“Wow, I’m sorry to hear that,” Heather said.
Jinx flapped her hands in the air and waved it aside. “No, no, it’s okay. I think he had some family issues. It’s all water under the bridge.”
Heather scratched underneath her chin and cocked her head to one side. “Family issues.”
“Yeah, with his wife.”
“It’s funny you should say that. I spoke to Lori Henson. She said her husband was having an affair and I should speak to you about it,” Heather said.
Jinx shifted her heels on the concrete. “You’re kidding. That’s rich coming from her,” she said, then pressed her lips together. Her cheeks colored and she glanced past Heather at the targets, the green field, and the bright, blue sky, free of clouds.
“What do you mean?”
Jinx grimaced. “I probably shouldn’t say this, but Lori is the one who had the affair. I don’t know who with, but it definitely happened.”
“Lori had the affair? Not Kyle?” Heather asked. Two opposing sources. Oh boy, this would be a case to remember.
“Yeah, I’m not sure who with, but I know Kyle, I mean, I knew him. He loved her totally. You should’ve seen how he acted around her at school functions and whenever she came to see him during practice. He only had eyes for her.” Jinx stroked the circles beneath her eyes. “Shoot, I suppose it’s unfair of me to talk about her like that. Kyle’s gone now.”
“Is there anything else you can tell me about Kyle? Anything you think might be relevant?”
Jinx twisted her mouth to the side and stared at the sky. “Hmmm, not really. He was a good guy. I hope you find whoever did this to him, because they deserve to pay for their crime.”
“Thanks for your time,” Heather said. “We’ll leave you to your practice.”
“See ya. Hey, maybe I’ll come in for a donut some time,” Jinx replied, then rose from her seat and picked up her bow. “If my coach ever gets here.”
“Try the M&M Surprises,” Amy said. “You won’t regret it.”
Heather and Amy walked across the field, and linked arms. The sun’s rays warmed the back of Heather’s neck, but ice froze her insides.
Something about this case didn’t sit right.
She glanced back at Jinx, but the archer already had an arrow knocked, aimed squarely at the target.
Heather turned away before she loosed.
Chapter 7
Heather and Amy crossed the street, still arm-in-arm, then halted on the sidewalk opposite the school fields. Fences obscured Jessica’s solitary figure, still practicing for the competition which might not come, but Heather could picture the blond archer in her mind’s eye.
Loose, knock, aim, loose. Over and over again.
“What do you think?” Amy asked. “She seemed okay.”
“I don’t know,” Heather replied. “It’s tricky. We’ve got two opposing viewpoints here. Lori is angry and claims Kyle cheated on her and neglected her, and Jinx says just the opposite. Who’s telling the truth? That’s the question.”
Amy shook her head. “Wasn’t ‘to be or not to be’ the question, though?”
“I can’t take you anywhere,” Heather replied, then broke into giggles. Amy always brought out the best in her. Her friend’s sense of humor lined every gray cloud in silver.
Amy chuckled, but the mirth faded from her expression. She grabbed Heather’s arm and pulled her into the alley between two buildings. “Look,” she whispered, then pointed at the street.
Heather followed her gaze, then sucked in a gasp.
Lori Henson stood on the sidewalk in the distance, holding hands with a man. She craned her neck and kissed him on the cheek, then drew him into a tight embrace.
“Guess we have your answer,” Amy whispered.
“Who is he?” The man wore shorts; his back turned to them. “Slicked back black hair, super tanned, shorts and cotton shirt.”
“So, not my type,” Amy said.
“Come on, dude, turn around. Let us get a good look at you.”
But the mystery man didn’t turn around. He broke away from the hug, then brought out a pair of keys and clicked them.
The lights on a white Ford Fiesta, parked across the road, flashed once.
Heather grasped Amy’s arm and dug her fingernails into her bestie’s skin. “Tinted windows, look.”
“Okay? What’s that mean?” Amy asked, then pulled Heather’s fingers off her arm, one-by-one. “Why are you so tense, all of a sudden?”
