Back Room Bookstore Cozy Mystery Boxed Set: Books 1 - 12

by Susan Harper

  He nodded. “Okay, just making sure we’re all on the same page,” Kyle admitted. “You made me kind of nervous throwing that picture down.”

  “We still have to do our due diligence,” Brian said. “So why don’t you start by telling me about this picture?”

  “I told you. We dated for about a year. I turned around, and six months later, she was dating my brother,” Kyle said. “I wasn’t happy about it when we were kids, but they were a better match, and I had to admit that eventually. I met Cindy not too long after that.”

  “Why did you two break up in the first place?” Monica asked.

  Kyle’s face burned red. He looked absolutely mortified—like he didn’t want to vocalize what happened. Brian leaned forward. “What happened?” He repeated the question. “Don’t tell me you cheated on her or something, Kyle?” he asked, reading the man’s expression.

  “What! No, no, I would never do something like that,” Kyle said and then breathed. “Okay, so… I’m not proud of it, let me start by saying that. Bonnie had been having some medical problems toward the end of our relationship. She had to get a hysterectomy. It was rough. I stayed with her for a few months afterward. Wanted to be supportive, but, honestly, I wanted… I wanted kids.”

  Monica stared at him for a moment. “You broke up with her because she couldn’t have children?”

  “Yes,” he said. “I did.”

  “Does she know that’s why?” Brian asked.

  “Yeah,” Kyle said. “She told me she was fine with adopting. I told her I wasn’t. I wanted my own kids. I was young and not super understanding of what she was going through. I tried to be supportive, but I was still just a kid myself. I didn’t want her burden.”

  “Wow,” Monica said. “You were a jerk.”

  “I know,” he said. “And I love Holly to death like I would have if she was my blood niece. I realize now what an idiot I had been. Bonnie deserved better than that. She and I are good now. Around the time she and George got married, actually, we really hashed some things out. I told her how sorry I was for the way I treated her, and she was gracious as always. She and Cindy got along really well. Bonnie and I are good. Which is more than I deserve after the way I treated her.”

  “I appreciate your honesty, Kyle,” Brian said.

  “Well, I don’t want you thinking I would have hurt her,” Kyle said. “I’m sure after finding that picture you had some questions. You can talk to Bonnie about it, too. She’ll tell you the same thing, I’m sure.”

  “We will certainly be following up with her,” Brian assured him.

  Monica and Brian thanked Kyle for his cooperation, but they left still feeling a bit unnerved. While Kyle had expressed some remorse for his behavior, it had left a rather foul taste in Monica’s mouth. She wondered if Holly knew how her uncle felt about adopting. She imagined if Holly did, she too would have been rather affronted by it. She was adopted into his family, after all. Sure, he seemed to have changed his tune about adoption, but it was offensive to Monica on Holly’s behalf, nevertheless.

  10

  After leaving Kyle’s apartment, Monica and Brian elected to head to the hospital to check in on Holly and her family. Holly, from what Monica knew, had been at the hospital ever since leaving the bookshop that day. Grace had visited, but Holly had just informed her that she and Naven had returned to Wysteria for the evening.

  They pulled up at the hospital and quickly found parking before heading to the fourth floor, where Bonnie was being kept for recovery. Brian knocked three times on the door in quick, soft succession, which was answered by George. George smiled, swinging the door open to reveal Holly sitting in a chair next to her mom’s hospital bed. Bonnie was sitting up and talking, looking to be in good spirits.

  Monica and Brian entered the room, and Monica smiled. “You look like you’re doing better,” Monica said.

  “High on pain medication, if I’m honest,” Bonnie said, shaking her head and holding up her arm with the IV in it. “I don’t do well on this junk. Makes me loopy, but I sure can’t feel the pain in my arms and legs anymore.”

  “What’s the doctor saying as far as recovery goes?” Brian asked.

  “She’s going to need a skin graft done on her right leg,” George said. “But everything else is going to heal just fine on its own. Might have a bit of scarring on her arms, but that’s it. Her lungs are looking better, too.”

