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

by Cynthia Hickey

  I drove us to a small suburb on the south side of town and drove slowly until I found the address Dakota had given me. No vehicle sat parked in front of the 1980s style house or in the carport. All curtains were drawn on the windows.

  “It doesn’t look as if anyone is home,” Maryann said.

  “No, it doesn’t. I’ll go ring the doorbell, just in case.” I opened my door and marched to the front door. I rang the doorbell and waited. Nothing. Cupping my hands around my eyes, I tried peering through the front curtains.

  “She ain’t home.”

  I turned to see a woman in a floral housedress come around the corner of the house next door. She carried a garden hose.

  “Do you know when she’ll be home?” I asked.

  “She don’t give me her schedule.” The woman glared, hooking the hose to the faucet and turning on the water. “She works over at the diner on 64. Maybe you should ask her yourself, iffen you’re brave enough to step foot into that place.”

  “Thank you.” I hurried back to the car before the woman could turn the hose on me. “Do you know of a diner on 64?” I asked Maryann as soon as I returned to the safety of the car.

  “Yeah, it’s a real dive. More like a biker bar than a diner. It’s called Steak and Leather.”

  “Well, put on your leather and studs. We’re going to a biker bar.”

  She groaned. “I’ve heard there’s a shooting or stabbing there at least once a week.”

  “I doubt it happens on a Friday afternoon.” At least, I hoped not. I headed the car toward our new destination, again praying for our safety. God must have a huge storage container to hold all of my prayers of safety. In our skinny jeans and long-sleeved tee shirts, Maryann and I didn’t look the least like biker chicks.

  I parked across from a line of motorcycles in every color and model I’d ever heard of. A couple of men leaned against the wood shingle sided building and smoked cigarettes. I licked dry lips and waited to muster up the courage to get out of the car.

  “We can do this,” I said. “We’ve been in worse situations. I’ve heard that once a biker is your friend, then they’re the nicest people you’ll ever meet.”

  “They aren’t our friends.”

  “Let’s hope we can get them to be.” I pushed open my door and stepped onto the gravel parking lot. How did one become friends with such scary looking people?

  The two smokers watched our progression to the swinging front doors without saying a word. When we stepped into the dim recesses of the bar, all conversation stopped and all heads turned in our direction. Two women in baby blue dresses and white aprons served those sitting at scarred round tables. A long polished bar stretched the full length of one end of the building. At the opposite end, a blinking red sign showed folks where the bathrooms were.

  “You two ladies lost?” The bartender grinned, somehow making the word ‘ladies’ sound like a dirty word.

  I bellied up to the bar, or so the saying goes. “We’re looking for April Dixon.”

  “We got one April here, and she don’t go by the name of Dixon. You a cop?”

  “No, I’m an author.”

  “Hey!” A burly man with a full beard that fell halfway down his chest approached at full speed.

  I shrieked and pressed against the bar.

  Maryann ducked under a table.

  “You’re Stormi Nelson,” the man said. “I’ve read all your books. You here for research?”

  I relaxed, exhaling heavily. “Kind of.”

  “I’m Ben Haverson.” He thrust out a meaty paw. “You want to talk to April? Hey, April, get your skinny rear over here and talk to my friend.” He bent close, covering me with tobacco scented breath. “You ever need anything, Stormi Nelson, anything at all, you call on Ben. I’ll get my buddies and come to your rescue.” He thrust a business card into my hand.

  A business card? Could the day get any stranger? “Thank you.”

  He grinned and headed back to a table where he sat and pointed me out to the other three men sitting there.

  “Wow.” Maryann crawled from under the table. “You just made friends with a biker. You have all the luck.”

  “If you hadn’t have ran off like a scaredy-cat, maybe you’d be his friend, too.”

  “What do you want?” A rail-thin woman about thirty years old with Lucille Ball red hair propped a metal tray on her hip.

  “Is your father the Dixon who owns Gadgets and More?”

