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

by S. Y. Robins

  Lacy smiled anyway because she’d learned that sometimes having a nice home to come home to, a few good friends, and a pet that loved you were far more awesome than excruciatingly boring dates and the many offers of casual sex that she had received over the years. It seemed men weren’t picky in that department but they were in the life-partner department. Lacy was also a keen cook that loved spending time finding new recipes and trying new cooking styles rather than chasing after children or doing mountains of laundry. All in all she had a lovely life and Freddy was the child she didn’t have.

  Right now, though, Lacy’s favorite guy was being very naughty and wouldn’t stop scratching at the door of the apartment directly across from hers. As she’d left Mrs. Jenkin’s door Freddy had pulled against his leash and Lacy had thought he was just following the routine of heading for the next door but he’d stopped and started to scratch at this door, fighting against Lacy’s gentle tugs to paw at the door.

  The hallway was long and looked almost like a hotel, with only plain doors breaking up the walls. There were eight doors on Lacy’s side of the building and she knew all but two of the people that lived on this hall. Lacy walked to the door, noticing that Freddy was still frantically clawing at the thick metal material. An elderly woman with a very noisy Chihuahua lived in that apartment. Lacy had made a few attempts to speak to the woman but the woman would either tell Lacy to buzz off or rudely give her a pointed middle finger and walk away.

  As far as Lacy knew nobody in the building really cared for the woman. She was just too rude to everyone. Lacy felt as though someone had just poured a bucket of cold water over her as Freddy, and now Mr. Piddles, started to whine and scratch at the door. She knew something wasn’t right but wasn’t sure what.

  Walking up to the door Lacy knocked on the metal door, knowing that she was just being silly and that the woman would probably rudely tell her something rude to do to herself. Lacy stood in the hallway, two dogs on a leash in each hand, and cringed. But no answer came so she knocked once more.

  This time the door swung open a little and Lacy stood, wondering if the woman had opened it in invitation or if the door had simply opened under the pressure of her knocking. Taking the open crack between door and panel as an invitation Lacy pushed the door and walked in. The dogs at her feet whined once more but followed as Lacy walked into the apartment.

  “Oh what is that? Has something died in here?” That feeling of cold pouring over her once more made Lacy’s skin break out in goose pimples and she threw a hand over her nose as she walked through the living room back to the kitchen. The smell wasn’t so bad in there but was still awful. Lacy had an idea she knew what she was going to find and started to fish her mobile phone from her pocket.

  Little Freddy broke away from her as she was distracted and went to a closed bedroom door. Lacy looked down at Freddy with love mingled with disgust and spoke out loud.

  “You’ve got me into a mess haven’t you little man?” She asked as she called out a hello to the woman in the apartment. Lacy hoped she was in here anyway. Alive and not dead as the smell seemed to indicate. Lacy walked to the bedroom door and pushed it open, a scream tearing from her throat as she did so.

  There was someone in there, someone covered in blood and gore, and the smell was horrendous. Lacy ran out of the apartment, screaming for help as she closed the door behind her. This was not a good start to her day!

  Lacy’s knees wobbled as she spoke with the police officer about how she’d discovered the woman and answered his questions. She felt as though her brain was in a fog, and everything was surreal. Her senses were taking in what she saw, heard, and smelled but it simply didn’t seem real, as though she were standing outside of her body and watching all of these things happening to someone else while her body just stood there.

  Lacy watched as her long slim fingers, a rather delicate hand, not average at all to any who paid attention to hands, reached out to take the card from the officer, promising to call him if she remembered anything more. Lacy watched as the coroner’s people carted out the gurney with a filled body bag resting on top of it and wondered what the woman had been like when she was in her own world in her apartment, if she had family that would mourn her passing, and if there was anyone that needed to be told. She assumed that was the job of the police to find out and stood in the hall waiting on someone to tell her what she needed to do next.

