Murder So Heartless, page 1
part #3 of Merry March Mystery Series
Murder
so Heartless
A Merry March Mystery
Eileen Curley Hammond
Twody Press
Murder So Heartless Copyright © 2019 by Eileen Hammond.
All Rights Reserved.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the author. The only exception is by a reviewer, who may quote short excerpts in a review.
Cover designed by SelfPubBookCovers.com/ RLSather
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Eileen Curley Hammond
Visit my website at www.eileencurleyhammond.com
Printed in the United States of America
First Printing: Feb 2019
Twody Press
ISBN-978-1-7325460-4-2
Author’s note
Thank you to my readers. I appreciate you wanting to spend your time with Merry in the town of Hopeful. I hope you enjoy this latest book. And if you do, please let others know about it through your favorite social media platform or a review on Amazon.
I’m so fortunate to have friends who are willing to give of their time to make my books more readable. In particular, I’d like to thank young adult writer, Jenna Grinstead, for being a key touchstone and especially for her feedback on the short synopsis that describes this book. Eric Henderson graciously fit me in with his seminary studies and pointed out things that made the book more understandable. And, as always, the Buckeye Crime Writers group (a Sisters in Crime chapter), is a community that provides a continual source of inspiration and support.
I’d like to thank my editor, Lauren Pan, who challenged me to be more descriptive and asked great questions that made be me more thoughtful in my writing.
Thank you to my contractor, neighbor, and friend, Ray Parker (and his wife Cathy) who put up with endless questions at what was supposed to be a fun, non-work related, dinner.
My family continues to be a great source of inspiration and support. Specifically, I’d like to thank my Uncle Kevin Curley, who as a playwright approaches things from a different perspective and gives me new ideas. I’d also like to thank my husband, Robert. He is a great first reader and cheerleader for my efforts.
I’m so blessed to have such a great team to help me.
CONTENTS
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Also by eileen curley hammond
For Dad.
Prologue
The road stretched endlessly toward the desolate horizon, banked by sand on both sides. A line of tanks and armored personnel carriers crawled along, like ants marching home to their nest. One vehicle lagged behind the main convoy. Nearby a camouflaged Iraqi transporter-launcher laid in wait. Without warning it leapt into action, releasing a Scud missile. It hurtled toward the unsuspecting caravan. However, instead of hitting its targeted destination, it hit near the dawdler. The armored personnel carrier leapt toward the sky, tossing its human cargo onto the unforgiving road below.
Chapter 1
She looked beautiful. Her dress was blushing pink, a teensy bit shorter than I would have liked, but with good coverage on top and three quarter length sleeves. Her blond hair was styled in long ringlets and was topped with a sparkly rhinestone barrette. She finished accenting her bright blue eyes with a lavender liner and moved back from the mirror. I gave her a side hug. “Perfect. Absolutely perfect.”
“Careful, Mom. I know you don’t want me to spend another three hours on my makeup.” She smiled in the mirror at me. “You look terrific too. I love the emerald green; it really brings out the color in your eyes.” She blew me a kiss. “The roses Mr. Jenson sent are beautiful. It seems kind of mean that you have to spend Valentine’s Day with us. Thanks for being a chaperone.”
I patted my own auburn curls and touched up my makeup. “Rob and I can celebrate later. Jacob should be here any minute. Almost done?”
“Yes.” She fiddled with her hair.
“Let’s go downstairs.” We descended, arm in arm. “We clean up pretty good.”
She smiled, “Yes, we do. I can’t wait for you to see Cindy’s dress. It’s an electric blue.”
There was a staccato knock at the door, and three laughing teens barged in: my daughter’s best friend, Cindy, her boyfriend, Michael, and Jenny’s new beau, Jacob. The girls fell on each other gushing about how fabulous they both looked. The boys stood slightly apart, shifting from foot to foot, eyes wide, probably because of the decibel level in the room.
I shook Michael’s hand, then Jacob’s. “Jacob, have you and your parents finished unpacking yet?”
“We’re almost done, Ms. March. We still can’t get a car in the garage, but with my dad being in the military, we’ve gotten pretty good at moving.”
“Well, I hope you’ll get to stay here through graduation next year.”
He smiled at Jenny. “I hope so too.”
The front door opened, and my best friend, Patty Twilliger, hustled in, her long brown hair looking like it had been pulled hastily into a ponytail. “Pictures.” She pulled on Cindy’s arm. “We need pictures. Of the whole group.”
Patrick, Patty’s husband, stepped in behind her, iPhone at the ready.
Cindy sighed. “Mom, you already took like a hundred pictures.”
Patty frowned. “Someday you’ll thank me, young lady. I need pictures of Jenny too. Plus, Ms. March is going to want pictures of you, won’t you, Merry?” She gave me a stern look.
I piped up, “Of course! I want pictures of everyone.”
Patty shot me small smile, then sprang into action, issuing orders to the teens.
