Killer Shots Murder Mysteries - Books 1-3

by Lisa B. Thomas

  I suddenly bolted upright. Cricket jumped. The grainy video from Artie’s camera. It was a wedding. I was sure of it.

  And then: Alex and Raven’s wedding. That explained why Artie hadn’t given them their video. He had screwed it up and was afraid to tell them. Not only would he have had to return the money, he’d have had to face the wrath of Raven.

  Or maybe he did.

  If Raven had gone over to the Boswell house to confront Artie, he might have pulled the memory card from his bag and shown her the video. That’s why it was in his camera instead of the one with the house pictures. It wasn’t hard to imagine Raven snapping and taking it out on Artie.

  But her alibi that she was with Brett? Maybe she had gone right after he left her that morning since the timeline was a little iffy. Or maybe Brett knew what she did and lied to cover for her. He could have had a change of heart and threatened to turn her in. She may have killed him to keep him quiet.

  The doorbell rang, and it was my turn to jump.

  Drying my hands on a towel, I checked the time on the phone. Too early for Nancy, plus, she never rang the bell. It rang again. Then again. I grabbed my robe and headed for the door, saying a silent prayer it was Jake. I was dying to tell him my new theory.

  I jerked open the door and was stunned to see the woman with bright red hair.

  “WE NEED TO TALK,” RAVEN said and pushed her way into the house.

  Talking is good; killing me is not. “Come on in,” I said after the fact. She couldn’t possibly suspect what I knew. We’d only talked a few minutes.

  “How did you get my address?” I asked, trying not to sound too paranoid.

  She held up my business card. “I had your name. It’s a small town with helpful neighbors.”

  True enough. “What can I do for you, Raven?”

  “Stay away from my husband.”

  I’m sure I looked as confused as I felt.

  “He told me you two had ‘run into each other’ a few times.” She emphasized it with air quotes. “First at the gym, then a couple of times at the ski resort. Doesn’t strike me as coincidental.”

  I relaxed and actually felt a smile cross my face. I could handle a jealous wife. “I can assure you it was coincidental. I had gone to—”

  “Hold up, skank, I know your type. Needy. Emotional. Can’t get a man to commit.”

  Ouch. That hit a little too close to home. Should I tell her about my two ex-fiancés? I doubted it would help my case, so I kept my mouth shut and let her rant.

  “Maybe Alex isn’t as good-looking as Brett was, but he’s mine and I aim to hold on to him.”

  By sleeping around on him? Good plan.

  She looked around as though sizing up my life. “Don’t think you can trick my husband into coming here to your cozy little house with your cozy little fireplace and your cozy little cat.”

  Cricket arched her back and hissed. It was one of those wide-mouthed cries that look like a rattlesnake about to move in for the kill. I scooped her up before she could do any damage.

  There was only one way to deal with this sort of jealousy. I had done it before. “Look, Raven, you’re right. I kind of did have my eye on Alex after running into him at the gym. After all, he’s one of the best-looking men in Cascada. You’re a lucky woman.”

  Her face softened as expected. “That’s right. Just because I was fooling around with Brett doesn’t mean we don’t have a good marriage. And he loves me. Get this, I had that loser Artie spy on Alex at his bachelor party, and he never touched those strippers I sent over. I’ve got the pictures to prove it. How’s that for true love!”

  “Oh, that’s...wonderful.” Ah-ha. That must have been when Brett caught Artie spying and tried to beat him up. Another question answered. “You know, I’m glad you came over here and we were able to talk this out rationally.”

  At least one of us was rational. I pulled my robe tighter around me. “But now, I really need to get ready. I’m going out with one of my girlfriends to Benny’s. I guess I’ll be drowning my sorrows in beer and hot wings.”

  “Thanks. But I can’t go tonight. I’ve been on my feet all day and need to get home. I have a pie to bake.”

