Missy DeMeanor Cozy Mysteries Boxset

by Brianna Bates

  "Anybody else you can think of that would want to hurt Switzer?"

  Carly thought about it. "If they hadn't gotten divorced, I would have said his wife. She is one mean bitch."

  Missy nodded. She'd been thinking the same thing. But there was no reason for Loretta to kill her ex-husband. The divorce had finalized. Unless there were still issues with alimony or division of property? Missy made another mental note.

  "Thanks, Carly."

  ***

  Florence arrived two hours late to the crop. Her assistant wheeled in six oversized bags of supplies and tools and set her up at the end of our table, while Florence studied her smart phone and fired off texts and emails with her thumbs. Without looking up from her phone, Florence issued an order.

  "Hailey, please move the Cricut to the left side of my active work area. Remember I prefer it over there?"

  Hailey smiled pleasantly enough but deep down Missy wondered how she really felt. Carefully she repositioned Florence's tools of the scrapbooking trade while her boss finished up crafting her latest message or memo or whatever on her phone. Florence was very important and wanted everybody to know it. As a big shot attorney in the city, she barely had time to scrapbook. That was why she was always late and that was why her assistant had to set up for her. Her time was too precious for that.

  "Good to see you, Florence," Bev said. About an hour ago she had migrated to Missy's table and set up next to her. She was still laying out her first page, trying to decide which of the thousand pictures of her firstborn grandson to use.

  Florence gave her a thousand-watt smile. She could always do that--turn on the personality when she needed to.

  Missy could usually take or leave Florence, but today she was happy to have the woman in attendance. Florence was plugged in to everything and being an attorney in the city, Missy figured she might have some color around the Switzer divorce.

  She let Florence get settled in and waited to make sure the smart phone was actually away before making her move down the table.

  "Missy, how are you?" Florence asked, flashing that politician's smile.

  "Good, Florence. Nice to see you. What are you working on today?"

  "Old law school materials." Florence motioned for her assistant, Hailey, to open one of the bags on the floor. Hailey unzipped it and pulled out a folder bursting at the seams. Florence took it from her and opened it for Missy to see. There were law journals and old photographs and several awards for something called Moot Court. Missy didn't know what that was.

  "Oh wow, very cool."

  Florence nodded. "It's nice to go through this old stuff. But I've been trying to find a good graphic or symbol. Of course all I can think of are the scales of justice, but that's so cliche, and one thing I am not is cliche."

  Missy kept her thoughts to herself. Florence wore designer power suits, always had a new Gucci bag, and tried her damnedest to look like the Kardashian sisters. If anything she was too petite to pull off their look. She could have used some of Missy's cushioning. Missy would have been glad to give her some.

  "Lady Justice?" Missy asked, not sure she was even using the right term.

  "My second thought, but again, cliche."

  "You could set up the background to look like a court room, right? Maybe a judge's bench or the jury box?"

  "Oh, now that's an idea," Florence said, but Missy could tell she was just being polite.

  "Hey, while I have your ear--"

  "You want to know about the Switzer divorce, yes?"

  Missy was taken aback, though she shouldn't have been. Florence always seemed to know what everybody was thinking. "Well, yes."

  "From what I've heard you're the prime suspect," Florence said, and when Missy gave her a look, she quickly added: "I'm not a criminal attorney, but I could certainly recommend one to you at our firm."

  "I don't need a lawyer. I didn't kill Switzer."

  "Missy." Florence laughed incredulously. "I know you didn't. But what does that have to do with anything? If the police think you did or they think they can close the case by pinning it on you, they will. Cops don't like open murders on their books, especially in a small town like this. The mayor will apply a lot of pressure to get this resolved quickly. It's not an election year, but like they say, it's always an election year. And the police will move quickly. You should really think about retaining an attorney now. The sooner is always the better in these situations."

