Pawsitively Deadly (Silver Springs Cozy Mystery Series Book 1) Page 4

  Maggie considers the go-to best friend misconception. She’s sure that she and Clem aren’t the only twins in the world who barely know each other anymore.

  “So, are you looking for anything in particular?” Aurora asks, finally getting back to why Maggie might be in her shop. “We have puzzles for all ages, and just about every stuffed animal species on the planet—”

  “I actually wanted to talk about how you knew my parents,” Maggie interrupts, though she doesn’t doubt Aurora’s claims. The small shop is packed from floor to ceiling with everything a kid could possibly want.

  “Oh. Of course.” Aurora’s body stiffens and her voice slows. She is less than enthusiastic about talking about Maggie’s parents. “Would you like a cup of tea?”

  Maggie is surprised by the offer and takes her up on it. She sits in a comfortable chair next to the register with a giant stuffed giraffe on one side of her and an even bigger elephant on the other. She places her canvas bag on the floor next to her and wants to take out her tablet to take notes but restrains herself.

  Aurora comes back with two hot cups of tea. “I hope herbal is okay. I didn’t have anything with caffeine.”

  “It’s great. Thanks.”

  Aurora stands behind the register, blowing on her hot tea. “So I guess you heard that Eleanor and I didn’t see eye to eye on some things.”

  Maggie nods. The way it was described to her, that is the nice way of putting it. “I just wondered if you’d smoothed things over before they . . . erm . . . died.”

  Aurora pauses before answering and looks above Maggie’s head. “I really wish we had. I think under different circumstances we could have been good friends. Charles and I got along just fine.” Maggie thinks it’s funny to hear her parents referred to by their first names. Her parents’ friends have always called them ‘your mother’ or ‘your father’ when talking to Maggie. Aurora chuckles. “In fact, I think he was going behind Eleanor’s back to try to set us up to be friends.”

  “Really? What makes you say that?” This is the first Maggie is hearing about it.

  “One time when Eleanor was out of town—I think she was actually visiting you—he took me to lunch and tried to see things from my perspective. I was a new store owner in a not very friendly town—” Maggie isn’t sure that description is accurate and could be a reflection of Aurora’s acceptance more than of Silver Springs, “—and I was trying to form partnerships. But Eleanor was just dead set against it. I never figured out why.”

  Maggie sips her tea. It’s just the right temperature to hold and keep her hands warm without burning them. “What about your relationship with Clem now that she’s the owner of Two Sisters?”

  “Clem? We get along great. At least as neighboring store owners. We’ve just started our professional relationship since she wasn’t as involved when Eleanor and Charles were there.” Maggie notices the lack of emotion Aurora’s voice holds when she mentions Maggie’s parents’ names.

  “So you’d call Clem more a friend than a business associate. Is that a fair assessment?”

  Aurora nods. “Why are you asking all these questions anyway?” Her gaze returns to Maggie’s face and Maggie averts her eyes to look at her shoes.

  “Just to get a better picture of their life here,” she says. It’s not a complete lie, but it’s far from the whole truth.

  “Well, anyone will tell you that we weren’t the best of friends. But I don’t hold it against Eleanor how she treated me.” Aurora’s voice tells a different story and Maggie wonders what she’s truly hiding.

  CHAPTER 7

  Suzie hears the door open and someone comes inside downstairs. She knows it’s not Clem because she never comes home for lunch. Her trusty nose lets her know Maggie is inside. But she knows Maggie doesn’t like her much so she doesn’t leave Clem’s bed. Oscar stays beside her, waiting for any sign that they should go downstairs to check things out.

  Suzie loves that Oscar isn’t very smart. His inbred golden retriever genes have made him incredibly lovable but he always looks to Suzie for answers to the tough questions. Like ‘should we go downstairs?’

  Suzie listens to Maggie move around downstairs and smells the unmistakable scent of sardines. She would love to go beg for a piece—and by the pleading look in Oscar’s eyes, so would he—but she doesn’t want to get involved with Maggie.

