Only now, after a full evening of sleep under my belt, I didn’t feel quite as confident as I did last night. Maybe, in my desperation to make any sense out of this case, I reached for the first vaguely palatable idea that I came across. Then again, perhaps I was spot-on. My gut sure wasn’t giving me any help. My instincts were uncharacteristically silent on the matter.
Before I was able to get too wrapped up in my thoughts, Snickerdoodle spotted a squirrel and took off down the sidewalk after it. From there, the race was on to the nearest tree with me reluctantly bringing up the rear.
Ugh.
This was the last thing I wanted at this hour in the morning.
“Slow down, Doodle. I need to keep some energy for the rest of the day,” I said.
Doodle didn’t listen to me.
He continued sprinting, as fast as his stumpy little corgi legs could, at least. Not surprisingly, he was no match for the squirrel.
When the squirrel bounded up a tree, Doodle tried to go up after him, but got nowhere fast. Doodle stood beside the trunk of the tree and barked at the squirrel, who safely sat on a branch a number of feet above even my reach.
Doodle was understandably in a complete tizzy, but I was relieved as I could now catch my breath. My heart went out to poor Doodle, however, as he continued to bark, frustrated that the squirrel was in his sight but just out of his reach.
That was an apt metaphor for how this case was going. The answer to my investigative questions was out there, maybe even right in front of my face, yet it remained out of my grasp.
To add insult to injury, instead of moving out of sight, the squirrel just kept staring at Doodle, and even proceeded to make a number of squeaking noises, as if he was taunting Snickerdoodle.
That last action drove Doodle mad. I pulled on Doodle’s leash a little, trying to get him to give up and move on with our walk, but he was determined to speak his mind with a flurry of barks.
I groaned. “Give it up, Doodle. This is one you aren’t going to win.”
Snickerdoodle ignored me and continued barking.
All the barking must have annoyed the squirrel, because the little furry rodent scampered to the end of the tree branch, hopped onto another tree, then jumped onto a nearby roof. From there, the squirrel scaled the top of the house’s roof and moved out of view entirely.
Wow. What a show. It never ceased to amaze me what little furry ninja’s squirrels were. They were as fascinating to watch as they were frustrating to catch.
Now, with the squirrel out of view, I thought Snickerdoodle would finally give up, but he just kept barking.
I had to hand it to Doodle. He had a better chance of catching a cold than he ever did of catching that squirrel, but it didn’t stop him from dreaming big anyway. Doodle didn’t seem to realize that no matter what he did, the squirrel would always remain just out of his grasp.
Of course, Snickerdoodle didn’t listen to me. Even with an obedience class behind him, taking order from me was not Doodle’s strong suit. The female dogs in his class had taken to the lessons just fine. Was it his male stubbornness, or just his dogged personality that was more to blame for him not listening to me? I wasn’t sure.
Thankfully, with the squirrel now long gone, Doodle relented and allowed me to take him home.
***
A few minutes later, I dropped Snickerdoodle off at home and headed over to Daley Buzz for my morning caffeine fix. Perhaps a little coffee would spark some inspiration in my mind regarding the case.
Thankfully, I arrived at my family’s coffee shop during a down period. It wasn’t just quiet when I came through the front door, there was a mysterious nature to the silence. I looked behind the counter. That’s when I saw my slender jet-black-haired mother, Elizabeth Daley, and my feisty eighty-three-year-old grandma, Betsy Daley, huddled around my grandmother’s smartphone.
I immediately wondered if some breaking news had occurred that I had missed out on. Was it some sort of global calamity? A natural disaster? Or had something jaw dropping happened locally? It couldn’t have been a new development in the case, could it? Surely, David would have notified me.
I approached the counter with an equal dose of curiosity and caution. I tried not to be negative, but with the way the world was going lately, the odds were that my mom and grandma were staring down some bad news.
Whatever it was, Elizabeth and Betsy were sure captivated by it. I was able to make it all the way to the counter without them noticing me.
