Debts and Debtors: (A Geeks and Things Cozy Mystery Novella #3) (Geeks and Things Cozy Mysteries)

by Sarah Biglow

  “He’s going to find out when it hits the news,” Kalina interrupted.

  “I guess you’re right. Savannah was involved. She didn’t kill her husband but she knew a very dangerous man was trying to threaten him.”

  “Why?”

  “For money. She was promised a lot of it if she cooperated with getting people to leave so the development could be built.”

  Kalina let out a bitter laugh. “I have a feeling the project won’t be going forward any time soon.”

  “Good. Then people won’t have to move.”

  “Exactly.” Kalina took a long sip of wine and let it burn down her throat. She’d needed it more than Jillian to calm her nerves. She hadn’t wanted to admit it but she was scared of Victor Mackland. She had no doubt he’d be out of their lives soon but until he was in handcuffs and carted away she couldn’t relax.

  She was so lost in her thoughts she didn’t hear her phone ring. AJ nudged her in the thigh, causing her phone to dig into her leg. She yanked it out and saw a missed call from Chris’s cell phone.

  “Excuse me.”

  She extricated herself from the couch, set her wineglass down on the table and retreated to the kitchen for some privacy. She hit redial and waited while the line connected.

  “Hi, sorry I missed you,” she said when he picked up.

  “I wanted to let you know we have Mackland and his boss in custody. It looks like he’s going to be fairly cooperative with us. His boss was already starting to talk on the ride back to the precinct.”

  “That’s great. You have no idea how much better I feel right now.”

  “We still need you to file a report about your tires.”

  “You know what; it’s not even worth it. I’ll get new tires. It’s not a big deal. Focus on making the murder charges stick to this guy.”

  “If things go well I should be able to get away in a couple hours.”

  “Why don’t I come by the house around seven?” Kalina offered.

  “That sounds perfect. I’ll see you then. I love you, Kal.”

  “I love you too.”

  Kalina couldn’t keep a smile from spreading across her lips. The danger was past. If he was willing to confess easily, it made Chris’s job much easier. She returned to the living room and Jillian’s face brightened instantly.

  “Good news I take it?”

  “They have him in custody and it sounds like he’s going to confess. This whole mess is going to be over.”

  “Oh, thank God!” Jillian tipped the bottle over her glass until it was almost overflowing.

  Kalina grabbed the bottle before it spilled and drained the rest of it into her own glass. The raised them in a toast and she took a long drink. This time it didn’t burn on the way down. A few minutes later they both set down empty glasses and Jillian pulled Kalina into a hug.

  “I’m so glad you were on this one, Kal. I couldn’t have handled all of this without you. I’m sorry I was so bitchy before. I love you.”

  “You’re forgiven, Jill. And I love you too.”

  Normally, this much show of affection from her older sister would have made Kalina uncomfortable but the relief that washed over Jillian’s face made it bearable. Now she could look forward to whatever Chris needed to tell her tonight.

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  Seven o’clock came far faster than Kalina expected. She’d gotten AJ to give her a ride home so she could change with enough time to walk to what would soon be her house. On the way over, her phone buzzed with a call from her mother. Guilt twisted Kalina’s gut at the realization that neither she nor Jillian had been keeping their mother apprised of what was happening.

  “Hi, Mom,” she said and slowed her pace to a stroll.

  “Hi sweetheart. How are you?”

  “I’m OK. I’m sorry I didn’t check in after Thanksgiving. Friday was really busy at the shop.”

  “It always was for your father too.”

  “I’m sorry we didn’t keep you in the loop on what happened with Thomas Chase.”

  “Your sister filled me in just now. How horrible. A part of me feels bad for that young woman but the rest me is just disgusted that she’d agree to coerce a man she claims to love into doing something against his principles.”

  “Yeah. You think you know someone and then this happens. I think Jill is taking it harder than she’s letting on. But we can be there for her.”

  “Yes, of course. Honey, you sound a little winded. Are you sure you are all right?”

  “Yes, Mom, I’m fine. I’m just walking to Chris’s.”

  She could almost hear the smile in her mother’s voice. “You’re going to have to stop calling it his house soon.”

  “I know.” The squat, two-story house came into view and it sent excited shivers down her spine. “I’m here. I should go.”

  “I love you.”

  “Love you too.”

  Kalina ended the call and stowed her phone in her purse. Checking her hair in the glass inlaid in the front door, she rang the bell and waited. She spotted Chris through the glass and beamed at him when he opened the door.

