by Mary Hiker
With water from the falls pelting my face, I used my hiking knife to cut the line and pulled out a big mason jar. I trudged over to a large rock on the edge of the natural pool, sat down and slowly opened the jar. My heart beat went into over-drive when several hundred dollar bills spilled out. The jar was packed full of them.
“Avery!”
My body jumped with surprise and the jar dropped into the water.
“Don sent me to check on you,” the Fire Marshall said as he climbed out of the shallow water. “We never were properly introduced, I’m J.R.”
The man looked spectacular out of uniform. A white t-shirt, jeans and a cowboy hat gave me delightful visions of the old west. I tried to keep myself from staring.
“Sorry if I scared you,” he said and sat down next to me.
I couldn’t help but notice that his t-shirt was getting wet and started to stick to his body.
“Did they arrest your son?” I asked.
“Please don’t hold that kid against me,” Fire Marshall J.R. said, blowing out a long breath as he took off his hat and shook his head. “He’s been out of control for a long time and at this point jail may be the best thing for him.”
I nodded in agreement.
“Let’s start looking from this side over here and work our way across,” he said and waded under the falls.
I’m surprised Deputy Don would send the father of the suspect out to find the murder weapon, I thought as I followed behind the handsome J.R.
My stomach twisted and my knees locked when the off-duty Fire Marshall walked under the waterfall. His white t-shirt became drenched and see-through, revealing a large ‘Z’ tattoo on his back.
Deputy Don didn’t send him out here – I never told him where I was going! The Fire Marshall is out here protecting his stash!
My heart exploded and I gasped for air. Chevy ran under the falls and the Fire Marshall’s whole body stiffened when he recognized my dog.
He turned around and looked at me with eyes that had suddenly gone cold. “Avery, come over here – I’m sure we’ll find the knife to incriminate my son. He’s giving the Zona’s a bad name.”
Zona is their last name? That would explain the ‘Z’ tattoos, I thought. Everything seemed to be happening in slow motion and my body seemed frozen in place.
The Fire Marshall noticed my hesitation and shook his head.
“Oh, Miss Avery,” he said and stepped back into the water, moving toward me. “You should’ve realized that my kid isn’t smart enough to set up a fire to look like an accident.”
I turned and made a move for the rocks but he quickly caught up to me and leaned into me from behind, wrapping his strong arm around my waist.
“Did you kill Gus?” I stammered as I tried to free myself from his grip and looked around for any way of escape.
“Nah, I just ordered my son to do it.” He lifted me so my back was against his chest and backed further into the water pool. “The old man owed me money for too long. I did a little investigation and found out about the secret daughter. I figured my boy could woo her so we’d at least be able to collect an inheritance.”
“You run the gambling ring?” I asked as my feet lost contact with the bottom of the pond.
“Umhmm.”
Chevy’s stopped playing and his hackles went up. He barked, jumped in the water and swam toward us.
“I found a whole lotta’ cash stashed in the house when I set up the burn,” he said and tightened his grip. “Too bad you found Gus before Zona had a chance to drag the body in the house and start the fire.”
“So, you planned to keep the cash for yourself while Zona rotted in jail,” I said as I struggled to remember which pocket held my knife.
“He was stupid enough to plan a party before burning the place,” he said. “Serves him right.”
The crooked Fire Marshall leaned over to the left and dunked me under water. I fought to get the knife out of my pocket and felt Chevy’s feet kicking through the water as he tried to swim between us.
Suddenly, everything stopped. The strong grip on me released and I burst through the surface of the water taking a big gulp of fresh air. Four deputies looked at me wide-eyed with guns drawn and the Fire Marshall had his hands in the air.
Deputy Don jumped in the water and led Chevy and me to the bank, while the other deputies joined in on the arrest.
“Good thing I had one of the deputies follow you,” he said.
We sat silently on the rocks together until my breathing slowed down to a normal rate. Chevy clung to me and lied down across my legs. I was absolutely fine with that.
Don adjusted his ball cap, let out a breath and said, “Every time I think I’ve seen it all…”
I finished, “an idiot gets double-crossed by his own daddy.”
###
As Deputy Ken booked his first murder suspect and the rest of our county deputies showed up at the falls, the deputies in South Carolina were making their own bust on the notorious Gambling Ring. Seems a group of senior citizens visited the gambling center and lost a bunch of money, then secretly recorded threats made against them by Big George Dooley and the gang.
It wasn’t yet known where the seniors acquired the special equipment needed to wear a wire and transfer the audio/video proof to the authorities, but my hunch was on a spunky old lady in a jogging suit and matching visor.
Chapter 18
Miss Emma invited me over for a spaghetti dinner and a secret celebration. I was glad to get a chance to see the new furnishings she acquired since the house fire. The smell of homemade sauce filled the house and made my stomach growl as I followed her throughout the home, admiring her decorating skills.
