by CeeCee James
“Isn’t that Ben McArthur she’s with?”
Elise felt out of the loop. She leaned over to whisper to Lavina, “Who are these people?”
“They’re part of the benefit circuit.” Lavina smiled. “Doesn’t he have a significant other?” Juicy gossip was her forte.
“Marty used to date Ben years ago, and I think she still sees him as her territory and her toy and doesn't want to give him up!” Maisie nodded.
“She probably wants to keep this all very hush-hush,” Lavina added. She began to rifle through her purse for her compact.
“Please. She’s the village foghorn. She knows everyone’s secrets before they even know them themselves.”
“Y’all are so mean,” Elise laughed.
“Mean. This is not mean. Mean is her walking up to Ben’s fiancé at the last gala and saying that she must have a lovely dermatologist because no one could tell she was inching toward sixty,” Lavina retorted.
Elise gasped. “She didn’t!”
Lavina nodded. “She certainly did. All the while giving her black widow smile and staring daggers.” She touched up her lipstick. “But forget about her. Tomorrow is your birthday. How are we going to celebrate?”
Elise groaned. “Get me out of being a murder suspect?”
“Well, darlin’,” Lavina’s hand paused before pouring the tea from the very decadent china teapot. “First it was me, and now you. We truly are two peas in a pod.”
Chapter 16
Elise was the first one in the bookstore the next morning. It was odd to open the door and not smell the coffee already brewing. As she walked toward the back, Dave came running in.
“Hey, Dave,” she said, peeling off her sweater and hanging it from the hook on the office door. As soon as she took it off, she second-guessed it, rubbing her hands together. The store was chilly.
“Hi, Elise. Thanks for covering for me.”
“Of course!”
“I still feel terrible asking you at the last minute to come in early. But I didn’t realize my appointment was for this morning. I had tomorrow on my brain, for some reason.”
She laughed and tried to reassure him. “Dude, I work for you. This is my job to cover when you need me. Besides, the earlier shift works out better for me, anyway. It’s my birthday and I made some plans for later.”
“Your birthday! Great. Now I feel worse. I’d give you the whole day off except for that darn appointment. Just don’t work too hard. Keep the cleaning to a minimum. Let’s not find any more hat pins.”
Elise snorted. “My only goal is to make sure everything goes like it’s supposed to,” she said, more confident than she felt. So far, nearly every day she’d worked something unexpected had happened.
She was beginning to worry if she wasn’t the jinx.
Dave wandered into his office and returned with a folder in his hands. He said as he walked out, “Keep things mellow, okay? I used to joke to my employees about not burning the place down. But for you, it’s not a joke. And, Happy Birthday.”
She laughed and promised everything would be fine. Because what else could she do?
It was only nine, and the morning sun slanted through the windows and illuminated decades-old dust. She sighed. I may be losing the battle to clean this place. Footsteps pounded overhead. She was surprised the Escape room had visitors so early.
Elise opened the dishwasher and began to unload the mugs and coffee parts, setting the espresso machine pieces to one side. That chore done, she refilled the bean hopper from a brown bag that Dave had brought—the roast he was so proud of—and then set to work putting the espresso machine in order.
It’s my birthday! She laughed to herself at the giddy bubble of excitement stirring inside. You’d think I was in junior high. But she couldn’t wait to go horseback riding.
Her quiet thoughts were disturbed by impatient tapping on the counter.
Elise whirled around. Jake stood there, staring at her.
“Hi,” she said breathlessly, and straightened up, trying to appear like she hadn’t been scared. She hadn’t heard him come down the stairs.
He didn’t answer her. Instead, he continued to drum his fingers on the counter.
“Is there something you need? Want a coffee?” She set the coffee filter down.
“Advice. I might need advice.” On his head sat a top hat, askew.
Odd. First things first. Get rid of the hat.
“Okay.” Elise leaned against the counter. “What kind of advice you need? School? Girl?” She smiled at the last word.
The young man didn’t smile back. “You think I’m a lot younger than I really am.”
