A Little Mystery Usually Hurts Someone…Chapter EIGHT

“I need coffee,” said Dickie, sitting down in Mona’s kitchen.  “And a few cookies.  I’ve been up all night.  We solved the case.  It just all came together.”

“Tell me,” said Mona, pushing the cream and sugar toward him.

“William Carter, the first dead guy, was actually Norman Riggs.  Those were the initials on the lighter, which must have fallen out of his pocket, when he was dropped over the fence.  I still don’t know how the team missed it.  Anyway, John Mason, was Bobby Dole.  We think the woman was Angela Moore.  And yes, they are the infamous bank robbers from a few years ago.  And yes, they were the three people in the photograph.”

“Where’s Angela?” asked Mona.

“In the morgue.”

“Oh.”

“She floated in around midnight.”

“Two questions,” she said.  “One…who is the guy you arrested, and two…who is the guy you found out in front?”

“The guy out in front killed the other two men, and probably the woman, as well.  The person who hired him to do so, didn’t want to leave any loose ends, so he offed him to cover his tracks.  The guy we arrested was one of their get-away drivers for two of their heists.  He quit, and was just living his life, but they thought he kept some of the money and they wanted it back.”

“Does he actually have some of the money?”

“He does.  It’s in a safety deposit box.  The key is buried in your backyard.”

“What?”

“One of the robberies was in this area.  Chet, the guy we arrested, took a bit more of his share of the money from that job and put it into a safety deposit box at one of  the banks.  They were on to him and when he ran through the alley, he  stopped to bury the key in your yard because he knew he would remember the big Oak tree.  The mastermind behind this fiasco, the guy who killed the guy out in front, was holding Chet’s daughter hostage, until he got the money back.”

“That’s terrible.”

“We rescued her this morning.  Chet gave us enough to put the so called brains behind the whole thing, away for a long time.

“Will Chet do time?”

“Yes, but since he gave up the others, they’ll go easy on him.”

Charlie came to the door and Dickie let him in.  The cat, looking twice her normal size, ran at him sideways, and hissed.  Charlie, walked up to Sugar and gave her a lick across her entire face.  The cat froze in horror then, as fast as lightening, she swatted Charlie across the face so hard he lost his balance.  Charlie held out his paw and Sugar rubbed her face against it. It was obvious that some kind of a deal had just been made.

“Is the cat staying?”

“Yes.  I talked to her servants…”

“You mean the people she lived with?”

“That’s what I said.  Anyway, they told me I could have her because she was always running away.  They were happy they wouldn’t have to worry about her anymore.”

“And Charlie?”

“He can visit anytime he wants to.”

“You’re shop is packed, all the time.”

“Nothing like a few dead guys to make people hungry,” said Mona.

“Do you want to get married?”

“Will you move in here?”

“I don’t care where I live, as long as you’re there.”

The cat gagged and threw up a fur ball.

“Jimi’s gonna ask Carla out on a date.”

“Good luck,” snorted Mona.

“I think she’ll go.”

“I don’t.”

“Bet?”

“Five bucks?”

“You’re on,” he said.  “So about getting married.”

“Let’s go on a date first.”

“We’ve been together for twenty years.”

“I know that, but we were little kids for part of that time,” she said.

He sat there and stared at her.

“I know it doesn’t make sense,” she said.  “But I have to think about us as an us, not just a you and me.”

He continued to stare.

“Do you understand?”

“No. I don’t.  Not even a little.”

“Can we do it anyway?”

“Sure.”

Carla walked in and smiled.  Jimi just told me about the case.  No more dead guys, I guess.  He asked me out and I said yes.”

Mona took five dollars out of her pocket and gave it to Dickie.

“You thought I would say no?”  Carla said, staring at Mona, her eyes wide.

“I did.”

“Don’t you know me at all?”

“Apparently not,” said Mona.

“Anyway,” said Carla, Joyce wants to know if you’re hiring.  She’d like to work here two days a week.”

“I’ll let you know after I check the money thing.”

“She can tell us what Sugar and Charlie are saying.”

“Do we really want to know?” asked Mona.  “I mean, think about it.”

“I have to go to work,” said Dickie, standing up.  “Thanks for the five bucks,” he snickered.

