Hairball Hijinks

by Nancy J. Cohen

Gabrielle heard her remark. “Tally and I met at a museum talk given by Becky,” she explained in a voice as smooth and sexy as aged whisky. “The curator’s research is so interesting.”

  “So I gather.” Marla had been missing out on this gem. She’d have to visit the museum after all these recommendations. A flash of purple caught her attention, and she recognized Francine’s colorful top. “Hey, who’s that hunky guy over there talking to Francine?”

  Teri pointed in the man’s direction. “Zach Kinsdale. He’s the eldest brother of the clan that owns the farm. They sell my signature chocolates in their farmers’ marketplace.”

  “It’s generous of them to host the festival.” Marla scanned the crowd, searching for her husband. She didn’t spy his tall figure anywhere.

  Tally nudged her with an elbow. “Are you kidding? This event is a gold mine for them. Thousands of residents come out every year. It must bring in tons of new customers.”

  “That’s true. Look, I’d better find Dalton to tell him we’re entering the Find Franny contest. I’ll connect back with you at the ticket booth. Bye, ladies,” she told the others.

  After she’d loaded her supplies into the car, Marla sought her husband. The judging at his homegrown tomato competition had ended, and he’d donated his specimens to onlookers. He stood by his designated table, peering at the crowd through dark sunglasses. A grin lit his face as he noticed her approach.

  “How’d it go?” he asked. He cut a handsome figure in his belted blue jeans and tucked-in sport shirt.

  Marla’s nerves fired at his proximity as her body responded. “Fine. We met the judges and the other contestants. Tally and I want to join the Find Franny hunt.”

  “You go ahead. I’m starving. The barbecue wagon is calling to me.”

  “I thought you wanted to pick strawberries when we finished here.”

  “It might be better to come back another time when there’s less of a crowd.”

  Marla surveyed the fields stretching into the distance. “Not too many folks are out there today. Guess they’re more interested in the fun goings-on.”

  “Let’s meet inside the market at four o’clock,” Dalton said in his commanding tone. “Where’s Tally?”

  “She’s talking to some people she knows.”

  “Too bad she didn’t bring Luke. He might have enjoyed this place.”

  The mention of Tally’s baby brought a twinge of longing to Marla’s heart. She’d cared for the infant while Tally was in the hospital and missed him dearly.

  “It’s good for Tally to get out on her own and meet new people. It’ll help her heal and accept her loss. When she reopens her dress store, she’ll have even less free time. Besides, she spends hours with Luke already.” Her friend still had to recover psychologically, if not physically, from her hidden wounds.

  “She’s checked in with the sitter, hasn’t she?” Dalton asked, a crease between his brows. As a homicide detective, he tended to be suspicious of everyone, especially after the last case that had hit close to home.

  “Of course she’s called. Don’t be such a worrywart. With her video monitoring system, Tally can see Luke on her cell phone.” When Dalton opened his mouth to speak, Marla put a finger to his lips. “Don’t say it. If we ever have children, we’ll have to learn to trust someone as well. I’m not going to be glued to the house with a baby.”

  His gaze sparked, and he rubbed her belly. “I can’t wait for you to have that choice.”

  Marla stepped back. “We have Brianna in the meantime, and she keeps us busy enough.” Her stepdaughter would be a senior in high school next year, and then she’d go away to college. They’d be empty nesters unless Marla got pregnant.

  “I’d better see what Brianna is doing, now that you’ve reminded me,” Dalton said.

  “Leave her alone, Dalton. She might be driving, and you don’t want to distract her.”

  His frown deepened. “Why does that thought upset me?”

  “She’ll be fine. You have to let the baby bird learn how to fly.”

  As Marla turned away, she realized she had her own issues with letting go. An ache in her chest for Tally’s son hit her hard. She missed his sweet innocence and powdery baby smell. Her gaze fell upon all the couples with strollers at the fair, and she heaved a sigh. It had taken her a long time to consider having children of her own. Now she had to live with her decisions.

  The Find Franny game would be a fun diversion. She paid the five-dollar registration fee and received a printed set of rules along with a card divided into eight sections. Gamers had to get each square stamped before finding Francine.

  “We have to split up,” Marla said to Tally with a note of disappointment. They’d met up again at the registration table. “This says no teams are allowed. That sucks.”

  Tally chuckled. “You should love this game. It will test your sleuthing skills, Marla. You might be the expert in solving murder cases along with Dalton, but I’m good at finding things. I bet I win first place.”

