Murder at the Church: Cottonwood Springs Cozy Mystery Series

by Dianne Harman

  She grabbed a clean pair of socks and her shoes as she hurried into the great room. Jett was sound asleep on his loveseat. “Good morning, Jett,” she said. He yawned and lifted his head, as if he was wondering what was going on.

  “Do you need to go out, Jett?” she asked as she rushed into the kitchen. Thankfully, she’d pre-set her automatic coffee pot, so there was already some coffee brewing. She quickly poured herself a cup while Jett dragged himself off his loveseat. She added her favorite creamer to her coffee and stirred it, joining Jett at the back door and letting him out.

  Knowing he’d be fine for a little while, she picked up her cell phone and purse, along with her keys, and headed out the front door. When she was in her car, she sent a text to Linc.

  Sheriff Davis just called me and asked me to come to the Jordan’s church. When you wake up would you go over to my house and see if Jett wants back in the house and then feed him? You know where the emergency key is. I’ll let you know what’s going on when I learn more.

  She pushed send and dropped the phone onto the passenger seat. As she started her car and prepared to back out of the driveway the phone lit up, indicating she had a message.

  That’s strange. Not a problem. I’ll check on Jett in 20 - 30 minutes. Want me to hang out with him until you get back? I don’t have anything to do this morning that can’t wait.

  Brigid smiled at her phone. She was glad she and Linc had told each other where they kept their emergency keys. At times like this it was handy.

  That would be perfect. I don’t think you could get out of the house without him following you. Thank you.

  She put the phone back down and backed out of the driveway. As she navigated through town she began to wonder what the issue was with Maggie and Holly. I hope Maggie hasn’t relapsed and done something foolish, she thought. She’d been so hopeful that Maggie could get her life in order. She really didn’t want her to slide back into her old habits. That would be so hard on Holly.

  After meeting Holly a few days earlier, she could tell she didn’t completely believe that her mother would stay sober. Brigid understood why she felt that way. She couldn’t imagine what it must be like to live with a mother who placed substance abuse ahead of her daughter’s welfare. That had to create emotional scars that couldn’t be easily healed.

  As Brigid turned onto the road where the church was located, she saw a number of law enforcement cars and yellow tape. The terrible memories of Lucy’s murder flashed before her. The sheriff’s cars, with their flashing red and blue lights, brought back things she’d rather forget. She pulled into the church parking lot, turned off the engine, and got out of her car.

  “Oh, Brigid,” she heard a familiar voice say. Missy broke free from a group of people who were standing outside the main doors of the church. Her face was pale and streaked with tears. Her nose and eyes were red, and she had a wad of tissues clutched in her hand. She was still wearing a bathrobe and slippers. When she reached Brigid, she wrapped her arms around her friend and began to sob.

  “Glad yer’ here,” Sheriff Davis said. He’d also left the group of people and joined Brigid and Missy.

  “What’s going on?” Brigid asked, confused, as Missy clung to her.

  “Maggie Lewis was murdered,” Davis said softly. “Seems someone strangled her while she was in the chapel area. Probably doin’ a bit of soul searchin’ or prayin’.”

  “Oh no,” Brigid gasped, her hand flying up to cover her mouth. “In the church?”

  Sheriff Davis nodded grimly. “I know, jes’ ain’t right. One of my deputies is talkin’ to her daughter right now. Says she knows ya’.”

  Brigid was shocked that the girl would mention her, but then she remembered Maggie and Holly had told her they had no family living nearby. Was it possible she was the only one Holly would think to call? Brigid nodded, acknowledging to the sheriff that she knew Holly. Her mouth was dry, and her throat felt tight.

  “Know yer’ a busy woman and all, so I hate to ask this of ya’ but I may need a coupla’ favors.” Davis’ brow was bunched with worry.

  “What can I do?” Brigid managed to squeak out. Her voice cracked, and she felt overwhelmed. She was still trying to understand why he’d called her.

  “Had one of my deputies go to Maggie’s home to wake Holly up and tell her about her mother. Didn’t want her to find out about it on the mornin’ news program. The preacher’s wife went with my deputy to help out. They brought her back here to the church, and I’ve got her sittin’ over there on the church steps with one of my female deputies who’s tryin’ to comfort her.

