Murder and a Pinch of Rosemary

by Michelle Francik

  Murder and a Pinch of Rosemary: The Donahue Brothers of Texas, Book 1

  Texas-Sized Mysteries, Book 3

  Michelle Francik

  © 2019, Michelle Francik.

  All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system without the prior written permission of the publisher.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, organizations, places, events, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

  No part of this work may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission of the publisher.

  Sweet Promise Press

  PO Box 72

  Brighton, MI 48116

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  More from Sweet Promise Press

  About the Author

  1

  The scent of peppermint was Susan Sinclair’s first clue something was wrong. Kneeling in the dirt weeding her Cape Plumbago, she tightened her grip on the trowel in her hand, closed her eyes and prayed. “Please don’t let this be happening again.”

  The sound of chewing, directly behind her, made her blood run cold. She took a deep breath and forced herself to turn around, her shaky hand clenching the trowel for dear life. Her eyes landed on a large silver belt buckle and a well-worn pair of blue jeans--not what she expected. She stood up slowly, her gaze traveling upwards until her brown eyes locked with the handsome stranger’s blue eyes. He was grinning at her, his white teeth flashing as he chewed his gum.

  He was taller than her, thin and lanky, with dark brown cowboy boots, a plaid shirt and a beige cowboy hat atop his collar-length brown, wavy hair. When he spoke, he drawled; his southern accent completing the image of a good-old southern boy.

  “Hi, Susan, I’m Reed.”

  “Who are you and how do you know my name?” Susan’s voice faltered and, irritated at her show of weakness, she thrust out her chin, daring him to test her. She shifted the trowel to her right hand, ready to defend herself if necessary. She was alone with a strange man, one who might be here to harm her. A stranger who knew her name.

  “It’s okay, Susan, he’s with me.” Susan’s relief was palpable as she recognized U.S. Marshal Maggie Donahue’s voice. A petite blonde woman wearing a white tank top, blue chambray shirt and faded blue jeans walked up from behind the man and shoved him playfully out of her way.

  “This is my new partner, Reed.” She walked over and wrapped her arms around the younger woman. “How are you?”

  Susan returned the marshal’s hug, but she held onto the trowel and kept her eye on the man, watching him over the woman’s shoulder.

  Reed shrugged. “I didn’t mean to startle you,” he said, his voice deep and rich as molasses. “I was just checking out the yard and I found you here, tending your garden,” he grinned and popped his gum.

  The woman turned to her partner. “Don’t make me regret vouching for you, Reed,” she warned, her green eyes glittering in the sunshine.

  He laughed and shook his head. “Maggie, you are a fine sister-in-law, but you sure can be a trial as a partner.”

  Susan was looking back and forth between the two of them, still feeling unsettled and not sure what was going on. “Sister-in-law?”

  “Yeah, this pup is my husband’s younger brother. And he’s also my new partner. Jackson retired to be with his wife; they just found out she’s got cancer,” she added, a frown creasing her brow. “My sergeant said I could have my pick of the new U.S. Marshal recruits as a replacement partner, and this one here begged me to choose him,” she grinned mischievously at Reed.

  “It didn’t hurt that I was top of my class in pretty much everything,” he drawled. He turned to Susan and smiled, but when he looked over at Maggie, they both got serious. “I heard you’ve received some ‘gifts’ that got you spooked,” he said. “We came over to check on you and see if you need to be relocated.”

  Susan sighed and nodded. “Why don’t you come inside and have a lemonade? I’ll show you what I’ve been getting.” She set the trowel down at the edge of the flower bed, stood up and removed her gloves. She looked up at Reed, who was standing between her and the house.

  Reed extended his arm for her to precede him, waiting until Maggie passed before falling in behind them. Susan led them into the house through the back door, motioning for them to have a seat at the small, round kitchen table while she walked over to the fridge.

  As she reached inside, she wondered if she’d have to leave the home she’d worked so hard to make her own. She loved the red gingham curtains on the kitchen window, the plaid tablecloth, and the rooster and hen salt and pepper shakers sitting in the middle of the table. She sighed; she didn’t want to move again, but she had to stay safe until the trial. She’d do anything to put Bruno DeLuca behind bars.

  She set a pitcher, three glasses and a bowl of ice on a tray, then carried them over to the table. She snuck a look at Reed, who appeared to be admiring her salt and pepper shakers. He’d removed his cowboy hat and run his hand through his hair, so he didn’t look nearly as intimidating as he had in the garden.

  Susan gave him a tentative smile as she set the tray in front of him. “I know that Maggie doesn’t like a lot of ice in her drink and I like to put extra ice in mine, so I figured I’d let you add as much or little as you’d like.”

  “Why thank you kindly,” he replied, reaching for his glass. He scooped three ice cubes out of the bowl and poured himself some lemonade.

  Susan looked over at Maggie. “Does he talk like that for real?” she asked.

  Maggie sighed and shrugged her shoulders. “Unfortunately, yes.”

