“You couldn’t keep to yourself, could you? Even after you were shot at. Even after Scott went to the hospital. You just had to keep sticking your nose where it doesn’t belong.”
“I know you killed Grant Conover,” she blurted out.
Her sons looked shocked from where she could see them out of the corners of her eyes.
“It’s been you all along?” she asked. “You’re behind Colombia & Partners?”
“Stop, Kate, it’s all over.”
He cocked his gun and straightened his arm. If he pulled the trigger, the bullet would catch her right between the eyes, just as it had the prison warden.
But that wasn’t her immediate concern. Becky’s warning filled her mind, and she insisted, “You’re about to be ambushed! It’s Becky!” Kate’s eyes darted into the darkness that surrounded them beyond the tent. “This was her plan all along. She baited you here.”
“She didn’t bait me,” he countered. “She works for me. And I’m getting my product.” He walked over to a stack of crates and tapped the one on top. “She’s very loyal.”
“She isn’t. And Eric just saw us walk over here. He’s probably telling her right now. They’re going to kill you, all of us!”
Thunder cracked overhead, followed by a downpour. Rain fell in ragged sheets against the tent as the wind kicked up in sideways gusts.
“No one is going to die here today, except you and your sons,” he told her in a cool and steady voice that made her heart punch in her chest. “And the beauty of it is that I couldn’t stop him.”
“What?”
Garrison aimed his gun at Jared, continuing with his dark explanation. “Jason brought you in here. He murdered you, and then, overcome with guilt, he shot himself in the head. I was too late.”
“No,” said Kate, horrified.
Without warning, Jason charged at Garrison, advancing so fast that the cop had little time to aim his gun.
BANG!
Kate screamed, her mind reeling with confusion, as Officer Garrison dropped dead on the ground.
Kate shifted her wide eyes from Garrison to Jason to Jared, as she gradually understood...
But it was too late; the shooter was stepping out of the shadows. Everywhere Kate turned, she saw more men and women entering the tent, surrounding her and her boys, their guns aimed at her head.
Becky Langley glared at Kate and said darkly, “I’m going to enjoy this.”
Chapter Ten
Jason squared his shoulders, facing the woman he had once thought he knew, the girl who had stolen his heart, the one he had thought he would spend the rest of his life with.
Becky’s expression hardened and didn’t waver. Her gun was trained on his chest, though he stood ten feet away.
Jason’s question was a single word. “Why?”
“Why?” she challenged. “Because there’s no getting out. There’s no escaping what I am.”
Terrified that saying anything would push Becky to pull the trigger, Kate dared to speak anyway. “Did Grant tell you that?”
Becky angled her dark eyes on Kate. “I’ve always known it. I’ve always gotten into trouble. I didn’t have a terrible childhood. I didn’t suffer any tragedies like you and your family did when Greg disappeared. I have no excuse. I like drugs and I love the power I have,” she said easily. “Don’t act like you know me. You don’t.”
“Why did you get involved with me?” Jason demanded, tears springing to his eyes. “Why did you set me up?”
For the first time, Kate saw remorse in Becky’s eyes. She loosened her grip on the gun, and her arm lowered, as she seemed to hunt for the right words to say.
“It was part of the plan. That’s all. Nothing personal.”
Jason clenched his jaw and began quaking with rage.
“I told you, you don’t know me.”
“Why kill us?” Kate asked, but it only made Becky laugh.
“I can’t do what I want to do if you go on living,” she pointed out. “The great Kate Flaherty, notorious Mrs. Fix It, will stop at nothing to keep Rock Ridge clean and safe.” She keeled over laughing then sobered up so fast it set Kate’s teeth on edge. Becky didn’t even look human anymore. She looked like the devil incarnate. “You should’ve died a long time ago. But as they say,” she said in a singsong tone as she cocked her gun, “if you want something done right, you gotta do it your damn self, don’t you?”
“I’ll never forgive you for this!” Jason cried, but the kingpin wasn't fazed.
