“Okay, but you know how easily I get talked into things.”
I must get it from her. “I’ll see you at home. There’s a casserole thawing on the counter.” Because of my tendency to cook casseroles when stressed, I always had a supply in the freezer for busy days. I hurried to my car before she could ask something else of me.
Behind the wheel of the Prius, I glanced up to see Mr. Smithfield still watching through the bank window. He raised a hand in a wave and turned. Strange behavior, but maybe he made a habit of staring outside to observe the weather. But, he had seemed overly interested in me and Mom.
My cell phone rang as I pulled into my garage. I glanced at the caller id and cringed. “Hey, Angela.”
“Did you confront Wayne about breaking up with me?” Her screeching threatened to burst my eardrums and reach heaven.
“No, not exactly.”
“Define not exactly.”
“I just wanted to see whether he really was dating Cheryl. He said he wasn’t and couldn’t stand the woman.”
“Oh, okay, then. I gotta go. Wayne said to mind your own business.” Click.
Well, at least they were talking to each other. Grabbing my purse, I slid from the car and made my way to my office. The email I’d received the other day still sat in the printer. Yesterday, being Sunday, I hadn’t received one. My stalker must take the Sabbath off from harassing me.
I sat and stared at my screen, afraid to turn on my laptop. The phone rang, startling me. I grabbed my cell. “Hello?”
“It’s your agent, Elizabeth, in case you’ve forgotten.”
I wracked my brain trying to remember what I had actually forgotten. “I got nothing.”
“Who is Cheryl Isaacson and why is she sending me emails about a book release party?”
I sighed. “She’s a fan. I’m so sorry. I had no idea she would be contacting you.”
“She’s wanting me to negotiate fifty free books to go to her so she can promote you. Is she insane?”
“Maybe a little.” I leaned back in my chair. “What did you say to her?”
“I didn’t make her happy, that’s for sure, and I told her the book wasn’t scheduled for release until this time next year. She asked me to put a rush on it. It isn’t written yet, is it?”
I closed my eyes. “No.”
“Oh, and one more thing.” Elizabeth took a deep breath. “Why am I getting emails from an unknown source threatening me if you don’t finish this book quickly?”
“What?” I straightened. “You’re getting them too?” Matt was going to blow a gasket.
“Have you been getting them?”
“It’s just a crazy fan. Nothing to worry about, I’m sure.” I turned on my laptop. “I have the police investigating. They haven’t found anything to concern me yet.”
“Be careful, Stormi. You can’t take these things lightly.”
“You be careful, too. I’ll keep you posted. Bye.” We hung up and I clicked the tab for my emails.
I had two from my mysterious non-friend. Rather than opening them, I dialed Matt’s number. After explaining to him about the new emails and my agent receiving one, I headed to the kitchen to fix sandwiches. He was always easier to talk with about things like stalkers and killers on a full stomach.
The doorbell rang ten minutes later. I took a deep breath and let Matt in. “Are you hungry?” I handed him a plate with a ham and grilled cheese and baked potato chips.
“Stormi, what am I going to do with you?” He took the plate.
I shrugged.
“After I take a look at the emails, we need to talk about you harassing Wayne at work on behalf of your sister.”
Good grief.
7
After a thorough lecture from Matt, then some rather steamy kisses that left me confident in our relationship and a bit dizzy, I slid a casserole of spaghetti noodles, spicy sauce and cheese into the oven to heat through. While that warmed, I grabbed a tall glass of iced diet cola, called to Sadie to join me, and headed out for some alone time on the back porch.
I stared toward the hedge separating me from my new neighbors to my left. All houses were occupied now in Oak Meadow Estates except for Ms Henley’s. Unless Rusty, her son, decided to return, the house could very well sit empty for as long as Ms. Henley had to remain in jail, which could very well be for the rest of her life.
The buzzing of a saw assaulted my ears. Sadie bolted toward the sound, barking with everything in her. I sighed and unfolded myself from the lawn chair I’d just sat on before following her.
