by Susan Harper
“It’s a longshot, Brittany,” Autumn said. “But he’s determined, and that can make all the difference.”
“I’m glad you two are together,” Brittany said. “Nick deserves someone like you. I just hate knowing what my sister and dad did to him. It’s their fault, and Kristopher’s, that he’s stuck in a wheelchair.”
“Nick doesn’t hold any grudge against you for it,” Autumn said. “He’s thankful for your help in the investigation. And, like you said, he’s gotten movement back in his arms. His hands are still really shaky, but not having to have someone spoon-feed him has given him a confidence booster. I think he felt really demeaned by that, but that encouraged him to work a lot harder in therapy.”
“So how does Jefferson feel about me and Nick hanging around with your group all of a sudden?” Brittany asked. “I mean… Nick did steal Whitney away back in high school… And I am her little sister.”
“Honestly, he and Nick seem to get along just fine now that Whitney’s in prison,” Autumn said. “Jefferson put all that behind him a long time ago. They almost seem like buddies whenever we all get together. Like they just picked up where they left off.”
“That’s good,” Veronica said and then decided to put on yet another dramatic display for them. “So let’s see…” She pointed a finger at Dawn. “Engaged.” She then pointed at Felicity. “Engaged.” Then she pointed to Autumn. “Dating.” Then to Brittany. “Dating…and…” She pointed a finger at herself. “Single. Boo! Why am I always the single one?”
“Wait, who are you dating?” Felicity asked, spinning toward Brittany.
“Um…” Brittany’s face turned a little red as she contemplated her choice of words. “Your ex.”
“Jack Hudson?” Felicity questioned.
“Yeah. Just dinner on occasion. Nothing too serious,” she said.
“I call cradle-snatcher on this one!” Veronica exclaimed, waving a finger at Brittany. “Jack is way too old for you, sugar. He’s almost thirty, you realize that?”
Brittany grinned. “Well, yeah, I know. I like him, though.”
“Leave her alone, Veronica,” Felicity warned. “You’re just bitter because you’re still single.”
Veronica suddenly perked up. “Hey! I’m not the only single one in the group! I wonder if Jefferson would escort me to Dawn’s wedding? Better than trying to hook up with some weirdo before June. Plus, Jefferson’s a sweetheart.”
Much to Felicity’s surprise, she felt a slight knot in her stomach at Veronica’s words. She didn’t really like the idea of Veronica dating her sweet, innocent Jefferson. But that’s none of your business, really, Felicity told herself and shook it off. “Jefferson won’t take you to my wedding,” Dawn said with a smirk.
“And why not?” Veronica asked.
“You’re too extreme for him,” Autumn answered on Dawn’s behalf.
Veronica rolled her eyes. “Just as friends, you guys. I’m not asking him to date me.”
“Admit it,” Felicity teased. “You love the single life. That’s the only reason someone as smart and sexy as you is still single.”
“What can I say?” she said. “I like the attention.”
“We’ve noticed,” Brittany mumbled, and Veronica huffed. It was true. Veronica loved to date and play the field. She was still a college girl at heart.
Felicity then raised her arm and pointed toward an elegant chalkboard hanging on a wall where all of their names were listed. “Hmm…you might want to watch out, Veronica. Looks like you need to get serious by the end of the year, or you’ll be owing the New Year’s Pot a hundred bucks.”
The New Year’s Pot was a tradition the group of friends held. Brian, Jack, and Brittany had been added to their group of friends back in December, so their names were at the bottom of the board. Every year during the group’s annual get-together on New Year’s Eve, they each wrote a resolution. The rule was when someone broke their resolution, they had to put $100 in the jar. Whoever kept their resolution by the next New Year received the jar; rarely did more than one person meet their resolution, but once or twice, the jar had to be split amongst two people. On more than one occasion, everyone had broken their resolution, so they had just left the money in the jar and added to it for the following year.
Veronica crossed her arms. “I had a lot of wine in me when I made my resolution. I want to change it.”
“Too late,” Autumn teased. “You’re stuck with that one.”
