Debts and Debtors: (A Geeks and Things Cozy Mystery Novella #3) (Geeks and Things Cozy Mysteries)
Authors: Sarah Biglow
DEBTS AND DEBTORS (A GEEKS AND THINGS MYSTERY) Copyright © 2016 by Sarah Biglow.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, organizations, places, events and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
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Edited by Ken Marrow, M.A.
Cover Design by: Ana Grigoriu
Published by Sarah Biglow: May 2016
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Raindrops pelted the kitchen window in Kalina Greystone’s small apartment. Heat from the kitchen fogged the interior of the glass, obscuring the view outside. Kalina wiped sweat from her forehead with the back of her arm. The weather—in addition to being wet—had turned cold in early November and she’d turned up the heat to compensate. She was up to her elbows in dessert. This was the first Thanksgiving she’d been home with her family in a few years—and the first since her father’s passing—and she didn’t want to disappoint. Checking the recipe for the spice applesauce cake frosting one more time, she moved the saucepan of brown sugar, cream and butter to the burner set on high. It reached a boil in only a few minutes and she feverishly stirred it to make sure it didn’t burn. Master cook she was not. Her phone buzzed with an incoming call, slowly vibrating toward the edge of the table.
“Not now!” she moaned, hastily pulling the concoction from the stove and scooping up her phone.
Luckily, it was just an alarm to remind her she needed to leave for Jillian’s house in a half hour. Chris was supposed to be coming over so they could drive together. The thought of having her very serious romantic partner joining her for a family holiday made butterflies swarm in her stomach. Things between them had been better than ever the last few months. In fact, they were in the process of moving in together. The process had been put on hold due to the holidays but before long she wouldn’t have to live alone. Her front room was already strewn with partially packed boxes. Her landlord was being generous and letting her leave most of the furniture in the place. Easier to rent a fully furnished place in a town like this. She couldn’t believe how lucky she’d been, moving home, taking over the family business and falling back in love with her high school sweetheart. Some days she had to pinch herself to make sure she wasn’t dreaming.
Setting her phone aside, she added the remaining ingredients to the frosting mixture, gave it a good stir and carefully poured it over the cake. It still needed to cool a little bit but that’s what her sister’s fridge was for. Making sure the stovetop was off, she headed to her room to clean up. Ten minutes later she reappeared in a nice, pale blue blouse and black slacks. She slipped into rain boots and tossed a pair of flats into her purse.
She checked her phone, expecting a text from Chris letting her know he was waiting out front. No new messages. “Come on, where are you?”
Kalina busied herself packing up the cake and pulling on her jacket but still no word from Chris. Finally, she sent him a text. ‘Are you on your way? We will be late.’
Still
no response.
This was not the way she wanted to spend her Thanksgiving but she couldn’t help feeling a little annoyed that he was suddenly ignoring her. Finally, she pulled on her coat and stowed her phone in her pocket for safekeeping. Time to brave the storm.
Torrents of water buffeted her all the way to her car. She practically dove into the driver seat; the cake container almost landed sideways on the passenger seat. She let out a breath—air condensing in front of her—and started the engine. She set the wipers on high and waited for the heat to kick in before she pulled out of the driveway and turned left down her street.
Her phone began to ring loudly halfway to Jillian’s house. “Great.”
Her mood already on edge, she pulled over to the side of the road and yanked the phone free. Chris’s number flashed on the Caller ID. She hit ‘Accept’ and put the phone on speaker so she could keep driving. “Hey.” She did her best to keep her tone neutral.
“I am so sorry, Kal.”
“You can meet me there. That’s fine.”
“I don’t think I can make it.”
“You promised.” It came out as more of a whine than she’d intended.
“I know. I wish I could be there, believe me. But I got called out to the beach for a case. I swear I will find a way to make it up to you.”
She took several breaths before she responded. “Fine. I get it. You have to work. You can’t choose when dead bodies turn up.”
“Please don’t be mad at me. I told the guys I was off today but Jimmy called last minute and said he needed my help on this one.”
Kalina’s anger softened a touch at the young officer’s name. He was a good kid but eager to impress. She also wasn’t above gently grilling him for information when she needed something. But that hadn’t happened in months. She was trying to stay out of police matters. She was a comic book shop owner, after all. “Okay. I’ll pass on your regrets to everyone.”
“Thanks. I love you.”
She smiled. “I love you too.”
Easing to a stop at a crosswalk, she hit ‘End’ and set her phone aside. Her sister’s house loomed up ahead on the side of town farthest from the beach. Jillian had insisted on staying local but when AJ had come along she’d wanted a yard too. Somehow, Kalina’s older sister got exactly what she wanted. She was lucky that way. Even getting pregnant right out of college, Jillian managed to make it all work.