“You won’t have to, sweetheart. You’ll be dead. But not before your mother.”
Becky aimed the gun at Kate’s head, stalking towards her like a trained assassin until the barrel pressed against Kate’s forehead.
“Any last words?” she asked, devoid of all human emotion.
Kate spoke in a faltering tone, using carefully chosen words, as she slipped her hand into her back pocket, rain pounding on the tent roof all the while. “Yeah...I’m sorry.”
Without warning, Becky threw her head back, laughing with reckless abandon, and it was just the opportunity Kate needed.
Becky cackled out, “Sorry for what?” In the same moment, Kate thrust her screwdriver into the woman’s stomach, leaping up.
Becky gasped and stared down at her stomach in disbelief at the tool lodged in her abdomen, as Kate ripped the gun from her hands, vaguely aware that bullets were now flying all around her.
Before she realized what was happening, Jason dove on top of her, protecting her from the gunfire. She slammed onto the dirt, but as she peered up, she saw that it wasn’t Becky’s henchmen who were firing their weapons. Rather, they were dropping dead all around her.
When finally it quieted, Scott stepped under the tent, lowering his gun. “You’re safe.”
Kate got to her feet quickly and braced Jason’s shoulders, scanning his body to be certain he hadn’t been hit. Confirming as much, she rushed to Jared and did the same. It was only when she was sure her sons were alive and well that she ran to Scott and threw her arms around him.
As she held him, she saw dozens of officers she didn’t recognize step out of the dark rain and into the tent.
She urged Scott back and searched his eyes, and he told her, “I figured it all out. And I couldn’t have done it without you.”
She kissed him, holding her lips to his, and then embraced him.
Jason neared them and lifted the hem of his jeans, asking, “Does someone want to get this damned thing off of me?”
In response, Kate burst into laughter, as tears of relief streamed down her face.
It was finally over. She had her husband, her boys, and Rock Ridge would be safe once and for all.
~~~
KILLER FOUNDATION
Chapter One
Kate Flaherty could not walk to the entrance of Daisy’s Luncheonette fast enough. The sweltering summer sun was beating down from the cloudless sky. Her sneakers smacked over asphalt, which in Kate’s estimation was melting in the heat. It wasn’t yet the height of summer, but early July. She couldn’t recall the heat being this bad in prior years. If she didn’t know better, she’d guess it was mid-August. And it didn’t help that she had been doing light fix-it jobs outside, here and there, all week.
Opening the glass entrance door of the diner required more effort than she would’ve expected, but the second she stepped into the cool air conditioning of Daisy’s Luncheonette, she felt revived.
Scott was seated at one of the booths, thumbing through a menu. It took Kate a minute to spot him within the crowded restaurant. Though the original owner, Daisy, had been arrested in connection with a massive conspiracy to flood Rock Ridge with designer drugs two years ago, the diner hadn’t been stigmatized because of it. Quite the opposite in fact, it seemed Daisy’s Luncheonette was thriving despite the reputation of its namesake. The majority of residents may have been shocked after learning of Daisy’s crime, but not enough to demand that the diner change its name.
The hoste
ss, a plucky young woman who had grown increasingly friendly with Kate since she stopped in nearly every day, hurried over to the hostess stand the second she caught sight of Kate lingering there.
“Mrs. Fix It!” she exclaimed, grabbing a slick menu from the stand. “I always know what time it is when you walk in the door!”
Smiling, Kate said, “I’m glad to be of use.”
“You’re my favorite customer,” she went on. Kate glanced at her nametag, which read Marsha. For some reason, Kate always confused the woman’s name with that of her twin, Martha. “Every time you step in for lunch I know I have ten minutes until my break.” As she led Kate through the restaurant, she added over her shoulder, “Pot of coffee?”
“You know me far too well,” Kate commented. The hostess set her menu on the table across from Scott and hurried off to fetch Kate’s much-needed caffeine boost.
