M&M Surprise Murder: A Donut Hole Cozy Mystery - Book 17 (3 page)

A lone figure stood behind a mark on
the field, bow raised, arrow knocked, focus unbreakable. That was her. The
source of every Hillside rumor in the last two days: Jessica ‘Jinx’ Laverne.

Her long, blond hair hung down her
back in a plait. She fired, and the arrow whistled through the air, across the
field. It hit the center of the target and splinters flew at the impact.

“She’s pretty intimidating,” Amy said.

“She’s in her twenties. I think we’ll
be okay,” Heather replied.

“Yeah, because murderers are always
over thirty.”

Heather sighed and patted Ames on the
back. “Point taken.”

Jinx knocked another arrow, took aim
and let loose again. Her eyes blazed determination… or was it anger.

“Hi,” Heather called out.

Jinx swung on the spot and brought her
bow around.

“Whoa. We come in peace.” Amy put her
hands up and flashed a smile.

“Relax, she hasn’t got another arrow,”
Heather whispered. She strode across the field and stopped in front of the
green-eyed woman.

“Hello,” Jinx said, then grasped her
braid and tugged it over her shoulder. “May I help you?”

“I hope so,” Heather replied. “You’re
Jinx, right?”

“That’s right,” she said, and a smile
wavered on her lips.

“It seems like we’ve come at a bad
time.” Heather glanced at the target in the distance, then met the young
woman’s gaze again. “I don’t suppose you have time to talk.”

“I do,” Jinx replied. “My coach hasn’t
arrived yet, so I’ve got a few minutes to kill. What’s up?”

“I’m Heather Shepherd. I own the local
donut store,” Heather replied, and shook the woman’s free hand. She jerked her
head toward her bestie. “And this is Amy. She works with me.”

“I’m the wits of the operation,” Amy
said.

“Operation?” Jinx frowned and glanced
between them. “What do you mean?”

Here went nothin’. “I’m investigating
Kyle Henson’s death. I know that you were close to him at one point and wanted
to find out if you knew anything which might be of use to the investigation.
Details about his life, that kind of thing.”

Jinx gestured for Heather to follow,
then turned and traipsed across the field, toward the stands.

Heather and Amy exchanged a quizzical
look, then hurried after the archer. They stopped at the base of the stairs.

Jinx placed her bow on one of the
plastic chairs, then sat down beside it. She interlaced her fingers and dropped
her hands into her lap. “Kyle,” she said, then shook her head. Tears brimmed at
the bottom of her eyelids.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset
you,” Heather said.

Jinx choked out a laugh. “No, it’s
okay, it’s okay. I’ve got to talk about it sometime. But, wait, are you a cop
or –?”

“An investigator,” Amy said.
“Heather’s pretty well known around Hillside for her investigations.”

Heather nudged her to get her to quiet
down. Jinx didn’t need to know that she’d solved crimes. If the woman had
something to do with the murder, it would discourage her from talking.

“Oh, well, I guess I can talk to you
then. You’re better than that other cop who came to see me. Kinda cute, brown
hair, really mean, though.”

“That’s Heather’s –”

Heather elbowed her bestie in the ribs
this time. “So, you had a good relationship with Kyle?”

“I wouldn’t say that,” Jessica
replied. “We had a great relationship years ago, when I was in High School. He
was my coach back then, but I don’t know, he had a meltdown or whatever and he
fired me from the team.”

“Wow, I’m sorry to hear that,” Heather
said.

Jinx flapped her hands in the air and
waved it aside. “No, no, it’s okay. I think he had some family issues. It’s all
water under the bridge.”

Heather scratched underneath her chin
and cocked her head to one side. “Family issues.”

“Yeah, with his wife.”

“It’s funny you should say that. I
spoke to Lori Henson. She said her husband was having an affair and I should
speak to you about it,” Heather said.

Jinx shifted her heels on the
concrete. “You’re kidding. That’s rich coming from her,” she said, then pressed
her lips together. Her cheeks colored and she glanced past Heather at the
targets, the green field, and the bright, blue sky, free of clouds.

“What do you mean?”

Jinx grimaced. “I probably shouldn’t
say this, but Lori is the one who had the affair. I don’t know who with, but it
definitely happened.”