“Sure.  Anytime.”

Carla took his place at the table, put two cookie together, looked at them, then took a bite.  “Are you going to marry him?” she mumbled.

“I’m not even sure what’s going on.”

“Yeah.  Life can be like that, sometimes.”

“Life can be like that most of the time,” said Mona.

“Yeah.  You’re right.  Most of the time.”

 

THE END

 

Thank you for reading the story..

A Little Mystery Usually Hurts Someone…Chapter SEVEN

Mona groaned with joy, once she was in her soft bed.  The window, that should have been locked, was open and there was a wonderful breeze.  Best of all,  there were no dead guys in the back yard.  At least she hoped there weren’t.  Everything was quiet and she was asleep in minutes

She woke up, before the sun made an appearance, and found the cat curled up in the crook of her legs.

“Sugar?  What are you doing here?”

The cat, obviously unhappy at being pushed awake, glared at her, then stretched, gracefully.

“I’m not giving you tuna at five-thirty in the morning, but I do have to start baking, so you can either come downstairs, or stay here and sleep.”

The cat stepped onto her pillow and rolled into a ball.

“Fine,” said Mona, rubbing the cat’s ears.

Once in the kitchen, she was afraid to open the back door.  She did not want to see another body laying there.  But she did it anyway, and when she finally opened her eyes, the yard looked normal, except for all the yellow crime tape.

She was finished with the cookies and tarts, when Carla walked in.

“I don’t suppose you looked out in front.”

“No, why?”

“Aside from the dead guy, there’s a line of customers waiting to get in.  Everyone is excited about what’s going on.”

“There’s a dead guy out in front?”

“Yes.  The police are taking the body away right now.”

“Maybe that’s why Sugar is upstairs sleeping on my bed.”

“I’ll call Joyce.”

Mona nodded.  “See if you can get us a discount, since we’re repeat customers.”

“Will do.”

Forty-five minutes later, Joyce came downstairs.

“Sugar saw the whole thing,” she said.  “She was in the bushes.  She said this dead guy is the same guy that brought the second dead guy into the yard.  Somebody in a big black car drove up, pulled this dead guy out of the trunk, dropped him by the flowers, then drove away.”

“Carla, call Dickie and tell him what Sugar said.”

“He’s out in front,” said Joyce.

“Carla, please go out in front and tell Dickie what Sugar said.”

“You have a pretty interesting life,” said Joyce, grabbing a cookie.

“Believe me, I do not have an interesting life.”

“I disagree.  You know that cop is madly in love with you.”

“He’s not.  He’s an old friend.”

“I don’t care how old a friend he is and I think there’s a key buried in your yard.   I misunderstood what Sugar was trying to tell me yesterday, but she was crystal clear today.”

“A key?  To what?”

“She didn’t say.  I doubt the cat knows.”

“It was a rhetorical question,” said Mona, smiling.

“Ah.”  She took another cookie.  “You and Carla have been friends since first grade?”

“Yes.  We pretty much went through school together all the way through Junior Collage.”

“What happened then?”

“We went away to different schools for the last two years.  Then we came back here.”

“The cop loves her too, but as a sister.”

“He practically grew up at her house.  He was best friends with her brother.”

“The cat said she wants to live here.  With you.”

“What?”

“I know, right?  She likes it here a lot better here, than with the stuffy people at her place.  Those were her words, not mine.  I don’t think she’s going to leave.  I found out where she lives, and I’m thinking you need to talk to her servants and tell them that she’s okay and moving in with you.”

Mona stared at her.

Carla came in and said she got yelled at for telling Dickie to put the car in the back.

“I told him it wouldn’t have mattered where he put the car because whoever is doing this would have just put the body wherever the car wasn’t.”

“So,” said Mona, “we have three dead guys, a perp who looks like he’s been through the wringer, a cat who wants to relocate, and the possibility that there’s a key buried in the yard.  Right?”

Joyce nodded and took cookies.

“A key?  What key?” asked Carla.

Mona shrugged.  “No idea.”

“Okay, but we have to open soon, or there will be more violence out in front,” mumbled Carla, with a cookie in her mouth. “The cops are holding the customers at bay, but I don’t know for how long.”

