Traveling Town Cozy Mystery Box Set

by Ami Diane

  Ella leaned close to Flo. “You two aren’t related, are you?”

  The older woman scowled, but it was Wink who responded. “Didn’t you marry one of her cousins?”

  “Dunno. Did I?”

  “That sounds about right,” Ella said. “I think she’s been married to half the town.”

  Gabby returned with a tray of tea. After carefully serving them, Ella took a sip.

  “Make fun all you want,” Flo growled, “but the joke will be on you when I marry William.”

  Ella choked, feeling hot tea in her nose, and Wink had to hit her on the back.

  When she regained her voice, she said, “I’m sure you two will be very happy together. Can I tell him the good news? Please let me tell him.”

  Perched on the edge of a chair, Gabby giggled. Her feet were crossed at the ankles demurely, and her hands were clasped in her lap in a way that spoke of training.

  “We won’t stay long, dear,” Wink said to her then shot a pointed look at Ella.

  “Right. I just wanted to stop by, and first, say hi.” She wiggled her hand in a goofy greeting. “Hi. Also, we just got done speaking with… don’t tell me, Barry?”

  Wink let out an exasperated hiss. “George.”

  Ella snapped her fingers. “By George, that’s it. Ha, get it? Wow, why can’t I remember his name?”

  Flo swore loudly. She’d just bitten into a shortbread cookie that had accompanied the tea. “I think I chipped a tooth.”

  The cookie slipped from her fingers and dropped with a disconcerting thud to the tray. She looked at Ella, offended.

  “Did you make these?”

  Ella blinked. “What? How would I have made those? You literally just watched Gabby bring that tray in here.”

  “They’re inedible.”

  “Flo,” Wink admonished, blushing appropriately at Gabby. “I’m so sorry for her.”

  “This is why we don’t take her places,” Ella added.

  Gabby waved her hand good-naturedly. “That’s my fault. I forgot to warn you all. My aunt made them and insists on trotting them out for guests, only, we don’t get many. I’m afraid they’re quite old.”

  Flo’s fingers were probing her front teeth. Ella placed a comforting hand on the woman’s shoulder.

  “No harm done. You can just be fitted for a new pair of dentures.”

  “I don’t wear dentures! How many times do I have to tell you?”

  Wink cleared her throat. “As Ella was saying, the reason we dropped by is that we just came from George’s place.” She motioned for Ella to pick up the conversation.

  “I just want to confirm something. He said that he comes into the library regularly. Is that true?”

  “At least a couple of times a week, yes.” Gabby’s copper-colored braid draped over her shoulder and shone in the light from the window.

  “Huh, I wonder why I’ve never seen him there,” Ella said, more to herself.

  “He usually comes in when you’re working.”

  “If you don’t mind me asking, what does he read?”

  The librarian’s cheeks colored, and she grinned. “Romance novels.”

  Ella snorted along with the others.

  After that, they moved on from the topic of the rancher to the topic de jour: dinosaurs. Gabby decried the ruins of her flower beds and how it would take ages to get them healthy again.

  “At least you got free fertilizer out of the deal,” Ella pointed out, trying to find the silver lining.

  Gabby’s face scrunched in confusion, and she popped up from her seat. When she peered out the window at her lawn, a vein stood out on her forehead.

  “Curse those infernal things.”

  After chatting for another twenty minutes, they managed to escape the garrulous librarian’s house. As the door closed behind them, Ella popped one of the rock-hard shortbread cookies into her mouth.

  “What are you doing?” Wink asked. “I thought Flo had said they weren’t edible.”

  “They’re not, but if you suck on them like candy, they’re not so bad.”

  Wink shook her head.

  As they descended the porch steps, a rustle in the bushes caused all of their heads to turn. A creature between the size of a turkey and a chick emerged.

  Like the T. rex and allosaurus, it had long hind legs, an elongated tail, and stubby forelimbs. Its body was covered in a feathery fur that Ella would’ve loved to have gotten a closer look at were it not for the fact that the small dinosaur was munching on the remains of a bird.

