Highway to Homicide

by Lucy Quinn

  “Yes! “Came the shout of June Loon, followed by the sound of glass hitting the floor and shattering.

  “That cow!” Rain exclaimed, running toward the door. “She won’t be happy until she tears the entire inn down.”

  Hale took off after her, both of them yelling something about power to the people and defying the man.

  Cookie pressed a hand to her pounding head. “This isn’t going to end well.”

  Dylan reached into the freezer and handed her a bag of peas. “Need these?”

  She let out a small chuckle. “Maybe later, after we get rid of Loon.”

  A high-pitched cry came from the other room.

  “Rain,” Cookie and Dylan said at the same time.

  Cookie took off into the dining room with Dylan right behind her. They raced into the living room and came to an abrupt stop when they found Rain bent over the arm of the couch, her hands behind her back as Deputy Loon slapped her into handcuffs.

  “You can’t do this!” Rain cried. “That bag is just an emergency supply kit. Are you crazy or something?”

  “Zeke, take over from here,” June ordered, brushing imaginary dirt off her shoulder. “Ned, grab the evidence. We’re done here for today.”

  “Whoa. Wait just a minute here,” Cookie said, stepping in front of Loon as more glass from a vase that had been on the coffee table crunched under her feet. She imagined June, in her excitement over finding something, must have knocked it over. Accidently or not. “What evidence?”

  “That is none of your concern, Cookie,” June said with a wave of her hand as she tried to brush past the other woman.

  “You put me in charge of this case. It most definitely is my concern.” Cookie placed her hands on her hips and moved to block the front door. June wasn’t leaving until Cookie got answers.

  June frowned and rubbed at her chin. “Right.” Narrowing her eyes at Cookie, June studied her. “I might need to put someone else on this case. I think you might not be objective.”

  It took all of Cookie’s willpower to not lash out at the deputy. She couldn’t let Loon cut her out of the loop. Loon and her lackeys didn’t know the first thing about an actual in-depth investigation. Cookie bit back her ire and calmly said, “You suspected my mother in the Dumpy Parade murder a few months ago. I handled that investigation without bias.”

  June glanced at Rain.

  Rain hissed and let out a feline-type howl.

  “Keep it up and I’ll bring in the entire Pussycat Posse, Rain Forest,” June said with a disgusted wrinkle of her nose. “I swear. This island used to be a respectable place to live.”

  Cookie bit down on the inside of her cheek. June had lived on the island for less than a year. She’d taken over as deputy sheriff after her brother had passed. “Would you mind just telling me what items you found that warrant arresting my mother?”

  “Oh, fine,” June said with a huff. “I don’t have the time to devote my full energy to this anyway. I guess I’ll just have to keep you on. But if I suspect you of suppressing evidence in order to keep your mother out of trouble, you’ll find yourself in the cell beside her.”

  “We could be roomies,” Rain said cheerfully to Cookie. “And you know stuff about being locked in the slammer. Between your knowledge and my natural leadership abilities, we’d be running the joint in no time.”

  “Mother, this is serious,” Cookie admonished. Then she walked over to Ned, who was holding a bright purple duffle bag. “What’s in it?”

  He opened the zipper and held the two sides apart, giving Cookie a chance to eye the contents. Inside she spotted a change of clothes, a wad of cash held together with a rubber band, a coiled rope, a can of pepper spray, and—

  “Mother! Why do you have dynamite in your bag?”

  Chapter 5

  “It’s just my go bag, Cookie. You know, just in case we have to take off without much warning,” Rain said, clutching the bars of the island’s one and only cell at the sheriff’s office.

  “That doesn’t explain the dynamite.” Cookie paced, one hand to her forehead and the other pressed against her gut. There was nothing she could’ve done to keep Loon from arresting Rain. Because her mother was at the scene of the crime when it happened, and she’d been found red-handed with an illegal explosive, even Cookie had to admit the entire situation was highly suspicious.

  “I swear, I thought that was a flare!” Rain said in a high-pitched voice. “You know, the kind you use if you’re lost in the woods and you need a sexy forest ranger to find you.”