  “What’s wrong with the way I talk?” Reed asked, making a face at Maggie. He sipped his drink. “Ahh, that hits the spot.”

  Maggie smiled tolerantly at her partner, then turned to Susan, her expression serious. “Why don’t you show us what you got?”

  Susan tasted her lemonade, trying to draw strength from the sweet-sour liquid, but she still felt anxious. She sighed and rose from the table. She grabbed a brown paper bag from the cupboard and dumped the contents onto the table.

  Reed looked at the items, picked up one of the bundles and sniffed at it. “These look and smell like rosemary.” He looked up at Maggie with a puzzled expression on his face.

  “I can see those wheels turning from here,” she said to her partner. “Susan has a very good reason for finding these threatening.”

  Susan looked at him and nodded. “When I lived in New York, I had a roof-top garden where I grew herbs and vegetables. My mom loves to cook with rosemary, so I grew some to give her as a gift. I was picking rosemary and making bundles when I witnessed the murder. So, when these started appearing on my doorstep, it made me a little nervous.”

  He hung his head, reached over and grabbed her hand. “I got transferred to this case last night. Maggie briefed me this morning but I’m not aware of all the details, yet. I’m sorry you had to go through that, and I’m sorry if I scared
you in the garden.”

  She pulled her hand back and tucked it in her lap, then looked him in the eye. “I was scared for a minute,” she admitted, “but I figured if you chewed peppermint gum, you must be alright.” They grinned at each other; a truce formed.

  “All right, break it up, you two. We’re not here for you to become besties, we’re here to determine if you’ve been compromised.” Maggie picked up one of the bundles. “How many of these have you received?”

  “There have been four bundles,” Susan replied. “I found the first one three days ago. It was on my front porch right outside the door when I got up. There’s been one each day since, in the same spot. Then last night, there was one in the evening as well.”

  “Have you seen anyone strange hanging around lately?” Reed asked. When he saw the mischievous look in her eyes he quickly added, “besides me, I mean.”

  “No, I haven’t,” Susan replied with a grin. “I’m up early in the morning, and I check everything about ten times before I go to bed, so I know they’re being left between 11 pm and 6 am. The second bundle was here when I got home from work, yesterday.”

  “Okay, that narrows it down quite a bit.” Maggie’s voice was thoughtful. “Do any of your neighbors have video doorbells or cameras or anything?”

  “Not that I know of,” she shrugged. “I didn’t want to go around asking because it sounds strange and I didn’t want anyone to know they’d rattled me.”

  “Have you received any unusual phone calls or emails?” Reed asked.

  “No, the only thing out of the ordinary is the rosemary.”

  Maggie looked her in the eye. “Do you think you’ve been compromised?”

  Susan looked from one concerned face to the other. “Not really,” she shrugged. “But honestly, I’m not sure what to think.”

  The marshals exchanged a look. When his partner nodded, Reed spoke up. “We think it’s too soon to tell. This could be a strange coincidence, or it could be something more sinister. We don’t want to uproot you again if there’s no need, but we also don’t want you here by yourself, just in case.”

  Susan nodded and looked over at Maggie. “What are you suggesting, then?”

  “We’ve decided that he’s going to stay here with you, for the time being.”

  Susan’s eyebrows raised and her mouth dropped open in horror. “But I’m a teacher at Sweet Grove Middle School,” she exclaimed. “What will people think?”

  They grinned as if they’d expected this reaction from her.

  “Don’t worry. I’ll be posing as your brother,” he explained. “There’s nothing wrong with your brother staying with you, is there?”

  Susan was speechless. She’d never been alone with a man for more than a few minutes and her reputation was important to her. How would she cope with a strange man in her home? She looked over at Maggie and saw both concern and confidence on the marshal’s face. They were just trying to keep her safe and she knew Maggie would never put her in a compromising situation.

  She’d witnessed the brutal murder of a grown man and she didn’t want to become another victim. If Maggie trusted Reed, she should be able to as well. Her decision made, she nodded at them. “Okay, I’ll do it.”

  2

  Reed could feel the questions in the air as he and Susan walked into her classroom the next morning. Reed walked down the center aisle and sat at the back of the room while Susan--Miss Sinclair to her students--went to her desk at the front.

  “Good morning everyone,” she greeted her students.

  “Good morning Miss Sinclair.” Most of the students dutifully responded, but a few were too busy sneaking glances at the new guy.

  Reed struggled with how to sit at the desk. His legs didn’t quite fit underneath, so he had to sit with them sticking out into the aisle. He crossed his legs at the ankles and placed his hands on the desk, determined to be a good example.

  “You might have noticed that we have a visitor today.” Several heads turned to look at Reed who looked back with his best “aw shucks” look on his face. “This is my brother, Reed. He’ll be staying with me for a while and he’s going to be helping out in the classroom!” she announced. “Can we all wish him a good morning?”

