Welcome to Sweetwater (Annie Parker Mystery Shorts Box Set)

by A. J. Bromley

  Shortly after the lunch crowd, Annie got a call from Taylor.

  “Thank you, thank you for Jelly Bean. I love him.” Annie could tell that Taylor was happy from the sound of her voice.

  “You deserve a reward for all you have been through. We both knew how much you love that horse. Now what other exciting news do you have to report?”

  “Aunt Annie, wait till you hear. Bea confessed to killing Jane. We were right about her. Alex invited me for coffee morning and gave me a report. She even faked the break-in.”

  “This is good news, Taylor. I’ll call the posse right away.”

  “I’ll come down next weekend and give you more details. I have more good news. Susanne asked me to stay on at the shop when she reopens. Bye. I’ve got a million things to do.”

  She had hung up before Annie could thank her for the update.

  Annie had gone back into the kitchen to check on the menu for tomorrow. Roy came to find her.

  “That fellow is back. You know the one I said was asking for you. He is sitting at the counter.”

  Annie turned and started walking out of the kitchen, then seeing the man all she could say was “Brad!”

  Nut Sandies

  1 T Vanilla

  ¾ C Sugar

  ¾ C Butter – softened

  2 Egg yolks

  2 C Flour

  1 C Nuts – chopped (Choose your favorite)

  Mix together vanilla, sugar, butter and egg yolks. Add in flour and mix. Gently stir in the nuts. Shape into cookies and bake at 325 for 18 – 20 minutes.

  The dough can be frozen. If freezing, roll the dough into 2 logs and freeze in plastic wrap and foil. Defrost the dough; it can be sliced into cookies after partially defrosted. Bake the cookies as directed above.

  Slim Gym

  An Annie Parker Mystery Short

  A.J. Bromley

  Prologue

  Sweetwater Fitness was quiet on this chilly, dark Thursday afternoon in November. The weatherman predicted snow by the weekend. The gym had opened about a year ago. Eric Chapman, one of the trainers, went about doing his workout. His rotator cuff needed rehabbing. Being a tough guy, he didn’t want club members seeing him lifting tiny weights.

  Eric, a former college football star, kept his body in excellent condition. He was 6 feet tall with broad shoulders and washboard abs. He had his black hair cut close to his scalp. At age 30 and single, Eric enjoyed the lusty looks the women gave him. As a trainer, he took advantage of his position with the female members.

  Many young good-looking women were members of the gym. Then the Mayor’s wife and some of her friends joined. It took great willpower to be enthusiastic with this noncompliant group. Eric patiently gave them exercises to do and goals to reach. It was rumored some of them frequented the new shop called Just Desserts. There were reports that they came out of that shop with their arms loaded down with goodies.

  Amy, the receptionist, had gone into the tanning booth for her daily bake. Eric stretched out on the bench with the barbell and weights in place. His thoughts were elsewhere when someone quietly approached.

  “Can I help you?”

  “Sure that would be great.”

  Eric suddenly felt pressure on his throat and he had trouble breathing. Taken by complete surprise, he started to fight for his life. His already tired muscles began to quiver and shake.

  It took one final push to crush Eric’s windpipe. After wiping off any fingerprints and tossing the towel back onto Eric’s gym bag, the killer silently slipped out.

  . . .

  Kate Mackenzie entered the gym and looked around at all the unoccupied machines. Amy’s hip-hop music was the only sound. She must be tanning. Walking over to a treadmill, Kate noticed Eric’s shaved tanned body on the bench in the weight room.

  That’s strange; usually she heard the clang of the weights. Kate’s curiosity got the better of her, as she walked in to the room. The first thing she saw was Eric’s lifeless body. His eyes were open and staring at the ceiling. His face had a grotesque appearance. A strong odor of Eric’s sweat hung in the air along with a strange sweet smell.

  Quickly retrieving her cell phone from her gym bag, Kate called the police station. It was too late for medical assistance.

  “Sweetwater Police Department, how may I help you?” Julie tried to be formal but there was always an underlying hint of laughter in her voice.

  “Julie, this is Kate Mackenzie I’m at...”

  Suddenly there was a scream and Amy started yelling at Kate. “What have you done?” Looking at Eric’s lifeless body, Amy continued to yell and get right up into Kate’s face. With her spiky pink hair and distorted facial expression, she looked like a maniac.

  Backing away, Kate went on to tell Julie to send Sam over to the gym now. “Eric, the trainer, is dead.”

  After hanging up the phone, Kate tried to explain the situation. “Amy, this is how I found him. I didn’t see anyone else here.” Amy gave Kate a suspicious look and then walked over to her desk.

  As Kate leaned down to put her cell phone away, she noticed something on the floor near the bench. Taking a closer look, she saw that it was a square wooden button and quickly took a picture.

  It wasn’t long before Sam Sparks, the Chief of Police in Sweetwater, Colorado, and Dennis James, one of his deputies, arrived. Kate was sitting on an empty bench trying to get control of her emotions.

