Cold Hollow (Cold Hollow Mysteries Book 1) (15 page)

May Belle’s mouth formed a thin line as she started collecting her personal effects. She then jammed them inside her purse, stood up, and pushed past Myrna in the hallway. Myrna and Liam watched her leave, and Myrna noticed Liam waving good-bye to her.

She giggled and pulled him across the hall. There was an empty room there, and Myrna smiled. She knew exactly what to do with it. She would turn it into a daycare that Mrs. Dumont could run. She would be supervised by Amanda Borges, who was going to take over May Belle’s job.

She glanced down at Liam and said, “Let’s go check out my new office.” They rounded the corner and made their way up to Nazar’s old office.

Myrna sat behind the desk and made a phone call to the nearest police department. It was at least fifty miles away, but she knew they would make it to Cold Hollow within the hour.

When they answered, she smiled. “Hello, this is Mayor Myrna Bradbury of Cold Hollow. I’m afraid that I require your assistance in a few matters. There have been three homicides and I have two police officers in custody. Their weapons have been confiscated and all the evidence you will need will be provided for you upon arrival. We also have a missing person. I’m afraid that we are also in need of a new police chief and a few permanent police officers. If you could be so kind as to refer some to me, I’ll be happy to interview them and get them situated in a nice home as soon as possible.”

She listened to the reply and nodded to herself. When she hung up the phone, she was beaming. They promised her that they would respond within the hour.

Liam slid up onto her lap and strummed his little fingers on the top of the desk. “Whose home are the new policemen going to live in?”

She wrapped her arms around his waist. “I think that Uncle Tom and I will let them buy ours after we move into your house.”

Liam shook his head back and forth. “Aunty Myrna, I have to tell you, you are one slick character.”

Myrna laughed. She knew he had picked that line up from some movie or another.

Artie, Dom the locksmith, and Hugo Morrissey entered the office with bagged evidence. She jumped in surprise. “Hugo! Oh, it is so good to see you! I heard about what Ranger Bullock did to you. Are you well?”

He chuckled, made his way to her side, and squeezed her shoulder. “It would take more than that to take this stubborn old coot down, Myrna.” He rubbed the top of Liam’s head of curls.

Myrna looked at the men with a serious expression and said, “The police will be here within the hour, so we have to move fast.” She pointed to a safe beneath the bank of monitors that Nazar kept in his office.

Artie crouched in front of it, studied it, and got to work. The locksmith joined him and the two commented on the locking mechanism of the device.

Myrna turned to Hugo and smiled. “You have your job back, and as soon as that safe is opened, I’m giving you some back pay so you can get on your feet again. The townsfolk always loved it when you ran the park and trails. They always felt safe.”

She watched Hugo take a seat across from the desk and nod. “I still got my uniform and boots. It’s my pleasure, Myrna.”

She heard Artie shout, and spun in her chair toward the safe. Artie and the locksmith fell backward onto their butts at the sight they beheld. There were stacks and stacks of cash. Myrna began thinking fast and yelled, “Hugo, find me a tote bag or duffle bag from Nazar’s bedroom. Find me anything to put that money in.”

He flew out of his chair and raced through the adjoining rooms. He returned with a navy blue duffle bag and watched as Artie and the locksmith stuffed all the cash into it. Myrna’s mind raced, and she nodded when Artie pulled out one thousand dollars and handed it to Hugo. “Take out another thousand for Amanda Borges.” She watched as he did this, and the rest of the cash was jammed into the bulging duffle bag. Artie lifted an accounting ledger and handed it to Myrna. She scanned it and jammed it into the duffle bag with the cash.

Little Liam just kept saying, “Holy cow,” repeatedly.

She then noticed personal files atop Nazar’s desk. She gathered them up and pulled out her personal file to check for accuracy. She found things were in order and noticed Nazar had stamped her file, “Parole completed.” She flipped through and searched for Artie’s, the locksmith’s, and Hugo Morrissey’s files. She placed them one side and handed Artie the remaining files for the safe. She opened each file and searched the desk for the “Parole completed” stamp. She found it, inked it, and stamped each file. She wore a wide smile as she looked at the men. “Congratulations, your parole is up.”

Hugo leaned forward and said, “Mine was up almost two years ago. You mean to tell me that the bastard didn’t even stamp it?” Myrna shook her head and heard his angry growl.

Artie made him laugh when he said, “Hey, I just got three days taken off my parole for good behavior.”

The locksmith said he had two weeks taken off his for the same reason, and the room went up in loud laughter.