My boyfriend, Rob, turned the corner to the hallway. He raised his hand as if to stop Patty. “Wait, I’m not ready yet!” He hurried over, the digital SLR camera around his neck bobbing up and down. He quickly found a spot and began clicking.
Patrick guffawed. “Oh, the expensive camera comes out for the photo op.”
Rob’s mustache twitched, and then he turned back to the group. “Now the couples. Cindy and Michael first. Pose by the fireplace.”
After photos were taken of what seemed like every possible arrangement, Patty and Rob started to put their cameras away. I nudged Rob. “We need to get going.”
Jenny shook her finger. “Not so fast. We’re not the only ones dressed up. Now you and Mr. Jenson.”
Rob and I acquiesced and posed by the fireplace. Jenny chortled. “You may want to stand on the hearth, Mom. That way you’d be almost as tall as Mr. Jenson.”
I stuck my tongue out, but hopped up on the hearth. Rob winked and brushed his fingers through his wavy blond hair.
Patty chuckled and took the shot. “Now let’s get a real picture.”
I stepped down and stood in front of Rob. He wrapped his arms around my waist. I sunk into him, enjoying the warmth of his embrace.
Patrick called out, “Smile!” Before I could, the front door opened with a bang. My ex, Drew, waltzed in. I grimaced.
Patrick glanced at the viewer. “Not keeping that one.”
I crossed my arms over my chest and grit my teeth.
Jenny pranced to her father and gave him a hug. “Hi, Dad. I’m glad you’re here.”
He held her at arm’s length. “You look beautiful, smart stuff.”
“Thanks. Do you want Jacob and me to pose for you?”
I took a deep breath as he took a few shots. Drew and I divorced four years ago after he swindled the town and went to prison. When he was released, he rented the house next door. Our relationship could only be described as rocky.
Michael pushed his hair back from his forehead. “We need to get going or we’ll be late for the Valentine’s Day dance.” Air kisses ensued and they filed out the door, followed by Patrick and Patty.
We waved as they drove away. I turned to Rob. “We need to be leaving too. It won’t look good if one of the chaperones and the newspaper’s photographer-owner are late.”
Drew stared at me, his blue eyes misty. “You look wonderful, Merry.”
My cheeks reddened. Rob’s fists clenched.
I put my hand out to restrain Rob. “Thank you, Drew. We need to leave now, so if you don’t mind.” I gestured toward the door.
He opened it.
“Oh, and don’t forget to fill out the annulment paperwork I gave you two weeks ago. Father Tom is waiting on it.”
Drew smirked as he sauntered out. “Yeah, I guess I still need to do that, don’t I?”
Rob scowled. “What did that mean? Is he going to fill it out or not?”
“
He took my hand and kissed it. “We will, but I’m can’t promise the same for your ex.”
I stood on tiptoes and gave Rob a quick kiss. “Thanks for being so understanding.” I picked up my purse and we left.
When we arrived at the high school, the parking lot was packed. Rob found a spot and grabbed his camera. He opened my door. “Promise me we’ll get at least one dance tonight?”
“Depends on what’s playing, but I’m game if you are.”
I left him by the door taking photos of the arriving kids. A large red heart with a lacy white insert had been set up for them to pose in. Hearts of all different hues of red were affixed to the linoleum floor showing the way to the gym. Following the trail, I opened the door. My mouth dropped. The students had stretched a net from one set of bleachers to those on the other side. Dangling from the net were Cupid’s arrows interspersed with scores of hearts that formed daisy chains. Red carnations spelled out ‘Love’ and decorated the walls.
Barbara Ziebold approached, her arms spread wide. “Isn’t it beautiful? The kids did a super job.”
“That they did. I’m sorry I’m a few minutes late. There was a flurry of picture taking before Jenny left the house.”
“Don’t worry. I just got here myself. Jay and I were doing the same. I can’t believe how old they are. It seems like we were just changing their diapers two minutes ago.”
“Probably shouldn’t bring that up tonight.”
She chuckled. “You’re right.” She pointed at the refreshments table. “Do you mind being stationed over there? I want to make sure no one slips anything into the punch.”
“I don’t mind, although I do think your husband, Jay, would be more of a deterrent.”
“Because of his size? Or because he’s a detective?”
“Both.”
“He did it last year. Our son was mortified. He said he’d never go to another dance if Jay was there.”
I grinned and started filling cups with punch.
Barbara turned to the rest of the chaperones, “Everyone ready?” We nodded in unison. The DJ began playing and Barbara flung open the doors.
My foot tapped to the rhythm of a Taylor Swift song as I handed out cups of punch and greeted the kids I knew.
Jenny was dancing with Jacob across the gym. Seventeen. How did she grow up so fast? It was only yesterday that I knelt, bandaging her knees, after her first rollerblading adventure.
Rob broke my reverie. “Can you spare a glass of punch for a thirsty photographer?”
