by anna snow
It had been two weeks since we had wrapped up Mark's murder case. I say we because, in reality, Silas had done as much if not more work to find the real murderer and free Kelly as I had.
"You should think about helping us with cases more often," I said seriously. "I couldn't have solved this case without you."
Silas looked across the desk at me and ran his finger around the rim of his coffee mug. "I highly doubt that. You would've figured it out. You always do."
Since Silas had saved my bacon from Jamie and Silvia at Melody's, Tyler didn't mind Silas and me hanging out anymore. Thank goodness. I didn't think I could have tolerated the two of them going after each other another minute longer.
"Have you heard what's going to happen to Jamie and Silvia?" Silas asked and sipped his coffee.
"Even though the police have their full confessions on tape, thanks to your quick thinking," I added as an aside, "Jamie and Silvia still pleaded not guilty. From what Tyler has told me, they will be going to face a jury trial in the coming months."
"I can't believe after all of that they won't confess to what they did." Silas shook his head. "Let's just hope the taped confession will stand up in court."
"It should, and along with our testimony they'll most likely be facing a long time in prison," I said and leaned back in my chair.
"I'm glad you're all right," Silas said in the most serious tone I'd ever heard come out of his mouth. "When Jamie started to bring that knife down at you, I almost lost it. I just knew I was too late." He shook his head and blew out a breath.
"But you weren't," I said firmly. "And here I sit, sipping a macchiato that's going to go straight to my thighs."
Silas laughed, and I grinned at him. "Seriously, thank you for saving my life. I owe you one now."
"I'll remember that." He chuckled. "But there's something that's been bothering me," he said.
"What's that?"
"Why did Dale lie about his whereabouts the night of the murder?"
"Oh," I said and grinned then leaned forward and placed my forearms on the desktop. "It turns out that Dale lied to us because he was afraid of what his partner would say and do if he found out that Dale was at the club…with another man."
"So, while Dale's partner was out of town, Dale was cheating on him and was afraid that he would somehow find out?"
"Exactly," I said and leaned back in my seat. "It surprised me too. I thought he'd want to be caught cheating over being suspected of murder." I shrugged.
"Okay, so who ransacked Mark's house?" Silas asked. "We know it wasn't Jamie and Silvia, or at least they never said anything about it in their confession."
"I was wondering about that myself, so I made another call to Dickie."
"Oh, Barb. Why on Earth would you do that?" Silas groaned. "He's not someone you need to be any more indebted to."
He didn't have to tell me. I'd been waiting for Dickie to call in his favor since the day I met him. I only hoped that when he finally did, it wouldn't be anything crazy, but with Dickie, I was certain that was simply wishful thinking.
"I know," I said. "But that loose end was bothering me, and Tyler didn't have a clue who broke in or why, either. Dickie said that when Gerald talked to Two-Toes he admitted that his goons had gone to Mark's place and broke in after the cops left in hopes of finding some of the money Mark owed them."
"Why didn't Gerald tell you that when he called you?"
"He said Gerald forgot, but I know that Gerald isn't a forgetful kind of guy. I think Dickie just wanted me to be even more in his debt," I said and took a drink of my coffee.
"Well, if that's the case, he got what he wanted. Did he happen to know anything about the gun and drugs the cops found?"
"Nope. That's one loose end I can't tie up. I think that with Mark being so afraid of what Two-Toes' guys were going to do to him, he purchased a gun then hid it with his drugs where he thought no one would find them."
"Makes sense," Silas said and nodded.
A knock sounded at my door, and Kelly stuck her head inside. "Barb, Melody is here to see you."
"I have to get going anyway," Silas said and stood to stretch. "There's a couple coming by to take a look at one of my paintings in about an hour, so I need to get down to the gallery and get everything all set up." He leaned over the desk and kissed me on the cheek. "Don't get into any trouble without me."
"I'll try to control myself, but I'm not promising anything," I joked.
Silas laughed as he walked to where Kelly stood just inside the office door, pulled her against his side, and gave her a sloppy, playful kiss on the cheek.
"Geeze, you two, get a room," I teased.
Silas laughed, and Kelly swatted his arm playfully. "I'm at work, you pervert."
Kelly had come such a long way over the last two weeks, and while she was still feeling the sting of losing the only long-term relationship she'd ever been in, she was trying to move on. Silas understood what she was going through and was taking his time and taking cues from Kelly as to when he should press things further.
They'd been spending more time together, and I couldn't have been happier for them.
Kelly pressed the door farther open and waved Melody through then closed the door behind her.
"You look great," I said. "How are you doing?"
"Better. Much better," she said with a smile.
"Well, come on in, and have a seat." I waved her to the leather chairs in front of my desk. Melody took a seat and crossed her legs. The skirt she wore was a pretty peach hue. She'd topped it off with a billowy white spaghetti-strap top and a pair of pale flats on her feet. Just looking at her, you would never have suspected she was now the lead singer of a rock and roll band. The only proof that she'd nearly been killed just two weeks prior were the bandages wrapped around her wrists.
