by Cindy Bell
“Maybe you could show me next time, you seem tired.” Ally noticed the tension in Jasmine’s face.
“No, I want to show you. Please, I’m sure you’ll like it.” Jasmine squinted at Ally for a moment. “You weren’t down here earlier, were you? While I was in the bathroom?”
“No, not at all.” Ally’s muscles tensed. It was clear to her that Jasmine had noticed something amiss, but she couldn’t be certain what it was.
“Okay, I didn’t want the surprise to be ruined.” Jasmine grinned. “Here, I’m going to open this up, and you can take a look.” She pulled open the door and pointed down into the opening. “Take a peek.”
“Okay.” Ally gazed at her for a moment, then leaned over the opening. “All I can see is darkness.”
“Look a little closer.” Jasmine placed a hand lightly on Ally’s shoulder.
“Maybe if I get my flashlight on?” Ally pulled out her cell phone and started to turn on the flashlight, but the phone flew out of her hand when something struck her hard in the back of the head. Falling, was the last feeling she experienced before things actually went completely dark.
Chapter 19
Charlotte paced back and forth through the shop. She checked her phone again. She hadn’t heard anything from Ally. What was taking her so long? What if she hadn’t gotten her text and still thought that Charlotte was in the basement? She dialed her number. After two rings it went to voicemail. An uneasy sensation bubbled up in the pit of her stomach. It was hard for her to believe that anything could have happened to Ally, but then she had left her alone with a woman who might be a killer. She gripped her phone tight, hesitated a moment longer, then dialed Luke’s number. His phone rang several times, then went to voicemail.
“Great.” Charlotte frowned. She knew she couldn’t wait any longer. For every minute that slipped by, Ally could be in even more serious trouble. She would just have to go back to Jasmine’s house and see if Ally’s car was still there. As she grabbed the keys for the delivery van, her stomach twisted. What if Ally wasn’t okay? What if she wasn’t just being paranoid? On the drive to Jasmine’s house, her phone remained silent. Wherever Ally was, she hadn’t attempted to text or call her back. As she parked a short distance from the house, she saw Ally’s car not far from it. She also saw Rick, unlocking the door of it. She held back a gasp as she realized that something terrible had happened. She reached for her phone to call Luke in the same moment that her phone began to ring. She hoped it would be Ally, but instead it was Luke.
“Luke, I think something has happened to Ally. She’s not answering my calls. Rick is here at Jasmine’s house, and he’s just unlocked Ally’s car. I would guess to move it.”
“Charlotte, take a breath. You need to tell me everything.”
As Charlotte detailed their plan, and the tunnel she’d found, she watched Rick drive off in Ally’s car.
“I’m on my way, Charlotte. Stay where you are.” Luke hung up the phone.
Charlotte stared up at the house. She certainly couldn’t wait for Luke to get there. Anything could be happening to Ally inside that house. Charlotte could at least distract Jasmine for the moment. She hurried up to the door of the house and began to knock loudly.
“Jasmine, Jasmine?”
The door swung open. Jasmine stared at her with a smile.
“Charlotte, what are you doing here?”
“Have you seen Ally? Is she here? I’ve been trying to reach her.” Charlotte tried to see past her.
“I’m afraid not. Would you like to come in? She left here just a little while ago.” Jasmine stepped back and gestured for her to step in.
“Maybe I’ll just try to call her again.” Charlotte pulled her phone out of her purse and pressed redial.
“Oh!” Jasmine took a sharp breath, then grabbed Charlotte by the wrist. She pulled her into the house as Ally’s ringtone began to play loudly from the kitchen.
“Ally!” Charlotte struggled to get herself free from Jasmine’s grip, but the younger woman easily restrained her. Charlotte only succeeded in dropping her phone.
“You shouldn’t have done that.” Jasmine huffed, then dragged Charlotte into the kitchen. “The two of you are so much trouble.” She pulled open the door to the basement. “March down or I will push you down.”
Charlotte shuddered as she started down the steps into the basement. She had no idea what Jasmine planned to do, but she knew that it wouldn’t be good.
“Jasmine, where is Ally? What have you done with her?”
“Keep going.” She gave Charlotte a shove as she reached the bottom of the stairs.
Charlotte became aware that she was being directed to the tunnel. Her chest tightened with fear.
“Jasmine, this is what you did with Gary, isn’t it? Or did you have Rick do it?” Charlotte turned to face her. “What happened. Is it because of the casino? Why is this tunnel here?”
