A Scent of Mystery (A Luke and Bandit cozy mystery Book 2)

by Paul Regnier

  “I can’t believe it.” Kenny took quick breaths. “You know, I saw this old path leading away from the main road. It was all overgrown, and the entrance was covered with bushes so you couldn’t see it, but I followed it just in case and, bam! There it was.”

  “This is huge. This is so huge.”

  “Yeah. What should we do? Call the cops, right?”

  “Yes, of course. I’ll call Brooke and ... wait a minute.” I paused. Bandit’s chihuahua story came rushing back to me. Suddenly the trick he played on Sugar Pop didn’t seem so unrelated. It was something I could actually use to catch the killer.

  Kenny turned to me. “What? What are you doing?” His brow furrowed. “You’re thinking of something stupid aren’t you? Something dangerous.”

  “Not necessarily.”

  “Oh, really?”

  I grinned at him. “I’ve got an idea that will not only deliver this car to the police but will bring the killer right to us.”

  “Right to us? I don’t want the killer coming anywhere near me.”

  “Trust me. This way he’ll reveal himself. Or herself.”

  “It’s not Ellie. Don’t trick her into something.”

  I looked toward the drone. “How long do you think it would take to hike over there?”

  “It would take forever from here. But if you go back to Aspen Drive near the cabin, it’s not that far. It looks like it’s only a few miles away from there.”

  “Is there a good place to stash your car nearby?”

  “First of all, I’m not stashing my car anywhere. We’ll go get your car and then you can do this crazy plan or yours.”

  “That doesn’t sound very Matrix-y of you? Would Neo wimp out?”

  “Nice try. We’re getting your car first.”

  “Fine. It’ll give me time to set my plan in motion.”

  Kenny nodded and pulled back the control stick. The drone headed toward us like a grey bird on a dive bombing mission. While Kenny retrieved his drone, I gave Bandit another handful of water.

  I smiled at him as he lapped it up. I think you just may have done it, Bandit.

  He stopped lapping and looked at me with his big blue and green eyes. Drops of water dripped from his chin. What? What’d I do? I only chewed Kenny’s car a little bit. Barely even left a mark.

  No. What? Bandit, I told you, no chewing. Anyways, I’m not talking about that. I’m talking about that trick you played on Sugar Pop, that little chihuahua. You gave me a great idea.

  Oh, that. Bandit lapped at the water again. I told you it was a good story.

  Kenny packed up his drone, and we got in the car and drove back to Aspen Drive.

  Once we reached the area where Kenny estimated the path branched off the main road, we slowed to a snail’s pace. It took a few minutes of searching, but he finally spotted it.

  “There.” He pointed out the window. “See it.”

  The faintest hints of a turnout path just showed under a bunch of dry brush. Upon closer inspection, the brush looked unnatural, like someone had put it there to cover up the path.

  “You seeing what I’m seeing?” I asked.

  “Yep,” Kenny said. “Someone’s covering their tracks. The Turner cabin’s about a mile ahead. He could’ve easily come this way right after the murder.”

  “Or she,” I said.

  “It’s not Ellie.”

  “Could be Vicki or Carol. Either way, we’re right on the brink of something. I can feel it.”

  Kenny craned his neck behind us. “Let’s just hope they’re not somewhere nearby. If they see us, they’ll know we’re onto something. Then we’re in trouble.”

  Bandit growled. Let them come. I’m ready.

  “Bandit’s growling.” Kenny glanced nervously in every direction. “That’s a bad sign. He growls when there’s danger nearby, right?”

  “No, he’s growling because you’re making him nervous.”

  I reached back and patted Bandit. No more growling. You’re freaking Kenny out.

  He’s freaking me out.

  “Should we go get your Mustang?” Kenny said.

  “I’ve got a better idea. Go to the police station and wait for my call. When I call, get Brooke, and tell her it’s an emergency. Bring her back here as fast as you can.”

  He narrowed his eyes. “Are you insane? What are you gonna do?”

  “Don’t worry, I got this. Here, I’ll give you a sneak preview.” I got out my phone, set it to speakerphone, and dialed the hardware store. “I’m calling Carol. This will start the ball rolling.”

