The Milburn Big Box Set

by Nancy McGovern

  “Bubbles saw through it, though, didn’t he?” Michelle asked.

  Nora nodded. “Bubbles was my one clue that things weren’t as they seemed. Bubbles was calm with Kenny because he knew Kenny wasn’t going to hurt you. There’s not even a single scratch on Kenny. But the second Garth came into the room, Bubbles was screaming and furious. He was trying his hardest to get to you, Michelle — to protect you. Later on, I even dismissed the scratches on Garth’s arms, thinking they came from the glass shards that night. But I’m betting that a good doctor will be able to prove they’re from a cat’s claws. Another bit of proof against you, Garth. The noose is tightening now.”

  Garth’s eyes were red and his fists were clenched. He was no longer listening to Nora. Like a snake observing its prey, his eyes were fixed on Sheriff Ellerton and the gun on his hip. His tongue snaked out and he licked his lips. “Whatever you say, Nora.”

  “And Flint?” Sheriff Ellerton asked. “You think these two attacked him, too? Forced him to swallow those pills?”

  “Ah, Flint,” Nora said. “Flint is the wild card here. He’s the one gear that didn’t turn according to Betty and Garth’s plans. You see, he lied to Betty about the laptop. He had found it, and he didn’t want to tell her.”

  “Why not?” Michelle asked.

  “Because Flint’s done some illegal things himself, things he didn’t want anybody to know about,” Nora said. “He has a secret bank account overseas and he couldn’t risk his wife knowing. He selfishly wanted to keep that money all to himself. Or maybe some part of him, even after all these years, was smart enough not to trust Betty.”

  On the bed, Flint groaned and stirred.

  “Like I said, Flint got really lucky,” Nora said. “Betty and Garth attacked him, forced those pills down his throat, and hoped that it would get passed off as a suicide. Lovely, huh? They were quite desperate by then.”

  “That moron!” Betty exclaimed. “He couldn’t do one thing right. All I asked was that he retrieve the laptop. Fetch, puppy, fetch! But did he? Could he? No. He hid it from me! I came home and saw him sobbing on the floor like a baby. He told me you had the laptop and I knew — I knew — I was doomed right there. It was Garth’s idea to try and kill Flint. He told me it was our only chance, and that time was running out. I didn’t want to!”

  “Shut up, Betty! Shut up right now!” Garth screamed.

  “No! After you try to pin Jake’s murder on me? You snake! I should never have trusted you! You said it would be easy! You said we’d be off on a cruise around the world! Look at us now!”

  “Betty, I’m telling you, not another word out of you!” Garth warned.

  “Why? I’m going to be ruined anyway. Nora’s given the laptop to the police. Your desperate, last minute plan of faking Flint’s suicide and writing his confession didn’t work. So give it up!”

  “It would have worked!” Garth yelled. “We had some bad luck, that’s all. That customer came in and found Flint. What could we do then but rush him here? Up to that point my plan was genius. My plans were all genius! I’m just dogged by bad luck, that’s all! Probably thanks to you!”

  “Alright, I’ve heard enough.” Sheriff Ellerton raised his head high. “Garth. Betty. I hope you have your attorneys on speed dial — you’re going to need them. Right now, you’re both under arrest for the murder of Jake Tipper, to start with.”

  *****

  Epilogue

  Six Months Later

  “Nora!” Michelle smiled from behind the counter of the bookstore, clearly delighted. “Lovely to see you today! And, oh, you’ve brought a guest!”

  “Three guests, actually.” Nora smiled. Grace was beside Nora with a bouquet in her hand. Kaylee shyly stepped out from behind her. She had a tiny gray bundle wiggling in her arms.

  “Who’s this?” Michelle raised an eyebrow.

  “This is Cookie,” Kaylee said, gently placing the kitten on the countertop. He was barely larger than Nora’s fist but already a spirited little guy. He meowed at Kaylee as if asking her if he could take a look around. Immediately, from behind the counter, Bubbles jumped up. He came over and sniffed the kitten, his yellow eyes glowing with curiosity.

  “Now, Bubbles, be nice,” Michelle warned.

