Rise and Die (The Early Bird Cafe Cozy Mystery Series Book 1)

by Ginny Gold

  “Did you call Alex Marks?”

  “No. I didn’t. I was going to. But someone’s here. I think they’re after me,” she said, skipping all the details. She could tell him later. She just needed to get him here. Now.

  “What? Who?”

  “I don’t know. I think it’s Detective Gunn but we didn’t see him. We ran into the barn. We’re hiding in the loft. Just come. Fast!”

  “I’m on my way. Don’t hang up. I want to hear that you’re okay.”

  Kori didn’t hang up but she put the phone on the ground. She and Nora made eye contact but nothing passed between them about how Zach was about to be their rescuer. They only conveyed panic and fear.

  “Crawl over to that window,” Nora directed and pointed toward the front of the barn. “Then we can see the house.”

  Kori did as she was told. “Where are the dogs?” she asked. In her panic, she hadn’t paid any attention to what Nora had done with Milo and Otis when they’d left the house at a run.

  “They came out with us. So they either alerted him to where we were, or they’re protecting us and attacking him.”

  They peered out the window and were relieved to only see their own two sets of footprints leading to the barn through the mud. They couldn’t see the front of the house but they could now hear the dogs barking wildly.

  “Kori?” Zach’s voice came over the phone.

  She picked it back up and asked him, “Yeah?”

  “I just got to Nora’s but I don’t see any other cars, just yours. Did you happen to see any cars come up the driveway?”

  “No. Where are the dogs?” she asked. She couldn’t even consider that whoever had knocked—Detective Gunn or not—was going to get away.

  “They’re out front, barking. Come down here. I’ll take you both somewhere. Someone knows too much and you’re not safe here either.”

  “Check the house first,” Kori requested.

  Kori could hear Zach open the front door. She heard the dogs’ paws on the wooden floor, storming past him, still barking. They weren’t taking any chances either. After another couple minutes of waiting, Zach assured her, “There’s no one here. Let’s get you guys somewhere safe for the night. Any ideas?”

  Kori and Nora exchanged a look and then Nora grabbed the phone before Kori could stop her. “I think the only place we’ll feel safe is your house, Zach.”

  Kori’s eyes filled with panic. She couldn’t say she didn’t enjoy that idea but she would have never acted on it.

  “Oh. Okay,” Zach sputtered. “Why don’t you come back to your house and we can talk about it.”

  Without hanging up the phone, the women descended the ladder from the loft and walked silently back to the house. The dogs were happy to see them and Zach was blushing a deep red, seated at the table.

  Nora and Kori silently took seats at the table and Kori finally hung up her phone.

  “What are our options?” Kori asked Zach.

  “You’re both in danger, that much is clear. My gut tells me that it’s connected to the postcard. Which we haven’t gotten the fingerprint analysis on but I’m not hopeful.”

  “Before you go on,” Kori interrupted, looking at Nora for backup. “We looked up Alex Marks on Facebook and it turns out he’s friends with Detective Gunn. We think that was him coming after us. Did you look up the car registration?”

  “I did. It’s not Alex’s—”

  “Well, then, we’re led to believe that it’s Detective Gunn’s. There’s a photo of the two of them standing in front of a red car,” Kori explained.

  “I’ve never seen him driving a red Beamer,” Zach objected. “But I did find something interesting when I was looking into Alex; he’s married to Detective Gunn’s sister.”

  Kori saw Nora’s face blanch and she suspected hers did the same. No one spoke for several moments as they absorbed that new information.

  “So you believe that Detective Gunn is involved in this as more than just the lead detective?” Kori finally asked, making sure she was reading his statement correctly.

  “I’m starting to believe that. But we don’t have anything concrete to link Alex and Gunn to Tessa’s death.”

  “If we can find him, I think I can get him to admit it. Use me as bait,” Kori pleaded.

  “Not a chance. That’s way too risky,” Zach said, shaking his head.