Elise straightened. Something about the man’s tone didn’t sit right with her. She studied him carefully. His pupils were huge and he seemed to be sweating. “You feeling okay? What’s with the hat?”
“Yeah. Fine.” Jake picked up a cellophane-wrapped cookie. He twirled it in his hand and chuckled. “Just need a cookie I guess.” He reached into his pocket and forked over a ragged five dollar bill. It had a weird odor to it and she immediately wrinkled her nose. “And as for the hat, I do run the Escape the Rabbit Hole room. Ever heard of the Mad Hatter?” He opened the cookie and took a bite, bringing attention to the sweat gathering on his upper lip.
The bell above the front door rang, and a police officer walked in. Jake glanced at him, then sharply turned away. His hand scratched at his face. “Keep the change,” he muttered then walked towards the door.
Just before he passed the officer, he looked up the stairs. Turning his head slowly, he studied the ceiling until he gave a satisfied grin. Elise followed his gaze—the camera that Dave had replaced. He tipped his hat straighter. Then, lowering his head, he passed the officer. Almost angrily, he slammed the front door.
Elise raised her eyebrows. Weird. She picked up the bill and examined it carefully before raising it to her nose. It smelled terrible, like turpentine. She put it in the cash register and counted out the change. After slipping the bills into her pocket, she wiped her hands on her pants. Really, the whole thing made her feel gross for some reason. Crushing really. The pipe had to be his.
The officer walked up the counter. He removed his hat, revealing a gray crew-cut. “Elise Pepper?”
She took a deep breath and nodded. What fresh new disaster is this?
“I’m Detective Steele. I’d like to ask you a few questions.”
“Okay,” she grabbed a towel and almost defensively began wiping the counter. “How can I help you?”
“I’ve been talking with Officer Carter.”
Elise nodded. She’d heard of Detective Steele, one of Brad’s old partners before he got transferred. So it made sense this was who Brad had been talking with.
“And,” he continued. “I need to know if there’s anything you haven’t mentioned, anything you can think of at all that might help us find the person who’s stalking you.”
“I’ve been trying. Trust me, I want to know who it is more than anyone.”
“We examined the listening devices. They’re pretty elementary, something that could be easily picked up online.” He rubbed his ham-sized hand over the top of his bristly head and then stared at her. “You see, we’re at a crossroads here, wondering who’s doing this.”
Elise used Brad’s tactic and waited silently, hoping it would lure the Detective into saying more.
“You see, no one knows your house better than you. And it’s odd that all these things have been found specifically by you.” His eyes narrowed into two dark slits as he considered her.
He’s not saying what I think he’s saying, is he? And this is Brad’s friend? Her heart pounded in her chest. Don’t even blink, Elise. She crossed her arms in front of her.
“Well, I just wanted to check in and see if you had any news.” He replaced his hat. “I guess I’ll be seeing you around.” He glanced around the bookstore and then back at her. “Don’t you worry. We always get our guy.”
As so
on as he was out of the store, Elise was on the phone with Brad. “Don’t worry, baby,” he tried to console her. “This is just what they do. I should have warned you.”
“Why are you even bringing the evidence to them if they’re just going to use it against me?”
“I’ll talk to him. He’s just covering his bases. I promise, they have nothing on you.”
“I can’t do this anymore Brad. I’m over it.” Elise’s eyes stung with threatened tears. Suddenly, she felt so tired.
“Look, I’m coming down to the store and I’ll hang out until you're off. And then we’ll go celebrate your birthday, okay? We’re going to have fun if it’s the last thing we do.”
She wiped her eyes and nodded before realizing he couldn’t see her. “Maybe don’t word it that way. And, you’re right. I just couldn’t believe he’d come in here and practically threaten me like he thought I was a liar.”
“I know. I’m sorry. This is all going to blow over. Just hang tough.” His voice warmed, “I have a surprise for you.”
A surprise. Well then. “You know how I like prizes.”
His laugh seemed to wrap her in love. “Yeah, you do. And, I’ve got a good one.”
