Highway to Homicide

by Lucy Quinn

  Cookie spun, issuing a roundhouse kick, but her assailant dodged and swept her other leg from underneath her. Cookie automatically rolled backward and ended up on her feet, again reaching for her firearm only to find out it was gone. “Son of a—”

  “Freeze!” Hank said from behind her, and Cookie heard the click of a gun being cocked.

  She froze.

  “Hands up, Charlene Jamieson. Turn around so I can look you in the eye.”

  Ice ran through Cookie’s veins. Charlene was her old name, the name she’d given up when she’d moved to Secret Seal Isle. And if Hank knew it, then he knew exactly who she was and that she was former FBI. Her heart sank. The plan to hide at Stone’s had failed miserably, and getting out of this town just became impossible.

  “Do it!”

  Cookie jumped slightly but put her hands up and turned around to face Hank slowly, trying to buy some time as she thought about what she could do to get away.

  “Oh my humus,” Stone said and started to hyperventilate. “This wasn’t… supposed… to… happen. I’m a Russian spy!”

  “You’re no Russian spy. They have names like Viktor or Adrian,” the goon behind Cookie said.

  “I could be a Viktor,” Stone insisted.

  “Nah, dude. You’re way too skinny,” Hank said.

  Cookie cleared her throat. “What do you want with me?”

  Hank crawled out of the hole in the wall and stood. “You’re our leverage with DeMasi. Once we hand you over, our debt will be paid, and we can get on with business.”

  “What business is that?” Cookie pressed.

  “None of your damned business, cupcake,” the guy behind her said.

  Hank laughed. “It doesn’t matter what we tell her, Vito. Jimmy DeMasi is gonna feed her to the fishes after what she did to his old man.”

  “What did she do?” Stone asked casually as if two thugs weren’t pointing their guns at Cookie’s heart.

  “She and the FBI put him away for forty years. Pinned some murder on him. Jimmy isn’t happy.”

  “Oh, gordy,” Stone said, pressing his palm to his chest. “What about me? I’m not the best swimmer. Best to leave me here where I can decompress with those gummy worms I stashed in the pantry.”

  “Listen, twiggy,” Hank barked. “If we leave you here it will be with a hole in your head.”

  Stone gulped, and sweat poured down his face. “I think I really need those gummies now.”

  Hank pointed his gun at him.

  “No!” Cookie cried, and her FBI training kicked in. She jumped in front of Stone. The thin man might be a little on the clueless side, but there was no way she was going to let the mobster put a bullet in him. “Stone knows everything about everyone in this town. If you’re planning to smuggle me out of here, he’s the guy who can help you.”

  “Cookie,” Stone said in a loud whisper. “I can’t help them take you. The town will kill me.”

  She ground her teeth together. “If you don’t, Hank here is going to kill you now. You pick.”

  He audibly swallowed and then spoke with a confidence that surprised Cookie. “Right,” said Stone. “I can help you get out of here. I have connections.”

  Cookie glanced over her shoulder at him surprised at his quick rush of confidence. The bravery of the people in her town continued to surprise her.

  “Fine.” Hank waved his gun at Stone. “Follow Vito.”

  Vito turned and exited the safe room. Stone followed.

  “Your turn, Charlene,” Hank said. “Unless you want to spend a little quality time here with yours truly before we go.” His gaze flickered to the bed and back to her.

  Cookie’s stomach rolled, and without a word, she turned and followed Stone out into the main part of the basement.

  Hank’s creepy laughter set her nerves on edge as he followed her too closely. A shiver ran up her spine, and she had to stop herself from reaching back and breaking his wrist as she wrestled the gun away from him. If she did, there was a good chance either she or Stone would not make it out of this tussle alive. The variables were too unstable.

  “Go out the back,” Hank ordered Vito.

  “I wouldn’t—” Stone started to warn the man.

  But Vito grabbed the door knob and pulled. Thick, green slime splattered down on him, and Cookie didn’t hesitate. This was her chance. She flew to the ground, kicking out with her feet, sweeping Hank with her.

  The mobster let out a shout just as a shot rang out. Fear sent a rush of adrenaline through her entire body, but there was no stopping now. She pounced, grabbing the mobster’s wrist with both hands and slamming his hand down on the concrete, forcing the gun to dislodge.

