A Story to Kill

by Lynn Cahoon

  “I told you, he was framing me for Gloria’s murder. No wonder Michael pulled so many strings to get you hired at Covington. You’re not very bright, are you?” Larry sneered as he watched Linda tie Cat’s hands behind her back. “The ankles too. Can’t have them walking outside and alerting one of the busybodies that live around here.”

  “I heard that, but how was he going to frame you?” Cat leaned closer to Linda as she worked on tying her ankles to the chair. Whispering, she asked, “Are you okay?”

  Linda’s nod was almost imperceptible, but Cat saw it.

  “The book. Tom’s newest was going to be based on Gloria’s missing-person case. You don’t really think he came to your little writing retreat to be part of the group, do you? He was here researching the case.” Larry sneered. “The guy would have gotten away with killing her and made a bundle on that piece of crap that would finger me. He even said I just might lose my position at the college after the book went public.”

  “And that’s what you fought about at the library.” Cat tested the ropes that held her arms behind her. As she suspected, they gave easily. She looked at Shauna who blinked her eyes twice letting her know that Linda had tied her just as loosely. But they still had the gun issue. She needed to keep him talking until she figured something out.

  “You’ve been doing some research of your own. Maybe you aren’t just a pretty face.” Larry came close and ran the gun up her face from the jawline over her cheek to the top of her head. “Too bad you won’t be around much longer.”

  And with that, he stepped back a pace and aimed the gun. Linda tackled him and sent him flying toward the door. The gun skittered out of his hand. Cat watched as Linda scurried over to retrieve it only to have Larry grab her from behind and lift her and the gun off the floor. He held her back with one hand and wrenched the gun from her with the other.

  “You really must start obeying rule number one.” He stage-whispered in Linda’s ear and aimed the gun again at Cat. “Good bye, Catherine.”

  Cat closed her eyes bracing herself against the shot. Instead of the expected gunfire, she heard a door open and a loud crack sounded. Her eyes flew open and instead of seeing Larry with the gun, Seth stood there, helping Linda up from the floor and standing over a now unconscious Larry. A two-by-four lay on top of the man. Seth held the gun and smiled at Cat. “I can’t leave you alone for a minute, now, can I?”

  By the time Uncle Pete arrived to take Larry into custody, Linda had already untied Shauna and Cat and helped Seth tie Larry’s hands behind his back. “This time, I’ll actually tie the rope tight,” Linda said as she sank into a chair next to Cat. Shauna was at the counter, making coffee, and Seth stood guard over Larry, just out of reach of the guy.

  Two deputies followed Uncle Pete into the kitchen, and he nodded to the still-reclining Larry. “You two take him back to the station and lock him up. I’ve got some stories to hear before we can charge a Covington dean with attempted kidnapping and murder.”

  “Coffee or iced tea?” Shauna asked as Uncle Pete walked over to the table to sit across from Cat.

  “Coffee would be great.” Uncle Pete looked around the table. Seth stood next to Cat. “Go ahead and sit down, boy, this might take a while.”

  Shauna put a steaming cup of coffee in front of him and looked at the rest of the group. “Who else needs coffee?”

  “I need a shot,” Linda muttered, but when she got a look from Uncle Pete she shrugged. “Coffee’s fine.”

  “I’ll help.” Cat tried to stand up but Seth gently pushed her back into the chair.

  “Let me.” He went to the cabinet and pulled out cups.

  While the two of them worked on getting the coffee poured and delivered to the table, Uncle Pete leaned toward Cat. “Are you okay? You’ve had quite a welcome-home party this last week.”

  “You don’t know the half of it, but we’ll talk about that later. Larry killed Tom, but I didn’t understand his reasoning. If Larry didn’t kill Gloria, why would he kill Tom?”

  Linda sighed. “I know why.” She waited until Seth set the last coffee cup on the table and he and Shauna had pulled up chairs.

  “Go on,” Uncle Pete gently prodded.

