Tj Jensen Cozy Mystery Boxed Set 2: Books 6-10

by Kathi Daley

  “Can he sleep with me and Pumpkin?”

  “Actually,” Tj said, “that’s a really good idea.”

  Tj called Echo into the room and had him lie on the floor next to Gracie’s bed. She knew her sister felt better having him there, and Echo wouldn’t want to sleep in her room alone. Tj kissed Gracie once again and then turned off the light. “Love you to the moon and back.”

  “Love you even farther.” Gracie yawned.

  When Gracie was all tucked in, Tj headed to Ashley’s room. This sister wasn’t one to welcome physical displays of affection these days, but no matter what else was going on she still liked to be tucked in at night.

  “Can Kristi spend the night tomorrow?” Ashley asked as Tj tucked the covers in around her burrito style.

  “I think it might be best if everyone stayed at their own house tomorrow while the adults are busy with the reunion. Maybe Kristi and Kari can stay over Saturday night after you get back from Aspen’s party. We can have a Halloween slumber party. I’ll talk to Jenna about it.”

  “I thought you were going to sleep in one of the cabins this weekend.”

  “Yeah, that was the plan, but the more I think about it, the more I realize I want to spend Halloween night with you and Gracie.”

  “Can we sleep in sleeping bags in the den and watch movies all night?”

  Tj could remember doing just that when she was a kid. She and her friends would compete to see who could stay awake the longest. No one ever made it all the way until morning, but it was fun to try.

  “We’ll see.”

  “We’ll see means no.”

  “We’ll see means we’ll see,” Tj countered.

  Tj kissed Ashley on the forehead as Midnight curled up on the pillow next to Ashley’s head. “Sweet dreams and don’t let the bedbugs bite.”

  “Do you think I’m pretty?” Ashley said just as Tj was about to close the door.

  “I think you’re absolutely stunning.”

  “Really? You aren’t just saying that because you’re my sister?”

  Tj walked back into the room and sat down on the side of Ashley’s bed. “Really. Why do you ask?” She’d been dealing with bullying all week. She certainly hoped Ashley hadn’t fallen victim to the ruthless pastime girls of all ages seemed to like to participate in.

  “One of the girls in my class was making fun of my red hair and freckles. She said red hair was dumb and none of the boys will ever want to go on dates with me as long as I have freckles.”

  Tj tucked a strand of Ashley’s hair behind her ear. “Your red hair is beautiful. When you get older all the other girls are going to be so jealous of it because you’ll stand out from the crowd. And as for the freckles, they fade. I had a lot more when I was your age than I did by the time I got into high school.”

  “Really?”

  “Really. And even if they don’t fade, you should wear them proudly. They give your face character. They make you unique.”

  “Adults always say things like that, but I don’t want to be unique. I just want to fit in.”

  Tj could remember feeling exactly like Ashley at her age, with her frizzy auburn hair and freckles.

  “I like your freckles, and I bet the boys will as well, but if they don’t fade and you still don’t like them by the time you’re in high school I can help you pick out a lightweight concealer.”

  “You mean like makeup?”

  “Yeah. Like makeup.”

  Ashley smiled. “Okay.”

  Tj kissed her again and once again headed for the door. There were times when Tj wondered how her life would have turned out if Ashley and Gracie hadn’t come to live with her. It would certainly be different and, Tj suspected, it would certainly be a lot easier. But that easy was empty, and she knew in her heart she wouldn’t give up what she had for all the easy in the world.

  Tj went to her bedroom to pack an overnight bag. She supposed it was silly to go to all the trouble to reserve a cabin for the next few nights, but she knew both she and Hunter desperately needed some couple time. The girls would be fine with her dad and grandpa, and Hunter had asked one of Jake’s old friends from out of the area if he’d like to come for a visit this weekend. Jake probably realized the timing of his friend’s trip was a huge coincidence, but he really did need to have someone nearby and Hunter really did need some time away.