  Maggie is a cat person. Cat people are not to be trusted, just as cats are not to be trusted. They are plotting something and Suzie thinks she’s getting closer to figuring out what.

  When Maggie closes the front door and drives out of the driveway—Suzie is confused by her nearly silent car but knows the unmistakable sound of tires crunching over the dirt driveway—Suzie leads Oscar downstairs. They check the kitchen and Suzie was right about the sardines. There’s a can in the trash. She has to stop Oscar from tipping it over. He often only thinks of himself so Suzie has to keep him in check so Clem loves them more than any other animal. They’re here to please her, and making a mess in the kitchen will not make her happy.

  Then Suzie sniffs around Maggie’s bedroom door. The cat is still inside but she saw her sneak away this morning. She plans to follow her trail to learn if she’s conspiring with the group of cats plotting against the humans. At least that’s what Suzie thinks they’re doing.

  Finally, Suzie is ready to leave the house again. She made her morning rounds right after Maggie left this morning. She checked all of her news sources and caught up on the developments of the night.

  The toy poodle next door, Yogi, told Suzie that two cats spent the night behind Suzie’s house, a gray one and a white one. Suzie left instructions for her to continue watching them.

  Outside, Suzie leads Oscar around the house. They don’t find any cats but they can both smell them outside Maggie’s window. Suzie detects four different scent trails and Oscar confirms the number. They follow the scent toward the same house they’ve tried to visit in the past. They’ve been unsuccessful in gaining access because there is a sturdy fence around the whole perimeter.

  Today is no different so Suzie leads Oscar to the dog park where she’ll get the rest of the day’s news. She sticks to paths avoiding properties known to not like dogs and hides in the trees as much as possible. There are plenty of cat people between her house and the dog park and they don’t like free roaming dogs.

  “Oscar, no,” she reprimands when Oscar starts chasing a squirrel. They have a mission and he keeps thwarting it. He obediently follows her again until they reach the fence to the dog park.

  Since Suzie and Oscar come to the dog park without their person, they aren’t allowed inside. But they can send and receive plenty of messages through the fence. Today, Suzie wants to talk to Barney and she quickly spots his person, Winona Landis.

  “Barney,” Suzie calls through the fence and the bulldog comes waddling over.

  “I wasn’t sure you’d make it today. I heard you had quite the disturbance last night,” Barney growls through his mouth. There’s nothing attractive about him but he always seems to be in the know.

  Suzie looks toward Oscar who is enjoying rolling in a pile of elk manure. “To say the least. A cat,” Suzie whines back. “I still can’t believe Clem let one in. She doesn’t like them as much as I don’t. Oscar doesn’t seem to care. He just wants to make Clem happy.”

  “Well, that is one of our duties,” Barney agrees. Suzie gives a slight nod before he continues. “But we could use this to our advantage. We’ve been trying to get an insider into their circle for years and now you might have just the opportunity to do that.”

  “I don’t know about that. I followed the cat’s scent to the house today but the fence was still impenetrable.”

  Barney shakes his head and drool flies everywhere. Suzie ducks and just barely misses a full face shot. “That’s not what I mean. I know how you feel about cats, I feel the same way, but if you can befriend the cat in your house it could mean inside information.”

  “You mean
I’d become a spy?” Suzie can barely get the question out through her surprise. “I don’t know if I can do that. I’ve already made my dislike of the cat known.”

  “Good. Then Clem won’t be suspicious when you slowly become used to her and become her friend,” Barney explains.

  Suzie considers this plan of action and then says, “I’ll do my best.”

  “Great. Because you have another mission too. I heard Winona talking last night about the fourth trinket. It’s in your house. Left by Eleanor and Charles. You need to find it. Keep it from the cats.”

  “Do you have any other information? It’d been hidden so long that I wouldn’t even know what I’m looking for.”

  Barney shakes his head again and Suzie backs up to get out of the line of fire of the drool bomb. “I’ll try to find something else out.”

  “What about the other three? Are they all safe?”

