by C A Phipps
Eyes narrowed, Betty inched forward. “You man-handled Jimmy into the cooler easily enough, Jane.”
Scarlett stored that name for future reference, willing them to continue bickering and hoping that her sisters had passed on to Nate what she intended.
“Don’t listen to this amateur detective. Strength sometimes comes when you really need it.”
The woman didn’t seem aware of her contradiction.
Hands on her hips, Betty leaned in. “Why would I trust you, Jane?”
Jane stamped her foot. “Because I saved you from Jimmy, and you did trust me until she began blathering.”
“I haven’t trusted you since you stole my husband. I went along with you because there was no other choice.” Betty grimaced. “Although, oddly, I didn’t imagine you or Jimmy were capable of cold-blooded murder.”
“Now you’re being picky. I hit Jimmy over the head to protect you. Him falling against the counter wasn’t my fault.”
Scarlett had stopped trying to get away. The story of Jimmy and Jane’s sick plans was unfolding painfully slowly, but she was getting a very vivid picture of how things had brought them all to this moment.
“And Saul?” Betty pressed, her mouth a thin line. “For once, tell me the truth.”
“How about we collect any money in the house and get out of here. We can talk about this later.”
The cajoling tone had no effect on Betty, who crossed her arms. “We’ll talk about it now.”
“It was Jimmy who killed Saul,” Jane said belligerently. “Besides, you didn’t even like him.”
“He was my brother!”
Jane shrugged. “So what? He was a no-hoper and a thief. Jimmy and I were tired of his whining.”
“Jimmy never liked him, so whatever you heard was probably never as bad as it was. Anyway, you’re hardly a paragon of virtue, are you? This whole insurance scam had to be your idea.”
“I tried to go straight. You know what Jimmy was like—he bullied and bashed me just like he did you.”
“You knew that before you stole him.” Betty shook her head in wonder. “I’d say that makes you an even bigger fool.”
Jane glared, her fingers digging further into the tender flesh under Scarlett’s arm, although her focus remained on Betty. “He was looking for a way out of your marriage for ages before I stepped into the scene.”
Betty’s lips quivered. “Says you. We were perfectly fine until you showed up.”
“Not according to him. Now, I’ve had enough of your whining, so open that safe before someone comes looking for her.”
Grumbling, Betty slowly did as she was told, and Scarlett was scared that time was indeed running out—for her. She had to stall them. Once the safe was open, there was nothing to keep them here, and they wouldn’t want to leave a witness behind. Jane especially sounded capable of anything, including the murder of Saul and probably Jimmy, despite stating it was self-defense.
“I don’t think Jimmy had any intention of sharing the money with either of you.”
Betty wheeled from the wardrobe door. “You didn’t know him.”
Scarlett raised an eyebrow in disbelief at Betty, sticking up for a man who abused her. “So, when Jimmy came to town, he told you, what? He was leaving Jane for you?”
“He said he’d made a huge mistake.” Betty’s chin jutted forward.
“And you would have taken him back?” Scarlett’s shock wasn’t faked, but the missing pieces were slipping into place.
Jane snorted again, loosening her grip ever so slightly. “He had no intention of leaving me.”
“You don’t sound so sure. And your money was gone, so it fits that Jimmy was ready to move on. Was that why you killed him?” Scarlett asked casually. “You didn’t want Betty to have him?”
Jane suddenly grinned. “Actually, I’d have been happy to walk away, as long as I had a fat insurance check to leave with.”
Scarlett kept her face neutral when all she could think of was how dim they both were. It was highly unlikely that any insurance would payout for Jimmy. And when the police caught up with them, no amount of money would keep them out of jail.
Jane’s grip tightened once more, and Scarlett could have kicked herself for not making another attempt to escape. The woman was incredibly strong, and that might have been the only opportunity. Actually, if she could get a different angle, kicking Jane instead was a much better idea.
