Merry Wrath Mysteries Boxed Set Volume III (Books 7-9) Read online

  I would've shrugged if I thought I wouldn't pass out from pain. "Three is good…five is better!"

  "It's bad for you," she said. "I think a hot shower followed by some cold compresses might help."

  I heard the key in the lock. My heart leapt. Was it my mother? She certainly had some explaining to do, but I'd go easy on her. Rex opened the door and stared at the two of us. It felt disloyal to be disappointed.

  "Did you find Mom?" I asked from a reclining position. The voice in my head warned me not to sit up unless I wanted to pass out from the pain. I didn't want him to know what I'd been up to, so I just lay there.

  He shook his head and closed the door.

  "I should go…" Kelly gave me a meaningful glance and zipped out the door.

  "Why are you lying on the couch?" Rex asked. He made no move to sit down. His stiff stance made me realize this wasn't a social call.

  "It's late, and I was napping before Kelly dropped by."

  "Napping. You were napping while your mother is missing," He sounded like he didn't believe me. "Merry, I gave you Stan's address."

  I tried to look casual. "I decided not to go. I thought it was best to be fresh for the search in the morning."

  Philby trotted into the room. She looked from me to Rex. I waited for her to rub up against his legs like the little vamp she was, but instead she looked at me curiously before jumping up and landing on my stomach.

  I nearly fainted from the pain.

  "Are you alright?" Rex loomed over me.

  "I'm fine. Why?" I couldn't even move my arms to pet her. It had to look strange, Philby sitting on me and me making no move to stroke her fur.

  "Stan Coombs called to report a peeping tom in a tree outside his window. Officer Dooley checked it out and found some broken tree branches." Rex's eyebrows went up as he searched my expression.

  With every ounce of energy I had, I brought my left arm up and scratched Philby between the ears. It probably looked as natural as a squid doing the Electric Slide at a barn dance.

  "Are you accusing me? That's ridiculous!" Hopefully I'd get through this with a healthy dose of righteous indignation.

  Philby stared me in the eye before jumping onto my shoulder. Spots appeared before my eyes as I was flooded with pain. Then she started swatting my ear—the one that hurt—with her paw. She would've made an awesome interrogator.

  "Hmmm…seems to me you'd probably run over to Stan's to see if your mother was there." He picked a small twig attached to two maple leaves from my hair.

  I would've shaken my head, but the waves of pain in my right ear from being boxed by my cat made it impossible. I couldn't even move to lift her off me.

  "So, you're denying it was you." He stared at a huge rip in my pants surrounded by bits of grass.

  "Yup," I insisted. "Not me. Must've been some kids or something."

  "I gave you Stan Coombs' address." He folded his arms over his chest.

  "We didn't go. I decided I needed a nap. You know…"

  He finished my sentence. "To be fresh for the search for Judith tomorrow."

  I shrugged, grinding my teeth through the pain with a grin that had to have made me look demented.

  My fiancé ran his hands through his hair—an action I usually found adorable…except for when he was frustrated with me. Like now.

  "Merry," he said. "I need to talk to you about this. This is serious. Will you please sit up?"

  "No," I said a bit quickly. Actually, my skin screamed it inside my head. "I'm really comfortable here."

  His hands clenched into fists—another giveaway that he was frustrated. "You can't just run around spying on people."

  I rolled my eyes, which sent waves of pain through my face. Why did my eyes hurt? "I told you, I was right here. And don't forget that I was a spy once."

  His face reddened. Okay, I hadn't seen that before. "You know what I think? I think you went over to Stan's. Which would mean you're lying to me."

  "What?" I forced a casual grin that probably made me look demented. "That's just crazy. Why would I lie to you?"

  Rex was silent for a while, which was a huge help because using my lungs to breathe hurt. Philby trotted down the length of my body, and it took all my strength not to wince. She sat heavily on my knees.

  Rex sighed and walked over to the door. He turned as he opened it. "You've got tree bark on your shirt." Then he walked out the door, closing it behind him.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  Well, that's just great, I thought as I crawled to the shower on all fours. Philby trotted beside me, poking the more sensitive bruises with her paw. I could swear she was smiling.

