by Judi Lynn
On the drive to the church for the rehearsal, Ansel said, “You don’t think Thane will try to prank us, do you? It’s April first, April Fools’ Day.”
“I wouldn’t put it past him. Jerod’s the one to watch out for, though.”
When they stepped out of her pickup, Jazzi caught their reflection in its front panel. They looked pretty good. Ansel wore his dark slacks and a sky blue dress shirt. The blue brought out the color of his eyes. She wore a top with a low scooped neckline, a flowered skirt that fell past her knees, and strappy sandals. Olivia would be proud of them.
When they stepped inside, Jerod and Franny were already there. So were Isabelle and Didi. Walker was talking to Thane near the lectern. Ansel went to join them. Olivia came through a side door, saw her, and came to pull her up to the other women. Olivia had kept the wedding party small. Jazzi, Franny, and Isabelle would stand with her and Didi. Ansel, Jerod, and Radley were groomsmen for Thane and Walker. Radley came in at the last minute.
“I waved Elspeth off when she drove to Peru to see her family,” he said.
The minister cleared his throat and the rehearsals got underway. A short time later, everyone loaded into their cars to drive to a nearby restaurant. A hostess led them to a side room for small parties. Jerod held out a chair for Franny, then came to hold out a chair for Jazzi. When she sat down, a long fart sound made everyone stop to stare. Jazzi stood and held up a whoopee cushion. Jerod threw back his head and laughed.
Franny just shook her head. “Sorry, folks,” she said to the room.
Ansel sat next to Jazzi, smiling. “Better you than me. You look pretty when you blush.”
Jerod would pay for this. She didn’t know how or when, but she’d exact her revenge.
Two waiters came in with their food and they settled down to eat. Her sister had decided to go with chicken Alfredo and a romaine salad for the meal. Olivia could be a little tight with her money, but at least, she hadn’t ordered pizza for all of them. It didn’t matter to Jazzi. She was so tired of cooking right now, she was just glad someone else prepared the meal.
No one was in a hurry, so it was two hours before they finished their sorbet and broke up to go home. Jazzi and Ansel had changed into their pajamas and were getting comfortable on their couches when Jazzi’s cell rang. She grabbed for it and put it on speaker. “News?”
All they heard was the sound of a loud whack on the other end of the line. Then the line went dead.
A shiver raced down Jazzi’s spine. Her arms felt cold. “Something happened to Gaff.”
“We should call 911. Ask for someone to go check on him.” Ansel reached for his phone. But Jazzi wasn’t so sure.
“What if we’re wrong? What if Gaff’s catching the robber, and we call, and cops rush there and ruin the stakeout? Gaff won’t be happy with us.” She dialed Gaff’s number but he didn’t pick up. “We should go to Mrs. Reynold’s house and drive past his car to see if he’s alright.”
Ansel raised a blond eyebrow. “And what if he’s not? You’re not going into that house after the robber. Neither am I. That’s not smart.”
“If he’s hurt, then we’ll call 911. He has two other cops with him. I wish I had their numbers, but I don’t. We’ll find one of them, tell him what happened.”
Reluctantly, Ansel agreed. They tossed on clothes and hurried to Jazzi’s pickup. For once, Ansel pushed on the gas, speeding into town. He slowed when they reached Mrs. Reynold’s house and spotted Gaff’s unmarked car. He parked on the street beside it, and Jazzi gasped when she saw Gaff slumped against the car’s window, a gash bleeding at his hairline.
“There should be another car parked close by. We’ll tell that cop what happened.” She pointed when Ansel passed an alley and said, “There.”
Ansel stopped the pickup and Jazzi leaped out to hurry to the man’s window. He was slumped on the front seat, too. When she returned, she punched in 911 and explained what was happening. When she finished the call, she told Ansel, “They’re on their way.”
Ansel returned to Gaff’s car and parked behind it, doors locked, waiting for backup.
“Do you think I should go to Gaff? Try to help him?” Jazzi asked.
“We shouldn’t move him. A medic should look at him first.”