  “Alone at last.” Hunter pulled Tj into his arms the minute she walked through the door of the cabin where he was waiting for her.

  “We’re already late for the welcome reception,” Tj reminded him. “And as much as I’d love to skip the reception and stay here with you, there are some people that I really want to talk to.”

  Hunter sighed. “I imagine everyone who is still on your suspect list should be here tonight. Maybe we can get this mystery wrapped up and enjoy the rest of our weekend?”

  Tj kissed Hunter. “I really do hope so. I know we’ve really been looking for some alone time together, and I know it’s tough to find alone time when we both live with family members. But now that I’m involved in this investigation, I need to see it through.”

  “I know. The fact that you care so much about others is part of the reason I love you. How can I help?”

  “I don’t really have a plan at this point other than to go to the reception and talk to people and see where that leads us.”

  “Did you ever get ahold of either Jada or Mia?” Hunter asked.

  “No I called and left messages for both but haven’t heard back so far. Mia’s personal assistant said something about her being out of town. I got the impression she wasn’t even going to give her the message until she returned so I’m not holding out a lot of hope that she will get back to me, but the message I left for Jada was on her personal cell so maybe she’ll actually receive it and call me back.”

  “I sincerely doubt either is guilty of any wrongdoing, but I suppose it couldn’t hurt to see what, if anything, they remember.”

  “If I don’t hear from Jada this evening I’ll call her back tomorrow. I know she has a really busy life with a lot of responsibility and although all of us here at the party are in long weekend mode it is Thursday and Jada is probably simply in work mode.”

  “To be honest I’m having a hard time mentally transitioning from work mode to party mode after the week I’ve had but I plan to try.” Hunter laced his fingers through Tj’s. “Should we go?”

  “I’m ready.”

  The Lakeside Bar and Grill was packed when they walked in. It looked like everyone was having a good time. “It looks like pretty much everyone showed,” Tj commented.

  “It’s a good turnout,” Hunter agreed as he looked around the room. “There are people here I haven’t seen since high school.”

  “Oh look. It’s Mr. Bartholomew.” Tj pointed toward a balding man in his late fifties who taught history when they were in school.

  “I know the reunion committee invited several of the teacher’s involved with the senior class back then. I’m pretty sure there are several who have agreed to attend. I ran into Mrs. Valdez at the post office the other day and she said she planned to be here.”

  Mrs. Valdez taught English ten years ago but had since retired.

  “Is that Coach Fremont at the bar?” Tj asked as she scanned the room.

  Hunter nodded. “It is. Boy it’s been awhile. I heard he moved to Carson City after he retired.”

  “I thought he moved to Kansas after he left Serenity High.”

  “He did but he moved back to the area a couple of years ago. Do you want to go over and say hi?”

  “He’s talking to Brett now. Maybe later.”

  The truth was, Tj didn’t want to talk to the coach at all. Bob Fremont had been the football coach when Hunter and Tj were in high school. Hunter had really liked Fremont, but Tj never shared his enthusiasm f
or the man. Sure, he was a man’s man who got the most out of his boys and created a winning team year after year, but he was also a lady’s man who tended to look at high school girls in a way teachers never should. She’d shared her discomfort with Hunter when they were in high school. He’d tried to convince her she was just imagining the inappropriate looks the coach was sending in her direction but Tj knew that imagination hadn’t played any part in her feeling of revulsion for the man.

  “Do you want a drink?” Hunter asked.

  “Maybe a glass of wine. I think I’ll just wait here, if you don’t mind getting it for me.”

  “Something wrong?”

  Tj shrugged. “I just need a minute before heading into the fray.”

  Tj watched Hunter walk away. She wandered off to the side and stared out the window. It had been an emotionally draining week, and seeing Coach Fremont again had brought back a series of jumbled, bad memories from her senior year. It was almost like she knew something her conscious mind wasn’t yet willing to deal with.

