“Mrs. Northlake. Simone. She killed him. Knitting needles. She’s upstairs,” Gemma babbled, knowing she wasn’t making sense. “Please come with me. I’m afraid...”
“Okay, okay, calm down. Afraid of who?” Nick said, holding onto her hand as he followed her toward the door.
“We have to find Ross,” Gemma said.
The hall was empty and Gemma ran toward the conference room door, pulling Nick behind her. Everyone looked up when she flew into the room, including Ross and the big men in uniform.
“Gemma,” Ross said.
“Mrs. Northlake stabbed General West with a knitting needle,” Gemma gasped. “She told me. She’s upstairs in her rooms now with Victoria. I’m afraid....I’m afraid she might hurt Victoria.”
Ross was already moving, followed by the men in uniform and police officers. He pointed to one. “You! Stay here and watch the elevator. Stop anyone coming down.”
Nick and Gemma brought up the rear, following Ross up the steps. Gemma could hear the sound of their feet on the concrete. It was colder than ever and she was shaking like a leaf but she and Nick managed to keep up.
Victoria was in the hall on her knees, sobbing hysterically. “She drank it. She drank the poison.”
“Someone call 911,” Ross barked, then ducked inside Simone’s apartment. Everyone was suddenly busy.
But all Gemma could think about was the woman on her knees in the middle of the floor, wailing, clawing at her face and pulling her hair.
“Victoria – it’s OK,” Gemma said as she knelt on the floor beside her. “We’re going to get your mother some help.”
“The poison was meant for you,” Victoria screamed. “When I let you escape, she drank it. I killed her.”
“No, Victoria. No you did not,” Gemma told her. “We’ll get this all sorted out soon enough but right now, you need to calm down and let us help.”
“What’s going on here?” Benjamin Northlake loomed over them as big as a bear and twice as scary. Vincent was right behind him.
“I killed her Benjamin. Oh, God, I killed her,” Victoria began to moan aloud again.
Nick pulled Gemma to her feet and took her to the side where she watched wide-eyed as the area filled with more and more people, all of them in police and military uniforms. At last the EMTs arrived and took Simone out on a gurney.
“Is she...is she dead?” Gemma asked when Ross approached them. He looked shaken, but still in control.
He shook his head and reached to brush her hair back from her face. “No, but you could have been, if you’d drank the tea she prepared for you.”
As if to bring the point home, Lt. Colonel Baker stepped up beside Ross. He carried a clear evidence bag with the tea cups sealed inside.
“She was going to poison me?” Gemma asked, looking from Ross to the cups.
“She drank it, instead. I think we caught it in time to save her,” Ross said.
“Where is Victoria?” Gemma asked.
“She’s with her brothers now. They’re looking after her, making sure she gets her meds and getting her calmed down,” Ross explained.
“Ms. Stone, if you’re up to it, we’re going to need a statement from you,” Lt. Colonel Baker said.
Gemma nodded. “Yes, of course.”
With Nick on one side and Ross on the other, she held both of their hands tightly as they rode down to the lobby on the elevator. She felt cold and in shock, unable to believe that any of this was happening. That sweet little old lady was a murderer, and she would never have guessed it.
Once again, she found herself in the makeshift interrogation room. It seemed awfully small with Ross, Nick, Colonel Baker and several other military people crowded around the table. They were all looking at her.
Slowly, Gemma began to repeat Simone’s story.
Chapter Fourteen
While Gemma talked, the atmosphere in the room grew more and more tense. Every once in a while a telephone rang somewhere, but no one left to answer it. Both Ross and Nick were scribbling notes as fast as they could. A knock on the door interrupted her briefly and a young police officer handed a note to Lt. Colonel Baker. He read it and nodded.
“There is absolutely no background on Simone Northlake before she came to the United States with her husband, Winter Northlake,” he announced.
“I know what she told me,” Gemma said.
“I believe you. It just looks like the French took care of their informants very, very well. Continue.”
By the time it was over, she was exhausted. Nick walked with her back to the convention hall, which was almost completely empty.
“Gemma,” Holly said, taking her into her arms. “I was so worried.”
“Can we just go home?” Gemma asked, leaning into her friend. “I’m so tired and I don’t want to stay here another night.”
“Absolutely,” Holly said. “And I’d love it if you would stay with me tonight.”
Gemma nodded, too tired to argue.
“Mitch and I will close up shop here,” Nick offered. “If you’ll take her home with you.”
“Come on. Let’s get out of here,” Holly said, helping Gemma into her coat.
Nick walked them to the back door where they’d entered just one day ago and waited with Gemma while Holly went to get the SUV. The snow had stopped but it was bitter cold. Gemma began to shiver and knew she would not stop for a long time.
“Nick, please be careful,” Gemma said quietly as she looked up at him. “I don’t like leaving you here.”
“I’ll text you later and let you know I’m home safely. I don’t think there’s any more reporting to be done here,” he told her. “And I don’t think anyone else is in danger.”
“If you hear anything you’ll let me know,” Gemma said.
“I will. You stay with Holly and get some rest,” he said as he buckled her safely into the seat. Then he closed the door with a thud and waved as they drove away.