Through the downpour she spotted her mom’s car in the driveway. She pulled up beside it and braced herself for the short trek to the front door. Pulling the hood of her coat up over her face, she grabbed the cake container and darted from the car. Thirty seconds later, she was safely inside the front hall being greeted by her nephew, AJ.
“It’s really coming down out there,” he said and took the container so she could peel her soaked jacket from her shoulders.
“It’s insane. I wouldn’t be surprised if it turned to snow later tonight.” She leaned against the door to kick off her rain boots and put on her flats.
AJ lifted the lid of the container and took a sniff. “Where’s Chris?”
“Working. He got called away on an urgent case.”
“Lame.”
“Behave yourself,” she chided and quickly finger-combed her hair so she looked presentable before her sister appeared.
“AJ, put that in the kitchen,” Jillian ordered. She stood a good four inches taller than Kalina and she’d inherited their mother’s wavy curls and light brown hair.
No one would have ever accused them of being siblings, and yet they’d shared a bedroom until Jillian had gone off to college. They weren’t especially close these days but Jillian seemed pleased that Kalina was keeping AJ out of trouble.
“Sorry I’m late … and dateless,” Kalina muttered.
“It’s a hell of a storm out there. I’m just glad you made it over safely.” Jillian’s facial features softened and she pulled her sister into an impromptu hug.
“How many glasses of wine have you had?” Kalina whispered.
“Shut up.” Jillian pulled away but smiled. “Do you want red or white?”
“Whatever’s open,” Kalina said with a dismissive wave.
“Red it is.”
Kalina followed her sister into the kitchen. Her brother-in-law, Daniel, stood by the stove dutifully stirring their mother’s homemade gravy. He was a decent guy. He’d stuck with Jillian and married her after he’d gotten her pregnant. They seemed to have a solid marriage now. She had to give them both credit for sticking it out and really building something in the years since AJ came along.
“Hey, where’s Mom?” Kalina asked, accepting the glass of wine Jillian hastily shoved into her hand.
“Living room. She’s … not handling things well today.”
Kalina excused herself with a nod towards the living room and disappeared. Her mother sat on the couch, staring out at the storm. She settled in beside her and leaned over to give her a kiss on the cheek.
“Hi, Mom. How are you?”
“Fine, sweetheart.” She didn’t look away from the window.
“Mom, come on, it’s me. I know you miss him. We all do.”
Her mother turned to face Kalina with tears already staining her cheeks. “I thought I would be okay, having you girls with me. I’m so sorry.”
Kalina set her glass down on the table and wrapped her mother in a hug. “You don’t have anything to be sorry about, Mom. You have a good cry.”
They sat together for a few minutes in silence, the only sound the occasional murmurs from the kitchen and the hammering of the rain outside. Kalina briefly wondered where her nephew had disappeared to but her curiosity died when a loud knock echoed from the front of the house. She didn’t move, unsure whether it was a knock on the front door or if it was just the weather raging. When the sound came again—this time a more distinct knocking—she extricated herself from her mother’s embrace and went to answer the door. A woman—maybe in her early forties—stood on the front porch, purse clutched to her chest. Her hair was matted to her scalp from the rain.
“Can I help you?”
“I’m looking for Jillian.”
Kalina turned toward the kitchen and called, “Jillian, there’s someone here for you.”
Her sister appeared in view and immediately raced forward. “Come in, come in.”
Kalina stepped out of the way, letting Jillian dote on their surprise guest. She waited to be introduced but in all of her fussing Jillian seemed to have forgotten the rest of the family. Even AJ had appeared—from his room it turned out—to survey the commotion.
“You want to introduce us, Jill?” Kalina asked.
Jillian blushed. “Sorry. This is Savannah Hennessey. We went to college together.”
Savannah stood shivering and dripping on the welcome mat. “It’s actually Chase now. Thomas and I got married a couple years ago.” The mention of her marriage brought tears to Savannah’s eyes and her lower lip quivered. “I think something awful has happened to my husband.”
Awkward silence filled the front hall as everyone present processed Savannah’s declaration. Kalina bit the inside of her lip at the realization that she’d been secretly itching for a new mystery to solve. She caught AJ’s eye and he looked as eager as she felt. They were, of course, premature in their excitement. There was every possibility that there was no mystery in need of a solution.
“Why don’t we get you out of those wet clothes and you can tell us what’s going on?” she said, taking charge of the situation. She turned to Jillian. “I’m sure you’ve got something she can borrow.”