  Wait. What? Did I invite her to join us? Before I knew it, she had her arms around me like a long-lost friend. This chick was beyond psycho.

  She started for the door. “I guess I’ll see you around. I plan to kill you tomorrow, by the way.”

  My heart skipped a beat...or two beats. “What?”

  “At the pie auction. I’ve got a new recipe and I plan to kill the competition.”

  I plastered on a fake smile and waved as I locked the door behind her.

  Well, better them than me.

  Chapter 21

  The entire time I was getting ready to go out with Nancy, my mind was on Raven. If she was crazy enough to hire Artie to spy on her husband, she might be capable of murder. But I had no proof other than what she told me. No proof she was having an affair with Brett. No proof she’d gone to the Boswell house.

  Deputy Darnell said they had a partial fingerprint from the bookend used to hit Artie in the head. Maybe I could convince Grady to check her out. After all, he owed me a favor. Should I use it on that or on getting him to tell Sherry to lay off me for a while?

  There was a knock at the door. This time I looked out the window before opening it. I was more surprised by this visitor than the last.

  “Jake? What are you doing here?”

  He had trimmed his scruffy beard and styled his hair. Standing there with his hands in his pockets, he almost took my breath away. I know that sounds corny and is usually only said in reference to beautiful women, but it was true.

  “We need to talk,” he said.

  Great. Hadn’t that been what Raven said?

  “Come on in.”

  Cricket meowed loudly as she danced around his feet. He picked her up and followed me to the den. She sat on his lap and purred contentedly.

  “Nancy is supposed to be here any minute,” I said stiffly as I sat in the chair across from him.

  “Actually, she’s not coming. I’m her replacement.”

  I shook my head. “Is she okay? Is she sick?”

  “She’s fine.” He paused. “But I’m not.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  “Ever since the other day I’ve been...out of it. I can’t stand not seeing you. Knowing you’re here but not with me.”

  I lowered my head and looked at my hands. “I know. Me too.”

  “I’m sorry about Liv. I really didn’t know she was coming over.”

  I moved across the room to sit next to him on the sofa. “It’s not your fault. It’s mine. I was jealous.”

  “I know.” He draped his arm across my shoulders. “And part of me liked it. I just thought we were past that. I thought we trusted each other.”

  “I do trust you. But with all this murder drama going on, though, it seemed like every time I turned around, someone was lying to me.”

  He picked up Cricket from his lap and set her gently on the floor. “Well, I want to be honest. You were right about Liv. We did have a relationship. In fact, it was getting pretty serious.”

  My throat tightened. I wasn’t sure I wanted to hear this.

  “But there was always this doubt in my mind. A feeling that something wasn’t quite right. I finally found out why.”

  I asked the question with my eyes.

  “She was cheating on me.”

  “Oh, Jake. I’m sorry.”

  “Sorry?”

  “Not sorry you broke up with her, but sorry you had to go through that.”

  “Hey, it wasn’t meant to be. What doesn’t kill us makes us stronger.”

  Our eyes locked, followed by our lips. It was a sweet kiss, the kind that fills all your senses. His soft mouth, masculine cologne, strong arms. There was a completeness I’d never felt before. I wondered if he felt it too.

  I laid my head on his chest. “Speaking of thi
ngs that may or may not kill you, I’ve got a lot to catch you up on about the case.”

  He kissed my head. “You mean you haven’t wrapped it all up yet and handed it on a silver platter to Grady?”

  “Not quite yet. But I have one question about Liv before I tell you.”

  “Anything. I’m an open book.”

  “Who was Liv cheating on you with?”

  He hesitated, then said, “Brett Boswell.”

  Chapter 22

  The warm glow of an evening spent making up—and making out—with Jake enveloped me like a soft blanket when I woke up Friday morning.