Jazzi fidgeted. “Help should be here soon.” Before anyone arrived, though, something hard smashed into Ansel’s window, shattering the glass. Gavin stood there, wielding a crowbar and a gun.
“Get out!” he barked. “Your girlfriend, too.”
Ansel carefully stepped out of the truck, placing his body between Gavin and Jazzi when she came to join him.
“Where’s the money? I know you know, blondie. Where did the old lady hide it?”
“If I tell you, you’ll shoot us. You killed Donovan and Ronnie. You won’t let us go now that we can identify you.”
“But I’ll make it fast. If you don’t talk, I’ll shoot your hunky boyfriend one spot at a time. Do you know how much pain it causes to lose a kneecap?”
He was cruel enough to carry through on his threat. But Jazzi thought he might prolong their misery anyway if she told him the money was safe in a bank. Gaff just used it as bait. But no one was going to shoot Ansel. Her mind made up, she steeled herself and dove sideways.
Just as she’d expected, Gavin followed her movement with his gun, chasing a moving target, and at the same time, Ansel threw himself on him. The men grappled, Ansel trying to wrench the gun from Gavin’s grip. Gavin dropped the crowbar to fight him, and Jazzi rushed to grab it. Gavin’s entire attention on Ansel, Jazzi stepped behind him and swung hard. The crowbar hit him across his shoulder blades, and he crumpled. When he fell to his knees, Ansel shot an uppercut at his jaw, and Gavin went down. Jazzi scrabbled for the gun when he dropped it and gave it to Ansel.
When four squad cars raced to them, sirens blaring and lights flashing, cops jumped out and circled them, guns drawn.
“Which one of you is Jazzi?” one of them asked.
Wasn’t it obvious? But she raised her hand. “I am, and the man with the gun is my husband. That’s Gavin.” She pointed to the man sprawled on the cement. “Gaff’s in his car. Is he all right?”
A cop opened the door to check on him, and Gaff groaned, blinking and out of focus. He pressed a hand to his forehead, squinting to see her better. “Jazzi?” His gaze went to Ansel. “What are you doing here?”
Jazzi nodded at the alley. “Another cop’s over there. He’s unconscious, too.”
One of the men stalked in that direction.
With a grunt, Gaff tried to stand up. Couldn’t. “Let my men take it from here.”
“Gladly.” Ansel handed Gavin’s gun to one of them and went to pull Jazzi close. He was so tense, his muscles felt like rock. They waited until a detective came to question them. When they were finally free to go, Ansel grimly loaded her in the truck to drive home. On the way, he gritted out, “That’s the last time we’re ever driving to the rescue again. Got that?”
“Agreed.” She couldn’t make her hands stop shaking. She’d never been so scared in her life. If anything had happened to Ansel, she’d never have forgiven herself.
His voice sounded strained. “I can’t lose you, Jazzi. I just can’t.”
“And I can’t lose you. We’re too good together.”
His shoulders relaxed a little and his grip on the steering wheel loosened. He let out a long, harsh breath. “The wedding’s tomorrow. I don’t want tonight to ruin it for us.”
She reached across to touch his arm, and she could feel him tremble. “Everyone’s going to be alright. Gaff caught Gavin. We can put this whole thing behind us.”
He gave a brisk nod. “Never again.”
“Never again,” she agreed.
Chapter 38
Gaff called early the next day. Jazzi put him on speaker. “I know today’s the we
dding, but I wanted to catch you up on everything. When we dragged Gavin downtown, we pulled his two thugs into another interrogating room and told them if they didn’t fess up, we’d charge them with accessory to murder for protecting him.”
“And?”
“They spilled. They didn’t know anything about Donovan or Ronnie. Gavin only asked them to rough up Ray and Jarrett.”
“That’s a start.”
“But we’ve nailed Gavin on everything. When we took his picture to Donovan’s apartment building, a custodian remembered seeing him there. Gavin’s work boots matched the print we found in the mud when he dumped Ronnie’s body in the ditch. And, his work boots have red shoe laces.”
“What about his house? Did he hire the thugs to trash it?”