Artie stood and waved Amanda’s thousand dollars in the air. He said, “Myrna, you want me to go and get Amanda Borges so she can start working now?”

Myrna looked at the duffle bag filled with cash and nodded. “Yup, make it quick. She and I have to go and open up a bank account for the town funds before the police get here.”

Hugo Morrissey narrowed his gaze at her. “You telling me we don’t have to pay the till or the living fee no more?”

Myrna tapped her fingers on the desk and said, “Yes. That’s what I’m saying. I’m hoping that the town will run just fine on the interest of that bulk of cash that Nazar planned on keeping.” She thought harder and watched as Artie and the locksmith left the office to pick up Amanda Borges.

She turned to Hugo. “I trust your instinct, Hugo. Do you think Artie would make a good accountant for the town funds?”

Hugo nodded. “He’s good with numbers and locks. Sure, he was a thief in his past life, but I think he’s on to bigger and better things now. Besides, he wouldn’t dare cheat you out of a plugged nickel. He’s too afraid of what you would do to him.” Myrna laughed along with Hugo.

She watched as Liam slid off her lap, went to the safe, slammed it shut, and spun the dial. She jotted down a note and handed it to Hugo. He sat there, unfolded it, and read it. It was something about him finding white feathers as a surprise for the little boy. She watched him glance sadly at Liam and nod.

Hugo then watched Myrna do something odd. She searched her purse, took out a capped syringe, wiped it down, and slid it into the top drawer of Nazar’s old desk. He cleared his throat and asked, “Um, what is that?”

Myrna glanced at him and said, “That was Nazar’s medicine. He must have misplaced it and couldn’t get to it in time.” She shook her head and continued, “For the life of me, I cannot comprehend how it landed in my purse.”

She wore a devilish grin when she raised her face to Hugo. He bellowed out hearty laughter and watched as she dusted down the desk and the front of the safe. She was fastidious as she worked at erasing any prints that anyone might have left.

EPILOGUE

It took two weeks before the neighboring police department completed their investigation. Myrna reminisced about the expressions on the visiting officers’ faces after they had seen the Barners’ remains. One of them had vomited, and the other two looked as though they were about to.

They went to the town police barracks and took the two previous officers out of their cells. They dragged them to a patrol car without a moment’s hesitation. The gun residue and fingerprints on the weapons that had killed the Barner family had matched theirs. Myrna remembered blowing them kisses as they went past in the backseat of the police cruiser. She smiled as she remembered that she would never have to look at them again.

After they reviewed his medical records and found out what the fine medical staff had done at the hospital to try to revive Nazar, his death was ruled accidental. Myrna almost giggled when she remembered telling the mortician to flush his ashes down the shitter so he could join her dead husband.

May Belle was adamant when the police paid her a visit. She insisted that they comb Nazar’s office and look for any signs of tampering. She found his death happened too suddenly for her liking. To subdue the old biddy, they did as she asked and found nothing. They did question Myrna about the syringe he had in his top drawer, but she told them she knew nothing about it and they should probably ask the local pharmacist, Jack. They grilled her about what she had touched when she called them and she had given them the eyes of the bored and fed up. She said, “I had to use his phone to call you and I sat in his chair. That’s it.”

The visiting chief said, “Why didn’t you just use your cell phone, or the phone in the bakery?

Myrna glared at him. “We don’t have long distance. Nazar’s phone was the only one that could be used for out-of-town business.”

When the visiting police informed her that they had found Ranger Bullock, she feigned shock and dismay, but giggled inwardly when they told her wild animals had torn his carcass to pieces to the point where they had to use dental records for a positive identification. His death was deemed accidental as well. When they had searched deeper into the woods, well past the trails, they had found random human remains and assumed that they had belonged to the people whose files were labeled “Rejects.” They bagged whatever bones they could find and would try to match them.

The entire town showed up for the memorial service for the Barner family, police included. Many tears were shed as each attendant took a turn at the podium and told stories of how they had first met them and how much they admired them. Little Liam was laughing at some of the stories, but sobbing at others. Doctor Tom assured Myrna it was good that he was releasing his emotions rather than bottling them.

The chief of police from the neighboring town had appointed a new chief for Cold Hollow and two police officers, who would report to the mayor. He also sent in a legitimate parole officer who would meet with each inhabitant of the town on a regular basis. Myrna had not met the person yet, but had already decided that he or she would be paid out of the town fund.

Before the chief left Cold Hollow, he sat across the desk from Myrna and eyed her suspiciously.

She maintained her professional composure and smiled at him. “Is there anything else you want to discuss with me?”

