Trevor looked around the store at his boss and the various customers that were browsing the aisles. Despite all his bluster, Trevor was in no hurry to draw additional attention to himself. Reluctantly, he headed into the alleyway beside the record store with Meg and Connor.
Once he was outside and, more importantly, out of his boss’s earshot, he lashed out at the investigators.
“How dare you come to my workplace and harass me?” Trevor barked.
Connor folded his arms. “We’re not harassing you.”
“Is that so? That’s not how I see it,” Trevor snapped.
“Trevor, give it up. The game is over.”
Trevor scrunched his nose. “What are you talking about?”
Meg stepped in. “We know you killed your father.”
Trevor scoffed. “You’re crazy.”
Meg pulled a digital video tape out of her purse. “Are we?”
Trevor’s face filled with confusion. “What’s that?”
“Did you know that the city has been placing cameras at a few of the busier intersections throughout town?” Meg asked.
Trevor tensed up.
Meg continued. “I’ll bet you didn’t. Otherwise, you might have taken a different route to your father’s place on the night of his murder.”
Trevor went into full denial mode. “I didn’t go to my dad’s house that night.”
“Yeah, you did,” Meg replied. “We have it on tape. This recording is from the traffic light at the intersection of Aquarius Boulevard and Ogilvy Avenue. This tape clearly shows your car turning left onto your father’s street at nine fifty the night he was killed. But that’s not all. It also shows you turning right onto Aquarius Boulevard at ten fifteen. Even more, this recording provides visual proof that of all the suspects in this case, you were the only one to have gone anywhere near that intersection during the time of the murder.”
Trevor fell completely silent.
“You’re not so cocky now, are you?” Connor asked.
Trevor opened his mouth to reply, but Meg made sure to get the next word in.
“Admit it. You killed your father,” Meg said. “You went to his house that night, upset that he wanted to break you and your girlfriend up—irate that he wouldn’t give you the money to record your album. He wanted nothing to do with the two things that mattered most in your life. That must have really burned you.”
Trevor made one last attempt to defend himself. “No. You have it all wrong—”
Meg had no interest in listening to his excuses. She just wanted the truth. “Really? Because I believe that we’re dead-on about this. Your dream in life is to be a rock star. You want that more than anything. So the last thing you were about to do was to let your father come between you and your dream. Admit it, you killed your father because you wanted your inheritance money to record your album.”
Trevor looked like he was ready to explode.
Meg went after him again. “Tell me I’m wrong.”
Trevor finally broke down under the pressure.
“Fine. Yes, I did it. I killed my father,” he said.
Meg gave a disapproving glare. “You scumbag.”
Trevor’s deepest emotions began spilling out. “You don’t get it. As far back as I can remember, my father had this grand plan for my life. In his eyes, I was born to take over his boring restaurant. I was supposed to marry his friend’s daughter, the one he had picked out for me. To him, it was like I didn’t have any choice in the matter. His way wasn’t just the best way; it was the only way. There was just one thing—he never bothered to ask me what I wanted. When I told him what my dream was, he just laughed. He never believed in me or my dream. Even after I begged him for the money to record the album, he refused to support me because it didn’t fit into the box of who he thought I should be. Do you know what it’s like, having your own father refusing to support you, your dreams, and the woman you love? Finally, I decided that I wasn’t going to take it anymore. I wanted my life back.”
Meg shook her head. “That may have been what you wanted, but all you succeeded in doing was destroying your life. You’ll realize that one day when you’ve been in prison long enough.”
Epilogue
A Week Later
With the case behind them, Meg and her mother could take the proper time to mourn the loss of their old friend. Knowing Richard, they figured there was one way to honor his memory better than any other—by doing one of his favorite activities.
Since Richard had been such an avid fisherman his entire life, Beth and Meg decided to head out to Enchanted Beach. With fishing poles in hand, they set up shop at the edge of the three-hundred-foot-long pier and cast their lines into the Pacific Ocean. Unlike Richard, who had done that very thing many times over the years, neither Beth nor Meg cared if they got any bites. Going home with a fish or two was the last thing on their minds. They were simply there to reminisce.
It didn’t take long for Beth to get into a somberly nostalgic mood as she looked out at the horizon. “Rest in peace, Richard.”
“I’ll bet that’s exactly what he’s doing now,” Meg replied.
Beth turned to her daughter. “Thanks to you.”
“It was a team effort.”
“That led to you discovering the killer’s identity.”
Once again, Meg refused to bask in the praise that had come her way. “I’m just happy the guilty party is behind bars.”
Beth didn’t give up. To her, this was a compliment that was important to take. “I know I always taught you to be humble, but when it comes to your investigative skills, you deserve all the praise that I can give you.”
Meg blushed. Her mother had not been so effusive with praise in a long time. That didn’t change the fact that Beth had ingrained a sense of humility into her daughter at a young age which stuck with her even to that day.
“Thank you. At the same time, old habits die hard.”
Beth winced. “Please don’t say the word ‘die.’”
“Sorry.”