  “What ball?”

  I put my index finger to my lips.

  “Tom’s hardware store.” Carol’s voice crackled through my phone. “Carol speaking.”

  “Carol. Hi. Luke Cooper here.”

  “Hey Luke. I’m pretty busy at the moment. Can I call you back?”

  A loud clanging sound echoed in the background.

  “Heavens, Larry! Can’t you hold a box? What’d you break this time?” She sighed. “Can you make it quick, Luke? I gotta go.”

  “Yes,” I said. “I just have one quick question. It turns out Jimmy Bosko was directly involved in the gemstone theft. And it looks like he wasn’t the only one. Apparently, he had a partner.”

  She paused for a moment. “Is that right?”

  “Yes. I know you didn’t know him very well, so this is probably a long shot, but we found a cryptic message Jimmy left for a friend and we’re trying to figure it out. He said he had the trick box safe in his trunk. Do you know what he’s talking about?”

  “The trick box is safe in his trunk? What's that supposed to mean?”

  “That’s what we’re trying to figure out,” I said. “Before I turn the message over to the police I wanted to call around, see if I could make more sense of it.”

  “Well, I couldn’t tell ya,” Carol said. “Maybe it’s one of his magic tricks. Don’t really know. Is that all? I need to get moving on this rush order.”

  “Yes, thanks for your time.”

  The phone clicked off.

  “Well, that was pointless,” Kenny said.

  “Not at all,” I said. “The first domino has been tipped.”

  Kenny shook his head. “Whatever, man.”

  I got out of the car and opened the back door to retrieve Bandit.

  He sat at attention, panting happily. Whatever we’re doing, it sounds exciting. Are we chasing down bad guys?

  Sort of. It’s more like setting a trap.

  Fun. Then I bite them, right?

  Not now. Maybe later.

  “You sure about this?” Kenny said. “There’s probably a thousand safer ways to do this than whatever cockamamie plan you’ve cobbled together in your head.”

  I let Bandit out of the car. “Gotta strike while the iron’s hot. If we give the killers too much time, they’ll hide all the evidence. This is our chance to hit them early before they’re expecting it.”

  Kenny shook his head. “If you say so. I’ll go to the station. Be careful.”

  Bandit barked at Kenny. You’re not coming? You’ll miss all the fun.

  “You be careful too, Bandit,” Kenny said.

  Bandit shook himself. Never!

  Kenny turned his silver Caddy around and headed back into town with a wave. I weaved around the dry brush and found the path on the other side. The telltale signs of tire tracks marked the dirt.

  Bandit looked up at me. What now?

  “Time to set the trap for all the suspects. Remember what you did with Sugar Pop?”

  He growled. How could I forget?

  I pulled out my phone and made a call to Ellie Greyson. “Hi Ellie, this is Luke Cooper.”

  “Hi.” Her voice was flat. “Listen, this really isn’t a good time so–”

  “I understand. I just have one last question for an article I’m writing about recent events, then I won’t bother you anymore. I promise. Okay?”

  She sighed. “Go ahead.”

 
; “Jimmy left a cryptic message for a friend and I’m hoping you might know what it means.”

  “What’s the message?”

  “He said not to worry because he’s got the trick box safe in the trunk. Any idea what he’s talking about?”

  “Hm.” She waited a moment. “Not really. Maybe it was about his act. Who was this friend?”

  “I’m not at liberty to say at the moment. I’m just trying to understand the message.”

  “Well, who knows? Everything he uses in that act is ‘mystery this’ and ‘trick that’ and on and on. I really couldn’t tell you.”

  “That’s fine. I was hoping to shed some more light on the message before I share it with the police. Thanks for your time.”

  “Sure.” She ended the call.

  I made similar calls to Vicki, her Uncle Jacob, and Graham Sullivan. Unfortunately, every one of them seemed confused by the term “trick box.” These were the words I’d overheard Jimmy using on the phone. I felt sure it was his hiding place for the hidden gemstones, but no one seemed thrown by the reference. Whoever had been on the other end of the phone line with Jimmy should’ve reacted. Either the killer was cool under pressure and a good actor, or I had this entire thing wrong. I started to doubt my whole plan.