He shook his head and sat back in the chair. He tilted his head and switched the toothpick in his mouth to the other side. “I think everything that happened in this town in a short period of time was delivered to me in a very tidy package.” He narrowed his eyes on her and sighed. “The evidence supports your stories, but…I don’t know. I also think that it’s coincidental how your parole ended just weeks before you were voted into office as the new mayor.”

Myrna leaned forward. Her nerves threatened to shred, but she knew how to act. She remained calm, didn’t twitch like she wanted to, and said in an even tone, “I’ve already explained that to you. No one expected Nazar to die, and unbeknownst to me, the town held a private vote and elected me. I don’t think it’s because I will rule with an iron fist like he did, but rather because they know I will be fair and protect them.”

He shook his head and moaned, “It won’t be your job to protect them anymore. That job belongs to your new police department, ma’am. I just can’t believe that I never knew an ex-warden ran this town and that parolees lived here. I can’t believe there was a government experiment going on so close to my town, and I was not notified.” He gestured to the safe and said, “Keep the prison files in that safe. Take out the ones that meet with the new parole officer the day of their meeting.” The combination to the safe was written on a small piece of paper. As he handed it to her, she agreed.

“Can you believe that we were never allowed to leave the town limits to notify you about what was happening? We would have loved to! Our home and cell phones were limited to the town. Nazar’s phone was the only one that could call out of bounds.” She tapped the phone on the desk. “We lived under constant threat. For Christ’s sake, our out-of-town mail was even opened and checked before it was sent! We did our time in prison, and can you believe that our every move was still monitored as though we were still inmates?” She gestured to the monitors to her right. They were no longer operational, but they were still there.

“That just ain’t right.”

“No. It isn’t. However, it will be fine now, and I like the idea that if anything goes awry again, this town can rely on yours for backup.”

He nodded and stood. He leaned over and shook her hand. “You sure can, Madame Mayor.” He had read her file. He knew that she was clever and knew how to survive. She was a success story, and he knew she had her wits about her. He just hoped it stayed that way. He was about to leave, but turned back to her with a grin on his face. He pulled an envelope out of his back pocket and handed it to her. “I had a background check done on the Barner family. The parents had no living relatives, and rather than put their son into a foster system, I had you appointed as his legal guardian. I have had the opportunity to watch the child interact with you and I’ve seen your new home. It would be apparent to anyone that this is where he belongs. He belongs with you and the doctor.”

Myrna grasped the envelope and held it to her chest. She could hardly stop thanking him, and as he left the office, she shouted, “Happy holidays, Chief.” He smiled and wished her the same as he left.

Myrna gathered up her briefcase and pocketbook and scurried from the office. She locked the door behind her and made her way to the staircase. She stopped at the new daycare on the first floor to see Mrs. Dumont rocking and cooing to Amanda Borges’ youngest child. Wally Dumont had taken it upon himself to paint the room in varying pastel colors, and had painted the letters of the alphabet upon each wall. There were two cribs and two twin beds set up, a large carpet for a play area, and a bevy of new toys. It would take an idiot not to see that Alice Dumont was in heaven. Myrna smiled at her. “Don’t forget. Come to our house tomorrow at noon for Christmas, okay?”

Mrs. Dumont smiled and continued rocking the baby. “I can hardly wait. Wally’s at home wrapping presents right now!” Myrna waved to her and proceeded to the window of Amanda Borges’ office.

She saw her poring over the numbers of the accounting ledger. Amanda glanced up and smiled. “Don’t worry, I’m wrapping it up now and will leave early. I’ll see you at noon tomorrow and bring my famous candied yams.” She crooked her finger and Myrna leaned further into the room. “Artie and I went over the books, and the interest on the town fund will cover the town’s monthly expenses year-round. No more till money required.” She held up another accounting ledger and said, “The government funds this town each year too. Nazar planned to use the till money for his retirement. We have a lot of budgets to review.”

Myrna closed her eyes and released a huge sigh. She opened her eyes and smiled. “That has to be the best Christmas present the townsfolk could wish for. After the holidays, we’ll get on the new town budget.”

She watched Amanda smile in agreement. Myrna left the town hall. She made her way across the street and noticed the sky was clouding over again. They were about to have a white Christmas. She entered the bakery to see it mobbed by last-minute shoppers. She had baked double the amount of goods early that morning. She expected to sell out, but had tucked some items aside to bring home.

She took off her coat, donned an apron, and helped Donnie and Daryl until the place eventually emptied out. She watched them scrub the place down and refill sugar bowls, and slipped them each a holiday bonus. They roared to the ceiling, grabbed their coats, and hollered at her as they left, “We’ll see you tomorrow, Ms. Myrna!”