  Going over to the body, Sam quickly confirmed that Eric was dead. “Kate, what happened? Julie said that you called the station and then she heard yelling in the background.”

  “Amy came out of the tanning booth and found me standing over Eric. She thought that I had killed him.” Then Kate pointed out the button on the floor near Eric’s body. “Maybe it is off the killer’s jacket.”

  “Thanks Kate. I will take it from here.” Sam made a mental note to have Dennis retrieve the button. Looking around for his deputy, Sam saw him talking to Amy.

  “Amy can you give Dennis the owners’ phone number and a list of the employees of the gym?”

  Amy was at her desk behind the counter. Slumped in her chair with a sad look on her pixie face, she wiped away tears. Her red eyes and blotchy skin along with the orange and pink outfit made her seem out of place; like a clown who had lost her best friend.

  “Dennis, give me a minute and I’ll have those names and numbers.” Amy turned to her computer and soon had the information. She was glad to be doing something helpful.

  Then walking into the reception area Sam turned to look at Amy and Kate. “I’m going to ask you both to leave now after you give Dennis your phone numbers. I need you to come into the station tomorrow to give your statements. I’ll have Julie call with the time.”

  As the two women gathered up their things and headed to the front door, Vicky Snyder, the other trainer, came dashing in. “What are all the cop cars doing here?” Slightly out of breath and flushed she looked around the weight room. When she saw Eric’s body on the bench, Vicky started shouting. “Oh my God, what happened?”

  Sam took the hysterical woman aside and spoke to her. He asked her to come in to give a statement in the morning.

  When the women were gone, Sam turned to Dennis saying, “I’ll make the necessary calls while you secure the area.” Sam had been enjoying a quiet week at the station with only a couple of traffic violations and a lost dog.

  Sam suddenly groaned.

  “What’s wrong boss?” Dennis stopped taking pictures and looked at Sam.

  “Do you know what this means?”

  “No, what?”

  “Kate will go home and report to her friend and my girlfriend, Annie, who will roundup her damn posse to help solve this crime.”

  Dennis couldn’t help laughing. “You know you love it.”

  “No, just once I’d like to be left alone to do my job.”

  Chapter 1

  All of Annie’s regular customers were crowded into the Snowflake Café and Bakery Friday morning, talking about
the trainer’s death. Only yesterday, they were laughing and joking with each other. Many were talking about their families coming home for Thanksgiving. Some would be holding grandbabies for the first time. Women were shopping and making favorite dishes that only a mother could do. Of course, everyone had a theory. No one was willing to wait for the Sweetwater News to report the facts. Annie was sorry about the death of this young man.

  Kate had called last night, all upset about finding Eric. She and Darla were stopping by this morning before heading to their shop. It was unfortunate that Kate was involved with this case. She was busy getting her business up and running.

  Sam had called with his usual nightly chat shortly after Kate phoned. “Sorry Annie, I have to cancel our Friday night date. I’m sure you have heard about Eric Chapman’s death.” He paused while waiting for Annie’s reply.

  “Yes, Kate called me with the news.” Annie knew what was coming next.

  “I don’t suppose that you will let me handle this without any interference from you and your friends?” From his tone, Annie could tell that Sam was only half-serious. In all the years as friends and now sweethearts, Annie maintained her independence. Sam knew better than to try to stop Annie from gathering up her friends to help solve this case. He always worried about her safety.

  Annie had finished getting refills on coffee for the customers when Kate and Darla arrived. She pointed them to the last booth and got coffee and cups.

  Darla quickly sat down and slid across to make room for Kate. Sitting across from her two friends, Annie poured coffee for everyone.

  Caitlyn came to take their order. “Good morning ladies. What can I get you?”

  “I’ll have one of Annie’s cinnamon buns; they smell amazing.” The once shy and quiet Darla was breaking out of her shell.

  “Caitlyn, please bring me a white egg omelet with whole-wheat toast.” Kate was watching her weight and what a difference it made along with her workouts.

  “Kate, I’ve been thinking about the death of the trainer. How are you dealing with it?”

  “Well, I’m over the initial shock. I have to go to the police station this morning to give my statement. Julie called me to come in at 11:00. Darla and I have plenty of work to do at our shop to get it ready for opening day. I don’t know why the killer had to pick this week?” Kate blushed when she realized what she had said. “Sorry, that was thoughtless of me.”

  “I understand Kate. Now, Sam can’t make it for our usual date tonight so I hope that you both could come over to dinner. We need to get started on this case.

  “Molly and Polly are chaperones for the high school senior trip and are out of town.” Then looking at Darla, Annie asked her to become a member of the posse. “We really need you.”

  Darla perked up when she realized that she was being included in the posse, Annie’s amateur sleuths. She gave an enthusiastic yes.

  “Now that we have it all arranged I have to run an errand. See you tonight about six. I’m trying a new recipe so come with a big appetite.”

  Caitlyn arrived with their breakfast. Annie left her friends and gathered up a box of treats for the hard-working souls at the Police Department. After reapplying her lip-gloss and running a brush through her hair, Annie was ready. She hoped that she could get some information on the case.