“I didn’t tell you because I didn’t think anything of it until now, but I keep seeing a white Ford Fiesta with tinted windows, everywhere.”
“Everywhere? Since when?”
“Ever since Davidson got kicked off the force,” Heather whispered. “He came to see me in a Ford Fiesta and told me he was leaving town. But last week I saw the same car outside the store.”
“Did you manage to write down its registration?” Amy asked. She narrowed her eyes at the distant couple. Lori chatted on, wagging her hands and pointing toward the field, then back at the object of her affections.
“Nope. But this is too much of a coincidence. What are the chances that the man who’s with Lori drives the same car?” Heather asked.
“Uh, I don’t mean to burst your semi-paranoid bubble here, Heather, but the chances are pretty darn good. Think about it. The Ford Fiesta is a popular car. It’s affordable. And white is the stock color, so –”
“And the tinted windows?”
“They’re not reserved to Davidson. Anyone can get tinted windows for whatever reason,” Amy replied. “I’m just warning you not to jump to conclusions here.”
Heather sighed and trained her gaze on the distant couple. “I suppose you’re right. It’s just spooky, is all.”
“I’ll give you that,” Amy said. “Now, if only lover boy over there would turn around, we could put this all to rest.”
But the man didn’t turn to them. He kissed Lori on the forehead, then grasped her hand and walked to the Ford Fiesta across the road.
“Can you see his face?” Heather asked, squinting through the glare.
“Nope, he’s turned at an angle now. Looks like he’s got a hooked nose,” Amy whispered. “And boy, do I mean hooked. You could hang one of those tree car fresheners on that bad boy.”
The man opened the door for Lori, then crossed around the back of the car and walked to the driver’s side.
“Take down his registration now. Memorize it, or something,” Amy said.
Heather squinted at the license plate. B20-DDX. She could memorize that. She repeated it in her mind, over and over again. “Got it,” she whispered.
The car hummed to life, then took off down the street. It screeched around the corner and disappeared from their line of sight.
“Well, whoever he is, he’s not the safest driver around.” Amy sighed. “I can’t stand it when people put themselves and others in unnecessary danger.”
Heather paced back and forth in the alley, between the dumpsters, and clicked her fingers. One, two, three clicks. “So, Lori lied to us. She had an affair.”
“Does that mean she has motive?” Amy asked.
“Maybe. There are a lot of other factors to consider. But, it makes sense so far. Lori had access to arrows as the wife of a coach and judge. She probably picked up on a few archery tricks from Kyle,” Heather said. That was a bit of a stretch. Too much of an assumption.
“Maybe she wanted him out of the way. Maybe he found out about the affair and threatened to leave her or something.” Amy folded her arms, then peered out of the alley and down the road.
“Or, maybe they both had an affair. Infidelity isn’t limited to just one partner in a relationship.” Heather stopped pacing. “We need more evidence. We need to do some research.”
“We can do that in the store or something, right?”
“Yeah,” Heather said.
“Good, because if I have to spend another second standing next to this fishy dumpster, I
might hurl.” Amy placed the back of her hand to her forehead and feigned dizziness.
“All right, all right, drama queen. Let’s go.” Heather marched to the mouth of the alley, intuition driving each step.
Chapter 8
Heather tugged her fluffy nightgown closed, then fastened it with an even fluffier belt. Summer was on its way out, now, and Fall would bring lower temperatures, nippy winds, and the grumps.
She wasn’t great with early mornings at the best of times but in cold weather? Forget about it.
Dave shuffled around in his doggy bed in the corner, then whined at her.
“What’s up, cutie?” Heather asked. “Do you need to go out to use the bathroom?”
He quit whining and placed his paws on his nose.
That was a ‘no’. Dave just wanted a little attention.
Heather strode to the corner, then bent and ruffled his soft, floppy, brown-spotted ears. “I know, we haven’t gone on a walk in a while. It’s just been a bit crazy with the case and the construction in the store. We’ll go soon, I promise.”
“Are you talking to yourself again?” Ryan asked, from the doorway to their bedroom.