  Lying on my back in the bathtub with the shower raining down on me, I chastised myself. This day sucked. My mother disappears, and I fall out of a tree. Rex comes over to talk, and I blow him off.

  Where was Mom? Maybe I should call Dad. Wait…that might not be a good idea. What was I going to say? Hey! I hooked Mom up on a date with a creepy furniture salesman who stalked her in high school…and now she's missing. This reminded me that I had to plug my cell in. But it was so far away, in the living room. Crawling there would be the equivalent of walking from Iowa to Texas.

  This was a mess. I'd cry if my tear ducts weren't so bruised. Instead I settled for shower abuse and just lay there, trying to think. With all the commotion, I hadn't had any time to think about the murder. Dead Didi, gold coins from Mesopotamia, a shredded parade float, my missing mother, and Rex was mad at me. I didn't even have the strength to think of what to do next.

  Eventually, I crawled out of the tub and threw a robe over my back. The hot water helped, and I was able to sit up as I studied the purple marks on my arms and legs. Oh well. I didn't care how I looked. I just wanted my mom back. After what seemed like hours, I worked my way to the living room and plugged in my cell. It took minutes just for the little light to come back on, so I rolled onto the couch.

  My cell buzzed on the table, and I grabbed it with the speed of a comatose snail.

  Had to run out of town. So sorry. I'm fine. I'll call you soon. Mom.

  Okay, my mother was off doing something so secretive she couldn't call earlier or tell me where she went. My brain was all fuzzy. It was now the middle of the night. I texted Rex and Kelly, knowing they were probably asleep, and then curled up on the couch and fell asleep.

  * * *

  "Your mother went where?" Kelly served me a donut. She'd stopped by with breakfast, figuring I wouldn't have the strength to drop two Pop-Tarts into the toaster. She was right.

  "I have no idea. It's a weird thing for her to do. She's not the kind of woman who runs off on a whim."

  "No." Kelly handed me a glass of milk. "That's you."

  My body was like a huge throbbing bruise. Five more ibuprofen took the edge off but caused Kelly to take the bottle away from me. That didn't seem fair.

  I filled her in on what Mom had said about the coins. I also suggested we might have to cancel the idea of a float for the parade.

  "I hate to do it." I slumped.

  Kelly shook her head. "Seriously, it's okay. It's good for the girls to learn that things don't always work out the way we want them to."

  "I hate letting them down."

  She patted my arm, sending waves of pain to my shoulder. "I'll call everyone and let them know. We can march in our costumes and hand out candy."

  "But the trophy…" I protested.

  "…is not a big deal. Is that what you want the girls to think? That we have to burn ourselves out to keep our 1st place status?" She shook her head. "I think it's unrealistic."

  I panicked. "Are you burned out? You're not leaving the troop! You can't leave me alone with those girls!"

  She held her hands up. "It's true. I'm feeling overwhelmed at the moment, with Finn, the job, the parade…everything. I'm okay though. Really."

  My right eyebrow arched upwards. "I noticed you didn't include the investigation."

  Kelly gave me a crooked smile. "That's
the only fun I get these days, following you around and watching the bodies drop. Although I never would've guessed that one of them would be you."

  "That's not fair. I fell. And there's only been one dead body this time." I munched on a fourth donut.

  Kelly laughed and stared out the kitchen window. Her face went slack, and she ran to the sink, still focused on something in the yard. Then she flew out the back door.

  "Kelly!" I shouted as I got off my chair and sort of ran off after her, which was difficult because everything was sore.

  I stopped dead just a few feet from the door. In my yard, at the base of a maple tree, was the broken and battered body of a strange woman. Kelly raced over and knelt down, checking the woman's pulse. She turned and looked back, shaking her head slowly.

  "What was that you were saying about just one body?" she asked.

  * * *

  "Dammit, Wrath!" Rex swore as he and two of his officers stood in my backyard. Kelly had fled the scene. I didn't blame her. She didn't want to get in the middle of a lover's spat.