  Hank let out a growl. Something crashed near the back door, but she was too busy jamming her knee into Hank’s chest and trying to secure him with zip ties. She’d transferred her bag of them along with the evidence gloves she always carried when she’d changed into her cook’s outfit.

  Hank jerked his head up, clearly aiming to head butt her, but Cookie dodged and dove to the right, sliding right off him. He tried to scramble to his feet, but she kicked out to sweep his legs out from under him again, this time forcing him to land face-first.

  “Gotcha!” She jumped on his back and in seconds, she had his hands behind his back again to secure the zip ties.

  A slow clap came from the bottom of the stairs.

  Cookie glanced up and felt the color drain from her face as she stared at her nightmare.

  Jimmy DeMasi and two of his goons had found her. “Isn’t this cozy,” Jimmy said. “Thanks for doing my dirty work, Jamieson. Everything will be so much easier now.”

  The two muscle-bound men behind him chuckled, and one said, “Looks like it’s a two-for-one special, boss.”

  Cookie glanced over at Stone and Vito. Vito was lying motionless on the ground beside Stone, who was holding a ThighMaster.

  “Holy hell,” one of the goons said. “I think Vito was taken out by that thigh squeezer thing.”

  The other thug chuckled. “He always did have a thing for Suzanne Somers.”

  Stone looked at his weapon of choice then at Vito, and he flung the ThighMaster aside. He started to hyperventilate again. “I… I’ll… never… be able… to squeeze that thing again.” He visibly shuddered but got his breathing under control. “All I’ll see is Vito covered in slime, lifeless, after a—my deadly blow to the head with the ThighMaster.” He looked up at the sky and wailed. “I’m so sorry, Suzanne! I really meant to use it for good!”

  Cookie rolled her eyes. It was likely Stone just knocked the mobster off balance and he hit his head on the concrete and knocked himself out. She wasn’t lucky enough for him to be dead.

  “Taken out by a ThighMaster!” Jimmy cackled. “No one will believe it. Carmine, get a picture of this for my Instagram and tag Suzanne. Then load up Jamieson. It’s time to get out of here.”

  “Where are you taking me?” Cookie demanded. She had a few guesses, but she wanted to hear him say it.

  “Just a little ride out into the bay,” Jimmy said, walking over to Stone. “What about you, kid? You wanna go for a ride in a boat? Or do you want to help Carmine load up the goods?”

  “What goods?” Stone asked.

  “The ones that are gonna keep you alive, kid,” Jimmy said.

  “Stone, don’t do it. Whatever it is, he’ll own you forever after that,” Cookie warned. Of course if Stone didn’t do his bidding, Jimmy would likely kill him as soon as he put a bullet in Cookie. She closed her eyes, hating that he was involved in this. Either way, if they didn’t get out of this, Stone’s life was over. So was Cookie’s. Dylan’s face swam in her mind, followed by Rain’s and Scarlett’s. Her heart nearly broke in two as she thought of her loved ones. She’d known that one day she might go down for what she’d done to Jimmy’s father, but she never planned on taking someone else with her. Stone didn’t deserve this.

  “I’m with Cookie,” Stone said bravely. “So take me out on th
e boat, too, Jimmy.”

  Stone had so much attitude, Cookie almost laughed. Although there was nothing funny about their current situation.

  “Whatever, kid,” Jimmy said, sounding tired. “Let’s get this show on the road.” He waved his gun at the door. “Go on. You first. No funny business or I’ll just shoot Jamieson in the back, right here.”

  He would too, Cookie thought. Jimmy DeMasi wasn’t the most careful mobster. In fact, it was his fault she’d found the evidence that took down his father. If Jimmy hadn’t hidden the gun with the fingerprints on it in a box in the donut shop’s freezer after executing the manager, Cookie never would’ve found it. But that murder meant they had a warrant, and DeMasi senior had gone down for murder one.

  “Go, Charlene.” Jimmy poked her in the back with his gun, and she had no choice but to follow Stone out the basement door.

  The minute Cookie stepped outside she knew two things: she wasn’t being blinded by sequins sparkling in the sun without good reason, and if she didn’t get out of the way, she was a dead woman.