“What? Of course not,” Heather replied. She gave Davey boy one last pat, then straightened. “I was talking to Dave. He’s feeling a little neglected.”
Ryan walked to the corner, then wrapped his arms around Heather’s waist and gave her a quick, kiss on the lips. “It has been a busy time.”
“Speaking of busy,” Heather said. “Have you got any information to share about the case?”
Ryan pulled away, then plopped onto the end of the bed. The mattress squeaked and bounced. He crossed one leg on top of the other and stroked his long, striped, PJ pants. “Officially, I’m not at liberty to say. Unofficially, yeah, there are some exciting developments.”
“How many suspects have you got?” Heather asked. She’d become brazen after weeks of investigating. The sooner they got to the bottom of the case, the sooner she could focus on her final exam next week.
Her heart skipped a beat at that thought.
“Several. A lot, actually. Kyle Henson knew a lot of people.”
“I bet,” Heather said. She walked to her dressing table, pulled out the chair, then sat down in front of the mirror. She picked up the brush and ran it through her hair. “I saw something interesting today. Relevant, even.”
“Spill, Mrs. Shepherd.”
She met her husband’s gaze in the mirror. “I spoke to Lori Henson today.”
“The widow Henson, eh? Did she seem friendly to you?”
“Not in the slightest. She told us she wouldn’t say a thing to the cops without her lawyer present. I pointed out I wasn’t a cop. We got to talking,” Heather replied. She brushed out three more strokes.
“The suspense is killing me, here. What did she tell you?” Ryan braced his elbow on his elevated leg.
“She was bitter as could be. Said to me that Kyle ignored her, focused only on sports and that he had an affair.”
“An affair?” Ryan frowned. “That doesn’t suit his profile.”
“Yeah, well, Amy and I spoke to Jessica Laverne after that. And Jinx said that Lori had an affair,” Heather continued.
“Uh huh?”
“Yeah, and I wasn’t sure about it until I saw Lori with another man, right outside Hillside High’s fields.” Heather placed the brush back on the surface of her dressing table, then turned in her seat. “They were pretty cozy.”
Ryan arched an eyebrow. “Interesting. That’s news to me.”
“Oh yeah? What information do you have?”
Ryan tapped his lips with a finger, then winked at her.
“Oh come on, aren’t we past that? I investigate every case now. I do my best to stay out of the way and under the radar. Besides, if I pass next week, I’ll get my diploma.” And if she didn’t? Oh boy, she didn’t want to think about that.
Ryan wiggled his head from side-to-side. “I guess you’re right.”
“Great, so, what do you know?” Heather scootched to the edge of her seat and leaned in.
Ryan’s eyes lit up, and his posture stiffened a little. Investigation mode? “What did Jinx Laverne tell you about her history with Kyle Henson?”
“She said that he’d coached her and kicked her from the team back in High School. She cited family issues as the reason, since he left town, shortly afterward.”
“Uh huh?” Ryan lifted his chin and inhaled. “She lied to you.”
Heather clicked her fingers. “I knew it. She seemed too good to be true, at the time. All sweet and emotional.”
“Yeah, turns out Jinx Laverne was on the up and up in competitions and trials. She was a step away from making it to the Olympic team before the scandal hit,” Ryan said.
“What scandal?”
“Turns out, Jinx’s dad had a lot of money, and he used it to bribe judges at the local and national competitions. Jinx was good, but she wasn’t that good.” Ryan rubbed his palms together. “Match fixing.”
“Wow.”
“Yeah, and the minute Kyle heard about it, he kicked her off the team,” Ryan replied. “You see, there wasn’t enough proof of the bribery for anyone on the national level to do anything about it. They didn’t ban Jinx or suspend her. Nothing at all.”
“More bribes?” Heather asked, and propped her chin in her hands, elbows on her thighs.
“Maybe. Whatever it was, Jinx got off free. Kyle took huge exception to that. He kicked her off the high school team as his own form of punishment. He refused to coach her. And Kyle Henson was one of the best coaches in the state.”
“So, he left after the scandal, and Jinx had to find another coach,” Heather replied.
