Hot Stones & Homicides (A Cozy Spa Mystery Book 2)

by Jenn Cowan

  A low growl comes from the other end of the phone. “Make up something or you and your best friend are dead.” The line goes dead, but not before I hear something familiar.

  I take the phone away from my ear and glance down the street where Scott had stormed off. Had he called to threaten me? Or was it Ryder? I look around at the crowd gathered behind the barricade the police put up. Ryder is standing on the sidewalk away from the crowd. His phone is in his hand and he’s glaring at me. When his eyes meet mine, he holds our gaze for a moment before turning and heading toward his truck.

  “Are you alright?” Josh comes up beside me.

  I shake my head. “I think I know who the killer is.”

  20

  “This is a bad idea, Autumn,” Josh says as he glances toward Harold’s store.

  I shift in the passenger seat as we sit outside the spa. We’re parked in the back of the lot by the trees so they can camouflage us. It’s after dark. The police left my house about a half hour ago so we’re sitting here waiting for the suspected killer to show up.

  I gave Travis the ridiculous theory of Violet and Adam working together. I spun a great story about Jamie dumping Adam for Josh and Violet being angry at Jamie for going on a date with him. They decided to team up and poison her then frame Josh. Violet “accidently” poisons herself to throw suspicion off her. The stones were a distraction to throw us off and they were also another way to frame Josh.

  After Mrs. Walls is killed, Violet decides she doesn’t want to frame Josh anymore and turns against Adam. Adam probably felt guilty for killing Mrs. Walls and wanted to come clean, but Violet didn’t want to ruin her spotless reputation. She forces him to write the confession, locks him in the shed then sets it on fire. It was a stretch, but I think he bought it.

  My theory on Violet killing Caleb was that he saw her locking Adam in the shed or saw her set it on fire. I had to be creative on how she got Adam into the shed and Caleb out of the hall and into my kitchen without help or being seen. I threw out the idea of her using a dolly cart or she forced them at gun point then decided to use a knife to kill Caleb because guns are loud and someone might hear her.

  Forensics came back that the murder weapon was a hunting knife. Old man Gus does hunt so Travis is checking into it. With the tales I’m spinning, I should become a mystery writer. Who am I kidding? I love giving massages. Maybe I’ll do both. Anyway, Travis seemed skeptical. I don’t blame him. Even I felt my credibility slipping as I continued to spin this ridiculous theory.

  “Why didn’t you just tell Travis about the phone call?”

  “He would have traced the call, which would have led him nowhere. Then he would have gone into overprotective mode and I’d never get to the bottom of this.”

  Josh frowns. “Or you could leave it to the police. It is their job to solve cases.”

  A van pulling up to Harold’s Hardware keeps me from answering him. I knew I heard the beeping of his security system over the phone earlier. Harold’s the only one in town paranoid enough to have one. Of course, Jessie has one for the jewelry store, but it’s been broken for months. I doubt she’s had time to get it fixed between Jamie’s murder, the break in and Mrs. Walls’s murder. Besides, Jessie always locks the jewels in the safe each night. Theft isn’t common in Daysville. Of course, a few months ago, I would have said murder was unheard of in our cozy town, but that’s all changed.

  We watch in silence as the dark van with white lettering on the side backs up to the door.

  “What does the side of the van say?” I squint trying to see it, but chalk it up to it being too dark.

  “VF Enterprises.”

  Shoot. I guess I really do need to get my eyes checked.

  “What are they doing?”

  I shrug, still squinting to make out the person. I need to get closer, but know Josh will never let me. “I need to use the bathroom.”

  Josh looks at me like I just said I want to swim with alligators. “Now?”

  “Yes. Now. You know I have a nervous bladder. Give me the keys to the spa.”

  “They’ll hear you. Can’t you hold it till they’re gone?”

  I shake my head.

  He sighs and hands me the keys.

  I wait until they disappear inside the store and get out quietly. A light turns on inside the store. I pause halfway across the parking lot then realize it’s the light from the office in the back of the store. I hurry into the spa. Instead of heading to the bathroom, I head to the front door.