“No, they think he trashed it himself so that he wouldn’t look like a suspect.”
“I bet his wife loved that.”
“She was his first call and when she came to see him, he asked her to pass the word around to his family and to dig up the cash to hire him a lawyer. When I told her that he’d probably never step out of prison again, she shrugged. Said she’d still visit him once a week and bring him cigarettes.”
Jazzi shook her head in disbelief. “And she’s okay with that?”
“Seemed to be. Doesn’t seem to expect much from their marriage except a steady paycheck.”
Jazzi thought a minute. “Did Gavin say why he killed Ronnie? I never understood why he’d do that when he didn’t know where the money was.”
“I asked. He said Ronnie threatened to report him for threatening him. Gavin knew if Ronnie followed through on that, we’d look into him for killing Donovan. He had to shut him up.”
“One more question. What about Gil? Did he know who killed him?”
“He spewed so much garbage about Gil, I’d guess he did it himself. He’ll never admit it, but one of the prison buddies he hired watched him do it. No way anyone would take the guy’s word for it, so we can’t prove it, but he wanted to pressure Ronnie about the money in prison. Gil kept getting in his way. Then he got suspicious that Gil was hiding the money for Ronnie, and that really set him off.”
“It doesn’t take much, does it?” Ansel asked.
“The man’s a walking bundle of violence.” Gaff hesitated. “I want to thank you for your help. He’d have gotten away last night. I never saw who hit me. But I never want you two to put yourself in danger again. Never.”
“We didn’t do it on purpose,” Ansel told him. “But we’ve learned not even to dabble in your business. I never want to go through something like that again.”
“Good. It’s my job, and I’d rather never repeat it either.”
Jazzi asked, “Did you call Ronnie’s grandma?”
“Yup, she knows she’s coming home to a safe house. It took a lot of worry off her mind.”
“Thanks for calling us, Gaff. How do you feel today?”
“Horrible. I have a headache that won’t quit, but no concussion, and I’m going to live.”
“Thanks again,” Jazzi said.
He sighed. “I hope my next call is to ask if my Ann and I can come swim in your pond this summer.”
“So do I. And the answer is yes.”
When they hung up, Ansel pulled her so close, she could hardly breathe. “It’s over. Let’s switch gears. All we have to do now is enjoy the wedding.”
And that, she was sure, was a slam dunk.
Chapter 39
The wedding was at two in the afternoon. When the music started playing, Jazzi was the first person to walk down the aisle. Her gaze focused on the men standing near the altar. Thane had pulled his wild, auburn hair back into a low ponytail. He looked more polished than Jazzi had ever seen him. Walker, tall and handsome, stood next to him. And then Ansel, Radley, and Jerod formed a line.
She’d never seen Ansel in a tux, and he looked so good, she simply stared at him for a moment. How did she get so lucky? When he smiled at her, her heart fluttered. Radley was nearly as good-looking, and then there was Jerod. There was just something about him. Her cousin was plenty eye-catching, but his blue eyes always had a sparkle.
When she reached the front of the church and turned to take her spot, she watched Franny and Isabelle make their way toward her. Franny’s powder blue gown went well with her carrot orange hair. Instead of being twisted into its usual knot, her hair hung in loose waves past her shoulders. Jazzi glanced at Jerod. He looked like he might pop with pride.
When Isabelle reached the back pews, Reuben twisted in his seat to watch her. As usual, with her dramatic coloring, she looked stunning. Last, but not least, River—dressed in a tuxedo—walked down the aisle, carrying a satin pillow with Didi’s ring cradled on it. And then, the wedding march started.
Didi came first in a soft, flowing wedding dress that matched her personality—sweet and generous. Finally, Olivia came down the aisle in her sophisticated gown with a scooped out back, and it was everything she’d said it would be.
The rest of the ceremony slightly blurred for Jazzi as her emotions peaked and threatened tears. Her sister looked beautiful. So did their mom in her mother of the bride gown. Walker’s mom chose a gown similar in color to Mom’s. It was all so perfect, Jazzi’s throat closed and she had to swallow down pride.
