by Jenn Cowan
She puts a hand to tell him to stop and he does. “Don’t. Unless you are handing me divorce papers, I want you to leave. Now.”
Chase frowns. “I’m not signing those papers, sweetheart. You’re my wife.” He holds up his left hand and points to a gold band on his ring finger. “We took vows, exchanged rings. We’re hitched until the day we die.”
“That can be arranged.” Allison flips her hair over her shoulder.
I gasp. “Allison.”
She glances in my direction and shrugs. “He’s as good as dead to me anyway. I might as well get the life insurance money.”
“I have plenty of money to last us the rest of our lives, honey.”
“Oh, really?” She crosses her arms over her chest. “Where did you get it? Did you steal it?”
He scoffs. “No. I inherited it.”
Allison snorts. “From who?”
“My dad.”
“And who is that? I thought you didn’t know your dad.”
“I didn’t. He didn’t want anything to do with me when he was alive, but he left me his fortune.”
“Your dad, who you never met, left you all his money.” Allison smirks. “Who was this schmuck?”
“Hey!” Josh pipes up.
“What?” Allison barks at him before realizing it wasn’t Chase talking. “Sorry,” she lowers her voice. “Why are you defending Chase’s dad?”
Josh’s blue eyes spark with anger, but he keeps his mouth shut, nodding to Chase to tell her.
Chase nods his thanks. “Harold Holliday is my father.”
Allison’s jaw drops. “W-What? No way. You’re lying.”
“I’m not. He’s my dad. I have the birth certificate to prove it.”
“So, you’re saying we lost everything and you could have reached out to your father for help?”
He steps closer to her. “I didn’t know he was my father and when I found out, I called him and he didn’t want anything to do with me. I swear. I would have done anything to fix our situation.”
She scoffs. “We wouldn’t have been in any ‘situation’ if it weren’t for you and your gambling habit. All that time while we were struggling, you kept saying love would get us through it, but it didn’t, did it? Not when we lost the house. Not when we lost the salon. Not when we lost our…” her words catch in her throat and she covers her mouth with her hand. Tears brim in her eyes and she rushes from the room.
Chase moves to go after her, but Josh steps in his way.
“Give her some space, man. Your showing up here, unannounced clearly has her rattled. Sounds like you have a lot of stuff to work out and right now isn’t the time. She’s just finishing up with a client.”
“I know and I’m sorry.” He runs a hand through his hair. “You’re right, but she won’t return my calls and I can’t make it right if I can’t talk to her. Just seeing her again has me wanting to take her in my arms and show her how sorry I am. I’ve gone to rehab. Done the work and now, I want my wife back. Our life back. I need her. You can understand that, can’t you?”
Josh’s stern face softens and he shoots me a sly smile. “Definitely. Autumn and I had a long road to get to the altar, but you can’t fix everything in a day. Allison needs time to process you being here.” He nods toward Harold’s across the street. “Focus on your business. On proving to her you’ve changed.”
Chase grins and pats Josh on the shoulder. “Thanks, man.”
Josh pats him on the other shoulder. “Any time. Maybe after the wedding, we can grab a beer.”
“I’d like that,” Chase says then hooks a thumb toward the door. “Well I’ll be over at my shop. It’ll take about a week to get everything ready for the grand opening, but you two should stop by and check it out… when you have time. Wedding planning can be stressful. Let me know if you want any help.” He winks at me. “Of course, Allison was the brains behind our wedding and it was beautiful.”
“Allison, who?”
We all jump, not even hearing the bell above the door because we were so deep in conversation.
Travis stands in the doorway in dark pants and a white dress shirt, with a look of confusion on his face.
Before I can say anything, Chase is answering, “Allison Cole.”
Travis staggers back like someone hit him in the gut then his face turns red and he looks like he’s ready to punch something or someone, most likely Chase.
Chase straightens and assesses Travis. “You must be the ex-fiancé,” he sneers.
