Read Trouble and Treats (A Chocolate Centered Cozy Mystery Book 6) Online
Authors: Cindy Bell
“But you did. She didn’t pull away, and tumble down the stairs. You shoved her as hard as you could and you sent her flying into the wall and down those stairs.”
“I suppose so.” His voice softened. “When I saw her at the bottom of the stairs, I was relieved. Then I realized I’d let myself get in too deep with her. She was supposed to be my cover, but really I’d grown too attached. In my line of work I can’t put down roots, and I should have known better. In that instant it was all over and I no longer had to worry about someone drawing the wrong kind of attention to me. I guess, I need to do the same thing with you.” Ally braced herself. She knew there was no way she could resist his strength and remain upright at the top of the stairs. She had very few options and had to come up with a solution fast.
Ally expected to feel his hands shove hard against her back, but instead she felt him step away from her. Was she wrong? Was he going to let her live? But when she felt something metal pressed against her back and heard the safety being released her breath caught in her throat. He was going to shoot her instead. She braced herself for the shot. But what she heard was his cell phone ring. The sound made her jump. It was Jack’s phone and it was coming from down the hall.
“Who is that?” Jack said to himself with exasperation. Ally tensed as she wondered if he would answer the phone. Would he shoot her first before answering the phone? She felt the gun that was pressed against her back being removed. “Down the stairs.” He shoved her lightly as she slowly walked down the stairs. Once she was at the bottom he tied her hands behind her back and through the railing on the stairs. “I need you to show me where the box is, but I first have to go to the funeral.” She heard him quickly walk back up the stairs. “Once I have the box this can all be over,” he said from the top of the stairs. A moment later she was bathed in darkness as he slammed the door shut behind him. As relieved as she was that he had left, she was also terrified. She knew that he would be back. And when he did come back he would force her to get the box. After he had the box he would kill her! Would he kill Charlotte, too?
Ally desperately tried to untie her hands. Her arms ached as the rope dug into her wrists. She tried to calm down and think of ways to get free. Then she heard the door behind her swing open. She gasped as she anticipated Jack coming back. Had he changed his mind? Was he going to shoot her now? The light flicked on, and she held her breath, uncertain of what to do. She couldn’t see the door from the bottom of the stairs and she could only assume it was Jack that started down the stairs.
“It’s okay, Ally, it’s okay.” Relief flooded her as she recognized Luke’s voice. It floated through her mind like a dream. Then she saw him running down the stairs. He knelt down and untied her hands. When she was free she turned into his muscular arms.
“Where’s Jack?” She breathed the question against his chest.
“Don’t worry about him, he’s a little tied up at the moment.” He held her close and thought she detected the sound of tears in his voice. He cleared his throat and helped her back up the stairs. “Let’s go, you’re safe now.”
“How did you know?” She looked into his eyes as he pulled away enough to let her get her own footing.
“If there’s one thing I’ve learned about you, Ally, it’s that if I tell you not to do something, you’re going to do it. When you didn’t show up at the funeral, and Jack was missing, too, I got very worried. A neighbor reported seeing someone enter the house, and I had no doubt in my mind that it was you.”
“A neighbor, hm? Mavis?” She tightened her lips.
“Yes, Mavis. I guess she’s been watching the house ever since Emma’s death. She told me in no uncertain terms that I had to get here and fast. I guess she’s not guilty of murder, just guilty of being a nosy neighbor.”
“It’s a good thing she was. If she hadn’t reported it who knows what would have happened. If you hadn’t shown up…”
“Don’t even think like that.” He stared hard into her eyes. “I did show up, and it’s over now.”
“I won’t.” She sighed and wiped her hands across her face. “But I still don’t understand how you knew I was here when I didn’t answer the door?”
“I knew you had to be inside. So, when you didn’t answer, I assumed there was someone in there with you and that you were in danger. I came in through the back. When I walked into the hallway, Jack was headed back to this door.”
“He was going to shoot me.” She shook her head.
“You solved Emma’s murder, Ally. Now we have Jack for attacking you. The only problem is he can claim that you broke in, maybe even try for self-defense.”
“He could, but he confessed to me. I put my cell phone on record when I thought there might be someone else in the house with me. I should have his full confession.”
“You’re amazing.” As he hugged her sirens blared through the neighborhood. “I’m going to take care of Jack being taken into custody. You stay here, all right? Don’t go anywhere.”
“I’m not going to go anywhere.” She gritted her teeth. “I want to make sure that man is behind bars.”
“Nothing is going to stop that now. I’ll be right back.”
Ally stared at the open basement door.
“I don’t care what you’re doing, I’m going in there!”
Ally smiled as she recognized her grandmother’s voice.
