Nosy Neighbor: All 7 complete Nosy Neighbor cozy mysteries PLUS: 2 short Christmas stories (A Nosy Neighbor mystery)

by Cynthia Hickey

  14

  Matt spent the night in a sleeping bag on the floor next to Dakota.

  The next morning, my red hair disguised under one of my nephew’s beanies, and wearing sweats, I rode with Matt to the park. We pulled into a parking slot and stared through the trees and empty benches. Not many people seemed to want to visit the park with sleet drizzling from the sky. I shivered and opened my door. “Wish me luck.”

  He grabbed my arm and pulled me close for a kiss. After leaving me dizzy, he said, “Good luck. There’s Koontz. We’ll be watching you.”

  I waved at Ryan, who had pulled alongside Matt’s car, and took a deep breath of the freezing air. It was now or never. The closing of the car door sounded abnormally loud in the frigid morning. Hunched over against the cold, I headed for the center of the park.

  The large fountain, turned off for the winter, took up precedence. Stone benches surrounded the impressive decorative feature. There was no sight of Norma.

  I took a seat on one of the benches and glanced at my watch. Ten minutes after nine. I looked over my shoulder toward the parking lot, now hidden by a stand of fir trees. I didn’t need to see Matt to know he was there. He would never leave me alone.

  A black man in baggy jeans and tee shirt, a hat pulled low over his eyes, strolled past the bench. He didn’t look my way, but I knew he’d seen me. The hair on the back of my neck prickled. I directed my gaze to the other side of the fountain. Two young men lounged against trees. I needed to go. Norma wasn’t coming, and I was being watched by more than Matt and Koontz.

  My cell phone beeped, signaling a text. I checked it. Norma had told me the meeting was compromised. I shoved my phone into my pocket and sprinted toward the parking lot.

  “Get down!” Matt stepped from the trees, his gun drawn.

  I’d no sooner hit the ground than gunfire exploded around me.

  Koontz joined Matt, both taking refuge behind the fountain. I army crawled to the safety of the trees and watched in stunned horror as gang members fell. Where was the man I had seen first? I dashed for Matt’s car, thankful he had left it unlocked, then locked myself inside. Please, God, don’t let him be killed.

  I scooted onto the floorboard and peered over the dashboard, ready to race back to Matt’s side as soon as the shooting stopped. While I hid, three other cop cars, sirens screaming, sped into the parking lot.

  One glanced through the window. “Stay there, ma’am.” He sprinted away.

  The shooting seemed to go on forever. When it did stop, I eased open the car door. Still not hearing any gunshots, I headed back in the direction of the fountain as an ambulance parked behind Matt’s car.

  I stepped into the aftermath of a war zone. While Matt and Ryan seemed to be unscathed, three young boys lay in pools of blood on the sidewalk. I recognized one of them as Jamal and rushed to his side, sidestepping Matt’s outstretched arm.

  I knelt beside the boy, and sighed. “What were you thinking?”

  “This is part of the job.” A smear of blood appeared in the corner of his mouth. “You shouldn’t be here, Miss Stormi. You’ll get me killed.”

  “He’s right.” Matt took me by the arm and pulled me to my feet. “You can speak to him later. Right now, these boys needs medical attention.” He was all business, directing the other officers, keeping back the spectators that seemed to have appeared from nowhere, and ignoring me.

  Happy he wasn’t harmed, I was more than glad to wait in the car. I closed the door against the cold and did my best not to fidget. The man I had seen pass me while I waited for Norma, stared at me from the other side of Ryan’s car. Although I’d never seen the man, instinct told me I looked into the shark eyes of Stinger. His look wasn’t friendly.

  When Matt appeared through the trees, Stinger melted out of sight, taking refuge in a thick stand of pine. I ran to Matt’s side and threw my arms around him. Closing my eyes, I rested my face against his chest. “I think I just saw Stinger.”

  “What?” He held me at arm’s length.

  “He was watching me from over there and disappeared when you showed up. He’s creepy.”

  “Wait in the car.” Weapon in hand, Matt sprinted away.

  I waited another fifteen minutes. When Matt returned, I threw myself back into his arms, not ever wanting to let go. “You’re really okay.”