  “Right on time,” he said and pulled her in for a kiss.

  He was certainly being more affectionate than normal. He must have really felt guilty for missing Thanksgiving. He finally pulled away, leaving her breathless.

  “Can I get you something to drink? A glass of wine or coffee?”

  “I think that depends on what you need to talk to me about. Should I be sober for this conversation?”

  Chris’s brow furrowed for a moment as the overhead light caught the strands of gold laced through his hair. “Coffee’s better.”

  “Then, sure, I’ll have some coffee.”

  He smiled at her and disappeared into the kitchen. She made herself comfortable on the couch and studied the room. They’d brought over some smaller items like pictures already. Even these little touches made the place feel like home already.

  “Here you go,” he said, handing her a mug.

  She gripped it between both hands and inhaled the aroma. “So did everything go well at the station?”

  “He confessed to everything including slashing your tires.”

  “Guilty conscience?”

  “He doesn’t strike me as the guilty feeling type. I think he realized there was nowhere to go and no one to protect him. The head of the company also confessed to his part in everything. The project is going to be shut down.”

  “Good. I’m glad everything worked out.”

  “Yeah.” He took a slow sip from his mug and set it on the table. He turned to face her and pulled one of her hands from her mug to cradle between both of his. “I really am sorry I missed Thanksgiving.”

  “It’s fine. You had work, I understand that. Besides, there will be other Thanksgivings and Christmases to spend with my family.”

  He gave her hand a squeeze but stayed silent.

  “Chris, what is it?”

  He relinquished his grip with his right hand; it dipped into his pants pocket, producing a small box. “I’d planned to do this on Thanksgiving. Your mom and sister were in on the whole thing too.” He opened the box. “Kalina Greystone, will you marry me?”

  Sound fell away and all she could see was the delicate diamond ring nestled in the jewelry box. Of all the things he could have said, she wasn’t expecting a proposal. They’d been together less than six months. But even though their time together again was short, her heart told her she was ready. Their history had led them to this very moment.

  “Kalina? Did you hear me?”

  She blinked and the world came rushing back. Clumsily, she set down the coffee mug and threw her arms around him, kissing whatever part of him she could reach. “Yes. Of course the answer’s yes!”

  “It is?”

  She leaned back to give him a proper kiss on the lips. The kiss bubbled over into a fit of laughing when she caught the surprise on his face. “Of course. We’re moving in together. Why would I say no?
”

  “I don’t know … maybe you thought it was too fast?”

  “We’ve been working towards this since high school, Chris. I think we’re ready. Besides, I think we both know there’s no one else out there for us.”

  His shoulders relaxed and he slid the ring—a perfect fit—onto her finger. The diamond caught the light from the table lamps and sparkled merrily from its new perch. She curled up in his arms and sighed with contentment. This was the perfect way to end a crazy, hectic few days. Sure, a chapter of a man’s life had come to an end but this one in hers was just being written.

  “I can’t believe my mom and Jillian kept this a secret.” She laughed. “No, scratch that. I’m surprised AJ didn’t find out and spill the beans ahead of time.”

  “I only wish I could have asked for your father’s blessing.”

  A twinge of sadness pulled at her heart but it passed after a moment. Her father would have been proud of her for everything she’d accomplished in the last few months.

  Read an Excerpt from HAVE AND HOLD (Geeks and Things #4)

  A crisp blanket of snow covered the front yard as Kalina stared out the second-story bedroom window. They didn’t get a lot of snow on the coast. It usually turned to rain by the time it reached the small town of Ellesworth but today, in late January, the storm was raging and heavy. It buffeted the windows and the wind howled in the distance. Her attention diverted to the slender stick in her fingers: a positive pregnancy test. She’d had her suspicions but this confirmed it. She supposed she was lucky that she and Chris were already getting married. Still, she wanted to wait until after the wedding to share the news. She didn’t want him to feel pressured into tying the knot just because of a baby. She also needed to get used to the idea of a child. She hadn’t been against the idea of being a mother, but it hadn’t really been in her life plan. Still, it brought a certain sense of excitement and she knew her mother would be thrilled. She hid the test in a wad of tissues and tossed them in the trash just as the bedroom door opened and Chris appeared in his dress uniform. Since he’d made detective he hadn’t needed to be in uniform. But today was a special day. After almost nine months without a captain, Chris had finally accepted the appointment.

  “Well, don’t you look handsome,” she said and pulled him in for a kiss.

