Necktie: An Avery Barks Dog Mystery (Avery Barks Cozy Dog Mysteries Book 8)

by Mary Hiker

  I needed to try and warn Don what was headed his way.

  Counting on my ‘getting out of school’ acting skills, I faked stomach upset, holding my abdomen and wincing while letting out a soft groan. My thirty-second performance bordered on perfection.

  “Ah, you guys go ahead. I’ll catch up.” I bent over a little. “I’ve gotta go in the woods for a minute.”

  “You want us to wait?” The brunette put her arm around my shoulders, clearly concerned.

  “It might be a bit.” I groaned.

  “Ewww.” The blonde one tossed me her extra toilet paper. “You better hurry though. Last girl that was late… I never saw her again.”

  “Okay, I will.” I ran into the brush holding onto my rear for full effect as Chevy chased after me.

  I raced straight up the side of the bank to the top of the closest ridge, threw off the backpack, and checked my phone, hoping for a signal.

  Nothing.

  CHAPTER 10

  Chevy looked me in the eye, walked over to the pack lying on the ground, and promptly lifted a leg, peeing all over the side of it. The same side that would press against my back if I strapped it on my shoulders.

  “Chevy, knock it off!”

  He trotted away with a doggie smile, obviously feeling good about himself.

  “I’m not putting that thing on again,” I said as I examined the wet material.

  Time for Plan B. I’d document the coordinates and let law enforcement come get it. Maybe I’d admit to the dog pee, maybe I wouldn’t. I’d decide that when the time came.

  I powered up my GPS and waited for the satellites to give me a read on my position, wishing the cell phone towers were as helpful. In the meantime, the smart thing to do would be to take a few pictures so they’d know I wasn’t crazy. I got out my smartphone and snapped a few shots of the pack from different angles, but didn’t have a great feeling about it. A backpack sitting in the woods wouldn’t get anyone stirred up.

  It would be a lot more convincing if I showed them what was inside. I pulled the camping knife from my pocket and slowly cut into the dry section of red cloth near the top of the pack, leaving the lock secure.

  I pulled the cut material open wide and dropped the phone, freezing in my tracks and gasping for air.

  It wasn’t pot. It was worse. A million times worse.

  I took a few deep breaths before kneeling down and taking a closer look to be absolutely sure. Chevy tried to stick his nose in the pack, and I gently pushed him back. He didn’t need to be anywhere near this.

  I worked slowly and more carefully this time, cutting away more material and pulling it open like a clam shell, but just enough to get a picture. They’d want a clear image of this all right - blocks of plastic explosives, wires, and one of the old style cell phones.

  My heart was beating so hard it was tough to breathe. The girls – who knew how many - were carrying C-4 that was ready to detonate to the Diamond Song Resort and they didn’t even know it. My first instinct was to throw the pack off the other side of the ridge, away from the trail. But it quickly occurred to me that the cell phone detonator wouldn’t be able to receive a signal out here so the pack wouldn’t explode. At least I didn’t think it would.

  I saved the GPS coordinates with a shaky hand and kicked some leaves over the pack to hide it, although I wasn’t entirely sure why. Adrenaline coursed through my body as jumbled thoughts raced through my mind.

  I didn’t even feel the scratches from the tips of branches or the abrasions from falling onto dirt and small rocks as I sped down the trail, running for a good half mile before stopping to think.

  I finally checked the time, four forty-five. The backpacks had to be at the Diamond Song by five.

  Why? There was no reason to blow up a resort, not unless someone important was staying there.

  The hair lifted on my arms.

  The Governor! The bike race!

  The race would be coming in front of the resort at about five-thirty!

  “Someone help me!” I took off again, my heart ready to explode. “They’re planning to blow up the governor!”

  The explosive packs were being dropped in the suites next to the conference room, and the search and rescue team would be right in the cross-hairs.

  “Oh, Don!”

  CHAPTER 11

  I tried to think as I ran but images of explosions kept flashing through my mind.

  How many packs were there?

  I fell for the twentieth time and scrambled to get up again.

  How long had I been running? How much farther did I need to go?

  I just kept sprinting.

  My heart rate was exploding as I reached an overlook right above the resort. I could see a long stretch of the scenic road in front, and several dots of color approaching from a distance. The bike race participants were coming in a small cluster. I was sure it was the governor and his security team.

  Where were the packs?

  At the road? In the rooms next to the conference center? Somewhere in between?

  I ran down toward the resort in tears. There wasn’t enough time. Chevy raced behind me, barking wildly as we reached the wooden fence that surrounded the resort property.

  “Chevy, come!” I screamed and hoisted his sixty-five pounds over the fence when he did what I asked. My adrenaline was flowing so hard he felt as light as a feather.

  I followed behind, getting a splinter as I rolled over the top and landing on my back in the dirt. It didn’t matter. I was already covered in dirt and mud as it was.

  We raced across groomed lawn, and I screamed, “Get out of here!” as we passed the peeping gardener.