  “That’s so good to hear,” Brian said. “We were really worried about you for a minute there, Bonnie.”

  “Well, I certainly have you to thank for my narrow escape, don’t I? George tells me you ran into that burning house to get me and that you kept him back. Bless you, Brian. I don’t know what we would do without you,” Bonnie said. “Isaac is coming by later. You two should stay for a bit and make yourselves comfortable. I’m sure he’d love to see you.”

  “We’re planning on hanging out for a bit,” Brian assured her.

  “Well, while you two are making yourselves comfortable, I’m going on a dinner run,” George said. “My girls are wanting pizza, and if pizza is what they want, then pizza is what they’re going to get.”

  “Thanks, Dad,” Holly said.

  “Of course, honey,” George said. “I spoke to Jonathan, by the way, sweetie. It looks like he and your stepmom and Anniston are going to take up the offer to stay for the weekend.”

  “They’re staying with you?” Brian asked.

  “Yeah,” George said. “Got them set up in the master since I’ve been staying here with Bonnie. Holly’s taking up the guest room with Anniston. We have another guest room. You should have told Grace she could have stayed too.”

  “She is still getting used to us,” Holly said with a smirk. “I don’t think she wanted to get too comfortable too quick.”

  “I don’t blame the poor dear,” Bonnie said. “I hate that we didn’t know about her sooner before her mother passed away—your mother—I know you would have wanted to meet her, Holly.”

  Holly smiled. “I would have,” she said as she took her mom’s hand, “but I have you.”

  Bonnie smiled back at her and squeezed her daughter’s hand. George kissed them both before slipping out of the room to go grab the pizza his wife and daughter had requested. Monica and Brian sat themselves down, but they were not in their seats for too long before Brian began asking Holly about possibly speaking with the doctor who had been treating Bonnie to see if he had any information that might be pertinent to the case. “I’ll take you to talk to him,” Holly said. “I just saw him a minute ago if you want to go with me to find him.”

  Brian thanked her, and the next thing Monica knew, she was alone with Holly’s mother in the hospital room. Monica smiled at the woman, and she beamed back at her. “You know, I hate that you and I haven’t met earlier,” Bonnie said. “Holly speaks so highly of you, you know?”

  “I’m glad to hear that,” Monica said. “She loves you and your husband so much. You are handling all of this new family coming around so well.”

  “Well, of course,” Bonnie said. “Look, when George and I adopted Holly, one thing we talked about very seriously was how we would handle this. We knew it would happen eventually. Children are going to ask about where they come from. We decided we were going to be completely supportive. We weren’t going to be jealous or territorial of our daughter. We raised her. She still calls me Mom and calls George Dad. Now, she has two dads, and George is handling it like the man I knew he was. Jonathan is our family now just as much as Holly is.”

  “That’s very beautiful, Ms. Bonnie,” Monica said.

  “I feel like I’ve gotten two new daughters,” Bonnie said. “Little Anniston is the cutest thing. I love her to death. I was a little concerned about that doll, but her mother explained it belonged to her twin sister before she passed, so it’s a comfort item for her. So precious. Can you believe that Jonathan had two sets of twin daughters? What are the chances of that! I can’t wait to get to know Grace, too. If she is an
ything like my Holly, I know I’m going to love her. I’m trying not to push too hard with her, though. Losing her mom so recently, I don’t want her to think I’m trying to jump in and fill that role.”

  Monica smiled brightly. Bonnie was such a wonderful person. She fiddled with her fingers for a moment. “Can I ask you something?” Monica began.

  “Of course, sweetheart,” she said.

  “I was wondering if you could tell me what it’s like being an adopting mom?” Monica asked. “I mean, I’m sure there are challenges that go along with it. Lots of them. I guess… I don’t even really know what my question is…”

  “Have you thought about adopting?” Bonnie asked.

  “Oh, not too seriously or anything,” Monica said. “I was raised by my aunt and her boyfriend, though. My parents died when I was really young. So, I guess it’s always been in the back of my mind a little bit. And, since you went through that, I thought I’d ask what it was like.”

