Scrambled to Death: A Sage and Dash Cozy Mystery (6 page)

Alyssa from the post office invited Libby and Rosie over for dinner. She made a big batch of spaghetti and meatballs, along with toasted garlic bread. She was thinking of transferring to another area and wanted to bat the idea around. Things were quiet and slow in Spring Valley, which made for an easy job, but if she stayed there she might never meet Mr. Right. Not much happened around this way, unless you headed into a college town for a football game, but even those weren't next door.

Alyssa spent most of her life in Spring Valley, except for the first few months, which she didn't remember obviously. Her parents moved over from Sugar Hollow and settled into a small property with a house and safe yard. A perfect place to raise a kid, well, if you liked nothing going on in your life. As a child, it suited her needs, as a teen she was dreadfully bored, and now as an adult she'd too easily settled into her job. She liked the comfort of home, but if she didn't make a change, this could easily end up where she’d spend her entire life. It's not that she wanted grand things. She simply wanted a little more excitement.

When Libby and Rosie arrived, they brought dessert.

"Smells good," Rosie said as she settled onto the hand-me-down, floral couch.

"Dinner will be ready soon, but while I have your ear, I've been thinking about a change, maybe a relocation." Alyssa paced, more nervous to admit this than she expected.

Libby inquired, "You don't like it here?"

"Of course, I do. It's home. It's -- well, I'm afraid this is all there is here. Nothing ever happens. My biggest excitement is company for dinner, no offense. I feel like I'm in my prime. How am I supposed to meet Mr. Right if there's barely a place to hang out, and there's a lack of husband-worthy men." She sighed and ran her fingers through her hair.

Rosie nodded understanding her friend's situation. "Where would you go? Do you have a place in mind, or are you still looking?"

"I've been keeping my eye on job postings. While there are a lot of places to consider, I'm leaning toward Florida. It would be a nice change of pace. I could leave snow and cold weather behind me, and there's tons of stuff to keep me busy. I mean, I'd miss you guys and all, but I'm afraid of becoming an old maid one day." The kitchen timer beeped. Alyssa headed for the kitchen and spoke louder. "What do you think?"

Libby chimed in first. "I think you should explore life. Get out there and find your dream."

Rosie was less enthusiastic. "Do you have enough money saved if things fall through? It would be a transfer right, so you'd have a job in place. Have you considered looking at a small change first? That's a huge jump to an area you don't really know. And there’s a lot of bugs and snakes and humid weather in Florida. Think of your hair."

Libby nudged Rosie. "What are you doing?"

Rosie knew what her mother was getting at. She slouched and leaned back. She cleared her throat and then added, "Again, you don't know if you don't try. I guess you're right. Now is the time to do it before you're tied down and can't make a change."

Libby nodded. She knew Rosie's first response was more about losing her friend.

Rosie felt a twinge of regret. She'd let her own selfish feelings come first. Alyssa was her best friend, and it wasn't like there were a ton of women her age that hung around Spring Valley, for precisely the reasons that Alyssa gave.

Alyssa peeked her head around the opening between the kitchen and living room. "Dinner's ready. Right, and once you and Jeff realize you were made for one another, you'll settle down, have babies and I won't have any single friends left to hang around with."

Rosie's eyes opened wide. "What? Oh my gosh! Why do you say that? You're crazy!"

Libby laughed. Everybody knew the two were simply avoiding the inevitable. Why? Nobody really got it, but they knew time would resolve that and nature would kick in.

After a night of discussion, laughter, and good food, Libby and Rosie said goodnight. It was a nice night to walk home. Mild weather settled into the area after a front pushed through.

As the women made their way down the main drag in town, they heard a voice. It was coming from between two buildings.

Rosie looked to Libby and put her finger to her lips. She stopped walking and leaned in close to the edge of the building. It sounded like a man. He’d chosen an unusual place to be hanging at this time of night, heck at any time of the day.

"How was I supposed to know one from the other?" The man's slurred words spilled out of his mouth. He glanced over his shoulder, making sure the coast was clear and then lowered his voice. "Anyway, the job is done and I want to get paid."

Rosie was certain the voiced belong to Matt Adams, a local business man that came through town time to time on the way to Atlantic City. She was afraid to lean forward and make sure. What if he saw her?  She nudged her mother to back-up, and quickly moved with her. In a small whisper she said, "He was talking about not knowing one from the other, and a job is done. Do you think...?"

She held her tongue. Right behind her, shoes scuffed against the ground. Her heart fluttered like a cheetah running full speed. She tried to calm herself, but it was too late. She heard his heavy breathing...and it was getting closer.

