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

by Kathi Daley

  She showed me to his room, which was filled from floor to ceiling with boxes, then headed back into another room to answer the phone. I just hoped the call wasn’t from Sam, insisting I wasn’t to be permitted to look at his photos.

  At first it seemed as if there were way too many boxes to make a search for a specific time period possible, but after I opened a few of them and sorted through the photos on the top, I could see the boxes had been stacked in a loose chronological order. All I needed to do was figure out which area of the room contained boxes from about eight years ago. Because the boxes weren’t labeled, I’d need to depend on my recognition of something in one of the photos inside that would indicate a year.

  It was both fun and creepy to search through the boxes. Sam really was a talented photographer and he seemed to have captured everything on film. Many of his photos seemed to be of inconsequential items that most people would never think to photograph, which I supposed could be explained by his own use of the term “obsession.” There were also quite a few photographs that were disturbing in nature. Not only did I come across the roadkill photos, which were incredibly gross, but there were also other photos of dead subjects such as a dead squirrel, a woman lying in a coffin, and a car accident that I was certain no one had survived. The man seemed to have a fascination with every aspect of life including the good, the bad, and the downright disturbing.

  After the fiftieth photo of a dead animal or terrible accident, I was seriously beginning to consider dropping the whole thing when I came across a box that contained photos of some people standing in front of a house I was sure was the one the Reinholds had lived in. There were eight people in one photo. I didn’t know most of them, but I did recognize Steven and Jennifer Reinhold from their photos in Judge Harper’s file. Could the woman standing next to Jennifer be her sister, Kendra?

  The photo was enough to convince me to continue to look through that box. I picked up the next batch of photos and was sorting through them when I heard the doorbell ring. I could hear Martha speaking to someone—a man—but I doubted Sam would ring the bell at his own mother’s home, so I continued my search. It wasn’t until I was near the bottom of the box that I found a photo that was much more than I’d been looking for.

  I placed my hand to my mouth to stifle the scream I could feel building up. I needed to call Roy, and I needed to call him immediately. But not from there. I put the photo in my pocket and returned the box to the place I’d found it. I left the room and moved through the house, approaching the room just inside the patio, where Mrs. Wilson was speaking with the man. I was still pretty sure it wasn’t Sam, but I wasn’t certain, so I slipped closer until I could more clearly make out their conversation. I let out a slow breath when I realized it was a deliveryman; Mrs. Wilson had invited him for a glass of lemonade. Based on the familiar way they were chatting, I was willing to bet the man had stopped in for a drink on more than one occasion.

  “Are you finished, dear?” Mrs. Wilson asked.

  “I am, thank you. I need to go meet my family, but I do appreciate the opportunity to enjoy your son’s art. Have a nice time visiting your sister.”

  “I’m looking forward to the trip.”

  “I’ll see you when you get back.”

  I wasn’t sure why I felt nervous when the man followed me through the house, but I did. I supposed it could be the damning piece of evidence I had in my pocket. I made it outside and slipped into Grandpa’s truck, sighing in relief when I saw the man drive away. I decided to wait to call Roy until I’d left the gated community and returned to the highway. Once I felt comfortable that I had put enough distance between myself and Martha’s house, I’d pull over and call the detective, who would be very interested in the fact that Sam Wilson had a photograph of Jennifer Reinhold’s bloody body in the shallow grave before she was covered.

  “Roy, it’s Tj.”

  “Tj, I’m glad you called. I was just about to let you know that Kate solved the case.”

  “She did?”

  “Her interviews of the people who attended the town council meeting finally paid off. She found an eyewitness who saw Sam Wilson crawling around under Judge Harper’s car that night. It looks like he did intend to send him a warning to back off from seeing his mother. I think he had no idea how it would end up, but I’m sure he’ll be found guilty of manslaughter despite his intention. Kate is on her way over to his place to arrest him right now.”

  “Alone?”

  “Yeah. I’m tied up with a four-car pileup I need to get back to. I’ll…”

  “Roy?” I said.