  “It was challenging, but all children are challenging in their own way,” Bonnie said. “But family doesn’t have such strict boundaries, you know? Family can mean a lot of things. I mean, look at our family! George’s brother is a single dad, and Holly’s got two dads, a mom, a stepmom, and two surviving long-lost sisters. Family is about the heart. It’s not about blood. Not to me, at least. Holly is my daughter, always has been, always will be, and I wish she had a chance to meet her birth mom because I would have wanted to meet her too. I would have given that woman the biggest hug for bringing my sweet Holly into the world. Adopting is such a beautiful thing, Monica, it really is.”

  Monica beamed. “You are really passionate about this, aren’t you?”

  “Of course I am,” Bonnie said.

  “We…er… We spoke to Kyle about this old picture we found of you two…”

  Bonnie nearly snorted. “Oh, boy, I hope it wasn’t from our dating adventures?” Monica nodded, and Bonnie laughed again. “I’m guessing he got a little nervous about that? I was told Brian was investigating this as an attempted homicide and arson! Gracious, when you showed Kyle that picture, did he get a little nervous?”

  “More than a little,” Monica said, fighting off a grin. “He was worried we were going to suspect him.”

  “Well, don’t,” she said. “That oaf of a brother-in-law of mine has the biggest heart of anyone I know. We had a pretty rocky breakup, but I understood even then, even if it hurt me. Adopting isn’t for everyone. He did want kids, he just wanted his own. He was afraid he couldn’t love one he adopted as much as he would have if it had been his own.”

  “Does he still think that way?” Monica wondered out loud.

  “No,” Bonnie said. “You should have seen him the first time George put Holly in his arms. Holly has had her uncle wrapped around her little finger since day one. He cried like a baby, he loves her so much. Over the moon! As a matter of fact, before Cindy got sick, they had been talking about adopting themselves. It would be too much for him now, I know, but his mind changed.”

  “I’m glad,” Monica said. “I’m sorry he put you through such a harsh breakup before he realized it, though.”

  Bonnie waved her off slightly. “I met my husband because of him, you know? And we raised our beautiful girl together. I could not have asked for a better life, Monica. Though, I do wish I knew how this came to be.” She waved down at her legs, which were wrapped in bandages. “I don’t know who would want to do something like this to me.”

  “Can you remember anything from before the fire?” Monica asked. “Anything that might have stood out to you that seemed unusual?”

  “Well, I remember thinking my water tasted a little off,” Bonnie admitted. “I had left my water bottle unattended, but I thought it was because I had filled it with tap water or something. I guess someone slipped something into it.” She frowned. “I just have a hard time with it, though, because everyone in that cabin was either family or a close friend of my daughter’s. Who of that crowd would want to kill me?”

  Monica nodded in an understanding sort of way. It was quite troubling to think about. Someone close to them had done it, and no one was really off the table just yet.

  11

  The following day was Brian’s day off, and it was to be filled with Romp-A-Roo practice. Monica and Isaac elected to attend since Monica’s Aunt Wilma had offered to watch her side of the shop that day. Monica suspected the woman was starting to miss some of the mortals she had befriended during her days in Bankstown and wanted a good excuse to pop in on everyone.

  Monica gave Isaac a ride on the back of her broomstick, which he found to be rather exhilarating. Brian had left a half-hour before they had, so as they approached the field, she could see him with his teammates doing some warmups while Coach Joanne-Jo got ready to put them through the ringer. She wanted to work on endurance training that day.

  Monica and Isaac found themselves at the edge of the field, watching the team stationed in the grass below the game podiums doing various stretches. “Grace not coming?” Isaac wondered out loud. There had been talk about her and Naven attending a Romp-A-Roo practice.

  “No, she’s at the hospital with Holly visiting her mom, and I’m pretty sure Naven tagged along,” Monica said.

  Isaac stared at her for a moment. “You made a face.”

