Murder at the Church: Cottonwood Springs Cozy Mystery Series

by Dianne Harman

  CHAPTER 4

  All eyes were on the person on stage in charge of the award-giving.

  “Our last award recipient has constantly shown such outstanding academic achievement that she continues to amaze her teachers, because she excels in everything she does. This next award doesn’t get handed out very often, but it was created specifically for students like this one, students who not only get good grades, but master any challenge placed before them.

  “They show hope and promise, despite any struggles or obstacles that may be in their path. They turn those obstacles into stepping stones used to achieve their goal, rather than allowing their focus to be broken. This year, I am extremely proud to hand out the District Honors Achievement Award to Miss Holly Lewis!” Principal Bartlett clapped loudly as the entire student body, with only a few exceptions, and teachers joined him in a long round of applause.

  Holly couldn’t believe what she’d just heard. She looked around in nervous amazement, seeing the eyes of her teachers and classmates on her. She smiled faintly as she stood up, unsure of herself with everyone watching her.

  Don’t trip, don’t trip, don’t trip, she mentally said to herself. She wasn’t always the most graceful person, and now with the whole school staring at her, she was afraid she might do something embarrassing. She lowered her gaze to her black and white off-brand sneakers, paying very close attention to each step she took. Once she made it into the center aisle between the rows of students, she made the mistake of looking up.

  The first thing she saw was Amanda and her two mean girlfriends, Morgan and April. Amanda had been picking on Holly since they’d been in kindergarten. It seemed that no matter what achievement Holly acquired, Amanda found some way to try and ruin it for her. Maybe it was the fact that no matter how hard she tried, Holly still got better grades than she did.

  Amanda always came in second to the meek little blonde girl who sat in the back of the class, never drawing attention to herself. It wasn’t as though Holly consciously tried to show her up. She just always did her best in every single class, and the problem was, Amanda’s best was never as good as Holly’s.

  Holly took a deep breath and tried to put their faces out of her mind. She knew she wasn’t as rich or as popular as they were, but academically, she always did better than Amanda. What Amanda didn’t understand was that there was no way Holly would ever stop working hard in school.

  It was the only way she knew of to avoid growing up and becoming like her mother. Her education was her ticket out of Cottonwood Springs and as far away from her mother as she could possibly get. Her goal was to leave the small town and everyone who had ever looked down their nose at her because of the things her mother did.

  Holly slowly made her way up to the podium and then smiled at Principal Bartlett. He was a kind man, balding with greyish brown hair which formed a ring around his head. Today, the middle school principal was wearing a light blue dress shirt and a purple tie with a scowling yellow cartoon bird imprinted on it. Principal Bartlett and a handful of teachers were the only ones Holly would have good memories of once she left Cottonwood Springs. In many ways, they’d become her surrogate parents. Each one kept a friendly eye on her and helped her in any way they could.

  “You’ve done very well, Holly. We’re all very proud of you. We need to get a couple of photos for the school newspaper,” the principal said as they posed on the stage for a photograph. When the photos had been taken, and as she returned to her seat, she saw Miss Baker smiling a big toothy grin at her. She was Holly’s favorite teacher and perhaps the closest thing to a real mother she’d had the entire time she’d been in middle school. Miss Baker was a sixth-grade science teacher, and Holly often visited her during the lunch hour or after school.

  Although Holly had a few friends, she preferred to keep them at a distance. Friends want to come over, have slumber parties, and do stuff like that. Holly didn’t want anyone visiting the trailer. She couldn’t risk anyone seeing her mom messed up or how rundown their home was. She was embarrassed about her whole living situation. After the awards assembly and school was over, Miss Baker approached Holly in the hallway.

  “I’m so happy for you,” she said with a smile. “That is really a very special honor.”

  Holly looked down at her feet, clearly uncomfortable with the praise. “Thanks,” she said, “I was pretty surprised.”