“Stop it, you silly thing.” I grabbed her collar and pulled her back. The sawing stopped.
“Hey!”
I glanced up to see a set of dark eyes peering over the hedge to my left. “Hey, yourself.”
“I’m Tony Salazar, your new neighbor. My wife’s name is Becky. You must be the author we’ve been warned about.”
“That would be me.” I glanced toward my drink and chair, not wanting to be rude, but craving a few moments to myself before my family barged in.
“Is it true the vacant house across the road belonged to a murderer?”
“It’s true.”
“I read your book. It was good, but geared more toward women, don’t you think?”
“They are my target audience, but thank you.”
“Well, it was nice meeting you. We’ll have to do it face-to-face someday.” He laughed.
“Yes, we will.” I started to turn, then stopped. “You wouldn’t be interested in joining the Neighborhood Watch program, would you? I’m the leader and could really use some help.”
“Sure. How many people have joined?”
“Just me, my mother, and you. For now.” I still couldn’t understand why the community wouldn’t rally together to keep the streets safe.
“All righty then.”
“I’m holding another meeting … tonight. My house at seven. See you there.” I shook my head at desperation to find help and headed for my drink. Sadie pulled from my grasp and bounded toward the porch as Dakota stepped outside. Sadie’s tail sideswiped my glass, knocking it to the ground and spilling my soda. I sighed and picked up the glass.
While my dog and nephew raced around the yard like a couple of mad animals, I headed inside to check on dinner. Angela sat at the table, a stack of mail in front of her. “I don’t understand why it’s taking so long,” she said.
“What?”
“I sent in a submission to sell beauty products. You know, kind of like Mary Kay or Avon? Except better. Much better.”
“Do you have time while working at the station?” I opened the oven and peered inside. The cheese was brown and toasty. I turned off the oven and set the casserole on top of the stove before sliding in a pan of garlic bread. One thing or another had kept me from obtaining the word count I’d wanted to reach on my manuscript.
“I need to make more money so I can get a place of my own for me and the kids.”
“I have plenty of room, Angela.” While I still had moments where I craved solitude, I realized how lonely living alone had been.
“I know, but I hate living off your charity.” Her shoulders slumped. “Plus, I can’t bring a man back here.”
“I thought you chose a more … chaste lifestyle after having your kids.” Eew. I shuddered just thinking about my sister doing the sheet tango in my house.
“I did. I’m not talking about that.” She glared. “What if I just want to hang out and watch a movie? Mom will pop in every two seconds asking if we want something. Don’t forget how she was when we were teenagers. I doubt she’s changed much.”
“True.” I bit the inside of my lip. “What if we fix up the basement into a private apartment for you? The kids could still sleep where they are and you can pay rent.” I grinned. “That ought to help you feel more self-sufficient.” And help me re-coop some of the cost of the renovations.
“I’d rather the apartment be fixed up for me.” Mom marched into the kitchen.
>
“How long were you standing there?” Angela clasped a hand to her chest.
“Long enough to know you’re up to no good.” She tossed her purse on the counter and reached into the cabinet for plates. “I would enjoy having my own place, especially now that I’m a business owner. This place has a tendency to get noisy.”
Seriously? That was my main complaint, but writing with a house full of people was doable when the teenagers were always gone and the adults off working.
“Plus, I have a date on Friday night. What if it becomes something more and I want a little privacy of my own? And before your minds go to the gutter, remember I’m a Godly woman.” She gave us both the ‘Mom Look’ before setting a plate at each seat.
“Well, if Mom wants the basement, I get the top floor.” Angela gave a decisive nod.
“I’m not giving up my master bedroom.” Was she nuts? “If you want an entire floor, then clean the attic. It’s got a small bathroom, a bedroom, and a sitting area. All it needs is a little updating.”
“Then I get Mom’s room.” Cherokee plopped into her seat. “It’s bigger than the one I’m in.”
“For heaven’s sake.” Mom set the casserole on pot holders in the center of the table. “You girls sure know how to make a ruckus.”