  “But where did you even get it?” Cookie asked in a hushed tone. Zeke, one of the officers, was sitting across the room while Ned had disappeared with Loon into her nearby office. Cookie really didn’t think her mother had anything to hide, but if she did, she didn’t want to broadcast it to the local law enforcement. “It’s not something you can just pick up at the island hardware store.”

  “Cari found it in one of the rusted-out junkers at the dump.” Rain shrugged. “You know, where they normally keep the spare tire. I convinced her to let me have it since she hardly ever leaves the island. Why would she need it here?”

  Cookie stared at her mother and slowly nodded. Her explanation was exactly what she’d expect from Rain. “Okay. We’re going to need Cari’s statement on that. Let’s hope she remembers it the same way.”

  Rain gave Cookie a pained looked. “You know we can’t count on Cari. She’s got a lot of skills, but memory recall isn’t one of them.” Closing her eyes, Rain wrapped her fingers around the bars and held on so tight her knuckles started to turn white. “Cookie,” she whined. “You have to get me out of here. I’m too pretty for jail. I can’t stay locked up! I’ll get shanked. You know how jealous everyone is of me.”

  Cookie rolled her eyes. She didn’t want her mother in jail any more than Rain wanted to be there, but there was no reason to borrow trouble, worrying about impossible scenarios. “Mother. You’re the only one in the cell. Who’s going to shank you?”

  “I don’t know!” Rain cried, her eyes wide. “What if Loony Tunes decides to throw someone else on the island in here? Then I’ll have to worry about getting shanked and about my privacy.”

  “Okay, Mom. Just take a deep breath,” Cookie soothed as she reached between the bars and took her mom’s hand. “I am on this. Don’t think for a minute that I’m not going to get you out of here. Have a little faith, okay?”

  Rain sniffed and nodded, appearing to hold back tears. “Okay. I know you’re good at what you do. You and Dylan go out there and get ‘em, honey. And if there’s anything I can do on the inside, you let me know. Okay?”

  “Um, okay, Mom. Will do.” Cookie had no idea what her mother could possibly do while she was detained in the cell, but she wasn’t going to ask. Some things were not worth entertaining. Besides, Rain would already eavesdrop on Loon and her sidekicks. What else was there to learn?

  “I’ll just be here in the hole, trying not to get iced. Do you think I need to find an old lady for protection? Hale won’t like that, but if it keeps me from getting shanked, I’d do it.”

  Cookie shook her head, wondering where her mother had picked up the prison terms. “Let’s talk about that when the population of your cell is more than one. Okay?”

  Rain glanced around, contemplating. Then she nodded. “Yeah. You might be right. Tell Winter I need a survival kit. Lots of tea and special brownies. I’m gonna need something to keep me mellow.”

  “I’ll make sure you get some comfort food,” Cookie said. “But nothing of the special variety. That will only make matters worse.”

  Letting out a huge sigh, Rain sat on the edge of her bare mattress and stuck her bottom lip out in a pout. “This sucks.”

  “I’ll do everything I can, Mom,” Cookie said, her sympathy coming back in droves. “You’ll be out of here before you know it.”

  “I hope so.” She flopped down on her back and started singing “Folsom Prison Blues” by Johnny Cash.

 
; Cookie stood there listening for a moment and couldn’t help but conclude that Rain’s singing voice was actually improving. Maybe it was the emotion she was putting behind the lyrics. She didn’t know about such things, but she was starting to think that the band Rain and her friends had dubbed the Pussycat Posse might not be the worst idea in the world. The crew was certainly invested in their music, and it seemed the hours they’d put into improving was paying off. People would probably love the show they’d put on.

  As her mother launched into another verse, Cookie strode outside, finding Dylan on the phone.

  He raised one finger and spoke into his cell, “I’ll meet you there in thirty… Yeah, thanks. See you soon.”

  “Cade?” Cookie asked when he ended the call.

  Dylan nodded. “He got right on it and is walking onto the ferry in Hancock right now.”

  “That was fast,” Cookie said, impressed.

  Dylan grinned. “That’s what it’s like to have SEAL brothers. If one calls, the others answer.”