  “I unnerstand ya’ knew Maggie and Holly and were trying’ to help ‘em out. Now, that Maggie’s gone, Holly’s next of kin is in Missouri. Some aunt the kid’s never met. She really don’t wanna’ leave Cottonwood Springs and she told me she’d like to stay with you, so I thought I’d see if you’d be willin’ to let her stay at your place? It’s fine if ya’ don’t want to…”

  Brigid cut him off. “That’s perfectly fine. If she’d like to, she’s welcome to stay with me.” Brigid couldn’t fathom making the girl have to move that far away to live with people she didn’t even know. Although Brigid barely knew her, at least she’d be able to finish the school year here in Cottonwood Springs.

  “That’s great, Brigid. Thanks. Already tol’ her ya’ might be willin’ to let her stay with ya’ fer a while. Think she’ll appreciate it, too. She’s been worried sick. Poor thing.”

  He sighed and looked toward the young girl. She was sitting on the steps of the church, her face red and blotchy, wearing a pair of plaid pajama pants that had been in one of the sacks of clothes Brigid had given her, and a faded black shirt. Her hair was a mess, and she was barefoot. Brigid’s heart filled with sadness as she looked at the forlorn young girl. In one swift terrible moment, whoever had done this to her mother had taken away the only family Holly had ever known.

  “The other thing I wanted to ask ya’ was if you’d mind helpin’ me with this investigation. Ya’ know, like the last one we did together? Realize it ain’t yer’ job, but ya’ was so good at getting’ people to open up when Lucy was murdered. Think you got a nose for this kinda’ thing,” Sheriff Davis said as he looked at her anxiously.

  For a moment Brigid was tempted to tell him no. She remembered what it had been like helping him with the investigation of her friend Lucy’s murder, and she wasn’t sure if she was willing to take on that responsibility again. Then her mind replayed the conversation she’d had with Maggie, when she admitted how she wanted to right her wrongs and develop a real relationship with her daughter. Whoever did this had robbed Maggie of her chance to do that and prove to the world she was more than just an addict. Just thinking about it made Brigid’s heart ache.

  Brigid looked over at Holly. She was nodding and talking to the female deputy. Even though she was stony-faced, Brigid could see the pain in her eyes. How could Brigid refuse to help find the killer and thereby possibly deny the young woman the comfort of knowing that whoever took her mother from her was behind bars?

  “Okay, I’ll help,” Brigid finally said. The words left her mouth before she’d consciously made the decision to say them, but once they were out she knew she’d done the right thing.

  “Good,” Sheriff Davis said. “When my deputies are done with her ya’ can take her to her home and let her collect some clothes and personal items. We’ve asked her to leave everythin’ jes’ as it is in case there’s some clue as to who the killer is. Once we’ve had a chance to thoroughly search the trailer, she’ll be able to return and take whatever else she needs.” Sheriff Davis touched Brigid’s arm. “Yer’ a good person for doin’ this, Brigid. I know it ain’t easy, and I realize I’m askin’ a mighty lot from you.”

  “Don’t mention it,” Brigid said touching his hand before he moved away to join the other officers.

  “That poor girl,” Missy said tearfully as she stood next to Brigid. Brigid had forgotten her friend was standing
beside her.

  “I know. I can’t imagine what she’s going through right now,” Brigid said with a sigh, “Before I talk to her, I probably ought to know what happened. Want to tell me?”

  Missy wiped her eyes before she started to speak. “I’d just gotten out of bed, and Jordan said he was going to make his morning rounds. He likes to check the grounds, the chapel area, and so on in the morning, just to make sure everything’s as it should be. When he walked in the chapel through one of the side doors that leads to the back of the church, he didn’t notice anything at first.

  “Maggie was up closer to the front, so the pews blocked her from his view. It wasn’t until he circled around and started heading back that he noticed her laying on the floor. He ran over to her, thinking maybe she was unconscious, but when he got closer he saw the bruising on her throat and her eyes staring vacantly at the ceiling. He hurriedly called 911, and then he called me.”