  As far as Tj knew, Coach Fremont had never actually gone so far as to act on his flirting with high school girls, but his obvious glances had been enough to make her feel like he’d actually touched her. Tj understood why the guys never saw it. Fremont saved his long, meaningful stares for those times he happened to catch a girl alone. Tj knew there were several cheerleaders who’d complained among themselves about the unwanted attention, but no one had been willing to bring their concerns to the adults in their lives.

  “Wine for my lady,” a voice said from behind her. Tj turned around and accepted the glass from Kyle.

  “What are you doing here?” Tj asked.

  “Hunter was waylaid by that obnoxious coach and asked me to bring you your drink.”

  “No, I mean, what are you doing here in the bar at this party? Not that you aren’t welcome. I’m actually really glad to see you.”

  “See the blonde in the red dress?” Kyle nodded toward the bar.

  “Connie?”

  “She invited me to be her date for the evening. At first I wasn’t going to accept, but then I realized I didn’t want to stay home by myself. I doubt she’ll even remember I was here in the morning. She’s smashed.”

  “How did you meet her?”

  “I came by to drop off Pumpkin’s leash and chew toy, which we’d left at my house. I was chatting with your grandpa when I heard something in the bushes. It was Connie.”

  “What was Connie doing in the bushes?” Tj shook her head and held up her hand. “Never mind, I don’t want to know. Are you sure you want to spend the whole evening with someone bound to puke on your shoes?”

  “I’m not going to stay the whole evening. I just wanted to say hi to everyone and meet your friends.”

  “Come to the game with us tomorrow. My dad is going to call to ask you to go with him, but you should come with Hunter, Jenna, Dennis, and me.”

  “Thanks, but I don’t want to be a third wheel—or, in this case, a fifth wheel. I’d love to go with your dad and the girls, though, so I’ll call him to arrange it.”

  “He’s awake. You can stop by the house.”

  Kyle looked at Connie hanging all over the guy standing next to her.

  “Maybe I’ll just go now,” Kyle said. “Before your dad heads to bed and before Connie actually does puke on my shoes.”

  “Good idea.”

  Kyle kissed Tj on the cheek and headed out the side door. Tj watched him walk away and then returned her attention to the bar, where Coach Fremont was talking much too loud to be considered appropriate. Tj frowned. There was a memory just out of reach. She really hated that feeling, when you knew you knew something but couldn’t remember what it was.

  “Penny for your thoughts,” Hunter said in her ear as he wrapped his arms around her from behind.

  “No thoughts. Just taking a minute to enjoy the wine Kyle brought me.”

  Hunter kissed her neck. “I know you well enough to realize when you’re feeling unsettled. Is it the investigation?”

  Tj shrugged but didn’t say anything.

  Hunter kissed her shoulder. “Is it Coach Fremont? I know you never really liked him.”

  “You’re right, I’ve never been a fan of Coach Fremont, but I suspect my slightly melancholy mood has more to do with the investigation,” Tj was afraid a discussion about Coach Fremont would lead to an argument, just like it often had in high school. Tj turned around and put her arms around Hunter’s neck, then looked him in the eye. “In the past ten years, have you given any thought to what really happened to Holly?”

  “Honestly? No. We were kids when she died. There was no reason not to leave the investigation to the cops. Holly’s family moved while we were away at college, and when we returned we were busy establishing our careers and starting our lives.”

  “Yeah, I guess, but it’s odd that I wasn’t more curious.”

  “It wasn’t our job to wonder,” he assured her.

  “Maybe. But now that Samantha Colton is dead, chances are the Sheriff’s Department will let the whole thing fade onto a very distant back burner again. I never once thought about Holly’s death after those first few shocking weeks, but now I find it hard to think about anything else.”

  Hunter rested his chin on the top of her head. “I have to admit I agree. Colton did unearth some interesting facts before her accident. She died while trying to find out the truth. I guess it would be a shame if no one followed up on what she started.”

  “So what do we do?”

  Hunter pulled back and looked Tj in the eye. “Samantha Colton was getting somewhere because she wasn’t afraid to ask the hard questions. She didn’t know these people; we do. Are you ready to do that with the people in this room? Our friendships might not survive it.”