“Anyway, what does it matter? He’s gone, and we’ll both be better off,” Jane taunted and shook Scarlett again. “And this one won’t have the chance to telling anyone about this little conversation.”
“What d.d.do you mean?” Betty stuttered.
“Don’t be so naive.” Jane frog-marched Scarlett down the room. “We can’t leave her to tattle on us to the sheriff.” Taking the tie from Scarlett’s robe, which lay along the bottom of the bed, she gestured to Betty to tie Scarlett’s hands together.
“I’m not killing anyone,” Betty’s voice squeaked.
“It would be fair if you did it. Then we’d be as guilty as each other,” Jane reasoned.
Holding Scarlett with one hand, she casually picked up a roll of tape from the dresser.
Darn it! The tape had been left there after Scarlett used it on George’s scratch pole, which had begun to come apart.
“Then you’ll face life imprisonment—together.” Scarlett yanked her hands away, which gave her a bit more room, and she launched a kick in Jane’s direction.
The woman dodged it like a pro then shook Scarlett so hard her teeth rattled. “Do that again, and we’ll kill you right here. That wouldn’t be nice for your sisters, would it?”
The grin was positively feral, and Scarlett’s stomach swirled at the idea of her sisters coming home to find her dead.
Betty shook her head. “I can’t hurt her. You’re more experienced at this sort of thing.”
“Look, I admit I’m getting good at knocking people out,” Jane said matter-of-factly, “but you can be the one to push her off the bridge.”
“The one coming into town?” Betty quavered.
Jane nodded. “I already checked it out. The water under it flows swiftly enough that she’ll be carried out to sea, and no one will find her body.”
Betty looked as though she was considering it. “If we do that, then we’ll need to leave town immediately after.”
Scarlett glared at her, but Betty wouldn’t meet her gaze.
Jane continued in her conversational manner. “That won’t work. You have to pretend everything is normal while you wait for the insurance.”
Scarlett had a moment of clarity. The insurance had to be in Betty’s name. That’s why Jane needed her and probably the only reason Betty was still alive.
As much as Scarlett felt sick at her proposed execution, she had to keep them engaged and in no hurry to gag her. “That could be a very long time. Nate clearly knows Jimmy is dead, and the fact nothing has been announced officially means it’ll be a murder investigation. I’m sure there are clauses about that in insurance policies, and even if you don’t get caught, you’ll likely be waiting for at least a year until it’s resolved and released.”
“You’ve got no idea how the system works unless you have another talent other than being a busy-body baker.”
Jane sounded even more annoyed, which was both good and bad as far as Scarlett was concerned.
Hoping for the good, she couldn’t help asking Betty, “Why did Jimmy put the insurance into your name?”
Betty frowned. “For some reason, he just never changed it.”
“Then why does Jane have any claim to it?” Scarlett pointed out.
“Technically, she doesn’t. As it turns out, Jimmy and I were never divorced.” Betty sounded very pleased with this outcome.
“Both things were an oversight,” Jane assured them. “That policy was supposed to be in my name.”
“And you only found that out when you came to Cozy Hollow,” Betty smirked.
Betty gasped. “Saul was in on this?”
Jane shrugged, clearly delighted to have upset Betty this way. “He was sure you still had money, and Saul was the one who found you. If he hadn’t interfered, things wouldn’t have been so drawn out.”
“So after you killed Saul and searched Betty’s house, you found out she’d let her insurance lapse. Which meant the only money you could get was Jimmy’s.” Thinking aloud, Scarlett hoped that encouraging Jane to talk would keep her safe.
“Jimmy was going to fake his own death, then get Betty to collect the insurance.” Jane shook her head. “The stubborn fool wouldn’t listen, but I knew that wouldn’t work. There needs to be a body.”
There was another silence while Betty digested this. “No doubt doing away with me as soon as he had the money. Jimmy was many things, and when it suited, sweet-talker was top of the list. He was crazy to consider I’d go along with it after running out on me.”