  Missy’s eyes began to tear up again. “I’m starting to think I’m cursed,” she said with a sob.

  “Why in the world would you think that?” Brigid asked, stroking her friend’s back.

  “First it was Lucy, and now it’s Maggie. Both of them were my friends, and now they’re gone.” Tears ran down Missy’s cheeks.

  “Missy,” Brigid said, pulling her friend close. “None of this is your fault. They’ll find out who did it and why, just like with Lucy. None of this is because of you. You’ll see.”

  Brigid continued to comfort her and then she saw the officer who had been talking to Holly walk away from the child. “Missy, I have to go help Holly now. Are you going to be alright?”

  “Yeah, I think so. We’ll have to move the church service outside this morning. I just can’t imagine anyone murdering someone in a church,” Missy said as she dabbed her eyes.

  “Me neither, but right now I need to see about getting Holly settled in at my house. Let me know if you need anything,” Brigid said.

  She left her friend and approached the young girl. The two times Brigid had seen her before, she’d had the impression that the girl was older than her age, but now she looked like a broken waif.

  “I’m so sorry, Holly,” Brigid said and opened her arms. Holly quickly stepped into them and allowed Brigid to wordlessly comfort her.

  “Who could have done this to her?” she asked, her voice muffled by Brigid’s shirt.

  “I don’t know, honey, but they’ll find out who did it.” She gently squeezed Holly before letting her go. “Are you sure you want to stay with me?” she asked.

  Holly nodded. “If it’s all right with you. Besides Missy, you’re the only one who has ever helped me. I don’t want to move to Missouri. I’ve never even met my aunt. Maybe later on, but not right now.”

  “I understand,” Brigid said. “You don’t need to make any decisions yet, Holly. Let’s get you a few things from your trailer, and then I’ll take you back to my place, so you can get settled in. There’s no rush.”

  “The sheriff told me I can only take clothes and the stuff I need for school,” Holly said forlornly, as Brigid led her to her car.

  “I know. They told me the same thing, but they just want to make sure they don’t miss any clues that might be in the trailer and could be used to lead them to your mother’s killer.”

  “I know, but it still sucks,” Holly said as she got into Brigid’s car.

  “Yeah, it does,” Brigid said.

  CHAPTER 12

  Brigid pushed the front door of her home open and helped Holly carry the trash bag full of her belongings over the threshold. Jett hopped up from where he’d been laying on the floor beside Linc’s feet.

  “Holly, this is Jett,” she said introducing her to the big dog. She bent down and scratched him behind the ears before looking up at Linc, “And this is Linc Olson. He’s my next-door neighbor. We’ve been seeing each other for a little while now. Guys, this is Holly Lewis. She’s going to be staying here for a while.”

  Linc stood up and shook Holly’s hand. “Nice to meet you, Holly.” Linc smiled, not looking the least bit ruffled by what was happening. Brigid smiled at him encouragingly and sent him a look of gratitude.

  “I’ll show you your room, Holly, and you can get settled in there.” Brigid led Holly down the hall, Jett right behind them. “Here you are,” she said as she pushed open the door. “The bathroom is at the end of the hall. I have one attached to my room, so you can consider that one yours. My bedroom’s the next one down the hall, and my office is across from it. Feel free to rearrange and put things anywhere you’d like in here.”

  Holly nodded. Her eyes began to tear up again. “Thank you, Brigid. I can’t tell you how grateful I am that you’re letting me stay with you. When they told me about mom…” Holly broke off into a sob. Brigid pulled her close and let her cry for a few minutes.

  “Holly, don’t worry about it. You can stay here as long as you like. I’ll have a few ground rules, but I don’t think they’ll be a problem. We’ll talk about them later.” She gently patted Holly’s shoulder.

  Jett bumped into Holly’s leg and whined to get her attention. Holly smiled at him and squatted down to his level. “You’re a sweetie, aren’t you?” she said through her tears as she scratched his head. She looked up at Brigid, “I think I’m going to lay down for a little bit and rest, if that’s okay with you?”