  “The manuscript Tom was working on was based on Gloria’s story. But since Tom didn’t know what had really happened, he did what all good writers do—he filled in the blanks with his own story. I guess he told Larry that he knew he had killed Gloria and after the book came out, everyone would know.” Linda straightened her shoulders, facing Uncle Pete straight on. “Your experts weren’t going to know what to look for in his writing. I did.”

  Now he did look up from his writing and considered her for a long moment. Even Cat felt the tension in the air between them. “So what did you find out?”

  “Tom never was good at keeping a secret.” Linda looked around the room. “I figured he’d taunted Larry, but he never expected this reaction. I think Larry is certifiable.”

  “You sure your husband would take a poke at a killer?”

  Linda looked at him over her coffee cup. “I knew my husband. He would want to see the reaction on Larry’s face when he’d told him about the reveal.”

  “I meant the book, what he was writing.” Uncle Pete didn’t look up from his note taking, avoiding eye contact with the woman sitting across from him.

  “I’m sure because I read the entire manuscript last night.” Linda rubbed her eyes. “I didn’t get to sleep until about five, then woke up a few hours later. I’ve been running on caffeine and adrenaline since then. The book is amazing, even if the main premise was wrong. I should have told Tom the truth.”

  Cat noticed a hesitation in Linda’s voice. There was something she was still holding back. “So why didn’t you tell him?”

  The smile that landed on Linda’s face was more sad than happy. “I knew Larry had abused Gloria. And I also knew she thought Tom was her way out of the relationship. I didn’t want to lose him to her, so I helped her escape. I’m not proud of my jealousy, but you saw the picture in the yearbook. If Gloria wanted something, she got it.”

  Uncle Pete walked the group through the rest of the afternoon’s events as Shauna stirred up a pot of potato sausage soup. Cat knew when her friend was stressed because soup always fell on the menu. Shauna said it was a way for her to relax. Today, Cat was glad her friend used cooking as a stress reliever since she craved the thick potato soup as her own comfort food. The smell of baking beer bread to go along with the soup was calming Cat’s nerves as well. Sometime during the questioning, Daisy had arrived and was sitting quietly in the corner of the room, sipping a cup of tea Shauna had fixed for her.

  “Does this mean Rose can come home?” Daisy’s quiet voice filled a void while Uncle Pete went over his notes. His head came up, and he found the older woman with his gaze. He studied her, then his eyes dropped down to his notes.

  “I need to make a call.” He rose from his chair and stepped outside. A few minutes later, he returned. Addressing Daisy, he smiled. “Your sister is on her way over. We tried to get her into a cab, but she wanted one last ride in the back of a police car to cement the experience. She says she has a brilliant idea for a new story.”

  Daisy chuckled. “That’s Rose. Don’t be surprised if she doesn’t grill all of you about what happened and how it felt to be a hostage.”

  Shauna started setting out bowls on the table. “Well, at least no one can say we have boring conversations with our meals. The bread should be ready as soon as she walks in the door. You all may want to go get washed up for dinner.”

  Linda and Daisy left the kitchen for their rooms. Seth nodded to the kitchen sink. “Okay if I wash up there?”

  “There’s a powder room next to the living room. You and Pete can take turns there. I want to talk to my girl for a second. And don’t tell me you don’t have time for a proper meal, Pete Edmond. That man can just chill in his cell for a few more minutes.” Shauna nodded to the door and the men shuffled out reluctan
tly, following her orders.

  “You have my uncle wrapped around your little finger.” Cat stood to grab silverware but Shauna shooed her down.

  “You don’t need to help. Wash up here at the sink and tell me how you are? I can’t believe you stood up to that man so long. Weren’t you scared?”

  “Shaking to the bone, but I’ve dealt with bullies before. And if Larry Vargas was one thing, he was a bully. I can’t believe he killed Tom because of a book. Everyone knew Tom wrote fiction. Even if he made the killer just like Larry, no one would have believed the story. The guy was loved over at Covington.”

  “Maybe he just couldn’t deal with the possibility anymore. He does seem to be a bit of a control freak.” Shauna finished setting the table and then added a small bouquet of flowers to the table. “There we go. Now that’s a proper Monday evening meal.”