  Bubbles purred as if considering his options. He sniffed Cookie one more time then sat down next to him, curling his long tail around his new friend’s little body. Sensing the kinship, Cookie suddenly went wild, running circles around Bubbles and trying to get him to play. Bubbles flicked his tail slightly and stuck his nose in the air, clearly too mature for such shenanigans, and Cookie got the hint, flopping down next to him and snuggling in close.

  “Looks like they’re going to get along just fine,” Nora said as Bubbles began licking the kitten’s belly.

  “Mom heard about everything Bubbles did for you and she decided to get me a cat, too.” Kaylee smiled up at Michelle. “So I wanted to come and say ‘thank you’.”

  “Well, I need to thank you for looking after Bubbles when he needed you. He’s really fond of you, Kaylee. You’re clearly a natural with animals.”

  “Thank you!” Kaylee’s smile widened.

  “In fact, I have a gift for you.” Michelle walked over to a bookshelf and pulled out a bright blue book with animals all over the cover. My Family and Other Animals. You’re going to love it.”

  Kaylee squealed with excitement and ran over to look at the book. Nora and Grace, meanwhile, were admiring the store. It had reopened three months ago and had already become a favorite with the locals. Cozy and quiet, it radiated peace.

  “This place looks amazing,” Grace said, handing the bouquet to Michelle. “I didn’t get a chance to come by sooner but I did want to congratulate you. You’ve been through so much - and you conquered it all. It can’t have been easy, first uprooting your life and moving to Milburn, then having the stress of a newly-opened bookstore to manage and then, on top of it all, being accused of murder! I’m so sorry I ever thought you could have done it.”

  “I don’t blame you. It was just a freaky situation all around. I wouldn’t have made it without your mother,” Michelle admitted.

  “Oh, Michelle, I really didn’t do anything,” Nora demurred.

  “Oh, but you did,” Michelle said. “Thanks to you, the right people are in jail for Jake’s murder. I’ve even filed a civil suit against Garth and Betty, and the money I get from it will help cover the cost of the fire damage.”

  “Flint’s in trouble, too, isn’t he?” Grace asked.

  Michelle nodded. “Once he was revived, he became a key witness against Garth and Betty. Poor guy. Now he knows what it feels like to be cheated on. But that’s not his biggest concern. The IRS is going after him, guns blazing. He’ll be lucky if he avoids jail time.”

  “And Kenny?” Grace asked. “I never did get the chance to ask about him.”

  Michelle smiled. “He’s finally out of the hospital and he’s doing really well. Getting clobbered on the head weirdly helped him somehow. They’ve started him on a new treatment plan and they’re optimistic. He’s been too busy recovering to stalk me, and I’ve had a serious talk with his grandmother. She’s going to make sure that never happens again.”

  “All’s well that ends well, then.” Grace grinned. “Now all you need to worry about is Books and Bubbles!”

  “Just the way I like it!” Michelle smiled.

  The End (of Reading With The Dead)

  Continue for Knitting With The Dead…

  RETURN TO MILBURN…25 Years Later

  A Sequel Series To “A Murder In Milburn”

  BOOK 5:

  Knitting With The Dead

  By

  Nancy McGovern

  Chapter 1

  The Party

  Nora loved watching people when they were in conversation. You could tell so much from the tilt of a chin or the raise of an eyebrow. Sometimes you could learn more about a person by simply looking at them as they spoke, rather than listening to
the things they said.

  The woman she was watching, Maybelle Abelard, tipped back her head to laugh out loud, her teeth gleaming. Then, with a sip out of her wineglass and a shake of her curls, she laid her head upon her husband’s shoulder. Her husband, Tyler, gave Maybelle an absent smile, unconsciously stepped a bit away from her, then continued to speak, his hands moving constantly as he described something. Maybelle lifted her head and gave him the briefest look of disappointment before turning back to the others. Across from the couple, their friend, Jessica, seemed to have caught the uncomfortable exchange and Nora noticed a glimmer in her eye that subsided as quickly as it had appeared.

  They were at a party to celebrate the victory of the local high school basketball team and Coach James’s home was full of excited people, many wearing Milburn’s blue and yellow colors. Some had even painted their faces - Nora’s husband, Harvey, among them.