  "Not my fault," I said. I was still wearing the robe but had at least put on shoes.

  Philby and Martini sat in the window, which meant they were sitting in the sink. Philby had a strange look on her face, as if she were admitting she was the killer. I wondered…

  "Who is she?" Rex pointed to the woman who was clad only in panties and a bra.

  "Amber." I gave up lying. "She was at Stan's house last night."

  From the look on his face, I was waiting for an "Aha! Busted!"

  "Last name?" He sighed heavily but didn't press me. I totally loved him for it.

  "No idea." I might as well quit denying it. "Stan called her Amber. He didn't give a last name."

  Rex called Kevin over and told him to find Stan. Dr. Body showed up. She gave me an apologetic look, and for a moment I wondered if I could pin it on her…

  "I'm so sorry, Merry. This sucks." She started walking around the body, examining everything.

  "I don't suppose you could get this information from Stan, could you?" I begged.

  Rex turned to me. "And how am I supposed to explain how I know this woman was connected to him?"

  "Um, well, you could say you have an informant."

  "He knows someone was spying on him last night. And you practically accused him of kidnapping Judith last night. And now the woman he was with is found dead in your yard?"

  "Well, when you say it like that, it sounds stupid," I mumbled.

  "When Mr. Coombs arrives, I think you should stay inside." My fiancé made it clear this wasn't a request.

  "Her neck is broken." Soo Jin Body joined us. "I'll know more after my examination." She peered at me. "Are those bruises on your neck and chin?"

  "Yeah." I felt the heat rising in my face. "I kind of fell out of a tree last night."

  Rex shook his head. He looked like he wanted to say something but didn't.

  "Thanks, Dr. Body." Rex nodded, and she left.

  "Could you break someone's neck?" he asked me.

  The question startled me. "Yes. It's not hard. My Scouts could probably do it." I pictured the girls snapping necks right and left. I'd better not mention that, or their interest in fire starting might turn to murder.

  "Go in the house. I'll bring Stan around to the backyard. I don't want him to see you. Maybe I can get something out of him."

  I nodded and fled to the inside. The cats turned to look at me, and I realized they weren't just sitting in the sink—they were sitting in a sink full of hot, soapy water. Their heads swung back to the yard. I was dismissed.

  I took the opportunity to get dressed and check my cell. Nothing more from Mom and a couple of missed calls from Kelly. Had she told the girls?

  Philby and Martini trotted into the bedroom. The soap bubbles around their midsection gave the appearance of tutus. They jumped up onto the bed and started cleaning themselves. I didn't have the strength to toss them onto the floor. I'd just have to make up the bed with dry sheets later. The thought made my arms hurt. I decided to sleep on the couch tonight.

  Shouts from the backyard led me to the bedroom window. It was open, and I hid behind the curtains to make out what was happening.

  Stan and Rex were arguing. Angrily. Stan was gesturing toward the dead woman, and his face was red. But not from tears, I noticed. Their voices were too muddled to hear without actually going out there to listen.

  The man was a suspect. He had motive and opportunity to kill both Didi and Amber. He should be contrite and complacent. Not hostile and argumentative. I'd done a little interrogating in my spy days, and his behavior set off alarms in my head.

  I was torn. Part of me wanted to run out there with a saxophone, but the other part of me wanted to hide here. Instead, I sat in the living room with my laptop googling very last-minute Halloween parade float ideas.

  By the way…never do that. You won't like what you see.

  Kelly called. "I have to head to work, but Ava Andrews' father offered to help with the float. Can you run over there?"

  I could at least move fast in my van. It took me three minutes. And I'm not going to tell you how fast I was going.

  "Mrs. Wrath." Andy looked up, startled, as I walked into his office. "That was quick!"

  "It's Miss Wrath," I said.

  He looked confused. "But my daughter is always calling you Mrs."

  "Yeah. No matter what I do, I can't seem to make them stop doing that. You said you'd help us with the float?"

  "Yes." He didn't sound convinced that this was his idea. "Ava doesn't want you to miss winning the trophy again. Follow me."