He recognized the women right away. He'd frequented "The Breakfast Nook" on more than one occasion. "What are you gals doing out on the town tonight? You looking for a little side action?"

Rosie wanted to barf. Libby's way with men kicked in, and she gave her daughter a look. She turned to Matt and slipped her arm in his. "What did you have in mind?"

"How about a couple of drinks with a lonely man?" He pulled her closer against him.

"I think you've had enough," she noted the whiskey on his breath. "Let's go have a nice, hot cup of coffee."

The hair on the back of Rosemary's neck stood on edge. What was her mother up to?

Was it possible? Could somebody have hired a hitman? The thought alone messed with Rosie's mind. This was Spring Valley, Pennsylvania -- not Los Angeles, not Chicago, not Miami, and not New York. She could picture it maybe in a bigger city where crime rates soared, but this was a doo-hickey little spot on the map that most people never even heard of. And if they did, it's only because they had to drive through it to get to another place.

Where would one even go to find a hitman? And how would you broach the topic without expecting them to go straight to the police. It was too much to wrap her head around.

And Matt? Was he a hitman on the side? She thought he was a businessman. They'd known him for a while, it's not like there was reason to doubt him.
The job was done...and how was I supposed to know one from the other
. He was obviously talking to another person. It wasn't as if he'd strategically decided to take out two strangers in a town he barely knew. Was he working for somebody else? But, who?

Rosie shook her head to loosen the marbles that felt stuck. This was insane. A hitman, what a silly thought. She'd obviously been reading too many books and her mind was simply running away with the thought. Her knotted stomach told her things weren’t as they seemed. What she heard wasn't meant for her ears.

He was tucked away in an alcove, talking low. She eavesdropped, and wished she hadn't. How was she to know it would turn into this. On one hand, it could help solve the murders, and on the other it could get her killed playing with the wrong players. She watched her mother get comfortable with Matt. Chills ran up Rosie’s arms.

Were they tempting fate? He'd obviously killed before...or wait, was he talking about something else? Come on, he didn't come out and say it. He simply said there was trouble telling them apart. It could have been anything, like files or cars or buildings. And ‘the job is done’ could mean anything, too.

Rosie laughed, not meaning to do it aloud. The weird noise caught the attention of Libby and Matt.

"What's so funny?" Libby turned toward her daughter.

Rosie swallowed hard. "Oh, nothing. I was thinking about a discussion with Alyssa earlier. Really, it’s nothing."

"Who's Alyssa?" Matt asked, not having heard her name before.

"A friend," Rosie said, guarding her answer. He didn’t need to know about Alyssa. He might very well be trouble.

"What did she say that was so funny?" Matt turned to Rosie suspiciously.

Rosie tried to play it off. She didn’t like being on the spot. "Oh, nothing big. You wouldn't understand."

Libby took Matt's arm again. "Come on big boy, let's get you a cup of coffee."

"What was funny?" Matt asked again. He seemed paranoid and agitated.

Rosie closed her eyes and dug herself out of the conversation. "An inside joke, nothing that would make sense. We got talking about spaghetti, and started playing with food puns."

Matt shrugged and lost interest. He continued walking with Libby and slipped his arm out of hers so he could wrap it over her shoulder instead. "How about a little company after the coffee?" 

Libby grimaced.
Great
.

Rosie arched an eyebrow. Really? He wasn’t being shy, that’s for sure.

"Oh, hon, if you'd asked me a few weeks ago," Libby answered and nudged his side, relieved that she had an answer. "Truth is, I'm seeing somebody."

Rosie tuned in to see what her mother would pull out of her bag of tricks.

Libby hated admitting a potential commitment. It was probably a mistake. She wanted to keep him close so she could get more information. She quickly changed her wording. "But, now that I think of it, we're not exactly exclusive."

"That's more like it, sugar dumpling," Matt answered. “I’ve got plenty of time tonight.”

Rosie groaned quietly. Sugar dumpling? You've got to be kidding me.

Libby opened the door as they arrived home. She’d make a nice little sleep elixir that should keep him put after they talked. While he was getting sleepy, she hoped he'd slip up and say a few extra details that would help them solve the case.

Before she got there, Matt was busy with his hands, being far too touchy. She sent him on his way instead of risking him getting out of control. Her plan might have worked if she'd done something different. Once Matt realized he wouldn't be nestled in Libby's bed for the night, he wasn’t happy.

The women agreed to talk to the police first thing in the morning...or after they checked one more thing. It couldn't hurt to ask a few more questions, right?

"Got new information. Will you be around?" Rosie read.