  Normally a very independent person who didn’t need directing in her daily tasks, Lacy, for once in her life, was lost and directionless. Then little Freddy tugged on his leash and Mr. Piddles started to prance around in circles. They were still on their leads, the end clamped firmly in her hands. Lacy took one deep breath and looked down at the dogs.

  “Well, it seems everyone in the building has been down here this morning so I suppose the other dogs all know why I’m late, fellas. Let’s collect them and get out for our walk, shall we?” Putting on a determined smile that slightly resembled a grimace Lacy tutted at the dogs to signal that it was time to go and carried on down to the next apartments.

  Her cheerful evasion of any and all questions meant that Lacy and her five charges were soon out of the building and into the fresh air. Lacy breathed in deeply, chasing away the smell of death and decay that seemed to permeate even her pores and started to finally feel as though reality was finally returning. The day grew less overly vivid, the surreal feeling passed, and she could finally think about what she’d discovered that morning.

  She’d found Mrs. Hartman in her bedroom, blood staining her bed covers and run out of the apartment screaming for help. She hadn’t seen what had actually caused the death of the often sour woman but she’d known she was dead by the glassy stare of the woman’s eyes. She’s screamed until one of the other tenants, a man, came out and called the police while awkwardly patting Lacy’s shoulder, unsure of how to comfort the woman.

  Lacy was grateful for even that awkward contact. As a man he was probably terrified of actually touching her for fear he’d get in trouble. Lacy looked at the man, one of the tenants she didn’t know, and smiled gratefully. He’d disappeared when the police finished questioning him but she’d remember his kindness.

  Somehow Lacy had gotten through the questions, the curious stares of the other tenants, and had gratefully walked away when the questions had all been asked. The main questions went unanswered, however. Who had done this, how had they murdered the woman without anyone hearing anything? The walls weren’t thin but sometimes you heard things if they were loud enough.

  Lacy walked the dogs to the nearest park, letting them sniff and scratch as she went over and over the morning in her mind. All of the dogs did their business and Lacy cleaned up after them before taking them back to their respective homes, giving the expected smiles and reports on how well each dog behaved. Finished with her morning duties complete, Lacy went back to her own apartment and let Freddy off of his leash.

  Freddy provided the only real smile of the morning as he ran around the sparsely furnished apartment in joy at being free of the lead. He jumped over her long white couch, through the coffee table, into the kitchen and to her bedroom in a circuit three times before he finally came to a panting halt beside of Lacy on her couch. She gave Freddy some scratches under his chin and a kiss on his head before retrieving her phone. She needed her best friend, even if it was only in the form of a text message.

  She typed out a short message and waited for his response. Alex, her very best friend, lived three doors down but he was at work by now. Alex responded, promising wine and sushi for dinner tonight, along with a long chat. Lacy knew he’d come through with his promise and turned the television on to catch the morning news.

  She hadn’t expected to be confronted with a news report about the woman so quickly but there was a picture of the murdered woman as a beautiful but almost plastic newsreader reported the death of the woman. Lacy always thought these parts of the news programs were morbid. Not because of the deaths but because t
he newsreaders seemed unable to stop themselves from giving even the smallest hint of a smile. It was as though they were so programmed to smile prettily that they forgot to stop doing it even when they were reporting sad, horrific news, even as they gave frowns of sadness to the viewers, that smile still lingered in the background.

  “Seventy-Two year old Lita Hartman was found dead in her apartment this morning by a neighbor. Police are asking for anyone that has information on the death of the elderly woman to come forward. You can find their number on our website.” The blonde whose face seemed to have actually frozen in some kind of horrific grimace turned to her partner, an over-tanned 40-something man for the rest of the broadcast.

  “I bet they’re having an affair, what do you think Freddy?” Lacy asked the snuffling dog as he settled into her lap.

  Freddy looked up at Lacy and shook his head in a yes motion as he sneezed and Lacy took it as agreement rather than a physical reaction. She clicked the news off and found a music channel and began the rest of her daily routine with dusting and a rinse of the dishes she’d used for her morning toast.