  “Now!” Rain yelled.

  Cookie was tackled to the ground, and a firestorm of rocks flew over her head into the back door. She heard a curse and a grunt come from inside the house as Hale rolled off her and—was the man wearing a cape?—he silently pointed for her to join him against the side of the house. But Cookie was way ahead of him. She’d was already scrambling to her feet, looking for cover.

  The rocks continued to fly along with a chorus of grunts and expletives as the Pussycat Posse told Jimmy exactly what they thought of him.

  “Low down, no good, cheap… thug,” Cari cried as the latex catsuit she was wearing creaked from her movements, and she threw another handful of rocks through the door.

  “Jimmy’s too dumb to even mob correctly,” Winter added, sporting a Wonder Woman-like outfit, with plenty of green, yellow and red sequins giving a glittery homage to the power of the woman’s favorite recreational herb.

  Cookie noticed Blake had a blue cape similar to Hale’s black one. Under other circumstances, Cookie might find them amusing. The superhero outfits were hilarious, but Jimmy DeMasi was dangerous, and they all needed to get out of there. She glanced at Hale. “We need to go.”

  He shook his head, pressed his finger to his lips, and nodded to the house.

  Something was going on in there. If not, Jimmy would’ve already followed them out.

  Then she heard gunshots followed by a loud groan and the thump of something hitting the ground. Cookie took a step forward with her heart in her throat. Another round of gunfire pelted the air, and she held her breath, counting to ten. She had to do something no matter what it might cost her.

  One. Two. Three—

  “Hold your fire!” a familiar voice called just before Dylan stepped out of the back door. He scanned the area until his eyes landed on Cookie, then he opened his arms wide and said, “It’s over.”

  Cookie flew into his arms, burying her face into his neck as relief rushed through her veins, threatening to make her cry. “How did you guys know they were in there?”

  “Julie lives across the street. She saw Jimmy and his goons break in from her living room and called Rain. Then she called me, but I was already on my way over here. The moment Daisy let me know what was going on with the plan to hide you I jumped in my truck and headed this way,” he said.

  “Why did Julie call Rain? Did she know I was here?”

  He let out a low humorless chuckle and hugged her tightly. “Cookie, the entire town knew you were here. Apparently, June Loon accidentally mentioned it on the police radio. I’m sure that’s how both Hank and Jimmy found you.”

  June Loon. Anger began to bubble in Cookie. That woman was going to be the death of her yet. But… Cookie craned her head to look inside the basement.

  Cade was inside talking to none other than Loon herself. Hank’s slimed goon was dripping in neon green with his hands cuffed. The other two hired thugs who’d shown up with Jimmy were restrained too, and Jimmy and Hank were both lying in pools of their own blood. Dead.

  Cookie stared dispassionately at the two men lying on the concrete floor. She’d seen her share of death on the job before, and while she wasn’t immune to it yet, she’d come to accept it as part of the job. These two deaths, though… They chilled her to the bone, because with Jimmy gone… She swallowed hard. Had they just painted a bigger target on her back?

  “Who killed them?” she asked Dylan.

  He turned her head so that she was looking at him. “DeMasi killed Hank. I got DeMasi.”

  She closed her eyes and gave her head a tiny shake as tears of despair and guilt burned in her eyes. This was not how it was supposed to go. How could she have gotten the man she loved in just as much hot water as she was? She forced herself to say, “Now the DeMasis will be after you, too.”

  “Better that than you at the bottom of the ocean,” he said, his eyes never leaving hers. “Whatever happens after this, Cookie James, you’re stuck with me. I’m never leaving your side.”

  “Cookie! Thank the heavens you’re alive!” Rain ran up to them, her red hair in two high ponytails on either side of her head. She was wearing short shorts and a cropped T-shirt. But Cookie ignored it all when Rain’s arms opened wide and she embraced Dylan and Cookie with everything she had. “You solved the case and managed to get me sprung from the clink. You’re amazing.”

  “Mom?” Cookie shrugged off Dylan and her mother so she could turn to Rain and get a good look at her. “What are you wearing?”