  I yanked the glass door open and broke the silence in the lobby, screaming at people to leave as I raced down the hall to the conference room, leaving muddy tracks in my wake.

  The heavy conference door whacked the wall as I ripped it open and stumbled inside.

  Don turned from the podium and stared at me with his mouth open.

  “Get out!” I ran inside and frantically waved people toward the door.

  Everyone was frozen in place, staring at me.

  “Avery, what -?”

  “Get outside, now! This is real!” I ran up to Miss Maya and pulled her out of her chair. “Get out. There’s a bomb!”

  Chairs tumbled over as people started to realize I was dead serious.

  Women screamed as they ran for the exits, the men following close behind.

  Don raced toward me. “What’s going on?”

  “They’re going to bomb the governor. Get Miss Maya out.”

  Don picked up the woman like a bride and carried her out as she clung to his neck. “Evacuate the building,” he yelled to the receptionist as he rushed past.

  The receptionist made a quick announcement and ran out. The entire group huddled together behind another building at the back side of the far parking lot, looking at each other in confusion, and unable to get their cars from the valet.

  “Is everyone out?” I yelled, feeling everyone’s stares.

  Don gripped my shoulders and looked into my eyes. I noticed he wasn’t wearing a tie. Tears rolled down my face.

  “What in the world is going on?” he demanded as I struggled to get free and warn the others at the bike race.

  My whole body shook as the cheers erupted down by the road, signifying the governor’s approach. “It’s a bo-”

  An enormous explosion drowned out my words as the conference wing of the Diamond Song Resort became a ball of fire.

  CHAPTER 12

  It was chaos.

  Dirt and debris was everywhere as emergency security teams pushed the governor into his designated ambulance and took off, state troopers in a high-speed escort. Cops rushed up and down the road and people scattered. Screaming sirens filled the air as fire trucks sped toward the scene.

  The news trucks set up and went straight into a LIVE news broadcast, reporting that one of the owners of Diamond Song Resort, Carson Cortes
e, was a big financial supporter of the governor. There was speculation that it made him a target for the friends of Woodchuck Kelly. Early reports included Carson’s wife as a casualty, killed by debris as she worked on a new marketing campaign in the resort’s office suites. Edward Carson was also a confirmed victim of the blast, his body found in the hallway.

  Anti-government group suspects were already being rounded up and taken in for questioning.

  The LIVE news team chased down Carson Cortese and pushed a microphone in his face. “What do you have to say?” They didn’t care that the poor man had just lost his wife and brother, or that his business was in ruins, the reporters swooped down on him like vultures.

  “They’ve attacked my family and my business. The state has just experienced an assault on our governor!” His hands clenched into fists as he struggled to stay upright. “We will not be stopped by cowards. I will rebuild this place better than ever! We will support our governor more than ever. I call for this entire nation to join me.”

  I just wanted to go home.

  “Thank the Lord, everyone’s accounted for from the fundraiser,” Don said as he took my hand, leading me to a private area where high-level law enforcement was waiting to talk to me.

  “Two lives are gone,” I muttered.

  “Yeah...” He gave me a hug and held on tight. “But it could’ve been a lot worse.”

  Don sat with me throughout the entire interview process as I explained the story to law enforcement repeatedly and spent hours answering all their questions. When I was finally released to leave, a young officer came in and handed over a couple photocopies.

  I glanced at the top picture and thought I recognized the beautiful brunette with wavy curls as the photo exchanged hands. “Who’s that?” I asked.

  The young officer had a sad look in his eyes. “Lynn Marie Cortese. She was Carson’s wife.”

  My mind raced back to the beautiful woman and her weekend love meetings with Edward Cortese. Back to the bungalow on the edge of the bamboo patch near the lover’s balcony, and the dead private eye.

  “Wait just a minute….”

  CHAPTER 13

  It had been ten days to the hour since the Diamond Song Resort blew up.

  “Are you ready?”

  I nodded, let out a long breath as I walked to the office door and knocked before I entered. It was show time.

  The insurance representative sat across the table from Carson Cortese, uttering condolences and promising that the company wouldn’t let him down. I was sure they wouldn’t, not with the abundance of media coverage covering this disaster.

  The men glanced up, stopped their conversation, and waited patiently for me to turn and leave, assuming I’d opened the wrong door. Instead, I walked in with a confident stride and stood next to Mr. Cortese.

  “Can I help you?” He looked up at me with kind eyes.

  “Yes, sir, you most certainly can.” I held up my cell phone so only Carson could see the picture on the screen.

  He blinked and held a finger to his mouth. “Stan, would you excuse us for just a minute?”

  The insurance man cleared his throat and shuffled his papers as he stood. “I’ll wait in the lounge.”

  “Thank you,” Carson said as the man walked silently out of the door.

  I leaned against the side of the conference table and faced him.

  He watched me closely, waiting for me to speak.

  “I was sorry to hear about your wife’s passing.” I felt calmer than I should have. “And of course, your brother’s passing too.”

  Carson Cortese nodded. “Thank you.”