  “I don’t see why. You deserve it more than anyone,” Miss Baker said. She always tried to praise Holly as much as possible. She had a feeling Holly didn’t get much praise elsewhere. “Was your mother able to come to the assembly?” she asked as she looked around.

  “No, she doesn’t come to these things,” Holly said with a frown. Her mother had never come to a single play, awards assembly, or parent teacher conference. It might have been the only thing Holly could count on her to do.

  “I’m sorry to hear that. I bet once she sees your award, though, she’ll be kicking herself for not coming.”

  “Probably,” Holly said, but inwardly she doubted it. She knew she should have told her mother about the awards assembly, but she didn’t. Although her mother was clean for now, Holly wasn’t sure how long it would last. She hadn’t wanted her mother to show up for the first time and be messed up. That would be even more embarrassing than being the kid whose mother never came to anything. It was bad enough that most kids knew her mom was a drunk and a druggie. They didn’t need to see it first-hand.

  “What are you going to do on your day off tomorrow?” Miss Baker asked. The following day, Friday, was an in-service day for teachers, but the students didn’t have class.

  “I’ll probably end up going to the library or something,” Holly said.

  “By the way, have you had a chance to read the book I recommended to you?” Miss Baker asked. She was talking about one that she’d found at the library and thought Holly would like.

  “Yes, I’m almost done with it. I’ll probably finish it tonight,” Holly said smiling. “It’s really good. Thank you.”

  “I agree. I couldn’t put it down,” Miss Baker said. “Well, I’ll let you go. Enjoy your three-day weekend and try to do some kid stuff. Everyone needs a break from studying once in a while.” She smiled and waved as she walked away.

  Holly turned back to her locker and began spinning the dial on the combination lock. I’d love to be able to act like a kid, she thought. Instead I have to worry about adult stuff because my mom won’t. Opening the door of her locker, she slid her backpack off her shoulder, and began to switch out her books. She had some homework she needed to do over the weekend, so she wanted to make sure she had the books she would need.

  Suddenly Holly was knocked off balance, her backpack dropped to the floor, and her papers and folders scattered onto the floor. A few kids who were standing nearby giggled, while others completely ignored her.

  “Hey, watch where you’re going!” Holly heard a voice say.

  She looked up to see Amanda and her friends laughing and walking away. She’d purposely bumped into Holly, causing her to drop everything. With her papers scattered across the hallway, a few kids were nice enough to step over them, but most of them didn’t care and simply walked on top of them.

  Holly dropped to her knees and started to pick them up. She’d worry about organizing the mess later.

  “Here, let me help you,” a deep voice said. She looked up and saw Wade Taylor stooping down to help. He’d already changed into his baseball uniform for his after-school practice. His golden-brown hair glistened in the sunlight, beaming through the windows above the lockers. When he met her eyes, he smiled a lopsided grin that made Holly feel as though her heart had stopped. His piercing blue eyes were bright, and his face was deeply tanned.

  “Oh, thanks anyway, but you don’t have to,” she said quickly. Although she really liked Wade, as in really, really liked him, she knew what would happen if Amanda saw him helping her. Amanda was always fawning all over Wade, but he didn’t seem the least bit int
erested in her. That only seemed to infuriate her more, which in turn, made Holly like him even more.

  “It’s no trouble,” he said as he handed her the last of her papers. “Actually, I wanted to talk to you. I was wondering if you could help me with something?”

  Holly looked at him, clearly surprised. She’d talked to Wade from time to time when they were in class, and while he’d always been pleasant to her, she didn’t think of the two of them as being friends. She wondered what he could possibly need her help with.

  “I did really bad on our last science test. I was wondering if maybe you could tutor me or something? My parents would pay you for your time. You always know everything, and I thought maybe you could help me understand a few things.” His bright, eager eyes left Holly speechless for a moment before she caught herself.

  “Yeah, uh, sure. Not a problem. I’m actually planning on spending the day at the library tomorrow,” she said. The last thing she wanted was for him to come to the trailer park. She was afraid if he saw where she lived, and if her mom was home, he’d start treating her like Amanda did.

