East Pender Boxed Set: Cozy Mystery Series Bundle of Books 1-14

by Leona Fox

  “I'm sorry!” he bleated. “I didn't mean for any of this to happen!”

  “What's he sorry for?” Matthew said.

  His face was as hard as granite as was his tone. Kelly pointed toward the drawings. Matthew strode toward them and picked them up, then looked at them. Then, he looked at Kelly. She tilted her head and wore a sympathetic smile, and that look told him everything he needed to know. Still, he moved across the room and towered over Mickey.

  “Hasn't anyone ever told you that it's bad form to give gifts to another man's wife?” he said, smirking.

  Then, he held out his hand for the young boy to take. Mickey's eyes darted between Matthew and Kelly, as he tentatively reached out for Matthew's hand, taking it, as he was hauled up.

  “I should go,” he said, bowing his head and making a beeline for the door. His muscles ached but that pain was dull compared to the shame that swelled within.

  “Wait, we should explain what's going on,” Kelly said, placing her hand on her head.

  There was a dull ache throbbing inside and she didn't know how to get rid of it. The fear she had experienced when Mickey professed his feelings for her had dissipated. Yet, it had left remnants of an unsettling feeling. She hated feeling such fear, such vulnerability, and such mistrust, especially in her own home. The thought that Mickey could have been the secret admirer struck her as absurd now. He was just a kid with a silly crush. Which of them hadn't had experienced something like that before once in their lifetime? Kelly remembered a time back when she was younger when she thought for sure that she was meant to marry her history teacher.

  In a way they had created their own worlds in which the illusion was more powerful than rational thought. She wondered if it was just the artist’s way of thinking or was it something that resided within every human? Kelly wasn't sure, but it convinced her that whomever the admirer was they had created a twisted world, and the thoughts they must have had about her...She squirmed as a feeling of revulsion crawled over her skin, feeling like a million spiders swarming over her.

  Matthew hung his head and pinched the bridge of his nose. This was affecting everybody deeply. Mickey still looked dumbfounded and that did not change as the two adults led him back down into the lounge where they sat him down on the sofa. Kelly went to the kitchen to grab drinks while Matthew waited patiently. The drawings that Mickey had given Kelly, depicting a woman staring into nothingness, were left in the studio, having fallen to the floor.

  When Kelly returned she and Matthew sat together with their hands tightly holding one another. Matthew began to speak, but Kelly quickly interrupted him and took over.

  “Mickey, recently there have been some notes and riddles left around town. These have been meant for me. There's somebody out there who is obsessed and seems to think that their destiny is to be with me, that we have some sort of cosmic connection. I do not know why they have chosen this time to display their feelings but it can't be a coincidence that it started at our wedding. I only found out about this today and as you can imagine it made me feel paranoid and frightened. I'm sure you didn't mean any harm by what you did but I'm sure you can understand why I reacted the way I did.”

  Mickey's face was aghast. “I had no idea,” he said, the color draining from his cheeks, “and I promise you that I'm not that person. I could never...would never...”

  “Wouldn't you?” Matthew said with a cold, hard stare. Kelly gave him an admonishing look. Mickey looked humble, bowing his head.

  “Of course you wouldn't. I know you don't feel like you fit in anywhere and you're lonely but you have to look at this situation rationally. You can see that I'm married, and I would hope you can see how happy I am with Matthew. We're in love, and I know you think you'll never feel anything like the way you feel about me. But love is more than just having things in common with someone, or feeling like they’re rescuing you from loneliness. Love is...it's more than that,” she said, and smiled at Matthew.

  “And the thing about it is that it's hard sometimes. You fight and you argue and you're scared, but love pulls you through. It gives you the strength to face all that together, but it has to be earned. I just want to say I am very flattered by your gesture and your feelings but I think they are misplaced. There is nobody else I would rather be with than Matthew.”

  As she spoke she kept her tone gentle and soothing. Mickey's face turned beetroot red and he could barely look at Kelly. Matthew, sitting by her side, squeezed her hand tightly at certain points in her speech, reminding her that he felt exactly the same way as she did.

  “I'm so sorry,” Mickey began in a low, barely audible voice. “I guess I got a little carried away with things and I had no idea all this was going on. I can't imagine how you feel right now and I've just...I've made such a fool of myself,” he laughed bitterly. “Just par for the course, I guess.”

  “We all make fools of ourselves when it comes to matters of the heart. That's part of the risk, and the fun,” Matthew said with a twinkle in his eyes.

  Mickey looked up and the corners of his mouth flickered into a thin smile. Matthew had softened now that he had seen how guilty Mickey looked. Although he was smarting from Mickey's overtures to his wife, Matthew recognized a gentler touch was needed and that the kid didn't mean any harm.

  “But,” Kelly said, “it does raise a few questions about what we're doing together. When I offered to be your mentor I thought I could help you reach your potential and maybe offer some words of wisdom in your personal life as well. I fear I've actually had a negative impact in that area and your feelings for me clouded your judgment. I would like to continue working with you but I think you need to look at what you want out of this. If it's going to be too distracting to work with me then that's not going to be good for either of us.”