“Of course. Did you get some good photos?”
“Yes.” He slurped the punch and grimaced. “Too sweet.”
I pulled a bottle of water from under the table. “Chaperone special.”
“Much better.” He took a sip. “I’m going to get candid shots now.” He walked off, appearing to zero in on Jenny and Jacob.
There was another rush at the punch table, and I hurried to keep up. Before long, Barbara joined me. “Need a break?”
“Thanks. I’ll take a quick one.” I made a beeline for the ladies room. The area by the mirrors was packed with girls adjusting their makeup and gossiping about who was dancing with whom. I wove through to the sink and washed my hands. A quick swipe of some lip gloss, and I was back out the door. As I returned to my post, I noticed someone behind the bleachers. He was lifting a flask to his lips. I strode up to him. “Stop.” I held out my hand. “I’ll take that.”
He turned beet red. “It’s not what you think.”
“Uh huh.” I motioned for him to hand me the flask.
“You’re not going to tell my parents, are you?” He placed it in my hand.
“Yes, I am.”
His face fell.
“But not till tomorrow. Enjoy the rest of the dance.”
His face brightened, and he held out his hand for the flask. I shook my head. “You don’t need this. I’ll be sure to return it to your parents tomorrow.”
He slunk away.
I unscrewed the flask and sniffed. My eyes watered. What is this? I strolled back to the table, slipping it into my purse.
Rob snuck around the tables to join me. “Stopped two kids who were getting frisky at the end of the bleachers. They thought no one would see them.”
“Nice work. I caught someone with his own refreshments. One hundred proof.”
“Can you take a break? I’d like to claim that dance.”
My eyes widened. “Dance to this?” A very energetic song was playing. It had no discernable rhythm.
Rob grinned. “One of the great things about being an adult is that you have money to bribe the DJ.”
I waved Barbara over. “Do you mind if I take a quick dance break?”
She stuck her fingers in her ears. “If you think you can dance to this, go ahead.”
Rob took my hand and led me onto the floor. He waved to the DJ. Bless the Broken Road by Rascal Flatts started to play. Pulling me into his arms, we began to dance and the gym fell away.
I looked up into his beautiful green eyes. “I love this song.” He pulled me closer, and I closed my eyes, warm against his chest.
✽ ✽ ✽
I groaned as I massaged my feet the next morning. Why do women wear heels? Between guarding the punch bowl and stolen moments on the dance floor with Rob, my feet had gotten a workout. I donned my sweatpants, hoody, and warm fuzzy slippers and padded my way downstairs into the kitchen. In short order I was sitting on the window seat, a cup of hot java in my hands. One of my cats, Courvoisier, jumped up next to me. I petted her and stared at Drew’s house. Maybe he’ll move on now that he’s been cleared of murder charges.
A taxi pulled up and deposited a tall brunette on the sidewalk in front of Drew’s house. She was striking. Cheekbones you could cut a knife on, brown almond shaped eyes, and legs that were far longer than mine. A dark purple rolling suitcase landed next to her. It looked expensive, as classy as she seemed to be.
She turned toward the driver. I couldn’t be certain, but I thought he wiped drool from the corner of his mouth. Without glancing back, she rolled her suitcase through Drew’s garden gate and up the path. The suitcase must have been heavy, as she bumped it from one stair to the next. She reached the porch and paused in front of the door. She fluffed her long mane and rang the bell.
Drew opened the door, picked her up, and twirled her around. He lifted her suitcase, and they disappeared into his house.
I hurried to my half bath and stared into the mirror. Nope. No contest. At least not this morning.
Jenny appeared next to me. “What are you doing?”
I jumped. “Nothing. Having coffee.”
She gave me a long look. “In the bathroom?”
I brushed past her and returned to the window seat. “Your dad appears to have a visitor.”
She looked out the window. “Who?”
“I don’t know. What do you want for breakfast?”
“Scrambled eggs and bacon. And I wouldn’t say no to one of your cinnamon rolls.”
I retrieved the bacon and eggs from the refrigerator. “Would you please get two cinnamon rolls out of the freezer in the garage?”
“It’s cold out there, and my feet are bare.”
“Go back upstairs and get your slippers.”
“Can’t I borrow yours?”
I sighed and kicked them off my feet. She slipped them on.
I put the bacon in the pan.
She came back in, put the cinnamon rolls on a plate, and pressed defrost on the microwave. Then she plopped down at the counter, swinging her feet.
I gave her a stern look. “Ahem. My slippers?”
“They’re so warm and toasty.”
I frowned at her. She pouted, took them off, and laid them next to me on the floor.
“Thank you.” I slid into them and flipped the bacon.
“So what did Dad’s visitor look like?”
“A woman, tall, kind of a goddess.”
Jenny’s eyes widened. “Brown long hair? Looks like a model?”
“Yes. Do you know her?”
