Pawsitively Lethal (Silver Springs Cozy Mystery Series Book 3)

by Ginny Gold

  She walks into the police station like a woman on a mission. At the front desk, she asks for Detective Daniel Stevens and is directed to his office.

  “Maggie. I didn’t expect to see you today. What’s going on?” He’s clearly happy to see her in person rather than just talk to her on the phone.

  “I know who killed Clara it was Karl Jacobs,” she spits out in one breath without a single pause before he has a chance to interrupt her.

  Daniel had stood when she entered but now sits heavily back in his chair. He signals for Maggie to sit across from him on the other side of his desk. “The person who wrote the article about Clara on Sunday?”

  Maggie nods.

  “That’s hardly enough evidence to arrest him. So he didn’t like her. But to kill her?”

  “There’s more to it than that.” Maggie pulls up the article from Two Forks, Iowa on her phone and hands it across the desk to Daniel. “This was written years ago by the same person, but under the name Jake Carlson. It was really Karl Jacobs.”

  Daniel looks at her and shakes her head. “I don’t understand. How do you know that?”

  “Karl told me he used to live in Two Forks. So I did some digging online and then called the newspaper in Two Forks and they confirmed that he actually wrote under a pseudonym for the newspaper. It was Jake Carlson.”

  “Still, that’s barely evidence that he killed Clara.”

  “Clara’s murder is related to my parents’ murder and the break in at Erline’s last month. He knew both of the perpetrators. They’re all in on a scheme together. Karl was never going after Clara. He was going after something Ginger Rae has.”

  “And Clara got in the way?” Daniel asks, starting to catch on but still not fully believing Maggie.

  Maggie sighs and finally leans back in her chair. “Exactly. My guess is that if you check his DNA, you’ll get a match for the blood left at the scene of the crime. And, I talked to Valerie Hunt,” Maggie continues, everything finally making sense. “She claimed she never talked to Karl for Sunday’s article. Think about it: he wrote an article about Saturday’s murder on Saturday night. He didn’t have to talk to anyone because he knew exactly what happened.”

  Daniel nods slowly. “We had to rule out Stewart Cole,” he says quietly, unable to meet Maggie’s eyes. She can tell he wishes he’d been the one to put all the pieces together instead of Maggie. “He had an airtight alibi. He was on surveillance video at the time of the murder. I’ll send someone out to pick up Karl. Thanks for coming in.”

  Daniel stands and offers his hand. Maggie awkwardly shakes it before rushing back to her car. She wants to tell Ginger Rae the good news.

  CHAPTER 29

  Maggie drives straight to Winona’s house. To the best of her knowledge Ginger Rae has yet to go back home since Saturday night’s murder. If Maggie guesses correctly, the women will be sitting outside with the dogs, talking about what to have for an early dinner and then head to the community center for their weekly night of Bingo. And she’d be fine joining them. She even stops on her way to buy a celebratory bottle of wine.

  Maggie whistles to herself as she gets out of her car in Winona’s driveway, bottle of wine in hand, ready to indulge with Ginger Rae and Winona. If they aren’t ready to celebrate now, they certainly will be by the time they get to Bingo. She remembers her shock the first time she went with them and instead of water in their water bottles, each of the older women had enough wine to put them on the floor.

  It’s only when Maggie reaches the front door and is about to knock that she realizes something isn’t quite right. Winona’s car is in the driveway and Ginger Rae’s is behind it. But in Maggie’s calm excitement to share the news about Karl Jacobs, she didn’t notice a third car parked on the street.

  The car she overlooked belongs to Karl. She’s sure it’s his, having just followed him this afternoon from the middle school to the river.

  Maggie doesn’t make a sound and remains perfectly still. She presses her ear to the door, hoping to hear something from inside.

  When she can’t hear any voices, she bravely cracks the door open and peers inside. The kitchen is empty but she hears faint voices, maybe coming from upstairs.

  Maggie doesn’t take any chances. She’s been held at gunpoint before and knows just how scary that can be. She backs out of the doorway, leaving it cracked open, and calls Daniel.