  “I understand,” Mickey said in a low voice. He rose from the sofa and barely could look Kelly in the eye.

  “I'm sorry again for all the trouble I've caused. I hope you get your problem sorted out. I'll, um, I'll have to think it about over the next few days.” With that he excused himself and left Kelly and Matthew alone.

  “What do you want to do now?” Matthew asked.

  “I suppose I should go and have a talk with Ellen,” Kelly replied in a defeated tone.

  Matthew offered to drive her to the cafe but Kelly declined his offer, which brought nothing but consternation from him.

  “I don't want this to affect my life. I don't need chaperoning around. I'm only going to the cafe. I can handle it. I appreciate the fact that you're worried but it's not going to do me any good to be constantly looking over my shoulder and fearing what might happen. The best thing for me is to try to continue like normal.” Her tone was strong and there was determination in her eyes so Matthew relented.

  When she reached the cafe Kelly remained in the car for a few moments, glancing around to see if she saw any sign of someone lurking in the shadows. However, her eyes were playing tricks on her. There seemed always to be something in her peripheral vision, but when she turned her head to look in its direction it would disappear.

  The world seemed as though it was closing in on her and she felt entirely uncomfortable, with a claustrophobic feeling stifling her heart. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and finally exited the vehicle, ignoring the warning voice careening through her head. Despite her insistence that she wanted to act normally, she did rush to enter the cafe, feeling at risk in the openness of the night.

  The cafe was busy so Kelly slipped into a table in the corner, making sure to watch everyone carefully. The familiar faces were once friendly. Yet, now they were ominous. She wondered what secrets lurked behind the eyes. Ellen caught sight of Kelly and excused herself from the bar, leaving it in the capable hands of one of her helpers. She walked over to Kelly and sat down, expressing concern that she was out by herself.

  “If I can't even come here then what good is it to be alive? I don't want to let this person win and have me locked up in my own home. B
esides, something happened tonight and I want this to be over once and for all.”

  She went on to tell Ellen about the events with Mickey. Ellen offered a sympathetic ear and tried reassuring Kelly but the recent bride only could talk about how unsafe she felt.

  “And this is exactly why I didn't want to tell you anything until it was necessary,” Ellen said. “But can you think of anyone who would want to do this?”

  “Not really, I mean, men are men, right? I've had boyfriends in the past and dates but do I think any of them are a psycho? No. I haven't experienced anything like this before. Everyone else around here, well, there's only Bob, but he wouldn't do something like this.”

  “Bob? You mean Bob Downes?”

  “Yeah. We used to flirt a little but it was never anything serious, just a bit of fun to brighten up our days, you know?” Ellen didn't know what she was talking about but she nodded just so Kelly would continue.

  “Recently he acted unhappy when I said I wasn't going to be able to flirt with him anymore. But for him to go to these lengths? I don't think he ever felt that strongly about me. Like I said, we only flirted.”

  “But that flirtation could have meant more to him than you realized. I think we need to go check out Bob. Are you sure there's nobody else? Think hard Kelly, even the most insignificant person could be important. Is there anyone else like Bob who you've flirted with? Someone else who you've even been kind to? Even though you may not have been aware of what you said or did, it could have been construed in a romantic way. Whomever this person is, they have twisted something into a new reality and they're not going to let go of the illusion anytime soon.”

  He watched her, hidden in plain sight as he always was, and she was none the wiser. It surprised him that she had not figured out who he was yet. In a way it almost made him wonder if he had built her up too much, placed her on a pedestal of which she was undeserving, but he quickly pushed away the thought. There had been much that had happened in her life recently. So, of course she was distracted, and she knew how to play the game. It was all about the mystery, the anticipation. No doubt he wanted it to last as long as possible so the payoff would be all the sweeter. Yes, he was convinced she slowly was coming around to his way of thinking and was joining him in the dance.

  Soon enough they would be together and the painful, agonizing wait would be over. All his dreams and fantasies, his longings, would become real. He would be able to hold her in his arms, to feel her slender body melt into his, to experience the warmth and tenderness of her touch and finally know all that he had been robbed of through his life so far. Then, he could turn back to his past and show them all his new life and laugh in their faces. The way they used to taunt him. Now they would know he had won the heart of a beautiful woman, not through his brawn but through his ingenuity, his imagination, and they all would have to concede he knew best over all these years.

  He sipped his hot coffee and smirked to himself as he read his book. All these people were ignorant. She deserved better than to be in a place like this. He would take her away from all of it. They would explore a new world, one of their own creation, a private paradise to which anything else would suffer in comparison.

  Ellen was sad to see Kelly leave the cafe. She only wished she could have offered something more concrete than the hollow reassurance that she and Andy were doing everything they could to find this mystery man. It was one of the stranger cases they had worked on. They had no leads at all, aside from Bob Downes now. Since the case had taken a darker turn Ellen wondered if she should have approached Kelly about it sooner. But would that have ruined the first days of her marriage? Love was certainly a most complicated thing, she pondered. Especially now, when someone lurking in the shadows was convinced they were in love with someone who did not share their feelings.