“Take a tray of cookies out to them, while they’re waiting,” said Mona. “That will make them happy, at least for a few minutes.”

Carla picked up a tray of chocolate chips and left.

“You should take the cat,” said Joyce, standing up, ready to leave.

“How much do I owe you?”

Joyce waved her away.  “Nothin’ it’s on the house.”

“Thank you.”

“Anytime,”  she said, taking two more cookies.  “These are really good.”

“You can have some anytime,” said Mona, smiling at her.  “Just stop in.”

For a few minutes she was alone in the kitchen.  Then Dickie walked in.

“Do you love me?” she asked.

“Sure, but Carla said something about a key.”

“I mean love me, as in LOVE ME.  Like move in together, love me?”

“Yes.  So?”

“How did she know?”

“Who?”

“Joyce.  She told me you loved me.”

“I thought you knew that.”

“How would I know that?”

“I don’t know.  Women’s intuition?”

“Were you ever going to tell me?”

“Maybe.”

“Maybe?”

“Why are we doing this now when three dead guys have been found right here, on your property.”

“Because it seems important.  How did I not know?”

“You don’t pay attention to me.”

“I don’t?”

“No.  You just expect me to be here.”

Mona frowned.  “I do, don’t I.  I’m sorry about that.  I take you for granted.  I think you’ll always be here.  How could I do that to you?”

“Because I’m always here.”

“Why do you love me?”

“Beats me,” he said.  “I just always have.”

“I need another tray of cookies,” said Carla, grabbing a tray of ginger snaps.  She looked at Mona and Dickie and said, “You can tell me what this is all about later.”

“Was the new dead guy shot?” asked Mona.

“Stabbed.”

“Has the guy you arrested said anything?”

“No.  Not a single word.”

“They’ll kill someone he loves, if he talks.”

“I know.”

“Get Charlie and let him smell the guy.”

“I already did.  The man started crying and Charlie licked his face.”

“So, not a bad guy.”

“No.  Not a bad guy.  I better get back to work.”

“Me too,” she said, getting another tray out of the oven.”

The cat walked into the kitchen and sat in front of the fridge.

“Fine.  I’ll get the tuna.”

Sugar was pleased, knowing her new servant would be easy to train.

“You’re living here now?”

The cat smiled and the decision was final.

 

 

A Little Mystery Usually Hurts someone…Chapter SIX

Dickey shoved Carla behind him, gun in hand, he opened the door.  The man in the yard, turned, dropped the shovel he was holding, and started for the gate.  Dickie was down the stairs and on the guy in seconds.

“Call for backup,” Dickie said to Mona, who was already on the phone.

A few minutes later she said, “Jimi’s on his way.”

“This should be interesting,” muttered Carla.

Dickie had the guy’s hands zipped tied behind his back and his face on the ground.  The man’s clothes were dirty, as if he’d been sleeping and working in them.  He was disheveled and looked like someone who had been pushed far beyond his limits.

“Who are you?”

The man laughed.

“I asked you a question,” said Dickie, his voice threatening.  “WHO, are you?”

“I’m nobody, man.  Nobody at all.”

Mona believed him.  She walked down the stairs and went to stand next to Dickie, who told her to go inside.

She sat down, next to the man.  “Who’s doing this to you?  What do they have on you?”

The man smiled.  “Do you really think I’m going to tell you anything?”

“I’d like to help you.”

“No one can help me,” he said.

“Is someone holding your family, or someone you care about?”

“Do you think I’d tell you if they were?”

“What’s going to happen now?” she asked.  “At least if you tell us what’s going on, you may have a chance…”

He started laughing, one of those laughs that was part funny and part out of control, just as Jimi walked into the yard.

Mona went back to the stairs, while Dickie and Jimi talked.  Jimi looked at Carla now and then, but otherwise, kept his mind on the job.  The perp was standing and Jimi had his hand at the back of the guy’s neck.

“How long since you’ve seen him?”  asked Mona.

“About six months,” said Carla.

“You broke his heart.”

“It happens.”

“It does,” agreed Mona.

“I think Dickie is right.  People should move on and not stay in the same neighborhood.  I don’t think we’re meant to know everyone for their whole lives.”

