MYSTERY: BRITISH MYSTERY: Missing Hearts (Amateur Sleuth Suspense Thriller) (Cozy Crime Detective Short Stories)

by S. Y. Robins

  “Then we can walk.” Nick turned up one of the long driveways and hid the car behind a curve, and they all piled out.

  The walk didn’t take long, but it felt like hours. Every time a leaf crunched or a branch snapped, Emmeline jumped. Once, she felt Nick take her hand and squeeze it, and even with adrenaline pumping through her veins, her heart fluttered.

  They had just begun to hear the rushing of the river when Audrey threw out an arm to hold them back. She held a finger up to her lips and sank down into a crouch. It took a moment for Emmeline to make out what the woman had seen: a lone figure pacing by the river.

  The lights from the car nearly blinded them, and they all flattened themselves against the ground. A few seconds later, two sets of footsteps crunched past them nearby, and Emmeline recognized the low voices.

  “The cops?” She whispered, and Audrey shrugged, her finger back at her lips for quiet.

  “Mr. Galloway?” Officer Johnson asked.

  “Thank God you’re here.” Marvin’s voice made Emmeline’s skin crawl. “I was afraid to tell you anything where someone might hear.”

  “You say you know who murdered James Pike,” the other officer said. “Last time you said it was Emmeline Hayes. What’s changed?”

  “It was her,” Marvin insisted. “And now I have proof.”

  Nick and Audrey looked over at Emmeline, who shook her head in disbelief.

  “Proof.” Officer Johnson, to Emmeline’s relief, sounded deeply skeptical. “You brought us out into the woods for this? What’s really going on, sir?”

  “I’m not safe,” Marvin told him. “My wife has befriended her. I couldn’t tell you anything from my house, and what if she’d followed me to the police station? She might have tipped Miss Hayes off—then I’d be next.”

  “That’s crap,” Emmeline whispered furiously.

  “It is.” Audrey’s voice was grim. “And I’m ending this.”

  “Is that wise?” Nick asked her cautiously.

  “I don’t even care. I can’t sit here and listen to him lie.” She stood, heedless of the noise, and walked into the clearing. “Hello, Marvin.”

  “Audrey!” His voice was so frightened that for a moment, Emmeline wondered if he really believed his wild story. Then he turned oily again. “My dear, you’ve been terribly misled.”

  “Yes,” Audrey said simply. “By you. And I’m not going to sit around while you accuse some other woman of murder. It’s not right.” She took a deep breath. “Officer, I think my husband killed James Pike.”

  “Don’t listen to her!” Marvin’s voice rose, panicked.

  “On Tuesday,” Audrey said determinedly, ignoring her husband, “James Pike refused to give my husband a loan. We’ve been having financial trouble. When Marvin came home on the night of the murder, he looked really pleased—but also scared. I think he killed James out of anger, but knew it wouldn’t solve any of our problems.”

  “Don’t listen to her,” Marvin repeated. “She’s speaking nonsense.”

  “Mr. Galloway.” Officer Johnson sounded grim. “Earlier today, we went to ask Mr. Pike’s coworkers if they knew of any threats he might have received. And they did. You threatened him earlier this week.”

  “That’s a lie!”

  “You came to the office and promised that you’d get back at him for what he’d done to you,” the other officer said. “There were numerous witnesses, all of whom offered the same story.”

  “Miss Hayes’s work, no doubt!”

  “Oh, come on,” Audrey said, sounding deeply annoyed. “No one’s going to believe that.”

  “Especially given that Mr. Pike went to talk to his manager after your meeting on Tuesday to say he didn’t feel safe during that meeting,” Officer Johnson concurred. He paused. “Apparently, you took the news that you were facing bankruptcy pretty hard.”

  “Bankruptcy?” Audrey’s voice rang out furiously.

  “We wouldn’t be if he’d just given me the loan!” Marvin snapped.

  “What did you even need the money for?” Audrey asked him. “It’s not like I go shopping or anything, and I always asked you before making contributions. I don’t understand.”

  “I needed the house! I needed the car, and you needed clothes.”

  “I have clothes!”

