Cozy Creek

by K M Morgan

  Chloe stared at Michael with a look of disgust in her eyes. “You should be ashamed of yourself. You’re an absolute monster.”

  Chapter Twelve

  Normally, when the killer was apprehended, Chloe breathed a sigh of relief.

  Not this time.

  Instead, she remained wrapped up in her thoughts. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t shake a number of thoughts from her mind. To start, Chloe had worked on a number of crazy cases in the past.

  This one was different, however. Mostly because of the lengths that Michael took to avoid being caught. Only someone with a seriously twisted mind would cut themselves and concoct a fake story about an attack just to throw investigators for a loop.

  That wasn’t the only thought that gave Chloe pause, however. In the past, she had investigated cases alone. Given the details of this particular investigation, she was infinitely glad that Thicke had been by her side. Not just because he had a police badge. His presence also offered a layer of protection. After all, what if Chloe had been alone while following Michael? She could have been injured. Or killed.

  With all of those thoughts on her mind, it was no surprise that her head was squarely in the clouds. It wouldn’t stay there for long, though. Detective Thicke became concerned as he looked at Chloe.

  “Are you okay?” Detective Thicke asked.

  “Not at the moment. But I will be.” Chloe took a deep breath. “At least, I think I will be.”

  “You don’t sound so sure about that.”

  “Honestly, after a case like this, it’s hard to be certain about much.”

  “I disagree. Right now, I’m so relieved that this investigation is over.”

  “Don’t get me wrong. I’ll be able to sleep better tonight knowing that Michael is behind bars. But…” Chloe had trouble finishing her sentence.

  “But what?” Thicke asked.

  “I just can’t help but think what a close call that was.”

  Thicke nodded. “That thought entered my mind too.”

  Chloe threw out her arms. “How could it not?”

  “Things certainly could have turned out much differently.”

  “Don’t remind me. Contemplating all that could have gone wrong is enough to send shivers down my spine.”

  Thicke spoke as calmly as possible. “Chloe, relax. Everything worked out in the end.”

  Chloe squinted at the detective. “Come on, detective. I know you’re a tough guy, but aren’t you a little rattled right now?”

  “Of course. I’m not a robot,” Thicke said. “I’m just trying to focus on the bright side.”

  “I suppose that isn’t the worst idea in the world.”

  “It certainly isn’t. Especially since life is so fragile.”

  “That’s exactly my problem. This case has reminded me just how fragile life truly is.”

  “In my mind, that’s all the more reason to appreciate how lucky we both are to make it through this alive.”

  “You know, I have to say, it’s weird seeing you be the one to bring up the silver lining in this situation.”

  “Trust me. This is completely new ground for me. But I’m going to embrace it.”

  “Good for you.”

  “By the way, I think I’m starting to take after you in more ways than one.”

  “Oh yeah?”

  Thicke nodded. “For example, this huge craving for pie just came over me.”

  “That definitely isn’t the worst craving to be having.”

  “Tell that to my diet.”

  Chloe chuckled. “Detective, you just solved a murder. If ever there was a day to cheat on your diet with some celebratory pie, it’s today.”

  Thicke held his hand up. “Correction. Your instincts are what solved this case.”

  “Detective, you know I don’t care about taking credit,” Chloe said. “I’m just relieved that this case is over.”

  “Ms. Cook, go ahead and be as humble as you want, but I know what you did. And I’m very grateful that you were by my side during this investigation.”

  “Thanks,” Chloe said.

  “Speaking of gratitude, how about I buy you a slice of pie?” Thicke asked. “Who knows? Maybe it will cheer you up.”

  “It certainly couldn’t hurt,” Chloe said.

  Epilogue

  With the case behind her, Chloe tried to restore a sense of normalcy in her life. That began by inviting her boyfriend over.