Travis clenches his jaw, but doesn’t respond.
Knowing I need to de-escalate this situation, I open my mouth to introduce the two men, when Bernita comes out, flashing her newly painted purple nails.
“What is all the ruckus out here? I thought you were running a spa, Autumn, not casting for a soap opera.” Bernita eyes the two men, who are glaring daggers at each other. “Well there is enough testosterone in the room to get an old gal like me pregnant.” She fans herself before sidling up to Chase and squeezing his bicep.
I bite the inside of my cheek to keep from laughing.
Chase breaks his stare off with Travis and smiles down at Bernita, who swoons.
“Oh, for goodness sake, he’s not that good looking,” Allison stomps out and rips Bernita away from Chase. “Don’t you have a song to rehearse or something?” She helps Bernita up to the counter so she can pay.
“My, my, someone is awful testy for a woman wanting to divorce that tall hunk of man over there. I thought you said you wished he were dead.”
Allison cringes slightly and sneaks a glance at Chase, who’s face falls and he looks like a wounded puppy.
I take Bernita’s check and give her a receipt then decide to change the subject. “Any chance there’s a reconciliation between you and the Crafty Crew?”
Bernita scoffs and turns her nose up at me. “No. I’m never speaking to those women again.”
“Maybe-,” I start, but Bernita turns on her heels and stomps out the door. I groan and plop down in the chair.
Josh slips in behind me and begins to rub my shoulders.
I close my eyes and sigh.
“Remember when you used to rub my neck, honey,” Chase asks Allison.
Allison ignores him and jots down some notes in Bernita’s chart. “Well I’m all done here for today, Autumn. I’ll just head over to Regina’s now.” She spins around and almost collides with Travis. “Oh, hi, when did you get here?” Allison glances nervously at Chase.
“A few minutes ago. I just met your HUSBAND.” Travis glares down at her, his green eyes filled with anger, but there’s a hint of hurt beneath them as well.
Allison flinches. “Um… well…”
“Well, what? We were dating for eight months and you didn’t think to tell me you were married. I proposed.”
“But you weren’t in love with me,” Allison hisses back, avoiding Travis’s eyes.
“You were married! Are married! Were you just never going to tell me? What else did you lie about?”
Tears fill Allison’s eyes.
“Hey, give her a break, man,” Chase demands, moving cautiously toward Allison. “She’s been through a lot.”
Allison sniffles and holds her head up high. “A lot YOU put me through.” She pokes a finger at Chase. “This is all your fault.”
“He didn’t make you lie about being married,” Travis interjects.
“No, he didn’t and I’m sorry for that. I wanted to pretend it never happened. I thought I could get a divorce and we could get married and start a family, but that’s never going to happen.” Allison bursts into tears and hurries out the door.
Chase’s shoulders slump and he hangs his head.
“What did you do to her?” Travis growls. “Even when I broke up with her, she never broke down like that.”
“Because you weren’t the love of her life.”
Travis puffs out his chest. “What makes you say that?”
Chase unbuttons his shirt and points to
a tattoo over his chest. “She’s my heart. I have her name over mine and she has mine over hers.”
Travis frowns. “No. She doesn’t.”
“Wh-what?”
“Allison doesn’t have a tattoo.”
“Maybe she used some make-up to cover it up.”
Travis shakes his head. “No. I took her up to my lake house several times swimming and boating. There’s no tattoo.”
Chase looks like someone punched him in the gut. “I have to go.” He rushes quickly out of the spa.
“Is he gone?” Cat walks in holding a bottle of lavender essential oil. “Oh, hey dad.” She glances around nervously. “What are you doing here?”
Travis gives her a forced grin. “Checking up on you. I heard about the gas leak. You okay?”
She nods. “Thought I would help out Autumn as opposed to going home to an empty house.”
Travis flinches slightly at her words, although he and I know she didn’t mean them to be hurtful. “I shouldn’t be late tonight. The town’s been pretty quiet lately even with the summer tourists.” He rubs a hand over his neck. “Hopefully, it will stay that way.”
