Death of a Dapper Snowman

by Angela Pepper

  “It’s late,” she said. “I’m sorry we couldn’t round you up some clothes, but I’ve got some spare shoes and socks in my desk that you can borrow to get home.”

  “Thanks.” I looked down at my bare feet and my mind went blank. It had been a long night.

  Officer Peggy Wiggles excused herself, then returned with the shoes and socks. I pulled them on while Logan made jokes about carrying me to my car.

  He was being very funny, but I was too tired to laugh. I just wanted the day to be finished.

  Chapter 36

  “She’ll confess,” Logan said as we walked out of the police station together. “They won’t need it, with the mountain of evidence, but it’ll make for a speedy trial when Pam confesses.”

  I held Jeffrey tightly in my arms as we walked out into the snowy parking lot. The sky was pink, casting a warm glow on our surroundings. The long night had passed and morning was coming. I could hear the whooshing sounds of morning commuter traffic—at least three vehicles driving by.

  I was still wearing the ridiculous bath robe I’d arrived in, but thanks to Peggy’s athletic shoes, which were only three sizes too large, I wasn’t walking barefoot through the snow.

  “What makes you say she’ll confess to everything?” I asked Logan. “Your expertise with criminal clients?”

  “I’ve seen enough to have my own hunches. I have a feeling she’s the confessing type.”

  “You get hunches?”

  He gave me a charming grin. “There’s just something about the truth, isn’t there? It wants to get out. The truth will wait and wait, until the time is right, but it always comes out. The truth has a mind of its own.” He looked down at Jeffrey, who was snuggled in my arms. “Isn’t that right, Mr. Kitty?”

  We reached my car, and I handed him the cat so I could punch in the keyless entry code to open the door.

  When I turned back to get the cat back, Jeffrey had his elegant arms around Logan’s neck and was rubbing his whiskered cheek against the man’s beard with a ferocity I’d not yet seen.

  “Somebody likes me,” Logan said. “Wow, go easy on the beard, Mr. Kitty.”

  “His full name is Mr. Jeffrey Blue.”

  “Good to know. I will try to always address my landlord respectfully and correctly.”

  I had to pry Jeffrey away from his new friend so I could load him back into the car. He disappeared underneath the passenger seat. I noticed the crime scene investigators had put a makeshift plastic covering over my shot-out rear passenger window. I climbed into the driver’s seat, shut the door, and lowered my window.

  “Logan, thanks for everything. Really. I appreciated having you there with me during a stressful situation. Let me know if I can ever repay you… in any way except free rent. I’m afraid I’m not as rich as this car makes it seem.”

  “Maybe I’ll need your expertise in the future.” He backed away, toward his vehicle. “Stormy? The sun’s about to come up, and there’s a place outside of town I like to sit and watch the sunrise.”

  My heart skipped merrily inside my chest. Was this handsome man inviting me to watch the sun rise with him?

  He continued, “That detour should kill about twenty minutes or more. Does that sound fair? That way you can drive back home to the duplex and let yourself in without me around, bugging you for a drink, or heaven knows what else.”

  I started to say maybe I wouldn’t mind a drink after all, but then I stopped myself. It had been a long night. I was vulnerable, and he knew it. If we got back to the house we shared at the same time, there’d be some excuse made, and then one of us would be on the wrong side of the shared wall, all because of raw emotions and frayed nerves.

  It wasn’t yet time for us to share a moment like that, assuming something like that was meant to be.

  As we looked into each other’s eyes in the police station parking lot, I knew driving home ahead of him was the smart choice. I knew it, he knew it, and even the cat meowing his complaints from under the passenger seat knew it.

  “Sounds good,” I said evenly. “Twenty minutes is more than enough. It’s always so weird when you say goodbye to someone, and then you see them again right away, and then you’re all…” I stopped talking and just pushed the button to raise the window.

  I leaned down to peer under the seat at Jeffrey, then I sat up, clicked my seat belt on, and drove away.

  The local radio station was playing the usual morning program, and I smiled as the joke-cracking host made up his usual stories.

  “Morning commuters, you’ll want to steer clear of the rush hour traffic in the downtown core. We’ve had some reports of a three-car lineup at the red light by Ruby’s Treasure Trove. Ladies, if you need to check your hair and makeup while you’re driving, that’s what the rear view mirror is for! You’re listening to the Misty Mountain Man’s Morning Mugga. It’s none of my business what’s in your morning mugga, but you should know mine’s full of herbal tea, brewed with the sparkling clear water of our own Misty Falls, plus a handful of the Mountain Man’s personal stash of special mushrooms. Coming up on the hour, we’ll have news and weather, and a report on those late-night fireworks some of you heard last night. Spoiler alert: those weren’t fireworks. Stay tuned through this next song, and don’t you dare change the station!”

  I reached over and turned the radio off. Hearing about last night would just make it less likely I’d ever sleep again.

  I got home to my duplex, parked on one side of the empty driveway, and got myself and the cat in the door without incident.