She texted back
yes
to Jeff.

It was still early. She knew he'd drop by before she had a chance to run to the sheriff's office. With business so slow, she planned on going later in the day. Sure, they'd discussed going first thing in the morning, but business was business and there were bills to pay. So, even if only a few customers showed up, it was money they needed to keep the lights on.

When the fireman arrived, he sidled up to the breakfast counter with a grin. He looked like a cat that ate a canary.

Rosie flushed. "You look like you’re bursting at the seams. What’s going on?"

"The tests came back. They learned what kind of poison was used." He leaned in closer. Not to whisper, but just to be a little bit closer to Rosie. He adored the woman, but didn't want to put her off. He knew she wasn't looking to get serious with anyone, and he wasn't interested in a cheap date. He'd wait until she was ready and then ask her out. There was nobody else he was interested in, and he knew she'd come around eventually. "It was Belladonna Berry."

"What is that?" Rosie said. She wondered if her mother knew. Before considering it, Libby was already by her side.

"It's from the nightshade plant," she said. "Interesting choice. When you cook it down, you get a concentrate. That could easily make it look like a heart attack."

They both looked at Libby, who simply turned and walked away, as if lost in thought.

"Sometimes it scares me when she comes out with stuff like that. Why does she have to know so much about the chosen poison?" Rosie shivered and looked at her mom. She cringed, as she questioned why her mother knew about this particular plant. Did she have more to do with the mystery than Rosie wanted to admit?

Jeff reached out and touched Rosie's shoulder. "Let it go," he said, realizing where Rosie's mind went. "She wouldn't hurt a fly."

Rosie nodded, then laughed. "You obviously don't know her like I do. You should see what she did to the poor guy that asked her to marry him a few years back."

"Oh, I brought Dash a bag of kitty treats." Jeff pulled a small zipped bag from his pocket. “Probably better that I don’t ask what your mom did to the guy.”

"You did? That was sweet." Dash liked Jeff, and with good reason. He was a natural with animals, but he was thoughtful, too.

Jeff smiled at Rosie. When she smiled, her eyes lit up. She was adorable, and he was smitten. "We got a new dental formula at the office, and I figured Dash might like them."

"Dental formula? Are you saying my kitty has bad breath?" Rosie teased.

"Do you brush his teeth?" They both laughed at the thought.

Rosemary looked into Jeff's deep blue eyes and got lost for a moment.

"Do you want to maybe..." He stopped himself. She'd already told him that she wasn't ready for a relationship. He needed to respect her space and not pressure her.

"Hmmm," she said dreamily.

He quickly saved them the discomfort. "Do you want to maybe toss a sandwich in with my cookies today? It's going to be busy, and bringing lunch would be smart."

"Oh, yeah, no problem," she answered.

Jeff wasn't sure, but he almost read disappointment in her eyes. Did she want him to ask? Was she ready?

"Oh, before I forget, something happened last night," Rosie started. She knew she could trust Jeff with the information. "We overheard a conversation and might have stumbled onto a bit of weirdness."

The front door of the restaurant opened, and in walked Matt Adams.

"I'll tell you later," she whispered. A little louder, she greeted Matt.

"Morning, morning," he offered. "Is your mother here? I need to apologize for my manners last night. I wasn't quite myself."

"Oh?" Libby came out of the kitchen on hearing Matt's voice. "Shouldn't you be heading to work about now?"

He nodded, and placed his hand on his chest. "I wanted to say I’m sorry for coming onto you last night. I wasn't quite myself. I'd gotten a bit of news that threw me for a loop, and after a few too many drinks. When I ran into you...well, I wasn't a gentleman, and for that I apologize."

Libby looked to Rosie, impressed by this new version of Matt. The sober one wasn't so bad. "Apology accepted. Did you get home safely?"

"I did, but first I slept off the booze in my car. Anyway, if you'd be so kind as to forgive me, I'd feel much better. I didn’t mean to disrespect you. Last night," he said, shaking his head, "wasn't a good one. I finished a job for a client, handed off the folders and documents required, and they balked and didn't want to pay. Sometimes, I hate my job."

Jeff turned to the man. "What is it that you do?"

The women held their breath.

"Consulting," he said, not missing a beat. "Financial consulting. I trim out the fat, make life easier for my clients, and hopefully resolve their issues… but, I expect payment in return."

"Interesting," Jeff said. "I have a place over in the next town. Do you have a card? I'll have to keep you in mind. I haven't done an audit in ages, and I'm sure there's hidden waste I could cut out."

The man reached into his suit jacket pocket.

Rosie gasped. She screamed, "Get down!"