  He leaned his chin on the top of my head. “I’m fine. It was a setup.”

  “Not by Norma. She sent me a text warning me to stay away. It came through late.” I didn’t want to ever let him go.

  “I need to talk to your friend, Jamal. Let’s head to the hospital.”

  “Can I see him, please?” I gave him my most imploring look. “I’ve been trying to befriend him for weeks, and he has been the one warning me to stay away.”

  “After I’ve questioned him, you can have five minutes.” He tapped his finger on my nose. “No more.”

  I nodded. I didn’t know why the young man mattered so much to me. Maybe it was because he was close in age to Dakota, and the thought of Dakota living such a dangerous lifestyle made me nauseous. If I could save one boy from the gang life, I’d feel as if I’d accomplished something priceless.

  Writing books was fulfilling, and people had commented on how much the books helped them forget the bad in their own lives, and while that was pretty awesome, it wasn’t saving a life. I wouldn’t give up on Jamal just yet.

  Another ambulance joined the first and I watched as the three boys were loaded into the backs. Another ten minutes, and Matt joined me in the car. We roared down the road toward the hospital.

  “Are you sure you’re all right?” I asked Matt.

  A muscle ticked in is right jaw. “I had gunfights with kids. It’s so senseless.” He reached over and grabbed my hand. “But, yes, I’m uninjured. I’m sorry you had to witness that part of my job.”

  It did help me understand how he felt when I was in harm’s way. I vowed to try my best to stay out of dangerous situations. Hopefully, the situations would find a way to leave me alone.

  We pulled into the Emergency Room parking lot. Matt rushed me inside, his hand on the small of my back, and then gestured me toward the vinyl padded chairs. I chose one well away from the window. Matt followed the paramedics through a set of swinging doors.

  I had my gun and tazer in my purse, but I was a bad shot and the tazer wouldn’t do me any good unless an assailant got close. I never wanted to be close to Stinger again. I shuddered. I’d heard and written about lifeless eyes, but until then had never witnessed it personally. The man was evil and needed to be put away.

  I texted Norma, asking her what happened and for her to contact me. I wouldn’t rest easy until I knew whether she was okay.

  How had our meeting been compromised? Unless someone knew of our phone conversation, there was no way of knowing about the planned meeting. Someone was watching Norma, and were way too close for comfort.

  My phone dinged with an unknown number. It was Norma. She’d changed phones and told me to meet her in the hospital ladies’ room. Glancing around to make sure Matt didn’t need me, I followed the signs and pushed open the door.

  Norma, looking more like a bag lady than her usual gorgeous self, grabbed me in a hug. “I heard about the shooting. Didn’t you get my message?”

  “Not in time.” I returned her hug. “What happened?”

  “I don’t know. There were rumors about the gang meeting at the park, and I knew it wouldn’t be safe for us there. Sormi, they’re gunning for you.”

  “I figured that out for myself. Why? I don’t know anything. Not really.” I leaned against the sink. “Do you know where Ivy’s mother lives?”

  “In your neighborhood, on the street behind you. It’s a yellow house with green shutters.”

  I knew the one. I’d passed it many times on my neighborhood patrol. “You need to take Tyler to the police and ask for protection. Have them get you out of here until things die down.”

  “I will. I’m meet
ing Tyler at the station in thirty minutes.” She hugged me again. “Be careful.” With those words, she left me.

  I stepped out to the sight of Matt pacing the hall. “Where were you?”

  “Meeting with Norma in the restroom. She’s on the way to the police station to ask for protection.”

  He nodded. “Jamal will see you. We’re putting him into protective custody as soon as the doctor’s are finished. He’ll be fine. The bullet just grazed him. He’s a brave young man.”

  Grinning, I followed Matt to the boy’s room. “Jamal.”

  “You don’t listen very well, do you, Miss Stormi?” He smiled.

  “No, I don’t.”

  “I’ve told the cops all I know in exchange for getting me and my mom out of here. I’ve been undercover for months now. It’s time for me to go. You need to leave, too.”

  “This is my home.” I slipped my hand into his. “Who is Stinger?”