  Jeffrey jumped from my arms inside the house and began prowling around his new home. He seemed to understand immediately that everything mine was now his.

  We didn’t have any cat food yet, but I set out a full can of tuna, and he seemed impressed. I actually did have some kitty litter, left behind by the previous homeowners with a note that it was good for absorbing oil spills on the porous driveway. I used a plastic storage bin to set up a potty for Jeffrey, then I brushed my teeth.

  The cool-white sun of a winter morning was now streaming in the windows. I considered brewing a pot of coffee and just staying up, but I couldn’t stop yawning.

  I heard a vehicle pull into the driveway. I checked the time as I yawned again. I’d been home for exactly twenty minutes.

  “You’re reliable,” I said softly to the shared wall separating my side of the house from Logan’s. “That’s good to know.”

  I walked down the hall toward my bedroom. The bed was crisply made with fresh sheets, and the room itself was welcoming.

  After being away for a few days, I appreciated all my things even more. I hadn’t taken much time to decorate my home, or even paint the walls anything other than eggshell cream, but the duplex had a vintage style I found comfortable.

  I slipped off the bath robe, tossed it in the hamper, then changed into a favorite pair of soft menswear-style pajamas.

  “Time for bed,” I called to Jeffrey.

  He came running in and jumped up on the bed, acting like he’d understood every word.

  “You can stay up if you want,” I said. “I was just letting you know that I’m going to bed.”

  He gave me two slow blinks, then curled up on my pillow.

  “That’s my side,” I said. “Take the other pillow.”

  He stretched, looked like he was going to move over, then settled right back down again on the same pillow. Either he was a naughty boy, or he didn’t really understand English.

  I sighed. “Fine. I guess I can make some allowances for the new man in my life.”

  I walked around to the other side of the bed, pulled back the duvet, and climbed in. I set the alarm clock on my bedside table for five hours, because I didn’t want to miss the entire day, then I lay my head down, facing my new Russian Blue cat.

  “Jeffrey, I have to ask you a question. Please don’t take this the wrong way. Are you afraid of spiders?”

  In response, he yawned.

  “I guess we�
��ll find out,” I said as I snuggled in.

  After the excitement of the day, I thought I’d be too nervous to sleep, but I was wrong.

  Sleepiness rolled up on me like a comfortable blanket, making my limbs and eyelids heavy and warm.

  I pressed my cheek to the cool pillow and started to drift. I wondered if Logan was in bed on the other side of the wall. I pictured Jessica’s face when I told her everything that happened. I smiled as I imagined what Ruby and her friends, The Secret Tea Room Ladies, would say.

  Gradually, my conscious thoughts turned to dreams, with images flitting around, chaotic at first, then clicking together to form a completed jigsaw puzzle of a pleasant scene.

  As I slept, I had the best sleep and the best dreams I’d had in weeks.

  I’d been in Misty Falls exactly one month, and I finally felt that thing I’d been hoping to feel.

  I was home.

  Angela Pepper

  Note from the author, Angela Pepper:

  Thank you for reading DEATH OF A DAPPER SNOWMAN, book 1 in the Stormy Day Cozy Murder Mystery series.

  I truly hope you enjoyed this tale as much as I loved writing it!

  Misty Falls is a town that lived first in my imagination, and now in yours. It's loosely based on the small town in which I grew up, with plenty of artistic changes. Misty Falls is the perfect place to live... except for the occasional murder, of course.

  The character of Stormy Day is inspired partly by a former boss of mine, who once rushed across town for a yoga class, which turned out to be about sitting still and doing meditation. My boss and friend, a very driven business woman, had a meltdown and "stormed" out of class halfway through. We laughed over this for many years to come.

  This incident, and countless other things, all pour into the well of inspiration. I especially love drawing upon real life, for it holds the most truth.

  I hope you'll join me in the journey as this series progresses. I have so much planned for Stormy Day and her friends and family.

  I appreciate your support in any form! Please mention the series to your friends who might enjoy a mystery series with plenty of humor and a little bit of romance.

  And, if it's not too much trouble, please post a review of this book on the Amazon page, to let other readers know what you think! For posting a review, there's an easy option at the end of this book if you keep turning the pages.

  Your opinion matters! In this modern day of ebooks, posting a review is the new word-of-mouth. It's also a great way for me, the author, to see which characters are reader favorites, and what kind of storylines you'd like to hear more about.

  Now, hold onto your hats for more adventure and fun in the next story!

  Click here for Stormy Day Book #2 - http://smarturl.it/stormyday2.

  Thank you again for your wonderful support! I'll see you again in the next book!

  In case you're wondering about my friend who had the meltdown over the idea of meditating... she's now a huge fan of yoga classes of all types. Everyone changes and grows over time.

  Me, I've always been a big fan of witty quips and being able to laugh at anything, as I'm sure you've guessed by now.

  Much love,

  Angela

  ANGELA PEPPER

  www.angelapepper.com