“Don’t pretend you would have said no to him. Jane’s eyes narrowed. Say—are you trying to get out of giving me my share? Because if that’s the case, I warn you, it will be the last thing you do.” Jane was practically yelling.
And Betty looked less fazed.
Scarlett pushed away her anger and hurt, deciding that having Betty onside meant the odds were better if she wanted to get out of this alive.
“You can still fix this mess, Betty. So far you’ve only been an accomplice. You’re not the one who did the killing, and you haven’t taken the insurance money yet. If you tell the police everything, I’m sure they’ll be lenient.”
Jane pushed Scarlett onto the bed, ripped a length of tape from the roll, and slapped it over her mouth.
“Enough! The baker thinks she’s some fancy detective and she’s playing you, Betty. No matter what she says, we’re in this together, and you’re as guilty as me. Arguing won’t do anything but prolong the inevitable. And hanging around here so long means we have to go without the extra money, but I’ll be happy to get rid of this annoyance once and for all. Help me get her outside.”
Scarlett willed Betty to disagree or do something to stop this from happening, but after a slight hesitation, Betty leaned over and looked her in the eye. A glimmer of something came and went just as quickly
What did that mean?
The two women heaved her from the bed. When she struggled, Jane deliberately knocked her against furniture and doorframes. Shoving her to Jimmy’s car, they threw Scarlett into the trunk.
Was this really the end?
Would Violet and Ruby be okay without her?
After all her hard work, once Scarlett wasn't around, would The Cozy Café would be sold?
Chapter Twenty-Eight
The car took off, bouncing over the curb just as the thought of her mom’s beloved café being no more bounced around Scarlett’s heart and a sob escaped.
No! She wasn’t going to give in. Tugging at the tape did nothing, but she’d heard about tail-lights being kicked out. Fortunately, she wore boots, so breaking glass needn’t bother her. Rolling as close to the left as possible, she searched for the place with her toe that she could do the most damage. It wasn’t easy to do either.
Raised voices filtered through the car, and Scarlett hoped this would muffle the two-footed-kicking, which was all she could manage. It wasn’t very effective. In fact, she couldn’t be sure it was doing much of anything because it was so dark, and she was unable to get much leverage in the close confines.
Racking her brain for another option, not knowing how far they’d driven, a scream suddenly pierced the car. It bucked to the left, skidded dangerously, and with a horrible crunching sound, crashed into something so hard that Scarlett was smacked into the back of the seats before being hurled against the trunk opening.
Several moans sounded before a car door was yanked open, and a male voice spoke with authority, commanding them to get out slowly.
Nate?
The hope that someone might find her had been trickling away like sand through her fingers. Relief flooded through her, and she kicked loudly on anything she could come into contact with. It took a minute or two, then the trunk opened, and a light shone in her face. She blinked several times before it was pointed away.
If she could have smiled, she would. Nate’s horror at seeing her bound and gagged came through in his voice.
“Scarlett, are you okay?”
She nodded as he lifted her gently into a sitting position and removed the tape from her mouth. Taking a large gulp of air, she managed to smile. “How did you know?”
“Your sisters told me. They were very were worried because I was so late to the party. But I was out looking for Betty, who was supposed to be home and obviously wasn’t. I hurried here and was about to turn into your street when I saw this car coming out of your drive and noticed the registration number. We hadn’t been able to locate Jimmy’s car, but I’d memorized the registration.”
“I’m glad you followed it.”
“It was touch and go whether I’d first check whether you were still in the house,” he admitted. Taking a knife from one of his pockets, he sliced through the tape around Scarlett’s wrists. “I did a loop through town to head them off. But it was George who made the driver swerve.”
“George?”
The tabby ran out from under the car and onto Scarlett’s lap.
Nate smirked. “Somehow, he got in the car and apparently clawed the women’s face.”
“My hero,” Scarlett sighed into his fur.
