Strung Out to Die

by Tonya Kappes

  “Agnes insisted on coming with me. I left her in my car.” I quickly explained that I was looking for Jim when I stumbled upon The Basement Under, what I had seen in the other room with the videos, and how I thought they had to be down here somewhere because of the identical carpet.

  “You go check on Agnes. I’ll keep looking.” Donovan tugged on the door a little harder, giving a good few kicks to the handle. With the third kick, the handle flew off and the door popped open.

  We slowly peeked around to see what was on the other side of the door.

  “A closet?” There was a bunch of clothes hanging from a rod. “Sean?”

  There was no mistaking the crappy overalls Sean wears when he’s working. I’ve always told him that just because he was a handyman, didn’t mean he had to dress the part. He wouldn’t listen.

  “I’d be able to tell these from a million pairs of overalls.” I shivered. “We have to find them.”

  “Go. Call the police.” Donovan shooed me out of the room, and out of The Under.

  I dropped the overalls on the floor on the way out, not looking back.

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  The sun stopped me dead in my tracks. My eyes opened and closed trying to focus on my VW. Even with the big sunspot in the center of my eyes, I could tell that Agnes wasn’t in the car.

  Agnes.

  Why couldn’t she stay put like I’d asked her?

  Stumbling to the cottage, I squinted, trying to see in front of me. I made it to the ornamental concrete pig and stuck my hand in the mouth.

  Viola! I took the spare key out of the pig’s mouth. I stuck it in the lock and turned. Swiftly, I kicked the bottom corner of the door. It flung open and hit the wall, and then it came back and slammed shut again. Trying to get to the house phone in the heat of the moment, I had forgotten the door had mysteriously become unstuck.

  I opened it back up and slipped in, hoping whoever had dressed in Marlene’s clothes was nowhere around.

  I blinked several times, trying to get my eyes to focus. I had concluded that going in and out of dark places into bright sun and back into the dark couldn’t be good for my eyes.

  However, I did know my cottage, and with what little sight I did have, I made my way to the landline phone. There was no way I was going to try to focus on my little ePhone.

  “I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” said a voice that came from the hallway.

  Frozen, I stopped and looked. The hair was exactly like Marlene’s but the damn sunspot was centered right over the face.

  “I’m serious, Holly.” The voice was loud and bold.

  Did they not think I knew that? I had stopped and had not moved.

  The hair might match Marlene’s, but the voice matched…Jim.

  I gulped, blinked, and rubbed my eyes with my fists.

  “Jim?” I opened my eyes, and then opened them even wider when I confirmed it was indeed him.

  If the situation were different, I would have laughed at seeing Jim in drag.

  Eek! I gasped. He was wearing Marlene’s clothes and he was wearing flats.

  Everything started to come together just like I’d seen in the movies.

  Who would have had access to the shop? Jim. Who owned the building and would be able to get in? Jim. Who would be able to install cameras anywhere in Swanee without anyone questioning him? Jim. After all, Rush Protection Service was his business and the only security business in town.

  “Jim?” I asked in utter shock. It was all I could say, “Jim?”

  “Shut up, Holly.” He walked down the hall, revealing himself in the natural sunlight streaming into the family room. “Aren’t you tired of mooching off people?”

  What? Mooching? My mouth flew open and then shut. Under normal circumstances, I would have snapped back at him, but these circumstances were anything but normal.

  He pulled up Marlene’s flowing black chiffon shirt to pull out a gun he had tucked in the waistband of Marlene’s leopard print leggings.

  “I can see it now.” He smiled at his brilliant plan. “You killed Doug because Sean wasn’t getting any jobs and was unable to pay your alimony.”

  I gulped. He was confessing to why he had kidnapped Sean. I listened closely, just in case I did get out of this situation.

  I felt my ePhone vibrate in my pocket. Ugh! I wished I had taken the extra class the Cell City employee offered. She did say something about emergency calls, and this would definitely be a time for one of those. I couldn’t even dial 911 without looking.

  Unfortunately, I wasn’t feeling too optimistic about getting out of here alive.

  “It was so easy to plant everything on Marlene after you started snooping around like that damn pig of yours.” He raised the gun up and pointed it at me.