  A door slams.

  I freeze and look around. When I don’t see anyone, I take another step toward the waiting room.

  Another slam.

  The hairs on the back of my neck stand up and the hallway turns ice cold. “Who’s there?” My voice is shaky and I rub my arms. The black sweatshirt with the words Inhale Exhale in white letters on the front should be a good reminder to breathe and help ward off the cold, but it’s not. Even my black yoga pants are no match for the frigid temperatures in the spa.

  A creak of a door opening sounds down the hall.

  The red room. My heart takes off like a race car in my chest and it’s almost like I can’t stop myself from walking toward the room. Like my feet have a mind of their own even though my brain is yelling at me to stop. When I reach the red room, I see her.

  She’s beautiful, even in her ghostly form. Her son got his looks from her. Her dark hair is flowing down her back. She’s curvy in all the right places. Her eyes are dark and appear empty and lost. She reaches out a hand to me and I move closer to her. The fact that I’m not passing out from fear is not lost on me. I should be terrified of seeing a ghost, but for some reason I’m not. I know she’s not going to hurt me.

  When I stop in front of her, she smiles. It doesn’t reach her eyes, but I get the sense she’s happy to see me or more like she’s glad I can see her. She points behind me and I turn to see what she’s pointing to.

  There’s only a wall. The same wall that separates the spa from Regina’s Salon. I frown and study it, looking for something, what I’m not sure. Maybe a piece of the wall protruding. Something sticking out of it, but I don’t see anything but a red wall. A door shuts down the hall.

  “Autumn?” Josh calls from the break room.

  I turn around quickly to assure her it’s okay, but she’s already vanished. Shoot. “In the red room.”

  Josh appears in the doorway. “What are you doing in here?”

  I open my mouth to explain, but decide to close it. Something tells me to keep this to myself for now. Although, the pull to tell Eddie or should I say Walter, is really strong. The name Wallie comes to mind. It’s what she called him. She’s still here. I can feel her presence, but she’s not showing herself to Josh for some reason. I want to tell her she can trust him. I know he would believe me if I told him about her, but I don’t. “I heard a noise. Wanted to be sure everything was secure.”

  He looks relieved. “I thought maybe you used the bathroom as an excuse and snuck out the front door and over to Harold’s.”

  I gasp in mock horror. He really does know me well. “Me? Never.” I bat my eyelashes at him.

  He groans. “That was your plan, wasn’t it? Do you have a death wish? This person has killed three people. I don’t think he would blink an eye at making you his fourth.”

  I shiver at the thought. I know he’s right, but I have to figure this out and then…I glance at the wall. Solve Laura’s murder. Her name pops into my head and I haven’t even had a chance to research her. She wants me to help her and her son. I know the murders of his mother and grandparents haunt him.

  “The van’s gone. Left a few minutes ago. I thought maybe they kidnapped you.” He pulls me into a hug.

  I take in his tea tree and mint scent and close my eyes. Exhaustion is threatening to consume me. “Let’s get some sleep. We can get a fresh start tomorrow.”

  Josh leads me out of the room. I shut the door and feel a cool breeze on my cheek. I smile and nod in unde
rstanding of what she needs me to do.

  21

  Thursday flew by in a blur. The news of Violet and Adam’s arrests have been the talk of the town. We were so busy at the spa yesterday, I barely had time to use the bathroom. Maggie was feeling better, and thankfully, didn’t have any mishaps with clients. I was hoping for some time to visit Laura or even do some research on her case, but there just wasn’t any.

  Before we closed, Nikki came by and convinced me to come to her yoga class. Afterward, we went out for dinner and drinks to catch up. I hadn’t seen her lately and a girls’ night was definitely needed.

  Now, it’s Friday evening and I’m sitting in the front row of the talent show dressed in jeans and a green blouse. My copper colored hair is back in a braid to one side. I’m finally starting to feel like myself again after everything’s that happened this week. I smile at Josh, who is next to me wearing jeans and a black t-shirt. He’s nodding his head and tapping his foot to the music.