“Wait a minute.” In all the bedroom moving and house renovation comments, I’d almost skipped over one very important bit of news. “You have a date?”
“Why do you look so shocked?” She thrust open the back door. “Dakota, it’s time to eat!”
“Well, it’s … you haven’t seemed to have much interest the last few years.” I set out eating utensils and slid the slices of bread into a bowl.
“Maybe I didn’t feel it was the right time.”
“Who’s your date, Grandma?” Cherokee asked.
“Robert Smithfield. He’s a banker.”
I frowned. If I had a suspect list, which I didn’t yet, he would be on it. No trustworthy man stared through a window at two women, unless … oh, he’d been looking at Mom. Fine, I’d scratch him from my soon-to-be suspect list. “Be careful. We need to eat and get things cleaned up. I’m having a meeting of the Neighborhood Watch tonight. The new neighbors actually joined.” I smiled at Mom. “That means, you and I only have to patrol every other night.”
“I don’t mind. It gives me my exercise.”
I agreed. I’d still head out each evening to walk Sadie, but it was nice knowing I didn’t have to if I felt like taking a night off.
We gathered around the table, I said the blessing, and we dug in. I loved the simple dish of baked spaghetti with slices of chicken smothered in cheese. Paired with homemade garlic bread, it was one of my favorite meals.
After eating, everyone scattered, leaving the clean up to me and Mom, as usual. “Are you sure you don’t mind going to the basement?” I asked.
“Absolutely not. I’ll love having my independence, and I can experiment with new recipes without hogging your stove. I’ll still have my suppers with all of you, unless I have a guest.” She winked.
I wanted to be happy for her. I really did, but I still had a nagging feeling at the back of my mind that Mr. Smithfield wasn’t all that he seemed. After the last run-in with a killer, I tended to be more cautious where my family was concerned.
The doorbell rang. I glanced at the clock. Our new neighbors were fifteen minutes early. “I’ll get the door. Can you whip up some kind of dessert?” I asked Mom.
“You bet.”
I hurried to let the newest watch members into the house surprised to discover they were both ‘little people’. Mark had to have been standing on something when I spoke to him over the fence. I offered my hand to shake. “I’m Stormi Nelson, please come in.”
Tony introduced his wife, a woman so cute I wanted to pick her up and hug her like a doll. Curly black hair, dancing eyes, I could tell we were going to be friends.
“Sorry if the saw bothered you earlier,” Tony said, following me to the living room. “We’re modifying the house to fit our stature.”
“No problem at all.” I motioned for them to sit on the sofa. “I apologize for my dog.” Speaking of whom dashed into the room and immediately slathered the faces at her tongue level. “Sadie, down!” My face heated.
Becky giggled. “It’s all right. I love dogs and this one is a beauty. Irish Wolfhound, right?”
“That’s what I’ve been told.”
Becky peeled back Sadie’s lips. “She’s about a year old. Beautiful.” At my questioning look, she added, “I’m a veterinarian.”
“It could come in handy having you next door. This big goof gets into all kinds of trouble.” I snapped my fingers and motioned Sadie to sit at my feet. She did, but kept her big eyes on the newcomers. Silly dog. If I were to get conked on the head as my predecessor did, Sadie would be more than happy to join the little people family. They could ride her whenever they needed to go somewhere.
“So.” Tony rubbed his hands together. “What do we do in this watch program?”
“Mom and I have been patrolling the two streets that comprise Oak Meadow Estates ourselves every night, but if we can switch off, that would be wonderful.” I shook my head to indicate to my surprised mother not to say anything that would embarrass me in front of our guests. I knew how she could blurt out something without thinking first.
“I’m Anne Nelson.” Mom set a tray of petit fours on the coffee table. “I made these the right size, it appears.”
I palmed my head and closed my eyes. There was no hope for her.
“These are perfect,” Becky giggled. “And you are hysterical.”
“Why, thank you.” Mom sat in a winged chair that matched the one I sat on. “Aren’t you afraid to patrol the streets at your size?”