  “I wanted you to have diamonds and something nice to drive.” Marvin’s voice was pleading.

  “I didn’t need any of that,” Audrey whispered. “Why…why?”

  “Because I wanted you to stay with me!”

  There was a stricken silence.

  “Audrey, you’re thirty.” Marvin was pleading. “You’re more beautiful than I deserve. You wanted children, and I couldn’t give you that. Someday you were going to wake up and realize you married an old man, and you were going to leave. People were already saying you married me for my money.”

  “And you believed them?” Her voice was cold. “I loved you. That’s why I married you. We’ve been together seven years, Marvin. If I wanted your money, I’d have spent it by now. I would never have left you…until now. Because now I realize you don’t trust me at all. You didn’t listen to me when I told you what I wanted. You let people poison you for years against me, believing I only wanted your money. I can’t…I can’t believe this.” There was a sob building in her voice.

  “Ma’am, Officer Giles will take you home if you want.” Officer Johnson’s voice was soft. “Mr. Galloway, you’ll need to come with us.”

  “Audrey!” Marvin’s voice was stricken.

  “Goodbye, Marvin.” Audrey walked away without looking back.

  6

  “Did she sleep at all?” Nick asked softly the next morning.

  “I don’t know. She was crying for a while.” Emmeline looked toward her guest bedroom, her forehead creasing with worry. Even the smells of bacon and French toast hadn’t tempted Audrey out yet, and it was close to 10 AM.

  The woman had said she would drive home, but by the time they reached Nick’s car, tears were streaming down her face, and they all knew she couldn’t drive. Emmeline had bundled her into the guest bedroom with a hot water bottle and a cup of herbal tea, recognizing that Audrey just wanted to be alone, but wanting to help any way she could. She’d lain awake listening to Audrey’s sobs for a while after that, her heart twisting.

  “She took it hard,” Nick said. He grimaced into his coffee. “I feel bad for thinking she was a trophy wife. I guess it just always made me think less of him, you know? I hadn’t realized it hurt her so much.”

  “I’d never thought of it that way, either.” Emmeline cut a bite of her toast and frowned. It didn’t seem right to be eating when there was someone so miserable in the next room; the whole world seemed off kilter. “And of course no one ever said it to her because she was doing so much for the community. She really was just trying to be nice.”

  “You know, I met Marvin once or twice around the time I won that big book award.” Nick cradled his coffee mug in his hands. “He was a really smart guy, seemed nice. Lot of interests. Looking back on it, I feel like I should have seen how insecure he was about Audrey. But I see why she loved him—they had a good life together. If only he’d believed her that what she wanted was peace and quiet, not expensive clothes.” He raised his eyebrow. “You know, this is the sort of thing I’d write about, but it seems too close. Too real.”

  “You don’t have to let anyone see it,” Emmeline offered. “Just write. Get it out. Writing for you is like baking for me.”

  “That’s true.” Nick nodded. “You’re right. Maybe they’ll show up in one of my novels in fifteen years or so. Unless I’ve fizzled out. Awards curse and all that.”

  “Yeah, yeah. Don’t be falsely modest, it’s not becoming.” Emmeline took a bite of French toast and smiled. “This is delicious, by the way.”

  “Cooking—another one of my talents.” Nick raised his mug in a mock salute. “You’re going to be late for work, you know.”

  “Ugh, yes.”
Emmeline looked down into her own mug and drained it in one long gulp. “For once, I’m in no mood to make all those pastries.”

  “No?”

  “No. I just want to crawl back into bed. But you know everyone’s going to want to come in and talk about the arrest. Tea shops are the new bars.”

  “Mmm.” Nick grinned and then looked up as the paper thudded against the door. “I’ll go get that. Eat your breakfast.”

  “Yes, sir.” Emmeline attacked her toast with a vengeance.

  “Well, this is interesting.” Nick’s voice filtered back from the porch.

  “What is? Close the door, it’s cold.” The mornings were chilly now. Emmeline poured herself another cup of hot coffee and cradled it in her hands until the shivers subsided. She watched as Nick walked back in slowly, reading the front page article. “Spill, what is it?”