No sooner does he say it, a gun goes off.
3
“Allison, put the gun down,” Travis orders, approaching her slowly.
Her hands are shaking. “I didn’t…” she drops the gun like it’s a snake getting ready to bite her then her hand flies to her mouth.
Josh rushes over to check his pulse. He looks up at me and shakes his head.
My stomach churns and I don’t know if it’s the sight of the body or the weird smell in the air. What is that smell? It’s a mix of something sweet and then I catch a whiff of something rancid.
“I called the station,” Cat declares, jogging up to us. “They’re on their way.” When she spots the body, her face goes white. “Is he…”
“Dead?” Allison finishes, staring at the body.
“Let’s get you some tea,” I gesture for Cat to head into the salon. “Regina was just talking about some new mango tea we need to try.”
Cat nods slowly.
Travis mouths, “Thank you.”
Cool air greets us along with the smell of hair products. Eighties music is blasting from the speakers and Regina is smacking her gum while blow drying a tourist’s hair. When she spots us, she waves and gestures to the break room.
“She must not have heard the gunshot over all this noise,” Cat practically yells over the music and blow dryer.
“Guess not.” I busy myself with preparing the tea.
Cat sits down on the black leather couch and wrings her hands.
I hand her a white mug and sit down next to her with my own cup. We sit in silence, sipping our tea until Regina joins us.
“Hey, sugars. What are you two doing over here? Don’t you have a client, Autumn?”
“There’s been a murder,” Cat whispers.
Regina gasps. “A murder? Where? Who?”
“On your back patio.” I motion toward the back door.
“What?” Regina hustles toward the door and pushes it open.
We set down our mugs and hurry after her.
“What’s happening?” Regina demands.
Travis is cuffing Allison and murmuring the Miranda rights to her. “There’s been a murder, Regina.”
Regina puts her hands on her hips. “Well I can see that, but why are you arresting Allison?”
Travis cuts his eyes to me as if asking me silently to explain so he doesn’t have to. Chicken.
I place a hand on Regina’s shoulder and she jumps. “Sorry. We heard the gun shot from the spa and found Allison with a gun in her hand.”
“It doesn’t mean she shot him. Right, honey? Allison tell Travis you didn’t shoot this man.” Regina gestures to the black body bag.
The coroner is zipping up the bag and getting ready to wheel it toward the ambulance.
“Who did she shoot?”
“We’re not at liberty to say until the body has been officially identified and the next of kin have been notified. You know this, Aunt Regina,” Travis says, nudging Allison toward the front of the building.
“Not at liberty to say? Do not pull that card with me Travis Brian Mills.” Regina shakes her finger at him and glares him down with a look that a mother gives her child when they sass her.
He cringes. “I can’t discuss the case until we know more. Allison has asked for legal counsel so I have to do things by the book.”
“Legal counsel? But she didn’t do this. Allison wouldn’t hurt a fly, would you sugar?”
Allison doesn’t look at Regina. Her head is hung in defeat and tears are streaming down her cheeks.
“Allison? You didn’t do this, did you?” Regina frowns when Allison still doesn’t answer her.
“We’ll get this figured out.” I wrap an arm around Regina’s shoulder and guide her back inside. “Let’s get you some tea.”
“I don’t want any tea,” Regina spats. “What is going on? Someone is shot on my patio and my employee is being accused of doing it. No one will tell me anything. This is ridiculous! Why aren’t you investigating, Autumn? You should be going down to the station and questioning Allison. Go out back and look for clues. Do your sleuthing thing. You’re the only one who can ensure the real killer gets caught. Lord, knows the captain will keep Travis on a short leash since he and Allison have history. So, you’re our only hope.”
I bite my lip.
“What? What aren’t you telling me?” Regina narrows her eyes at me.
I glance over at Josh, who is leaning against the door frame. “We should get back over to the spa. Our clients will be showing up any minute.”