  Marla’s heart warmed. Seeing Tally happy was a prize in itself. “Hey, I’ve got this. It’ll be easy. All we have to do is follow the clues. May the best woman win!”

  As Tally loped off in another direction, Marla grinned at the challenge ahead. After all, what could be so difficult about a live scavenger hunt?

  Order Now

  Interview with Marla Vail

  Tell us a bit about yourself, including one trait you’d like to improve.

  I’m Marla Vail, hairstylist and salon owner. Even though I’ve expanded my business to include a day spa, I still like working behind the chair. I also like solving crimes alongside my detective husband, Dalton. My biggest problem is that I have a hard time saying no when people make requests of me. While I was visiting my friend Tally, a neighbor knocked on the door asking me for help in finding her lost cat. How could I refuse? She knew about my reputation for sleuthing.

  Finding a cat shouldn’t be the biggest problem in the world, right? I didn’t count on stumbling onto a burglary ring. But that’s often how things happen in my life. One simple request, and I get embroiled in another investigation. Is it possible for me to live a simpler life and just enjoy my family? And would I want to be stuck in a routine pattern where peace prevailed? Probably not. The lure of solving a mystery will always tempt me, although I should learn to focus more on matters at home.

  Who’s the character you get along with the best?

  I’d have to say my husband, Detective Dalton Vail. He respects my abilities and seeks my input in his cases. It wasn’t always that way. He used to warn me off until he realized I would persist on my own. I won’t give up, especially if the case involves people I care about. Dalton and I complement each other in our style of interviewing suspects. He comes straight-on, while my conversational skills take a more subtle approach. I’m less intimating than a police detective and people are more willing to talk when I take the lead. Dalton recognizes this and appreciates my contributions.

  Which other character do you have a conflict with, and why?

  I wish my mother would stop pressuring me to give her more grandchildren. It’ll happen when it happens. I can barely cope with things some days as it is, although my schedule has improved since my friend Tally recovered from her car accident. I’d been taking care of her infant son, Luke, during her rehab. It made me sad to return him to his mother, but I was grateful Tally had regained her life. Now maybe Dalton and I can move on. I know his parents would be thrilled to have more grandkids. Is it in the cards for us? That remains to be seen.

  What do you really think of the author?

  I have a lot more stories to tell, and she gets diverted too easily. She works hard but spends too much time trying to get word out regarding her books when she could be relating my adventures. However, I’ll be the first to admit that I wouldn’t be where I am today without her. But here’s the thing. She needs me more. Have you seen her hair when I don’t do it?

  Bonus Recipes />
  Chicken Orzo

  1 cup uncooked orzo pasta

  2 Tbsp. olive oil

  2 tsp. chopped garlic

  1 package Perdue short cuts cooked chicken breast, cut into bite-size pieces

  2-14½ oz. cans stewed tomatoes, cut up

  1-15 oz. can low-salt cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

  1-16 oz. package frozen broccoli florets, thawed

  1 tsp. Italian seasoning

  Cook pasta according to directions on box. Drain and put aside. In a separate large skillet, sauté garlic until tender. Stir in chicken, tomatoes, beans, broccoli, and Italian seasoning. Mix in pasta. Heat until warmed through. Serves 6.

  Shrimp Brown Rice

  1 Tbsp. olive oil

  1 medium onion, chopped

  1 medium red pepper, chopped

  16 oz. sliced mushrooms

  2 cups uncooked brown rice

  1 tsp. minced garlic

  1 tsp. saffron powder

  48 oz. low-sodium chicken broth

  1-2 lbs. cooked, deveined shrimp

  12 oz. frozen broccoli florets

  8 oz. frozen peas

  In a Dutch oven, sauté onion, red pepper, and mushrooms in oil until tender. Stir in the rice, garlic and saffron. Cook 1 to 2 minutes, then add broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until liquid is absorbed, about 45 minutes. Add broccoli, peas, and shrimp, and cook until heated through. Serves 6-8.

  Roasted Red Potatoes

  Half a bag of small red potatoes

  Fresh garlic, chopped

  1 large onion, sliced

  Fresh rosemary

  Olive Oil

  Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Clean potatoes and cut into quarters. Put potatoes into large bowl. Mix in garlic, onions and rosemary. Add a splash of olive oil to moisten. Spread onto greased baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes or until potatoes are fork tender. Serves 4.