Chapter 17
Later that afternoon, Dave returned to the bookstore. He held his jaw as though it hurt and grimaced as he settled down on the coffee bar stool.
“Oh, no!” Elise exclaimed. “Are you all right? You didn’t say your appointment was at the dentist’s.”
He laughed and moved his hand. “Sorry, I had to tease you. No, it was with my lawyer. We filed an insurance claim on the book.” He glanced over at the empty pedestal. “I’m going to miss it, but I guess I’ll be getting quite a bit for it.”
“Really?” Brad looked impressed. He’d been following Elise around the store all morning as she cleaned, and now relaxed on one of the couches.
“Uh, yeah.” Dave appeared startled to see Brad there. He cleared his throat and then continued. “I’m going to get full value and then some for what it would have eventually appreciated for.”
“Oh, that’s great.” Elise inwardly rolled her eyes. Did you just tell him it was great his book got stolen? “I mean, I’m sorry you lost such a precious family heirloom, but I’m glad you will have some compensation for it.”
“I knew what you meant.” He walked to the counter. “And to celebrate, both my news and your birthday, I got you this.”
He placed a bag—the kind from a nice clothing store— on the counter and smiled expectantly.
“Oh, my goodness. You totally shouldn’t have.” Elise reached for the twine handles, feeling slightly awkward.
Dave cut a gaze to Brad, who watched with a relaxed expression, and then back to Elise. “When I saw this in the window, I knew it would be perfect for you. Check it out.”
She reached into the bag and withdrew a hat. Bright red and felted, the hat had a small heart edged in jewels on the band.
“Oh, my goodness,” she said, hardly knowing how to react. She glanced at his face. He was dead serious. “It’s beautiful, Dave.”
“The Queen of Hearts,” he murmured.
“What was that?” Brad asked.
“The Queen of Hearts. You know, from Alice in Wonderland. I wanted to give you a good memory of the story after what happened. I couldn’t leave it like it was.”
“Aw. Thank you. That was so thoughtful!” She placed the hat on her head and turned to Brad. “Well, this does fit for our date.”
“Yeah? Where are we going?”
“Riding horses!”
Brad’s dark eyebrows rose quickly. He didn’t say anything, but his expression said it all.
She batted her eyes. “Come on. It will be fun. It’s for my birthday….”
“Horseback riding? And how is the poor hat involved? That ain’t a cowgirl hat.”
She reached up to see if it was centered on her head. “You know, fancy hats…”
“That’s the Kentucky Derby,” Brad said dryly.
Dave laughed.
“All right, close enough.” Elise shrugged before carefully placing the hat back in the bag. “Thanks again, Boss.”
“You bet. No problem. Now, you two kids go have fun,” Dave said, waving them away.
Out in Brad’s car, Elise reached for his hand. “Does it sound like fun? Or does the idea of it just totally freak you out?”
Brad’s nose flared as he exhaled slowly. He stroked his jaw as if deliberating.
“I mean, we can plan something different if it really bothers you.” Elise conceded.
He smiled and shook his head. “Nah. You usually let me pick the movie. I guess I can go do this with you.” He raised an eyebrow. “Just this once, though. Okay?”
“Unless you love it. We’re going to be riding on a trail by the lake.”
Brad didn’t seem impressed at this news. “Mph.” He already looked like he regretted his decision. “I’ll probably get the horse named Diablo.”
Elise laughed. “They won’t have a horse named that.”
“You watch and see,” he muttered. “It’ll probably try to bite me.”
Thirty minutes later, they arrived. The entrance was covered with an arching sign that read, “Grant’s Horse Ranch.” Brad’s fingers nervously drummed against the steering wheel as he pulled down the driveway.
“I guess this is it.” He didn’t look happy as he parked.
“You sure about this? I don’t want to do it unless you feel ready.” She hesitated before unbuckling her seatbelt.
“Baby, I was born ready.” He raised an eyebrow at her. His mouth turned in that roguish smile she loved. She reached for his neck to pull him in for a kiss, which he gave readily.