  “Of course. Would you like me to take Jett?” Brigid asked.

  Holly looked down at the dog and shook her head from side to side.

  “Okay, just make sure you leave the door open a little, so he can get out if he wants. Otherwise he might break down the door.” Both of them laughed at that mental image. Brigid walked over to the door and turned back towards Holly, “Do you have any foods you really don’t like?” she asked.

  “No, I pretty much eat everything, I even eat Brussels sprouts,” Holly said.

  “Okay, rest for as long as you need to. Let me know if you get hungry.” Brigid slipped into the hall, pulling the door partially closed behind her. When she returned to the front room, Linc was sitting on the couch, waiting for her. His eyebrows were raised in a silent question.

  “Let’s talk outside,” she whispered when she drew closer. Linc stood up and followed her to the back door, where they quietly went outside and sat at the table and chairs on the porch. Brigid raised the maroon umbrella, so they could have some shade from the bright early morning sun.

  “What happened?” Linc asked.

  “Remember how I told you I was cleaning out my closet to help a young girl whose mother I’d met at the church?” she asked. Linc nodded. “Well that was Holly. Her mother was murdered this morning. Father Jordan found her body in the chapel at the church. The only relative Holly has is an aunt in Missouri she’s never even met, so she asked the sheriff if she could stay with me. I didn’t know what else to do but say yes,” Brigid said with a sigh.

  “That poor girl,” Linc said. “I can’t imagine.”

  “I know. She pretty much just got her mother back from her addictions, and now someone’s taken her away again. This time permanently.” She shook her head. “I figure she can stay with me until she’s finished out this school year. She may end up changing her mind and want to go live with her aunt. I don’t know, but I couldn’t make her move away from the only place she’s ever known, not right after losing her mother. She’s resting now.”

  “I admire you for doing that,” Linc said as he reached across the table for her hand. She took it and smiled. They heard a car approaching Brigid’s house. “I think you have a visitor,” Linc said. They stood up and walked around to the front of the house, so they wouldn’t disturb Holly.

  When they rounded the corner, they saw Sheriff Davis climbing out of his car. “Brigid, Linc,” he said touching the brim of his hat. “How’s Holly doin’?”

  “She’s resting right now,” Brigid said. “Jett’s keeping her company.”

  “Good. She needs it. Gotta’ moment to talk?” Davis as
ked.

  “We were sitting out back to give Holly a little quiet time. Okay if we talk there?” Brigid asked.

  “Lead the way,” the sheriff said.

  The three of them sat down at the table on the porch. The day was starting to warm up, and the dew was quickly evaporating off of the grass. Each of them was very careful to be quiet as they sat down in their chairs, even though Holly probably wouldn’t have heard them.

  “Thanks for lettin’ her stay here, Brigid. Know it ain’t what I’m supposed to do, but I just couldn’t bear to put such a good kid in the Child Protective Services system. I feel like I’ve practically watched her grow up. We’ve had to check on her a few times more than I’d like to count when her mother wasn’t doin’ so hot. I don’t think the kid’ll give ya’ any trouble.” Davis slid his jacket off and hung it on the back of the chair. “If ya’ change yer’ mind, lemme’ know.”

  “I will,” Brigid said. “So, exactly what happened to Maggie? I didn’t get any details from Missy. She was having trouble coping with Maggie’s murder, and as close as she and Maggie were, I can’t blame her.”

  “Looks like someone strangled her with one of them curtain tieback ropes used in the church. Ya’ know, them gold ones. Father Jordan noticed it was missin’, so we done some preliminary testin’ with one of the other ones, and it seems to be a match for the marks on her neck.” Sheriff Davis subconsciously rubbed his neck, as though he could feel something wrapped around it.

  “I tried talkin’ to Missy earlier about anyone she thought might be capable of doin’ this. She tried to think of someone, but she was too upset. Everythin’ was just a little overwhelmin’ for her considerin’…” He let his sentence trail off. Brigid and Linc nodded in agreement. They knew he was referring to when Brigid and Missy had found their friend Lucy lying murdered on the kitchen floor of her B & B.