“I’ll bet,” Max replied. “I’m glad things worked out.”
“So am I.”
He held his pointer finger up. “Although, I have to say, a nightmare scenario like this is exactly why I tried to convince you to stay out of the investigation in the first place.”
“I realize that. Which is why I’ll be more careful next time.”
His forehead wrinkled. “I’m sorry. Did you just say, next time?”
I bit the corner of my lip. “It was a figure of speech.”
“Technically, yes. But was there also some truth to it?” Max asked. “Please tell me you aren’t going to investigate any other murders on your own.”
“Like I said before, it was just a figure of speech. I don’t want to get too far ahead of myself. Right now, I just want to appreciate the fact that I’m still alive.”
“Fair enough.” He took a deep breath and then continued, “I’ll tell you what. Since you have been through so much tonight, how about I just take your official statement tomorrow?”
“That works for me.”
“Good. Anyway, I should probably head back into the interrogation room. I have a lot of questions for Denise.”
I put my hand up. “Before you go, I just want you to know that I’m not going to press charges against her for holding me at gunpoint.”
His brow furrowed. “You aren’t?”
I shook my head. “No. I just want to put this all behind me.”
“Are you sure you don’t want to sleep on your decision and get back to me in the morning?”
“My mind is made up. About pressing charges…and her self-defense story.”
His eyes widened. “Really?”
“You heard the same story I did. Do you think she was making all that up?”
“Honestly, I’m not quite sure what to think right now,” he said. “Since you are convinced, though, what makes you so certain that she was telling the truth?”
“You didn’t get to see the look in her eyes when she was telling me what happened. She was baring her soul to me.”
“I’ll keep that in mind when I talk to district attorney.”
“Please do.”
“Anyway, I have a long night ahead of me. Take care of yourself, all right?”
I nodded. “I’ll try.”
Chapter Eight
When I was done speaking with Detective Campbell, I immediately called my husband. Not surprisingly, the moment I told David what had taken place that evening, he dropped what he was doing and jumped into his car. So much for a relaxing weekend with his friends. He was determined to bolt back to Treasure Cove to comfort me.
While I didn’t try to dissuade him from doing so, I did give him a word of caution. It was important for him to be careful on the road. I needed him to arrive back here in one piece. If he was in such a hurry that he got into an accident, it would be devastating to me.
Much to my relief, David vowed to drive safely.
A few hours later, my husband arrived home. The minute I opened the front door of our house, he leaned forward and wrapped his arms around me.
“I’m so happy you’re alive,” he said.
David’s voice cracked as he spoke. That might not seem like a noteworthy detail, but it absolutely was. Especially since he was typically very skilled at keeping a lid on his feelings. At that moment, however, restraint was nowhere to be found.
That was fine by me. It was actually quite refreshing to see his emotions so raw. Mostly because it was more apparent than ever how much he loved me.
There was nothing quite like a near-death experience to wipe away all forms of subtext.
“It’s such a relief to be standing here in one piece,” I said.
“I love you so much,” he said.
“I love you too.” I took a breath before continuing. “You know, when that gun was pointed at me and my life was flashing before my eyes, I realized that almost all of my best memories involved you.”
“I can say for a fact that the best memories of my life involve you as well. And now that this is over, I want to keep building on those memories.”
“So do I, but I can’t think about the future quite yet. Not after what just happened. I mean, if I’m being completely honest, I really thought I was a goner back there. Things got really dicey.”
He grimaced. “I don’t know what I’d do if I lost you.”
I exhaled. “Thankfully, you don’t have to find out.”
“Not tonight, at least.”
He took a deep breath. “Not for a long time, I hope.”
“I’m going to pray that you’re right,” I said. “Although, if tonight has taught me anything, it is that there’s no telling what the future has in store for any of us.”
“I don’t disagree. But the universe clearly still has plans for you. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be alive and talking to me right now.”
“That’s so true. I hope those plans are peaceful.”
“I’ll pray that they are.”
“I’ll do the same. Especially since I have proof that God is listening.”
“Did you ever doubt that he was?”
I shook my head. “No. It’s more that tonight was just another reminder why you should never stop praying. Because you never know which one of your prayers might be granted.”
“I couldn’t agree more.”
David then pulled me in tighter and gave me a kiss.
Chapter Nine
Three Months Later
Much to my delight, the last ninety days had been very good to me. While a few crimes had occurred in Treasure Cove, none of them were violent in nature. Instead, they were all misdemeanors. That was a welcome change. Especially given how many murders had taken place in the past. Every night before I went to bed, I prayed that things would remain calm and peaceful in my hometown.
Meanwhile, on a personal note, my relationship with David was better than ever. He had become more expressive about his emotions. He viewed our time together as precious. And he always looked forward to spending as much time with me as possible.
On the flip side, with everything that was going right in my life, I was not completely free of anxiety. Then again, how could I be with the Joe Carlisle murder trial taking place?
