Circle of Shadows

by Curry, Edna

  She held out a hand for me to shake. “I’m Patti Jones, Agnes Simms’ niece.”

  Her tone said that should explain everything to me. Well, it didn’t, though that name was familiar. Where had I heard it before? I wondered as I shook her hand. I couldn’t remember. But I assumed she was a potential client, since she’d asked if I was the PI, so I invited her in. “My office is down here,” I said, leading the way down the wooden stairs. “Watch your step.”

  I saw her eye my Golden Labrador dog, so added, “Down, Scamp. Don’t worry, he’s friendly, unless he thinks I need protecting.”

  Scamp sniffed her and followed us down to my office, then lay on the floor beside me, keeping the stranger in his sight. From the tension in his body, I knew he’d be ready to pounce if she gave him any excuse.

  “Would you like some coffee?” I’d already had my morning caffeine, but I wanted to put her at ease and offering coffee usually does that. Instead of taking the chair I’d indicated, she wandered over to the large window overlooking Long Lake and stared out, her arms folded over her chest. At my question, she turned, eyed me and nodded. “Coffee would be nice.”

  I moved to the side table and plugged in the coffeemaker.

  “You do know Agnes Simms?” Her voice was a bit skeptical. Oh, oh. Was she going to change her mind about coming here?

  As I added water and grounds to the coffeemaker, I wracked my memory for that name. Landers only has a thousand people, so I know most of them. But some work in the cities and only use our little burg as a bedroom town, doing all their shopping and business elsewhere. So those I’ve had little opportunity to meet. “I think I’ve heard the name, but can’t recall meeting her right now. Could you tell me a bit about her? And what your problem is?”

  Patti stood at my office window staring out over Long Lake while I stood at the side table making coffee. She was a perfectly groomed, slim woman with long blonde hair. She wore a navy blue business suit with matching high heels and carried a matching leather purse. Her lips and fingertips were bright red. But she wore a worried look on her face instead of a smile.

  “My problem is that you have a stupid sheriff!” she burst out, bitterness dripping from her voice.

  My head jerked up and I stared at her. She ambled over to the chair by my desk and sat. I thought of Ben, the tall, gangly, middle-aged man who was our county sheriff. He’d also been my late Uncle Henry’s card playing buddy and thus was almost a part of my family. On weekends when I’d visited my uncle during college, I’d fixed that bunch of men more sandwiches and cookies than I could count.

  Upset now, I counted to ten to control my temper and said carefully, “I’ve heard Ben called a lot of things, but stupid is a first.”

  ***

  In The Lilliput Bar Mystery, a lady locksmith finds herself in many scary situations.

  The bar owner has been murdered late at night and Cassie happened to be on the scene at the time, opening a drunk's car. Several other people were also there. And the bar owner had secrets that only now after her death, come to light.

  The very attractive detective sent to investigate doesn't want to believe Cassie is involved. But the sheriff is convinced she is. Somebody else is convinced she knows too much. Will she survive when the killer comes after her?

  ***

  Excerpt from Best Friends:

  ***

  She stood beside him, her perfume drifting into his breathing space. He couldn't avoid noticing her nearness. Awareness prickled along his skin, raising goose-bumps on his arms. He felt her watching him and lifted his eyes to meet hers. He read regret and raw need there, matching his own. Slowly he rose to his feet and stepped closer to her, holding her gaze with his own. When she didn't move away, he put his arms around her and molded her body to his. For a moment she stiffened, then softened and allowed her body to fit into the planes of his. They fit together exactly right, as they always had. It felt like coming home. Tipping his head, he kissed her, first in soft, testing nibbles, then hungrily. His pulse sped up and his heart thudded. He felt as though he'd been starving and now tasted his first food in weeks. She answered his kisses with as much need as his. For a long minute, he enjoyed the taste and feel of her, indulged the fantasies that had been driving him crazy since he first knew she was back. At last he lifted his head and looked down into her hazel eyes. She stared back at him, looking dazed and wondering. "God, Tami, I missed you!" he said, his voice coming out in a croak. "Why did we ever separate?" "I don't know," she answered, sounding desperate and frustrated. "I don't know." He stroked a finger lightly along one blonde brow, smoothing back the silky hairs. "The old magic is still there, isn't it?"

  "Yes," she said through kiss swollen lips, her voice trembling. "But then, I never did have the sense God gave a goose."

  Panic surged in his gut as he felt her stiffen in his arms. "What is that supposed to mean?" She pulled away. "It means, this is going nowhere, Cal."

  ***