Too Sweet to Die

by T. Doyle

  Liz wiggled her fingers. “I’ve got this, Charlie. Leave it to me.”

  I held Joe’s hand and gave him a loving squeeze. “That’d be great. Thanks, Liz.”

  I loved the Sanders family.

  My family.

  A few weeks later I drove out to the lake to check on our cabin’s progress. The trees were sleeping now, just sticks surrounded by evergreens and tucked under a cloudy sky. Eddie’s cousin and his Uncle Lou were doing the construction. Their trucks were parked in front of what would be our future cabin. A team of guys worked to frame the house.

  Ray stepped out onto his new porch landing and waved. “Hey. C’mon over, I’ve got coffee.”

  I waved at Lou and headed over to Ray’s. “Morning.”

  “It would be if there wasn’t so much noise. Can’t you get them to start at a decent hour, like ten?” He scratched his belly, thankfully covered by a shirt.

  “I tell you what, I’ll have them re-gravel your driveway as a thank you for your patience and understanding.”

  His lips pursed as he considered my offer. “Yeah, that’ll work.”

  I noticed a certificate on his fridge. “You got your private investigator license.”

  “Yeah. Seemed like a good idea. I already got a couple of clients thanks to some mouthy broad who insisted on national television that I led the investigation to find Oscar’s murderer.”

  “Well, you did. It’s not like I could have done it without you.”

  Ray poured a cup of coffee and handed it to me along with Splenda packets.

  “Thanks. Do you have cream?”

  He opened the fridge. “Kristi likes those flavored creamers. I’ve got French Vanilla and…” He glanced back at me and then checked the front of his sweats. “What?”

  “You’ve got Kristi’s creamer in your fridge?” I added the Splenda to my coffee. “That sounds very domestic.”

  He lifted a shoulder in a carefree manner. “We’re taking it slow. She likes to have coffee and watch the sunset.”

  I looked over his shoulder and into the fridge. “I’ll take the pumpkin spice.”

  He shuddered and handed it to me. “That’s just not okay. Pumpkin coffee.” He shook his head. “Nope. Not okay.”

  “It’s cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove, not pumpkin. Is that better?”

  He winced. “Not really.” He opened his front door to the new porch. “Come on and check out my new four-seasons room. I extended the deck and added windows.”

  I followed him out and noticed a small electric heater tucked in the corner. A crocheted blanket draped over the back of Oscar’s old chair. A small bedside table, similar in size to the old blue ones in our cabin was tucked next to the chair. A pair of rockers sat side by side.

  “This is lovely.” I sat in a rocker and sipped my coffee.

  Ray chuckled. “Yeah, I won’t lie. When you told me the insurance was going to flatten the house, I helped myself to your porch.” He sniffed. “It smelled pretty smoky at first, but it’s aired out well.”

  “You really are a pirate,” I said in awe.

  “Argh.” The hammering picked up, followed by a couple of shouts. “When will your place be done?”

  “Weather permitting? Six weeks.”

  “Did I see plans for a two-story home?” Ray asked.

  “Yep. Two thousand square feet with a downstairs master. Upstairs will have a second full bath and be a large open space for the kids.” I sipped my coffee and enjoyed the holiday flavor. “And grandkids.”

  Ray flinched. “I may have to move if you’re planning on infesting the lake with rugrats.”

  I slapped his shoulder. “Get over yourself.”

  He smirked and sipped his coffee and then sat upright so sudden the coffee splashed onto the porch. “I forgot to tell you, the TapOut vending machine guy was a drug dealer who worked for Peter Adkins. My cop buddy, Brett Newsome, told me they found stashes of drugs in every vending machine he stocked. Altogether they collected two pounds of fentanyl and a pound of heroin. He admitted that Eric had been supplying him with a few pills every now and in exchange for pot. He also admitted that Peter Adkins hired him to cut your brake line and start the fire at the cabin.”

  “I wonder why the drug dogs didn’t find the drugs when they searched Sunnyview?”

  “Brett wouldn’t tell me the specifics, but an air-tight container was used.” Ray wiped his hand on his pants and resumed rocking.

  “Did his route include the courthouse?” I asked. “One of Oscar’s pictures had his SUV parked behind one of Peter Adkins’s rental cars.”

  “Oh, yeah. Brett said he used one of those fake cans and stuffed it in the back.” Ray followed a hawk circling over the lake with a smaller bird following it. “The guy’s name is Vincent Johnson. He married Mabel McClure’s daughter, Betty.”

  Mabel, the bad-check passer had a drug dealer as a son-in-law. “Bless her heart.” The coffee warmed my hands and the rocking chair creaked calmly. “It really is a beautiful view,” I murmured. Which made me think of Oscar and I hoped he had time to sit and enjoy during his very short life. “I got a letter from Tyler’s mother yesterday.”

  “Huh. I got one from Mrs. Crane.”

  My stomach knotted at the mention of the one family that I proved had adopted kidnapped children.

  “You first,” Ray said.

  “She sent her condolences for Oscar and asked that I forgive Tyler. She blames Peter Adkins for getting Tyler involved.” I took a sip and looked over at Ray.

  “Of course she does,” his tone held no compassion.

  “I think I understand, though. Tyler blamed not being able to have children as the reason his marriage was ruined, so for him, I’m sure he thought he was doing a great thing. And he had helped with many legal adoptions.”