  And this time it wasn’t a dream! We had skipped Benny’s and ate omelets at Jake’s instead. Not only that, but we talked through the case and decided I should wait until Monday when I could get Grady’s full attention and then lay it all out for him. Jake seemed pretty convinced that Raven may have been involved with both deaths. It was at least enough evidence to get the sheriff to check her fingerprints.

  Jake was sensible and pragmatic. I was emotional and sensitive. I worried these differences would be a roadblock for us to overcome. But after snuggling and talking things out, we both agreed we wanted to give the relationship a chance. Neither of us had used the L-word yet, but I had a feeling it wouldn’t be long.

  For now I needed to get to the high school. The rules for the photography contest stated that all entries must be received by noon. Whether it was reconciling with Jake or feeling closer to catching the killer, my ego was bolstered. Win or lose, I wanted to participate in the Winter Arts Fair. Knowing Sherry Grady was the judge actually made the decision easier. I could always blame her for my loss.

  The door of the studio was firmly locked when I arrived. Even though Deputy Darnell had admitted to breaking in, I still had flashbacks every time I entered the studio or my house. I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw the office was still neat and tidy.

  Just as the rules required, my photograph was eight by ten inches, matted but not framed. I’d taken the picture of Cascada Falls when I’d first returned to town back in December. It was one of those early mornings when the fog had not yet lifted but the distant sun had managed to peep through the clouds. I climbed onto the rocks to get as close to the falls as possible. I used a fast shutter speed to stop the rushing water as though it were frozen in time. The first group of shots didn’t work out because water bouncing off the rocks sprayed a fine mist over my lens. At last, I found just the right position and angle.

  I knew as soon as I looked in the viewfinder that the shots were even better than I’d imagined. The fog formed a sort of halo at the top of the mountain and the water glistened like crystal. Not to be too boastful, but it was pretty darn spectacular. The contest rules required all entries to be signed and titled. I called it “Heaven’s Tears.”

  The high school gym was a flutter of activity when I got there. I was hit by a wave of nostalgia and the lingering smell of sweat and old wood. The town really needed to build a new gymnasium. The bleachers were pushed in and rows of cafeteria tables filled the entire space. On fair days, the students were all given sack lunches and had to eat in their classrooms. Another errant memory captured from days gone by.

  The man I remembered as the failed pie auction coordinator stood just inside the entrance, wearing a badge that read “Security.” He wore one of those blue ship’s captain hats and held an all-powerful walkie-talkie. “Vendor or contestant?”

  I hadn’t thought of myself as a contestant since my pageant days. “Contestant.”

  He pointed the radio to his left toward a table with two older women wearing red buttons proclaiming them to be committee chairmen. These were probably some of the same seniors who volunteered to work polling places during the elections. I waited in line behind a man carrying a large pottery vase.

  “Welcome,” the woman on the right said when it was my turn. She spotted the paper sack in my hand. “Are you in the art or photography division?”

  “Photography.”

  “Excellent.” She handed me a red ticket. “Sign your name on this list and then proceed around to the back wall.”

  The gymnasium was set up with rows of vendors in the center and the competition areas around the perimeter. I found the area designated for photography. Charlotte and Dave Randall, owners of Randall’s Candles, were collecting the photographs and hanging them on a large display.

  “Hi, Wendy,” Charlotte said. “Let me take your ticket. I’m not surprised you’re entering the competition. Those pictures you took of us for our anniversary turned out so well. I swear you took ten years off my age. Let’s see your photograph.”

  Glancing at the wall, I saw some nice shots. I slowly pulled mine out of the bag and handed it to her.

  Her mouth dropped. “Oh my. Dave, look at this. Have you ever seen such a beautiful picture of the falls?”

  Dave whistled and took it from her. “That’s a beauty all right.” He slapped on a Post-it with an entry number on it and hung it up next to the others.

  They probably said that to everyone. Still, it was nice to hear. “Thank you. Too bad you’re not the judge.”

  “If I were, I’d pick yours,” Charlotte said and gave me a wink. “We’re selling candles in the vendor area. Sherry just asked us to help out since we were already set up.”