“What’s going on?” I asked.
The difference is my mother’s and grandmother’s reactions were striking. My mom was so startled by my voice that she nearly jumped right out of her shoes. My grandma, meanwhile, was so unfazed that she didn’t even look up from her phone.
Elizabeth placed her hand on her chest as she tried to calm her breathing. “What are you doing, sneaking up on me like that? You almost scared me half to death.”
“Mom, I didn’t mean to. I just walked up to the counter. It’s not my fault you didn’t notice me. Now, do you want to tell me what’s got you so captivated?” I asked.
Betsy briefly looked up from her phone. “Can you two take the chitchat somewhere else? I’m trying to focus here.”
I threw my arms out. “Will someone please tell me what’s going on?”
Betsy clenched her hand into a fist and groaned as she stared back at her phone. “Drats.”
Elizabeth turned her attention back to Betsy’s phone again. “Wait. Does that mean that we got nothing?”
“Don’t rub it in,” Betsy said. “It’s already bad enough that Lady Luck turned her back on us when we needed her the most. But don’t worry. I’m going to get her on our side if it’s the last thing I do.”
I waved at Elizabeth and Betsy to get their attention. “Anyone want to fill me in on what’s going on? Or are you going to make me guess?”
Unfortunately, they both ignored me.
“Are you saying that we didn’t even win a dollar?” Elizabeth asked.
“Not this time, but they’ll be drawing again in a couple of days and we’ll be ready,” Betsy said.
Elizabeth scoffed. “That’s what you said last time.”
“Hey, there’s no doubt in my mind that we’re going to win,” Betsy said. “It just hasn’t happened yet.”
“That’s a pretty interesting statement to make considering that you’re holding ten losing lottery tickets,” Elizabeth said.
I shook my head in disbelief. “Wait a minute. This entire conversation has been about the lottery? I thought you were discussing something important.”
Betsy’s eyebrows rose as she turned toward me. “What’s more important than becoming a millionaire? Come on, Sabrina, where are your priorities?”
“It turns out I’m in the middle of trying to solve a murder case,” I said.
“Right. Never mind. Your priorities are in the correct place,” Betsy said. “Unfortunately, I can’t help you there.”
I became deflated. “Trust me. You aren’t the only one who is coming up short with this investigation.”
“What I can say, though, is that in a short time, there will be a lot more money in all of our bank accounts,” Betsy said.
Elizabeth folded her arms. “Mom, let’s not get crazy now. How do you go from winning nothing today to talking like you’re going to hit the jackpot next week?”
“Because I know we’re just a little bit of luck away from becoming millionaires,” Betsy said.
Elizabeth squinted. “Don’t you mean a lot of luck?”
Betsy shrugged. “Why are you being such a naysayer this morning?”
“How about because I hate losing? Or maybe because I know how long the odds are of winning. Let’s be honest here. We both know there’s a better chance of Valerie Olson’s killer walking into the police station and turning themselves in than there is of us winning the lottery,” Elizabeth said.
“The odds of winning have always been terrible, but that h
asn’t stopped you from playing before. If you didn’t believe that you had even a small shot at winning, then why have you been putting a few bucks into our family lottery pool all this time?”
“If we ever do hit the jackpot, I don’t want to be left out,” Elizabeth said.
Betsy held her pointer finger up. “Not if. When.”
“Right. You just keep on believing that,” Elizabeth said.
“I will,” Betsy said. “But seriously, is the only reason you keep playing because you’re afraid of missing out?”
Elizabeth shook her head. “No. Sometimes I dream of how good it would feel to actually win. So, I guess what I’m saying is that a dollar is a cheap way to dream big.”
Betsy smiled. “It sure is. Now take my word for it. Our dreams are going to come true. I can feel it.”
I cleared my throat. “Do you happen to know when that’s going to happen? Because I think the sooner the better.”