  That particular evening, Chloe and Dylan curled up on the couch together and cuddled for most of the night. As they held one another, they didn’t really say much. Then again, they didn’t have to. They had reached a point in their relationship where a little silence didn’t bother them. Besides, there were only so many different ways to describe how stressful the last few days had been.

  In addition, the way Dylan held Chloe in his arms spoke volumes about the way he felt about her. She knew that he would do anything in his power to make her feel better. And he was doing a good job.

  Her anxiety melted away when she was with him. She was able to forget about the past. With his arms wrapped around her, she could focus all of her attention on the present. Ultimately, Chloe and Dylan ended up having a quiet and peaceful night together. The sort of evening that Chloe desperately needed.

  Before going to bed that night, Chloe prayed that she would have many more evenings like that in the future. And while Chloe couldn’t predict what life had in store for her, she had a hunch that good times were on the horizon.

  The End.

  A Novel to Die For

  Prologue

  Deanna Devlin was having the kind of day she wished she could forget. There was little chance of that happening. If anything, the events of this morning would be burned into her brain forever. How could they not be? Deanna’s entire life had been turned upside down overnight. She was at a complete loss for words. Considering she was a reporter, that was saying a lot.

  Deanna still couldn’t believe her eyes. Murder had once again come to the small community of Desert Palms. Suddenly, her hometown didn’t seem so sleepy anymore. This was a disturbing trend. There had now been two murders in the same year. That was unheard of in the desert, especially considering the area was a big tourist destination. When people left the city and came to the desert, it was to get away from terrible things like this.

  If that wasn’t enough, the residents of Desert Palms were finally beginning to settle down from the last murder case that had held the town in its grip. The panic would no doubt return when news broke of this killing. Before long, the whole town would be abuzz with equal parts gossip and paranoia.

  As a professional journalist, Deanna preferred to be right in the thick of things. She had a desire to get down to the heart of a story and was willing to dig as deep as necessary to uncover the truth. This time, things were different. What she wanted to do most right now was come to the aid of her friend.

  This case was personal to her. It hit close to home, in a way she never expected. That was because the victim had ties to one of her friends. Suddenly, one of her dearest friends was being suspected of murder. Deanna couldn’t believe it, nor would she stand for it.

  Part of Deanna wanted to crawl into a hole. The other part of her was so angry, she could hardly contain herself. The killer was still at large, but they wouldn’t be for long. She knew she couldn’t stand idly by. An investigation like this couldn’t be left to chance.

  Deanna wasn’t about to wait around for the murderer to be caught. She was going to get her hands dirty and get to the bottom of this, no matter what it took. Unfortunately, there was only one way to exonerate her friend—by finding the real killer. Deanna was aware of the risks and the dangers involved with investigating a murder case. She didn’t care. In her mind, she wouldn’t be able to rest until justice had been served.

  Chapter One

  Two Days Earlier

  Deanna was having a night she wouldn’t soon forget. For the longest time, it seemed
like luck had turned its back on her. Her search for love in the desert had turned out to be nothing but a series of mirages. After a romantic forecast filled with so many cloudy skies, it was almost hard to believe it when a ray of sunshine began peeking through.

  Detective Tyler Goodman was that romantic oasis, and Deanna was determined to bask in her newfound relationship, especially knowing how rare it was to find. At the same time, she didn’t want to get too far ahead of herself. As a reporter, Deanna loved diving headfirst into things, but when it came to love, it was important to let things bloom at their own pace. To be fair, that was hard to do with Tyler. Things were going so well.

  Given that, it was almost hard to believe Deanna was in the romantic doldrums just a few months ago. The world really did work in mysterious ways. If Deanna hadn’t played amateur sleuth a few months back during the Zach Ziegler murder investigation, she would have never met the detective. And while Deanna and Tyler initially clashed, their chemistry eventually won out.

  Two months later, they now found themselves falling for each other, with no signs of things slowing down. That night, Tyler had taken Deanna out for dinner and a movie. They now found themselves at the end of their date, standing on her doorstep.

