“Hello? Hello?” It was the dispatcher.” Is everything all right? Please tell me what’s going on. I’ve sent emergency vehicles, but I need to know if everything is all right.”
Tina’s left hand held the phone at her side. Without taking her eyes off of Mickey, she put the receiver to her ear, but it took her a few moments to be able to talk. Meanwhile, the dispatcher kept asking her what was going on.
Was Mickey dead? If he was breathing, she didn’t hear him. She took a step forward, then stopped. She couldn’t move another inch.
“I just shot a man,” she finally managed to say. “I think he’s dead.”
The dispatcher said something, but Tina couldn’t hear her. There was a louder roaring in her head now, and she realized it wasn’t just from the gunshots. Her vision blurred around the edges, and she knew she needed to sit down. It took tremendous effort, fumbling behind her while keeping a watch on Mickey, to fix the office chair in the right position so she could collapse into it.
She wanted to put her head between her legs, but she also didn’t want to take her eyes off of Mickey. The dispatcher asked her something about unlocking the door to let the emergency personnel in.
“I can’t move,” she said. “I’m feeling faint. They can come in the same way Mickey did, through the window he broke. Tell them I’m in the office.” As if they’d know where that was. “Second door on the left.”
She wanted to lie down. She wanted to let go, to block it all out. She wanted Hank.
Faintly, the sound of sirens came to her. She sighed. She felt herself falling, sinking down to the floor next to Mickey. Poor Mickey. Poor, poor Mickey.
***
Tina woke slowly. She looked up into the eyes of Ryan and moaned. Mickey’s friend, housemate.
“Are you okay? We can’t find a wound or anything. Did he shoot you?”
She started to shake her head, but it hurt too much. “No. He tried to, up in the attic. And again down here.” She closed her eyes, didn’t want to talk.
“Where’s Tina?” Hank’s voice came from the doorway. She managed to sit up with Ryan’s help. Then he made room for Hank.
She held out her arms, and he kneeled down to take her into his. She clung to him, telling herself not to cry; it was all over. She looked at the EMTs doing something to Mickey. Pulling away from Hank, she asked, “Is he… dead?”
One of the EMTs glanced at her. “Yes.”
“He killed Olivia. And his parents.” She still couldn’t believe it.
“What?” Hank stiffened. “When did he kill his parents?”
“When he was eleven.”
Hank grasped her upper arms, gently, and held her away from him. “He told you this?”
She nodded. “He told me the whole story. It’s pathetic. And sad.” Tears welled, but she blinked them back.
Lisbeth and John tried to come in, but there was no room for them.
“Are you all right?” Lisbeth looked at her from the doorway, concern making her frown.
“I’ll be okay.”
“You up to answering some questions?”
“Yes.” Tina stood up, Hank helping to steady her. “In the living room. I have questions of my own. Lots of questions.”
Tina and Hank sat on the couch, and she snuggled up to him. He put his arm around her and squeezed.
Lisbeth stared at them as she sat down opposite. John sat in one of the more delicate chairs, looking uncomfortable as he took his notebook and pen from his breast pocket. Tina noticed he was learning to mask his thoughts better. He showed little reaction to Hank hugging her.
“Where are Mrs. Shaw and your uncle?” Lisbeth asked.
“They went out to dinner and a show. By the way, Mickey sprang Eddie from jail. Did you catch him?”
Lisbeth looked startled. “So, that’s how he got out. We couldn’t understand…” She gave herself a little shake. Then she laughed. “He was easy to find. He went home to collect some things. Not the brightest criminal I’ve ever met. He’s back in jail. Most likely he won’t bother you again because he doesn’t have to worry about being accused of murdering Mrs. Blackwell now. Why did Mickey let him out?”
“To get Hank out of the house. He saw my mother and uncle leave. Figured Hank would go help find Eddie. He was right.”
“Yes.” Lisbeth glanced at John. He wrote diligently in his notebook. “Okay. He lured Hank away, then came here. Did he ring the bell or just immediately break the front window and climb in?”
“He rang the bell. When I didn’t answer, he broke in. Hank had told me to keep my gun with me at all times, so I had it. But I left my cell on my desk, and I couldn’t call anyone when I ran after I saw him at the door.” She told them everything that happened, exhausted when she was done.
When the sounds of wheels squeaked in the hallway, everyone turned to look. No one said anything until the gurney was wheeled out again with Mickey. Tina took a deep breath and sighed with relief. There was a sense of closure. First she’d seen Olivia Blackwell taken away on a gurney, and at last her killer was also dead.
Now she wanted to ask her own questions. “First thing you’ll do is drop the charges against my mother, correct?”
Lisbeth nodded. John kept his head down, still writing. Hank squeezed her shoulder.
“Next, I think I’m entitled to know now, what did you find out about the supposed attack on Rebecca?”
Lisbeth pursed her lips. “A set up. She wanted to be sure Jenny wouldn’t be accused of murdering Mrs. Blackwell. With Jenny safely in Newport with witnesses, she decided on her little ruse. She didn’t think about it being so close to your mother’s visit and that it might implicate her.”
Tina held back a sigh. “Has Colin been implicated in any fraud at the company where he works?”
“We’re still investigating that. We don’t think so.”
“His father in debt from going to the races?”