  “Well, they don’t know about the arrest yet, but it turns out a great many people saw Mayor Galloway go down that hallway alone before James’s body was found. You’ll be pleased to know that a great many people did seem to think, ‘her? Never!’ about you, by the way. One or two of them thought to wonder why Galloway said it was you, and the rest, as they say, is history.”

  “Last night it sounded like even the police didn’t believe him.”

  “I don’t think they did. It was just their job to come talk to you and try to work any angle they could to see if you might be guilty.”

  “Mmf,” Emmeline said grumpily.

  “I’m pretty sure you looked surprised enough that they decided right off it wasn’t you. Galloway insisting it was just set the blame back on him.” Nick sighed.

  “What is it?”

  “I feel bad for James. He had everything ahead of him. And you know what? In a way, he would have been perfect for Audrey. Both of them were quiet and good with crafts, and maybe he would have believed her about wanting to live a quiet life. I think they would really have hit it off. She tried to hate him for her husband’s sake, and between that and the lies…” He shook his head.

  The door to the guest bedroom opened and they turned to see Audrey, her eyes red. She tried to smile, but her chin trembled.

  “Come sit,” Emmeline offered. “I’ll get you a plate.”

  “I don’t think I can eat.”

  “You have to. Everything will just get worse if you don’t have any food or sleep.” Emmeline retrieved some slices of French toast from the oven, piled a few strips of bacon on the plate, and brought out another mug for coffee. “Sit.”

  “What’s in the paper?” Audrey was staring at Nick’s hands, still holding the front page.

  “Nothing.” He closed it and shoved it off to the side.

  “Tell me.”

  “They don’t know about the arrest yet,” Nick said grudgingly. “That’s all, really. You should eat.”

  Between the two of them, Emmeline and Nick managed to coax Audrey into eating a piece of the toast and all of her bacon, and drinking a bit of coffee.

  “Isn’t that better?” Emmeline said encouragingly.

  “I have to go home,” Audrey whispered, clearly terrified. “All the news trucks will be there, won’t they? And people staring, and…I can’t do it.”

  “So stay here today. I’ve got plenty of books, and I’ll make up another pot of coffee. Maybe call your family?”

  “That sounds nice.” Audrey gave a smile so grateful, she looked like she was going to cry. “And I just remembered my truck is still in the woods.”

  “We’ll go pick it up tonight,” Emmeline promised. “And now I have to go, because I really am late for work.”

  “I’ll walk you out.” Nick followed her onto the porch. “Are you okay, Em?”

  “I’m already late,” Emmeline said as she buttoned her coat.

  “Exactly, you’re already late. People will understand about the scones.” His face sobered. “But you’ve had a hard couple of days. Seriously—are you all right?”

  “I am. I will be.” Emmeline shook her head. “I’m just glad it’s over.”

  “Yeah.” He sighed. “Okay, then. I’ll see you tonight.”

  “Tonight?” Emmeline frowned.

  “Steaks and wine, remember?”

  “Oh. Right.” Emmeline paused. “Look, Nick… I love these dinners, but…”

  “But.” For some reason, he looked crestfallen. “I get it.”

  “No! I really do, I love them. But don’t you have other things to do?” When he frowned at her quizzically, Emmeline waved her hands. “Dates to be going on, maybe?” When he only stared at her, his mouth twitching, she frowned at him. “What?”

  “I…oh, screw it.” He ran his hands through his dark hair. “Emmeline, the first time I asked you to come over for dinner, I was trying to ask you out.”

  “What? …Really?”

  “Yes!” Nick waved his hands. “Don’t you remember, I had candles, I had wine…and then you said something about it being good to know your neighbors and I just…?”

  “You didn’t correct me?” Emmeline demanded.

  “I panicked! I thought you were trying to shut me down gently. And then sometimes it seemed like you were flirting, and sometimes it seemed like you were dressing up for our dinners, and I got to know you and I just kept falling for you harder and harder. Every time I told myself I’d be brave enough to ask you out, and every time…anyway, I had plans for tonight.”

  “You did?” Emmeline was blushing.