  “I understand there were substantial life insurance policies on both. Plus the insurance on the building itself.”

  Carson took his time to respond, eyeing me closely.

  “Yes, my wife insisted on buying our policies and my brother was my business partner. These are normal transactions in a business of our size.”

  “I guess it’s always good to cover your bases.” I smiled softly and watched him watch me. “I understand you’ll also be inheriting the entire business now.”

  “As per a ten-year-old partnership agreement, yes.”

  “Yes, of course.” I nodded. “That must be worth well over eighty million, not to mention all the donations and business pouring in for your new Tough America campaign.”

  “Well over.” Mr. Cortese agreed and looked around. Then he pulled out his checkbook. “How’s one million dollars sound?” His voice was lower this time.

  “Wow, that was an expensive mistake.” I shrugged, not impressed with the dollar amount. “But not as expensive as the one your wife made.”

  Mr. Cortese’s jaw clenched.

  “I saw her making out with your brother. They were really going at it,” I said, worried he would notice the rise in my voice. “Did the partnership agreement have a special clause regarding sleeping with your wife? A special murder clause?”

  Carson’s face turned blood red and sweat appeared on his forehead. “He deserved it,” Carson said through gritted teeth, slamming a fist on the table. “They both deserved it.”

  “Deserved is right.” I looked him straight in the eye, holding my ground. “So don’t insult me with a measly one million.”

  “What?” He stared at me slack jawed.

  “You bungled the heck out of this thing, and now you’re going to pay the price,” I sneered, bolstered by the knowledge that a group of law enforcement officers were watching my every move from the room next door, ready to pounce. Even so, my hands were starting to shake.

  His eyes were on fire.

  “The detective you hired to spy on your wife discovered what you were really up to. He was poisoned.” I leaned in. “And you planned to pin this whole thing on a bunch of anti-government crusaders.”

  Carson growled, “Prove it.”

  “I don’t have to. I took over the mule duty and met your guy up at the drop off point. I know all about your little drug operation.” I raised the phone in front of his face. “And now, I’ve got one of your backpack bombs which will directly tie you and your business to a whole bucketful of crimes.”

  Carson rose and took a step toward me, looking like he wanted to get a hand around my throat.

  I held up my phone. “Touch me, and I push this button,” I said, lying through my teeth. “All the evidence will go straight to the police.”

  He glared at me, seeming to size up the truth of my statement. “How much do you want?” Carson’s face was tight.

  “You could never pay me enough,” I spat. “You almost blew both me and my man sky high.”

  A grin spread over his face as he lunged, knocking my phone from my hand. I dove for it, but he pulled out a gun and cocked the hammer. “B.” There was pure depravity in his tone.

  Noise erupted all around me as a wall of men burst through the door. Boom! The gunshot exploded, and a hole appeared just inches from where I lay. Don dove at him, taking Carson to the ground, knocking the gun from his hands, overtaking the man and all his plans for revenge.

  When he was secured, someone pulled me away to a chair and sat me down. I was trembling too hard to do it myself.

  “You did great.” Don smiled and helped me take a sip of water. “Especially with the ‘me and my man’ part.”

  CHAPTER 14

  I leaned into Don as we relaxed in his living room, watching his favorite team play sports on the big screen TV as we competed with Chevy and Ace for couch space.

  “The more the merrier, but you dogs aren’t getting any of this blueberry pie.” Don reached forward and grabbed two forks off the coffee table so we could share. “Did you get up with your cousin?”

  “No, thank goodness.” I added a scoop of ice cream to our plate to Chevy’s dismay. “I doubt I’ll see him for a while.”

  “You look happy about that.” Don took a taste of the pie and gave it two thumbs up.

  “Almost as happy as I am that Carson Cortese is going to ja
il.”

  “Hey, did I tell you that Tanya went to the team’s mailbox today? We’ve already received a record number of donations from people all over the country.”

  I snuggled closer to him. “And you didn’t even have to wear a tie.”

  Don laughed and plopped another scoop of ice cream on his pie.

  “What will happen to all the staff at Diamond Song?” My heart hurt for them. “There are a lot of nice people who worked over there. Now they’ll be out of a job.”

  “That’s already getting worked out.” Don let Chevy lick the ice cream off his finger, then had to do the same for Ace to make it fair. “Miss Maya’s got her lawyers working on a deal to buy the resort. She’s going to do everything she can to keep the business running.”

  The adrenaline of the last few days had taken its toll. After a plate of pie, my eyes started getting heavy. After a few rounds of pets and laughter, I drifted off into a sweet nap, cuddled up between all my favorite guys: Don, Chevy, and Ace.

  What a beautiful evening.

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  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Mary Hiker is a fixture in North Carolina’s mountains. She enjoys writing about dogs, nature, and mystery adventures. She’s a true animal lover at heart and her own dogs are an inspiration for Chevy’s antics in the Avery Barks Dog Mystery series.

  If you like this book, you may enjoy the other books in the Avery Barks Dog Mysteries series.

  See them here: Books by Mary Hiker

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