Crime at Cripple Creek (The Sisters Week Series #1)

by Elizabeth Sherry

  Chapter 14

  The girls settled down to do more work on their quilts while Tyler and Michael sat at the table trying to get some answers from the notebook. So far they haven’t had any luck.

  Michael brought steaks to grill and some potatoes to bake for dinner, as well as a watermelon. So dinner was an easy fix tonight.

  The girls worked for a couple of hours on their separate quilts. It’s as if they were alone in the cabin but with the security of knowing they were safe. The men stayed out of their way for the most part.

  Joy finished some reconstruction on her duck and when she finished it looked adorable, “I think I’ll miss the big lipped duck though.” Beth said with a wink. Lynn agreed, “We will have the memories though, and I have pictures to remind us all.”

  All three quilts looked precious when the women finished them. The three sisters knew their brother and his wife would love them all. They laid the quilts across the sofa while they cleaned up their mess.

  “These are great. You girls are very talented,” Michael said while he admired the quilts, “Tyler come look at these.”

  “You girl have now amazed me. These are wonderful. Have you ever thought of selling quilts?” Tyler asked.

  “No, we make these for family and friends with love. But if it’s a job, that will make it work instead of fun,” Lynn answered.

  The girls cleaned up and put everything away, including the newly made quilts. Then they asked the men to go for a walk before they started dinner so Lynn could take some pictures.

  They locked up the cabin and started their walk on the trail behind the cabin. Lynn snapped shot after shot with her camera while Beth and Tyler walked hand in hand. Beth noticed Michael held Joy’s hand also.

  They saw magnificent rock formations and deer that drank from the creek. Beth noticed the mountains in the distance were gorgeous with the sun just starting to set just before they all had to return to the cabin and start dinner.

  “I’ll wash up and start the grill. Tyler, you can season the steaks,” Michael stated before heading to the bathroom.

  “I guess we can bake the potatoes and cut up the watermelon,” Lynn said.

  Beth stopped Tyler when she placed her hand on his arm. “Have you and Michael solved the notebook mystery yet?”

  “We’re pretty sure it has something to do with drugs. We’re not sure what type of drugs, but drugs fit in the equation,” He answered before he seasoned the steaks, then he joined Michael on the side deck at the grill.

  “We agree the numbers in the first column are dates in the book. Could the second number be kilos or pounds? Those numbers are low numbers, so kilos or pounds might make sense,” Tyler asked his friend.

  “I’m thinking its pounds and the letter at the top of the pages is the person who ordered and paid for the drugs on that page. I’m still wondering how it got into Beth’s bag though,” Michael told his friend.

  “I think I can answer that. Remember Beth telling us that Maggie sat down at the slot machine next to hers and Beth left her machine for a minute. I think Maggie put that book in Beth’s purse as soon as she walked away. Beth’s purse doesn’t zip closed, so it would’ve been open and wouldn’t have taken Maggie but a second to slip the book down inside. That book is probably what got her killed, and now Beth has it,” Tyler explained.

  “You’re probably right, but let’s not say anything during dinner. I want these women to enjoy these steaks and not ruin their digestion for tonight,” Michael begged Tyler. Tyler agreed. The day has been very pleasant and he wanted it to continue.

  Pushing away from the table, Beth told Michael, “Those were the best steaks I’ve had in a long time. You both did wonderfully grilling. Now I’m stuffed. We girls will clean up. There’s not much. You and Tyler go sit till we’re done. Then we’ll challenge you two to a round of Yahtzee.”

  Beth started clearing the table when she remembered the laundry. “Can you two finish here while I go put the clothes in the dryer? I forgot all about them.”

  “Sure, go and hurry back. We have to prepare ourselves for battle,” Joy said with a laugh.

  Even turning on the lights before going down the stairs didn’t make Beth feel less nervous. Believing it was her imagination working overtime to scare her, she proceeded to the laundry room, where she removed the clothes from the washing machine and put them into the dryer. She reached for the temperature knob when someone grabbed her from behind.

  Something hard is pressed to the back of her head as a deep voice whispered close to her ear. “Don’t make a sound or you’re as dead as Maggie. Where is it?”

  Beth could barely breathe with the man’s arm around her neck. She pulled on his arm trying to loosen his hold on her. If he didn’t she knew she would lose consciousness.

  “Please, I can’t breathe,” She said in hardly a whisper. This made the man loosen his grip some, but just enough for Beth to answer his question.

  “I asked you where it is,” The man repeated his question.

  “I don’t know what you want. Where is what?” Beth answered as she frantically looked around the laundry room for a weapon. All she saw was the bleach bottle she left the top off of earlier when she added some to the load of wash. If she reached it she might be able to save herself.