Next to Veronica’s name on the board was: Start to settle down with someone. Veronica had always been the party girl of the group, dating a different man every week. But during their New Year’s Eve party, she had expressed her desire to get serious for once.
“Felicity always has the most extravagant resolutions, yet she’s always the one who wins the jar at the end of the year,” Autumn moaned. Next to Felicity’s name on the board was: Increase Overton’s Events bookings by 50%. It was a big goal, but Felicity was determined. In fact, it was almost unrealistic, but she was confident in her capabilities.
They heard keys jingling at the front door, so Felicity jumped up to greet Brian. He smiled as he entered and gave the women a friendly nod. “Don’t mind me,” he said. “Just passing through. I’ll stay out of the way.”
“Ooh, get in here, you eye candy!” Veronica exclaimed and hurried over, hooking his arm and dragging him into the living room with them. “Congratulations, love bird, on convincing this gem to say yes!”
Brian blushed and smiled. “Thank you, Veronica.” He wiggled out of her grasp, but remained standing in the living room.
The women all gave Brian their congratulations. He nodded embarrassingly and glanced around. “So what were you all talking about before I interrupted?”
“Our resolutions,” Dawn said, pointing toward the board.
“This group sure does take those seriously. I don’t know anyone else who is still talking about their resolutions in February,” he said and laughed.
“We love New Year’s,” Felicity said. “Gives you an excuse to look back on what all you’ve accomplished in a year and to look forward to what you will accomplish in the next one. Why just celebrate that sort of positive thinking once throughout the whole year?”
“This room, I have to say, is full of accomplished ladies,” Brian said, and a few of them swooned slightly, much to Felicity’s amusement. He was a catch, and all of her friends knew it.
What he said was true, though. Every one of them had made some impressive steps forward in recent days. “Yeah,” Felicity agreed. “Dawn completed her first semester working toward an educator’s degree while still juggling her work at the hospital last year. Autumn got a promotion to head of the Coweta County Morgue, and she still gets to work at the smaller morgue at Newnan Hospital on occasion. And Veronica started heading up the NICU at Newnan Hospital.”
“Don’t forget you, Felicity,” Autumn said. “You opened shop last summer in downtown Senoia, and you even turned a profit your first year in business. That is insane.”
Brittany laughed slightly. “Ooh, don’t forget me! I managed not to go crazy after my father and sister went to prison for conspiracy to murder.”
“Glad you have a sense of humor about it, Brittany,” Brian said awkwardly.
“I am still in school holding strong to my four-point-oh GPA while working too, so I think I’m doing all right for myself,” Brittany said.
“Good for you, Brittany,” Felicity said. “And you bought your dad’s house after he was arrested, so you’re paying a mortgage. That’s impressive work for a twenty-year-old.”
Brittany waved that off. “It’s not much of a mortgage. Dad sold it to me way below market value. I think it was his way of telling me sorry for being a drug-dealing psycho.”
“Ooh!” Veronica interrupted. “I thought of another Felicity Overton accomplishment! Last year, you were pretty much dubbed Senoia’s Personal Nancy Drew by the press.”
It was true. Felicity had worked ha
nd in hand with the local police ever since her shop had opened downtown. She helped put away Kirk Mont, a drug smuggler turned murderer as well as one of Kirk’s dealers, Brandon Jones; Jack’s Aunt Nadine for pushing his little sister off a roof; Candice Youngling for poisoning her own grandmother; a man named Frankie who had killed Felicity’s mentor Wanda to help keep his drug operations a secret—a man who Brian was now working as a defense lawyer for; and finally, Brittany’s sister and father, Whitney and Gregory, as well as Whitney’s boyfriend Kristopher for attempting to murder Whitney’s now ex-husband Nick. It had been a busy year for Felicity as far as her vigilante sleuthing went.
“Yeah,” Felicity moaned at the thought of it all. “That’s great and all, but this year, my hope is to stay away from any more of that nonsense. I’m an event planner, not a detective.”
“Hey, two months into the New Year, and so far so good,” Brian teased. “No dead bodies on Main Street, no random drug smuggling, and no one’s crazy ex-girlfriends are trying to frame any of your friends for murder.”