  It was a beautiful desert night in the late fall. There was a slight chill in the air, a welcome reprieve from a sweltering summer that seemed like it wouldn’t end. There wasn’t a single cloud in sight. Instead, stars blanketed the sky, providing a beautiful backdrop for the evening.

  Deanna smiled as she gazed into Tyler’s eyes.

  “Thanks for a wonderful night,” she said.

  “If only it didn’t have to end,” he replied.

  “You know what they say about all good things coming to an end.”

  “I’ve never liked that saying. Where’s the quote about all bad things coming to an end?”

  “If one exists, I haven’t heard it. I’ve found that bad things have a nasty habit of outwearing their welcome.”

  “You don’t have to remind me of that. As a detective, I get to see that all too often,” Tyler said.

  “I still can’t believe some of the stories you’ve told me about your days in Los Angeles,” Deanna replied.

  Tyler was a homicide detective in LA for almost a decade. With the grisly things he saw, it was no surprise why he ended up moving to the peaceful desert. There was no place too sleepy for him after a raucous career like his.

  Tyler nodded. “Amazingly enough, they’re all true. And after all I’ve been through, bad things are never welcome in my life.”

  She gazed into his eyes. “I have a feeling things are looking up.”

  “There’s no doubt in my mind. Having found a great woman like you is proof of that.”

  Deanna couldn’t keep her heart from nearly jumping out of her chest at that moment. It only made it harder to say good-bye. “How sweet. Unfortunately, I still have to call it a night.”

  “I understand.”

  “How about tomorrow we pick up where we left off?”

  Tyler grimaced. “I wish I could.”

  Deanna was surprised. “Do you have plans already?”

  “If you consider a stakeout as having plans.”

  “A stakeout, in Desert Palms? Uh-oh. Did you bring Los Angeles-style crime with you to the desert when you moved here?”

  “I sure hope not. I left the big bad city to get away from that.”

  “Unfortunately, the things you’re in the biggest hurry to get rid of have a nasty habit of being the hardest to shake off in life.”

  “Don’t worry. I’ll be fine. This stakeout is small potatoes compared to what I used to deal with.”

  “Story please,” Deanna said.

  “I told you, I didn’t just leave LA behind. I’ve been trying to leave the memories of it in the dust as well.”

  “Do you really think I’m going to let you leave it at that?”

  Tyler laughed. “That’s what I get for dating a reporter.”

  “Come on, give me something to go with here,” Deanna urged.

  “I’ll just say the city of angels has been overrun by plenty of devils.”

  Deanna shook her head. “You sure know how to keep a tight lip.”

  “Sometimes.” He leaned forward and gave her a kiss. “Other times, not so much.”

  “I like these times, for sure.”

  “Speaking of, how about I take you out for dinner on Sunday? The stakeout will be over by then,” Tyler said.

  “That sounds great.”

  “It’s settled then.” He leaned in and gave her another kiss. “Sweet dreams.”

  Deanna smiled. “Trust me, that won’t be a problem.”

  Chapter Two

  The next morning was full of surprises. After a reluctant rendezvous with a treadmill at the gym, Deanna gave her dachshund, Hot Dog, a walk before heading over to the local bookstore to pick up a copy of the latest Wendy Whimsy cozy mystery. With her boyfriend on his police stakeout, Deanna had the entire day to herself. During times like this, there was nothing she’d rather do with her time than curl up on her couch with a good book. Of course, there was nothing wrong with adding a few scoops of chocolate ice cream for good measure.

  Deanna preferred reading mysteries. A good cozy always hit the spot, especially after a rough workweek. Deanna had gotten a rude awakening at the newspaper over the last few days. Her latest assignments had given her a crash course in how the grass isn’t always greener sometimes.

  For over a year, she begged her editor to take her off writing puff pieces. After solving the Zach Ziegler murder case and getting a scoop on covering the story for the paper, Deanna’s editor had finally given her some harder-hitting assignments. Unfortunately, some of them hit a little too hard.