  It’s a cool evening. The sun is just beginning to dip down behind the stage, and the smell of fresh cut grass mixed with baked goods and kettle corn is wafting through the air.

  It’s been a week since Jamie’s murder. The thought makes me sad as I watch Eva perform on stage. She’s singing a mix of Katy Perry songs and is nailing them. I’m pretty sure she’s going to win by the smiles on the judges faces. I’ve ruled her out completely for the murders. The murderer is a guy. No one else could have gotten Adam into the shed or Caleb into my kitchen. Which guy, you ask? I have my suspicions, but need to do a little more sleuthing just to be sure.

  I glance around as Eva finishes her song. The park’s full of people. These festivals really bring in the crowds from surrounding towns. It’s really great for the businesses. The spa was booming today with out of town clients. They were all curious about the events that went on over the past week. I was glad when the last client left. All those questions were enough to drive me to murder someone. Just kidding. I yawn and lean back in my chair. As I do, I overhear the Bradford sisters talking about Violet.

  “Regina told me Violet’s insisting she’s being set up. She says she didn’t do anything the police are accusing her of.”

  I cringe at her words. I’m going to send Violet and Adam the biggest gift baskets I can find to apologize for throwing suspicion their way. Once the real killer is behind bars, I’ll be able to explain everything to them. Well, to Violet, at least. Adam is still in a coma, but once he wakes up, I’ll fill him in. Hopefully, they’ll both understand and forgive me. I lean back a little more in my chair to listen to what Molly says next.

  “Violet did admit to shooting her father although she says it was an accident. Her father bent down to pick up his flask and she tried to take the gun away from him. They wrestled with it and the gun went off.” Molly tsk tsks then continues, “The new PA, Eddie Bell, have you seen him? No? Oh, he’s dreamy.” She lets out a low whistle and I have to bite the inside of my cheek to keep from laughing. Molly is twice his age and has been a spinster forever. I’ll have to tell Eddie that he has a few secret admirers. Violet will have to use these feisty gals’ canes to keep them away from him…and she was worried about me. I smirk then focus back on their conversation.

  “Anyway, Eddie talked to Judge Sanders and convinced him not to give Violet any jail time. She’s suffered years of mental, emotional and sometimes physical abuse at the hands of her father. The poor dear, who knows what that awful man did to her.” She tsk tsks again. “She’ll probably get a little community service, but that’s all. Gus is being forced into rehab. Hopefully, he’ll get his act together and poor Violet can move on with her life. A pretty girl like her needs to find a nice man and settle down,” Molly lowers her voice. “Word around town is she has a major crush on the new PA. I’ll have to throw my hat in the ring before she can snatch him away from me.”

  I snort at her comment then begin to choke.

  Josh pats my back. “Are you alright?”

  I nod and swipe at the tears forming in my eyes from coughing so hard. Molly and her sister, Bonnie move on to another topic, so I take a moment to catch my breath. I’ve got to hand it to Eddie or Walter, I’m not sure what to call him, but he’s good at what he does.

  Daysville needed a good PA and I couldn’t think of a better man for the job. He seems committed to helping people and getting justice. So, it surprises me that he hasn’t called me back. I left a vague message for him about meeting me at the spa. I didn’t want to freak him out by telling him this over the phone, but his mother wants to see him. I’m not sure how the space in between heaven and earth works, but it seems like she’s stuck in that room.

  I scan the park to see if Eddie is wandering around, but it’s too crowded. I do spot James arranging his flower stand. His hair is a mess along with his clothes. His cargo shorts and a blue polo shirt are wrinkled. Even his brown loafers seem to be a little worse for the wear today. He looks like he hasn’t shaved in a few days and his eyes are red rimmed. I tried calling him yesterday to extend my condolences about Caleb, but he didn’t answer and never called me back.

  Word around town is James feels guilty for sending Caleb by himself to deliver and set up the flowers for Mrs. Walls’s funeral. He’s blaming himself for Caleb’s death because he wasn’t at the funeral due to a business meeting. Caleb was interning over the summer with James. He wanted to open his own flower shop one day and wanted to learn from the best. I guess James is the best at what he does.