  Her lip curled. “I don’t acknowledge him, but for the sake of your questions, yes.”

  “Were you aware he was murdered yesterday?”

  A flicker of pain crossed her features. “What’s that got to do with me?”

  “I’m a private investigator trying to find his killer. Please, can we sit down and talk?”

  She glanced around me at the bartender. “Roy?”

  “Take all the time you need,” he said. “Sorry about your father. Use my office.”

  April nodded. “Follow me.” She set the tray on the bar and led us down a short hall to a room at the end. If not for my new friend, Ben, I’d be nervous entering the bowels of such a place.

  She sat in a chair patched with duct tape and waved us toward two mis-matched wooden chairs. Mine had one leg shorter than the others. “I’m all ears.”

  “My nephew worked for your father and never knew he had a daughter.” I tried not to let the chair wiggle. “That leads me to believe you’re estranged?”

  “I have no use for a man who will cheat on my mother, then build a business helping others catch cheating spouses. Too little, too late, in my opinion. So, after my mother’s death a few years ago, I legally changed my name to Brown.” She grinned. “Plain and simple.”

  “So you have no idea why someone would want your father dead?”

  “I’m sure a lot of people wanted him dead.” She crossed her arms. “There are people out there who don’t take kindly to folks butting into their business. You might want to check out his new little girlfriend.”

  The new barista was next on my list. “Do you know how we might be able to find out where his files are located so we can see a list of his clients?”

  She thought for a moment. “He never told me his secrets, but when I was a kid, he hid any valuables we might have under the floor. Check out his office. He’s bound to have a similar hiding place.”

  “Thank you.” I handed her one of my PI cards. “Please call me if you think of anything else that might help me, and I’m sorry for your loss.”

  She shrugged. “The world is less one more low-life. I’m more sorry for your nephew for having worked for my father.”

  “He was kind to my nephew.”

  “Maybe he changed after my mother’s death. She committed suicide, you know? Three weeks after he left her.”

  I probably wouldn’t want to speak with him again either. I missed my own father with a never-ending ache and always carried the hope with me that someday I might catch his killer. While I waited, I brought justice and closure to others.

  “Dixon had some secrets, it seems,” I said, making my way back to the main room.

  “Sounds like it. So…when do you want to break the law and enter the crime scene?” Maryann grinned.

  “Tonight. Under the cover of darkness.” I waved at Ben and headed into the afternoon sunshine.

  All I needed to figure out at that moment was how to sneak out of the house without my mother knowing. Snooping at night was one of her favorite things to do.

  I stopped short. Tonight was dinner with Mom’s new boyfriend. I’d have my entire family to dodge. I called Maryann and told her to meet me in front of her house at eleven p.m.

  7

  I wore the same pair of jeans for dinner that I’d worn that day, but did put on a pretty black blouse. I might not have time to change before meeting Maryann and needed to be in dark clothes.

  Mom’s eyes narrowed the moment I entered the kitchen. “Are you in mourning because of meeting Jerry?�
�

  “No.” Was she serious? “Don’t you like this blouse? You gave it to me for Christmas.”

  “I don’t remember giving you anything black.” She turned back to the stove. “Would you mind making the salad? All the fixings are on the island. This baked spaghetti is almost done and I need to start on the bread.”

  “I’d love to.” I cut her a sideways glance. She sure was nervous about this guy. More so than I’d ever seen her. “You must really like Jerry.”

  A slow smile spread across her face. “I do. He’s handsome, kind, and a Godly man. He’s the best, next to your father.” Her smiled faded. “I haven’t told him how I help you solve crimes, so no mention of that tonight, understand?”

  I pretended to lock my lips and throw away the key. “Does that mean you’re finished helping me?”

  “It does not. It only means that it is too early in the relationship for him to know I do dangerous things. He thinks I’m sweet and feminine.”

  I laughed. “He’ll find out that’s a lie soon enough without me saying anything.”

  The doorbell rang. Mom gasped and removed her apron, hanging it on a hook. She patted her hair. “How do I look?”