  “What? What face?” Monica asked defensively.

  “When I mentioned Grace,” Isaac said. “You made a face. Like you tried not to roll your eyes.”

  Monica crossed her legs and sat upright. “Did not.”

  “Did so,” he countered. “I knew it. You think something’s off about her too.”

  Monica scowled. “She just said something to me the last time we talked that put me off a bit.”

  “What?” he prodded.

  “She was trying to talk Holly out of applying for a reveal license to tell her adoptive parents about the mystical world,” Monica said. “It was uncomfortable. I think she meant well, but she doesn’t exactly have the highest opinion of mortals, I don’t think. Like she assumes the worst about them, and I don’t like that sort of thinking, but she is from the Salem border town. I imagine she probably hears about witch hunts pretty often because of the history there.”

  “Maybe,” Isaac said. “I just had a funny feeling, but I could be wrong. I mean, she did come all this way just to get to know her sister and her sister’s family and friends a bit better, didn’t she?”

  “I suppose,” Monica said, glancing up toward Deimus, who was waving the team together not far from where Monica and Isaac were sitting.

  Urrgah enthusiastically ran up, nearly knocking Deimus over in the progress. “Easy, big guy,” he said. “Save that energy for the finals.” There was some excitable smirking amongst the team for a moment before he continued. “Coach is about to get us going on some drills in just a minute, but I wanted to give everyone a heads up that we’re going to have some special guests coming out today.”

  “That Naven guy coming to creep on our plays for next year?” Gale asked with a smirk.

  “No, nothing like that,” Deimus said. “The local orphanage is bringing some kids out today. A sort of field trip for them to come out and meet the sports stars.”

  “Oh, sweet,” Bolt said. “They’ve never done that before.”

  “The Wysteria Werewolves have never been this far in the league before,” Clowdia said. “One more game, and we just might put Wysteria on the map! World champs!”

  Brian smiled. “Didn’t know Wysteria had an orphanage.”

  “It’s not right here in town or anything,” Deimus said. “Little country town just beyond the centaur grazing fields and forests, before you reach the troll mountains. That’s where it is.”

  “Need I remind you all to be on your best behavior?” Coach Joanne-Jo asked. “Talk to the children, answer their questions, pose for pictures if they want a picture. All that fun. We’ll probably let those who want to go up onto the podiums, but not without supervision. Everyone
understand?”

  “Sure thing, Coach,” Rosemary said, and the coach had them all get up on the podiums for launching exercises while she waited down below for the carriages escorting the children to arrive.

  Monica and Isaac, since the team was now up on the podiums, headed into the stands to watch the practice from where they could actually see everyone. She watched Brian happily as he practiced some different moves with the springs that Deimus was demonstrating for him. Monica and Isaac were chatting about the upcoming game that would determine the world champion, debating the team’s chances, when she spotted a handful of horseless carriages pull up at the field entrance and a bunch of children in black-and-gray uniforms step out.

  “Those must be the kiddos,” Isaac said, his eyes fixated on the enormous toad-woman nun escorting the children off. “What is that?” he whispered.

  “Don’t be so rude, Isaac,” Monica said, but she never answered his question as one of the children in the group had caught her eye. “Abigail?” she muttered, pointing her out in the line to Isaac.

  “What?” Isaac asked, staring down at the group of school-aged children the nuns were lining up by the edge of the Romp-A-Roo field. Some of the players came down and started chatting with the children while Monica and Isaac watched from a distance. “Why would Abigail be hanging around a children’s orphanage? Is she living there?” he asked.

  “I’m not sure,” Monica said. “But I’m going to find out what’s going on.” She and Isaac made their way back down the bleachers until they reached the edge of the fields.

  The toad-woman turned and smiled at them. “May I help you?” she asked in a croaky sort of voice. “Are you part of the Romp-A-Roo team? Team managers, perhaps?”

  “No,” Monica said, still keeping an eye on Abigail, who was looking up at Bolt and Trixie with a bit of an amused expression. “My boyfriend is on the team. The mortal.”