  The class responded with a raucous “Good morning!” followed by mangled versions of his name or “Miss Sinclair’s brother.” There was a wave of giggles from the girls while the boys either turned to stare at Reed or feigned indifference.

  “Reed, would you like to say good morning to the class?” Susan asked, her eyes twinkling with mischief.

  “Why certainly,” he said. His deep voice caused a stir. The girls’ eyes opened wide and the boys, whose voices hadn’t changed yet, slunk down in their seats. “Good morning y’all! Thank you so much for the warm welcome!”

  Hands quickly flew into the air, and Susan called on the student nearest herself. “Yes, Katy, you have a question?”

  “Miss Sinclair why does your brother sound different than you?” Katy blushed when Reed turned his gaze her way and grinned at her.

  “While my sister was studying and being a good child, I got into some trouble,” he said, getting everyone’s attention for the first time. “I got sent to live with my grandpappy, in the country, so I now I don’t sound all uppity like my sister.”

  Susan bristled when Reed said she sounded uppity, but the students seemed to realize he was teasing her, and they all laughed at his antics. Even the boys seemed to be reacting to his charm, and the tension in the room eased slightly.

  “All right then, on with today’s lessons.” Susan ignored the groans and started class.

  Reed sank down into the sofa in the teacher’s lounge with a groan of his own. He’d forgotten how uncomfortable school desks were. His 6’3” wiry frame wasn’t meant for that kind of abuse. He was used to being on his feet all day, moving around. Sitting was not his forte.

  “Oh my! You look lost,” a throaty, female voice interrupted his thoughts. “I’d be more than happy to help you find your way.”

  “Back off, Brenda. That’s my brother.” Reed turned to look at Susan who was getting them each a cup of coffee. Her voice sounded tired and he wondered how she was holding up.

  “Wonderful, then he’s available!” Brenda sat down next to Reed on the sofa and he instinctively moved away. Unnaturally black hair piled high on her head, her blue eyes squinting as she looked at him, Brenda made Reed feel very uncomfortable. He decided right away that he’d rather face down a rattlesnake than deal with this snake in woman’s body.

  “Oh, stop, Brenda. For Pete’s sake, act like a grown woman. Hi! I’m Jenny.” A bright-eyed redhead sat down across from them. She gave Brenda a disapproving look and Reed a friendly smile.

  “I’m Reed.” He smiled back at her. “Nice to meet you.”

  “Nice to meet you, too! Susan never told me she had a brother.”

  “Well, I’m kinda the black sheep of the family,” he drawled. He watched her eyes widen at the sound of his voice, and mentally sighed.

  He’d been teased his whole life about the way he spoke, slowly drawing out his words. When he hit puberty, his deep voice became like a siren’s call to women, making them swoon, and embarrassing him even more than the teasing had.

  “Stop telling lies, Reed,” Susan scolded. She handed him a cup of coffee then sat down next to Jenny. “Don’t believe a word this one says, Jenny.” She grinned at Jenny, then turned to Reed.

  “This is my friend, so play nice.”

  “Yeah, play nice,” Jenny repeated, nearly purring.

  Reed smiled at Jenny, thinking she seemed nice. He looked over at Susan, but she was staring into her coffee, looking miserable, like the cheese had fallen off her cracker.

  3

  It had been a long day and Susan was tired. She was used to having time to herself and being with Reed all day had made her cranky. At least, that’s what she told herself. She didn’t want to examine the real reason she was feeling out of sorts. S
he glared out the window while Reed drove them back to her house.

  “Your friends are nice, and your students really love you,” Reed’s voice broke the strained silence.

  “They all seemed to love you, that’s for sure.” As soon as the words were out of her mouth, she sighed and turned to Reed. “I’m sorry. It’s not your fault you made a big hit with all the women in Sweet Grove Middle School. I’ve never seen them so taken with anyone.”

  “Ah, Miss Sinclair. It’s the drawl, is all,” he laughed. “If it wasn’t for this deep, sexy voice, no woman would even look at this ole’ boy.”

  She knew he was teasing her, trying to lighten the mood; but she was still irritated. The day had been going so well, up until he’d met Jenny. She kept thinking about how her friend had looked at Reed, like he was a prime piece of beef. And he’d smiled back, lapping up the attention.

  Susan had never been a jealous, envious person and she’d just met this man, so why was she feeling so possessive of him? And why had her heart ached when he’d smiled at Jenny?

  Frustrated and angry with herself, she turned to look out the window, effectively ending the conversation. They rode the rest of the way in silence with Susan pretending to be captivated by the passing scenery. She didn’t notice the glances Reed sent her way or the frown on his lips.

  Reed pulled into her driveway and put his hand on her arm when she opened her car door. “Hang on for a minute, I want to check out the house first, make sure there are no surprises.”

  Susan swallowed hard and nodded. She’d almost forgotten why they were in this charade in the first place. He was a U.S. Marshal, there to protect her, nothing more. She needed to get a grip and stop acting like a silly school girl with a crush.