  “I remember reading about this one,” Wink whispered. “It’s a Compsognathus.”

  The name and overall appearance triggered a vague recollection for Ella. She couldn’t remember which one, but the dinosaur had made an appearance in one of the Jurassic Park movies.

  “Compy,” she said softly, referring to the movie’s nickname for the reptile. Hopefully, the writers had taken creative liberties because she remembered the dinosaurs swarmed like pigeons after food and had a taste for humans.

  The Compsognathus turned a curious eye toward the group. The daisies shivered, and several more Compies emerged.

  “I’ve got a bad feeling about this.” Ella took a step back.

  “Run!” Wink sprinted towards the car, the key already in her hand.

  Ella, who’d been at the back of the group, vaulted a flower bed and attempted to pass Flo, but the boarder chose that moment to trip.

  Ella leaped over the fallen woman so as not to land on her. It wasn’t until she was in the air mid-jump that she realized her trajectory was sending her straight for a pile of dino dung.

  Her life didn’t flash before her eyes, but all of the decisions she’d made within the past few months—and certainly within the last few moments—came rushing back. She had many regrets, at the top of which was not squashing Flo into a pancake.

  She landed spread-eagle with a sickening splat. The stench was overwhelming, but she didn’t have time to dwell on that or the fact that it was on her clothes, in her hair, and under her fingernails.

  All that occupied her thoughts was the pack of whatever-the-shortbread-cookie dinosaurs was stalking towards her. She rolled onto her knees, every movement making squishing and sucking sounds like wet kisses.

  It occurred to her that during her first week in Keystone, she’d experienced a similar situation in Six’s barn, but she didn’t feel like appreciating the irony.

  Ahead, Wink’s car roared to life. Flo had recovered from her fall and was already climbing into the Oldsmobile.

  Panicking, Ella slipped and slid her way across the lawn.

  “Wait for me!”

  Wink rolled down her window. “I love you, Ella, but so help me, you’re not getting in my car like that!”

  Ignoring Wink’s protest, Ella ran to the passenger-side backseat and tugged on the door. Up front, Flo had her nose pressed to the glass, watching Ella with a glint in her eye. Her finger was pushing the lock down.

  “Come on, Flo!”

  The chittering from the Compies grew louder as the curious dinosaurs edged closer. To her horror, more than one had bits of blood and feathers on their snouts.

  One wasn’t a problem. Individually, they were small enough to punt like footballs. What was concerning was that they were in a large group that moved in relative coordination. The phrase “Death by a thousand cuts” flashed through her mind.

  “Jump on the trunk,” Wink hollered out her window.

  Cursing both women, Ella leaped for the top of the trunk. Her poop-slicked clothes nearly sent her sliding off the other side. Finding purchase, she gripped the top, where the lid met the back window.

  “Go!” she cried.

  The nearest reptile eyed her like the last lemon bar at a Keystone potluck. It scampered forward and jumped higher than she’d given those hind legs credit for. Sharp teeth nipped at the heel of her shoe.

  The car lurched as Wink hit the gas. One of Ella’s hands lost its grip and went flying, rollin
g her onto her side. At the same time, the Compsognathus attached to her shoe and began gnawing through the canvas.

  She kicked out, sending the reptile flying. The car hadn’t moved far as Wink was trying to turn around in the middle of the street. Finally facing the right direction, the car took off.

  Ella’s muck-covered hand, her only anchor, slipped from the car. She flew through the air.

  A blue sky rolled past, bluer than in her time. The car didn’t stop. No doubt Wink was unaware that her precious cargo had fallen off.

  She hit the ground hard. Pain shot through her shoulder. It took several rolls before her momentum stopped. She ended up on her back, staring at the same blue sky again.

  “Ow.”

  The shuffle of scampering claws across pavement sounded before she could take stock of her injuries. Rolling onto her elbows, she propped herself up.

  The Compies swarmed like locusts across the ground, moving in for the kill. Gritting her teeth, she stood in defiance—well, sagged onto her knees in defiance.