Brittany rolled her eyes. “Okay, new rule. Only I’m allowed to joke about my crazy sister.”
“Sorry, Brittany,” Brian said, and she nodded approvingly.
Felicity gave Brian a quick kiss before carting him out of the room. They all still had a lot of work to do for Dawn’s wedding that summer.
Chapter 3
It was Thursday in Senoia, and Felicity and Jefferson were hard at work speaking with the large crowds that tended to wander Main Street during the day. People were constantly entering the event shop, if only to step in and see what it was they were all about. As always, everyone who came in that door was a potential booking, even if they were just window shoppers. It was surprisingly busy for a Thursday, but Felicity wasn’t complaining. Ever since Jefferson had taken over marketing, things had greatly improved. He had taken advantage of Felicity’s newfound fame as “Senoia’s Personal Nancy Drew” and had themed the party shop to look like something straight out of a murder mystery. People loved it, and many stopped by just to take pictures of the shop’s now locally famous décor. They even had a special murder mystery party package that people loved.
They booked two parties that morning, and things slowed down briefly for lunch. They had ordered pizza from the pizza shop a few doors down, so the two of them scarfed down some slices while no one was in the shop. They sat on the red couches up front, people-watching crowds as they walked up and down the sidewalk outside. “That’s a nice ring,” Jefferson said, his voice slightly cold, but he forced a smile.
Felicity blushed slightly; they had not really spoken to one another much since the proposal. “Thank you,” she said. “And also, thank you for closing down that Valentine event… Did you…did you know he was going to propose?”
“He told me that morning,” Jefferson said, and he abruptly put his lunch down as though sick to his stomach. “Asked me to make sure you got out of there quick… He also asked me what flavor cheesecake you liked.”
Felicity smiled warmly at Jefferson. “Well, thank you for—”
“You know that I’m totally in love with you, right?” he said, and Felicity frowned. It was not exactly a secret that Jefferson had some sort of feelings for her, but he had never outright said it. He kept talking before she could respond. “I’m happy for you, Felicity. I really am. Brian is a great guy. He is. You two deserve each other. I guess I just wish I had said something before and not waited. I mean, would I have even had a chance?”
Felicity wasn’t sure what to say, and frankly, she was thankful that Jack suddenly came bursting into the shop in full uniform. She gave Jefferson a slight smile, letting him know she was okay with discussing this later. He nodded in agreement and then put on a brave face before looking up at Jack. “What’s up, Jack?” Jefferson said as though he had not just thrown his heart out there and been left without a proper response. “What’s got you all freaked out? You look like you saw a ghost.”
“You two are being summoned to the station,” he said. As he said this, Brian entered the shop with his arms crossed, looking incredibly annoyed.
“Brian, aren’t you supposed to be in Atlanta right now?” Felicity asked, surprised to see him in downtown Senoia in the middle of the day.
“Yeah,” he said. “But I got picked up at my office by a police escort.” He pointed his thumb in Jack’s direction. “And he doesn’t even know why. Apparently it’s a secret.”
Jack frowned. “I was just told that it’s important,” Jack said.
“You drive me an hour away from work, and you can’t tell me why,” Brian griped under his breath.
“Jack, can it wait?” Felicity questioned. “The dead hour is almost over, and we’ll have a lot of window shoppers soon. Can Jefferson at least stay while I—”
“They want all three of you. Now,” Jack said with intensity.
“Well, tell the chief that I’m busy,” Felicity said, starting to feel annoyed. “I’m sure whatever it is can wait until later. The chief will be fine waiting until—”
“It’s not the police,” Jack said. “Felicity, the FBI and NCIS are at the Senoia station waiting for you three right now.”
Felicity grew pale. “FBI?”
“NCIS?” Jefferson added, just as flustered as she.
“I don’t know what this is about,” Jack said. “But whatever it is, it’s serious. There’s an entire FBI team taking over the station. They kicked the chief out of his own office to set up a private room for themselves. Something serious is taking place, and they want you three in for questioning right now. I didn’t ask questions. I’m just an errand boy today for the FBI.”