“Some, but not enough to worry about.”
“Does Tabitha have any shop-lifting charges against her?”
Lisbeth uncrossed her legs. Recrossed them. “No.”
“So, we’ll probably never know if she’s a thief,” Tina murmured. No one said anything for a few moments. There was a commotion at the back of the house, and Tina heard her mother say something about it being her house, so she could come in.
Lisbeth stood up. “I’ll go handle that.” Tina glanced at the grandfather clock in the corner and was shocked to see what time it was. It took Lisbeth quite a while to return with Laura and Uncle Bob, Princess by his side. They looked pale and shocked.
Tina stood up to hug them both, clinging a bit to each of them.
“You okay?” her mother asked.
Tina nodded.
“You’re sure?”
“Yes,” she managed to say and, shaking, sat down next to Hank again.
Laura went to her usual chair, but Uncle Bob stayed in the doorway, studying Tina. “What a louche human being that Mickey turned out to be. Never would have guessed the skullduggery, maleficence that flagitious scofflaw would go to. He had us all hoodwinked and hornswoggled, didn’t he? I guess you showed him, gave him his comeuppance, didn’t you?”
Everyone stared at him, then one by one began to laugh.
“And you, Uncle Bob,” Tina said, “have us all flabbergasted.” She turned to Lisbeth. “One last question. Are the gems real, and were they stolen?”
Lisbeth hesitated, then shrugged. “Yes to both questions.” She stood up. “We’re done here. I’ll be in touch if we need anything more. I’m glad you’re okay, Tina.”
Tina was not sorry to see the police leave. Laura turned to her. “Are you sure you’re all right?”
“I’m fine, Mom. Sure, this is going to bother me for a while, but at least it’s over, and we don’t have to worry about a murderer running around loose anymore.”
Uncle Bob tugged on Laura’s arm. “Don’t be an old mother hen. You’re too young. Let’s leave these two alo
ne and toddle off to bed. It’s late.”
Laura hesitated, then nodded. She hugged Tina, then so did Uncle Bob. Tina patted Princess and watched them leave the living room.
Hank pulled her back onto the couch. “You sure you’re all right?”
“I will be. Hold me.”
He did. She melted into his arms and pushed thoughts of Mickey away and hoped that all could get back to normal in Newport. She’d even put up with a few more secrets. Or maybe not.
THE END
About the Author
BIO: I grew up in New Jersey and now live in Texas. Including this one, I’ve had six novels and about sixty short stories published in various places over the last dozen years. Two stories were nominated for a Derringer Award. Two others won a Fire to Fly award and another the Mysterical-e 2000 Award for Best Story Previous to 2001. Here’s how to find me:
Website: www.janchristensen.com
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Jan-Christensen/e/B004XTXSYO/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jan.christensen.9275
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JanSChristensen
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/janchristensena/
Please look for my other novels:
Sara’s Search is available for the Kindle. Contact me if you want a new autographed hardcover copy. I still have some of the original editions available.
Revelation, Organized to Death, Perfect Victim, and Blackout are also available for Kindle and in print at Amazon.com.
My new short story collections are all titled Warning Signs. Check out the mile marker on each cover for the number of the collection. These are collections of, usually, three previously published stories, all in Kindle format.
There is another series of single short stories published by Untreed Reads—The Artie Crimes. If you search for “Artie Crimes Christensen,” you should be able to find them anywhere ebooks are sold. Or simply go to my website, find the covers and click on any of them to learn more.
ACKNOWLEGEMENTS:
Many thanks to:
My editor
Derek Murphy for his eye-popping cover
Jason and Marina Anderson for their professionalism as my formatters
And special thanks to Carol Kilgore, my critique partner extraordinaire, who has helped me with other books and stories and blurbs and encouragement and advice and other writerly things.
Every one of you makes me look better. And I know how hard you all work.
Table of Contents
CHAPTER 1
CHAPTER 2
CHAPTER 3
CHAPTER 4
CHAPTER 5
CHAPTER 6
CHAPTER 7
CHAPTER 8
CHAPTER 9
CHAPTER 10
CHAPTER 11
CHAPTER 12
CHAPTER 13
CHAPTER 14
CHAPTER 15
CHAPTER 16
CHAPTER 17
CHAPTER 18
CHAPTER 19
CHAPTER 20
CHAPTER 21
CHAPTER 22
CHAPTER 23
CHAPTER 24
CHAPTER 25
CHAPTER 26
CHAPTER 27
CHAPTER 28
CHAPTER 29
CHAPTER 30
CHAPTER 31
CHAPTER 32
CHAPTER 33
CHAPTER 34
CHAPTER 35
CHAPTER 36
CHAPTER 37
CHAPTER 38
CHAPTER 39
CHAPTER 40
CHAPTER 41
CHAPTER 42
CHAPTER 43
CHAPTER 44
CHAPTER 45
CHAPTER 46
CHAPTER 47
CHAPTER 48
CHAPTER 49
CHAPTER 50
CHAPTER 51
CHAPTER 52
CHAPTER 53
CHAPTER 54
CHAPTER 55
CHAPTER 56
About the Author
ACKNOWLEGEMENTS:
Buried Under Clutter (Tina Tales Mysteries Book 2) Page 25