  “You’d be there the whole time, somewhere hiding. Just let me try to get the information out of him.”

  Kori and Zach went back and forth for several minutes before Nora jumped in. “I think Kori’s right. I think this is our best shot. Not only are we both in danger but it looks like Hermit Cove has a rogue cop on its hands. We have to find him and Kori’s the key to getting him to at least show his face.”

  “Fine. Fine. If this is the way you want to get yourself killed—”

  “I’m not going to get myself killed,” Kori said, exasperated. She understood that Zach was trying to protect her, and she appreciated that, but right now she had to end this nightmare. “It’s still light out. Let’s go find Detective Gunn.”

  All three of them piled into Nora’s truck. They weren’t going to take a chance in the police cruiser or Kori’s car that had already been a target. Without discussing their plan, they headed to Detective Gunn’s house, hoping to find him there.

  “Wait. No. Not his house. That will be too invasive,” Kori said suddenly, coming up with a better plan.

  “Where, then?” Nora asked.

  “Sunrise and Shine. Zach, call him and tell him you found new evidence. But not yet. Let’s go look for anything that would tie this to Detective Gunn or Alex Marks. Then call him and we’ll all be there.”

  “You don’t think we’ve already scoured the place for anything that would solve this?” Zach asked.

  “But who did the scouring? How much of it was you and how much was Gunn?”

  “Fair point. Let’s go to the café,” Zach agreed and Nora turned around to head to the center of town.

  She parked in front of Kori’s house so when Detective Gunn showed up, he wouldn’t suspect that she and Kori were there. They wanted him to think it was Zach drawing him there and then Kori planned to intercept him outside.

  Once inside the police tape that was still around Sunrise and Shine, Kori headed straight to the office. As a fellow café owner, she knew better than the others what she was looking for. She didn’t know specifically what she would find but she was suspicious of Tessa’s relationship with Alex after all those years. Had they been sleeping together? Or was it much deeper than that?

  In the office, Kori completely ignored Zach and Nora. She took in her surroundings quickly—photos on the wall, framed certificates that Tessa had received over the years in both school and at work. But nothing with Alex in it.

  She knew Tessa to be organized to a fault, so when she opened the filing cabinet, she was shocked to find it a huge mess. “Did you search in here?” she asked Zach.

  He shook his head. “This was Gunn’s area. I took the kitchen.”

  “He might have already gotten what he needed then to hide this. Look for a list of passwords. We have to get on her computer.”

  Nora found passwords and usernames hidden in the middle of a cookbook above the desk and handed it to Kori.

  “Perfect.” Kori turned the computer on and waited. She scanned the list of logins and found the one she would start with: a bank account local to New York.

  When the computer had started and she had successfully logged on, Kori opened up an internet browser. Instead of bringing her to a home page, it logged her straight into Tessa’s email.

  “Come here,” she called to Zach and Nora who quickly hovered behind her, looking over her shoulder. “Look at all these emails on Monday and Tuesday from Alex.”

  “Open the first one,” Nora said, pointing to it.

  Kori did as instructed and they all read silently. Kori felt her stomach tighten into knots at the implication. You can tha
nk your friend Kori Cooke for confirming what I already knew—you’re in Hermit Cove. Well, you couldn’t have chosen a better place to hide. You won’t get away with this any longer.

  It was time stamped just after her call with Alex early in the morning.

  Tessa had been angry with her for telling Alex where she was, not for any vandalism like she’d been accused. But if Tessa had known it wasn’t Kori who had thrown the rock through her window, why had she accused her and gotten her arrested?

  She didn’t have time to find the answer to her question, because just then a crashing sound and breaking glass came from the front of the café. Kori turned around and saw that Zach already had his hand on his gun and was walking back out front.

  “Stop,” she hissed to him. Thankfully he stopped. “Did you call Detective Gunn already?”

  Zach shook his head. “But I think that’s him.”