  This week alone, Deanna had done stories on political corruption, drug busts, and child abandonment. Covering such unseemly subject matter was enough to make her lose her faith in humanity. Now that the weekend was here, she wanted to get that bitter taste out of her mouth.

  Reading a cozy mystery provided a great escape. With the turn of a page, Deanna could disappear into a world where the character of Wendy Whimsy always solved the crime, where good always triumphed over evil, and chocolate references were as plentiful as witty one-liners. So when Deanna’s friend Amelia Brady called to tell her the latest Wendy Whimsy novel had just arrived at the bookstore, devouring this cozy climbed to the top of her to-do list.

  ***

  As Deanna set foot in Chapters Galore, the local bookshop in town, she wondered if she’d entered an alternate universe. That was mostly due to the author reading that was taking place in the corner of the store. Generally, when an author read an excerpt of their work in front of a crowd, they chose a passage that was free of objectionable content. That was not the case this time.

  As a matter of fact, it appeared that the author went out of her way to read the most off-putting section possible from her book. The author, Hailey Henderson, was either completely unaware or utterly indifferent to the fact that she was reading material that would ruffle feathers. By the looks of Hailey, Deanna sided with the latter.

  Hailey was not the kind of thirtysomething that led a straight and narrow life. Her arms were covered in tattoos, she had a short pixie haircut that had been dyed neon blue, and dressed like she was auditioning to be the lead singer of a punk rock band.

  In a small, touristy town like Desert Palms, that stood out. Although, neon-blue hair would stand out pretty much anywhere. She definitely seemed like she’d be more at home in a tattoo parlor than a bookstore. There was an old saying about never judging a book by its cover. In this case, the book she was reading appeared to match its cover pretty well.

  “Scarlet loved the pain. It made her feel all the more alive,” Hailey read from her book.

  Not surprisingly, the crowd that was watching the reading was sparse, and that was being generous. In truth, there were only five people watching Hailey. That number dwindled to o
ne with the latest sentence Hailey read.

  Normally, Deanna would feel bad that someone was bombing so terribly. Not this time. Hailey’s book was dark, twisted, and wildly creepy. If anything, Deanna wanted her to stop the reading early. Unfortunately, that wasn’t going to happen.

  Hailey continued reading from her book. “She gave in to her impulses, embraced her dark side, and indulged her sadistic thoughts.”

  This reading was an absolute train wreck. Deanna couldn’t believe someone was still sticking around to hear the end of this. When Deanna looked closer and got a better look at the last attendee of the reading, suddenly everything made sense.

  The last audience member wasn’t just any guy. He was Wyatt Gibson, Hailey’s boyfriend. Like Hailey, Wyatt had a penchant for tattoos and rock-star-type clothing. He was in his early thirties with a Mohawk, a goatee, and a nose ring.

  As hard as it was to believe, Wyatt was the son of the bookstore’s owner. He certainly didn’t look the part. If Deanna saw Wyatt on the street, the last thing she’d think when she saw him would be that he worked at a bookstore. Even more, thanks to nepotism, Wyatt wasn’t just a cashier at Chapters Galore—he was actually the assistant manager. Wyatt had no doubt set up this reading for his girlfriend. He had probably expected it to go much better, though.

  Deanna had heard enough of the reading. She spotted her good friend Amelia Brady and approached her across the store.

  Chapter Three

  Deanna wasn’t the only one who was put off by the author reading. Her friend wasn’t pleased by it either.

  Amelia Brady was a redhead in her early thirties with blue eyes, black-rimmed glasses, a square face, a full-figured body, and a penchant for argyle sweaters. If she didn’t have a job at the bookstore, she’d probably try her hand at becoming a librarian. Books were Amelia’s life. She read like literature was going out of style. Amelia easily finished three or four books a week. Despite that vociferous pace, it was clear one book she’d never pick up was the one Hailey Henderson had written.