  I ran my gaze over her red dress with black paisley print. “Gorgeous. Go knock him out.”

  She grinned and hurried to answer the door, returning minutes later with a tall, fit, handsome man in his mid-fifties with salt and pepper hair. I swore he could be George Clooney’s brother.

  “It’s nice to meet you, Jerry. I’m Stormi, Mom’s youngest.” I wiped my hand on my jeans and held it out to him.

  “The pleasure is mine.” His deep voice rumbled through the room.

  Oh, I hoped this worked out for Mom. She deserved a man like this. At least if first impressions were accurate to how wonderful he was.

  “Why don’t the two of you have a seat in the living room? I can finish up here. Send Angela down to help me.” I waved them away.

  “Thank you, sweetie.” Mom linked her arm with Jerry’s. “I can’t wait for you to meet the rest of the family.”

  Seeing them together made me miss my man. I fought the urge to call him. He’d told me the first time that if I called and he was in surveillance mode, I could give him away. So, no matter how much I needed him, I refrained from calling and waited for him to call me. I sighed and tossed the cherry tomatoes I’d rinsed on top of the salad.

  “Mom said you need help.” Angela sashayed into the room wearing a dress so tight it looked painted on. I hoped my figure held up after two kids…if I ever had them. “Wayne is coming, so I can only help until he arrives.”

  “I’ll put him to work.”

  She shook her head. “Nope. I hardly ever get to spend time with him. I’m going to steal a few minutes, if I can. I’ll send Cherokee in, if I have to. That girl takes forever to get ready. A chore to do will hurry her up.”

  Or make her dawdle longer. I shrugged. It was only dinner at home, not a fancy restaurant. “I can handle dinner, then.” Salad finished, I grabbed the bread knife and sliced the fresh loaf of sourdough Mom had baked. No store bought bread in this house.

  By the time I heard feet thundering down the stairs, I had dinner complete and the dining room table set. Forget any help. I’d probably be stuck cleaning up, too. I carried the food to the table. “Time to eat!”

  “Gracious.” Mom entered the room with Jerry, her face red. “You’ll have to excuse my youngest. I guess she forgot her manners.”

  “Sorry, but the dinner bell is broken.”

  Angela sat next to Wayne whose arrival I’d missed. “She’s just mad because I couldn’t help her with dinner. You’ll find my sister is quite a pouter, Jerry.”

  “You’ll also find that sibling rivalry runs rampant in this house.” Mom narrowed her eyes at us as Jerry pulled out her chair.

  “No problem here. My two boys end up breaking something every time they come home for a visit together.” He grinned and sat next to Mom, leaving me at one end of the table.

  Dakota shrugged and took the other end where Mom usually sat and Cherokee sat next to me. “You aren’t a killer, a thief, an embezzler or a sex trafficker, are you?” Dakota asked. “Because, we’ve had enough of those.”

  “Oh, for heaven’s sake.” Mom’s face got darker.

  Wayne laughed and grabbed his water glass. “You’ll find life is never boring around this family. Don’t worry, Dakota. I checked Jerry out for you.”

  “You did?” Jerry cocked his head. “Glad to know this family has someone like you looking out for them.”

  “Wait until you meet my fiancé.” I wasn’t about to let Matt be left out. “He’s wonderful.”

  “Did Grandma tell you that we’re investigating my boss’s death?” Dakota was full of information that evening.

  “Excuse me?” Jerry glanced at Mom.

  She sighed. “Stormi isn’t only a novelist. She’s also a private investigator, and we quite often help the local police solve murders. There. I said it.”

  “Against our better judgment,” Wayne added. “But these women do have good insight.”

  “You catch killers.” Jerry tucked his tongue into his cheek.

  I got the suspicion he was trying not to laugh.

  “Anne, you are a marvel.” He grabbed her hand and kissed it. “I am a lucky man.”

  “You aren’t mad?”

  “Heck, no. I might even join you on one of your adventures.”