  “Let me go out there. It’s me he’s after. If he doesn’t know you’re here, he might tell me what’s going on.”

  “Doubtful,” Nora whispered.

  Zach nodded, agreeing with Nora.

  Before either of them could stop her, Kori darted past them both and was in the front of the café. She was glad there was still enough light from the setting spring sun to be able to see clearly.

  “I thought I might find you here,” Detective Gunn said, an already bloody knife in his hand.

  She tried her best not to lose her cool but she’d never been threatened before. “What made you think that?” she asked in what she hoped was an innocent tone.

  “Like I said, you know too much.” His mouth twisted into a snarl.

  “Well, I only know what you’ve let slip. Like that you’re friends with Alex Marks. And more than that, he’s actually your brother-in-law.”

  “And you think that matters to me?” Detective Gunn’s hand never wavered, always ready to strike at his target.

  “I know that Tessa worked for Alex in college. And that she was hiding from him. And she happened to hide in the place where you lived, making it awfully convenient for you to take her out and make it look like I did it.”

  Before Kori could move, a gunshot sounded and Detective Gunn was suddenly writhing on the ground, screaming. Blood was coming out of his leg where the bullet had penetrated his skin. Zach came rushing past her and handcuffed Detective Gunn while Kori stood in shock.

  Nora guided Kori to a chair and waited for her gaze to return to life before she explained what had happened.

  “We read more emails while you were out here,” she started and Kori nodded. “Tessa was stealing money from Alex; had been for over ten years. Probably since she worked for him. Alex couldn’t figure out what was going on until the address on the account the money was going into changed. He thought it was you at first but then called and learned Tessa was here too. So he was using you as a scapegoat. And he used Detective Gunn to do the dirty work. If you hadn’t thought to bring us here, who knows what Gunn would have done to you. We wouldn’t have known enough for Zach to take him out like that.”

  Kori took in all of the information slowly. “So Gunn threw the rock through the window on Monday and then pinned it on me?” she asked

  Nora nodded. “Convenient, isn’t it?”

  “And who slashed my tires?”

  “I think I just heard Gunn tell Zach it was him too. It was all part of the cover story. They needed it to look like you and Tessa were really out for each other.”

  Kori slowly absorbed all this information as Zach got the rest of the details from Gunn. Gunn and Alex Marks were guilty and Kori was off the hook.

  That was all she could remember the next morning when she woke up in Nora’s guest room. She hadn’t had the nerve to go home alone.

  Kori had a sudden moment of panic when she saw that the clock read six fifty but then remembered that she had the freedom to take a day off for personal reasons. And Friday seemed like the perfect day for that.

  Slowly, she got out of bed and headed downstairs. Nora was nowhere to be seen but Zach was sitting at the kitchen table enjoying a cup of coffee and a plate of eggs and bacon.

  “Good morning,” he said, a smile on his face.

  Kori looked at him confused. “Morning.” She still couldn’t remember why he was here. She helped herself to a cup of coffee and heaped eggs and bacon onto a second plate.

  “After the events of last night, Nora asked me to stay here. I slept on the couch. How are you feeling?”

  “Like I never want to know the details of another murder again.”

  “Fair enough.”

  “Where’s Detective Gunn?” Kori asked after she’d taken a bite and started to remember more of the details.

  “Somewhere he can’t hurt you.”

  Kori smiled and knew that Zach would forever be on her side.

  IN THE KITCHEN WITH GINNY GOLD

  GOAT CHEESE OMELETS

  Goat cheese is the perfect consistency to pair with eggs. Its creaminess only gets better when it’s heated. My favorite combination of veggies in a goat cheese omelet is fresh baby spinach with sautéed onions and mushrooms.

  First, add a small amount of olive oil to your skillet, no more than two teaspoons. Heat it slowly over medium heat. Chop your onion and add to the oil. Thinly slice your mushrooms (baby bella or white button) and when the onions are translucent and soft, add the mushrooms to the pan. Cook until they are soft, then put them in a bowl to store until you add them to your omelet.