  “Flowers are always needed after catching a killer and avoiding a kidnapping.” Cat shook her head. “How do you stay so calm?”

  “Believe me, bartending in that dive taught me a lot. This day doesn’t compare to the worst day I had there. At least no one died today.”

  Because of Seth, Cat thought but didn’t say aloud. She didn’t know how she felt about being saved by the guy, but she pushed away her doubts and allowed the gratitude to take over her thoughts.

  Daisy and Linda returned, chatting about the events of the day, and the men followed behind. As soon as they sat at the table, the kitchen door flew open and a rumpled but grinning Rose came into the kitchen.

  “Hello, dearies. Oh good, soup. Let me take a quick shower and change out of these prison clothes, and I’ll be back to hear all about the excitement.” She paused to kiss her sister on the cheek. “Thanks for staying around. It meant a lot to me.”

  As Rose disappeared out of the kitchen to her room, Cat heard Daisy mutter, “And I’m going to remind you of that often.”

  A group chuckle filled the room as Shauna filled the bowls with the steaming soup. For a minute, the house and the group of friends were at peace.

  Chapter 23

  As Cat wandered through the house, it felt empty. Rose and Daisy had left the day after Rose got released from jail. Linda had stayed on a day longer, but even she had finally returned to her New York home and life, promising to keep in touch. Cat laughed at her own sudden loneliness. She was the one who had wanted the peace and quiet, but now she was going to miss the people she’d come to know in just over a week. Would every retreat be this bonding? Or was the fact she felt close to the people mostly because they’d gone through a trial by fire with her?

  She poked her head into the kitchen. Empty. Walking to the back door, she noticed the SUV wasn’t in its parking spot. Shauna must be out shopping or exploring. But in the backyard, she saw Seth loading up lumber and tools into his truck.

  Opening the door, she walked out into the cold. “You done with the attic?”

  He started, then his mouth quirked into a grin. “Not yet. But the weather report is calling for snow, so I need to set up a new staging area. I’m going to have this set up in my garage. It will be a pain hauling everything over here, but it’s better than warping the wood.”

  “You could work inside.” Cat ran through the rooms in her mind.

  He leaned on the tailgate. “I’d either have to work in the cellar, which adds another level of stairs, or haul everything up to the attic and work around the stuff for the next three months. My plan will be better. I’ll just be away from the house more.”

  She stood in front of him, her arms folded across her chest. “That will be okay. We should have started earlier, I guess.”

  He patted the tailgate next to him. “Come sit by me; you look like you’re freezing.”

  Cat glanced back at the house. “I forgot my coat. Last week, I didn’t need one.” She scooted up onto the tailgate, and he slipped his own coat on her shoulders.

  “Better?” He tugged the edges close and turned her head toward him. Then without waiting for an answer, he kissed her.

  As they came up for air, he grinned. “I do have a question.”

  “Now what?” She teased. “Do you need more money for the attic project?”

  Shaking his head, he stared into her eyes, and her insides went all gooey. She shook off the instinct to lean into his shoulder. The guy could make her feel safe and in danger all at the same time. Safe, because he wouldn’t let anything happen to her, but in danger of losing herself to him and not wanting to ever come up for air.

  “What are you doing Saturday night?”

  The question had come out of nowhere. “What?”

  “Simple question. What are you doing Saturday night? I’d like to take you on a real date. Nice clothes, nice restaurant, see the play that’s being put on over at the college. Then I’ll bring you home, steal a kiss on the front porch, and leave. But I’ll call the next day.” He grinned. “What do you say, Kitty Cat? Want to try some traditional dating rituals until we get to know the grown-up us better?”

  She thought about the man sitting next to her. So different than the boy she’d loved. But, in a lot of ways, still the same. She felt the same draw to him as she had the first day she’d met him. Could you have two soul mates? She had been in love with Michael, she’d been sure of it. Now she was remembering how strong the connection with Seth had been before.

  She realized he was waiting for an answer. And she also realized she had one.

  “What time?”