  “That’s perfect,” he said smiling again and showing his teeth which were incredibly white and straight. Holly remembered when he’d worn braces two years ago. Obviously, they’d been a success. His smile would melt anyone. “I’ll see you tomorrow at the library, say… 10:30?”

  Holly simply nodded, unable to muster a verbal response.

  “Alright, I gotta’ get to practice, but I’ll see you tomorrow,” he said with a smile and a wave, as he jogged down the hallway.

  Oh my gosh, Holly thought. I have a study date with Wade. She shut her locker and hurried out of the school building, lost in her daydreams, and eager for tomorrow to come.

  CHAPTER 5

  When Billy pulled his car back into the parking lot of his apartment complex, Samantha Rogers felt like it was time for her to make her move. She’d ridden to Denver with Billy and enjoyed every minute of it. If anything, it just confirmed to her that they were supposed to be together. He was so smart and good-looking, she couldn’t resist flirting with him.

  Sam had always considered Maggie a friend, but Billy was more important to her. He was everything any woman could ever want. Sam couldn’t understand why Maggie had left him. Oh well, even if she did want him back, it would be too late. He was a free man, and Sam had every intention of making it work to her advantage.

  “Thanks for riding along with me tonight,” Billy said as he turned off the car’s engine.

  “Thanks for taking me with you,” she answered, smiling sweetly. “I had a great time.”

  They got out of Billy’s old Cutlass and walked up to the door of his first-floor apartment. He unlocked it and pushed it open, so Sam could enter first. She relished the feeling of having him open the door for her as she stepped inside his apartment.

  “I’ll be back in a minute. Make yourself comfortable.” Billy said as he walked down the dark hallway of the apartment and out of sight. In a moment, Sam heard the bathroom door close.

  She looked around the living room and noticed there weren’t any traces of Maggie. She hadn’t left anything of hers at Billy’s apartment, which Sam took as a good sign. The two of them had been together for quite some time, and Sam would have expected Maggie to have left something of hers in the apartment. She walked around in the living room and then looked towards the kitchen.

  I’m not seeing a jacket, spare clothes, and I’m willing to bet there’s not even a toothbrush in the bathroom, she thought to herself. Maybe Billy wasn’t all that invested in Maggie? She sure didn’t seem to have been invested in him, that’s for sure. Maybe it was just that she was something familiar to him. I wonder what would happen if someone else were to come along and make Billy feel extra special again?

  The more Sam thought about it the more certain she was that she was right. She only knew one way to get a man's full attention and make him feel special. Without a moment’s hesitation, she quickly began to undress. By the time she heard the bathroom door open, she was posing naked out of sight from the hallway. She decided to stand to the side, so Billy would be surprised when he stepped into the room.

  Sam held her breath as she heard his footsteps coming down the hall. “I don’t know about you,” he started to say, “but I think those burgers were…” Billy’s sentence dropped as he came around the corner and saw her standing there in the nude.

  Sam stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Billy. She pushed her mouth to his and moved her body against his. Billy dropped his hands to her hips for a moment and then gently pushed her away.

  “What are you doing?” he asked as he took several steps backward, widening his distance from her.

  “Billy, I want to be with you,” Sam whispered in a low sultry voice.

  “But I’m with Maggie,” he said, still clearly flustered. “Come on now, Sam. Make yourself decent, so I can talk to you right.” He turned and rushed into the kitchen where he began to fumble around.

  Sam walked over to the couch where she’d put her clothes and began to put them back on. “I know you liked it,” she said loudly. A moment later she said, “Alright, I’m dressed. You can come back in.”

  Billy walked into the living room, drinking a can of beer. “Sam, what in the devil were you thinking?” he asked as he moved towards his recliner. Sam grabbed her shoes and sat down on the couch.