  Second, whip two eggs in a bowl. The fresher the better. You’ll know they’re fresh when the yokes are a deep yellow, almost golden. Butter your skillet, keeping it on medium-low heat, and pour in your eggs. As they cook, grind a little bit of pepper on the eggs, then sprinkle your sautéed veggies, fresh spinach and goat cheese on half of the eggs. When the eggs are nearly fully cooked, fold the eggs in half, enclosing the vegetables and cheese. Give them another couple minutes, and violà! A delicious omelet to start your day!

  A hearty slice of toasted homemade bread is a perfect addition.

  THE EARLY BIRD CAFÉ’S MENU FOR RISE AND DIE

  Goat Cheese Omelets

  Pancakes—Plain, Lemon, Banana

  Cinnamon French Toast

  Stuffed French Toast

  Biscuits and Gravy

  Country Fried Steak

  Overnight Oatmeal

  Granola, Yogurt and Fruit

  Egg Sandwich or Wrap with Basil Pesto or Fresh Arugula

  Leek and Mushroom Quiche

  Bacon Wrapped Leeks

  Hot Apple Cider

  Waffles with Maple Syrup or Whipped Cream and Strawberries

  Fruit Smoothies

  Muffins—Apple Cinnamon, Strawberry, Blueberry

  Popovers

  Eggs and Toast with Fruit

  Visit Ginny Gold’s Facebook Page for more breakfast ideas: http://www.facebook.com/GinnyGoldAuthor

  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 Early Bird Café 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

  Deadly Surprise

  Dead and Berried

  Croaked Wheat

  Smashed Potatoes and Gravy

  Gingerdead Man

  If you enjoyed Rise and Die, the first of The Early Bird Café Series, check out Begonia Means Beware, the first of the Lily Bloom Cozy Mystery Series—written by my mom!

  Chapter 1<
br />
  After Lily signed the papers, she did a little dance. Finally, it’s mine. It’s not much. Yet. But it’s mine. She called Iris. “Mom. Pick up Daisy and meet me at 25 Lupine Lane.”

  “Whatever for? That place is a deserted dump,” her mother said with condescension.

  “Just meet me. I’ve got a surprise.” Lily was going to be persistently optimistic.

  Lily stood on the sidewalk and looked at her new purchase. It was going to need a lot of work. Did she say a lot? Probably more like an enormously lot of work. But in her head, she could see the front window displayed with colorful flowers in beautiful baskets and vases. She would hang a simple wooden country sign once she decided on a name. She already had a bell to hang so it would jingle when customers came in. Misty Valley would finally have a flower shop. And it was hers.

  Iris roared up in her convertible VW bug with Daisy hanging onto her hat. “Okay. What’s your surprise? Is this place finally getting torn down?”

  A small panic attack started in Lily’s head. What have I done? She shook that thought away. “Mom. I bought the old medical supply building. I just signed the papers. It’s mine.” She’d hoped to sound more excited and confident, but her words came out flat.

  Iris looked at the dilapidated building then at Lily. “You what? Are you out of your mind? Why on Earth would you do that?”

  “It’s going to be a flower shop. Use your imagination.”

  “Please don’t tell me you used the money your father left you.”

  Lily looked at her building.

  “You did, didn’t you?” her mother asked.

  Lily stood firm and faced Iris. “It’s my money. Dad would have wanted me to be happy.” She turned to her sister. “Daisy, help me out here. Support your big sister. It could be a job for you when it’s open for business.”

  Daisy smiled. “Yeah, I can see it. Great idea.”

  Iris ignored Lily and Daisy’s attempt to gang up on her. “Your father is rolling over in his grave. Why didn’t you do something fun with that money? Take a trip around the world? Go skydiving? Anything but buy an old broken down piece of property.”