“Holy moly,” Felicity said. “Okay, I guess the FBI showing up in little old Senoia is a good enough excuse to close shop when the street is busy. Do you have any idea what’s going on?”
“None,” Jack said. “They won’t tell us anything yet until they get set up. I was just told to go get all of you and that I would be informed later.”
“Eerie,” Felicity said. “Well, I guess if the FBI is summoning you, you listen.”
They cleaned up their lunch, locked the shop, and put up a sign assuring customers they would be back soon. Felicity could hardly imagine what the FBI would want with the three of them, but they reluctantly followed Jack out of the shop. They all loaded into Jack’s patrol car and headed down the street to the Senoia police station.
There were a number of black vehicles in the parking lot labeled with FBI and NCIS logos. It’s only a matter of time before the press notices that, Felicity thought with distaste. The four of them walked into the station, where they were greeted by the chief. “Where do they want them?” Jack asked.
“In the interrogation room,” the chief said and pointed, so Jack led the way.
The four entered the small interrogation room where a number of chairs had already been set up. A tall, lean man in a suit was there waiting for them, and he stuck out his hand toward Jack to shake. “Thank you, Officer Hudson,” he said. Jack nodded and began to leave, but the man called out to him. “I’m afraid this concerns you too, Hudson. Please, all of you, sit.”
Felicity wound up seated between Brian and Jefferson, and Jack sat on the far end of the table while the man in the black suit sat across from them all. “What is all of this about?” Brian asked, not bothering to cover up his annoyance. His arms were crossed, and he wore a slight scowl. Felicity knew how hard Brian had been working lately on his current cases, so she knew being pulled an hour away from the office was a much higher level of annoyance compared to her having to close shop for a few hours.
“How about an introduction first?” the man said with a smile. “I am Supervisory Special Agent and Communication Liaison Ryan Lo for the FBI. Thank you four for coming to speak with me. I was told you were all working, so I apologize for pulling you away from your jobs, but this is quite important.” Agent Ryan looked directly at Felicity, and she felt instantly nervous. He was a hands
ome man with golden brown hair and bright, green eyes that looked almost cat-like, though he seemed rather approachable for a man of his status. Either way, she didn’t care for how he was directing his concern in her direction. “Miss Overton, you have helped the local police department on a number of cases in the past year, correct?”
Felicity nodded. “Um, yes, sir,” she said. “Am I in some sort of trouble?”
“No, not at all. I’m just confirming,” he said. “You helped put away a Kirk Mont, Brandon Jones, Nadine Tannings, Candice Youngling, Frankie Smith, and most recently, Whitney Fontant, as well as her father Gregory Lull and her lover Kristopher Johnson. You aided the police and helped lead them to all of these arrests, correct?”
“That’s right, but—” Felicity felt Brian touch her arm, signaling her to stop talking.
Brian had entered lawyer mode; she had seen this firsthand after having the opportunity earlier that month to watch him in action during a big case up in Atlanta. “Agent Ryan, with all due respect, until we know what this is about, I don’t believe we are at liberty to discuss any of this with you any further.”
Agent Ryan nodded. “That’s right, you’re the lawyer,” he said. “Okay, you’re right.” He then slapped a folder down on the table in front of Brian. “Kirk Mont and Frankie Smith were killed yesterday while in prison by inmates claiming to have been paid off by an anonymous source.”
“What!” Brian exclaimed. “Frankie Smith was my client. Why am I just now hearing about this? Why is the FBI investigating this?”
Agent Ryan patiently waited for Brian to stop seething before he continued, “As I was saying, Kirk Mont and Frankie Smith were killed yesterday. Gregory, Brandon, and Kristopher were all assaulted by fellow inmates while in the yard as well, but the three of them managed to hold off their attackers together until the guards were able to break up the assault and get all three of them into isolated cells. They made off with some bruises, and Brandon walked away with a few broken bones. The inmates who attacked them are also claiming that an anonymous source had put a hit out within the prison on all five men. Basically, word spread fast, and soon a majority of the prisoners knew about the hit. It was only a matter of time before some of them acted on it.”