  Fear knotted in my gut as I looked down the barrel of the gun.

  “Yep, you had to start being the nosey Diva that you are.” He threw his back and laughed.

  “Jim, you don’t have to do this.” I said, keeping an eye on the compact weapon.

  “Shut! Up!” Jim waved the gun around as if I was confusing him. “It was easy because everyone knows that Marlene wanted Doug for his money. Not to mention the fact that she and Ginger hate each other.” He pulled the yellow Spinel out of a pocket on the inside of the leggings. “This was just a little bonus after I installed cameras everywhere and saw Marlene with it.”

  With his free hand, he flipped the Spinel in the air. The sunlight hit it perfectly and sent sparking prisms all over the cottage walls. After it landed in his palm, he put it back in the little pocket.

  “Oh, no.” I cried out, and then threw my hand over my mouth.

  “Poor Agnes Pearl.” He looked at me and his eyes seemed kind of crazed. “She really did think that it was Marlene tying her up.”

  Agnes? Think, think, think. Where in the hell was Agnes? Did Jim see her in my car? Donovan? Oh, how I hoped he wouldn’t walk in and get shot by Jim.

  “Marlene wasn’t too hard to kidnap.” Once Jim started talking, he couldn’t stop. “I knew Agnes was going in for eye surgery, so I wrote a note so she would think Marlene was going out of town, when all along, I had taken her to my secret spot.”

  Secret spot? I wondered if Donovan had any luck finding them.

  “Sean was the tricky one. I give him credit for fighting, but one knock on the noggin with this,” he tapped the butt of the gun, “and he was out.”

  “Selling his truck was a good idea.” Not that I was agreeing with him, but if I did, maybe he’d come to his senses and let me go.

  “I was proud of that move.” An evil smile crossed his face, and his eyes lit up, making him look like a devil. He lowered his gun and walked around me.

  Please don’t shoot. I shivered at the thought.

  “Oh, and the fudge.” He licked his fingers. “You know, Agnes Pearl gave me some of her fresh fudge right before I was going to the Swanee Morgue to install some cameras. Poor Doug was still waiting for the coroner to do his examination. A little fudge under Doug’s nails was enough for Noah to suspect Marlene.”

  He had thought of everything. “Ginger?” I gasped, wondering what he had done to her.

  “My baby is fine.” He twirled his wedding band with the hand that was holding the gun.

  I ducked a few times, fearing he would accidentally shoot and I was in the way.

  “Ginger will be sad to see that all her friends have been shot by Marlene.” He made a frown. “Including you and the nosiest Diva of all.”

  “Bernadine?” I had momentarily forgotten about her being tied up in the secret spot.

  “She came running over here this morning when she saw me in the wig. She thought I was Marlene and demanded to know why she would be here.” He danced on his tiptoes acting like a woman.

  Bernadine was only trying to protect me. No wonder she was in her pajamas. My legs felt weak. I couldn’t tell if it was from exercising or sheer fright.

  “Go ahead.” He nodded to the fut
on. “Sit down.”

  I eased myself into it without taking my eyes off him. He walked backwards into the kitchen and felt around on top of the refrigerator. He grabbed the baggy with my evidence. “You won’t be needing this.”

  He pointed to the corner of the cabinet, and pulled something off it. “Great little cameras.” He held a tiny silver ball in his palm for me to see.

  He had been spying on me right along with the rest of Swanee.

  “I planted the fake nail when I put Sean’s phone in the futon just so you or the police would find it.” He laughed even harder, then walked back into the kitchen and looked out over the lake. “I just had to wait in the barn and call his phone with a prepaid cell phone. Generic, cheap, and it worked like a charm.”

  My throat tightened and my stomach hurt. This was my opportunity. If I was going to get out of here alive, I had to take advantage of it. I knew the door wouldn’t stick, so it would make it easier for me to get away, but where would I go?

  I was terrified, but I jumped to my feet and without looking back, I ran out the door.

  Thump, thump, thump! Jim wasn’t too graceful or fast in his flats.

  “You better get back here!” Jim screamed, running behind me.

  “Confuse and leave!” I screamed, retrieving my keys from my pocket. As if nature took over, like Donovan said it would, I turned and jabbed Jim in the gut.