Kate eyed her for a moment as Marsha joked around with her twin behind the counter. Observing them made her miss her twin boys. Jason and Jared had moved back to Rock Ridge for a few years, but after multiple murders were solved years back—murders that had been committed in conjunction with the drug conspiracy—her twins didn’t have it in them to stay in the quaint town. Too many memories, Jason had said as he had packed up his house. He had loved his fiancée, Becky Langley, and it had hit him hard that Becky had been a central figure in the drug ring that had nearly destroyed this town. Jason and Jared now lived in Philadelphia and visited roughly once a month. She would like to see them more, but she was glad they lived together, their relationship having only been strengthened by the tragedy.
Scott lowered his menu as Kate slid into the booth. She was always happy to see her husband. He combed his fingers through his snow-white hair and sighed at the brutal heat. “How’re you holding up?”
“Unsteadily,” she sighed, resting her forearms on the table only to realize it felt sticky. After plucking a few napkins from the dispenser and wiping her half of the table down, she realized the table wasn’t dirty. Instead, the heat had crept into the diner, causing the wood to sweat. “I’ve been scheduling my outdoor work first thing in the morning and the late afternoon in order to beat the heat, but it’s still taking its toll.”
“The precinct isn’t much better,” he mentioned. “We’re long overdue for some new air conditioners. My office is stifling. It seems the only place I get any relief is in my truck since the AC is as chilled as a meat locker.”
Kate shot him a weary smile and glanced at her menu. If she ordered a proper lunch, it would probably put her to sleep, so she decided to go with a light meal.
Her attention was stolen when Marsha set a carafe of coffee on the table...or was that Martha? “Thank you,” she said, wasting no time pouring a mug. Scott voiced his order and then angled his big eyes on Kate, who said, “I’ll have a Cobb Salad and a side of buttered toast.”
“That’s it?” he asked.
“If I eat more, I’ll fall asleep,” she explained.
As Marsha jotted down the order and collected their menus, Scott studied Kate. His expression looked skeptical.
“You don’t believe me?” she asked.
“I believe you,” he allowed before quickly pointing out, “but I don’t think avoiding a greasy meal is going to prevent you from feeling tired.”
“Oh please,” she shot back, knowing exactly where he was going with this. Recently, she had been tired, too tired. She often woke feeling exhausted, which she admitted didn’t make a lick of sense. After a full night’s rest, she should be energetic and bristling with gusto. After all, she was a high-energy person. Tack onto that the fact that she drank coffee from sunup to sundown, and she should be whipping through her days as she always had. “I’m fine,” she concluded.
“I’m not so sure,” he countered, as he poured a second sugar packet into his mug of coffee. “Why don’t you make an appointment—?”
“A doctor’s appointment?” She gaped at him with a little laugh. Unless Kate was shot, she saw no point in seeing a doctor. She was stubborn like that.
“Why not?” he asked.
“Because, being a little tired here and there is no reason to waste two hours sitting in a waiting room. I’m fine,” she repeated.
Scott’s white eyebrows shot up to his hairline, but he knew her well enough to hold his tongue.
She worked on her coffee, drinking and refilling her mug, and before she knew it, Marsha was setting their lunch plates on the table. They ate in silence for a few minutes and Kate tried not to grimace after each bite. Though it was a mystery to her, in addition to feeling tired, her taste buds had changed. Foods she used to love now tasted bitter or bland. Her sweet tooth was always aching for more sugar. And she couldn’t stomach the thought of alcohol. But she determined that these were not reasons to waste a doctor’s time or her own.
After eating the last bite of his hamburger, Scott pushed his plate to the side and said, “I’ve been hearing a lot about the fireworks celebration—”
“Over at the amusement park?” she asked, finishing his thought.
“Dean has been making such a big deal about it that no one else in town is bothering with their own parties for the Fourth of July.”
“So, you’re telling me you’d like to go?”
He shrugged and refilled his coffee mug. “Why not? At least the crowd will be big enough that we can leave whenever we want, slip out and no one will notice.”
