"We found the proof, James," Megan quietly told him.
The young man looked up at her, a sad smile on his face and he nodded his head. Somehow, he had known they had discovered what he so desperately wanted. He figured Gwendolyn’s launch party would be his last job in the area. He would take the money and lie low for a while. As he stared at Megan, it became crystal clear to him what was going on tonight. Anger mounted.
"This whole party of Gwendolyn's was a set-up, wasn't it? She's not at all worried about being blackmailed. You're to blame for my fall aren't you, Megan?"
Megan understood at that exact moment that she had pushed him too far. James got a wicked grin on his face then, terrifying her, he pointed the knife in her direction, shaking it back and forth. Her life was in danger and she regretted putting herself in this position without back up once again.
"Why the worried look, Megan? Did you forget to tell somebody to have your back? Yes, your face gives you away. Nobody else knows you're in here, do they? I guess that puts me back in control."
James took a menacing step towards her. Megan looked over his shoulder towards the French doors and freedom. Through the reflection of the door, she watched in astonishment as first Barney and then Gypsy stood up from their beds and walked towards her.
She wasn't sure who moved first, James or Barney. But at the same moment James raised the knife over his head ready to strike, Barney lunged forward growling and barking. Barney reached James before the knife fell, and the man yelled out in pain.
The dog had taken him by such surprise that he stepped backwards, losing his balance. Arms flailing, he fell, going through the glass of the French doors that Megan had wanted to escape through a few seconds before. He lost his grip on the knife as he went down, but Barney did not lose his grip on James's upper leg. Struggling to get to his feet, he brushed the dog off him, and with a furious look at Megan, realized he was now out on the terrace. In seconds Gypsy was also attacking the man, and as he tried to fight off her fierce protectors, there came shouts from the other room where the party was going strong. The noise from the glass shattering had attracted the attention of the others. He needed to escape now or he never would. Shakily, he got to his feet and turned away from Megan, running out onto the lawn. The two dogs gave chase.
Megan followed, calling to the dogs, trying to stop them from following him and getting hurt. She didn't need to worry; the dogs were smarter than the man they were chasing. She watched as the dogs cornered James near the entry to the private park.
Suddenly there was a horrendous cry, followed by another. Megan turned in astonishment as the two male peacocks flew down from the wall where they had been sleeping and attacked their intruder. The two dogs stopped in their tracks, turned and walked back to Megan, acting as if this was their plan from the beginning.
She wasn't sure which were louder, the cries of the birds or the cries of the man trying to fight their attack. The peacocks were vicious and unrelenting as they took turns pecking at his arms and legs.
Behind her came the sound people rushing through the doors and then the outside lights flickered on. Everyone stood in astonishment at the sight before them. Megan felt someone pull her into their arms and looked up to see Aiden holding her close. He looked down at her, checking her meticulously to make sure she was unharmed, and then he turned also to watch the scene before them on the lawn.
It was Detective Carson that came to James’s rescue. With determined steps, he strode across the lawn. He yelled for the peacocks to leave, but they weren’t listening to a mere man. Finally, in frustration, he pulled his gun out of his holster, aimed, and shot over the wall into the woods behind the wall. The noise stopped the peacocks in their tracks. Opening their tails to their full glory, the two peacocks turned and walked away. That left James cowering by the wall with his hands raised to protect himself from the vicious pecking of the birds. He almost seemed grateful when Detective Carson placed the handcuffs on his wrist and led him off to a waiting police car.
As he walked the man to the front where the local Palm Beach police had arrived, he gave Megan a serious glance and she wondered if she was in trouble. With Sheriff Green, she could always tell, not so much with Detective Carson.
“Are you all right, Megan?”
The concerned voices of her friends brought her attention back to what was going on around her. Dropping to her knees, she hugged both dogs, accepting their sloppy kisses.
“Thanks to these two, I am. And your peacocks, Gwendolyn. They worked in tandem and it was wonderful.”