“Lori had the affair? Not Kyle?”
Heather asked. Two opposing sources. Oh boy, this would be a case to remember.

“Yeah, I’m not sure who with, but I
know Kyle, I mean, I knew him. He loved her totally. You should’ve seen how he
acted around her at school functions and whenever she came to see him during
practice. He only had eyes for her.” Jinx stroked the circles beneath her eyes.
“Shoot, I suppose it’s unfair of me to talk about her like that. Kyle’s gone
now.”

“Is there anything else you can tell
me about Kyle? Anything you think might be relevant?”

Jinx twisted her mouth to the side and
stared at the sky. “Hmmm, not really. He was a good guy. I hope you find
whoever did this to him, because they deserve to pay for their crime.”

“Thanks for your time,” Heather said.
“We’ll leave you to your practice.”

“See ya. Hey, maybe I’ll come in for a
donut some time,” Jinx replied, then rose from her seat and picked up her bow.
“If my coach ever gets here.”

“Try the M&M Surprises,” Amy said.
“You won’t regret it.”

Heather and Amy walked across the
field, and linked arms. The sun’s rays warmed the back of Heather’s neck, but
ice froze her insides.

Something about this case didn’t sit
right.

She glanced back at Jinx, but the
archer already had an arrow knocked, aimed squarely at the target.

Heather turned away before she loosed.

Heather and Amy crossed the street,
still arm-in-arm, then halted on the sidewalk opposite the school fields.
Fences obscured Jessica’s solitary figure, still practicing for the competition
which might not come, but Heather could picture the blond archer in her mind’s
eye.

Loose, knock, aim, loose. Over and
over again.

“What do you think?” Amy asked. “She
seemed okay.”

“I don’t know,” Heather replied. “It’s
tricky. We’ve got two opposing viewpoints here. Lori is angry and claims Kyle
cheated on her and neglected her, and Jinx says just the opposite. Who’s
telling the truth? That’s the question.”

Amy shook her head. “Wasn’t ‘to be or
not to be’ the question, though?”

“I can’t take you anywhere,” Heather
replied, then broke into giggles. Amy always brought out the best in her. Her
friend’s sense of humor lined every gray cloud in silver.

Amy chuckled, but the mirth faded from
her expression. She grabbed Heather’s arm and pulled her into the alley between
two buildings. “Look,” she whispered, then pointed at the street.

Heather followed her gaze, then sucked
in a gasp.

Lori Henson stood on the sidewalk in
the distance, holding hands with a man. She craned her neck and kissed him on
the cheek, then drew him into a tight embrace.

“Guess we have your answer,” Amy
whispered.

“Who is he?” The man wore shorts; his
back turned to them. “Slicked back black hair, super tanned, shorts and cotton
shirt.”

“So, not my type,” Amy said.

“Come on, dude, turn around. Let us
get a good look at you.”

But the mystery man didn’t turn
around. He broke away from the hug, then brought out a pair of keys and clicked
them.

The lights on a white Ford Fiesta,
parked across the road, flashed once.

Heather grasped Amy’s arm and dug her
fingernails into her bestie’s skin. “Tinted windows, look.”

“Okay? What’s that mean?” Amy asked,
then pulled Heather’s fingers off her arm, one-by-one. “Why are you so tense,
all of a sudden?”

“I didn’t tell you because I didn’t
think anything of it until now, but I keep seeing a white Ford Fiesta with
tinted windows, everywhere.”

“Everywhere? Since when?”

“Ever since Davidson got kicked off
the force,” Heather whispered. “He came to see me in a Ford Fiesta and told me
he was leaving town. But last week I saw the same car outside the store.”

“Did you manage to write down its
registration?” Amy asked. She narrowed her eyes at the distant couple. Lori
chatted on, wagging her hands and pointing toward the field, then back at the
object of her affections.

“Nope. But this is too much of a
coincidence. What are the chances that the man who’s with Lori drives the same
car?” Heather asked.

“Uh, I don’t mean to burst your
semi-paranoid bubble here, Heather, but the chances are pretty darn good. Think
about it. The Ford Fiesta is a popular car. It’s affordable. And white is the
stock color, so –”

“And the tinted windows?”