  "Thanks," Missy said. Political pressure or no, she couldn't believe that Tyler would arrest her if he truly didn't think she was the killer. He was an honest man. At least, he had been when they’d dated. Maybe the job in Philly had changed him. Maybe he was now like the police that Florence had mentioned: he didn't want any unsolved cases on the books. It would reflect poorly on him.

  And the more she thought about it, the more Tyler had to suspect her. If he didn't think of her as prime suspect, people would say it was because of their prior history. His credibility as a police officer would be shot. He almost had to come after her to stay above reproach.

  Missy shuddered. It was times like these she almost wished she was back in high school. Things weren't necessarily easier back then, but they were simpler.

  Florence was staring at her.

  "Do you know anything about their divorce?" Missy asked.

  "Well..." Florence lowered her voice. "I'm on good terms with Loretta's new beau. I've worked with and against him on several real estate transactions. He's a stone cold killer..."

  "What?"

  Florence bobbed her head. "I meant in the courtroom and behind closed doors. That man always goes for the jugular in every negotiation. He's one of those people that won't let anything go and would rather cut off his nose to spite his face. When he first started practicing very few people took him seriously."

  Missy was intrigued. "Why?"

  "He used to be a bodybuilder. Everyone wrote him off, figuring his biceps were more powerful than his brains. But I guess he got the last laugh. He opened his own firm about twenty years ago."

  "Hmmm."

  "What is it?" Florence asked.

  "Oh, nothing." It was probably just a coincidence that the man had started his own business right around the time that her father and Albert had almost started theirs. "So what can you share about the divorce?"

  “Nothing juicy, I’m afraid."

  Missy felt let down. She had been hoping to get some tidbit of information she could further explore. "They weren't on the best of terms, I thought?"

  "Nobody getting a divorce is on good terms," Florence said. "But they came to a divorce agreement quickly. Loretta earned about as much as Albert, so alimony wasn't really at issue. And even if it had been, she was upgrading from a financial perspective by getting together with Gordon the attorney. He probably earns about ten times what Albert makes."

  So there was really no motive there. Missy shrugged it off. At least she had an angle to explore with Cooper Merritt. She made a little more small talk with Florence, before the other woman announced she really had to get down to work. She could only spare seventy-five minutes for scrapbooking this morning as she was behind in her billables and needed the rest of the weekend to get ahead in her legal work.

  Chapter Ten

  Missy got held up longer than she wanted at the crop, helping Bev with what was still her first page of the day. After giving her some ideas about the layout, Missy thanked everybody for coming and met Noreen in the parking lot with her stuff. Cody bounced alongside of her and automatically jumped into the back of Noreen's car.

  In the passenger seat, Missy took the phone out to call the vet. But before she could dial, her phone rang.

  The name on the caller ID worried her. Mom. They’d just talked so if Mom was calling back this quickly, it meant something was up.

  “Mom, is everything okay?” She shot Noreen a nervous look as her friend started the engine.

  Mom said, “I just got a call from Tyler Brock. He’s on his way
over.”

  Missy shook her head. Mom was almost sixty and had bad arthritis in her hands. It was literally impossible for her to have strangled Switzer.

  “We’re coming over, Mom.” She nodded at Noreen, who promptly threw the car in reverse and peeled out of the parking lot.

  ***

  They arrived just as Tyler did. Noreen got into the driveway first, then Tyler parked next to her. He pulled up so he was even with Missy. Through the window he gave her a smile and it was like stepping into a time machine. The years melted away and Missy was back in high school, hanging out behind the bleachers after field hockey practice with him.

  Tyler had always had such a dreamy smile. It was actually her favorite part of his look. The broad shoulders and trim body were great too, but she could have gotten by on the smile alone.

  “He’s looking pretty hot,” Noreen said.

  Missy was about to agree, when she remembered why they were here in the first place. Tyler had come to question her mother about Switzer’s death. When a confused look passed over his face, she realized she’d just been staring at him. Missy put on her poker face and got out of the car and waited for him, determined to challenge him before he even went inside.