“It’s not only because of the casino.” Jasmine shook her head. “I only found out about this tunnel after we moved in. When Gary’s father bought the house, the tunnel was already built, but he had it boarded up. When Gary renovated the house, he had it opened up again. Since he owned Eric’s shop, he was able to have it open up to the alley there. Since we moved back into the house, Gary had been using it to spy on people. He found out about Harriet’s relationship with Eric, and used it to blackmail her into agreeing to the land rezoning and acquisition.”
“That’s upsetting.” Charlotte shook her head. “He was a terrible man, Jasmine, people will understand.”
“I didn’t care about any of that. But then I found out that he intended for us to stay here permanently. He said we would just pop into town occasionally to keep track of the casino, that is why he renovated the house. Then he changed his mind, he said we would live here full time. I begged him to change his mind. But he refused. That’s when I knew he had to die. Rick and Phil showed up just in time. I didn’t know if Phil would trust me, but Gary was always going on about how Rick would do anything for money. Gary often spoke about him, he saw a lot of himself in him. I promised Rick I would make him a good deal, pay his money back, plus much more, if he would do me a favor. He didn't know that I intended to kill Gary. Of course, I couldn't tell him that. Rick's too weak for murder. But once I did it, I needed him to help me with the clean-up. I had him take Gary out through the tunnel, and put him in the dumpster that Eric used behind his shop. I knew it would have his prints all over it. Then I had Rick use the hose from Eric's shop to spray down the alley to make sure there was no trace of our presence. It was all perfect. Eric was going to take the fall, and then even better, it seemed like the detective was sniffing around Harriet.”
“Just let us go? Is Ally all right? Where is she?” Charlotte began to panic.
“You two should have stayed out of this. I actually thought that Phil would be the problem, not you two. He’s been sniffing around. When Rick and I were each other’s alibis he must have known something wasn’t right. He started looking into things himself. Asking questions. Trying to find out what everyone knew. I’ll have to deal with him. But first I need to deal with you two. The two of you are a problem, just like Gary was. I solve problems, Charlotte.”
“What did you do to Ally?” Charlotte gazed at her as fear rocketed through her.
“Let’s find out.” She smiled, then pulled open the door to the tunnel. With a hiss and an unearthly growl, a ball of white and brown fur launched itself straight for Jasmine’s arm.
“Ah! Get it off of me!” Jasmine shrieked as Cinnamon clung to her with his claws and his teeth.
Ally climbed up through the open door and jumped in front of her grandmother.
“Stay back, Mee-Maw!” She put up her fists as Jasmine tugged the cat from her arm.
Cinnamon landed on all fours and bolted for Ally.
“That was a huge mistake! Huge!” Jasmine gasped as she wiped at her arm.
“No Jasmine, you’re the one that made the huge mistake.
” Luke descended the stairs with his gun drawn. “Move one muscle towards either of them and I will do what I have to do, understand?”
“Luke!” Ally wrapped her arm around her grandmother’s waist and pulled her close.
“Fine! Fine!” Jasmine sank down to her knees. “Just handcuff me. I just want all of this to be over. It never should have happened in the first place. We never should have come here. But Gary wanted to prove himself to the town that rejected him, and so this is where we ended up. It’s all his fault.”
“I’ve got back-up and an ambulance coming.” Luke handcuffed Jasmine, though his gaze remained on Ally. “Are you okay?”
“She hit me in the head with something. But I woke up to Cinnamon licking my cheek. I think I’m okay. I have no idea how Cinnamon got down there.” Ally scooped the cat up in her arms.
“He must have come through the trapdoor. This tunnel leads to the alley by Eric’s shop, where the body was found.” Charlotte stared at the cat with wonder. “I left the door open when I climbed out of it earlier. He must have found his way in.”
“Good thing he did.” Ally smiled at the cat and stroked his cheek. “Thanks, Cinnamon.”
The cat purred, then rubbed his head along Ally’s neck and shoulder.
“I’m glad you’re both safe, but you need to get your head checked out, Ally.” Luke stepped aside as other officers descended the stairs.
“I guess Blue River won’t be getting a casino after all.” Charlotte watched as an officer led Jasmine up the stairs.
“Mrs. Bing will be so disappointed.” Ally couldn’t help but smile.