She laughed, went to the refrigerator, and boxed the pies and muffins she had set aside. After stringing the boxes, she emptied the cash drawer and receipts into a leather sack.

She was heading to the front door and noticed the Carlisle sisters blocking her exit. Their lips were in thin lines, and their hands were on their hips. The youngest one, the one with the temper, scowled at Myrna and yelled, “You bitch! Why are you buying your supplies at the market instead of from our farm now?”

Myrna placed her baked goods down on the nearest table and grasped the moneybag by its neck. It was heavy with coin rolls. She smiled politely and responded, “Because they charge less and their goods are just as fresh as yours.” She planted her feet on the floor and tensed.

Surprisingly, it was the older sister who swung and made contact with Myrna’s jaw. She felt the pain rocket through her mouth and lashed out with the moneybag. It connected, sending the overweight farmer to her knees with a loud thud. She growled, “My dead husband hit harder than you, scumbag!”

The younger sister howled and came at Myrna with both of her arms extended and her hands open like claws. “How dare you hurt my sister!” She continued howling like a wounded animal as Myrna swung the bag again and connected with the side of her head. She hit the floor with a blast and an ear-piercing screech.

Just as the younger sister went down, the bell atop the door jingled. Myrna was relieved to see the new police officer step inside and survey the situation. He looked at Myrna. “Attempted robbery?”

Myrna stood catching her breath, nodded, and plopped into a nearby chair. “That is what I’m assuming. Those two are money-hungry troublemakers. Thank goodness you happened in when you did. I don’t know what they would have done to me. You are a savior.”

He shrugged his shoulders and began cuffing the sisters one by one, as they moaned in pain. “Actually my stopping by was an accident. My shift was over and I was hungry. I was hoping that you had something left in one of your cases.”

Myrna looked and saw some croissants, two muffins, and one pie left. She stood and boxed the goods for him. She carried it to his cruiser for him as he shoved the Carlisle sisters in the backseat. He thanked her for the baked goods and placed them in the front seat of the car. When he went to pay her, she shook her head. “You have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, Officer.”

When she returned inside the bakery, she blew a puff of wind from her cheeks, ran her fingers through her mussed hair, and picked up her belongings. She left the bakery after locking up and drove to the log cabin to her men. She smiled at that thought and could hardly wait to see them.

She arrived home to hear holiday music playing. The tree was lit, and Tom and Liam were in the kitchen decorating Christmas cookies. Liam had more frosting around his mouth than on the cookies, and she laughed. She kissed the top of his head and kissed Tom on the lips. He reached out and touched her swollen jaw. “What on earth?”

She rolled her eyes. “The Carlisle sisters were angry with me.” She then gave him a sly grin and lifted her money sack. “They are worse off than I am,
and
they’re in jail for the holidays.” He shook his head and chuckled as he went to fill a Ziploc bag with ice for her jaw.

The following morning, they woke with a startle in their new bedroom. They hadn’t moved into Sophia and Angus’s bedroom. They used the spare room that had previously been slated to be an office.

They heard Liam shrieking downstairs. They threw their robes and slippers on and raced down the stairs to find him standing in front of the Christmas tree in wonder. He turned to them and pointed at the pile of presents beneath it. His expression was filled with joy.

He clasped his hands together and nodded at them once. “I knew Santa believed me when I told him I was good all year.”

Myrna sat on the floor beside him as Tom went to the kitchen to start the coffeepot. She leaned into Liam and said, “I spy some presents for the company that is coming here today, too! Wow, I guess Santa really does know who has been good and who has been bad.”

Liam nodded and stared at all the packages. Myrna pulled a few toward him and said, “These have your name on them. Do you want to open them now or wait until later?”

He seemed to think about it for all of two minutes before he decided. “I think I better do it now, because Ranger Morrissey is coming a little later so I can give the deer their Christmas presents. Mr. Artie gave me a whole bag of apples to feed them.”

Tom came back with two mugs of coffee and they sat and watched as Liam tore into his presents. He smiled and shouted as he opened each one up. Before long, the floor had battles going on and toy trains tearing up the tracks. Myrna learned that Tom was quite the lover of toys and was the perfect play companion for Liam—that was, until the Borges children showed up. She was sure all hell was going to break loose. She took her leave and made a quick breakfast so she could shower and change into her holiday outfit. She had to apply makeup to her bruised jaw, and she still had the table to set and cards to put out in front of the place settings.