At the end of the ceremony, Ansel came to escort her down the aisle. He wove his arm through hers and pulled her close. They stood next to each other to meet everyone who attended and shake hands. Lots of pictures followed that, and finally, it was time to drive to their house and party.
Everyone pitched in, arranging food on the butcher block counter of the kitchen island. The kitchen and living room, draped with ribbons and filled with flowers, glowed in the flickering fire of lit tapers in candelabras. Ansel flicked on background music, and the house swelled with friends, family, and laughter.
Champagne flowed, food disappeared, and before the men moved furniture to make room for dancing, tuxes were hung in the foyer closet. Then the real fun began. Radley spun Elspeth around the living room, and Jazzi smiled, watching them. Would they be the next to tie the knot? Or would Bain beat them to it with Greta? Maybe she and Ansel would be hosting another double wedding.
She went to the kitchen to pour herself another glass of wine and grab a beer for Ansel. She raised a brow when she saw George, under the long farmhouse table, tipping back the end of someone’s lager. The pug would be lucky if he didn’t have a hangover in the morning. Watching Gran pour herself another glass of champagne, she was glad to see that Samantha wasn’t drinking. Gran would be lucky to be headache free tomorrow, too.
The party kept going until close to midnight, and then people started to drift away, ready to head home. River fell asleep on one of the couches, and Walker lifted him to carry to Didi’s car.
“Thanks for everything,” Didi said. “It was a fairytale night. It was perfect.”
“Congratulations.” She and Ansel walked them to the door.
Olivia and Thane came next. “You did it again, sis.” Olivia hugged her in a crush of happiness. “This was the best wedding present ever.”
In half an hour, the last guest had gone. Ansel closed and locked the door, then shook his head at the remnants of their fun.
“Tomorrow,” Jazzi said. “Jerod said to skip work tomorrow. We can recover then.”
He grinned. “Weddings always put me in a romantic mood.”
“They do, do they?”
He took her hand and started for the stairs. “Later, George.”
The dog actually sagged onto the floor. He couldn’t quite focus. Jazzi laughed. “You’re going to have to carry him, for sure, tonight. Your pug’s had one beer too many.”
Even the cats flopped down, exhausted. Too much fun and too many people.
Ansel still looked like he had plenty of energy, though. The pet
s might not make it to bed until the wee hours of the morning. On their way upstairs, Jazzi’s thoughts returned to Radley and Bain. She hoped there’d be two more weddings in their future, soon, and no more murders.
Recipes
Chicken Tamale Casserole
Heat oven to 400 degrees. Spray 9 x 13 casserole dish.
For bottom layer: in a large bowl, combine:
1/3 c chicken stock
1 large egg
1 t ground cumin
1/8 t cayenne
1 can cream-style corn
1 (8.5 oz) Jiffy cornbread mix
1 (4 oz.) can chopped green chiles
Pour into sprayed pan. Bake 15 min. or until set.
While bottom bakes, shred meat from 1 rotisserie chicken into a large skillet. Add:
Salt and pepper to taste
1 c. chicken stock
1 c. salsa
Cook on medium heat until combined together and liquid is all soaked into meat.
When you take bottom layer out of oven, poke the entire surface with a toothpick.
Pour 10 oz. can of red enchilada sauce (I like Old El Paso) over entire surface.
Let it soak in a few minutes, then layer shredded chicken on top.
Sprinkle with 1 c. shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Bake for another 15 minutes or until cheese melts.
Let stand for 5 minutes. When ready to serve, top with a dollop of sour cream (optional). I serve with a tossed salad.
Kitchen Sink Soup (to use leftover Easter ham)
In Dutch oven:
2 or 3 T. olive oil to coat bottom of pan
Heat and add:
5 small Yukon gold potatoes, chopped
3 stalks celery, sliced
1 bag of frozen corn, nuked for 6 minutes to thaw
1/2 c frozen green peppers
1/2 c frozen chopped onions
1 bag of baby carrots, chopped
1 bag frozen peas, nuked for 5 minutes to thaw