Aiden pulled her back to her feet, anger mixing with relief that she was okay.
“What were you thinking! I saw the knife he had, at the very least you could have been seriously hurt.”
“I’m fine. A little shaken, but I got his confession, Aiden. He killed Lisa.”
Realizing it was either kiss her or yell at her, Aiden choose the more pleasurable option. When they finished, he held her close.
“Let’s hope he confesses to the detective, too.”
“We’re covered, I got it all on tape.” She proudly announced and then had the grace to blush when he gave her a questioning glance.
“I borrowed a few things from your office. But Jake showed me how to use them, so his confession is recorded for the police and prosecution.” She heard him mumble something about his assistant and hurried to his defense. “Don’t be mad at Jake. I had already taken it when he showed me the proper way to use it. He understood I was taking it regardless of what he might say.”
Before he could answer, Charlotte and Adele were asking questions. Voices were rising as they tried to speak over each other, and the peacocks were crying out once again, angry at the continued disturbance of their previously peaceful evening. Gwendolyn decided it was time to get her party back under control, and urged her guests back into the main room, promising to explain all.
Chapter 26
Megan and Aiden made no effort to return into the house with the others, they were content to just sit on the lounger and hold hands. Kim and the Colonel were one of the last head back into the house and on impulse the younger girl turned to Megan and hugged her tightly.
"I can't thank you enough, Megan. Part of me is sorry that I'm not going to be staying in Citrus Beach. I think this time around you and I could be friends."
Megan returned the hug and, as she did, she whispered back to the reporter.
"Citrus Beach isn't all that far away, and you'll be back to visit your grandfather. Make sure when you do, you stop by to visit. We’ll make that friendship develop."
The Colonel also thanked her, kissing her on the cheek before he turned with Kim on one arm and Charlotte another and walked into the house. Adele was the last one standing there, and she gave Megan a word of advice as she walked by to join the others.
"I would suggest you make peace with Detective Carson as well, Megan. He's a good man to have on your side."
Through the open doors, they could hear the party getting back into the swing of things. Gwendolyn's voice loud above the others. They heard her call for attention, and then there was a hush in the room as she explained the tale of blackmail. When that was all finished, she presented her new book, pleased to have the proper one in focus.
"She will do something with that fake book with its vague and misleading passages. You wait and see, she'll make it into another bestseller." Megan grinned at Aiden, shrugging her shoulders.
He openly laughed, knowing Megan was right. Gwendolyn was indeed a savvy business person and knew how to promote herself well. By now all was quiet out in the lawn, the peacocks having gone back up to the wall and were now fast asleep. The two dogs sat between the couple, receiving Megan's occasional hugs. She knew too well that things might have ended different without the interference of her two pets. She considered Gypsy part of her family as well. After all the dog was with her as much as she was with Aiden and soon they would live together under one roof.
; "Are you two love birds going to sit out here all night? Or, are you going to come in and have some fun?" Charlotte poked her head back out the door, urging them to come and join the party.
Megan got to her feet, Aiden following her. For her, right now the sound of laughter and the closeness of friends was the best medicine for her raw nerves. She’d had quite a scare tonight and, even though she didn't want to admit it, she was still a little shaken. As they walked into the room, a round of applause broke out for Megan. Gwendolyn raised her glass of champagne, toasting her new friend. Laughing, Megan thanked everyone and accepted the glass of champagne thrust in her hands. She was uncomfortable being the center of attention and turned the tables on the author, asking how long it would be before tonight's adventure ended up in a book. That got everybody laughing, and the discussion returned to Gwendolyn's novels.
The couple wandered the room, talking to people here and there. Aiden didn’t let her out of sight for the rest of the evening. This time it had been a little too close and what made him mad was that he was within 50 feet of her and still she was in danger. A slight hush turned Megan’s attention. She felt uneasy as she watched Detective Carson walk into the room and look around at the guests in the room. He nodded in her direction and then looked for the Colonel. When he located the older man, the detective walked over to him and held out his hand. He apologized for putting the Colonel under such scrutiny and hoped the man would understand that he was only doing his job. The Colonel was gracious and shook the man's hand. Next to her Aiden mumbled the words politically correct, but he was pleased with the detective's action.