  Matt hugged me from behind.

  “No one knows. All I do know is that he’s closer than you think. Word on the street is that he’s on the cop payroll.”

  I glanced at Matt. His face seemed set in stone. “Norma is on her way there.”

  “We’ve got to go.” He pulled me away from the bed.

  “Take care, Jamal. I’ll be praying for you.”

  Matt phoned Ryan and told him what Jamal had said. Taking my hand in his, we raced to his car. I prayed we wouldn’t be too late.

  “What did he mean on the payroll?” I asked, clicking my seatbelt into place. “Stinger is a cop?”

  “We have a new guy on the force. Started six months ago. Drives a fancy car and wears expensive clothes. I should have known.” He pounded the steering wheel. “Contact Norma and tell her to talk to no one but Koontz. He’ll meet her next door at the diner.”

  I texted Norma while Matt called his partner. With my heart in my throat, we sped downtown in time to see Norma and Tyler entering the diner. Minutes later, Ryan escorted them out and put them in his car.

  “Where is he taking them?” I wiped the fog from our breathing off the window in order to see better.

  “To a safe house.”

  Koontz opened the two passenger side doors, and helped Norma and Tyler inside, before heading around to the driver’s side. A shot rang out. He spun and fell.

  Norma climbed over the seat and opened the driver’s side door. Seconds later, she straightened and started the car.

  Matt thrust open his door, gun in hand.

  Norma gunned the car and pealed rubber out of the parking lot.

  Matt dropped to his knees beside his partner and fired a shot between the two buildings. By now, officers swarmed the parking lot.

  The radio in Matt’s car crackled. I picked it up and pressed the bottom. After all, I’d seen it done on television. “Officer down. Shots fired. Send ambulance to the police department.”

  I replaced the radio in its holder and burst into tears.

  15

  For the second time that day, Matt and I were at the hospital, this time because of a dear friend. While I didn’t fault Norma for taking advantage of Ryan’s car, I’m not sure I could have driven off and let him lying there.

  My heart ached for my friend lying on the operating table. I folded my arms across my stomach and rocked.

  “Here. I thought you might like some coffee.” Matt handed me a Styrofoam cup and sat in the seat beside me.

  “Did the doctor say how long the surgery would last?” I breathed deep of the full-roasted aroma. My nerves already twanged so sharply, I wasn’t sure coffee was a good idea. But it gave my hands something to do.

  “A couple of hours.”

  A police officer stormed through the hospital doors and made a beeline toward us. My eyes traveled from his muddy shoes to his crisp uniform. “I’m Officer Reed,” he said. “I’ve been assigned to guard the room of Ryan Koontz.”

  Matt shook his hand. “You’re the new officer.”

  Reed nodded, his sharp dark-eyed gaze landing on me. “You must be the nosy woman we’ve all heard about.”

  “That would be me,” I muttered. “But not by choice.”

  “Where did you transfer from?” Matt asked.

  “Little Rock. I know Koontz from way back.” He sat on the chair next to Matt.

  I must have fallen asleep, because the next thing I knew, I woke with my head on Matt’s shoulder and the doctor standing in front of us.

  “Officer Koontz made it out of surgery just fine,” the doctor said. “You’ll be able to see him soon. The bullet passed through his ribcage, missing his heart. We dug out some bone fragments, but no major organs were damaged.”

  Praise God. My tears started anew.

  Matt wrapped his arms around me, rubbing my back. “Thank you, doctor. Let us know when we can go back to see him.”

  “I’ll send a nurse for you.” The doctor gave us a nod, and headed down the hall, his soft-soled shoes squeaking with every other step.

  “I want you wearing your bullet-proof vest every day,” I told Matt, entwining my fingers with his. “You can even sleep in it.” I couldn’t get the picture of Ryan’s body, bleeding, on the asphalt. If that had been Matt, I didn’t know what I would have done.

  “What about you? It could just as easily have been you standing next to Koontz.” He lifted our hands and kissed the back of mine.

  It was more imperative than ever that we find Daisy’s killer and stop the gang from ruining our town. A year ago, stories of gang activity were only heard on the news and took place far away. Now, the danger was literally roaming our once peaceful streets.