  “You’re going to be there right beside me,” he said when she’d pulled away.

  “You earned this. I’m so proud of you.”

  “I don’t know about that. A man that I respected turned out to be a killer. I got this job because someone else murdered little old ladies.”

  “Chris, come on. You know you earned this. You put in a lot of hard work to keep this town and its people safe.”

  “I wouldn’t be half as good at it without you.”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She’d only been involved in a few cases but Chris had always been the one to get the credit.

  “Yes, you do. I know I can’t stop you from being curious.”

  “I’m just a lowly shop owner,” she said with a sly smile.

  “I just worry one day it will get too dangerous.”

  “I’ll be fine. I promise.”

  He settled on the bed to lace up his shoes and Kalina took the break in conversation to put on earrings and tame her short curls into submission. She studied her reflection in the mirror, scrutinizing her waistline to see if she was showing yet. She couldn’t spot any noticeable difference so her secret seemed safe.

  “So have you talked to your mom about coming down for the wedding?” she asked.

  “Yeah. I called her the other day. She’s going to be here for everything. She said she was sending over a present early. Her instructions were very clear to open it before the wedding.”

  “That’s kind of strange.”

  His reflection shrugged. “She’s a little weird sometimes. But I figure I’m the last kid to get married so I’ll humor her.”

  “I get that.” She was the second of two siblings getting married in her family too.

  “I have to admit I’m happy you didn’t want a big ceremony,” he said and moved to stand behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist.

  Breath caught in her chest for a split second before she exhaled and leaned into him. “A big, flashy affair just isn’t us. Besides, we’re paying for everything and a cop’s salary and what I make from the shop isn’t the big bucks. So we do what we can.”

  “Exactly.” He kissed her cheek and released his grip.

  She checked herself in the mirror one last time before following him downstairs. She paused before going down to consider how far they’d come. They’d been engaged since Thanksgiving and had only been living together since then as well so they’d taken a few months to figure out what they wanted and who was on the guest list. She’d settled on a dress around Christmas but had to pay for it in installments. People liked their comics and other nerdy paraphernalia but the dress was still more than she felt comfortable paying for in a lump sum.

  “Come on, we don’t want to be late,” Chris called, holding out her coat.

  “Right, sorry.”

  She hurried down the stairs and let him help her into her coat. She wrapped a thick scarf over her face and pulled on gloves before they braved the snow. Chris opened the front door to find a package perched on the front steps, covered in a thin layer of snow. He picked it up and heard something move inside. He stepped back inside.

  “We’re going to be late if we open your mom’s gift now,” Kalina said.

  “I don’t know that this is from her. No return address.”

  It was addressed only to Detective Christian Harper. Kalina peered at the postage. “It’s from the right zip code though.”

  “They aren’t going to start without the guy getting the promotion. We can be a couple minutes late,” he said and fished in his pocket for his keys. He kept a pocket knife attached and slid the blade along the tape on the top of the box. He folded back the flaps to find a small jar with clear liquid inside. The jar held a human finger with a sparkly engagement ring. Kalina tried not to scream but the sound still came out as a strangled moan. She’d seen dead bodies before but somehow the severed finger was worse. It ignited too many questions that she didn’t want to contemplate: chiefly whether the finger’s owner was still alive. Chris moved with quick steps to the kitchen—ignoring the snow he tracked across the floor—and flipped on the light.

  “Why would someone send you a finger?” Kalina rasped.

  “I have no idea,” he answered and pulled out his phone. “But I don’t think this is a coincidence.”

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  Also By This Author

  Geeks and Things Cozy Mysteries

  Toil and Trouble

  Pains and Penalties

  Forgive and Forget

  Debts and Debtors

  Stand Alone Titles

  Unplanned

  Archangel Rising: Volume 1

  About The Author

  Sarah lives in Massachusetts with her fiancé. She is a licensed attorney and spends her days combatting employment discrimination as an Investigator with the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination.

  She is a self-professed TV junkie and in her spare time (what’s that?), she runs a TV recap blog with her best friend (and sorority sister), Jen.

  You can connect with Sarah on Twitter @SBiglowWrites or by joining her newsletter on www.sarah-biglow.com

  For those TV-obsessed souls, you can head on over to the recap blog: www.more-tv-please.com. You can also follow the blog on Twitter @MoreTVPlease and check it out on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MoreTVPlease.

  Cozy Mystery Novella #3) (Geeks and Things Cozy Mysteries)