead bodies to retrieve from a cave, along with some money. I'm sure Mr. Johnson here knows where the money is.”
Jack Johnson began laughing and didn't stop. “My money,” he laughed, “my money, my money...”
Outside the storm raged on.
Chapter Seventeen
“Here's to Nikki,” Hawk said, raising a glass full of chocolate milk.
Sitting in her kitchen with Hawk, Lidia, Tori and Zach, Nikki blushed at all the attention she was receiving. Brushing a few cake crumbs off her yellow dress, she smiled at Hawk. “Hawk is the hero. If he hadn't shot Jack Johnson in the wrist, who knows what would have happened?”
Tori clapped for Hawk. “My hero.”
“I was there, too,” Zach complained.
“You were in shock.” Hawk helped Zach look good in Tori's eyes. “I saw the bodies. I understand what you were feeling, son.”
“So what happens now?” Lidia asked, standing up from the kitchen table and refilling her coffee cup. Grateful the case was solved, she felt relaxed enough to ask about Zach's future. “Zach, what will you do?”
Zach looked at Tori. He loved the way she looked in the blue dress she was wearing. A lot better than the baby t-shirts. “The lodge is mine,” he told Tori. “The old man left it to me in his will. Yeah, I know, shocking. I was thinking maybe I'd stay around, if you want me to.”
Tori pointed at the black t-shirt Zach was wearing. “All I want is the real Zach, okay?” she said and gently reached out and held Zach's hand.
Nikki smiled at Lidia. Lidia smiled back. “Well,” Hawk said with a belly full of cake, “I think I'm going to go home and sleep twenty-four hours.”
“No, you don't,” Lidia fussed. “You stay seated. I have an announcement to make that I want everyone to hear. Actually, Nikki and I have an announcement that we want everyone to hear.”
Nikki nervously cleared her throat. Leaning against the island stove she steadied her nerves. “I was offered a job at the paper. I have decided to take the job. In return, I have sold half of the store to Lidia. We are now partners. Also, together, we have decided to fire Tori.”
“Fire me?” Tori asked, confused. “I thought you—”
“Young lady,” Nikki smiled, “you are going to begin attending college. Lidia and I are going to pay your tuition. There is a nice community college forty minutes south of here.”
“Hey now, that's a great idea,” Hawk said and clapped for Tori.
“And you,” Lidia pointed at Zach, “are going to attend college, too. Now I don't expect you to go full-time because you have a lodge to maintain, but you will go part time.”
“Is that what people mean when they say the good guys always win?” Zach asked Tori.
“I think so,” Tori smiled happily. “Oh, Ms. Bates...Nikki….Lidia, how can I thank you?”
“By—” Nikki began to speak but paused when the phone hanging beside the refrigerator rang. “Just a second,” she said and answered the phone. “Hello...oh, he's here...Hawk, it's Chief Daily.”
Hawk stood up, stretched his arms, and walked to the phone. “Yeah Pop...What?...You're putting me on. When?...Okay, I'll be right over.” Hawk handed the phone back to Nikki. “Nikki, grab your purse, we have another homicide.”
“What?” Nikki gasped.
“Millins Gas Station. A woman was found dead in her car,” Hawk said and threw his hands up into the air. “I'm not saying a word, okay? Pop was the one who called you bad luck over the phone.”
“Remind me to slug him later,” Nikki told Hawk. “Lidia, Tori, Zach, wash up for me, please. I'll probably be late getting home.”
Lidia walked to the kitchen table and sat down. “Tori, honey,” she said, “maybe you should begin carrying some four-leaf clovers around and... sure, why not, add in some rabbits’ feet just in case.”
Nikki rolled her eyes. “Very funny, Lidia.”
Lidia laughed. “Oh, honey, go and solve another case. We're here if you need us, and you probably will. I told Herbert just yesterday that I had a feeling the rest I was getting was only temporary.”
Nikki quickly hugged Lidia and Tori. “Another chocolate-covered mystery,” she said and winked at Hawk. “Okay, let's go.”
Hawk hesitated. “Wait a minute,” he said, “where's your gun?”
“I don't—”
“Go get it,” Hawk ordered Nikki. “From now on, when you're with me, you're carrying heat.”
Lidia noticed that Hawk spoke to Nikki the way a husband speaks to his wife. She expected Nikki to argue back, but instead, she saw Nikki look at Hawk in a very peculiar manner. “Yes, dear,” Nikki said and walked out of the kitchen toward her bedroom. Maybe, Lidia thought, taking a sip of her coffee, her dear Nikki was beginning to allow Hawk into her heart. Slowly, of course, the way anyone would. But slow was better than no movement at all. In time, Nikki just might be able to allow Hawk to completely enter her heart. But what would that mean? Could Hawk handle a woman who was fearless in the face of danger? Raising her eyes, she studied Hawk staring after Nikki. According to the look in his eyes, Lidia guessed that Hawk could not only deal with Nikki but was anxious to prove how much they belonged together. But, Lidia saw, Hawk was a patient man who knew how to wait for the best chocolate-covered kiss in town.
“And don't shoot yourself in the foot,” Hawk yelled after Nikki.
Well, Lidia laughed to herself, maybe.
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About the Author
Wendy Meadows is an emerging author of cozy mysteries. She lives in “The Granite State” with her husband, two sons, two cats and lovable Labradoodle.
When she isn’t working on her stories she likes to tend to her flower garden, relax with adult coloring and play video games with her family.
Get in Touch with Wendy
@wmeadowscozy
AuthorWendyMeadows
www.wendymeadows.com
[email protected]
Peppermint Chocolate Murder (A Maple Hills Cozy Mystery Book 2) Page 8