  Someone walked up behind me, so I stepped to the side. “I’ll be sure to stop by your booth tomorrow.”

  “Thanks, dear,” she said and went on to help the next person.

  I didn’t wait around to see if he got the whistle and jaw drop too. I spotted Coach Barnes and remembered the pictures of him in the suit and tie. Maybe he had some ideas about Artie Becker’s death since he obviously knew him. I sauntered over to where he was talking to a man wearing a Cascada Chaparrals booster club shirt. I crept up behind them, pretending to read something on my phone while I listened in. I didn’t want to just barge in on their conversation.

  “Tonight’s game is one of the biggest of my career,” Coach Barnes told the man. “If we can beat the Hawks, we’re in the playoffs. Otherwise, I’ll be having to look for another job.”

  “Is that what the school board said?” the other man asked.

  “Not in so many words, but they made it pretty clear.”

  I was right. That’s likely why Coach Barnes had gotten Artie to take his picture.

  Someone tapped my shoulder. I spun around to see Alex Wright.

  “Alex. How are you doing?” I looked around for Raven. I didn’t want her to see me talking to her husband.

  “Holding it together. I was just turning in my picture for the contest.”

  “May I see it?”

  He held up a shot of Raven skiing. A burst of snow sprayed off her skis in stop action and her red hair glistened against the all-white background. It was quite striking. “Raven’s Revenge,” I said as I read the title.

  “Yeah. She used to yell at me anytime I would spray her. She thought it would be funny to get me back when I was taking her picture.” He stared at it with a melancholy look on his face.

  “It’s really good. I could see it winning.”

  He smiled. “You think so?”

  “I do.”

  “Where’s yours?”

  “I’ve already turned mine in. I was just leaving.” I pointed toward the door, anxious to get away considering the fact that I would soon be accusing his wife of murder.

  He nodded. “Hey, would you mind if we talked a few minutes? I just wanted to run something by you.”

  “Um, where’s Raven?”

  “Don’t worry. She’s at work.”

  “Okay,” I said, shrugging my shoulders.

  “Let me just give them this picture and I’ll meet you outside.”

  I headed for the door, wondering what he wanted to talk about. Photography, maybe. I certainly hoped it wasn’t anything about Raven. He’d been through a lot, having just lost his best friend, and here I was plotting to tell the sheriff that I tho
ught his wife could be a killer. Maybe I should ditch him and take off.

  Too late. He came down the steps of the building and walked over to join me on a bench near the soccer field.

  “Raven told me she came to see you yesterday,” he said, staring down at his feet. “I’m sorry about that.”

  I was afraid of this. “Oh, no worries.”

  “She’s got a real jealous streak. I hate it. We’re married. She should trust me.”

  Same lecture. Different lecturer. I got the message. “I guess she just really loves you.”

  “Yeah, but I’m worried about her.”

  What did he think I was, a marriage counselor? “I’m sure she’ll be fine. She’s probably just adjusting to married life.”

  Alex shook his head. “That’s not what I’m talking about. I’m talking about her affair with Brett. She told me about it last night. She said you encouraged her to confess.”

  “What? No! I never said anything like that.”

  “We had a big fight. She told me something else, too.”

  Oh, geez. What else? Was she planning to leave him and move in with me?

  “She said she’d done something really stupid. She wouldn’t tell me what it was, but she couldn’t stop crying. I ended up sleeping in the spare bedroom. When I got up this morning, she was gone. I don’t know if she’s coming back.”

  “What? I thought you said she was at work.”

  “I lied,” he said. “I didn’t know what to say.”

  Oh my gosh! Could the stupid thing she did have been killing Artie, or Brett, or both? Maybe I should track down the sheriff now before she got too far away.

  Alex hung his head and wiped his eyes.

  I put a hand on his shoulder. “Do you know where she went? Did she leave a note?”