Stroke of Death
Page 17
“His conscience got the better of him, and he destroyed them,” Liz said. “It’s never nice to see art die like that, but they’d caused enough trouble, so it’s probably for the best. Did you decide what you were going to do with Katelyn’s dogs?”
“I’m going to keep them,” he exclaimed, his smile lifting again. “I must say, I’ve grown quite fond of them. I thought they would be nuisances, but I understand why Katelyn adored them so much. They’re such little characters. I’ve got too used to their nails scratching on the floorboards to not have them around now. It might be nice to have some company.”
“Until the right woman comes along.”
“Have you ever tried online dating?” he asked curiously, a brow arching. “I hear it’s all the rage these days. Swiping left and right, not that I understand it. Maybe I’ll give it a go and see who is out there?”
“Why not?” Liz said before pulling Christopher into a hug. “Think about it a little longer before you propose next time.”
“Deal.”
Christopher went to leave the shop but stopped in his tracks. He pulled a sheet of paper from his inside pocket as he turned around, a curious look on his face.
“I almost forgot,” he said as he unfolded the paper. “I don’t suppose it matters very much, but I checked those online ancestry records. Based on what you told me about your family, I managed to go quite far back. Look who I found.”
Christopher handed over a black and white family tree, which started with Liz at the bottom and branched up to dozens of names. One of the names three rows above hers had been circled multiple times in red pen.
“Murphy Jones?” Liz whispered as she squinted at the information written underneath it. “Born 1884 and died in 1963. Is this –”
“The famous artist,” Christopher said with a pleased smile. “He’s your great-great-uncle on your father’s side. It turns out you have serious talent running through those fingers of yours.”
Liz tried to hand the paper back to Christopher, but he insisted she keep it. When he left the shop, she stared at the circled name for minutes before chuckling and tucking it away in her pocket.
“Murphy Jones,” Liz whispered as she locked up the shop. “I’m related to the Murphy Jones.”
After grabbing the biggest bouquet of flowers that the corner shop sold, she set off to the farm to thank them for letting her stay. She was greeted by Sandra, who adored the blooms and claimed not to remember the last time she had been bought flowers, even though John insisted it had only been on her birthday four months ago. When they told her Simon was in the sitting room, she walked through on her own, stopping in her tracks when she saw Nancy by the fire.
“Hello, stranger,” Nancy said uncertainly. “How’s the murderer hunting going?”
“Retired,” Liz said with a chuckle as she walked cautiously into the sitting room. “Oh, I’ve missed you, Nancy.”
“I’ve missed you too!” Nancy cried, jumping up and throwing her arms around Liz as she had on the first day they had met. “Being mad at you was eating away at me. I get it. Who would have thought Debbie Downer would be behind that whole thing? And the body in the chest? They’re saying she did that months ago, and he’s been sitting there. I don’t even want to think about it.”
“Images like that stay with you,” Simon said as he stared blankly into the fire. “Forever, I imagine.”
“I should go,” Nancy said, already standing up. “I wanted to stop by to share my good news.”
“Good news?” Liz echoed. “What’s happened?”
Nancy looped her hand around Liz’s before leading her out of the sitting room, through the kitchen, and into the tiny stone vestibule. She flicked on the exposed light bulb above them before picking up a canvas that was leaning against the wall; Liz had walked right by it not noticing it.
“‘Lovers Lost’ found again,” Nancy said as she turned the painting of Lewis around, the tear no longer there. “I found this at the gallery this morning in the storeroom. It seems Catherine wasn’t all bad. She did quite a good job on the repair, don’t you think?”
Liz ran her finger along the seam, which now looked like nothing more than a faint scar on the canvas. It took all her energy not to well up.
“It’s perfect,” she said, her fingers wrapping around the frame. “Thank you for finding this.”
“Ah, ah, ah!” Nancy said, pulling the canvas away. “You can’t have it back. Not quite yet, at least. But you’ll still be able to see it.”
“What do you mean?”
“I’m putting it on display,” Nancy said through a badly concealed grin. “You’re looking at the new manager of the gallery! The owner rang me this morning. Apparently, they want to go in a younger and fresher direction after their last two managers were murdered.”
“That’s amazing!” Liz exclaimed. “Well, not about the murders, but about the promotion! I’m so proud of you.”
“And they’re doubling my salary,” she said with a girlish squeak. “My first act as manager is to get rid of those stuffy paintings that no one has wanted to see for the last century, and replace them with newer, more modern local art.”
“They couldn’t have picked a better person for the job.”
“I know,” Nancy said with a wink. “I’m going to rule that place fairly, and if the power ever gets to my head, you have permission to slap me. Promise not to go too far and put me on display because between you and me, I’m a tiny bit worried that the job title might be a little cursed.”
“You and curses!” Liz chuckled. “You have nothing to worry about. The curse has been lifted, and Debbie is well and truly behind bars. And I promise, not only to keep you in check but to be a better friend. Detective Liz might have taken over, and pushed Scarlet Cove Liz out of the way for a little bit.”
After one last hug, Nancy left with the painting, leaving Liz to walk back into the kitchen where Simon was waiting for her. She melted into his side, glad to be back to normal again with nothing more than her shop, her painting, and her boyfriend on the horizon.
“I’ll miss having you around every day,” Simon said as they watched the sunset through the kitchen window.
“Let’s say it was a trial.”
“How did it go?”
“Well, I don’t want to cancel my membership yet,” Liz said, resting her hand on Simon’s chest. “Who knows? I may even buy the full subscription one day.”
“The subscription comes with two conditions.”
“Oh?”
“Condition one,” Simon started. “No more investigating.”
“Deal,” Liz said, her fingers crossed behind his back. “And the second?”
“Don’t ever try to bake cookies again,” he said. “Please.”
Liz uncrossed her fingers; that was a promise she could keep.
“Deal.”
“Perfect,” Simon said, resting his head on hers as the orangey sun bled into an inky horizon. “And maybe next time I ask the first question, you won’t cross your fingers behind my back.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Sure,” he whispered before kissing her on the head. “Why don’t we continue the trial for one night, but this time in my cottage?”
“The neighbours will talk,” she replied with a playful grin. “It will be quite the local scandal.”
“Let them talk,” Simon said before cupping her face to kiss her passionately. “But first, the chickens need feeding.”
“Lead the way, farm boy!”
Liz followed Simon out of the farmhouse towards the chicken enclosure. She watched from the side as he scattered feed into the flock of birds. Looking back at the small town on the coast as the last of the sun triggered the streetlamps, she thought about how she could get quite used to this life.
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THANK YOU FOR READING!
We had a great time taking you all back to Scarlet Cove, and we hope you enjoyed reading it as much as we enjoyed writing it! If you did enjoy the book, please consider writing a review. We appreciate any feedback, no matter how long or short. It’s a great way of letting other cozy mystery fans know what you thought about the book. Being independent authors means this is our livelihood, and every review really does make a huge difference. Reviews are the best way to support us so we can continue doing what we love, which is bringing you, the readers, more fun cozy adventures! Thank you for spending time in Scarlet Cove, and I hope to see you again soon!
Liz and friends will back back for a fourth Scarlet Cove book soon! Sign up to Agatha and Evelyn’s newsletters below to find out FIRST:
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Also by Agatha Frost and Evelyn Amber
The Scarlet Cove Seaside Series (Agatha and Evelyn)
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Castle on the Hill (Book 2) - OUT NOW
Stroke of Death (Book 3) - OUT NOW
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Lemonade and Lies (Book 2) - OUT NOW
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Cupcakes and Casualties (Book 11) - COMING SOON
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