  Eggplant Tomato Casserole

  1 large eggplant, peeled and sliced lengthwise into ½ inch slices

  2 large tomatoes, sliced

  1 large sweet onion, thinly sliced

  2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

  Fresh basil leaves or ½ tsp. dried basil

  ½ cup plain bread crumbs

  1 package mozzarella cheese slices

  ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

  Sprinkle eggplant slices with salt and let sweat for a half hour. Rinse off and pat dry with paper towel. Grease a 13x9x2 baking dish. Layer the eggplant, tomatoes, and onions. Sprinkle with basil and dribble with olive oil. Cover and bake at 400 degrees for twenty minutes. Remove cover. Put mozzarella cheese slices over mixture, then sprinkle with bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese. Bake uncovered for 15 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly. Serves 6-8.

  Chocolate Zucchini Cake

  2-1/4 cups sifted all-purpose flour

  ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

  1 tsp. baking soda

  1 tsp. salt

  1-3/4 cups sugar

  ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature

  ½ cup vegetable oil

  2 large eggs

  1 tsp. vanilla extract

  ½ cup buttermilk

  2 cups grated, unpeeled zucchini

  6 oz. package semisweet chocolate chips

  ¾ cup chopped walnuts

  Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour a 13x9x2 inch baking pan. Sift the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt together into a medium bowl. In a separate bowl, beat the sugar, butter and oil until blended. Add the eggs one at a time and beat well. Add vanilla, and then mix in dry ingredients alternating with buttermilk. Mix in grated zucchini. Pour batter into baking pan. Sprinkle chocolate chips and nuts on top. Bake about 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool and serve.

  Author’s Note

  After I wrote an epilogue to Hair Brained for my newsletter subscribers, I felt the story needed something more. Marla and Tally had reconciled their friendship, but Marla was sad about giving Luke back to his mother. She needed an adventure to get her mojo back and to reaffirm her sense of purpose. So I continued where the epilogue left off and had Marla be her usual helpful self when a distraught neighbor comes knocking on the door.

  Marla answers the call and stumbles onto a burglary ring. This adventure makes her realize she can’t escape her true calling to solve crimes, and that’s crucial because she’ll need all her wits for what’s about to happen in Trimmed to Death.

  If you enjoyed this story, please write a customer review and recommend my books to your friends. Reviews are an author’s lifeblood. They raise our profile in algorithms and give our books visibility. This attracts new readers, which is essential to our livelihood.

  Sign up for my newsletter for updates on new releases, events, giveaways, and bonus material at https://nancyjcohen.com/newsletter. Free Book Sampler for new subscribers.

  About the Author

  As a former registered nurse, Nancy J. Cohen helped people with their physical aches and pains, but she longed to soothe their troubles in a different way. The siren call of storytelling lured her from nursing into the exciting world of fiction. Wishing she could wield a curling iron with the same skill as crafting a story, she created hairdresser Marla Vail as a stylist with a nose for crime and a knack for exposing people’s secrets.

  Titles in the Bad Hair Day Mysteries have made the IMBA bestseller list, been selected by Suspense Magazine as best cozy mystery, won a Readers’ Favorite gold medal, and earned third place in the Arizona Literary Awards. Nancy has also written the instructional guide, Writing the Cozy Mystery. Her imaginative romances have proven popular with fans as well. These books have won the HOLT Medallion and Best Book in Romantic SciFi/Fantasy at The Romance Reviews.

  A featured speaker at libraries, conferences, and community events, Nancy is listed in Contemporary Authors, Poets & Writers, and Who’s Who in U.S. Writers, Editors, & Poets. When not busy writing, she enjoys fine dining, cruising, visiting Disney World, and shopping. Contact her at nancy@nancyjcohen.com

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  Books by Nancy J. Cohen

  Bad Hair Day Mysteries

  Permed to Death

  Hair Raiser

  Murder by Manicure

  Body Wave

  Highlights to Heaven

  Died Blonde

  Dead Roots

  Perish by Pedicure

  Killer Knots

  Shear Murder

  Hanging by a Hair

  Peril by Ponytail

  Haunted Hair Nights (Novella)

  Facials Can Be Fatal

  Hair Brained

  Hairball Hijinks (Short Story)

  Trimmed to Death

  Anthologies

  “Three Men and a Body” in Wicked Women Whodunit

  The Drift Lords Series

  Warrior Prince

  Warrior Rogue

  Warrior Lord

  Science Fiction Romances

  Keeper of the Rings

  Silver Serenade

  The Light-Years Series

  Circle of Light

  Moonlight Rhapsody

  Starlight Child

  Nonfiction

  Writing the Cozy Mystery

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