  Rain let out an exasperated sigh. “Cari was supposed to be the crazy superhero, but she stole my outfit. Hale and I were—you know—" She winked at Cookie, sparing her the details of her bedroom antics for once. “And Cari took advantage of the distraction.”

  Cookie chuckled, because the latex catsuit Cari was wearing was more Rain’s style.

  “What now, Cookie?” her mother asked, searching her eyes. “Do we still need to leave the island?”

  The Pussycat Posse broke out into protests behind her, and Cookie just shook her head. “I don’t know. We need to wait for Hunter to get here.”

  “Hunter.” Rain sighed. “He’s my hero. I know he’s the one who made Loon release me. I guess he isn’t so bad.”

  “No, he isn’t,” Cookie agreed. She poked her head into the house. “June?”

  “Oh, Cookie. There you are,” the deputy sheriff said. “We need a statement.”

  Cookie shook her head. “No. I’m going to wait and give it to Hunter. The FBI has jurisdiction on this one.” Then without waiting for a reply, she grabbed her mother’s hand and said, “Let’s go home.”

  Cookie and the Posse started to move around the house, but Dylan stopped her. “I’m staying to make sure the evidence isn’t contaminated. I’ll wait until Hunter gets here, and we’ll meet you back at the inn.”

  Cookie knew she should wait with him, but the events of the last few days were weighing too heavily on her, so she just nodded. “Thank you. We’ll be there.”

  Dylan bent his head and gave her a soft kiss on the lips. “You better.”

  She pressed a hand to his cheek. “I’m never going anywhere without you, Dylan. I’m stuck with you, remember?”

  He gave her a whisper of a smile. “That’s right. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

  Chapter 29

  “It’s over,” Hunter said. He was sitting on the couch at the inn, drinking a cup of coffee. “With Jimmy dead and his two goons spilling everything they know about the DeMasi crime family, the entire organization is going down for a multitude of crimes, including the murder of Volkov’s nineteen-year-old neice. That’s who was on the barge that day when it blew up. Jared tried to call, but you didn’t pick up.”

  “I tried, but I was a little busy,” Cookie said, recalling her phone smashing to the ground before she could answer his call.

  “It’s just the icing on the cake when it comes to DeMasi’s sins.” He let out
a self-satisfied chuckle. “The judge ordered search warrants for twenty individuals connected to the DeMasis. The only ones who won’t go to jail are the ones who cooperate.”

  Cookie paced the living room area. “That doesn’t mean they won’t come after me again.”

  “Of course it does,” Hunter said with a frown. “Jimmy was always the one wanting revenge because with his father in prison, the organization was all on him. He hated the pressure and was looking for someone to blame. Don’t worry, Cookie. DeMasi himself won’t ever see daylight again. You know that.”

  She did. DeMasi senior was a seventy-two-year-old man. He’d never make parole. And Jimmy… he was gone. Truly gone.

  And for the first time in over two years, Cookie finally felt like she could breathe without that fear that everything might still fall apart. She took a deep breath to test it. Her lungs filled with the salty, and now safe, air of Secret Seal Isle, and suddenly she felt freer than she could ever remember being. “Whoa. I think you might be right, Hunter.”

  “Might?” He chuckled. “We both know I am. It’s time for you to put the DeMasis and the FBI behind you, Charlie. Your life here suits you better.”

  Hunter rose from the couch just as Cade and Scarlett walked in hand-in-hand. Scarlett was grinning like a fool, and Cade had a dreamy look in his eyes.

  “Cookie!” Scarlett glanced at her with a lovestruck expression. “Cade’s decided he’s going to stay, and since he doesn’t want to impose on Dylan, he needs to book a room.”

  “Sure,” Cookie said, sliding behind the reservation counter to return to business as usual. “For how long?”

  “Indefinitely,” Cade said, grinning at Scarlett.

  Hunter cleared his throat. “Hello, Scarlett.”

  Cookie’s best friend glanced over at him and just smiled. Any unfinished business between the two was apparently long gone. “Hey, Hunter. Get the case all wrapped up?”

  “Pretty much.” He nodded to Cade. “Thanks for your help, man.”

  Cade shrugged. “I didn’t do much.”

  “You were there to help Dylan get Charlie out of that mess.” Hunter held out his hand. “I appreciate you both for keeping her out of the line of fire.”