  She doesn’t even wait for his greeting. As soon as she knows he’s on the other end of the line she says hurriedly, “Karl is at Winona’s house. Get here now.”

  “On our way,” he responds, urgency in his voice.

  Maggie returns to the front door and pokes her head inside again. The voices have not come any closer and she cautiously steps inside, Swiss army knife in a white knuckle grip in her right hand. She leaves the bottle of wine on the kitchen counter and tip toes to the bottom of the stairs where she can just barely make out the words coming from upstairs.

  “Where is it,” a man’s voice demands and Maggie is sure that it belongs to Karl Jacobs. “I know you have one of the keys.”

  Maggie isn’t sure if both Winona and Ginger Rae are upstairs with him, or what he’s using to hold at least one of them hostage. She prays it’s not a gun.

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Ginger Rae’s voice says confidently.

  “The key. I know you have it. Josh and Mitch messed up on their missions but I’m not going to let this one get away. Hand it over.”

  A finger taps Maggie on the shoulder and she has to stifle a scream with her hand immediately covering her mouth, the knife momentarily forgotten as a means of self defense.

  “It’s just me,” Winona whispers when Maggie turns around, her eyes wide in surprise.

  “Ginger Rae is alone upstairs?” Maggie asks, panic churning in her gut.

  Winona nods. “Karl was in such a rush to corner her he didn’t think about this being my house.”

  “He killed Clara,” Maggie blurts out as sirens approach.

  Now Winona’s eyes grow wide with surprise. “And to think I willingly let him in my house just a couple days ago.”

  Maggie wishes the police would turn off their sirens so they don’t alert Karl to their presence, but in the end it doesn’t seem to matter. Daniel is the first one through the front door and Maggie silently points him upstairs. He’s followed by Officer Malin and two others she doesn’t recognize.

  Maggie leads Winona to the living room and they both sit silently, waiting for Ginger Rae to safely appear. There is a commotion upstairs and then Karl Jacobs is led outside by Officer Malin.

  “I didn’t mean to kill her,” he yells. “It wasn’t part of the plan. I just want what she has.”

  “Good thing he doesn’t know when to keep his mouth shut,” Winona says through a laugh. Maggie knows it wouldn’t matter. There is enough evidence against him for a conviction even without a confession.

  When Ginger Rae walks down the stairs, not a drop of blood on her anywhere, Maggie breathes a sigh of relief. For a moment, she worried that Karl was talking about killing Ginger Rae, not Clara. She’s followed by Daniel and the two other officers who quickly leave the house. Daniel stays behind.

  “Thanks for coming so quickly,” Ginger Rae says, sitting heavily on the couch.

  “Just doing my job,” Daniel says. “But it was really Maggie you have to thank.” He quickly gives Ginger Rae and Winona an overview of how Maggie put all the pieces together. “But I do have one question: what was Karl looking for?”

  Ginger Rae looks to Winona for approval and Winona nods her head once. “This,” Ginger Rae says, pulling the skeleton key from beneath her shirt and extending the chain it’s on. Daniel comes closer for a better look.

  “It must be more valuable than it looks if it was worth risking his freedom for.” Daniel straightens back up and doesn’t notice the glance exchanged between all three women. “I’ll need all three of you to come with me to the station to give your statements.�
� He glances at his watch. “I’ll make sure dinner is brought in and you should be free to go by the time Bingo starts.”

  ***

  After finishing at the police station, Maggie stops off at home before heading to Bingo. The excitement of the day has exhausted her and she takes an extra hot shower to wash away the adrenaline and nerves.

  Once clean, Maggie grabs her makeup from on top of her dresser in the bedroom and her hand brushes on something she doesn’t expect to find. She picks up Opal’s missing collar, now covered in dirt and grass, but not the worse for wear. The object everyone has been looking for is still safely attached.

  Wearing jeans and a clean flannel shirt, Maggie tucks the collar into her pocket and heads out the door for Bingo. She’s excited to celebrate Karl’s capture, and share the good news that the final piece of this time traveling business has been found.