  Mom beamed.

  I rolled my eyes and reached for a slice of garlic bread. The last thing we needed was one more person involved and in the way.

  ~

  While the others sipped wine or other drinks of choice in the living room, I pulled a dark beanie over my red hair and slipped out the back door at five minutes to eleven. I raced down the sidewalk to see Maryann, also in black, waiting at the curb.

  “You’ll have to drive,” I said. “If I started up my car, Mom would hear, and the whole gang is over there.”

  “Right.” She dashed back into her house and returned with car keys dangling from her fingers. “If Wayne is busy at your house, we’ll be free and clear at Dixon’s place.”

  “Where’s Michael?”

  “On duty.” She grinned and slid behind the steering wheel. “It’s perfect. Now, turn your phone to vibrate in case Matt calls.”

  “You think someone will be there to hear my phone?” I clicked my seatbelt across my lap. “I seriously doubt that. We’re the only ones delinquent enough to disregard crime scene tape to enter the house.”

  “Well, someone has to do it.” She backed from the drive and sped toward Dixon’s house. “There are a couple of flashlights under the seat.”

  She parked a couple of houses down from his. “Let’s do this.”

  I studied the yellow crime scene tape fluttering in the slight breeze. “Step over or duck under. Don’t knock the tape down. I don’t want any evidence that we were here,” I told her as we approached the house. “Don’t turn on your flashlight until we’re inside.” I led her around back.

  The door was locked.

  “See if he hides a key out here.”

  “You really think a man with so much surveillance equipment would actually hide a key outside?”

  “Not really.” I glanced at a small open bathroom window and had a flashback to my first night as Neighborhood Watch president. That great idea fizzled out within a few months. No one seemed willing to give up their evenings to patrol the neighborhood. Still, I got my dog out of the deal and met Matt. “Give me a boost.”

  Maryann stepped between two juniper bushes and cupped her hands. “Hurry. I’m not very strong.”

  I stepped on and lunged for the windowsill. I landed halfway in the window with the frame cutting into my stomach. “Give me a push.”

  She shoved against my rear end, sending me headfirst to the bathroom floor. I saw stars, and my foot landed in the toilet. Grace was not my middle name. I sincerely hoped it had been flushed b
efore Dixon was killed. I got to my feet and sloshed my way down the hall, clicking on my flashlight, and opened the back door.

  “You’re bleeding.” Maryann pointed at my head.

  “You shoved too hard. My forehead hit the tile.” I pressed my hand against the lump. “I’ll take care of it later. Let’s find the loose floorboard.” Nope. Needed to wipe up my DNA before anything else. I grabbed a wad of toilet paper, rubbed the blood off the floor, and tossed it in the toilet. A flush later and the evidence was gone.

  We headed for Dixon’s office. All computer equipment had been removed, leaving the room bare except for empty shelves.

  “I’ll start at this end, you start at that, and test every inch of the floor.” I shoved against the desk. “Even under the furniture.”

  The desk rolled on casters. I grinned. The night might not be as long as I’d thought. I dropped to my knees and felt around the floor. There. A small indentation big enough for my fingers. I pulled up, revealing a small one by two section of removable wood paneling. “Bingo!”

  Maryann peered over my shoulder. “What’s in there?”

  I pulled out a large square metal box. “I’m thinking it’s his client files.” I opened the box and pulled out several sheets of paper with names, addresses, and phone numbers. “Is the copy machine still here?”

  “Yes, they took the printer, though.”

  I got to my feet and made my way to the corner of the room. “We’ll copy these, then turn the box over to Wayne.” I was quite proud of myself. Once upon a time, I wouldn’t have thought to share information with the police, but now that they’ve given up on keeping me out of their investigations, short of arresting me, I felt more inclined to share.

  I made two copies of the papers, put the originals back in the hole in the floor and folded one set of the copies so they’d fit in my waistband. I gave the other set to Maryann, who did the same. “Easy. Let’s go home.”

  Headlights illuminated the window.