  “Like your nephew.”

  “Yes. Although Angela and Chris wouldn’t have divorced over not having kids. But Grace mentioned Tyler had no friends except for Peter, and when he lost her, I’m sure he really thought he’d never find anyone again.”

  Ray chuffed. “He was probably right. He was a weird guy.”

  I shrugged. “I used to believe there was someone for everyone, but now I’m not so sure. I wouldn’t want to wish Peter Adkins on anyone.”

  Ray’s lips twitched. “True. Although I’m pretty sure Adkins was using his money to get women.”

  “Gross. Did the Cranes write you a death threat?” I didn’t want to admit that my car had been keyed in the grocery store parking lot, and I’d noticed people stopped making eye contact, and waving, and generally being neighborly. Like it was my fault Tyler Rigby brought human trafficking to Forest Forks.

  Momma Sanders assured me by summer a new scandal would happen and all would be forgotten.

  I didn’t want Oscar to be forgotten.

  I didn’t love cold shoulders, but I still had Joe and family, and work, and my friends, and eventually I hoped the townsfolk would understand.

  Oscar’s life meant something. Oscar deserved justice.

  Ray stood. “You should read it.” He went into the cabin and returned with a small handwritten card.

  * * *

  Mr. McGuffin,

  I wanted to let you know that our family are thankful for your investigative work. While our children were returned to their parents, we discovered that some of the other children met much worse fates. Their birth parents have been very understanding and are allowing us to visit Jared and Justin.

  I won’t lie, at first, we were very angry at you and Mrs. Sanders. We’ve talked to our friends and family and asked them not to harass you. I hope they’ve listened. If you have any problems, please let them know that our family doesn’t blame you or Mrs. Sanders for our situation, and we are sorry that Oscar Robles was murdered to keep the secret. Instead, please direct them to the Coalition to Abolish Slavery and Trafficking (CAST). We want to work towards reuniting more families.

  Our loss is difficult, but we have peace knowing
Jared and Justin’s family have been reunited. They have sisters and brothers and grandparents and an entire village that prayed for their safety. How can we not find peace when their prayers were answered?

  God bless,

  Cheryl Crane

  * * *

  “That was quite nice.” I blinked the errant tear, refusing to let it fall. Freakin’ hormones. Ray didn’t do well with my expression of emotions.

  “Yeah. I thought I might send a copy to the newspaper but then Kristi told me to just give them the info about CAST, have them run an article about human trafficking and slavery in the US today.” He stretched. “I don’t miss the small minds of small towns.”

  “They’re not small. They’re fiercely loyal.”

  “So, you’d do it all over again, knowing that you get more stink-eye than Mabel McClure?”

  I nodded and sipped my coffee. As an empty-nester, I didn’t have to worry about my children getting bullied at school. “Oscar, those children, and their families deserved justice.”

  “I figured you’d feel that way.”

  The workmen must have taken a break, because we couldn’t hear any hammering.

  Ray sipped his coffee. “Hm.” He rocked. “Well, what will you do when the construction is finished? Are you going to find another hobby?”

  “I’m not sure. Do you have any suggestions?”

  He gave me the side-eye. “I know a guy looking for some part-time investigation help.”

  I sipped my coffee. The thrill of the chase bubbled in my veins, but dampened when I thought of Joe’s concern for my safety.

  “No homicides,” Ray added.

  “Sold.” I shook his hand.

  We rocked, and then a crack erupted across the lake. Birds screeched and swooped over the lake toward us.

  Ray looked at me. “Rifle.”

  “It’s not hunting season.”

  Vicious Justice

  Stalked by the District Attorney, Adrianna needs help outside the legal system. Enter Alexei, vigilante and business man with Russian Mafia ties-ties that threaten to choke Adrianna. Caught in a political blackmail scheme, who can she trust?

  Available at most retailers. Want to read the first chapter, check out my website TobiDoyle.com

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  Did you love Too Sweet To Die? Then you should read Still Waters by Tobi Doyle!

  Still waters run deep. It's okay if you need to borrow floaties.

  Sara Waters needs a favor, and it's not the kind she can pay back with a batch of homemade cookies. Her best friend needs to disappear from her abusive ex-husband and Sara knows the Garza brothers have the connections to make that happen. They agree, but only if she uses her network security skills at Garza Security for six weeks consulting. Six weeks working private sector versus government and paid with benefits attracts the adventurous twenty-six-year-old, with the provision everything she does will be legal.

  Joaquin Garza plans to expand the DC-based security business he owns with his brother before his thirtieth birthday. Enter Sara, the doe-eyed, techie, who makes Princess Anna from Frozen look street-savvy. He admired her in their kickboxing class because she's the first woman to stick it out long enough to land a few punches. Her network security skills are stellar; her roundhouse, accurate; her brain in exchange for some fake identification, fate.

  But when the ex threatens Sara in the grocery store parking lot, Joaquin feels responsible. Joaquin and his brother are the security professionals and intend to guard her. Except she's not one to cooperate. Oppositional defiance? She's got it in boatloads.

  Read more at Tobi Doyle’s site.

  Also by T. Doyle

  A Charlie Sanders Mystery

  Too Sweet To Die (Coming Soon)