“Of course. You’re right.”
Jillian helped Savannah out of her coat and they disappeared upstairs to the master bedroom in search of dry clothes. Kalina shut the door and looked pointedly at her nephew. “Don’t get ahead of yourself.”
He held up his hands in a defensive posture. “I didn’t say anything.”
Daniel poked his head out of the kitchen. “I take it we’ll be setting another place for dinner?”
“No. Well, just use Chris’s place setting. He can’t make it.”
Her brother-in-law nodded and ducked back into the kitchen to tend to the meal. Kalina ushered AJ into the living room where her mother still sat on the couch. She looked a little perkier at least. They waited in silence for Jillian and her friend to come back downstairs. After what seemed like an hour but was likely only fifteen minutes, they reappeared. Savannah had blow-dried her hair and wore a sweater and jeans. They fit remarkably well. She’d clearly dried her eyes, too. Jillian carried a box of tissues as a precaution.
“So, what makes you think something’s happened to your husband?” Kalina asked.
“I haven’t seen him since yesterday morning. He always comes home, even if he’s late. I started to get worried when he didn’t come home at all. If he’s going to be late at the office he always calls me. He knows I worry.”
“Did you go to the police?”
Savannah shook her head. “No. I thought I had to wait forty-eight hours before I could report him missing.”
“Actually, you can report after twenty-four,” AJ piped up.
Jillian gave him a cross look and he closed his mouth. “Well, either way, you should report it as soon as you can.”
Savannah tugged at the ends of her hair. “They aren’t working today.”
Kalina couldn’t help but feel a little bitter. “They’re always working.”
Outside the wind picked up to a vicious howl and rain slammed against the siding and windows. Lightning split the sky in vibrant arcs and thunder boomed not long after. The storm was far from over.
“I think you may have to wait until tomorrow. It isn’t safe to be out in this weather,” Kalina said.
Savannah sniffled and wrapped her arms around her torso. “He could be out there all alone. Why didn’t he come home last night?” Fresh tears trickled down her cheeks.
Jillian disappeared into the kitchen and returned with a glass of wine, which she shoved into her friend’s quivering grasp. She took several large swallows before setting it on the coffee table in front of her.
Daniel stuck his head out from the kitchen doorway. “Dinner is ready.”
Jillian cleared her throat and ushered their mother and Savannah into the dining room. She motioned for Kalina to follow her back into the kitchen. AJ busied himself helping direct people to their seats.
“I meant to tell you that AJ can’t work this weekend,” Jillian said and handed Kalina a serving dish of mashed potatoes.
“And why’s that?”
“He just needs some time at home, that’s all.”
“Well, that’s not how a job works, Jill. You know that. You were the one who wanted him to take on more responsibility, get some actual job experience for his college applications, and that’s what he’s doing. If he needs the time off for school work then fine. But that request comes from him, not you. Mommy can’t call him out sick in the real world.”
“Kalina, that’s not fair.”
Kalina took a deep breath to calm her nerves. They didn’t need to fight, especially not in front of their mother. She was emotionally fragile as it was given the nature of the holiday. Kalina carried the dish to the table and set it between the green beans and stuffing. Making one last trip to the kitchen, she poured herself another glass of wine and settled in at the table between her mother and AJ. She tried to put on a happy face but felt the edges of her mouth turn down into a scowl when she caught her sister’s gaze.
“Thank you for letting me stay and share dinner with your family,” Savannah said once everyone was seated.
“You were like family in college. Of course you’re staying. And don’t even think about going home tonight. We’ll make up the spare bedroom for you,” Jillian said.
They didn’t bother with grace. They were never an overly religious family as it was. Daniel worked skillfully at carving up the turkey. Working in a butcher shop as a teenager had been a blessing, at least for Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner. With plates piled high, everyone fell silent, focusing on the food in front of them.
Several hours later, Kalina’s mother retired to one of the third-floor rooms. The nice part about having a three-story house was all the extra rooms. Kalina flaked out on the couch in the living room in a bit of a haze. Her head throbbed from too much wine and she knew she should probably lie down in bed but she was too comfortable to move. She was vaguely aware of someone pulling a blanket over her and footsteps on the stairs but didn’t register specific people. The storm continued to rage outside, lulling her to sleep. Sometime later, she woke with start at the sound of something rumbling. Disoriented and still half-asleep, she looked around for the source of the noise but couldn’t find it. A bright light passed through the front window, making shadows on the living room floor, but it was gone almost as quickly as it came. With a sigh, she curled up beneath the blanket and drifted back to sleep.