  “Geez. I guess so,” Cookie said in a little bit of awe. Besides Dylan, she had Hunter and Scarlett, who were always there for her, but if they weren’t actually on the island, they couldn’t get there within a few hours. “I think I like your friends.”

  “You’re going to love Cade,” Dylan said, draping an arm over her shoulders. He glanced down at her, concern shining in his steely-blue eyes. “Are you all right? It must be hard to see your mom locked up.”

  “It’s only hard because this time I think Loon has cause. That stick of dynamite they found is really strong evidence that she could be involved. So until we come up with answers, I don’t think we have a chance of Loon releasing her.”

  “If anyone can clear her name, it’s you,” Dylan said with a curt nod.

  Cookie sucked in a deep breath. “I really hope so.”

  “Listen,” Dylan said. “Jared is going to be on the same ferry. Want me to take him the… err, evidence?” He grimaced. “That finger is still in my truck.”

  “Yes, please. And thank you. I’m headed back to the inn.”

  Dylan pressed a kiss to her forehead. “I’ll meet you there.”

  * * *

  “Scar?” Cookie called as she strode into the inn. “You here?”

  “In the kitchen,” her friend called back.

  Cookie glanced around at the inn, noting that everything that had been displaced after Loon’s search had already been put back where it belonged. If she’d hadn’t been there earlier for the ransacking, she wouldn’t have ever known they’d been there. She pushed the door open to the kitchen and said, “You’re my hero.”

  Scarlett looked up from the counter, a cookie dough scooper in one hand and a fork in the other. “Why? Because I’m making peanut butter cookies?”

  “That too. But I actually meant because you cleaned up the place. Thank goodness. I think we have guests checking in later.”

  Scarlett nodded. “Newlyweds from down south. I’ve already prepped their room with a basket of… uh, champagne, chocolate, and other stuff Rain put together for them.”

  “Other stuff?” Cookie asked, suppressing a groan. “Do I want to even know?”

  Chuckling, Scarlett shrugged one shoulder. “It’s not that bad. She thought they might like something to spice things up in the bedroom. You know, edible body powder, fur-lined handcuffs, flavored condoms. The usual.”

  “The usual?” Cookie parroted. “What did she do? Stock up at Frisky Business during her last trip to Hancock?”

  Scarlett gave her a sly smile. “Oh, so you’ve been there?”

  Cookie’s face heated, and she was sure she was turning bright red. “Never mind. Is everything in the basket tasteful at least?”

  “Sure.” Scarlett chuckled. “She also wanted to provide chocolate dipped strawberries. Those are in the fridge.”

  “Well… that’s a nice touch.” Leave it to Rain to put the added touch on the newlyweds’ stay. Cookie likely wouldn’t have thought of any of that. She groaned. “Thank you for your help. I don’t know how I’m going to manage to run this place and the investigation with Rain stuck in that jail cell.”

  “I’ve got it covered,” Scarlett said, dropping a scoop of cookie dough on the tray and using the fork to create a crisscross design. “I’ve already been helping with reservations and checking guests in and out. I can handle making breakfast and the afternoon snacks. You just worry about clearing Rain’s name.”

  A rush of gratitude threatened to overwhelm Cookie. She knew Scarlett would have her back, but she hadn’t expected her to just step up and take over the inn operations. “I love you. You know that, right?”

  Scarlett beamed at her. “Of course. You don’t think I’d change sheets for just anyone, do you?” She winked and then dropped another cookie ball on the tray.

  The timer on the stove beeped, and Scarlett reached over and pulled a sheet of freshly baked cookies out of the oven.

  The rich, nutty scent filled the air, and Cookie’s stomach growled with anticipation.

  “Hold on, Cookie Monster,” Scarlett said with a laugh. “They need to cool for a minute.”

  “I can’t wait,” Cookie said and moved around the island as she grabbed a spatula. After scooping two cookies onto a plate, she plopped down on one of the kitchen stools and picked one up. “Ouch!” She tossed the steaming cookie from hand to hand, blowing on it.

  “I told you it needed to cool,” Scarlett said as she filled a mug with coffee for her friend. “Drink this, then you can stuff your face.”

  Cookie dropped the confection back onto the plate and smiled sheepishly at Scarlett. “I can’t help it. They just smell so good.”