  “Yes. There’s one with Winona, one with Ginger Rae and one with Erline. I haven’t seen any of them but I’ve been assured that they’re all safe from the cats. We’re getting closer to our goal.”

  “And when we get them all?” Suzie asks.

  “I’m not at liberty to tell.” Barney turns and runs back toward the center of the dog park, leaving Suzie wondering whose side she’s really on.

  CHAPTER 8

  After Maggie’s conversation with Aurora Holt, she’s not quite ready to go straight to Two Sisters and talk to Clem so she spends the next few hours window shopping. Across the street from The Last Page and Kidz there is an outdoor gear store that catches her attention, aptly named Outdoor Gear.

  It’s been years since Maggie got on skis, but she still finds herself drawn in their direction. Even in May, there is still plenty of spring skiing at local mountains.

  “Those are this year’s demos you’re looking at,” a young salesman tells her. Below his winter hat Maggie can see long, dirty blond, dreadlocks.

  She smiles at him. “I’m just browsing.” She has no idea what ‘demos’ means and doesn’t want to admit it.

  “Great. Let me know if you have any questions. You won’t find a better deal than those. They were sort of like rentals this winter,” he explains, reading the blank look on her face.

  Maggie nods and turns back to the wall of skis. She has no intention of buying anything but she does find herself reminiscing about childhood when a snow day from school meant she and Clem could take the local bus to the nearest ski resort. Maggie isn’t sure her body would tolerate that kind of abuse after so many years in Denver, but the memory makes her smile.

  Aside from skis, Outdoor Gear is also getting ready for the summer season by setting up bikes for sale and to rent. Maggie thinks that if she were to stay up here, cycling would be a higher possibility than skiing.

  But staying in Silver Springs longer than her self-imposed two weeks sounds like a nightmare she’d rather avoid. She heads back outside and considers her options of window shopping in the neighboring storefronts.

  To the west she can visit The Dancing Donkey. The sign above the door doesn’t give any indication what might be inside and the name makes her think of the hippie salesman trying to sell her skis she doesn’t need. So turns the other way and checks out Anna’s Closet, a new and used clothing boutique, through the big front window.

  Immediately, Maggie knows this is where Clem shops. The colorful dresses and shirts hanging in the window could easily find their way into Clem’s closet, rather than Anna’s. Maggie knows it isn’t a place for her and she decides to cross the street and visit Two Sisters.

  An old bell clangs as she walks through the door but Maggie doesn’t see anyone right away. She hears Clem’s voice, followed by laughter and a man’s voice. She wonders if Denis Stevens, Clem’s boyfriend, has stopped by for a visit. Maggie doesn’t really want to see him but puts on a smile just in case.

  Maggie follows the sounds of the voices and finds them sitting on two antique chairs. She thought they were for sale, but maybe they’re permanent residents of the shop so Clem can visit with potential buyers. Some of the items for sale look like they could be worth thousands and Clem might have to butter them up before purchasing.

  “Oh, Maggie. I thought you might come in today,” Clem says, standing. The laughter Maggie heard has left her sister’s voice but she’s still smiling, a good sign that their relationship is on the mend.

  “I was in town so I thought I’d stop by,” Maggie answers, her eyes moving quickly between Clem and the man still sitting down.

  “This is Josh McMann,” Clem introduces them. “Josh, this is my twin sister, Maggie.”

  Josh stands and shakes Maggie’s hand. “Nice to meet you.” His handshake is brief but strong.

  “Pleasure,” Maggie responds and wonders why she said that. She never says that.

  “Josh has been one of our most regular buyers for almost two years,” Clem adds.

  Maggie nods and Josh smiles a friendly smile. Maggie can’t help but wonder if anything has ever happened between Josh and Clem. She has to admit that he’s rather good looking.

  His dark hair is grown long, but not like the salesman from Outdoor Gear. It covers his forehead but stops above his dark brown eyes. Even with a light jacket on, it’s clear that he works out and has toned muscles hidden beneath the thin layer of fabric.