  As she did, her hip bumped into a bicycle. A child’s bicycle.

  Ella gripped the candy apple red Schwinn and looked up, noting that she’d landed on Sally’s lawn. The little girl stared open-mouthed from the window.

  With stiff movements, Ella scampered onto the small bicycle, her knees jarring into the handlebars. It had a wire basket on the front and a bell.

  The little girl’s gawking quickly turned to anger. She pounded a tiny fist on the window, her muffled screams warning Ella not to steal her bike.

  “Sorry, I’ll bring it back!”

  One of the wheels sank up to the rim in the soft earth. She kicked off the ground and peddled furiously. The wheels spun in the grass before they built up enough friction, and the bike sped off.

  The moment the narrow, balding tires hit the concrete, the bike gained speed. Her knees were already bruising from the constant barrage on the handlebars, but all she cared about was putting distance between herself and those varmints.

  She yelled back at the Compies, “You all go extinct, just so you know!”

  Hot air whipped across her face, and she rode the last few blocks to the inn constantly looking back over her shoulder. She’d stopped seeing the dinosaurs once she’d turned onto Main Street, but that didn’t mean they weren’t still chasing her.

  Wink’s car was parked out front. Ella peddled past it at break-neck speed and didn’t slow until the bicycle was on the grass. She unceremoniously dumped Sally’s bike, noting it was covered in dinosaur poop from her clothes. As fearful as she was about the little beasts chasing her, she feared Rose more.

  Distant chirps alerted her that the Compies had followed her scent. Frantically, she stripped down to her underwear right there on the stoop.

  She kicked the door in then lifted her middle finger at the dinosaurs before slamming the door shut.

  “Honey, I’m home!”

  She stood in the entryway, breathing heavily. Wink and Flo spun away from the windows in the entrance hall.

  “El! Are you okay?” Wink rushed over.

  “Oh hey, Wink. Thanks for asking. Quick question: at any point while driving over here, did you happen to look back in your rearview mirror and wonder, ‘Whatever happened to Ella?’”

  “I’m so sorry. I didn’t know we’d lost you until we parked.”

  “And you didn’t come back for me because…?”

  “Flo said she saw you get on Sally’s bicycle.”

  Next to Wink, Flo pinched her nose. “You reek.”

  “Yeah? How about a hug?” Ella spent the next minute chasing Flo around the room.

  When she paused to shove a wayward curl from her face, she caught a whiff of herself.

  “Ugh, it’s in my hair.”

  There wasn’t going to be enough soap and shampoo in all of Keystone for her to feel clean again.

  Rose descended the staircase. “What’s in your hair—Ella, where in tarnation are your clothes?!”

  Try as she might, no good excuse came quick enough.

  “Yeah, Poodle Head,” Flo said with a vicious grin. “No one wants to see you in your undergarments.”

  “Just for that, I’m going to roll around in your bed.”

  “Never mind that.” Rose began untying her apron, shaking her head. She seemed to have plenty more to say on the matter but instead said, “Dinner’s going to be ready in ten minutes. I suggest you hurry and get cleaned up. Some big announcement supposed to come over the radio.”

  Chapter 26

  ELLA DREW THE hottest bath she could withstand and scoured herself. Her phone sat nearby so she could keep an eye on the time as she hurried. By the time she was drying off with a towel, condensation rolled down the inside of the windows, and sweat glistened on her forehead. Despite the military-style wipe down with a Brillo pad, the stench still lingered as if embedded into her pores.

  After dinner, she’d have to take a long soak. She threw on a pair of cutoffs she’d transformed from a ratty pair of jeans, shrugged into a top, and ran downstairs. As she slid into the kitchen, Rose was quieting everyone and turning the knob on the radio on the counter.

  Ella did a double take when she noticed Will was also seated at the table. As she dropped into the chair beside him, he whispered, “I heard I missed all of the fun.”