My favorite new pieces were the new iron fireplace gate and Tabitha’s extravagant kitty bed decorated with bright shiny objects. It was obviously Tabitha’s favorite too. She was stretched out across her bed, belly in the air, purring like a little motor. It felt good to see that Miss Emma’s cat was happy and the fur was growing back nicely.
Miss Emma and I stood together at the back window and laughed as we watched Scooter and Chevy play with Cody’s work rags while the teenager finished painting Miss Emma’s garage.
I was proud of Chevy for the gentle way he tugged at the red rag hanging from Scooters mouth. The hound was too old for rowdy games, but was young at heart, wanting to have some fun with the younger dog.
For some strange reason, I also felt a tiny bit proud of the work Cody performed at Miss Emma’s house. It seemed he had matured a bit in the last several weeks, even though he still liked loud music and black t-shirts showcasing his favorite rock bands.
“Cody’s really kept to his agreement to work off that money,” I chuckled. “The poor kid has been over here every weekend for two months straight.”
Miss Emma opened her back door and called out, “Time to Eat Cody!”
The teen brushed the hair from his eyes and called back, “Yes ma’am, I’ll be right there.”
We sat around the table and filled out plates. Cody finished off two plates piled with spaghetti and meatballs in the time it took Miss Emma and me to finish one.
“Thanks for believing in me when no one else did, Miss Emma,” he said and gave her a hug. “I promise I’m going to make something of myself.”
“Oh Honey, I’m not the only one who believed in you,” Miss Emma said, tears in her eyes. “Chief Gus did too.”
“Yea,” Cody nodded. “I miss him a lot.”
Miss Emma pulled an envelope out from under her dinner plate and handed it to Cody.
“My niece stopped by yesterday,” Miss Emma said as she softly laid her hands on the table in front of her. “She’s a big shot at the local community college.”
Cody wrinkled his brow, “I don’t understand.”
“A week before he passed, Chief Gus ‘took down’ the reigning champion at the classic car show in South Carolina. He sold the car there and used some of the money to set up a scholarship at the colleg
e in your name,” Miss Emma said and gave him a big hug.
Cody ripped the envelope open and pulled out the contents with shaking hands.
“You have a full ride for a two-year degree in auto mechanics,” Miss Emma said with a smile. “Everything is paid for and he even set aside some bonus money to reward you for good grades.”
Cody stared at the paper, his mouth open, then looked up with wide eyes, then re-read the notification. He jumped out of his seat and bounded around the table. Chevy and Scooter joined in the dance.
“Wow, I don’t believe it!” he said, dropping his hands and looking up toward the ceiling. “I’m going to college.”
Miss Emma laughed and filled his plate with spaghetti for the third time. “Eat some more, Honey, you need to get fueled up for an exciting future.”
The End.
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More Books in the Avery Barks Dog Mystery Series
Meet Chevy: 90% Love and 10% Mischief…
Avery Barks dedicates all of her spare time to training search and rescue dogs and helping the animals. That dedication soon lands her unemployed and out of options.
While helping an elderly friend, Avery and her butterfly loving dog, Chevy, find the unthinkable – a dead body. The sleepy North Carolina mountain town she calls home is shocked and shaken to the core.
When Avery realizes that the dead man is the very man that got her fired, she knows she's landed smack dab in the middle of chaos.
With her trusty canine companion by her side, Avery must follow the clues and solve the murder mystery before she winds up on the suspect list.
BUTTERFLY BOY is the first book of the Avery Barks Dogs Mysteries series
Avery Barks, a volunteer search and rescue dog trainer, is close to landing her dream job at the new animal rescue sanctuary outside of town. With her fun-loving golden retriever Chevy by her side, all seems to be coming together nicely for Avery – a new job, a case of puppy love for Chevy, and a potential new boss that's not so bad on the eyes.
She soon discovers that she should be careful what she wishes for. Before her interview is even over, a cadaver dog finds a dead body at the sanctuary.
As strange things keep popping up at the new job site, she and Chevy find themselves at the center of a potentially dangerous game they never signed up to play.
STRANGE OUTFIT is the second book in the Avery Barks Dog Mysteries series.
Avery Barks, a volunteer search and rescue dog trainer is asked to assist on a search for a lost person and she readily agrees to help. But the victim's dysfunctional family causes quite a distraction to the search efforts and may cause the loss of life.
When Avery discovers a body lying on the road, the connection between the deceased and her ex-boyfriend Travis becomes a little too close for comfort and Travis quickly becomes the prime suspect.
Avery is convinced he's done nothing wrong, but convincing everyone else may be a little more difficult.
Lucky for them, the local residents love her playful golden retriever, Chevy, because she'll have to count on their love for her dog to help her solve the murder and possibly save lives.
PLAY FETCH is the third book in the Avery Barks Dog Mysteries series.
About the Author
Mary Hiker is a fixture in the North Carolina mountains. She enjoys writing about dogs, nature and mystery adventures.
She’s a true animal lover at heart and her own dogs are the inspiration for Chevy's antics in the Avery Barks Dog Mystery series.
Check out Mary’s website at www.maryhiker.com