  “Yes! Well, last night. I was finally going to ask you out. You know, really.”

  “What were your plans?”

  “Drink a whole bunch of wine for courage, mainly.”

  Emmeline started laughing, and once she’d started, she couldn’t stop.

  “What?” Nick asked, sounding aggrieved.

  “You mean we could have been dating this whole time?” She sank her face into her hands. “I was so convinced you’d never go for me that I said that about neighbors so you wouldn’t think I thought it was a date. And then I kept falling for you, but I thought you’d have a girlfriend or something.”

  Nick started laughing as well.

  “I can’t believe…no. You know what? No more talking.” He pulled her close and his lips met hers.

  Emmeline gasped. Her skin was tingling, her stomach seemed to have disappeared entirely, and she couldn’t feel her feet. She realized her arms had come up around Nick’s neck and she pressed herself close as she returned the kiss. She felt tumbled over, as sick with fear as if she’d leapt off a cliff—and at the same time, comfortable in Nick’s arms. She was home.

  “You’re going to be late,” Nick muttered against her mouth.

  “People will wait for the scones,” she murmured back.

  “Good point.” He smiled and pulled her close. “Very, very good point.”

  The End

  Dog Dig Death

  Cozy Mystery

  About the Book

  Lacy Mitchell wasn’t looking for love in all the wrong places. She wasn’t looking for love at all. Self-sufficient and happy love was the last thing she wanted. She wasn’t looking to become involved in a murder investigation either but when you’re the one that finds the body not becoming involved is impossible. Lacy simply wanted to walk the dogs for her clients and snuggle up with her own dog Freddy while watching movies with her best friend Alex.

  Fate had more in mind for Lacy, however, and she soon finds herself entangled in a tangle of suspects. Is the murderer a mad man? A disgruntled family member? Or is it the building owner who was so rude to her when they first met. Can she take a chance on the man? Will the murderer be found before he kills again? Lacy has some choices to make, she just hopes her choices aren’t deadly.

  1

  “Lacy, don’t let Mr. Piddles wander off now, he likes to investigate and can disappear in an instant.” Mrs. Jenkins, Lacy’s neighbor and one of her customers, patted Lacy’s cheek.

  The tiny elderly woman’s eyes obviously caused her p
roblems as she squinted up at the much taller Lacy and smiled. “You’re such a good girl, Lacy; I don’t know why you can’t find yourself a man.”

  Lacy smiled down kindly at Mrs. Jenkins as she took the tiny Yorkshire terrier’s leash from the woman without revealing how the comment stung. Mrs. Jenkins was a confection of pink and white knit materials from the knit cap on her head down to the knit slippers on her feet and Lacy knew the woman meant well.

  “I’ll be sure to keep an extra eye on Mr. Piddles, Mrs. Jenkins. As for men, well, I’m too picky, I suppose.” Lacy said before she walked out of Mrs. Jenkins apartment, needing to collect three more dogs before she could take them all out for a nice long walk. Mr. Piddles and Lacy’s own little buddy, Freddy. Freddy was a black and white Boston terrier, much bigger than Mr. Piddles, and a very observant puppy that thought he was the team leader when Lacy took all of the dogs out for a walk.

  Lacy’s only job was dog-walking, which wasn’t very lucrative, but it supplemented the small inheritance she’d had from an aunt, and kept her comfortable. The job also allowed Lacy an opportunity to interact with others, something the quiet blonde rarely took part in and it kept her active. It was cold in the winter and hot in the summer but it allowed Lacy a chance to really enjoy her home, New York City, at Christmas.

  Lacy loved Christmas but especially Christmas in New York City. The city was always bustling but the decorations, the lights, the couples happily strolling arm in arm just made Lacy smile and feel like there was no better place on earth to be.

  Lacy, an average woman in every way, just wasn’t lucky in love. Of average height and build, with average looks, though she had long blonde hair that other women admired, Lacy was just too average in most departments to attract the man of her dreams. She was, however, very intelligent although this sometimes seemed to cause men to look at her as though she were an alien foreign thing that didn’t belong in their realms. No, she hadn’t been lucky in love.