  Nora, herself, was sitting on a couch with her best friend, Tina, and Tina’s husband, Sam. The couple was bent over an issue of Autocar, passionately discussing which car they should buy next.

  “I’m so over sensible mini-vans,” Tina said. “I need something with a little va-va-voom, Sam. Something quick and…sexy. After all, we’re not chauffeuring toddlers around anymore!”

  “We already have 'quick and sexy'. The Mustang is the very definition of 'quick and sexy'," Sam argued. "We’re replacing our minivan, so we should just get the newest and best minivan. Besides, you need something more practical like that for delivering your catering orders.”

  “I don’t care," Tina said, folding her arms defiantly. "If you ask me, we should get rid of the Mustang. That thing is older than our house and twice as heavy.”

  “That’s the beauty of it! It was my grandfather’s Mustang!” Sam shook his head.

  “I know, I know. You’d rather get rid of me than that Mustang.” Tina rolled her eyes. Turning to Nora, she asked. “What do you think?”

  “Are Jessica Bentley and Maybelle Abelard good friends?” Nora asked, completely ignoring Tina's question.

  “Huh? Of course. They’ve known each other forever,” Tina said. “Why?”

  “Oh, no reason. Just something I noticed.”

  “Well, how about noticing us?” Tina waved her hand in front of Nora’s face. “Sometimes you just go off into your own little world.”

  “Yeah, and so do you, Tina, if you think we’re buying anything but a minivan,” Sam interjected.

  “What I’d love is a nice Porsche! Cherry red.” Tina gushed. “Imagine it, Sam - the two of us holding hands, Wyoming bursting into spring all around us as we zoom down the highway, bison and antelope watching enviously as a crimson streak blurs past them. Imagine the roar of the engine as I push the pedal to the metal…”

  “Yes, that does sound nice." Sam sucked on his tooth for a second, then drifted back toward reality. "Though I doubt the wildlife would be jealous. And just imagine how cramped it would be living in that car.”

  “Huh?”

  “We’d end up living in it because we’d probably have to sell the house to buy a Porsche. Look, how about a Prius? It’s environmentally friendly and it wouldn't be too hard on our budget.”

  Tina frowned dramatically. “Your problem, Sam, is that you have no imagination. There’s such a thing as a used Porsche, you know.”

  “Hey, Nora.” Jessica Bentley stepped up to them and offered Nora a bright smile. “I’m not interrupting something, am I?”

  “Not at all. You’re saving me from a volcano on the verge of eruption.” Nora cocked her head toward Sam and Tina, then heaved herself off the couch. “I was about to go get myself a drink. Want to come along? Best to leave these two alone right now.”

  Sam and Tina were still arguing, blissfully unaware of the world around them.

  “Yeah...” Jess gave the couple a brief glance before looking back at Nora. “I was actually hoping to get your advice about something.”

  “Sure.” Nora smiled. “Always glad to help.”

  They moved through the crowd and into the kitchen where numerous family-size bags of potato chips and Tostitos lay half-open on the counter, along with nearly-empty bottles of soda the size of tankers. Nora poured herself a glass of Coke and looked over at Jess, who was emptying the last drops of a bottle of wine. In one shot, Jess upended her glass and finished the wine.

  “Whoa! Easy, girl. Are you alright?” Nora asked, giving Jess a concerned look.

  Jessica Bentley owned one of Milburn’s finest boutiques. She’d inherited Donna’s Closet from her mother and, over the years, imbued it with her own personal sense of style. Half the appeal of shopping in 'The Closet' was getting style tips from Jess herself. Even today, dressed in a powder-blue, boat-necked top with a long, sunny-yellow skirt, Jessie managed to look chic in a house full of basketball jerseys. She also looked a little tipsy - her cheeks were blotchy and her normally-sharp eyes a little dull.

  “Do you have a ride back home?” Nora asked. “Harvey and I could give you one.”

  “Yeah…thanks. That’s what I wanted to ask you.” Jessica smiled and leaned back against the counter. “I guess I lose my head at these things. I was a cheerleader for the Bulldogs once upon a time, you know? Milburn’s Mutts…I still feel like a teenager at these games.”