  “I’ll get out of your hair now,” Josh says, bringing Maggie back to the present. “But let me know if you come across a Queen Mary. Clocks,” he adds, turning to Maggie. “I’d love to add one to my collection.”

  “Absolutely. But it’s been years,” Clem says, following him to the front door.

  Maggie stays behind and hears muffled voices and more laughter before the bell clangs and she knows he’s outside. She’s alone with her sister.

  Clem returns to where Maggie has taken a seat and sits across from her. The ancient looking chair is surprisingly comfortable. Maggie thought she’d be forced to sit up straight but she sinks into the cushions.

  “So, how’d everything go this morning?” Clem asks. “Did you make it to coffee with the Three Blind Mice?” Maggie laughs at their old code name for their mother’s friends.

  “I did.” Maggie pauses and Clem raises her eyebrows in the silence. “Ginger Rae thought I should talk to Aurora Holt.”

  Clem claps her hands together. “I should have thought of that! I totally forgot about how she never got along with Mom. Did Aurora blame Mom for their bad relationship?”

  “Not in those words. She said she didn’t hold anything against Mom now. But from everything Ginger Rae and Aurora told me, she has a solid motive to want Mom gone but not Dad.”

  Clem nods. “Yeah. He always seemed to get along with her, like he did with everyone. He was somehow able to look past anyone’s flaws and find the good in them.”

  Maggie nods in agreement and wonders why neither of them were so lucky to inherit that trait.

  Clem looks down at her wrist and announces, “I guess I could close a little early if you want to get some dinner.”

  “I was thinking I’d cook,” Maggie answers, her voice small, not wanting to step on Clem’s toes or change her routines. “But you can go out if you usually do.”

  Clem laughs. “I forgot you love to cook. I don’t think I’ve touched the stove in years. Mom always did the cooking and if she wasn’t home I’d get take out for Dad and me.”

  “So then I can make you dinner?” Maggie asks shyly.

  “Yup. Let me lock up and close some things out. You have a few minutes to wait for me?”

  Maggie nods and starts wandering around the shop, a repeat of last night. As soon as Clem locks the front door, the phone rings—the phone in the old red phone booth that isn’t connected to anything.

  CHAPTER 9

  Maggie whips around to see if Clem reacts to the noise. She is stopped in her tracks and looking toward the phone booth.

  “Tell me you hear that too,” Maggie says, questioning her own sanity and needing her si
ster’s confirmation that she hasn’t completely lost it.

  Clem nods slowly. “You think it’s Mom again?” Clem’s voice is childlike and scared, reminding Maggie of Clem’s fear of the dark until they were in high school.

  Maggie doesn’t answer but goes inside the phone booth and picks up.

  “What took you so long?” comes her mother’s voice, a shred of annoyance coming through with each word. “I thought you were going to ignore the call. I know you don’t like talking on the phone, but I’m your mother.”

  Clem joins Maggie inside the phone booth and their bodies are pressed up against each other, closer than Maggie can remember them being in years.

  “You have Clem with you today?” her mother asks. Maggie still hasn’t said anything but it doesn’t seem to matter.

  Maggie hands Clem the phone. “Hello?” Clem says, her voice small and hesitant. Maggie leans in closer so she can hear what her mother has to say.

  “Oh honey. I can’t even imagine what you’re going through. But there’s no more time for sadness. I know you’re perfectly capable of running Two Sisters on your own.” Maggie sees out of the corner of her eye that Clem’s face has turned white as a ghost, which seems appropriate since she’s on the phone with one. “I told your sister yesterday that your father and I were murdered. I don’t know who it was, but he knew what he was doing. He was good. He even fooled the police.”

  Maggie snatches the phone from her sister’s white knuckle grip. “He?” she asks, panic lacing the single word. “He?” she says again.

  “Yes. It was a man—”

  “Why didn’t you tell me that yesterday? I spent all day talking to two possible suspects who were women,” Maggie fumes. She can’t help but slip into interrogation mode.