Gently he helped her from the trunk, which wasn’t easy, holding onto George the way she was. Then, Scarlett really noticed where they were. Across the street and down a little, was the hall where the mayor’s party was being held. Near the car, which was wrapped around a tree, Jane sat on the curb, wearing handcuffs and a glare that could turn a person to stone. Betty cried silently a few feet away, making no attempt to get away.
The sheriff’s car straddled the center line on the road, blocking the exit. Once he was sure Scarlett was alright, he went to his car and used the radio. Within a few seconds, the door of the hall opened, and two men ran toward them.
Nate explained briefly to his deputies what had happened, and the women were bundled into the back of Nate’s car and taken away. Scarlett touched her forehead, which was a little sticky and sore. This suddenly felt very surreal.
Nate was back and studying her carefully. “We need to get that cut looked at. Sam’s at the party, so it’ll be best to go there.”
Scarlett took his arm and limped across the road and through the door. Violet and Ruby must have been watching out for her, as they were quickly at her side, along with Olivia.
“Look at you!”
“I’m okay, Violet. Don’t make a fuss.”
“What do you mean, don’t make a fuss?” Olivia demanded. “You’re injured. Did you fall?”
“Kind of,” Scarlett admitted, wincing as pain shot through her head when she shrugged.
Sam pushed between interested party-goers and pulled out a seat, pointing at it. “Sit here and let me take a look at you.”
Scarlett did as she was told, marveling at being alive and surrounded by her favorite people.
Sam held her face in his warm hands. “It’s not deep, but I’d like to clean this up. After a quick check over the rest of her, he handed car keys to Ruby. “Could you please get my bag from the trunk?”
Scarlett shivered at the word, and Nate crouched beside them.
“I need to get to the station. Are you sure Scarlett doesn’t need to go to the hospital?”
Sam shook his head. “I can’t see any sign of concussion, and everything else is superficial or bruising.”
“Good. In that case, since you’re in Sam’s capable hands, I’ll get out of here. Naturally, I’ll be speaking to you
first thing in the morning,” Nate told her gently, before turning to Violet. “I think you should get your sister home once Sam’s finished.”
“What on earth happened?” Violet hissed as soon as he’d gone.
“Shush,” Scarlett warned. People are looking, and I can’t deal with them tonight.”
Olivia pursed her lips. “Let them look because they will anyway once it gets around that you’ve been out sleuthing again.”
Scarlett sighed heavily. “Fine, but can I at least get a drink of water?”
“Sure, but I want details, and I’m not waiting until tomorrow. I won’t be a minute,” Violet assured her.
Scarlett sighed. All she wanted was her bed and a nice soft pillow, but Ruby was back, and Sam began to clean and dress her cut. She suffered his ministrations and silent censure as he wrapped her ankle, which had been twisted in the sudden braking.
She deserved Sam and Nate’s anger, but how could she not be happy that the murderer was caught? And Betty? Well, that was another matter.
Violet and Ruby kept all but the mayor and their aunt away while Scarlett gulped her water. Nothing had ever tasted so sweet.
Arthur raised an eyebrow. “Since we’ve lost all members of the law, and you were a no-show, can I assume you’ve been doing your thing, Scarlett?”
“You could say that. As much as I’d like to fill you in, I think the sheriff will want to sift through everything first. Actually, I’m exhausted and sore, so I’d like to get home.”
Olivia nodded. “Of course, you must, and I’ll come with you to ensure you are okay.”
“I think that’s my job,” Sam said, then got a look at Olivia’s expression. “But we can share, right?”
Olivia pursed her lips. “We usually do.”
“I’m sorry if I spoiled your party,” Scarlett said to Arthur as they left.
He merely smiled.
Sam helped her into the van. “I’ll follow in my car.”
“Lovely, then you can drop me home later,” Olivia informed him before joining Scarlett and Violet in the front.
He shut Scarlett’s door with a wry grin, and Violet drove home slowly as if she had precious cargo.