Beth sighed. “I can’t believe he’s really gone.”
Meg tried to find the right words to comfort her mom. “I know people just say this, but he truly is in a better place.”
Meg knew that to be the truth. After Meg had revealed to her mother that the killer was behind bars, Beth had wanted to share the news with Richard. Despite the abrupt way that their last séance spell had ended, Meg and Beth conjured Richard up from the afterlife one more time to fill him in on the new details.
Richard was happy to hear that there was closure with his case. Even more, he was in good spirits, relishing the spoils of the afterlife.
While Richard had moved on from what had happened, Beth was having a much harder time in that regard.
Beth nodded her head. “I know, but that doesn’t mean I don’t miss him.”
“We both do. He will always have a place in our hearts.”
“Our lives won’t be the same without him.”
Meg agreed. “He was one of the good ones.”
Beth became pensive. “I was just thinking the same thing.”
“You know what they saw about great minds thinking alike.”
“If anything, you’re the one with the great mind. I don’t know how you crack all of those cases.”
“And I don’t know how you came up with all of those delicious donut recipes that everyone in town loves,” Meg said. “The fact is, we are all good at different things in life. I just happen to be good at solving mysteries.”
“That isn’t the only thing you’re good at. You are also one of the most caring people that I have ever met,” Beth replied.
“That’s sweet, but if anything, you deserve the credit for that. I am the product of your good parenting.”
“Don’t give me too much credit. I mean, Richard was a great parent and look how crazy his family turned out.”
Meg bit the corner of her lip. “Yeah. Now there’s a mystery that seems to have no rational
solution.”
Beth gazed into Meg’s eyes. “It does remind me, though. Have I thanked you for being such a good daughter?”
“You don’t need to.” Meg put her arm over her mother’s shoulder. “I love you, Mom.”
Beth began tearing up. “If only all families could love each other enough to find a way to get along.”
Given the way that the case had ended, that remark was more relevant than ever.
Meg looked off longingly. “If only.”
Beth tried to look on the bright side. “At least some families do.” She pulled her daughter in close. “I’m grateful for that, now more than ever.”
Meg smiled wide. “We’re both lucky to have each other.”
“You’ll get no argument from me.”
Just then, Beth’s fishing line tightened up. She had gotten a bite.
“Looks like you got something,” Meg said.
Beth was in shock. “I never catch anything.”
“There’s a first time for everything.”
Beth reeled the fish in with a big smile on her face. “Why do I get the feeling that Richard had something to do with this?”
“Probably because he did.” Meg’s eyed widened as she saw the size of the fish that was on the end of her mother’s fishing line. “Wow, look at that catch. Talk about a great start to the day.”
“I’ll say. I have a feeling this is just the beginning.”
Meg agreed. “Here’s to an amazing day.”
The End.
Therapy Can Be Murder
Chapter One
“Do we really have to say good-bye?” Connor Smith asked.
Meg Walton wished that the answer was “no.” Unfortunately, it was “yes.” Not that Connor’s lips hadn’t been trying to convince her otherwise. For the last ten minutes, Meg had been standing on her front porch, wrapped up in her boyfriend’s sweet embrace, not wanting to say goodnight.
Yet despite her best efforts to delay the inevitable, reality had finally sunk in. Meg could no longer deny that the hour had become uncomfortably late. Suddenly, it wasn’t about what Meg wanted. It was about what she needed. An early morning shift awaited at her family’s donut shop, meaning that Meg really needed to head inside right away if she was going to get a full night of sleep.
Each additional minute she spent awake would result in her being more tired in the morning. Even though she knew that sleep was a valuable commodity, it didn’t make it easy to tear herself away from her boyfriend’s sweet lips.
“You know the answer to that,” Meg replied.
Connor had an angular, clean-shaven face, short sandy-brown hair, hazel eyes, and an athletic build. As he stood on Meg’s doorstep that evening, however, all Meg cared about was his soft lips.
Connor held Meg’s slim figure in close and ran his hands through her long, wavy red hair.
“That doesn’t mean I have to like it,” he said.
“I hate to call it a night, too, but you know what time I have to wake up tomorrow.”
“Earlier than should be allowed by law,” he joked.
She played along with his line of reasoning. “You should know. You are the law. If only you could change the rules.”
Connor was the local police detective in town. Enchanted Bay was a small community on the California coast. For the longest time, the local authorities didn’t have to worry about much more than the occasional shoplifter. In the last few years, the crime rate had risen, even resulting in a murder case every now and then.
“I only enforce the law,” he said. “I’m afraid making new laws is out of my hands.”
“That’s a shame. Although, I have to admit, if I don’t get those donuts made on time, I’m afraid you might have some unlawful activity on your hands,” she replied.
“I don’t doubt it. Some of your regulars might call for your head.”
He was joking, but only barely. Enchanted Donuts, the bakery owned by Meg’s mother, had rabidly loyal customers. The clientele depended on their daily donuts and would not respond well to the shop not opening on time because Meg hadn’t gotten enough sleep the night before.