  My stomach growled loud enough to send Matt to the vending machine for a bag of chips and a soda for each of us. Reed declined, saying he had eaten right before hearing of Ryan’s shooting.

  A red flush showed under the man’s dark skin, and he looked as if he was gritting his teeth. Anger showed in every line of his body. He and Ryan must have been very close. I knew Matt was upset, after all he was Ryan’s partner, but Reed looked ready to explode. His demeanor scared me, to be honest. Not to mention that he looked familiar. I shrugged, not wanting to waste time on trying to figure out where I might have seen him before. Oak Meadows wasn’t that big. We’d probably crossed paths at the grocery store or coffee shop.

  By the time I’d finished my “lunch”, the nurse arrived to take the three of us back to Ryan’s room. Reed waited outside the door while Matt and I entered.

  Ryan was groggy from drugs, but awake. “Hey.”

  “How are you?” Matt put a hand on his partner’s arm. “You gave us quite a scare.”

  “The bullet wasn’t intended for me. I think the target was Norma.”

  “We have Officer Reed on guard outside the door, just in case you were the target,” Matt sat in a chair next to the bed, motioning for me to sit in the one on the other side.

  I planted a soft kiss on Ryan’s cheek before sitting.

  “Close the door. There is something I need to tell you.”

  As Matt moved to close the door, Reed entered. “The nurse said time is up.” He glanced unsmiling at Ryan. “You’ll need to come back during normal visiting hours tomorrow.”

  “Not if it’s part of the investigation.” Matt squared his shoulders. “But we’ll go. You get some rest, partner.” He patted Ryan’s shoulder, glared at Reed, and led the way out of the room.

  “What’s wrong?” I had to almost jog to keep up with Matt’s rushed pace.

  “I don’t like the way Reed muscled his way in. He knows very well that I can visit anytime I want as part of the investigation.”

  “Then why did you let him make you leave?”

  “Koontz could barely keep his eyes open. I’ll come back tomorrow.”

  “Are we headed back to the cabin?”

  “Yes. I want to use your laptop.”

  We hurried to his car and within minutes were speeding up the mountain. Something about Reed had set Matt off. While he usually had
a lead foot, he rarely exceeded the speed limit more than eight miles over the limit.

  “Slow down. This road is too curvy to go so fast.” I gripped the strap over the door as if my life depended on it.

  “Sorry.” He slowed down.

  “What’s on your mind?”

  “I can’t talk about it yet. I need to do some research.”

  We drove the rest of the way in silence. When we pulled in front of the cabin, the family raced out to meet us.

  “Mom said Mr. Koontz had been shot,” Dakota said, the moment we stepped from the car. “Is he dead?”

  “He’s alive.” Matt put his arm around my nephew. “Get in the house.”

  Cherokee, her eyes wide, stood on the porch. “We’re supposed to go back to school on Monday. We can’t go home. Not if people are shooting people.”

  I agreed that I didn’t want my family in Oak Meadows. “Maybe your mother can excuse you for a family emergency.”

  “Why is Mom still working?” Tears shimmered in her eyes. “She’s right in the middle of things.”

  “The police station is the safest place right now,” Matt said, ushering us into the cabin.

  “Really?” Cherokee crossed her arms. “Wasn’t Mr. Koontz shot right in front of the police station?”

  “The girl has a point,” Greta said. “I hope that big teddy bear of a man is going to be okay.”

  “He’ll be fine.” Matt turned to me. “Stormi, may I borrow your laptop.”

  I rushed to get it from my bedroom and handed it to him. He sat at the kitchen table and typed away on the keyboard.

  “The new officer in town is guarding Ryan’s room,” I said. “In case he was targeted. Norma got away in Ryan’s car.” I plopped onto a chair and buried my head in my hands. “This is all so confusing and dangerous. I’m going to head home. The rest of you can stay here. The gang wants me, not the rest of you.”

  “Absolutely not.” Matt peered at me over the top of the laptop.

  “You and Greta can come with me.” Although, I hated involving either of them. “It’s only a matter of time until those chasing me follow us here. We’re too secluded here.”