  “You know what I’m looking for. Maggie must have given it to you. You were the only person she sat by at the casino.” The man had lost his patience as he tightened his hold around her throat.

  Swiftly, Beth grabbed the bleach bottle and threw it over her shoulder. It splashed the man’s face and he let go of Beth and dropped the gun, as he scratched at his face.

  Beth screamed as loud as she could and ran. She made it to the bottom of the stairs when the door at the top crashed open and Tyler stood there with his gun pointed right at her.

  Beth turned around and saw the man heading for her and screamed again. Tyler reached Beth before the stranger did and pushed her behind him. Pointing his gun at the man he told him to stop, “Get down on the floor, now!”

  The man kept coming until he saw that Michael joined Tyler, and now there were two guns pointed at him so he did as Tyler told him to do. He lay down on the floor as he cursed Beth. “You bitch. I think you blinded me. I can’t see but a blur. I’m going to sue you.”

  “That will be hard to do from prison, Joe.” Michael told the stranger as he handcuffed the man’s hands behind his back.

  “Joe…. The Joe who works at the casino and who was Maggie’s friend?” Beth asked.

  “Yes. This is the person who killed Maggie,” Michael answered.

  “She would still be alive if she would’ve given me back my book,” answered Joe.

  While he held Beth close, Tyler asked if she’s hurt, “No, just very scared, and my neck might be sore for a few days,” Beth told Tyler.

  “Go upstairs sweetheart. I’m sure your sisters are frantic to make sure you are alright,” Tyler said.

  Beth climbed the stairs in a daze and when she walked through the door way she was smothered by her sisters. Beth saw see they had been crying and were just as shaky as she was.

  “It’s over. It’s finally all over,” Beth said and then fell apart. The sobs came as if they would never stop. Her sisters led her to the sofa and sat her down. As hard as she tried she couldn’t stop crying or shaking.

  She felt someone put their arms around her and realized it was Tyler, he pulled her close and letting her cry on his shoulder. He didn’t say a word, he just let her get it all out. When she finished and the sobs were less and less, he handed her some tissue but kept a tight hold on her.

  Beth blew her nose and wiped her eyes with all the tissues Tyler gave her. She was still an emotional wreck and therefore didn’t even consider how she looked at this moment. She briefly thought about how red her eyes were from crying, along with her face, which also turned red when she cried. At this time and after what happened
she didn’t care. She only kept silently telling herself that it was over. It was finally over. She still wouldn’t stop shaking, but knew that would happen in time.

  “Sweetheart, it’s over now. You all will be alright. No one can hurt you now. Damn, it’s tearing me apart seeing you cry,” Tyler said with such emotion.

  Beth finally looked up at Tyler, “I know its over. You saved me but if you remember, we girls are great during a crisis, but fall apart afterwards. I will be fine shortly. Tyler, I owe you my life. I cringe to think what could’ve happened if you didn’t come down stairs,” Beth hugged Tyler tightly.

  “Here Beth, I made you a drink. I know you can use one,” Joy handed Beth a glass and Beth knew how Joy’s mind worked, knew it was her famous margarita. Beth took a large gulp and she thanked Joy. The shakes were slowing down and by the time she finished the drink, the shakes were gone.

  Michael came into the room with his prisoner, “I called my deputy. He will meet me at the gate to transport Joe to the jail. Can I get the gate key? After putting this one in the squad car I’ll re-lock the gate and come back.”

  Lynn got the key out of Beth’s purse and handed it to Michael. Then she walked over to the sofa and sat on the other side of Beth, “You’re new shirt has bleach spots all over the shoulder and back. Why don’t I help you change?”

  Beth now remembered the bleach and realized that’s probably why her shoulder felt like it was on fire.

  Beth went into the bathroom and stripped down and took a quick shower. She scrubbed her shoulders and back and shampooed her hair. When she got out of the shower and toweled off, she rubbed some cream on her shoulders and neck and then she saw Lynn had laid some clothes inside for her to put on. What would she do without her sisters?

  She just finished getting her lounging pajamas on that Lynn laid out for her, when there was a knock on the door.

  “Are you decent?” Lynn asked.

  Opening the door, Beth let Lynn in, “I just need to blow dry my hair.”

  “Sit and I’ll blow dry it for you. It’ll only take a minute,” Lynn already had the blow dryer in her hand, so Beth sat down in front of the mirror and let Lynn go to work.

  Hugging Lynn, Beth thanked her for knowing just what she needed, “You and Joy always know what’s good for me. Thank you.”