  I looked at my phone. The battery was totally dead. I searched around in the glove box for a charger, but Grandpa didn’t have one. I could go back to Mrs. Wilson’s and call Roy back. I hated for the news that her son had killed both Jennifer Reinhold and Judge Harper to be broken to her in quite this way, but Mrs. Wilson’s house was the closest one I could think of, and Kate had no idea how dangerous Sam really was. I wanted to get her a message before she confronted him, and I didn’t want to take the time to drive into town.

  I made a quick decision and turned the truck around, heading back toward Mrs. Wilson’s. As I was nearing the security gate, I saw a car pass through that looked a lot like Sam’s. If he wasn’t at his apartment, Kate wasn’t in danger, so I thought perhaps I should drive to town and phone Roy from there. I was about to do just that when the voice in my head told me to check things out at the house to be certain I really had seen Sam on his way there. I drove through the gate and continued slowly to the house I’d just left.

  If Sam was there, I didn’t want him to see me, so I drove past the house and circled around. His car was definitely in front of Mrs. Wilson’s house. If Sam was here instead of home, Kate most likely wasn’t in imminent danger. I pulled over to check my phone one more time. It was still dead. I was about to pull away and head back into town when I heard what sounded like a gunshot. I didn’t stop to think. I opened my car door and ran as fast as I could toward the house. Surely Sam wouldn’t kill his own mother.

  Once I arrived at the house, I had the presence of mind to look through the open window. Martha Wilson was standing in the living room, crying and begging Sam to stop what he was doing. Sam was standing in the middle of the room holding a gun. It was then I saw Kate kneeling on the floor. Her shoulder was bleeding, but she was conscious. Sam was screaming for his mother to pack a bag, but she seemed frozen in place. It took me a minute to understand what I was seeing. Kate went to Sam’s apartment to arrest him. Maybe he’d been leaving to head over to his mother’s and she’d followed him. Or maybe she’d decided to come to speak to Martha for some reason before arresting Sam. For the first time since I’d arrived, I noticed the sheriff’s department vehicle off to the side of the house.

  I took out my phone and shook it. Still dead. The way Sam was screaming, I had no doubt he’d kill Kate if I didn’t intervene. Maybe I could make it to her vehicle and use her radio to call for help. I’d have to pass in front of the window to get to the car, so I crouched down as much as I could and began to move. I arrived at the car only to find it locked. Damn.

  I heard another shot. I ran back toward the house and looked in the window. Kate’s other shoulder was bleeding. Was he planning to kill her slowly? That made no sense. I knew I needed to act, and I needed to do it quickly, but I had no plan.

  “Please stop.” Martha was crying. “You can’t do this. Please, we can work something out.”

  “Shut up,” Sam shouted. “Now go get a bag or I’ll put another bullet in our visitor.”

  Martha turned and walked down the hall. This, I realized, was my chance. I headed around to the side of the house, where I suspected Martha’s bedroom was. When she entered, I knocked on the window. She hesitated for just a few seconds and then opened it for me. I climbed in.

  “We need to call for help.”

  “They’l
l arrest Sammy.”

  “Yes, they will, but if we don’t get help he’ll kill the deputy. Is there a phone in this part of the house?”

  “No. Just in the kitchen. On the other side of the living room.”

  “Do you have a cell phone?”

  Martha shook her head.

  “Come on, Mom. We have to go,” Sam called out.

  “Go,” I instructed Martha. “Try to create a diversion when you get back to the living room.”

  “A diversion?”

  “Pretend to faint or, better yet, have a heart attack.”

  Martha looked uncertain.

  “Just do it. If you don’t and Sam kills the deputy it will be partially your fault.”

  Tears were streaming down Martha’s face, but I could see she would do as I asked. I grabbed a cane that was leaning against the wall and followed Martha back down the hall, staying far enough back that I hoped Sam wouldn’t see me. He might have heard me, though, because he glanced in my direction before Martha screamed and grabbed her chest.