  When thoughts about her morning discovery tried to push through Lacy just thought of two plastic dolls groping at each other and laughed, relieving some of the anxiety of her morning. At lunch time she ate, fed Freddy, and then grabbed her coat.

  Freddy immediately started to turn in circles, yipping as Lacy clicked his lead on his collar and stood almost vibrating as he waited for the door to open. Lacy laughed at his antics and went to Mrs. Jenkin’s door first again, putting off questions and concerns by reminding Mrs. Jenkins that she had a schedule to keep. Lacy had picked up all of the dogs and was heading out to the hallway exit when a man walked in.

  The man looked like one of those kinds often seen on cop shows, dark suit with a black woolen overcoat, a light blue silk tie the only real color to the man’s clothing. The suit and coat looked expensive as did the haircut that left the man with a short back and sides but a little longish on the top, just enough to be inviting to an admirer’s fingers, Lacy thought.

  Lacy fiddled with the dogs’ leads wanting to study more that dark haired man’s face. He appeared to be in his early thirties, with a strong jaw line, olive skin, and piercing light eyes. For some reason she’d expected the man would have dark brown eyes like hers and the effect of the color was breath-taking. He looked like a confident man, a man that was used to being obeyed and Lacy’s knees went a little wobbly for the second time that day as she watched him speaking with the older woman who was following along behind him.

  Lacy turned to the wall, pretending to untangle the leashes as the man came close and she heard his voice. A deep warm voice that was the perfect complement to the man’s appearance with a slight southern accent. Lacy felt silly but could feel herself smiling as she listened to him, she could listen to him talking for hours!

  “Excuse me miss, are you a tenant in this building?” Lacy heard the woman ask, her tone matter of fact, brisk even. Almost as though the woman expected an answer and quickly in deference to her demands.

  “Well, yes, I am. Can I help you find someone?” Lacy asked, a smile on her face as she turned to face the two.

  “No, but you have thirty days’ notice to vacate your apartment. Tenants are only allowed one pet per apartment. It’s in the tenant agreement. If you’ll give me your name and apartment number I’ll be sure you receive a proper written notice. Have a nice day.” The woman said as she and the man stood waiting.

  Lacy gave her name and apartment number before the couple walked away, heading to the apartment formerly occupied by Mrs. Hartman.

  “But…wait! What do you mean I have thirty days to get out?” Lacy called out as the shock of the stunning words left her but the couple had disappeared into the apartment already. What was she going to do now?

  2

  Lacy stared after the couple for a moment, wondering just who they were, her mouth hanging open in shock still, before she went over to the apartment door and started banging on it. She didn’t know who they were but she was going to give them a piece of her mind and straighten this out, one way or another.

  The dogs whined as Lacy banged on the door, this stop not a part of their normal routine. Disappointment at the delay was obvious and Lacy felt bad for them but she had to sort this out. She didn’t want to find another apartment on such short notice, and she surely wasn’t going to be kicked out over a misunderstanding!

  The door was answered by the woman, her vapid smile turning to distaste and annoyance when she saw Lacy standing there. All of the dogs also sat nicely with their faces turned up expectantly, perhaps hoping for another doggy companion. Lacy taught all of the dog’s obedience and manners and they were making her proud at the moment. She reminded herself to give them all an extra treat when this was over.

  “I believe there’s been a misunderstanding.” Lacy began but the woman quickly cut her off.

  “No, I don’t believe there has been Ms. Mitchell. It clearly states that tenants are limited to one pet. You can have a bird, a hamster, a dog, a cat, almost anything you like, but you can’t have more than one. I see you have five. That is a clear violation of the terms and you will simply have to go. I can only imagine the damage they’ve caused and the smell that must be coming from your apartment. You have a lot of gall, Ms. Mitchell.” The woman concluded her lecture with a sniff and a swipe at her nose, as if to imply Lacy herself smelled.

  Lacy glared at the woman, wanting to yell at the woman like a harpy but she controlled herself.

  “As I said there’s been a mistake…” once again Lacy was cut off but this time it was by the man.