“Autumn Marie Fisher… soon to be Parker.” She smiles at Josh, who grins back at her. “What is going on? Why aren’t you putting on your sleuth hat and getting to the bottom of this?”
I sigh. “Because I think Allison killed him.”
“What?” Regina cries. “That’s impossible. Why would Allison kill him?”
Josh clears his throat and pushes off the wall. “Autumn, may I speak to you in private for a moment?”
“Of course.” I follow him to the break room while Regina fumes and rants to Cat.
Josh closes the door then pulls me into his chest, engulfing me in a hug.
I close my eyes and breathe in his tea tree and mint scent. It’s so consuming yet so relaxing.
He lets me go and takes my hand, leading me over to the couch. Then he kisses me and causes my heart to beat faster and tingles to erupt all over my body. When he finally pulls away, I’m left breathless and a little light headed.
“What was that for? Not that I’m complaining,” I sigh, blinking open my eyes and trying to catch my breath.
“Because I love you.”
I melt and lean in for another kiss, but he stops me and I stick my lower lip out in a pout.
He laughs. “As much I would like to cozy up and kiss you all afternoon, you have a murder to solve and I have clients to see.”
My eyebrows draw together. “A murder to solve? Josh, Allison killed him. Case closed. There’s nothing I can do.”
“But she didn’t”
I frown. “What do you mean?”
“That man isn’t Chase.”
“It isn’t? But he’s wearing the same shirt. Same build. Same hair.” I bite my lip and think back to the scene. It has to be him.
Josh shakes his head. “It wasn’t. I thought so too when I first saw him, but he has a mole on his cheek. Chase doesn’t. This guy could easily pass for his twin, but I don’t think they’re related.”
I groan. “No more twins. I’ve had my fill.” I think back to Josh’s first wife and ball my fists.
Josh pulls my hands to his lips and kisses them. “I know what you’re thinking about so please don’t.”
I un-ball my fists and lean against his shoulder. “So, if it’s not Chase and it’s not his twin. Who is he? And why did Allison have a gun in h
er hand? Did Travis get any information out of her?” I sit up and stare at Josh, expectantly.
Josh smirks. “And she’s back.”
I nudge him with my shoulder and laugh. “Alright. I get it. I’m off my game. I jumped to conclusions, but now, I’m in it. Give me details.”
He wraps his arm and around me and says, “Allison said she needed some air before facing her next client so she stepped out onto the patio and noticed the gun lying on the ground. She picked it up before she even saw the body.”
“That sounds plausible, but she seemed visibly upset.”
“Like she knew the guy?”
“Yeah. You think so too.”
“I do.”
I chew on my lip, mulling over the information. “Then what happened?”
“Travis tried to get more out of her, but she clammed up and demanded a lawyer when he insinuated he could cut her a deal if she told him what really happened.”
I scoff. “I think Travis is letting his feelings about Allison lying to him cloud his judgement.”
“Probably. I don’t blame the guy though.”
I nod, but my mind is elsewhere.
“Hello? Earth to Autumn.” Josh waves a hand in front of my eyes.
“Sorry, just thinking.” I shoot him a small smile and tuck a strand of hair behind my ear.
“Care to share.”
“I think Chase is involved in this somehow. I’m going to visit him, but I think I need to check the scene again first. In case I missed something. There was a strange smell and I can’t put my finger on it.”
“I should come with you.” Josh stands and holds out a hand for me.
“No. You have our spa to run,” I counter back, taking his hand and letting him pull me to my feet.
“Cat can manage it. I don’t want you going to see a stranger by yourself. It’s too dangerous especially if Chase is involved. I won’t lose you, Autumn.” He squeezes my hand. “I’ve waited too long to make you my wife.”
His words send butterflies through my belly and I roll onto my tippy toes to give him a kiss. “I love you.”
He wraps his arms around my waist, drawing me closer and kissing me slowly.