  The gun flew out of his hand and under a bush.

  The Under. Damn. The Under.

  I plunged my hand in The Under and couldn’t find the gun.

  Jim bolted toward me. I jumped to my feet and grabbed both his wrists before he could get a hold of me. I flung him onto the ground with my knee buried deep into his back. He wrestled around like a bucking bronco, flinging me off and onto the gravel driveway.

  “You had better back up.” Agnes Pearl was glaring and she had the gun aimed directly at him. Her hands were shaky and unsteady, but I didn’t care. Agnes was in control. She blinked a few times. A big smile crossed her face. “Damn, that doctor did a fine job. I can see better now than I have in years.”

  She extended her arms, and the shaking stopped once she looked down the sight of the gun that she was pointing directly at Jim’s heart.

  “Jim Rush, you better not move. I’m crazy enough to shoot every limb you got, and make you crawl to your death.” Agnes’ eyes narrowed.

  I had no idea what she was going to do, but I didn’t have to worry after I saw a Swanee police cruiser pull into the driveway.

  “Help us!” I yelled when I saw Gilley get out of the car.

  Immediately, Gilley drew his gun and yelled, “Police! Drop the gun.”

  Jim started to walk backward with his hands up toward Gilley.

  “Don’t you move!” I screamed, pointing to Jim. “Gilley, arrest him! He killed Doug Sloan.”

  “Don’t listen to her. I have the evidence to prove that Holly did it and I think she killed or kidnapped the others,” Jim said.

  “Put the gun down.” Gilley was being all calm, cool, and collected, when he needed to be freaking…shooting…Jim.

  “Agnes, don’t you dare put that gun down.” I ordered her to keep her eye on Jim. “Gilley, that’s Jim’s gun. He had me at gunpoint and Agnes Pearl turned it on him.”

  “Come on, Mrs. Pearl. We can talk this out.” Gilley had his gun focused on Agnes.

  “It’s Ms., not Mrs. I’m a Diva. A divorced Diva!” Agnes yelled loud and proud.

  I wasn’t sure, but I’d bet money that Agnes would’ve taken Gilley down too if it weren’t for the sound of a siren approaching in the distance. As it grew louder, I became more confident. I wanted to look toward the barn to see if Donovan was anywhere to be found, but I didn’t want to take my eyes off Jim.

  Amid flashing lights and a lot of noise, a fire engine and ambulance slid into the cottage driveway, sending gravel flying.

  Noah jumped out of the squad car.

  “Gilley, put your gun away.” Noah ordered as he pointed his gun between us. “Agnes, drop the gun so no one gets hurt.”

  Agnes dropped the gun at her feet, and stood with her hands in the air.

  I was in no situation to laugh, but it was funny to see Agnes Pearl spread eagle in her rainbow bright pants, with her loop-sided purple turban on top of her head. Agnes Pearl might be two cups of crazy, but I guarantee this was the only time that she ever been seen in public looking crazy.

  “Noah, Holly killed my brother-in-law.” Jim pretended to sob. “I have the proof.”

  All of a sudden, there was a rustle in the woods, a few breaking twigs, and Tallulah and Mimi appeared at the tree line.

  “No, she didn’t!” Tallulah screamed and ran towards the cottage, waving her finger at Jim. “We heard it all.”

  Mimi tried to keep up with Tallulah while nodding her head. She followed Tallulah’s lead and started to point at Jim.

  They were out of breath by the time they made it over to Noah, who looked dumbfounded.

  “We were in the woods. And we saw him waving a gun at Holly through the window.” She pointed to Jim. “And he kidnapped that hot man, Sean, and some woman.”

  “He said that Holly was nosey.” Mimi chimed in. “Me and Tallulah know that Holly isn’t nosey.”

  Mimi was trying to make me feel better. Tallulah rolled her eyes.

  “Hush, Mimi.” She turned her attention back to Noah. “Anyway, he has my diamond in his leggings.”

  Oh. My. God. Of course…the clothes!

  “He wanted everyone to believe that Marlene killed Doug. Look at his clothes.” I turned to Agnes. “Agnes, it was Jim who tied you up. Not Marlene.” Agnes had already dropped the gun.