  After Kelly left Ellen went back to working in the cafe as normal. The low candlelight offered an intimate atmosphere but the chatter was loud and boisterous. Familiar faces were dotted all around but, like Kelly, Ellen viewed them all with suspicion. Usually she was good at getting a read on people but there was nobody in here she could say with confidence was the secret admirer. Edward Carrey was there, as usual, as were a number of couples on dates. Janice and Peter Lester were deep in conversation while the book club was enjoying a vibrant discussion about this month's latest read. Ellen almost wished there was another clue because at least then she could work toward something. At the moment she simply felt lost and the silence was worrying. Who knew what the admirer was planning to do next?

  As she was preparing to close the cafe for the night she heard the door open.

  “I'm sorry, we're just about to close,” she said, before she turned herself around and saw that it was Ray, the manager of the mill.

  “Oh, I didn't know it was you, come on in,” she said with a warm smile.

  “It's okay, I'm not going to stay for that long. I did mean to come here earlier but I got caught up with things at the mill.”

  “You've come a long way for a social call.”

  “Unfortunately, it's not just that. I found something at the mill today that I think you should take a look at.”

  He pulled out a piece of paper from his pocket and handed it to Ellen. It was the same as the other notes, just a couple of short sentences.

  “Did you see who left it there? Where did you find it?”

  “It was near the entrance. Could have been anybody, to be honest. It's the busy season, you know; we have people wandering around all over the place. I did ask around and, as far as I know, nobody saw anyone out of the ordinary but it is possible somebody could have sneaked in.”

  Ellen thanked him and Ray left the cafe. She leaned against the counter and looked at the new riddle. The game was nearing its end, but who would win?

  Chapter 8

  Love flows like wine, and in the middle of the night I worship at your shrine. Are you ready for me yet? I'm close...

  Just reading it made Ellen shiver. It was as though the author had imbued the words with his sickening craving for Kelly and it made Ellen nauseous. She had little time to examine the riddle for she went straight to Andy, and even though it was late in the night she told him about Bob Downes.

  “Do you think we're justified in going to question him this late at night?” she asked.

  “I'm starting to get really worried about Kelly. Whomever this is, he's not going to stop until he gets his hands on her and I don't think he's the type to take no for an answer.”

  Andy had a grim look on his face. “Of course, I'll get my coat,” he said, and soon enough they were driving along to Bob's house.

  The town was quiet and although it should have seemed peaceful it actually was foreboding. Somebody dangerous was lurking in the shadows and they were just baiting Kelly until it was time for them to strike. They had all the control in this situation, and that was most disconcerting for the chief of police and the consulting investigator.

  “I really feel like I messed up on this one,” Ellen said, looking out the window as the neighborhoods passed by. The car drove smoothly over the wide roads and there was not another soul in sight.

  “Why?”

  “I should have told Kelly about this sooner, should have made her more prepared. I was arrogant to think I could have figured out who did this just from the riddles. I should have asked her for suspects.”

  “You were just making sure your friend could enjoy being married,” Andy replied in a soothing tone.

  “I let my friendship get in the way of the case,” Ellen said bitterly. For a few moments the only sounds were the hum of the engine and their breathing.

  “I know you're worried about Kelly now but you couldn't have known we wouldn't have anything to go on. You made the right call. She deserves to be happy, and sometimes when it comes to situations like this we have to keep the truth from people. Ignorance is bliss, after all.”

  “But what if her ignorance leads her to being hurt? What if this perso
n gets to her before we get to them?”

  “You never usually get caught up in 'What if’s?'. What's the matter?”

  “I don't know,” Ellen said, sighing.

  “That doesn't sound like you either. Are you okay?”

  “Yeah...I guess. I don't know, it's just that ever since that interview everyone has been coming into the cafe acting like I'm some sort of hero but I'm really not. I haven't solved every case I've worked on and it's not just me. There's you, Kelly, hell, even Scampy has been the key to unlocking some of the mysteries! Not to mention the rest of the police. And now I can't even get to the bottom of this one. I guess I just don't understand why they rally around me like I'm a big deal.”

  “People like to put a face to things, and they like stories. Like it or not, you have a good story. I mean, come on, a woman comes back to her hometown to look after her ill parents and then she becomes a crime-solving mastermind? My brother should be writing a book about you, not me.” Ellen chuckled a little.

  “This is a small town, you know,” Andy continued, “and there isn't that much that goes on. People just like things that make them happy, and they like to know that one of them is doing well. I'm a cop. It's my job to do this stuff. So me solving a crime isn't going to make headlines, but you give them hope. They know they can count on you. You're their hero, Ellen. And, to be honest, you're my hero as well.”

  Despite his outward appearance as an intimidating cop, Andy could be the sweetest man and his words soothed Ellen's soul. She smiled and felt a little better, which was fortunate as they had reached Bob's house. They walked up the narrow stone path to a blue house that had lost the tint of its paint. Andy beat his fist against the screen door, which rattled under his force. He called out that it was the police. When there was no response he repeated this action. Then they heard someone mumbling and shuffling to the door.