In truth, the events that were unfolding in the Treasure Cove courthouse didn’t make a lick of sense to me. I honestly believed that the police would buy her story. That the district attorney would set her free rather than charge her with murder. I ended up being dead wrong.
Instead of ruling that Denise had killed Joe in self-defense, the district attorney elected to prosecute her. The charge was second-degree murder. When I heard that Denise was going to be put on trial, I couldn’t believe my ears.
Talk about a nightmare scenario. Instead of Denise being released from jail, there was a chance that she could spend the rest of her life behind bars.
Ultimately, Denise’s fate rested in the hands of twelve jurors. I couldn’t imagine the emotions that Denise was wrestling with as the jury reached a final decision.
In addition, if Denise wasn’t anxious enough already, the jurors weren’t able to come to a consensus until the second day of deliberating.
Finally, on a Friday afternoon, the verdict was ready to be read.
As Denise fidgeted uncomfortably in her chair in the courtroom, David and I sat on the couch in my living room and watched the action unfold on television.
My knee began to bounce as my nerves got the best of me. “So, this is it,” I said.
David nodded. “Yeah. The moment of truth.”
“What do you think the verdict will be?”
David shrugged. “Honestly, I’m not sure.”
I winced. “I was afraid you were going to say that.”
“How about you? Your instincts are usually really spot-on. What are they telling you right now?”
“Not a whole lot,” I said. “Besides, I’m not sure that I can trust my instincts about this cas
e, anyway. After all, I thought for sure that Denise wouldn’t be charged with murder.”
David took my hand. “Let’s just hope for the best.”
“I am. Although, praying can’t hurt either.”
“Trust me. I’ve done plenty of that.”
“So have I.”
Just as I was about to continue talking, David pointed at the television screen where Judge Harry Coleman stared at the jury foreman, Frank Musgrave.
Suddenly, the moment of truth was upon us. With that, David and I gave the TV our undivided attention.
We watched intently as the judge opened his mouth.
“Have you reached a verdict?” Harry asked.
Frank nodded. “We have, your honor.”
“What say you?”
The TV then started showing a split-screen. On one half of the screen was the shot of the jury foreman. Meanwhile, on the other half of the screen, was a shot of Denise looking as tense as ever.
Even though I was trying to keep my emotions in check, my palms began to sweat. Due to the stress of the situation, the next few moments seemed to go by in slow motion.
I said a quick little prayer as Frank opened his mouth to read the verdict.
“On the charge of murder in the second degree, we, the jury, find the defendant…not guilty,” Frank said.
The TV camera zoomed in tight on Denise’s face as she reacted to the news. At first, she was in complete disbelief. In fact, she was so stunned that her jaw practically hit the floor.
After a few seconds of stunned silence, she broke into tears of joy.
She wasn’t the only one who was overcome with emotions.
A wave of relief washed over me as well. Thankfully, this case was finally over.
And none too soon.
Chapter Ten
A few days later, I was baking some apple cobbler in the kitchen when my doorbell rang. I dropped what I was doing and headed to the door. Since I was expecting a package delivery that day, I opened the door without looking out the window.
Much to my surprise, it wasn’t a deliveryman at my door. Instead, Denise Carlisle was standing on my porch.
Unexpectedly, my muscles tensed up. It was probably out of reflex, more than anything. Then again, after everything I had been through, I couldn’t be blamed for being a little skittish.
My eyes widened as I opened my mouth. “Denise. What are you doing here?”
“I just came here to tell you something important,” Denise said.
Even though I tried to loosen up, my muscles refused to comply. “What is it?”
Denise took one look at my body language and became distraught. “It just occurred to me. I probably should have called first before showing up at your door out of the blue.”
“You didn’t know that I would have this kind of a visceral reaction,” I said. “And neither did I. Trust me, I am just as surprised as you are right now.”
Denise grimaced. “This is all my fault.” She wiped her forehead.
My nose scrunched. “You know what? I’d prefer not to talk about the past.”
She bit the corner of her lip before replying, “Oh. Okay.”
“Instead, let’s focus on the present. For instance, the fact that you are a free woman.”
Denise nodded. “It’s amazing to think that it’s finally over. I mean, I have spent every waking moment over the last few months focusing on the trial. But now that’s behind me.”
“It sure is. I guess the question now becomes, what are you going to do with your newfound freedom?”
“It’s funny that you brought that up.”
My forehead wrinkled. “Why?”
“Because that’s actually why I’m here.”
I squinted. “What are you talking about?”
“I came over here today to try to make amends,” Denise said. “I owe you a huge apology.”
Denise looked like she had more to say to me, but she was having difficulty getting the words out.
I decided to give her a few moments to untie her tongue.
A few seconds later, she continued. “I’m so sorry about holding you at gunpoint. And for traumatizing you. I should have handled that situation so much differently.”