  He motioned to a woman I hadn't seen before. A very tall, severe woman in her sixties with gunmetal gray hair in a tight bun. She looked like she could crush my throat with a glance.

  "You have a new employee?" I asked as I followed him.

  Andrews startled. "What? No. That's Victoria. She's worked here maybe thirty years. She retired a few months ago, but I brought her back. What with Miss Stoker having an unfortunate accident and Mr. Coombs calling in sick today, I need the help."

  Ah. So, Stan called in. He probably left out the fact he was a suspect in another murder.

  We walked into his office, the one I'd ransacked the other day. I sat on an uncomfortable metal chair while he took a seat behind the desk.

  Andrews continued, "Victoria was an excellent employee. Never gave me or my father any trouble."

  Technically, it isn't snooping if he brought it up. "It's great that she can come out of retirement and help."

  "She didn't want to retire. I just couldn't afford to keep three full-time salesmen"—he looked around nervously—"salespeople on. You don't think Victoria heard me, do you? She's very specific on, um, words."

  I had to side with the woman there. "Victoria must've hated to go."

  He started to sweat. "Miss Stoker and Mr. Coombs were…" He looked off into space as if searching for the right lie. "Younger."

  Which made me realize that "younger" wasn't the reason they'd stayed on. Didi Stoker was known as a mean girl. Stan was horrid. If Victoria was a solid employee, there had to be a reason she was displaced.

  "It must be horrible with Didi's death," I said solemnly. "I can't imagine how hard things must be around here."

  The man looked like he was stressed, and I felt a little sorry for him. "Oh. Yes. Of course. Very tragic. She will be missed." Andrews was seriously perspiring now. Some people just don't know how to fib.

  "You know what?" I gasped. "I just remembered that a friend of mine spotted Didi in Washington DC a short time ago. Said she knew her from"—I wanted to say a cult that drowned kittens—"church." It's really sad how easily I can lie. Or, it's awesome. It depends on your perspective.

  "Oh yes. She was there a couple of weeks ago. She brought me a snow globe." Andrews nodded at a snow globe of the Jefferson Memorial—possibly the only personal item on his desk. "Mrs…Miss Wrath, I only have a few moments. We should go ove
r the details for the float."

  The store was empty, but he wanted me gone.

  "It's so generous of you to help out," I murmured.

  He handed me a photo of a flatbed. "I can't let you use our truck to haul it, but I have this if you can make it work. It'll be out back this afternoon."

  "That's great." I bit my lip. "But we only have one more day, and I'm out of ideas."

  "If you would sign this waiver." Andrews ignored me, shoving a contract across the desktop. "Just to absolve Midland Furniture if any of the girls get hurt."

  "Oh, I…" I scowled at the contract. It didn't seem fair considering my girls would certainly do something stupid. "I don't know…"

  "Take it anyway," he insisted, taking back the contract. "Good luck with the parade." He picked up his phone and said, "I have to take a call. Sorry."

  The phone hadn't rung. This man really didn't like being around people.

  I smiled. "Thank you. You've been very generous."

  On my way out the door, I noticed Victoria chatting up a customer. In spite of her severe appearance, she seemed amiable, knowledgeable, and not at all pushy. Why couldn't I have had her as my salesman instead of Stan?

  As the woman showed a young couple a living room suite, I could see that she enjoyed her job, and I felt sorry for her. Being forced to retire is no picnic. Believe me. But retiring because the company wants younger staff? That's heartbreaking.

  I should talk to her. She might have some insight about Didi. Under the pretense of being fascinated with dining room sets, I lingered. It only took a few moments until the customer left and Victoria started walking toward me.

  "Can I help you?" The older woman smiled. She didn't seem like an old "battle-ax."

  "What can you tell me about this set?" I pointed to a long dark table with six chairs.

  Of course, I didn't need it because I didn't have a dining room in my tiny ranch house. The breakfast bar was enough for me, and it held under Philby's weight. Rex already had a gorgeous set at his house. Hopefully Victoria wouldn't figure this out.