“They’re not reserved to Davidson.
Anyone can get tinted windows for whatever reason,” Amy replied. “I’m just
warning you not to jump to conclusions here.”

Heather sighed and trained her gaze on
the distant couple. “I suppose you’re right. It’s just spooky, is all.”

“I’ll give you that,” Amy said. “Now,
if only lover boy over there would turn around, we could put this all to rest.”

But the man didn’t turn to them. He
kissed Lori on the forehead, then grasped her hand and walked to the Ford
Fiesta across the road.

“Can you see his face?” Heather asked,
squinting through the glare.

“Nope, he’s turned at an angle now.
Looks like he’s got a hooked nose,” Amy whispered. “And boy, do I mean hooked.
You could hang one of those tree car fresheners on that bad boy.”

The man opened the door for Lori, then
crossed around the back of the car and walked to the driver’s side.

“Take down his registration now.
Memorize it, or something,” Amy said.

Heather squinted at the license plate.
B20-DDX. She could memorize that. She repeated it in her mind, over and over
again. “Got it,” she whispered.

The car hummed to life, then took off
down the street. It screeched around the corner and disappeared from their line
of sight.

“Well, whoever he is, he’s not the
safest driver around.” Amy sighed. “I can’t stand it when people put themselves
and others in unnecessary danger.”

Heather paced back and forth in the
alley, between the dumpsters, and clicked her fingers. One, two, three clicks.
“So, Lori lied to us. She had an affair.”

“Does that mean she has motive?” Amy
asked.

“Maybe. There are a lot of other
factors to consider. But, it makes sense so far. Lori had access to arrows as
the wife of a coach and judge. She probably picked up on a few archery tricks
from Kyle,” Heather said. That was a bit of a stretch. Too much of an
assumption.

“Maybe she wanted him out of the way.
Maybe he found out about the affair and threatened to leave her or something.”
Amy folded her arms, then peered out of the alley and down the road.

“Or, maybe they both had an affair.
Infidelity isn’t limited to just one partner in a relationship.” Heather
stopped pacing. “We need more evidence. We need to do some research.”

“We can do that in the store or
something, right?”

“Yeah,” Heather said.

“Good, because if I have to spend
another second standing next to this fishy dumpster, I might hurl.” Amy placed
the back of her hand to her forehead and feigned dizziness.

“All right, all right, drama queen.
Let’s go.” Heather marched to the mouth of the alley, intuition driving each
step.

Heather tugged her fluffy nightgown
closed, then fastened it with an even fluffier belt. Summer was on its way out,
now, and Fall would bring lower temperatures, nippy winds, and the grumps.

She wasn’t great with early mornings
at the best of times but in cold weather? Forget about it.

Dave shuffled around in his doggy bed
in the corner, then whined at her.

“What’s up, cutie?” Heather asked. “Do
you need to go out to use the bathroom?”

He quit whining and placed his paws on
his nose.

That was a ‘no’. Dave just wanted a
little attention.

Heather strode to the corner, then
bent and ruffled his soft, floppy, brown-spotted ears. “I know, we haven’t gone
on a walk in a while. It’s just been a bit crazy with the case and the
construction in the store. We’ll go soon, I promise.”

“Are you talking to yourself again?”
Ryan asked, from the doorway to their bedroom.

“What? Of course not,” Heather
replied. She gave Davey boy one last pat, then straightened. “I was talking to
Dave. He’s feeling a little neglected.”

Ryan walked to the corner, then
wrapped his arms around Heather’s waist and gave her a quick, kiss on the lips.
“It has been a busy time.”

“Speaking of busy,” Heather said.
“Have you got any information to share about the case?”

Ryan pulled away, then plopped onto
the end of the bed. The mattress squeaked and bounced. He crossed one leg on
top of the other and stroked his long, striped, PJ pants. “Officially, I’m not
at liberty to say. Unofficially, yeah, there are some exciting developments.”

“How many suspects have you got?”
Heather asked. She’d become brazen after weeks of investigating. The sooner
they got to the bottom of the case, the sooner she could focus on her final
exam next week.

Her heart skipped a beat at that
thought.

“Several. A lot, actually. Kyle Henson
knew a lot of people.”