“I can’t disagree with that,” I said.
“Anyway, I don’t expect you to forgive me, but I just want you to know that I do regret my actions.”
I looked deep into Denise’s eyes. It quickly became apparent that her apology was heartfelt. As a matter of fact, there was no doubt in my mind that her words were completely genuine.
While I worked out how I wanted to respond to her, Denise became uncomfortable with the silence that had taken hold of the conversation. She began running her hands through her hair nervously as I opened my mouth.
“I forgive you,” I said.
Her eyes widened. “You…you do?”
I nodded. “It took a lot of courage for you to come over here and apologize to me.”
“It sure did. Especially since I didn’t know how you’d react. But I decided to muster all the courage I had inside me because I knew that you deserved an apology.”
“I can’t argue with that.”
“Forget about arguing. Instead, please let me know if there’s anything I can do to make this up to you.”
I held my pointer finger up. “Since you mentioned it, one thing does come to mind.”
“Name it,” Denise said.
“Promise me you’ll stay out of trouble.”
“Oh, I will. Going forward, my goal is to avoid danger at all costs.”
Relief washed over me. “You don’t know how happy I am to hear that.”
Denise’s nose crinkled. “Other than avoiding danger, is there anything else I can do for you?”
“Trust me,” I said. “A little bit of peace of mind goes a long way.”
The End.
Chocolate Brownies with a Side of Murder
Chapter One
“I need a day off,” I said.
“Take one then. You’ve certainly earned the right to relax,” David said. “Besides, your staff at the coffee shop knows what they are doing. Daley Buzz won’t fall apart if you skip work for one day.”
“I can’t disagree with that—”
“It’s settled then. Kick up your feet. You’re not going into work this morning.”
I smiled. “Look at you, making an executive decision.”
“Normally, I don’t like to speak for you, but you do have a tendency to overwork yourself. That’s why I believe that a little rest can go a long way.”
“Typically, I’d agree with you,” I said. “But it isn’t just work that has been exhausting me lately. It’s life.”
David took a deep breath. “I know what you mean.”
“What I really want is for the entire world to calm down.”
“That would certainly be nice.”
“The problem is, I have no control over that.”
“Neither do I,” he said.
“The universe doesn’t ask for our input before hurling a crazy twist our way. And there have been all kinds of curveballs thrown in our direction lately.”
Of all the developments that had taken place in Treasure Cove recently, the one that was weighing on my thoughts the most was the last case that I investigated. Mostly because the truth was far different than I ever expected.
On the surface, it seemed like Joe Carlisle had died at the hands of a murderer. In reality, Joe’s killer, Denise Carlisle, never intended to take his life. Instead, she had acted in self-defense.
Unfortunately, the district attorney did not believe Denise’s story. So, instead of letting her go free, the top prosecutor in town charged Denise with second-degree murder. Thankfully, the jury believed Denise’s story and acquitted her.
While I felt relieved that the case was finally over, it was scary to think that things could have turned out much differently. In addition, both the investigation and the trial had been such na
il-biting experiences that I felt absolutely drained.
That wasn’t all. If I lived in a different town, maybe I would believe that the Carlisle trial was a rare exception. That life would slowly but surely go back to normal. However, as a lifelong resident of Treasure Cove, I knew that bizarre things seemed to take place in my hometown on a regular basis. It should come as no surprise then that instead of asking if something wild would ever happen again, I began to wonder how long I could go before the rug was pulled out from under me once more.
As I stared into David’s eyes, I let my worries spill out. “As you know, our wacky little hometown has a knack for turning our lives upside down.”
He chuckled. “What a unique way of putting it.”
I threw my arms out. “What can I say? Ordinary descriptions don’t apply to a town as extraordinary as this.”
“You aren’t kidding,” he said. “I do ask myself sometimes if things will ever quiet down around here.”
“Are you sure you want me to answer that question?”
“Maybe not.”
“We can certainly pray for normalcy to return to our lives. Although, over the last few years, I’ve been praying for peace every single night and I don’t have much to show for it.”
He exhaled. “I know what you mean. Which is all the more reason to appreciate this moment of serenity while it lasts.”
“Here’s hoping that it will continue longer than just a moment.”
“You’re right.” He turned to the door. “Anyway, as much as I wish I could stay here with you, I need to be getting to work.”
“I understand. Stay safe out there.”
“That’s the plan. In all honesty, I’m hoping for a really slow day at the office.”
“Fingers crossed.”
David leaned in and gave me a kiss. “Love you.”
“I love you too,” I said.
Chapter Two
Taking a day off was a good idea. At least in concept. In practice, things didn’t work out quite as planned. Of course, some of that was my own fault. I was so used to keeping busy that staring down an entire day with no plans was completely foreign to me.
Sabrina Carlson Cozy Mystery Anthology Page 12