Tony’s smile faded. “I carry pepper spray. I’m actually quite strong, Mrs. Nelson. Don’t let my size fool you.”
“I don’t mean any disrespect, but I wouldn’t want to go out at night alone and I’m twice as tall as you.”
“You’re also twenty years older,” he replied, reaching for a dessert.
“Touché.” Mom laughed. “I like you. I can tell right off about a person. It’s a gift. We’re going to get along just fine.”
“All we do is walk the streets and take a close look at everything. If you see anything suspicious, then alert the police. Also, the neighbors may alert you to concerns of their own. If they do, just make a note of them and let me know. It’s that simple. I usually carry a clipboard with me, but you don’t have to.” I gave Mom a stern look to tell her to keep her mouth shut about my finding a dead body on my first night.
What were the chances history would repeat itself?
8
The Salazars had wanted to do patrol their first night and left a note on my front door the next morning that all was quiet. I smiled, putting on my walking shoes. Come summer, they’d change their tune quick enough when every lawn had a neighbor putting around in it.
Speaking of lawns. Mine had suffered terribly since Rusty left shortly before his mother’s arrest. I needed to think seriously about hiring a landscaper before neighbors complained. “Let’s go for a walk, Sadie.” I clicked the leash on her collar and waited for Mom to join me.
She didn’t always accompany me on patrol, but since the fiasco a few months ago, and Matt’s and Koontz’s warnings about not going anywhere alone, she tried to come with me at every possible opportunity, and she always dressed in black, just in case we needed to hide. Tonight was no exception.
Mom skipped up to me in black sweats, a black beanie pulled low over her hair. “I’m ready.” She shook her head at my bubblegum pink sweat pants and grey sweatshirt. “You’ll never blend in, will you?” She headed past me and out the door.
Sighing, I followed. “The chances of us stumbling across another dead body are slim.”
“True, but if your stalker is watching,” Her gaze swept over me. “You stick out like cotton candy.”
&nbs
p; I stepped off the porch and marched down the sidewalk, tossing a wave toward the Salazars. I wondered if they knew about the Edgarses and how many bullets had punctured their wall. It wasn’t up to me to divulge that information. Nor was it up to me to let them know the prior tenants had been in the Witness Protection Program and had to move because they got involved with me. They seemed like nice people, why scare them off?
“Good evening!” Mom called to Mrs. Olson, who stopped her husband from pulling weeds and ushered him into the house.
“Why do you tease her like that?” I asked. “You know how she is about her husband.” I still couldn’t understand why the woman thought everyone was after him, but love is blind, or so they say.
“That’s what makes it so much fun.” She pulled a small penlight out of her beanie and shined it in the bushes.
“Sadie will bark if anyone is sneaking around.”
“That dog barks when she shouldn’t and hides when she should bark. I can’t rely on her for protection.”
“Hush, she’ll hear you.” I covered Sadie’s ears. “This girl would take a bullet for me if the need arose.” Sure, she was a big scaredy-cat, but if it came down to danger aimed at me, she’d do the right thing. I hoped.
I shivered against the chilly autumn breeze and increased my pace. Mom could peer under every rock and twig if she wanted to, but this girl wanted to get home where it was warm. I needed to see if I had any more disturbing emails. Checking for them had become almost obsessive.
We turned the corner. I froze. Ahead, dressed in a trench coat and spy hat was the same figure I’d seen while cleaning Mom’s store. I couldn’t make out any distinguishing facial features in the dark, but I had little doubt now that this person wasn’t following me.
“What is it?” Mom shined her flashlight in that direction. The person darted away.
“I think my stalker is following us.”
“Really?” She spun, her light illuminating house windows and lamp posts. Porch lights flickered on as she disturbed folks settling down in their evening routines.
I grabbed her elbow and tugged her after me. “Turn that off before we get yelled at.”
Nosy Neighbor: All 7 complete Nosy Neighbor cozy mysteries PLUS: 2 short Christmas stories (A Nosy Neighbor mystery) Page 20