“Maybe, but I wouldn’t want you to move away.”

Carla nodded.  “I have no answers for anything.”

“No one does.”

“We’re leaving,” said Dickie.  “Go inside and lock the doors and windows.  A car will be in front.”

“Nothing is happening IN FRONT, Dickie,” said Carla, standing up.  “The car should be in the BACK, WHERE THE DEAD GUYS END UP.”

“Fine.  A car will be in the back,” he said, and followed Jimi through the gate, passing Charlie, who had a stick in his mouth.

Charlie brought the stick to Mona, dropped it, and let Mona rub his face and give him kisses.  Then he moved to Carla for more of the same.

“Where did you meet Joyce Ricee, with two ee’s, the first ‘e’ being silent?”

“Book club.”

“You were in a book club?”

“Yeah.  Is that so strange to you?”

Mona thought for a second and then said, “Yes.  Yes, it is.”

“There was wine and pizza.”

“Ah.  Not so strange then.”

“Sci-fi and magic books, so it was cool.  Joyce was there and seemed very talented.  She had a good rep and loved animals with a passion.  We had coffee a few times and she told me the things some of the animals said to her.  A dog didn’t like the new dog in the family at all.  He stopped eating, he was so unhappy, since no one paid any attention to him any longer.  One dog hated it when the man in the house sang to the records he played.  Another was upset because the cat kept sleeping in his bed and eating his food.  Stories like that.”

“I’m happy she can help them.”

“She can’t always help them because the humans involved don’t always believer her, or take her advice, so the animals suffer.”

“That has to be hard.”

Carla nodded.  “You want me to stay here tonight, or should I go home?”

“I’m fine.  I doubt they’ll be another dead guy, so go.  I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Lock the door after me,” said Carla,  “If you need me call,  I’ll come right over.”

“Thanks.”

“Sweet dreams.”

“You too,” said Mona.

 

A Little Mystery Usually Hurts Someone…Chapter FIVE

A woman with short pitch black hair, gelled back on both sides, wearing blood red lipstick and gigantic black rimmed glasses, that matched her black net skirt, tights, combat boots and the black lace top, she wore under her black faux leather biker jacket, walked into the yard.  She nodded at Carla, who introduced her as Joyce Ricee, with two ee’s, the first “e” being silent.

“She’s an animal psychic. She speaks to animals and they tell her things,” said Carla.

“Where’s the cat?” asked Joyce, in a no-nonsense voice.

“Over there,” said Mona, pointing.

“Who’s the cop?”

“A friend.  He’s working the case.”

“Carla filled me in on the dead guys,” said Joyce.

“Good,” said Mona.

“Now back up and be quiet, while I do my job.  My rate is fifty dollars an hour.  If I’m only here for twenty minutes it’s still fifty dollars for the first hour.”

“Excuse me?” said Mona.

Joyce looked at Carla.

“I forgot to tell them that you charge for your services,” she said, softly.  “I’ll pay.  No problem.”

Joyce slid her black back pack off her shoulder and slowly walked toward the cat.  Everyone else backed up to the porch and sat down on the stairs.

Joyce lowered herself to the grass, sitting directly across from the cat, and the show was on.  She whispered to the cat, nodded, snickered, then apparently communicated telepathically for awhile.

“Her name is Sugar Puss, but she wants to be called Sugar.  Use her full name and you’ll be bleeding.  She wants to negotiate price.”

“Price?” said Mona.  “Seriously?”

“What does she charge?” asked Carla.

Joyce turned to the cat and nodded.

“She wants a whole tuna.  Fresh, no frozen or canned stuff, and she wants you to keep it here and give her a portion of her choice everyday when she comes by, until it’s gone.  She lives on Western and she’s not supposed to be out, so she may skip a day, now and then.  Is that acceptable?”

Mona nodded.  “Sure.”

Joyce turned back to the cat, while Dickie hit his head against the railing a few times.

Five minutes went by, then Joyce said, “She was in the tree with a bird she caught, when the first dead guy appeared.  He was rolled over the fence, then someone came in and moved his body around. She said she doesn’t see the same colors as humans, but the man had dark hair and was about the same size as the cop.”