"I can't thank you enough for what you did for me." She looked me in the eyes. "If you hadn't shown up when you did…" Melody looked away and blinked a few times to keep the tears building behind her eyes from pouring over. "I know I thanked you when you came to the hospital to see me, but I just can't stop thinking about what would have happened if it wasn't for you."
"You don't have to thank me. I was just doing my job." I smiled at her. "And to be honest, you were number one on my suspects list up until just a few minutes before that point," I said.
"Well," Melody laughed. "I can't blame you for that. I guess if I looked at the situation from your point of view, I would have put me on the list, too." She reached over and ran her forefinger across the clean, white bandage around her right wrist and sighed quietly. "I just can't believe everything that's happened in these last few weeks. It all just seems so surreal. And if I'm completely honest with myself and with you, I'm a bit ashamed of what happened between Mark and me."
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"I knew better than to get mixed up with Mark, but I did anyway. I ignored all of the warning signs that he was just a player." She shook her head sadly. "I didn't know about Kelly until just a couple of weeks before he was killed. He told me he was leaving her, so I stuck around. I knew deep down he was lying, but I'd been foolish and fallen in love with him somewhere along the way. And before I knew it, I was in too deep," she explained.
I leaned forward and rested my forearms on the desktop.
"You can't blame yourself," I said gently. "Do I think you should have told him to take a hike the moment he said he had a girlfriend? Yes. Do I blame you for falling in love with him? No." I shook my head. "Things happen, and they're not always good. We just have to live with the consequences of our actions and hope we learn our lessons the first go-around so we never repeat the same mistakes twice."
"You're right," Melody agreed.
"These last couple of weeks have been one heck of a roller coaster ride for all of us. But—" I leaned back in my desk chair. "—we came through and are sitting here alive and well today. And from what I understand, you have a big, successful life ahead of you."
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Melody smiled genuinely, and her eyes lit up. "Three months from now I'll be in the recording studio with the band making new music and gearing up for our world tour."
"That's wonderful," I said happily.
"We replaced Jamie with a friend of mine who plays the guitar like a boss, and we're all getting along with each other."
Melody might have gotten herself off to a bumpy start where Mark was concerned, but there wasn't a doubt in my mind that she was going to be just fine.
"I'm happy for you, and even happier that you and Kelly have become friends."
Once Melody had been released from the hospital, she'd paid a visit to the office. She and Kelly had sat down and talked everything through. From that point on, the two women had grown to become friends. I was happy for the both of them. Holding grudges was something that I'd learned over the years did nothing but turn your heart sour. I was glad that Kelly and Melody had made up and put the past and Mark's sleazy ways behind them so they could move forward with the lives they deserved to live and the loves they deserved to find.
I picked up my pen and scribbled my name on the final page of the case file then closed the manila folder and pushed it across the desk for Mandy to file later in the day. This was one case I was more than thrilled to have over and done with.
Kelly was free, Melody was alive, and once again, Jackson Investigations was back in the news for solving a big murder case. The office phone had been ringing off the hook with potential cases ever since the truth had come out.
"Boss?" Mandy opened the door and stuck her head inside. "Tyler is here to see you." She pressed the door open wide, and Tyler stepped inside.
He looked as yummy as ever in a pair of tight faded jeans and an untucked white button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows to display his brawny forearms. His inky black hair was windblown and just brushed his ears like he was in need of a trim.
"That's my cue to beat feet," Melody said with a laugh. "I'll see you later."
I stepped around the desk and gave her a quick hug. "If you need anything, you know where to find me. Good luck on tour," I said.
"Thank you again," she said a final time before she left the office with a spring in her step.
Tyler waited for Melody to leave the office before he stepped forward and pulled me against his chest. "How's my favorite girl?" he asked and pressed a quick kiss to my lips.
"Honestly?" I looked up at him and patted his chest. "I'm exhausted."
That wasn't an understatement. Since we'd solved the case, I'd barely slept. Between talking to the police, the reporters, booking new clients, taking care of old clients, and trying to teach Blue how to use a new litter box, my life had been all go, go, go, and no slow, slow, slow. I was afraid that if I sat still for too long, I'd fall asleep and not wake for a few days.
"Well," he brushed the hair away from my face. "You've been extremely busy these past few months. It's been one thing right after another, and those things have been mostly murders." He said in a teasing tone. "You need to take a break."
"I can't deny that," I admitted. "But this is my job." I patted his hard chest. "My business taking off like this is all I've ever wanted." I looked around my office and smiled. Jackson Investigations had come so far in the last three years. I couldn't have done any of it without Mandy, Kelly, and Mona.
"But you're only one woman, Barb" he countered. "And while you may be the strongest, smartest, most determined woman I know, you're not Wonder Woman, which is why I have a proposition for you." He grinned and pulled my waist against him.
I narrowed my eyes at him. "What kind of proposition?"
The twinkle in his sparkling green eyes screamed mischief. I was a little afraid to hear what his proposition might be.
"The kind that involves you, me, the sun, me ogling your amazing booty in a bathing suit on the deck and in a cabin of our very own, complete with a king-sized bed and your favorite Stella Rosa wine."
"Are you asking me to go on a cruise with you?" I gaped at him.