“Yeah, except it wasn’t that easy for her. By the time she found another one, her aspirations for taking part in the Olympics were pretty much out the window. And the new officials had heard about her scandal. They avoided her like the plague.”
Heather bit the corner of her lip and stared at the duvet on their King-sized bed.
Ryan sighed and got up. “It’s interesting,” he said. “But I’m not sure it’s enough motivation for murder.”
Heather rose too and stifled a yawn. “I dunno about that. Remember the rat guy? He killed a man over his pet rats.”
“Yeah, but that’s a one in a million. Not every murderer is a rat guy.” Ryan dragged the covers back on their bed, then hopped in.
“I guess,” Heather replied.
“Enough talk about rats and murderers,” Ryan said, then pulled a face. “We’ve both got work tomorrow. Let’s get some rest.”
He was right, as usual. Ryan Shepherd always cut to the core of the issue.
Heather traipsed to bed and crossed her fingers that she wouldn’t dream of stray arrows and gold medals.
Chapter 9
Heather sat at one of the tables in the front of the store, laptop open and stress radiating down her spine. “Another order just in came in,” she yelled.
Maricela banged the kitchen door open and leaned out. “What is it, boss?”
“Three more boxes of M&M Surprises. They need to be shipped out this afternoon, or we’re going to lose the order. Can you guys handle it?”
Maricela gave her the thumbs up, then disappeared into the kitchen.
Her assistants shouted at each other within. These weren’t panicked screams, but ones born from necessity.
The construction next door peaked in the mornings.
Amy entered the store, bell jingle masked by the drilling and hammering and ugh, every other annoying sound that existed. “Is that an angle grinder? What are they cutting, for heaven’s sakes?”
“I can’t deal with that, right now,” Heather said and held up a palm. She directed it toward the far wall as if to push the noise from her presence. Pity it didn’t work. “We received three orders in the last two hours. Can you believe it?”
“I can. Your donuts are delicious.” Amy shut the door behi
nd her, then strode to the table. “Mind if I sit with the boss?”
“Take a seat, hon, I need your help with something, anyway.” Pressure built in Heather’s mind. The case, the test, the orders. She hummed tunelessly, for a change.
She was so stressed that she couldn’t bring a song to mind.
Amy sat down in the chair next to her and narrowed her eyes at the screen. “What’s up, doc?”
“Check this out,” Heather said. She clicked on the mousepad and opened the Google Chrome search she’d typed in a half an hour earlier. She clicked on the first article, and it opened.
Bold print ran across the top of the screen.
Jessica Laverne: The Scandal that Broke the Olympic Dream.
“Say what now?” Amy asked.
“Read it,” Heather replied. “The article was written a couple of weeks ago. By one of the reporters at the Hillside Gazette.”
“Jessica ‘Jinx’ Laverne had it all. Olympic dreams which were set to be fulfilled, until the fateful day her dirty secret was revealed.” Amy paused, then cleared her throat. “I feel like they could’ve written this better.”
“Read on,” Heather said and waved a hand. “It gets better. Or worse, depending on your perspective.”
“Jessica’s father bribed several officials at the national archery competition in 2008. Now, she’s returned to Hillside for the Annual Archery Content 2016. It remains to be seen whether she’ll be able to perform under the watchful eye of her old coach, and nemesis, Kyle Henson.” Amy jerked back. “Nemesis? Are you kidding? Jinx said he was the best.”
“She lied,” Heather replied. “Maybe she didn’t want to implicate herself, or maybe she needs to be implicated, I don’t know. But she lied. Henson kicked her off the team because of this ‘dirty scandal’ which adds another layer of complexity to this donut of a case.”
Amy tapped the mousepad and scrolled down the article. “Judges, yadda yadda, hey! Look at this.” She poked the screen.
“Careful, you’ll break it,” Heather said.
“Oh relax, it’s a laptop, not a porcelain doll,” Amy whispered, then leaned in. “I know her.”
“Who?”
M&M Surprise Murder: A Donut Hole Cozy Mystery - Book 17 Page 3