  Tyler slid out of the car and quietly shut the door. After he faced her, they stared at each other for a moment. Noreen got out and let Cody out. The dog came around the corner and sat in front of Missy, practically sitting on her feet.

  Tyler smiled at her. “Hey, Melissa. Looks like you two are getting along.”

  Cody wagged her tail. Missy had never wanted a dog or any pet before. But now that Cody was staying with her, she wondered why. The Irish setter made a great, loving companion.

  Missy pursed her lips. “What are you doing here?”

  The smile slipped off him. “Official police business. I have to speak to your mother.”

  “She didn’t do anything. She can barely make a fist with her right hand, her arthritis is so bad.”

  Tyler frowned. “I’m sorry to hear that. My mother just had to get her knee replaced.”

  For a moment they stood there silently, watching each other. The awkward moment stretched out, till Missy realized she was being impolite.

  “Sorry to hear that.” Missy had never gotten a good vibe from Tyler’s mother. The woman had looked down at her like she wasn’t good enough for her son. Missy didn’t know why, but thought it was because of her weight or the fact that her father couldn’t seem to hold a steady job after the fiasco at the factory. “Your mother was always so sweet.”

  “You’re a horrible liar.” He smirked. “You two never got along.”

  “That’s not true.”

  He brushed past her and smiled at Noreen as he headed to the front door. “Twice in one week, what a pleasant surprise.”

  Noreen smiled back at him.

  “Hold on, Tyler.” Missy hurried past him on the walk and reached the front door first. Mom opened it before she could.

  Mom was wearing a great big sweater and an old pair of jeans that had lost their shape, with her half-eyes perched on her nose. She had always been petite and short, but lately it seemed like she’d actually shrunk. Anybody seeing the two of them next to each other would never in a million years think they were related. Missy towered over her, and of course was a lot bigger everywhere also.

  “Hey, sweetheart,” Mom said. Missy threw her arms around Mom’s neck and gave her a big hug. “And look who we have here. Tyler Brock as I live and breathe.”

  Missy let go of Mom and stood between her and Tyler in the doorway. She put as much attitude in her voice as she could muster. “Yes. He’s here on official police business, apparently.”

  Tyler didn’t react. “Hello, Mrs. DeMeanor. It’s nice to see you again. Mind if I come in?”

  Missy folded her arms. “Yes, we do min—”

  Mom cut her off. “Of course, Tyler. Come right in.”

  Mom opened the door wide and Tyler waited patiently for Missy to move out of the way. She shuffled sideways, but there wasn’t much space on the steps. Tyler had to sidle past her to get inside. As he did, she caught his scent again. He was freshly shaved and looked fabulous. Under the uniform, she could practically see all those muscles working…

  “Excuse me,” Tyler said.

  “Sorry.”

  He slipped inside. Missy froze on the steps. She didn’t know what to do. She didn’t want Tyler talking to Mom, in light of what Mom had shared this morning. From the steps, she turned to Noreen and mouthed:

  What do I do?

  Noreen answered, Go inside.

  But what do I say?

  Flirt with him. Take him off his game.

  Missy nodded, thinking it a good idea. She went inside, leaving Noreen on the lawn with Cody.

  ***

  Mom had made chocolate chip cookies. She had an uncanny knack for preparing a treat whenever an unexpected visitor stopped by. Mom offered Tyler one, but he politely declined.

  “I’m going soft around the middle.” He patted his non-existent tummy and it made Missy mad. She hated it when thin people acted like that. They had no idea what overweight actually was, and what it was like to really struggle with the scale.

  “Everything okay, dear?” Mom asked.

  Missy dropped her scowl. “Yes. Sorry, just thinking about something.”

  Mom kept her cheery smile in place. “Let’s sit down in the living room. Missy, would you pour us some water?”