“I bet,” Heather said. She walked to
her dressing table, pulled out the chair, then sat down in front of the mirror.
She picked up the brush and ran it through her hair. “I saw something
interesting today. Relevant, even.”

“Spill, Mrs. Shepherd.”

She met her husband’s gaze in the
mirror. “I spoke to Lori Henson today.”

“The widow Henson, eh? Did she seem
friendly to you?”

“Not in the slightest. She told us she
wouldn’t say a thing to the cops without her lawyer present. I pointed out I
wasn’t a cop. We got to talking,” Heather replied. She brushed out three more
strokes.

“The suspense is killing me, here.
What did she tell you?” Ryan braced his elbow on his elevated leg.

“She was bitter as could be. Said to
me that Kyle ignored her, focused only on sports and that he had an affair.”

“An affair?” Ryan frowned. “That
doesn’t suit his profile.”

“Yeah, well, Amy and I spoke to
Jessica Laverne after that. And Jinx said that Lori had an affair,” Heather
continued.

“Uh huh?”

“Yeah, and I wasn’t sure about it
until I saw Lori with another man, right outside Hillside High’s fields.”
Heather placed the brush back on the surface of her dressing table, then turned
in her seat. “They were pretty cozy.”

Ryan arched an eyebrow. “Interesting.
That’s news to me.”

“Oh yeah? What information do you
have?”

Ryan tapped his lips with a finger,
then winked at her.

“Oh come on, aren’t we past that? I
investigate every case now. I do my best to stay out of the way and under the
radar. Besides, if I pass next week, I’ll get my diploma.” And if she didn’t?
Oh boy, she didn’t want to think about that.

Ryan wiggled his head from
side-to-side. “I guess you’re right.”

“Great, so, what do you know?” Heather
scootched to the edge of her seat and leaned in.

Ryan’s eyes lit up, and his posture
stiffened a little. Investigation mode? “What did Jinx Laverne tell you about
her history with Kyle Henson?”

“She said that he’d coached her and
kicked her from the team back in High School. She cited family issues as the
reason, since he left town, shortly afterward.”

“Uh huh?” Ryan lifted his chin and
inhaled. “She lied to you.”

Heather clicked her fingers. “I knew
it. She seemed too good to be true, at the time. All sweet and emotional.”

“Yeah, turns out Jinx Laverne was on
the up and up in competitions and trials. She was a step away from making it to
the Olympic team before the scandal hit,” Ryan said.

“What scandal?”

“Turns out, Jinx’s dad had a lot of
money, and he used it to bribe judges at the local and national competitions.
Jinx was good, but she wasn’t that good.” Ryan rubbed his palms together.
“Match fixing.”

“Wow.”

“Yeah, and the minute Kyle heard about
it, he kicked her off the team,” Ryan replied. “You see, there wasn’t enough
proof of the bribery for anyone on the national level to do anything about it.
They didn’t ban Jinx or suspend her. Nothing at all.”

“More bribes?” Heather asked, and
propped her chin in her hands, elbows on her thighs.

“Maybe. Whatever it was, Jinx got off
free. Kyle took huge exception to that. He kicked her off the high school team
as his own form of punishment. He refused to coach her. And Kyle Henson was one
of the best coaches in the state.”

“So, he left after the scandal, and
Jinx had to find another coach,” Heather replied.

“Yeah, except it wasn’t that easy for
her. By the time she found another one, her aspirations for taking part in the
Olympics were pretty much out the window. And the new officials had heard about
her scandal. They avoided her like the plague.”

Heather bit the corner of her lip and
stared at the duvet on their King-sized bed.

Ryan sighed and got up. “It’s interesting,”
he said. “But I’m not sure it’s enough motivation for murder.”

Heather rose too and stifled a yawn.
“I dunno about that. Remember the rat guy? He killed a man over his pet rats.”

“Yeah, but that’s a one in a million.
Not every murderer is a rat guy.” Ryan dragged the covers back on their bed,
then hopped in.

“I guess,” Heather replied.

“Enough talk about rats and
murderers,” Ryan said, then pulled a face. “We’ve both got work tomorrow. Let’s
get some rest.”

He was right, as usual. Ryan Shepherd always
cut to the core of the issue.

Heather traipsed to bed and crossed
her fingers that she wouldn’t dream of stray arrows and gold medals.