  “You’re only in your thirties.” Nora smiled. “That’s hardly older than a teenager! At least, it feels that way to me.”

  “Ah, and you’re way past sixty. Old and bold and wise and experienced. I wish I had your experience.”

  Nora, who was not “way past sixty” but rather just a little under it, thank you very much, chose to take Jessica’s words as a compliment instead of an insult. “Wisdom and experience don’t always go hand-in-hand, I’ve found." Nora said. "Anyway, you didn’t bring me to the kitchen because you wanted a ride. You said you wanted my advice, Jess. What is it?”

  Jess looked down at her hands and bit her lip. “I don’t know. You’ve got enough problems of your own, I don’t want to load mine onto you.”

  “Nonsense. That’s what good neighbors are for, aren’t they? Remember when I had that arthritic flare up and you knitted me some mittens? I still owe you for that.”

  Jess smiled brightly, the memory warming her. “You supplied me with cakes and cookies for months after. I’d say we’re more than even.”

  “I still use those mittens, you know,” Nora said. “They’re really lovely and so warm.”

  “I lined them with fleece.” Jess smiled. “I picked the colors out to suit you, too - mint and magenta. I don’t know why I always associate those colors with you.”

  “My diner was painted those colors for all the years that you were just a kid. I suppose that’s why.”

  “Ah, yes…our weekly stop at the diner after church on Sundays. My mom used to love your pancakes so much.” Jessica’s eyes glazed over a little. “I wish she were here. She’d tell me exactly what to do. She was an amazing woman.”

  “She really was,” Nora agreed. “She juggled raising you and managing the boutique so effortlessly.”

  “When I was a kid, I really thought she was a queen,” Jessica said, her eyes still misty. “But now, I’m five years past the age she was when she gave birth. I know how terrifyingly-young twenty-five is. I’ll never know where she found the guts to go at it alone the way she did. I never saw a trace of fear in her. But me…I feel like I live with fear and anxiety all the time. The smallest of things makes me freak out.”

  “So what is this thing that’s freaking you out?” Nora asked.

  “I...” Jessica shook her head. “I don’t think I can tell you. I’m sorry. I know I asked for advice, but it’s just so embarrassing. Besides, it involves other people.”

  “You don’t have to name names if you don’t want to,” Nora said. “Sometimes just telling someone else what you’re going through can give you clarity. It won’t be my advice that’ll help, really. Just the fact that you speak the words aloud. Like I always tel
l my kids - just sounding it out helps.”

  “Alright, then.” Jess gulped. “What do you do when someone you loved dearly is now someone you hate?”

  “Oh, sweetheart.” Nora patted her on the cheek. “Heartbreak, is it?” Everyone knew about the on-again, off-again relationship between Jessica and Coach James. Nora had seen the longing glances Jess cast toward him every now and again.

  “Heartbreak? No, no. Nothing like that.” Jessica looked suddenly impatient. “You know what, forget it. I’m being stupid.”

  There was a roar of laughter as a group of men stomped into the kitchen, trading banter and tossing friendly insults back and forth. Harvey, his tie loosened and his hair flopping across his face, was in the center of the group. His smile brightened as he caught sight of Nora and he lumbered over, draping his arms around her neck.

  “Hey, beautiful.” He kissed her on the cheek and sneakily took the glass of cola she was holding.

  “Harvey!” Nora shook her head. “There are glasses and a bottle right in front of you.”

  “But it tastes so much better from your glass. Stolen soda is the best soda.” Harvey smacked his lips and nodded at Jess. “Hey, Jess. How’s the shop?”

  “The boutique is wonderful, thank you. I’ve got a few pieces in my new spring collection that’ll look great on Nora.” Jess smiled. “You two should stop by sometime soon.”

  “Leave me out of it.” Harvey held up his hands. “This one shops like a curator on the hunt for antiques. She goes over every piece twice and then, after five hours, decides to buy one thing.”

  “Better than your style of entering a mall determined to buy one pair of jeans and exiting with three wardrobes and a new stove.” Nora grinned, wrinkling her nose at Harvey.