After a hot shower, Gemma sipped cocoa while wrapped in a quilt in front of the fireplace in Holly’s living room. Her shivering had subsided somewhat and she knew Holly and her mom wanted to hear Mrs. Northlake’s story. She told it again, growing sleepier by the minute.
Finally, they climbed the stairs to the room where Holly had slept as a child. She rarely slept in this room any longer but after helping Gemma into one of the twin beds, she crawled into the other. Safe and secure in her best friend’s house, Gemma was asleep in seconds.
The next morning, Gemma awoke with a start. For a moment, she wasn’t sure where she was and then she saw Holly sleeping in the bed across from her. How many times when they were growing up had she spent the night here, woken up in this same room and looked across at her best friend sleeping soundly, holding onto her pillow?
She reached for her phone, which was on the night stand by the bed and saw that it was after eight o’clock in the morning. There was a text from Nick. He’d let her know he was safe at home just like he promised he would. She smiled at the little heart he always added to his texts to her.
There was a voice mail from Ross. She was to call him as soon as she woke up. Getting out of bed, she was halfway to the bathroom when there was a knock at the door. It opened and Brenda poked her head inside.
“Oh, Gemma, you’re up,” she said with an apologetic little smile.
“Yes, ma’am. Is something wrong?”
“Detective Ferguson is downstairs. He’d like to talk to you.”
“I’ll be right there,” Gemma said, reaching for a robe on the door.
Ross was standing in front of the fireplace with his back to her, warming his hands. She paused a moment to admire his broad shoulders and long legs. Then she noted that his normally neatly trimmed hair was a little shaggy around his collar.
“Good morning,” she said softly.
“Good morning, sleepy head,” he said, his eyes lighting up with a smile when he turned to face her. “Sleep well?”
“I did, thank you,” she answered.
/> “I wanted to come by and just fill you in on the latest development,” he said.
Gemma sat on the end of the sofa closest to the fireplace. Ross sat on the ottoman at her feet.
“Is Mrs. Northlake...?”
Ross shook his head. “She made it through the night. It’s still going to be touch and go for a while but the doctor thinks she’ll be just fine.”
“And then?”
“And then she’ll be dealt with according to the law,” Ross said, as if that was obvious. “Murder and attempted murder are pretty serious charges.”
“Attempted murder?”
“She was trying to poison you with that tea. Did you forget that?”
Gemma shrugged. “No, of course not. I just didn’t make the connection. Victoria knew what her mother had done.”
“She’s under observation in the psych ward at the hospital.”
“Is she suicidal?”
He nodded. “Probably. If and when she’s able to go home, her brothers will have to take more responsibility for caring for her than they have been.”
“Her brothers,” Gemma said.
“Who turned out to be the good guys in this whole thing,” Ross told her.
“Crazy,” Gemma said.
“Yep, crazy,” he said. “Kind of like you, Deputy Stone.”
“I’m not crazy,” Gemma protested, smacking him lightly on the hand.
“No, you make me crazy,” he said with a laugh and then he stood up, took both of her hands in his and pulled her to her feet.
Without shoes she felt like a midget standing next to him. He brushed her hair back behind her ears and gazed down into her eyes. Framing her face with both hands, he bent forward and kissed her. The thrill of his lips on hers nearly took her breath away. When he pulled away, his dark eyes were full of fire.
“If you don’t have any plans this afternoon, I thought I’d take another look at that cantankerous jalopy of yours,” he said.
“No plans,” Gemma whispered. “No plans at all.”
As she rested her head against the hard muscles of Ross’s chest, she closed her eyes and breathed in his spicy, woodsy scent. It felt good to be in his arms, safe and yet, oh, so exciting. One of these days, she was going to have to make a decision about these two men. Nick was always so sweet and loving and patient with her. He had been one of her best friends since second grade. Being in Ross’s arms was so thrilling, almost dangerous. She remembered Nick’s invitation for Valentine’s Day weekend. True, she had promised him she would go but now she began to wonder if it was too late to cancel.
About Willow Monroe
Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed this story, and I’d love it if you could leave a review. (Since this is my first mystery, I’m a little bit nervous!) For new release news, sign up for the Betsy Belle newsletter or visit us at Betsy Belle Books.com.
COMING SOON!
CUPID’S CORPSE
Book Three in the Gemma Stone Mystery Series!
Did you love Mansions Can Be Murder: A Gemma Stone Cozy Mystery? Then you should read Mall Santa Murder: A Cozy Christmas Mystery by Willow Monroe!
Gemma Stone normally hates the Black Friday shopping rush, but this year she’s excited – she and her best friend Holly have opened their very own jewelry boutique, and they’re pretty proud of it. The only downside might be that their fancy new mall kiosk is directly in front of Santa Land, the noisiest spot in the mall.
Santa is a drunk, the elves are kind of mean, and to top it off, security is left up to a wannabe cop who can’t pass the police academy entrance exam. As if that isn’t enough, Gemma discovers Santa dead, propped up against a poinsettia and strangled with garland.
Suddenly everyone is a suspect, and Gemma can’t keep her nose out of police business. Things are getting dangerous, but even with handsome detective Ross Ferguson tracking her every move, Gemma has to solve this crime before she ends up dead.
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Length: 30,000 words
Mansions Can Be Murder: A Cozy Mystery (Gemma Stone Cozy Mystery Book 2) Page 10