  Kenny was long gone. I was out here on my own with Bandit. There was nothing left to do but move forward with the scheme and hope I’d got it right after all.

  “Okay.” I patted Bandit on the side. “All done with the calls.”

  Finally. Bandit looked up at me. That took forever. I thought we were gonna go catch the bad guy.

  “That’s the plan ... I hope.” I led Bandit down the path toward the stashed car.

  Five minutes of walking brought us to an unusually dense mound of branches piled up against a sparse grouping of fir trees.

  Bandit let out a soft woof. That’s not natural. Obviously, a human made that.

  I nodded. A rising apprehension left me silent as we neared the odd sight.

  The firs helped to shroud the pile of branches in shadows, but at this close vantage point it was easy to see what lay underneath. The unmistakable shape of Jimmy’s blue Subaru sedan peeked out between the gaps in the branches. Seeing the car from the safety of a drone video feed was one thing. Standing a few feet from it sent a nervous chill through me.

  Bandit tilted his head. Why is there a car under there?

  “The killer did this.” My voice was uneven. “To hide the evidence.”

  He plodded closer to the car and sniffed the air. There’s a body in there. Cold.

  I winced and took a step back. “That’s all I need to know. No need for an up-close viewing. Come on, let’s find a good place to hide.”

  He looked up at me. Who are we hiding from?

  “The killer. They should be here soon.”

  He growled. Good, let’s get ‘em. Time for some K-9 justice.

  “No. They might be armed. We’ll find a good spot to hide, and when they show up, I’ll call Kenny and he’ll bring the cops.”

  And while we’re waiting for the cops, we charge the killer and attack them. We’ll do it together. Like a wolf pack.

  “No. No charging. No attacking. We stay hidden and I capture them on video returning to the scene of their crime. Only the real killer knows where this car is. So, whoever shows up here is guilty.”

  Bandit cocked his head. So, the killer shows up and we just sit here? We don’t try to stop them?

  “Bandit, they might have a gun. I don’t want to get shot, do you?”

  They’ll never hit me. I’m too fast.

  “You’re fast, bullets are faster. Trust me, we stay hidden and wait for the cops, okay?”

  Bandit looked away. Weak. How can you expect me to just sit here and do nothing?

  “Because I don’t want you to get hurt. Or me, for that matter. You have to trust me. This is the best thing we can do right now.”

  He looked back toward the path. I don’t know. I feel very strongly that I should give the killer deep bite marks.

  “How about this. When Brooke shows up to arrest them, as soon as the handcuffs are on, you can bite away.”

  I suppose. Seems way less fun though. Hey, do you hear that?

  A rush of anxiety flared beneath my skin. I scanned the area around us but saw nothing unusual. “What? I don’t hear anything.”

  That sound. Some kind of motor. It’s coming toward us.

  Chapter 16

  It took a few more seconds until I could hear what Bandit was talking about. A high pitched motor sounded in the distance. At first, I thought it was a chain saw. But as the noise grew, I could tell it was a motorcycle approaching.

  “Hurry, let’s get out of sight.” I scrambled toward the nearby trees, mentally kicking myself for not immediately scoping out a good hiding spot, but I hadn’t expected anyone to arrive so soon.

  I pulled out my cellphone to call Kenny and bring the cavalry. That’s when I noticed the “No Signal” message on my phone.

  “Oh no.” I held my phone higher as I moved deeper into the fir trees, looking for a good spot to hide.

  Bandit let out a soft woof. What?

  “I’ve got no signal out here. I can’t call Kenny.”

  So, then we go back to my plan, right? Attack the killer together like a wolf pack.

  “No. Bandit, don’t even think about it. I can still capture incriminating video.”

  There was a fallen tree ahead that offered a good emergency hiding spot. I’d have to crouch down low to avoid being seen but it would do the job. If I’d had more time, I probably could’ve found a better location, but the motorcycle sounded as though it would arrive any second.