  Chapter 2

  Julie greeted Annie when she opened the door to the Sweetwater Police Department. “Oh, Annie this place is a zoo today. Can’t remember when we have been this busy. I see you brought us some goodies.” Taking Annie’s offering and putting it on the side table along with the large coffee pot; she motioned Annie to take a chair at her desk. “Care for a cup of coffee?”

  “No thanks Julie. I’m only stopping for a quick visit.” Annie went to sit down in one of the padded chairs. Julie joined her after grabbing a cinnamon bun.

  “Mmm, that tastes so good. I bet Dennis is drooling right now. Watch him dash over to get a few when he finishes taking Amy’s statement. I don’t think he had time to eat his daily donut quota.”

  “Is Sam in his office?” Annie did not want him to find her in his territory.

  “Vicky Snyder is giving her statement to Sam. She is one cold fish. She acted as if it was a hardship to come in today. First thing out of her mouth was, ‘Hope this doesn’t take all morning. I’ve got a busy schedule.’ Not once did she show any concern about the death of her coworker.”

  “Guess we all deal with it differently.” Annie started to say more when Julie’s phone rang. It sounded like an irate resident complaining about teenagers using her street for drag races after midnight.

  While Julie was busy, Annie looked around at her surroundings. She could see all the changes that Sam had made over the years. The station use to be a drab green color with battered up metal desks and chairs. Now the walls were ivory with dark brown trim. A large town map covered one wall. A second wall had letters and pictures done by third-graders after Sam had paid a visit to their class. He believed in reaching kids at an early age. Along with padded chairs, wooden desks and upgrades to their computer system, this was a first class place.

  Dennis was questioning Amy with an official but friendly manner. If Annie leaned back in her chair, she could catch most of the conversation.

  “Eric was a good trainer. He kept himself in great shape. Lately he was having trouble with his shoulder, so spent extra time doing exercises for it. In fact, every day when I went to tan, he would be working out.” Amy had toned down her outfit for today by wearing jeans and a dark blue sweatshirt. The bright hairdo remained unchanged.

  “It was fun watching all the women go nuts over him. They would take private sessions so they wouldn’t have to share him. I know he dated several but nothing even close to being serious. Eric and I would laugh about how desperate some of the married ones were for his attention.”

  “Can you think of anyone who would want to kill Eric?”

  Amy tried to stifle a yawn, and then gave a small laugh. “I didn’t get much sleep last night. I know some of the women were really upset when Eric dropped them, but I don’t think they would want to kill him.”

  “If you think of anything else let me know. Thanks for coming in.”

  Amy left as Dennis headed to warm up his coffee and snag some of the treats that Annie brought. He had been waiting for this moment. He knew that he needed to cut back on the sweets. Lately he was having trouble buttoning up the shirt of his uniform. Maybe the department could offer gym memberships as a new benefit.

  As he was reaching for a bun loaded with cinnamon, raisins and lots of frosting, the front door opened wide. A tall, blonde self-assured woman in her early 40s came in. “I’m Nicole Pearson and I’m here to do my civic duty. I want to talk to an officer right away.” After her dramatic entrance, the woman smiled and looked around the room.

  Dennis stood with his mouth open and wide-eyed. He slowly set down the bun and taking his cold coffee in one hand, Dennis reached out to shake her hand. He had to look up at her. “I’ll be glad to help you, Ms. Pearson. Come over to my desk.”

  Julie glanced over at Annie. “Dennis is such a sucker for a pretty woman no matter what her age.” Annie wasn’t paying attention to Julie’s comment. She was focusing on this new person of interest.

  “Hush Julie. I want to hear what she tells Dennis. It might concern the case.” Julie knew that Annie didn’t drop by with goodies without hoping to get some information. Therefore, she cooperated by doing busy work.

  Chapter 3

  “Please call me Nicole. You don’t remember me, do you? When I first moved here, you stopped me for speeding in a school zone. You were so nice and let me off with a warning.”

  “We like to give new comers a slight break.” Dennis was trying to organize his notes on the desk. “Okay, now where were we? You said something about doing your civic duty.”

  “Yes, it’s about the death of Eric Chapman.” Nicole sat forward in her chair and placed her hands on the desk as she
continued. “You have probably heard that he was quite a womanizer. I can’t imagine how many women he had affairs with in this town.

  “Wednesday afternoon a young woman came into my shop. I own Tranquil Moments on Forest Drive. She and her brother are here from Seattle. She wanted some lotion for dry skin. We got to talking and she told me quite a story.”

  Dennis leaned forward to catch every word. He’d worry about taking notes later. “Go on.”

  “Marissa and her brother are staying at the Pine Tree Inn. They came here to see Eric. It seems he met this girl while vacationing in Mexico. They had an affair and she got pregnant. She said her brother was going to see Eric that night. She made a funny remark, ‘TJ better not beat him up. He was captain of the wrestling team in college.’ I hope I have done the right thing by coming here.” Nicole let out a big sigh as she relaxed in her chair.