  For once, she was grateful he hadn’t been around. The embarrassment from him witnessing her dinosaur poop Slip ’N Slide and subsequent striptease would’ve lasted decades. She told him she’d fill him in later on their escapades before drawing a shush from Flo.

  Quietly, she served up meatloaf and green beans while Ukulele Joe strummed an intro jingle for announcements. It sounded as if he made it up on the spot, and she wouldn’t be surprised if he actually had.

  Papers shuffled in the background, crackling over the small speakers before he cleared his throat.

  Reports have rolled in that two more dinosaurs were spotted at the south end of town. They attacked the local livestock again, killing at least one cow and injuring another.

  George and his ranch hands have their hands full and implore more volunteers to come stand watch. So, what do you say, folks? How’s about helping out a neighbor?

  In other news…

  He cleared his throat again, his voice ramping up.

  Curfew’s now at six o’clock after this latest attack. Speaking of six, have I got a whopper of a story for you fine folks. Yessir, I hope you’re sitting down.

  Ella set down her fork. Everyone around the table stilled, and Jimmy, who had been getting a glass of water, leaned on the counter and turned the volume up further.

  I’ve been told from a very reliable source that Six Shooter, yessir, that scourge of the town, that thorn in the sheriff’s side, has a murderous past. That’s right, folks. You heard me. The man’s a cold-blooded killer. Now I don’t know about you, folks, but I can’t say as I’m surprised. And I know you’re thinking, “Joe, that ain’t nothin’ we don’t already know.”

  Well, I tell you it is. I’ve been told he killed a whole family. Women and children included. And if that’s not bad enough, our very own sheriff knew about it, yessir. And what’s he done about it? Why, he lets the man roam free…

  “Turn that off,” Ella said, her voice tight.

  Jimmy complied, and a tense atmosphere settled in the kitchen. Rose finally broke it.

  “Do you think it’s true?”

  “We all knew he had a dark past,” Wink said, “but this, this is a heavy accusation.”

  Jimmy straightened. “Chapman wouldn’t let a killer roam free. He just wouldn’t. It can’t be true. Joe got taken in by someone.”

  “Wonder who,” Flo muttered. They all nodded. Although Sal’s name wasn’t spoken, Ella could tell by their grim expressions they were thinking the same thing.

  A war waged inside her heart, one that she’d been able to distract herself from thinking too much on. She hadn’t realized how tall of a pedestal she’d place
d Chapman on. Yes, he had a twisted interpretation of the law, but his brand of justice had always pointed north in her eyes.

  Perhaps it wasn’t so bad to have his badge questioned. But what did that say about her? Was she not just as guilty?

  Maybe she hadn’t known the extent of Six’s sins, but did that make her any less blameless? She hid behind humor and had downplayed his admissions of his guilt, of his ghosts.

  Conversation rolled around her, but she didn’t hear it. Her stomach twisted in knots.

  The first time she’d seen the ocean as a kid, she’d run out into the waves. A four-foot high one pummeled her, knocked her feet clean out from under her. She remembered the taste of saltwater, the burn of sand grating against her skin, as power much greater than herself tossed her about as if she was nothing. Lost in the middle of that wave, unsure of which way was up, she had lost sight of the sky.

  That’s how she felt now. What could she do to make this right?

  No clear answer came. No sighting of the sky pointed her upright. Only the roll of a blue abyss rocked her.

  “El?” Wink called her name gently.

  Ella shot her boss a forced smile but knew it didn’t reach her eyes. Concern flickered across Wink’s face, but Ella was spared further questioning by a voice from deep within the inn.

  “Speak of the devil,” Rose said, standing. She smoothed her dress and went to greet the sheriff.

  A moment later, the lawman strolled in, derby hat in hand. Considering the bombshell that had just gone out over the airwaves, he didn’t appear the least bit ruffled.

  His steel-gray eyes swept the room and settled on Wink. “Just came from the station and noticed that dinosaur of yours is gone. You wouldn’t happen to know nothing about that, would you?”

  Wink fluttered her eyelashes innocently. “Peanut’s gone? Do you think he’s okay?”