  Maggie sits down heavily in a folding chair around a large table in the community center. Her stomach is full of pizza, provided by the police department, and she’s more than ready to move on to wine. She’s learned well from her elderly friends who know how to have a good time.

  Ginger Rae slides a water bottle in Maggie’s direction. “Erline made sure to bring one for you too,” she whispers. Erline winks and Maggie smiles.

  She takes a sip of the dark red liquid and lets it course down into her stomach.

  “Before we get too far into these drinks,” Maggie starts and pulls the collar from her pocket, “I wanted to let you all know this turned up this afternoon, too.”

  Three pairs of eyes stare at the collar and attached knick-knack. They start out with excitement but quickly cloud over in fear. “Put that away,” Winona says quietly. “We don’t know who is watching, and it’s become all too clear that no one can be trusted.”

  Maggie slips it back into her pocket, chastised, and takes another sip of wine, the conversation about time travel over before it’s even begun.

  “I hope you’re not driving tonight,” Drew’s voice says into Maggie’s ear before he takes a seat next to her, his hand rubbing her back. “I heard the good news. Congratulations on catching Karl Jacobs. I didn’t even know he was on your radar.”

  Maggie puts her water bottle back on the table. “I didn’t know either until lunch time today. I was just so worked up about his article on Sunday that I had to talk to him. And then the truth came out.”

  “Well, I’m glad that’s all settled and you can get your life back in order again.”

  Their table of six is completed when Clem sits on Drew’s other side. She hasn’t come to Bingo ever since Maggie started going so she’s surprised to see her sister join them.

  “What brings you out tonight?” Erline asks, her smile radiant.

  “Oh, I just thought I’d live a little while I’m still a single woman.”

  The older women all laugh and Winona slides another water bottle toward Clem. “In that case, you’re going to need one of these.”

  Everyone holds up their water bottle to offer cheers and a happy future to Clem and Denis just before the first number is called and the evening of Bingo begins.

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Ginny Gold lives in the high Rockies and wouldn’t trade it for the world. She loves anything outdoors—especially skiing, cycling, and gardening, though living at over 9,000 feet does make for a short growing season. You can also find her volunteering with local nonprofits and schools when she’s not cooking up her next cozy mystery for her loyal readers.

  BEFORE YOU GO . . .

  If you enjoyed this installment of the Silver Springs Cozy Mystery Series, be sure to join my FREE COZY MYSTERY BOOK CLUB! Be the first to know about new releases, promotions, sales, new recipes, and even be entered to receive advanced reader copies. Join the club here—http://www.ginnygoldbooks.com

  OTHER BOOKS BY GINNY GOLD

  Silver Springs Cozy Mystery Series

  Author’s Note: This series is best enjoyed when read in order.

  Pawsitively Deadly

  Maggie Boothe has found herself in a bind. Her parents are dead—suspected suicide—but her twin sister doesn’t believe it. And Maggie is the one with the skills to find out the truth. But she wants nothing to do with her hometown that harbors nothing but bad memories.

  Maggie agrees to spend two weeks in the small Colorado resort town of Silver Springs, investigating what really happened to her parents. After only a few hours back home, strange things start happening. And they keep piling up.

  Maggie finds herself listening to the advice of a tea leaf reader, going on a date almost every night, and following leads that bring her nowhere. She isn’t sure she wants to know the truth if it means turning her own world upside down.

  Pawsitively Murder

  Maggie Boothe is stunned when a second murder in Silver Springs brings her back to her small hometown. Immediately upon her arrival, her parents’ friend, Erline, confesses she might be in trouble and Maggie knows she made the right decision to come and help.

  With the assistance of Maggie’s new friend—and possible heartthrob—Drew Kent, she’s able to come up with a list of possible suspects. But when Erline’s house is broken into, Maggie wonders if the theft is connected to the murder and how that will change her investigation. What goes missing makes Erline’s heart stop.

  A shocking discovery at the end of her investigation changes Maggie’s life forever, and she’s not sure she’s ready to take on the next chapter alone.

  The Early Bird Café Cozy Mystery Series

  This series can be read and enjoyed in any order.