  Scarlett pushed the cream and sugar at her friend. “The anticipation is the best part.”

  Shaking her head, Cookie doctored her coffee. After taking a sip, she said, “The best part is when they’re still warm when I pop one into my mouth.”

  “Oh? Is that what you tell Dylan right before—”

  “Hello?” a distinctively male voice called.

  “Speak of the devil,” Scarlett said, her eyes twinkling with mischief.

  Cookie picked up her plate and her coffee, smirked at Scarlett, and then made her way into the other room. She spotted Dylan moving toward her with a handsome sandy-blond-haired man in tow. After setting her plate and mug on the table, she held her hand out. “Hello, you must be Cade.”

  “And you must be the famous Cookie James.” He grinned and took her hand in both of his. “My boy here can’t stop talking about you.”

  “Oh?” Cookie’s smile widened as she glanced at the man she hoped to spend the rest of her life with. “And what does he say?”

  Dylan cleared his throat and stepped between them, breaking their connection. “Just that you’re a kickass investigator and I sure as hell wouldn’t want you on my trail.”

  Cookie placed her hands on her hips and narrowed her eyes at him. It wasn’t that she didn’t appreciate the fact that he respected her work, it was just that she hoped he appreciated some of her other assets as well.

  “Um, I’m pretty sure you used the words ‘hot’ and ‘sexy’ that one time,” Cade said, his eyes twinkling with mischief.

  “Oh?” Cookie raised her eyebrows at Dylan and then grinned. “You think I’m hot and sexy?”

  He put his hands on her hips and pulled her into him. “I didn’t think that was a secret.”

  She stared up at him, her insides turning to mush. “No, I guess it isn’t.”

  The kitchen door swung open, and Scarlett sailed through holding a tray of fresh cookies. She paused. Cookie noticed her friend had put on a sunflower print apron and tucked a matching flower behind her ear. Cookie stared for a moment. She wasn’t sure when her Scarlett had become something from the pages of a Martha Stewart magazine.

  Scarlett’s gaze landed on Cade, and her eyes traveled the length of his body. Slowly. But she wasn’t sizing up a new home improvement project. Or wa
s she?

  A cocky grin spread over Cade’s angular face as he read her clues loud and clear.

  After Scarlett had taken in every inch of him, she cleared her throat and took another step forward. “I made peanut butter cookies and—”

  The tray flew out of her hands as she stumbled over her own feet. Peanut butter cookies scattered everywhere while Scarlett grabbed onto the back of one of the chairs to keep herself upright. “Oh, son of a…”

  Cade, still grinning, calmly stepped over the scattered mess and held his hand out to her. “You must be Scarlett.”

  She brushed a lock of blond hair out of her eyes and tossed the rest over her shoulder, composing herself before she latched onto his hand with both of hers exactly the way Cade had held Cookie’s only moments before. Only Scarlett was looking at him as if she never wanted to let go. “That’s right,” she said softly.

  “It’s nice to meet you, Scarlett. I’m Cade.”

  “I know.”

  Cade rested his other hand over hers, making no move to disengage from the embrace. The two stared at each other for what seemed a very long time, appearing to be completely lost in the moment as if Cookie and Dylan weren’t even there.

  “It’s too bad about those cookies,” Cade said slowly, still holding Scarlett’s gaze.

  She nodded in a daze and answered just as slowly. “There’s more in the kitchen.”

  Without saying a word, they released each other, and Scarlett turned to go back into the kitchen. Cade pressed a hand to the small of her back and floated through the doorway as if they were in a dream.

  Cookie supposed they both thought they were, and she turned to Dylan. “Is it just me, or were there fireworks going off over their heads?”

  He chuckled. “Definitely an enchanted moment.”

  Chapter 6

  “We should go see the condo developer first,” Cookie said as she picked up peanut butter cookies off the floor. “Start at the source and see if there’s been any other trouble.”

  “That sounds like a plan,” Dylan said with a nod. “I’ll go let Cade know we’re taking off, not that I think he’ll care. With the way he was looking at Scarlett, I’m sure he’ll be happy to get rid of us for a while.”