Then the detective turned his attention to Megan. He began to walk in her direction. But as he walked by a beautiful arrangement of mixed flowers, he stopped and pulled out a red rose. With a few more steps, he was standing in front of Megan and he held the rose out to her, giving a slight bow.
"Congratulations, Ms. Cassidy. You have an instinct for solving crimes and it paid off this time. However, I want you to understand I do not believe private citizens should be involved in police work."
"Thank you, Detective. I appreciate your feelings. I want you to know I will always do whatever I need to, whenever I need to when it comes to protecting those I love." She accepted the rose from the man.
"I will take that as fair warning."
"It's hardly relevant. You'll be returning to Palm Beach, and life will go back to normal in Citrus Beach," Megan answered him.
She couldn’t understand when the detective laughed at her words. Then he gave her the shock of her life.
"But that's where things are not normal. I’m staying in Citrus Beach. It seems Sheriff Green feels there's a need for a detective on his staff."
Megan's jaw dropped, and she stared at him in disbelief. The detective didn't wait for an answer. Instead he turned and walked back out the door. Megan watched him leave, wondering how the detective would ever fit into life in Citrus Beach.
“He’s a good man, Megan. And good at his job. Give him time to get used to the small-town ways of doing things. Someday the two of you might need to work together,” Adele whispered to her.
“Nope, I’m done with murders and criminals. I have something more important to think about – my wedding,"
But as the others laughed at her words, Megan and Aiden looked at each other and wondered…
Reader’s Mystery Challenge
Most of us that read mysteries try to figure out the ending before the author reveals it to us. That includes searching for clues which could be vital to the conclusion.
I had fun with five other authors while writing this book. We each supplied a clue. (Are they red herrings? You decide!) All five of us included the following items in each of our books:
1. Someone wears a bow tie
2. A bird swoops down and steals something
3. A rose
4. Reflection in glass or mirror
5. Chinese finger puzzle
There is no prize for finding all the clues, simply the satisfaction that you have the potential to be a great detective – even if it’s an arm-chair detective.
Happy clue hunting.
Megan’s Gardening Tips
Container Gardening
Megan’s gift to Lucy of the containers of flowers by the entry to her new shop was not only a gift of love, but a great marketing move.
Unique containers and a bright mix of flowers and foliage will grab the eye of a potential customer walking past. If the containers are planted appealingly, they will welcome the customer into showroom. With the proper scale, they will frame the entry, clearly marking the way inside.
One of the simplest ways to ensure a successfully planting is to select plants that like the same type of environment and require the same care. For example: shade-loving annuals mixed with foliage. Plants with low-water requirements planted together and delicate plants and flowers kept out of a windy location.
Once you determine the look you want, you can make your plant selections. Keep in mind that the space’s sunlight may change throughout the day, and from season to season. A bit of careful research will help you make the best selections for your planters.
Curious about the Author?
Be sure to visit my web site.
www.VictoriaLKWilliams.com
Using the contact page, sign up for random giveaways.
There you will find information about the next Citrus Beach Mystery. You can also find out about two other series that I write: Sister Station and Storm Voices.
You can also find direct links to Amazon to purchase my books and links to my two blogs: A Pen In Hand and Gossip From the Southern Garden.
Be sure to go to the contact me page and let me know what you thought of this book. I love to hear from my readers!
Author Web Site
Watch for the next Citrus Beach Mystery. Megan and Barney are at it again. An old-time mystery sure to have you guessing followed by the event we’ve all been waiting for. But only if the murderer can be caught.
Borrowed, Blue & Dead will be out this winter
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The Flapper Caper Page 16