  Noah pointed his gun at Jim, staring down the sight. He motioned his head toward Jim. “Gilley, cuff him.”

  Gilley was more than willing to grab the cuffs off his belt and slap them on Jim’s wrists.

  Another car pulled into the gravel driveway.

  “Holly?” Sadie asked, getting out of the car and walking up. “This is your house?”

  “Sadie?” Gilley slammed the back door shut on the cruiser once he’d put Jim in. “What are you doing here?”

  “Gilley? Sadie?” I said, wondering how they knew each other, but still reeling from all the excitement.

  “Honey, I’m working.” Gilley said.

  “What are you doing here anyway?” Noah asked Gilley.

  Gilley pulled out a pink slip from his coat pocket. “Holly had come by the station to get her police report, but she left before I found it. I wanted to give it to her so she could file her insurance report.”

  “She did?” Noah’s eyes narrowed. Apparently, he had figured out my little trick. “Well, I’m glad you brought it.”

  The big barn doors swung wide open. Donovan walked out, followed by Sean, Marlene, and Bernadine.

  “What the…” Noah stopped and stared.

  “That no good Jim Rush!” Bernadine screamed, and stared into the back of the cruiser. “You’re lucky you’re in there! Or I’d kill you with my bare hands!”

  Noah grabbed Bernadine to calm her down. Agnes was comforting Marlene. Sean and Donovan began giving their statements to Gilley.

  “Agnes, thank you. You saved my life.” I hugged her. “Where did you go?”

  She pulled away. “I had to pee. And when a girl has got to go, she’s got to go, so I went into your cottage. The door was unlocked, so I shut and locked it just in case Marlene showed up. I turned on your bathroom light and I couldn’t believe how well my eyes focused. I heard someone come in, and looked out. I thought it was Marlene, so I slipped back into the bathroom until I heard you.”

  “So you didn’t call Noah from the house?” Confused, I looked to Noah for answers. “Who called? Donovan?”

  “I don’t know. Someone that was out of breath and screaming for help.” Noah shrugged his shoulders.

  “It was me,” Tallulah admitted. “I was going to bust down the back door right before Hol
ly ran out the front.”

  I grabbed Tallulah and hugged her.

  “Don’t hug her,” Marlene turned her nose in the air and then turned to Noah. “And would you mind getting my leggings off him. They are one-of-a-kind.”

  Tallulah pushed Marlene aside, getting to Noah. “Not before I get my diamond out of them.”

  “It’s mine!” Marlene jabbed Tallulah with her broken fingernail.

  “Don’t you touch my sister.” Mimi pushed Marlene out of the way.

  “No one is going to touch anyone.” Noah stepped between them with his arms spread wide. “We can all take this down to the station.”

  Everyone was still too scared to say a word. We all piled into our cars and followed Noah back to the Swanee Police Station.

  Chapter Thirty-Eight

  When we got to the station, Noah put Jim in a holding cell and had us sit on the benches that lined the wall. One-by-one, he questioned each of us regarding our involvement and what we knew.

  “How did you come to be involved?” Noah asked Donovan.

  “I’m dating Holly and I had a pretty good idea what was going on when I fixed the tape from her answering machine. I found a message that Sean had left her, saying that he didn’t think Marlene killed Doug. Up to that point, we thought Marlene was the killer,” Donovan said. It was great that he got it fixed, but it didn’t matter now.

  “What?” Sean and Marlene said in unison.

  “Me?” Marlene pointed to her chest. “I wouldn’t hurt a fly.”

  “Dating?” Sean said in a whiney voice and ran his fingers through his hair. “Dating, really?”

  I had to put a stop to all this nonsense. It had been a long day and I was ready to finally get some sleep, since the murderer was behind bars.

  “Here’s how it happened. Doug thought he was meeting Marlene at the bead shop when Jim told him to go there. Jim had a key to the shop because they own the building. He waited for Doug to come into the shop and then strangled him.” I took a deep breath, and continued. “He was going to blame Sean, but when I started snooping around and found out Sean didn’t do it, he decided to frame Marlene by planting all sorts of evidence to make it look like she was guilty.”