  “The people in this room mean a lot to me. We share a history. I’d hate to start digging around and risk those relationships, but at this point I need to see it through. I say we quietly investigate while trying not to ruffle too many feathers.”

  “Okay so where do we start?”

  Tj looked around the room. Most of the people on Colton’s list were at the party. “Colton listed Brett as her number-one suspect. We know she spoke to him the night of the accident. Jessie verified that Brett was upset about the questions she was asking, but when we saw him on Wednesday he seemed happy and relaxed. Roy hadn’t made public the fact that Colton was dead until today. If Brett already knew that Colton was dead, that would’ve explained his good mood. In addition, we know the place where Holly was last seen alive was a party held at Brett’s house, and that he was responsible for inviting most of the people who showed up. We also know Brett didn’t particularly care for Holly due to her relationship with Jessie. I think his rank as number one suspect in both cases is warranted. If Brett killed Holly, he would have had to leave the house at some point,” Tj realized. “Chances are Jessie was staying over, so we just need to ask Jessie if Brett was with her the entire evening.”

  “Unless Jessie killed Holly,” Hunter added.

  “Okay, so I’ll strike up a conversation with Jessie and see if I can slip the question into the conversation, and you talk to Brett, and we’ll compare notes afterward,” Tj suggested.

  “Sounds good to me.”

  Tj headed toward where Jessie was standing talking to a girl whose name Tj couldn’t remember. Her first task was going to be to get Jessie alone.

  “Hey Jessie. Are you having a good time?” Tj asked.

  “I am. You remember Sally?”

  Tj frowned. “I’m sorry I don’t.’

  “Don’t worry about it,” Sally laughed. “I didn’t transfer in until my senior year. A lot of people here tonight don’t remember me.”

  “Well I’m glad you came.” Tj offered a smile.

  “Me too. I wasn’t going to until I heard there w
as an open bar.” Sally glanced down at her empty glass. “Which reminds me, that I was heading for a refill when I ran into Jessie.”

  “Good talking to you,” Jessie said as Sally walked away.

  “I feel bad I didn’t recognize her,” Tj said after Sally left.

  “Don’t worry I didn’t recognize her either,” Jessie laughed. “She seemed to know me so I played along. I’m afraid I’ve had to do that several times tonight. Some people look exactly the same as they did in high school, and others look so different.”

  “As long as I have you alone can I talk to you for a minute?” Tj asked.

  “Is it about Holly?”

  “Yes.’

  Jessie sighed. “I figured as much. A few people have mentioned that you’ve been looking into things on the side. As much as I hate to ruin the party with thoughts of that night, I guess I wouldn’t be the person I strive to be if I didn’t help you out.” Jessie looked around the room. “But let’s go outside. It’s getting stuffy in here.”

  Tj led Jessie out onto the deck. There was an almost full moon glistening on the lake creating a cozy and romantic atmosphere. It was a cool evening but there were fires in the pits and portable heaters set around the perimeter of the seating area. Tj and Jessie found a bench near one of the fire pits away from the others who were enjoying the night air.

  “I really don’t know what happened,” Jessie informed her after Tj broached the subject. “Holly and I got into a fight. We’d been fighting a lot actually so in a way it wasn’t even that huge of an occurrence.”

  “Why had you and Holly been fighting?”

  “Holly and I had a long history together. Most of the time I really valued her opinion, but Holly really didn’t like Brett and she was putting a lot of pressure on me to break up with him. I loved Holly, but I also loved Brett, so I was having a hard time making up my mind about whether to listen to her or not.”

  “Why did Holly want you to break up with Brett?”

  “For some reason, Brett and Holly got off on the wrong foot. She didn’t like him from day one. I tried to get her to see what a good guy he was but she was constantly pointing out things about him that she found fault with. She said she was just trying to make sure I didn’t get hurt but Brett thought she was jealous of our relationship and was simply making things up.”