“This town sure loves its donuts,” Meg said.
“So true. We wouldn’t want to have a donut-based riot on our hands.”
Meg chuckled. “Exactly.”
Connor knew better than to keep Meg from her sleep any longer so he reluctantly took a step back.
“All right. Well, sweet dreams,” Connor replied.
She smiled. “That is almost guaranteed.”
“That’s good to hear.”
“Although, these days, some of my dreams have found their way into reality,” Meg said.
Connor bit the corner of his lip.
Meg noticed a curious look in his eyes. She wanted to see what was behind it. “What’s on your mind?”
“It’s just that I have been thinking the same thing myself.”
“They say great minds think alike,” she replied.
He pulled her in and gave her another kiss.
“What was that for?” she asked.
“What can I say? Sometimes I’m struck by how being with you is just magic.”
He didn’t know the half of it. Meg was a real-life witch, but even more than the spells she could cast, the most magical aspect of her life was her love for Connor. That was saying a lot, too, as she could cast some pretty amazing spells.
“That makes it even harder to say good-bye,” she replied.
“I’ll tell you what. Let’s pick up right here tomorrow night.”
“Deal.”
Meg leaned in, gave Connor a soft kiss on the lips then reluctantly headed inside her house.
Chapter Two
As Meg entered her foyer, she closed her eyes to bask for a moment. Unfortunately, her bliss was interrupted by her talking black cat, Penelope.
“So when is the wedding?” Penelope asked.
It was safe to say that Penelope wasn’t just any old black cat. Mostly, that was because she wasn’t just a cat. When Meg’s grandma was on her deathbed, Meg and her mom had cast a spell to transfer Penelope’s soul into the body of a kitten. Now Penelope had a new lease on life and had been filling Meg’s days and nights with sass ever since.
At that moment, Meg thought her grandma was being a little presumptuous. She shrugged her shoulders at Penelope.
“What are you talking about? We’re not even engaged,” Meg replied.
Penelope’s opinion didn’t waver. “Not yet. That’s coming, though.”
Meg still wasn’t convinced. “Says you.”
Penelope remained as confident as ever. “Trust me, I have a sense about these things.”
Meg’s superstitions got the best of her. “Don’t jinx it.”
Penelope’s granddaughter was being a little too restrained for her liking. “Are you telling me you wouldn’t say yes if Connor popped the question?”
“Of course I would say yes.”
“Then what are you worrying about me jinxing?”
“The topic of marriage hasn’t even been brought up.”
“I think that day is coming.”
Meg sighed. “What did I just tell you about jinxing things?”
Penelope made no apologies. “I’m just calling things as I see them.”
“Since you seem to know everything, what other bold predictions do you have?”
Penelope rattled off a few. “Politicians will continue to break their campaign promises. Lawyers will continue to take on frivolous lawsuits in the name of profit. Cats will continue to be the most popular animals on the Internet.”
Meg was taken aback. “You put more thought into that than I expected.”
“I’m a cat. I have more time than I know what to do with.”
“It beats working for a living,” Meg joked.
“Hey. It’s hard work making life look this easy,” Penelope wisecracked.
Meg chuckled. “Somehow I doubt that.” She switched gears. �
��Now if you’ll excuse me, I have some sweet dreams to get to.”
Penelope cleared her throat. “Not so fast.”
Meg whirled around. “Something you need?”
“Haven’t I trained you yet? I would like to have some sweet dreams of my own.”
Meg arched her eyebrows. “Where have your manners gone?”
“I can’t help it. Sass comes naturally when you are a cat.”
“Let’s just say that it’s a good thing that you’re adorable.”
Penelope became excited. “Does that mean you’re going to whip up a catnip spell for me?”
“Sure. But that’s only because I’m too tired to argue with you.”
“I don’t care what the reason is as long as the answer is yes.”
Meg was in awe of her grandma’s audacity. “You’re so spoiled.”
“Guilty as charged,” Penelope replied. “Catnip, please.”
With Meg in a hurry to get to bed, she conjured up a quick catnip spell to satiate Penelope. As the spell worked Penelope up into a delightful catnip frenzy, Meg plopped down in bed and had some sweet dreams.
Chapter Three
“The usual?” Meg asked.
Meg could set her watch by Nicole Conway’s donut cravings. Every weekday morning, Nicole came to Enchanted Donuts at exactly eight forty-five to buy a jelly donut before heading to her office two blocks away. It had been that way for four years, and that Thursday morning was no different.
The forty-two-year-old brunette psychologist had her long hair clipped back in a bun. Nicole wore a white blouse paired with a gray skirt that fit her curvy figure perfectly. Her naturally raspy voice sounded scratchier than ever as she replied, “You know it.”
It wasn’t just the tone of Nicole’s voice that was different that morning. Her warm smile was noticeably absent as well, having been replaced with a tight-lipped expression.
Meg couldn’t help but worry about her friend. “Are you okay?”
“I’ll be better when I get my donut,” Nicole said.
Witch Cozy Mystery Nine Book Set Page 47