“I second that,” Elizabeth said.
I looked at my grandmother. “So, do you have a good feeling about when it’ll happen?”
“Soon, I hope. After all, I’m not getting any younger,” Betsy joked.
Elizabeth and I both laughed.
Chapter Twelve
I grabbed my coffee and was about to leave the shop when Shannon Smith entered Daley Buzz.
“I can’t believe it,” Shannon said.
I gave her a quizzical look. “Believe what?”
Her eyes filled with concern. “Oh no. This case must really be doing a number on you. I’m talking about Valerie Olson’s murder.” Her nose crinkled. “Unless, did some other crazy thing happen that I don’t know about?”
“No,” I replied.
Shannon breathed a sigh of relief. “Good.”
“Sorry. I was just distracted. You see, my grandma is still worked up about not winning the lottery this morning, so there’s a lot of disbelief going around,” I said.
“She’s in good company. I’m working on a flawless streak. Somehow, I’ve managed to lose ten years in a row.”
“I can tell you how it’s happened. The odds of winning the lottery are something like two hundred and seventy million to one.”
Shannon groaned. “Trust me, I know the odds. And I’m reminded of how long they are every time I lose.”
“You sound like you could use some coffee.”
“What I could really use is eighteen million dollars, but I guess I’ll have to settle for some coffee this morning…and maybe a little chocolate,” Shannon said.
Shannon was so caught up in lamenting her latest lottery loss that she hadn’t noticed her ex-boyfriend, Gavin Zeller, approaching our table.
The athletic, brown-haired, round-faced, thirty-year-old was full of swagger as he reached us.
“Coffee is on me,” Gavin boasted. “Chocolate too.”
Shannon turned to Gavin and scrunched her nose. “Really?”
Gavin outstretched his arms and addressed the whole coffee shop. “As a matter of fact, I’m going to buy a coffee for everyone here.”
The other customers in the shop cheered as Gavin slapped a hundred-dollar bill on the front counter.
“You’re welcome,” Gavin said, speaking to the whole shop again.
Shannon looked more confused than ever. “Gavin, are you okay?”
He smiled wide. “I’ve never been better.”
“Well, thank you,” Shannon said. “But what’s gotten into you? I’ve never known you to be this generous.”
“What can I say? I’m living the dream,” Gavin said.
Shannon folded her arms. “Did I miss something? Like, the part where this makes any sense?”
“I have to admit, I’m pretty confused too,” I said. “Gavin, I’ve never heard you talk like this before.”
“Well, I’ve never felt like this before. Then again, I’ve never been a millionaire until now, so maybe it’s going to take some getting used to,” Gavin said.
Wait. Did I just hear that right? Because I was almost certain that I just heard Gavin say that he was a millionaire.
Before I was able to open my mouth to get him to clarify his statement, Shannon held her pointer finger up and replied, “Let’s rewind for a second. Since when are you a millionaire?”
Gavin threw out his arms. “Since I just won the lottery last night.”
My jaw dropped.
Shannon replied with disbelief in her voice. “Are you serious?”
Gavin chuckled. “It’s funny. That expression you have on your face right now—that’s exactly how I looked when I checked my lottery ticket last night and realized that I won the jackpot.”
Shannon put her hand on her chest. “So, this is real, then?”
“You better believe it. I just won eighteen million dollars,” Gavin said.
Shannon’s eyes were as wide as saucers. “Wow. Congratulations.”
Gavin did a celebratory fist pump. “This is the best day ever.”
Shannon’s face was still filled with disbelief. “It’s certainly a day that you’ll never forget.”
“Or that any of us will ever forget,” I added.
“It’s pretty amazing to think that I just over drafted on my checking account last week, and now look at me. I never have to work another day in my life,” Gavin said.
“That is amazing,” Shannon said.
“I’ll say. Working is overrated, anyway. Partying is so much better. This is going to be so epic,” Gavin said.
“So, what are you going to do with the money?” I asked.