  Mom led Tyler out of the kitchen. Missy knew what she was doing: Mom was giving her a chance to cool off. She knew how touchy Missy could be about her weight sometimes. Missy took a deep breath and waited till she heard them talking in the living room before taking three glasses out and getting some water out of the tap.

  Missy entered the living room, expertly carrying the three glasses in a triangle between her two hands.

  “You waitressed for one summer and you still got it, huh?” Tyler asked.

  Missy couldn’t help but smile. She loved that he remembered that otherwise insignificant detail about her life. Sitting on the couch next to Tyler, she put their waters on the coffee table. Mom reached out from the recliner to get her drink.

  “Now, Tyler, I understand you have a job to do so I don’t want to keep you,” Mom said.

  Tyler sipped his water and put it down on a coaster.

  “I’m sorry, Mrs. DeMeanor, but I’m afraid I have to ask you where you were yesterday morning.”

  Without even tasting it, Mom put her water down on the end table next to the recliner. She folded one leg over the other and put her hands in her lap.

  “I was here all morning.”

  Tyler took out his notebook, wearing an apologetic smile. “These days I have to write everything down.”

  Missy’s eyes bounced back and forth between Tyler and her mother. For a moment she got déjà vu. Tyler and she had sat on this couch many times in high school, sometimes late into the night. She remembered what it was like to snuggle up. His body was always so warm.

  “You didn’t go out?” Tyler asked.

  Mom had to think about it. “No.”

  “Are you sure about that?”

  Mom frowned. “Yes.”

  “I didn’t see your car outside,” Tyler said. “Do you keep it in the garage?”

  “Yes.”

  “Still driving the old Camry?” he asked.

  Mom squirmed in her seat, her eyes wide. Something about Tyler’s questioning had alarmed her. Missy wondered why Mom was acting so strange. It was almost like she had something to hide.

  “Where are you going with this?” Missy demanded, hoping to slow Tyler down to give Mom time to answer.

  Tyler ignored her question and kept his eyes on Mom. “Mrs. DeMeanor?”

  “Sorry, what did you ask me?”

  “Your car. Do you still drive the Camry?”

  “Yes, I still drive the Camry.”

  Tyler looked away and scratched the back of his head. It
was like he was getting ready to do something he didn’t want to. Missy got a terrible feeling about where this conversation was heading.

  Tyler grew serious.“Mrs. DeMeanor, I spoke to your neighbor this morning. She said you went out yesterday. It was right around lunch time. Do you remember doing that?”

  “Who told you that?” Missy asked.

  Again he ignored her. “Mrs. DeMeanor?”

  “Oh yes. I forgot. I did go out yesterday. Around lunch time. Yes.”

  Missy had been ready to give Tyler a piece of her mind for ignoring her, but Mom’s answer stopped her cold. Like an owl, she swiveled her head around to peer at Mom.

  “Where did you go?” Tyler asked.

  “Just for a drive.”

  Missy couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Since when did Mom go out for drives? She was a homebody and thought Sunday traffic was tantamount to rush hour. Not a week went by where Mom didn’t call Missy to go pick something up for her and drop it off on her way home from work.

  Tyler leaned forward. “Where did you go?”

  Mom shrugged. “Just around town, you know.”

  Tyler nodded. “Anybody go with you?”

  Mom answered quickly. “No.”

  “Did you stop anywhere?”

  “No.”

  “Did anybody see you while you were out?”

  “No, I was in the car.”

  Tyler nodded. “I understand. I was wondering if you went to Main Street and maybe somebody saw you. You know, a lot of people are usually out and about there, even if you didn’t stop they might have—”

  “No.”

  “Tyler, I was at Switzer’s yesterday,” Missy said. “It’s a long two-lane road leading out there. I would have passed right by Mom if she was out that way. I didn’t see her. I of all people would have recognized her car immediately.”

  Tyler finally met her eyes, and there was nothing pleasant in his gaze. “She could have gone the other way. Like she said, she was out for a drive.”