  As Martha fell to the floor, Sam set the gun to his side and went to help her. I snuck up behind him and hit him as hard as I could with the cane. Luckily, it was hard enough to knock him over. I grabbed the gun before telling Mrs. Wilson to go into the kitchen and dial 911.

  Sam recovered quickly from my attack. He jumped up and came after me. I didn’t even think, I just pointed the gun and pulled the trigger.

  Luckily, I shot him in the leg. I honestly wasn’t certain what I would have done if I’d killed him.

  “You stupid bitch!” Sam yelled at me. His eyes had the look of a rabid dog.

  “Stay down,” I demanded in the most authoritative voice I could muster.

  Sam ignored me and started to get up, so I pulled the trigger again, this time hitting the wall behind him.

  Mrs. Wilson was hysterical by this point. She was wailing and crying as she tried to comfort Sam, who was totally ignoring her.

  “Get the deputy’s handcuffs,” I said to Mrs. Wilson.

  Kate was lying on the floor in a pool of blood and I knew she wouldn’t be able to help me. I just needed to hang on until help arrived.

  “Why?” Mrs. Wilson cried. “What are you going to do?”

  “We need to cuff Sam until help arrives.”

  Mrs. Wilson cried harder, but she didn’t make a move to do as I said. I could tell I was in this alone. Sam started to move and I pointed the gun at his head. “If I need to use another bullet, I’m going to make it count.”

  Mrs. Wilson fainted and Sam began yelling and cussing, but at least he was staying put. At least for the time being. I glanced at Kate. She was out cold. I hoped she wasn’t dead, but I couldn’t tell, and I didn’t take my eyes off Sam for even one minute to check on her.

  “Did you kill Jennifer Reinhold?” I demanded. I really didn’t expect Sam to answer, but if I could divert him from the onslaught of cussing even for a minute it might help my migraine that was developing.

  “What’s it to you?” Sam spat back.

  His eyes were filled with rage. I really couldn’t tell what he might do next. I was scared out of my mind, but I decided to play it cool. I shrugged, never taking my eyes off Sam or my finger off the trigger. My arm was beginning to shake. I wasn’t sure how long I could hold out. Where was Roy? It seemed like he should have been here by now.

  Sam must have noticed that my arm was shaking, because once the sirens could be heard in the distance he made one last attempt to lunge at me. I pulled the trigger without taking the time to aim. It hit him in the arm. Mrs. Wilson came to and started yelling, but I maintained my position. By the time Roy came to take over my knees were so wobbly I had to grab onto the sofa to keep from falling to the floor.

  Roy cuffed Sam, then ran over to check on Kate.

  “How is she?”

  “Alive, thanks to you. The ambulance is on the way. What happened?”

  “I don’t know. I came to Martha’s place to look at Sam’s photographs. I thought I might find a clue leading to the truth about Jennifer Reinhold’s death.”

  “Did you?”

  I handed Roy the photo from my pocket.

  “Sam killed Mrs. Reinhold?”

  “It looks that way. At the very least he was an accomplice.”

  “Do you know how Kate ended up here?”

  “No. I was going to tell you about the photo, but my phone died when we were talking. I came back here to use Mrs. Wilson’s phone to call you and saw Sam’s car. I was about to leave when I heard a gunshot. When I made my way to the house I noticed Kate’s car. I guess she decided to come to speak to Mrs. Wilson for some reason. Sam showed up sometime before I arrived the second time. Somehow he must have gotten the upper hand on her. He had her gun and shot her with it. I hope she’s okay.”

  Roy glanced out the window as a pair of ambulances arrived. He took charge of transferring Sam into one while the EMTs loaded Kate into the other. I decided to join Mrs. Wilson on the sofa. She was sitting perfectly still, staring into space. I hoped the shock wasn’t too much for her. She was at an age where such an upset like this could really give her a heart attack.