  He glanced at his watch. “It’s about three.”

  She swatted his arm. “No, what time will you pick me up?”

  Now his grin widened to full megawatt power. “Six thirty.” He leaned into her and gave her a quick kiss. “I’ll be expecting a little more heat than that on Saturday.”

  “We’ll see.” She slipped off the tailgate and handed him his coat. “I’ve got things to do inside where it’s warm and cozy.”

  “Leave me all alone out here in the elements.” He took his coat and put it on. “You go on inside. You’ll freeze out here, and then dinner will be a bust.”

  “It’s always all about you, Seth Howard.” She ran to the kitchen door, but stopped just inside. “Shauna has a pot of coffee on if you need to warm up later.”

  He waved her inside and she shut the door, wanting to peek out at him to see if this was truly real. Her heart had butterflies. “Well, look at me, I’m going on a date,” she announced to the empty kitchen.

  She was drawn down the hall to Michael’s study. She’d put the journal on the side table next to her reading chair. She sank into the chair and thought about all the good times she’d shared with Michael in this space. She’d come home with one thought, that she wouldn’t let what Michael had done ruin her future in the house. Now, she didn’t know what to think.

  Cat looked over at the desk and imagined her smiling husband sitting behind it, a book and a notebook open on the surface in front of him. “We’re not done talking about this,” she told the vision. As it faded in her mind, she wondered if she’d made the right decision saying yes to Seth. Maybe it was too early to be starting a new relationship? She shook the question off. Today she’d deal with today, not the echoes of yesterday.

  After closing and locking the door to Michael’s study, she headed upstairs to her own office to work on a release promotion schedule and answer emails. The bad thing about being a full-time author? The workday never stops. People think you can just do whatever you want, but there’s always a book to write, or a book to edit, or a book to sell, which left little time for playing or goofing off.

  *

  The room had grown dark before she heard the sound of the car pulling into the driveway. Seth had left hours ago, stopping into her office to say good-bye and that he was locking the downstairs doors when he left.

  Cat ambled down the stairs, her stomach rumbling for food. Maybe Shauna had brought home sandwiches. When she reached the kitchen, she found her friend standing at the stove, heating up a kettle
for tea.

  “Did you see outside?” Her face glowed with excitement.

  Cat glanced over to the window. “Did you wreck the car?”

  “No. Why would you ask that?” Shauna took Cat’s arm and drew her to the door. When they reached it, Shauna threw it open. Large flakes floated down from the sky, starting to coat the ground in white. “It’s snowing.”

  “Seth said it was going to. I thought it was too cold today, but it feels like it warmed up a little.” Cat held her hand out to catch a snowflake.

  “It’s so pretty. I was talking to Kevin at the pub today, and he says he’ll teach me to ski, no charge.”

  Cat searched her memory for the conversation about Kevin. “Oh, yeah, he’s the ski instructor?”

  “He’s not a ski instructor. He owns the ski lodge on Little Ski Hill. I know I’ve told you about him before. He wants me to come be his executive chef at the lodge.” Shauna reached both arms up and danced in a circle. “It’s snowing.”

  “I guess you didn’t think it would snow in Colorado?” Cat watched her friend, bemused at her joy. “You’re not quitting anytime soon?”

  “Bite me. I’ve lived in California too long. I miss the snow.” She put her arm in Cat’s. “I’m waiting for a better offer from the guy, like one with a ring involved? Anyway, it’s time for dinner. Sandwiches and some beef stew okay?”

  “Perfect. I’d like to talk to you a little bit about the next session. We only have a bit before we’re hosting again.” Cat shook her head. “I can’t believe we have one retreat under our belts.”

  “Let’s just hope this one is a little calmer than the last,” Shauna said as they walked back into the warm kitchen to start preparing dinner.

  Cat stood in the doorway and gazed out on the backyard. With the snow gently falling the view looked like one of those postcards you could buy in the travel stores. The home she’d inherited from Michael was starting to feel like hers, not theirs. They were booked for retreats for six months in the future, and she had a date on Saturday.