“It’s okay, let her in.” The moment Luke gave his permission, Charlotte rushed to the back of the house. “Ally? Ally?”
“I’m here, Mee-Maw. I’m right here.” She opened her arms to her grandmother. Charlotte hugged her tight.
“I was so worried about you. Mavis called me, she was ranting about something. It took me forever to pin down exactly what she was saying. I came as soon as I understood.”
“It’s okay, Mee-Maw, everything’s fine. See?” Ally smiled. “I’m not hurt.”
“Why didn’t you tell me this is what you planned?” She whacked Ally on the shoulder.
“Ow! I wasn’t hurt.” Ally scowled then smiled again. “We’ve got him, Mee-Maw. Jack is going away for murder, and I’m sure countless other crimes.”
“Good.” Charlotte sighed. “Now, maybe we can truly honor Emma.”
Luke had to fill in the paperwork for the case so he wasn’t able to have lunch with Ally. However, later that afternoon Luke and Ally took Arnold for a walk. Ally felt a sense of peace that Emma’s murder had been solved.
As they walked away from the cottage Luke wrapped his arm around her.
“Jack admitted to taking the keys from Charlotte’s purse that first day you went to see him. He saw the wooden box in your purse and he needed it. He tried to recover it without anyone knowing. I can’t believe you and your grandmother put yourselves in so much danger.”
“But we’re safe now.”
“But guess who saved you at the end of the day?” He asked as he pulled her closer.
“You did?”
“No, Arnold and Peaches.” Arnold looked up at the mention of his name.
“How?”
“It turns out that Jack not only doesn’t like animals, but is a little scared of cats and a lot scared of pigs.”
“Really? He’s scared of animals?” Ally smiled.
“Yes, when he came to the cottage and was going to let himself in to search for the box, he heard Peaches and Arnold making a ruckus inside. He couldn’t get himself to do it.”
“Thank you, Arnold.” She patted the pig’s head.
“I must admit that I am growing more and more fond of him.” Luke smiled. As they walked past Mavis’ house Ally saw her standing outside. Ally waved to her and Mavis nodded her head slightly in acknowledgement. “Well, that’s an improvement.”
“It is, hopefully she’ll let me help her if she needs it.” Ally nodded. “What were the IDs for?”
“It turns out that Jack was involved in organized crime. We have the fake IDs he used, and can link him to several hits. He was a murderer before he ever killed Emma. He will be off the streets and so will several criminals connected to him. That is at least something.”
She gazed back into his eyes that were filled with warmth. “It is. Even though it created more work for you?”
“Finding the truth isn’t work for me. It’s the entire reason I went into law enforcement. The fact that you value the truth, just like I do, that tells me that we have something strong in common.” He stopped walking and turned her towards him. He brushed his hand lightly along the curve of her cheek. “One of many things, I suspect.”
“I think you’re right about that.” She turned her cheek into his hand. “Thanks for walking with me, Luke.”
“I love spending time with you.” He paused and drew his hand back from her cheek.
“Me too.” She grasped his hand before it could fall away and brought the back of it to her lips. She gazed into his eyes. He smiled, a slow easy smile, that melted her heart from top to bottom. How could that feeling ever grow old?
Ally tightened her grip on Luke’s hand and promised herself that she would keep an open heart and an open mind.
“Come with me, Mee-Maw has made us some brownies at the cottage. In honor of Emma.”
“How could I resist.” He followed after her.
“Yes, and we have to thank a little pig and cat for protecting Mee-Maw and me.”
“That we do.” He laughed.
The End
Thank you very much for reading ‘Trouble and Treats’, the sixth book in the Chocolate Centered Cozy Mystery Series. If you enjoyed the book and would like to be updated when I release a new book you can sign up for email updates at
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Cindy Bell is the author of the cozy mystery series Chocolate Centered, Sage Gardens, Bekki the Beautician, Dune House, Heavenly Highland Inn and Wendy the Wedding Planner.
Cindy has always loved reading, but it is only recently that she has discovered her passion for writing romantic cozy mysteries. She loves walking along the beach thinking of the next adventure her characters can embark on.
You can sign up for her newsletter so you are notified of her latest releases at
http://www.cindybellbooks.com
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Chocolate Centered Cozy Mysteries
Luscious Pastry at a Lethal Party
Sage Gardens Cozy Mysteries
Wendy the Wedding Planner Cozy Mysteries
Bekki the Beautician Cozy Mysteries
Hairpin, Hair Dryer and Homicide
Cosmetics, a Cruise and a Killer
Lipstick, a Long Iron and Lifeless
Camping, Concealer and Criminals
Dune House Cozy Mysteries
Heavenly Highland Inn Cozy Mysteries
A Deadly Serious Gardening Contest