  “I’m thinking I want to spend more time with you,” she said, keeping her eyes on him to gauge his reaction. “Doing things other than talkin’.”

  “I told you I’m with Maggie. How many more times do I have to say it?” Billy asked in an agitated voice.

  “I know that, but I haven’t seen her around here for quite a while now. You may think you’re with her, but it sure looks to me like she’s not very interested in being with you.” Sam knew what she’d said was cruel, but she thought it was time Billy admitted Maggie wasn’t coming back. The penny didn’t seem to have dropped with him.

  “No!” he said in a voice that was so loud and sharp it made Sam jump. “No,” he said again, more calmly. “She’s just got a wild streak in her. That’s all. She’ll be back soon.” His eyes softened, and he looked directly at Sam. “It’s not that I don’t think you’re pretty or anything, darlin’, it’s just that my heart belongs to Maggie. If she wasn’t in the picture, maybe we’d have a future, but she is and always will be.” He leaned back and took a big swallow of his beer.

  “We don’t have to tell her nothin’,” Sam said trying one more time. She’d made her mind up to keep trying, no matter what he said about Maggie and him being together.

  “Look, Sam, I’m really flattered. There’s a lot of things I do that I probably shouldn’t, but cheating isn’t one of them. It’s like the one thing I still hold on to. My dad cheated on my mom, and that’s the reason they got divorced. I won’t do that. Can you understand?” Billy asked, his eyes searching Sam’s for a favorable response.

  “Yeah, sure. I understand,” she said dejectedly. “Well, I hope nobody snatches me up before you decide she’s not coming back. If that happens, you just might lose your chance.” Sam stood up and smoothed her blouse.

  She walked over to the door, seductively wiggling her back side just in case Billy was still looking. She closed the door behind her and proudly walked around the corner of the building before allowing her shoulders to sag.

  The fact she knew he was tempted helped a little, but her ego was still bruised by being turned down by him. She couldn’t remember ever having had a man reject her physical advances. She knew she could get Billy if it wasn’t for Maggie. I know he desired me, she told herself. For a moment he kissed me back.

  It’s all Maggie’s fault, she thought. He said if she wasn’t in the picture he’d come after me. I just have to convince him she’s not coming back. But it’s already been weeks since she said she was done with him, and he still hasn’t let go. How much longer is he willing to wait?

  It’s ti
me I moved things along, she decided. Somehow, I need to make him see that she’s out of his life, like forever. But how I am going to do that?

  She considered different ways she could prove to Billy that Maggie wasn’t coming back. Maybe she could convince Maggie to move and then record her conversation with her. But even if Maggie moved, what if Billy followed her? Sam knew she didn’t have enough money to follow him. She decided that was a bad idea, because then she’d be completely without Billy. She continued to think as she walked the four blocks to her home at the trailer park.

  What if I could make her disappear? What if she ran away in the middle of the night? I could tell her I’d heard some people were out to kill her because of things she’d done in the past. I’d tell her that she couldn’t let anyone know where she was going. She thought the idea had potential, but there were holes in the plan, like what if she came back?

  I just have to make sure she leaves forever, Sam thought. Then it clicked. She didn’t have to convince Maggie to go anywhere. All she had to do was kill Maggie, and she’d be gone for good. That would eliminate the problem of her ever returning. Maggie would be completely out of the picture and Billy would be hers, forever. Sam began to smile. As she rounded the corner and walked into the trailer park, she’d formed a plan.

  CHAPTER 6

  Holly was standing in front of the library doors when the librarian unlocked them at 9:30 the next morning.

  “Good morning, Holly,” the librarian said.

  “Good morning, Margaret,” Holly responded. “How has your week been?”

  “Wonderful, dear.” Holly walked into the empty library which felt more like a home to her than the trailer did. The shelves filled with books were much more comforting to her than being in the tiny bedroom where she slept. Here she could escape into a different world, a world where she could be anything and anyone she wanted to be. At the trailer, she was her mother’s daughter.