The End
***
Thank you very much for reading Cinnamon and a Corpse. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. You can sign up for my newsletter to be notified of my latest releases so you don’t miss out on the special new release price at
http://www.cindybellbooks.com
Also by Cindy Bell
Chocolate Centered Cozy Mysteries
The Sweet Smell of Murder
A Deadly Delicious Delivery
A Bitter Sweet Murder
A Treacherous Tasty Trail
Pastry and Peril
Trouble and Treats
Fudge Films and Felonies
Custom-Made Murder
Skydiving, Soufflés and Sabotage
Christmas Chocolates and Crimes
Hot Chocolate and Homicide
Chocolate Caramels and Conmen
Picnics, Pies and Lies
Devils Food Cake and Drama
Dune House Cozy Mysteries
Seaside Secrets
Boats and Bad Guys
Treasured History
Hidden Hideaways
Dodgy Dealings
Suspects and Surprises
Ruffled Feathers
A Fishy Discovery
Danger in the Depths
Celebrities and Chaos
Pups, Pilots and Peril
Tides, Trails and Trouble
Racing and Robberies
Athletes and Alibis
Manuscripts and Deadly Motives
Pelicans, Pier and Poison
Donut Truck Cozy Mysteries
Deadly Deals and Donuts
Fatal Festive Donuts
Bunny Donuts and a Body
Strawberry Donuts and Scandal
Sage Gardens Cozy Mysteries
Birthdays Can Be Deadly
Money Can Be Deadly
Trust Can Be Deadly
Ties Can Be Deadly
Rocks Can Be Deadly
Jewelry Can Be Deadly
Numbers Can Be Deadly
Memories Can Be Deadly
Paintings Can Be Deadly
Snow Can Be Deadly
Tea Can Be Deadly
Greed Can Be Deadly
Clutter Can Be Deadly
Wagging Tail Cozy Mysteries
Murder at Pawprint Creek
Murder at Pooch Park
Murder at the Pet Boutique
A Merry Murder at St. Bernard Cabins
Murder at the Dog Training Academy
Bekki the Beautician Cozy Mysteries
Hairspray and Homicide
A Dyed Blonde and a Dead Body
Mascara and Murder
Pageant and Poison
Conditioner and a Corpse
Mistletoe, Makeup and Murder
Hairpin, Hair Dryer and Homicide
Blush, a Bride and a Body
Shampoo and a Stiff
Cosmetics, a Cruise and a Killer
Lipstick, a Long Iron and Lifeless
Camping, Concealer and Criminals
Treated and Dyed
A Wrinkle-Free Murder
A Macaron Patisserie Cozy Mystery Series
Sifting for Suspects
Recipes and Revenge
Mansions, Macarons and Murder
Nuts About Nuts Cozy Mysteries
A Tough Case to Crack
A Seed of Doubt
Roasted Penuts and Peril
Heavenly Highland Inn Cozy Mysteries
Murdering the Roses
Dead in the Daisies
Killing the Carnations
Drowning the Daffodils
Suffocating the Sunflowers
Books, Bullets and Blooms
A Deadly Serious Gardening Contest
A Bridal Bouquet and a Body
Digging for Dirt
Wendy the Wedding Planner Cozy Mysteries
Matrimony, Money and Murder
Chefs, Ceremonies and Crimes
Knives and Nuptials
Mice, Marriage and Murder
About the Author
Cindy Bell is a USA Today and Wall Street Journal Bestselling Author. She is the author of the cozy mystery series Wagging Tail, Donut Truck, Dune House, Sage Gardens, Chocolate Centered, Macaron Patisserie, Nuts about Nuts, Bekki the Beautician, Heavenly Highland Inn and Wendy the Wedding Planner.
Cindy has always loved reading, but it is only recently that she has discovered her passion for writing romantic cozy mysteries. She loves walking along the beach thinking of the next adventure her characters can embark on.
You can sign up for her newsletter so you are notified of her latest releases at http://www.cindybellbooks.com.
Cinnamon Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe
Ingredients:
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2/3 cup butter at room temperature
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup superfine sugar
1 egg at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chocolate chips (semi-sweet or milk or a mixture depending on what you prefer)
Preparation:
Preheat the oven to 320 degrees Fahrenheit.
Line 2 cookie trays with parchment paper.
Sift the flour, baking powder and cinnamon into a bowl.
In another bowl beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
Add the lightly beaten egg and vanilla extract to the butter mixture. Mix until combined.
Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix until well-combined.
Stir in the chocolate chips.
Roll into balls of about a tablespoon in size and place on the cookie trays about an inch apart.
Press down slightly.
Makes about 30 cookies.
Bake for 10 to 14 minutes. The cookies are ready when they are golden brown and are still soft to the touch in the center. They will crisp up as they cool.
Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Enjoy!!
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