  Rise and Die

  Kori Cooke loves living in her hometown of Hermit Cove and running her dream business—The Early Bid Café. For two years, she’s been the sole breakfast spot in town so when culinary rival, Tessa Doyle, moves to the small town, Kori can’t help but think she’s just there to compete.

  Suddenly, Tessa’s Sunrise and Shine café is under attack, with a rock through the window on Monday morning. Kori knows she’s innocent, but still doesn’t feel much empathy for her breakfast nemesis. But when Kori gets arrested and grilled by Detective Gunn and childhood friend Lieutenant Zach Gulch, she can’t help but wonder if she’s the new target.

  And when things escalate to Tessa’s murder, Kori comes under more scrutiny. Will she and best friend Nora Farmer be able to crack the case before she’s on the receiving end of a deadly dish? Or is she in more danger than she realizes and should skip town to avoid the heated investigation?

  INCLUDED: In The Kitchen with Ginny Gold—Goat Cheese Omelets and The Early Bird Café’s menu!

  Deadly Surprise

  Kori is over the moon excited to be going on a date with none other than Lieutenant Zach Gulch, childhood crush and stunner to look at. But that thrill is quickly stifled the next day when Zach reveals that family DNA showed up at a crime scene in nearby Scoter Circle.

  They both know the DNA isn’t Kori’s but it belongs to a close male relative. With her father long dead and her cousin Tyler living across the country, that only leaves Jay as a suspect. And it turns out his gun was also in the right place at the wrong time to pin everything on him.

  Now, Kori and Jay have a list of online dating profiles that become the top suspects, starting with the deceased’s violent ex-husband. Will they be able to find the real killer before Jay is behind bars with a guilty conviction for a murder he barely knows anything about? And why did the murderer try to frame him—he hadn’t been in touch with Heidi for years.

  As the questions pile up, they hope the body count stays at one.

  INCLUDED: In The Kitchen with Ginny Gold—Breakfast (or lunch) Smoothies straight off The Early Bird Café’s menu!

  Dead and Berried

  Summer is in full swing and Hermit Cove is hosting the county’s annual Summer Strawberry Festival. Kori’s Early Bird Café has a front and center booth where she’s selling sweet breakfasts and desserts all day. Best friend Nora Farmer is supposed to occupy t
he booth directly across from hers near the entrance where business will be best, but when she fails to show up on the opening day, Kori knows something is wrong.

  And it couldn’t be more wrong. A body is found on Nora’s property and next to it is a pint of poisoned strawberries. All fingers are pointing at Nora. And when a bloody shovel turns up in her barn, things look like they’re taking a turn for the worse.

  With such a busy weekend will Kori have time to help clear her best friend’s name? Or will Nora have to take the fall for a murder she didn’t commit? They worry that Nora could be the next target if they can’t solve the case fast enough.

  INCLUDED: In The Kitchen with Ginny Gold—Her Secret Recipe for An All Natural Cleaner!

  Croaked Wheat

  Kori Cooke’s life is heating up in the kitchen, and in the bedroom. Things seem to be falling into place—finally—with long time eye candy, Lieutenant Zach Gulch. But that doesn’t mean everything else in Hermit Cove is just peachy.

  When best friend, Nora Farmer, finds a body in a delivery of grain for her farm, Kori is immediately by her side and ready to find whoever is responsible. But the suspect list is growing without finding any real answers: a jilted mistress, a greedy wife, and ex-coworkers who might have been up to no good.

  But Kori’s mission of finding justice gets put on the fast track when Nora goes missing and Kori worries that the killer has kidnapped her for getting to close to the trail. Will Kori be able to save Nora in time or will she be the next body to be found? Kori finds help in unlikely places, but has to question everyone’s information and whether she can trust it.

  INCLUDED: In The Kitchen with Ginny Gold—Baking with Gluten Free Flours!

  Smashed Potatoes and Gravy

  Kori Cooke is excited for Thanksgiving. Not only is she hosting Thanksgiving at The Early Bird Café, but she’s also throwing a baby shower that same week for her good friend Jenna Rhodes. But when Jenna is late to her own shower, Kori knows something is wrong.