He had a point, but Kate had been avoiding the amusement park in general. It wasn’t so much the memories that came rushing back to her whenever she set foot in the place that set her teeth on edge—she’d nearly lost her life at the grand opening a few years back, not to mention her son Jason had narrowly escaped his own murder while there. Kate had been avoiding the park for the same reason the mayor, Dean Wentworth had built it: the amusement park attracted tourists from all over. And Kate wasn’t a fan of out-of-towners.
“Well, if you’d like to go,” she said finally, “then I’ll certainly join you. Let’s just hope it cools off by nightfall, otherwise I’m not sure I’ll be able to tolerate it for very long.”
“Agreed,” he said, but added, “We have a few days to decide anyway. I’ll keep my ear to the ground in the meantime to see if anyone else is planning on hosting a little gathering.”
She told him it sounded like a plan and groaned when Martha dropped the bill on the table. Scott laughed, placing his hand on the slip.
“Oh, it’s not that,” she smiled, referring to his assumption that she might not have twenty bucks. She glanced out the window. She could actually see the heat rippling the suburban landscape. “I’m dreading setting foot outside.”
“Come on,” he said as he worked a few bills out of his wallet and placed them on the table. “I’ll walk you to your truck.”
Kate watched her husband jostle to his feet getting out of the booth and she’d had every intention of springing up as well, but her legs felt like rubber. She sucked in a deep breath and hoisted herself up, using the table for support. She could feel Scott’s eyes on her, sensing his concern, though she didn’t meet his gaze.
She could tell he was dying to comment as he walked her through the restaurant, held the door open for her, and ushered her down the sidewalk to her Mrs. Fix It truck. But again, he held his tongue.
“Where are you off to?” he asked, opening the driver’s side door for her.
“The Roberts house,” she said as she hopped up behind the steering wheel.
“Oh yeah? I thought you weren’t starting that job for another month?”
“No, the couple got their ducks in a row and they want to flip the house as soon as possible, before winter at the very least. It’s a big job.”
Scott nodded and she could almost see the words forming in his mind. Whenever Kate mentioned a big job, Jason sprung to the forefront of her thoughts. While her other son, Jared, had worked in the mayor’s office, Jason had been a contractor just like Kate. This was
one of those times that Kate missed her son more than usual.
“I’m sure you’ll tackle it and be done in no time,” Scott said, encouragingly.
“I should’ve ordered a coffee to go,” she mumbled, fitting the key into the ignition.
“If coffee’s not cutting it anymore—”
“Then I should see a doctor, I know. You’re starting to sound like a broken record.” He stammered to respond, but she was already saying, “I’m no spring chicken, my friend. I’m launching into my late forties...”
If she had meant for it to be an excuse for feeling tired all the time, she could see Scott wasn’t buying it, but he shut the truck door for her, rounded the hood, and stepped onto the sidewalk to wave her off.
As she threw the truck in gear, she rolled down the passenger’s side window and shouted, “When will you be home for dinner?”
“Seven at the latest,” he called out, waving at her, as she pulled into the street.
Life had been calm these past few years. Scott was a dedicated cop and one hell of an investigator. He had certainly thrived during those waves of murders, those four years ago and then again two years ago. But he had been enjoying the peace in this town. These days, the crimes he worked were never brutal and often centered on teenagers getting into mild trouble. Even the ex-cons who had been steadily released from the local prison hadn’t caused any real crimes. Drugs were at an all-time low. The economy was booming. And for the most part, Scott spent his days on administrative work and revising budgets, and he never failed to be home by six or seven o’clock.
By the same measure, Kate’s fix-it business had been flourishing, but unlike a few years ago, she now kept a level head and never bit off more than she could chew. Her days were often busy, packed to brimming with fix-it work. But she always hung up her tool belt at a quarter to six no matter what. Her evenings with Scott were precious. The weekends when her twin boys came to visit were not to be taken for granted. And Kate lived her life cherishing her free time with her husband and family.
Mrs. Fix It Mysteries: The Complete 15-Books Cozy Mystery Series Page 94