  Even without a phone signal, I had to at least try. My fingers worked with nervous adrenaline to type out a text to Kenny.

  I hit the send icon and prayed that somehow it would go through.

  I ducked behind the fallen tree and pulled Bandit close. “Stay down,” I whispered. “And please don’t bark. We have to stay quiet.”

  Bandit whined. But I’m so amped up. I feel like I could fight a bear right now.

  “Bandit, please,” I hissed. “Stay still. No noise.”

  I peered over the top of the tree trunk just in time to see the motorcycle roll into view. It was a green dirt bike and the rider wore a black helmet. The bike stopped behind the car, just out of sight. A few thick firs in front of me obscured my view. I scooted further out to get a better angle, trying my best not to make a sound.

  Along with the trees, the car and the branches covering it blocked my line of sight. The figure was just a blurry shadow moving behind the car. The rider stepped off the bike and propped it up with the kickstand. I gritted my teeth, angry at my lack of foresight. I should have scouted out a better hiding spot with a clear view. I consoled myself with the fact that my plan had worked. Whoever this was had come here in search of the trick box. My list of suspects was right. One of the people I called was in league with Jimmy in the gemstone theft, and ended up killing him shortly thereafter.

  What’s going on? Bandit nudged me with his nose. I can’t see anything. I’m gonna sneak closer and see who this is.

  No. Bandit, don’t move. I flashed stern eyes at him. This person is dangerous. They’ve already killed someone.

  Bandit took a few careful steps forward. I’m quiet like a wolf. They’ll never hear me.

  I put out my hand to stop him. Bandit, listen to me. I need you to stay put. We can’t take any chances.

  He sat, his nose twitching like he smelled something rotten. Boring. How long do I have to wait? I have an overwhelming urge to stalk this creep.

  Not now. We need to sit tight, okay? Please?

  Bandit lay down, resting his head on his paws. Okay, but this is weak. This is what gophers do, not wolves. I want to be a wolf, don’t you?

  I’d like to get out of here still breathing. How about that?

  Sounds like something a gopher would say.

&nb
sp; Branches flew off the back of the car. The shadowy figure quickly cleared the brush off the trunk.

  I tapped on the video function of my phone and carefully aimed it toward the car. I activated the red button, and it started recording. Unfortunately, it wasn’t much of a shot. Thick fir trees were spaced directly ahead, blocking my view. I was starting to think I’d picked the worst possible hiding place for a clear visual. Although, on the plus side, that meant I was pretty well hidden from the killer.

  I moved sideways a little, trying my best to get a decent shot. The fallen tree that acted as my hiding place grew thinner and offered less cover the further I moved, but I couldn’t miss this chance. My hope was, I’d eventually get an angle where the killer would step into the video recording or say something aloud that implicated them in the murder. It was a long shot but it was all I had.

  Bandit crept up beside me. What’s going on? I still can’t see anything.

  Bandit, stay still. They might be armed.

  Bandit edged forward and bowed his head toward a gap beneath the tree. Okay, I can see a little better. Still not great though. What’re they doing?

  The killer is falling for my trap. They think the gems are in the trunk.

  But they’re not, right?

  Right.

  So, what happens when they can’t find the gems and realize you tricked them?

  I paused. In my rush to trick the killer, I hadn’t thought about the repercussions. Um. I’m not sure.

  I’m guessing they won’t be too happy with you.

  A shiver went through me. Nope. Not happy at all.

  After several moments, the back half of the car was clear of branches. The figure was partially visible on the video of my phone but still not clear enough to make out any distinguishing features.

  Bandit sniffed at the air. It’s a man.

  Really? I looked at him. You’re sure?

  A dog’s nose never lies.

  The figure struggled with the car trunk and cursed when it wouldn’t open. It was a man’s voice. That confirmed Bandit’s amazing sense of smell. Immediately my list of suspects narrowed. That meant that less than twenty yards away from me stood Graham Sullivan or Jacob Hammond. I imagined a look of relief washing over Kenny’s face when he found out that Ellie was innocent.