  Later that evening I sat on the beach as colorful explosions lit the night sky. The day, which had started out simply lovely with family and friends together, was ending that way as well despite the part in the middle. I relaxed into Kyle’s arms as he supported my weight while we sat on the blanket with Ashley, Gracie, Jenna and her girls, Grandpa, Doc, Bookman and Helen, and Rosalie, along with a puppy she’d found on the beach and was keeping an eye on until she could locate the owner. I watched the tender way she calmed the frightened pup and realized it really was a shame she’d missed her shot at having children of her own. She had a wonderful nurturing way about her. But she was going to make a fantastic grandma for Ashley and Gracie, who’d never had one before. And maybe one day, if Kyle and I did marry and have children, she’d make a terrific grandmother for them as well.

  “Oh, wow, did you see that?” Gracie stood up. She clapped her hands as she jumped up and down in place. Ashley got up and joined her, and before I knew it, all four girls were jumping and clapping with each new explosion overhead.

  “I like the silver streamers,” Ashley insisted when Kristi announced that her favorite were the red, white, and blue buttons that exploded into flowers.

  Gracie was so wound up she was spinning in circles while she looked up into the dark sky. I knew that years from now she and Ashley would remember these family moments the way I remembered the ones from my childhood.

  I could feel Kyle’s heart beat against my back as I leaned into him. This was shaping up to be one of my favorite fireworks shows yet. The only thing that could have made it even more perfect would have been Judge Harper kicking off the festivities as the acting mayor always had.

  Once I had been interviewed by Roy, I’d gone back to the resort to find Kyle waiting for me. He’d been able to confirm that Bristow had indeed been trying to blackmail Judge Harper using the information he had found about Harper’s mistake as a young attorney. Reputation was very important to Bristow, even if it was mostly considered to be a bad one, so he’d just assumed Judge Harper could be swayed to seeing things his way if he could find the right kind of dirt on him. Kyle had called Bookman and several of the other council members and, although Bristow hadn’t been the one to tamper with Judge Harper’s car, his actions were still seen as unconscionable. The mall, as far as Kyle could tell, was pretty much dead in the water.

  Gracie laughed as Kyle jumped up and chased her for putting sand down his shirt. As he picked her up and threatened to toss her into the lake, I had a very vivid memory of doing the same song and dance with my dad. Ashley tried to overpower Kyle to save her sister, and before I knew it, all four girls had tackled him to the ground. I was really missing my dad tonight, althoug
h Hunter had assured me he would make a full recovery. He was coming home tomorrow.

  As I watched my family share this special event on the beach we called home, I knew without a doubt that, despite the temporary insanity that had sent me running across the country, Paradise Lake was where I was meant to be.

  Chapter 19

  Wednesday, July 5

  “He’s here, he’s here,” Gracie shouted, running through the house as soon as she spied Rosalie’s car pulling onto the resort road from the second-story window.

  “Remember, we need to be gentle,” I called as both sisters and the dogs ran for the front door. Luckily, Kyle and Grandpa had both gone with Rosalie to help bring Dad home, so Kyle intercepted the dogs while Grandpa intercepted the girls.

  The nurse Rosalie had hired stood off to the side, waiting to get Dad settled after everyone had greeted him. Once the girls had a chance to say their hellos, I wandered over to give him a gentle hug and a kiss on the cheek. “Welcome home. We’re so happy you’re here.”

  Dad tried to squeeze my hand, but he was still weak. “Not as happy as I am to be here.”

  “We have a temporary room all set up for you in the den. The nurse wants to get you settled—check your vitals and all that—so I’m going to take the girls and the dogs down to the beach. We’ll talk later.”

  Dad smiled. “Okay, sweetheart. Thank you for everything.”

  Kyle joined Ashley, Gracie, Echo, Pumpkin, Trooper, and me as we headed to the picnic area I’d set up. Both girls, along with all the dogs, jumped into the cool, clear water as Kyle and I set about making sandwiches.

  “Thanks for going with Rosalie,” I said as Kyle smeared mustard on several slices of bread.

  “I was more than happy to help. That’s what families do. Mike seems to be in good spirits, and I had a chat with Hunter while we waited for the nurse to get him ready to go. He seems to think Mike’s going to be just fine.”