“Come on, cowboy. Let’s see what you got.”
Slowly, they walked up the driveway. Two horses—one black and one brown—were already saddled and waiting outside the stable. Elise noticed a lot of noise over at the main house where the porch lay in shambles. A pair of saw horses had been set up near the house, along with scattered electrical equipment as a construction crew rebuilt the porch.
“Watch out. I’m telling you, that the black one’s name is Diablo,” Brad whispered while squeezing her hand. Elise smirked.
The black one did appear big and bad enough to be called Diablo, but it was actually the chestnut one that seemed more skittish. Hooves clattered over the gravel-strewn driveway as the horse refused to stand still. The stable hand was stroking its nose and murmuring to calm it down.
“Hi, there,” A woman dressed in saddle pants and plaid shirt strode forward, hand outstretched, to greet them. Two helmets hung from their straps in her other hand. “I’m Emily, and that there is Cecil. He’ll be the one accompanying you on your ride, today. Here are your helmets, if you could put them on.” She handed the over.
“And what’s this horse’s name?” Brad pointed to the black one. He fastened the helmet in place.
“That one there’s name is Festus, and the other is a sweet girl named Lucky.”
At her name, the chestnut danced some more.
“What’s going on with her, Cecil?” Emily asked the other worker.
“Aw, she’s fine. Normally, she’s our beginner rider.” The young man addressed Elise, as if wanting to reassure her. “They both are. I think she’s just anxious to get out on the trail.”
Lucky did seem to calm down as Cecil continued to stroke her nose. The stable hand positioned the horse and then beckoned for Elise to climb on. “She doesn’t take kindly to men, though, so this will be your ride.”
Elise buckled on her helmet and tried to tamp down her growing feeling of apprehension. She patted the horse’s neck and felt a jolt of apprehension as the hide of the horse shivered under her touch. “Are you sure she’s okay?”
“She’s fine. Aren’t you, darlin’?” Cecil rubbed noses with the horse. “She’s a sweetie pie.”
Elise stuck her foot into the stirrup and grabbed the saddle horn. With a decidedl
y unladylike grunt, she pulled herself up. The horse stirred under her for a moment and then settled back down. But Elise could feel the horse’s tension like a live wire.
She stroked Lucky’s neck again. “Good girl. You’re a good girl, aren’t you?” Elise looked up to see Emily had talked Brad up on his horse and Cecil had mounted a pinto.
“Keep the reins nice and loose.” Cecil rode over to Brad’s side and loosened the reins. “That’s right. Just a light touch is all that’s needed. Now, both of you go ahead and use your heels a bit to get the horses moving.”
Elise gently bumped the horse’s belly with her heels.
That’s when the world spun upside down.
Chapter 18
“Whoa! Whoa!” Elise screamed. The horse bucked and twisted. Brad leaped off his horse and reached for hers. Lucky danced away from his outstretched hands. Cecil rode over to corral her, but Lucky bucked away.
The next thing Elise knew, the horse was running. Ears back, neck outstretched, Lucky’s hooves ate up the trail and sent the gravel flying. Elise hunkered over the horse’s neck and hung on for dear life.
Surprisingly, the horse’s gait was smooth. That wasn’t the problem. The problem was the horse wasn’t responding to the reins or showing any intention of slowing down.
Elise craned her neck to look ahead, squinting as the wind made her eyes tear. Her hand gripped the saddle horn tighter as she saw the path veered around a large oak. The horse seemed to be aiming straight for the tree.
In a flash, Elise realized exactly what was about to happen. The horse was going to scrape her off on the oak like she was a tick.
Elise grabbed the horse by the mane. “Whoa, Lucky! Whoa!”
All she could see was the whites of the horse’s eyes. Wild eyes. Scared eyes.
The horse jumped over a log. Elise’s teeth clattered together, nearly causing her to bite her tongue in half. She gritted her jaw and yanked harder on the reins.
One sharp limb from the tree pointed in her direction, ready to spear her if she couldn’t get the horse to stop.