  Caleb’s family lives in South Carolina so they’ve had his body shipped back home for the funeral. The family is devastated and out for blood. They’ve been calling the station nonstop to get updates on the case. Poor Travis has been at the station around the clock. He’s been trying to determine if Violet’s lying about her involvement in the murders and working overtime to find more evidence to convict both she and Adam.

  I feel guilty for steering him in the wrong direction, but I’ll make it up to him by finding the real killer. I’ll also ensure it’s not mine and Josh’s bodies he’s processing next. I shiver at the thought. I turn my attention back to the stage.

  Ryder’s up next. His jeans are ripped at the knees and his button down white shirt has a grease smear on the sleeve. He’s wearing black cowboy boots and a matching hat. He definitely has the country music star look, but appears nervous. I tilt my head and study him. He’s really sweating. I mean it’s in the seventies and there’s a breeze. This is nothing compared to Missouri’s summer heat. Maybe he has stage fright? Or is he feeling guilty?

  He sees me staring and straightens. Clears his throat and begins to sing. He strums his guitar and croons a song I’ve never heard. The guy’s good. I have to give him that. He pulls out all the stops, using his own songs as opposed to a country star’s. When he’s done, the crowd claps and the judges put their heads together whispering.

  Bobby gets up on the stage. His brown hair is combed to the side and doesn’t move like he’s put a ton of gel in it. His khaki pants and red polo shirt are pressed and his black loafers look brand new. He grips the microphone and thanks everyone for coming. Then proceeds to ramble on about the festival and each business.

  He’s really taking his mayoral duties seriously. A little too seriously, according to Nikki. Last night, on our girls’ night out, she confided in me. She’s been giving Bobby space to grieve April’s death, but he doesn’t seem to have a chance to because he’s so busy. Between his businesses and attending to town stuff, she’s not sure he’ll ever have time to see if they could make it as a couple. She wanted my advice. I told her to be patient and to just give him a few more months. That she should focus on herself and her business while he does the same. If they’re meant to be, they’ll find a way.

  It seems she’s taking my advice. She’s giving a yoga flow class across the park and also has a booth set up to sell her homemade soaps.

  The hairs on the back of my neck stand up and I turn back to the stage. Ryder is staring at me again
. I force a tight-lipped smile and give him nod. He doesn’t grin back at me. A judge hands Bobby the envelope with the winner’s name on it along with a big check for ten thousand dollars.

  Bobby clears his throat. “The winner of this year’s Daysville Spring Festival Talent Show is…Eva Pierce.” Applause fills the air and everyone stands up to show their support. Eva takes the check and shakes hands with Bobby as Victor from the Daysville newspaper snaps their picture. Eva’s beaming while Ryder is nowhere to be found. He must have stormed off when he found out he lost.

  “I’m going to get something to drink. Want anything?”

  Josh is standing next to me clapping for Eva. “I’ll come with you,” he offers.

  “I need to use the restroom too. Meet you at Scott’s tent?”

  Josh eyes me suspiciously, but doesn’t question me as he takes off toward Scott’s tent.

  I sigh with relief and head to the back of the stage. Ryder is stomping off to his truck parked behind the church. I hurry over to him. Probably not the smartest thing if ends up really being the killer, but I have to talk to him. “Ryder. Ryder, wait up,” I pant, trying to catch him and not to slip in these wedges. I knew I should have worn flip flops.

  He stops and turns toward me. “What do you want, Autumn?”

  “I thought you were great out there,” I huff, holding me side while trying to stand up straight. I really need to hit the gym more.

  “Not great enough to win,” He mutters.

  “There’s always next year.”

  He snorts.

  “You will try out next year, right?”

  He shrugs.

  I narrow my eyes and study him. “Why were you at my house the other day?”

  “Heard someone was murdered. Curious like everyone else in town.”

  “Who were you talking to on your cell phone?”

  He tilts his head. “Who said I was talking to anyone?”

  “You had your phone in your hand like you just hung up with someone?”