“Live large, of course. Get a big old mansion on the water. A whole slew of sports cars. Maybe my own yacht too. I have all kinds of awesome ideas,” Gavin said.
“It sounds like it,” I said.
“Anyway, you ladies enjoy your free coffee on me. I’m going to get a double espresso. I have a busy day ahead of me,” Gavin said.
“Oh yeah? Doing what?” I asked.
“Thinking of more incredible things to buy with all my money,” Gavin said.
Chapter Thirteen
The coffee shop was usually buzzing with conversation, but when Gavin grabbed his double espresso and left, Shannon and I just stared at each other in shocked silence.
Our jaws remained agape until my friend finally untied her tongue and spoke up.
“Did that really just happen?” Shannon said.
My face strained. “I was asking myself the same thing.”
“And?”
“As much as this feels like a surreal daydream, it’s not,” I said.
Shannon pinched herself.
I squinted at her. “What did you do that for?” I asked. “Didn’t you believe me?”
“I had to make sure I wasn’t just imagining this,” Shannon said.
“Fair enough.”
“Actually, fair isn’t the word I would use to describe this situation.”
“I know what you mean. Gavin may believe that working is overrated, but we aren’t all lucky enough to win eighteen million dollars,” I said.
“We sure aren’t.” Shannon groaned. “Even so, some of us are unluckier than others. I mean, it’s one thing not to win the lottery. It’s another for my ex-boyfriend to be the one to take home the jackpot.”
“That does seem to be the kind of salt that your wound doesn’t need right now.”
“Exactly. Of all the people in the world who could have won, why did it have to be Gavin?”
I shrugged. “I wish I had an answer for you.”
“I don’t know about you, but I never thought one of my exes would become a millionaire.”
I chuckled. “Are you kidding? I still don’t think any of my exes will ever be millionaires.”
“Yet, here Gavin is, eighteen million dollars richer.” Shannon took a deep breath. “Do you know what the crazy part is?”
“That he ended up hitting the jackpot after you decided to pick Joe over him?”
“Well, yeah, there’s that,” Shannon
replied. “But the other crazy thing is that Gavin only started playing the lottery because of me.”
“What do you mean?”
“Back when Gavin and I were dating, I’d play the lottery every week, but Gavin never bought a single ticket. He kept telling me it was a fool’s game. That I had a better shot of getting hit by lightning than ever winning the jackpot.”
I chuckled. “And now look at him.”
Shannon shook her head in disbelief. “I know, right?”
“When did he start buying tickets?”
“He used to chew a lot of gum. I’m talking a pack a day. So, one afternoon, I asked him, wouldn’t the dollar that he used every day buying gum be better spent on potentially winning millions of dollars?”
“I guess we know the answer.”
She nodded. “That day, he stopped buying gum and started purchasing lottery tickets.”
“He probably doesn’t think it’s a fool’s game now.”
“No. Instead, I’m the one who feels like a fool.”
“Don’t.”
Shannon groaned. “It would sure be nice to have eighteen million dollars right now.”
“You can say that again.”
“I have plenty of experience with not being a millionaire and it is vastly overrated.”
“You know, maybe we should talk about something else,” I said.
“You’re probably right,” she said.
But instead of discussing a different topic, Shannon just got quiet and stared out the window.
I wasn’t much help. I was so caught up with my thoughts that I didn’t say a word.
Finally, Shannon broke the silence. “It’s just so hard not to talk about it.”
“I know. I mean, I should be focused on the murder investigation right now. After all, a killer is still out there. Yet my brain just keeps focusing on the lottery,” I said.
“In your case, that’s understandable. It’s much more pleasant to think about money than murder,” Shannon said. “I, meanwhile, can’t get over the fact that I used to date a millionaire.”
“To be fair, Gavin wasn’t a millionaire when you dated him,” I said.
Daley Buzz Cozy Mystery Boxed Set Page 97