"Yes. I most certainly am." His brilliant emerald eyes twinkled down mischievously at me. "What do you say, Barb? Will you go on vacation with me?"
His expression was so happy and hopeful, and the thought of doing absolutely nothing but soaking up some sun with an umbrella drink in my hand and Tyler by my side in a little pair of swim shorts sounded like heaven on Earth. But I couldn't go.
"Tyler," I sighed. "I'd love to. Really I would, but there is so much to do around here. I can't just put everything on hold to go on vacation with my boyfriend. I don't think my clients would take that news too well."
"On the contrary," Mandy chose that moment to step through the open office door. "The majority of the events on your calendar are consultations and follow-up visits, both of which Kelly and I can handle. All other potential cases can be scheduled for after you get back." She smiled like she was totally proud of herself for proving me wrong. Which I suppose she'd earned the right to be proud of herself. She was always on top of her game and usually mine as well.
"Yeah but—"
"But nothing." Kelly walked in and joined in on the conversation. "You've been going nonstop. You need a break. Go." She held up her hand to stop me from interrupting her. "We can handle things around here until you get back. But—" She waved a hand in the air. "—there's no way you're packing for yourself. We're helping." She motioned between Mandy and herself. "If we leave it up to you, you'll be running around on the deck of that ship in old shorts, concert T-shirts, and Converse. No." She shook her head. "We're sending you off with some girly style."
"Come on, Barb. The cruise doesn't set sail for two more weeks, so you have time to get things around here that can't wait settled, and like Kelly and Mandy said, they can handle everything else," Tyler said.
I looked up at him then at the girls and back at Tyler again. They were all looking at me like I was about to announce the winning lottery numbers or something, and I almost rolled my eyes. It wasn't like the apocalypse hinged on my answer. Instead, I laughed and shook my head.
"It looks like I'm outnumbered." I grinned back up at Tyler.
"So that's a yes?" Tyler asked hopefully with the wide grin I'd grown to love.
"Yes." I nodded. "Going on a cruise with the man I love? That's definitely a yes."
Tyler gaped down at me. "You love me? Did you just say…"
As afraid as I'd been to say it before, telling Tyler that I loved him felt only natural now. Tyler had stuck by my side through all of my wackiness, sarcasm, morning hair, and Converse shoe addiction. He was kind, generous, the last thing I thought about when I went to sleep, and the first thing I thought about when I woke up in the morning.
"Of course I do," I admitted. "I think I always have." I smiled up at his goofy grin.
Tyler cupped the back of my head and kissed me.
"And that's our cue to get out of here," Kelly said with a chuckle. "There are some things I just don't want to see."
Tyler ended the kiss, and we both laughed as Mandy and Kelly left the room and closed the door behind them.
"What do you say we go back to your place, feed those goofy cats of yours, order some pizza, and binge-watch that zombie show you like so much on Netflix?"
I patted Tyler's cheek. "Ooo, I love it when you talk dirty to me," I teased.
"In that case," he leaned close to my ear and whispered, "I'll bring the coffee."
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Not only is Anna Snow a wife, mom, and lipstick junkie, but she's also a multi-published USA Today bestselling author of several romance, mystery, erotica, fan-fiction, paranormal, chick-lit, and thriller works. Anna began writing as soon as she could hold a pen and hasn't sto
pped since. She loves life and can think of nothing she enjoys more than spending time with her family and friends. She loves archery, reading, writing, kitties, spending time outdoors, and did I mention kitties? *Big grin* Anna also loves to hear from her fans and answers all correspondence she receives.
To learn more about Anna Snow, visit her online at: http://www.annasnow.info
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BOOKS BY ANNA SNOW
Barb Jackson Mysteries:
Bubblegum Blonde
Illegally Blonde
The Blonde Before Christmas (holiday short story)
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SNEAK PEEK
If you enjoyed this Barb Jackson Mystery, check out this sneak peek of another exciting novel from Gemma Halliday Publishing:
NEARLY DEAD IN IOWA
by
WENDY BYRNE
CHAPTER ONE
I chewed my lip. Maybe once I got this thing behind me, I'd be able to find a sense of peace.
After parking the car in front of the old Victorian, I made my way toward the house. A cacophony of chirping crickets nearly deafened me as I followed the cracked sidewalk, walked up four steps, and knocked on the door.
What did I call the father I'd never known? Dad, Daddy, Tony, Mr. Gallione? I pushed back thoughts of worry and self-doubt. He'd sounded nice enough in his letter and our subsequent emails. I'm sure it would all work out fine, even if he happened to be my last chance at figuring out what I wanted to do with the rest of my life after getting kicked out of my Manhattan townhome by my soon-to-be ex. No pressure there, dear old Dad.
Darkness had come over the sleepy town of Inez, Iowa about an hour or so ago, and the porch light hadn't been left on for me. Should I take that as a sign? Then again, I hadn't given him an exact time in my last email. I'd said Tuesday sometime after seven—and we hadn't exchanged cell phone numbers for reasons that spoke more about our estrangement than anything else. Maybe he'd had something more pressing to attend to than meeting with his long-lost daughter. I fought away thoughts of defeat. I'd come too far to turn back now.