  He’d been staring out of one of the windows up until Lacy’s last protest but now he walked over to the squabbling pair in the doorway.

  “I’m sorry, Ms. Mitchell is it? Thank you.” The man went on after Lacy shook her head yes. “I am Bill Shaffer, the owner of this building and this is Liz Turner, my assistant. The terms are clear and we expect our tenants to abide by them. I’m sorry but you’ll have to go.”

  Bill Shaffer walked away, obviously dismissing Lacy from his mind instantly, as he told Ms. Turner to have the cleaners in immediately and to start damage control for the building. He didn’t want it known the apartment was home to a murder. He also wanted decorators in; he wanted to attract a new clientele, a younger wealthier set than the current tenants.

  “Oh, and have some movers come in and place all of the former tenants belongings in storage please.” Bill said as he finally turned back to the doorway. “You’re still here Ms. Mitchell?”

  The tone wasn’t rude but it was dismissive. Lacy’s self-control dissolved at this point.

  “What a pair of absolute vultures! Her name was Mrs. Hartman. Lita Hartman, and she’s barely even been dead a day and you’re already plotting out new tenants? Don’t you have to wait for the police to finish their investigation? Can’t you even wait that long?” Lacy blurted out.

  “I really don’t see how this is any of your concern.” Ms. Turner scoffed out turning away to dismiss Lacy again.

  “Oh you can just shove your hoity-toity attitude, lady! And you!” Lacy said, pointing a leash filled hand at Mr. Shaffer. She could feel her nerves taking over and her hand shook as the confrontation continued but she wasn’t backing down. “The callous treatment of your tenants shows what kind of person you are. You don’t even have the time to find out that all of these dogs aren’t mine, that four of them belong to other tenants? That I’m a dog walker for the elderly and others in your building? You just assume I broke the rules and kick me out without even giving me a chance to explain? Well, you can shove it too buddy!”

  Lacy’s words finally ended and she was breathing as though she’d just run about ten flights of stairs, but she was proud of herself for standing up to the couple in front of her. Their mouths were now hanging open in shock but the man seemed to be recovering first, his face shifting from something close to anger, to embarr
assment, and then curiosity as Lacy’s words flowed out. Now there was a twinkle in his eye that she couldn’t define and she felt her face flaming as he continued to stare at her.

  “I’m very sorry, Ms. Mitchell. I seem to have made two very terrible mistakes in the span of only a few minutes. I do apologize for my errors.”

  “Yes. Well. Thank you. Maybe you’ll both think before making such mistakes again. Is that all settled now?” Lacy’s bravado was quickly fading and her legs were starting to shake. She wanted to run for the hall exit but made herself wait for confirmation.

  “Yes, I think it’s fair to say our earlier eviction notice was based on faulty logic. And you’re right about the apartment. We should at least wait until the family has been here. I told you that was the sensible action, Ms. Turner, but you weren’t having it.” The man said as he turned to the now chastened looking woman.

  “I’m sorry, Bill. I should have thought.” The woman said, her voice trailing off as she waved a hand around airily. The woman acted as though her total lack of civility was something to just brush off.

  “You know, people like you are part of the problem, Ms. Turner. No manners, no consideration, and full of their own self-importance. The world would be a much more pleasant place if you’d learn some simple manners and graciousness.” Lacy said before tutting to the dogs once more and turning to leave without another word for the pair.

  “Ms. Mitchell!” Lacy heard Bill Shaffer call out as she stuck her nose in the air and walked away. “Please, Ms. Mitchell, I’d like to speak with you for just a moment more.”

  Lacy stopped and turned back to the well-groomed man, trying not to let tears form in her eyes from the stress of the day. She just couldn’t take anymore nastiness today!

  “If you want a moment of my time you’ll have to walk with me, Mr. Shaffer. The dogs have waited for their walk long enough and if we don’t get Mr. Piddles outside soon you’ll find out why he was given that name and have another cleaning bill to contend with.”