“She knows I’m a cop?”

“She’s a cat,” said Joyce.  “She knows everything.  She said a woman was arguing with the man who pushed the body over the fence.  They were talking in low voices and it looked as if the body was really heavy. They kind of rolled the dead guy up the fence.  The female helped, until she couldn’t reach high enough anymore.  Once the man got the body to the top, he pushed it until it fell.  Then he came into the yard and dragged it to where it was found.  They left after that.  Sugar took a nap and when she woke up, there was a new dead guy coming into the yard.  She was hungry.  It was late, and her servants would have dinner ready, but she stayed in the tree and watched for awhile.”

“I told you she was good,” said Carla in a whisper.

“The new dead guy was carried in and put in the same place as the last dead guy.  The second dead guy was the guy who pushed the first dead guy over the fence.  The man who did it, laughed at the dead guy and kicked him in the side before he left.  Then Sugar went home to eat.  She said she’ll be by for tuna tomorrow.”

Everyone stood up and thanked the cat at the same time, making them sound like a bunch of confused bumble bees that had way too much honey.

Joyce, stood, gave the cat a few pets, and said, “You did great, Sugar.”  Then she picked up her backpack and walked over to Carla. “Fifty bucks,” she said, holding out her hand.

“I’ll get it,” said Mona, hurrying into the office.

Once Joyce had been paid, she said, “Nice working with you.  Call anytime.  Sugar is a great cat, by the way.  She knows a lot.”

More thanks were given and Joyce Ricee, with two ee’s, the first one being silent, left the yard.

“Two men and a woman.  The picture in his wallet,” said Carla, raising her eyebrows.  “Both men dead.  But what do I know, right, Dickie?”

“Charlie didn’t charge anything,” muttered Mona, frowning.  “What’s with the cat?”

“Cat’s are into economics,” said Dickie.  “Dogs don’t care that much.”

Mona and Carla looked at him.

“What?” he said.  “It’s true.”

Half an hour later all three were sitting at one of the tables in the tea room, sipping Earl Gray..

“Do you have any cookies?” asked Dickie.

Carla got up and went to get them.  When she looked out the back door, she said, “Uh, Dickie.  Someone’s in the yard.”

 

 

 

A Little Mystery Usually Hurts Someone…Chapter FOUR

Charlie ran down the stairs, turned in circles a couple of times, then raced toward the old Oak tree, which didn’t take him long, since it was a pretty small yard.  He disappeared behind the tree, where the trunk almost touched the wooden fence, and sat there, waiting for the humans to arrive.  Once they were all assembled, Charlie began pawing at the ground, his tail wagging furiously.  Dickie bent down and, like the good dog that Charlie was, he  controlled his urge to jump on Dickie and start to play.  Instead, he focused on the lighter that Dickie was picking up.

“What a good dog,” said Mona, hugging the lab, who wiggled in her arms.  “Yes, you are such a good, good boy.”

Somewhere nearby, a cat laughed. Not everyone can hear the laughter of a cat, but Carla turned her head toward the sound and listened.

“I’ll have this checked out.  There are initials engraved on it.  Nice going, Charlie,” said Dickie, patting the dog on the back.  “You are now an unofficial police dog, who is going to be paid in yummy doggie treats.”

“Told you to ask a dog, or cat,” said Carla.  “They know how to solve mysteries.”

Mona sighed, and admitted that she was probably right.

“I’ll have someone watch your place tonight, so you won’t find yet another dead guy laying here in the morning,” said Dickie.  “Since the second guy has been taken away, there’s room for one more.”

“Why here?” asked Mona.  “I don’t understand why they’re dumping dead guys in this yard.  I mean no one knows who they are and they were both well dressed and wearing expensive watches.”

“Most people don’t wear watches any longer.  They look at their phones,” said Dickie.  “A lot of times watches are merely symbols of wealth.  The dead guys weren’t killed here, their bodies were simply dumped here.  And the second guy was also shot.  The amount of blood left behind by either one of them, proves their bodies had been moved.  We’ll see if the bullets match, but I’m almost sure they will.”

Charlie snuffled each of them, caged a few pets, then ran around the building and went home.

“Guess he’s finished working,” said Carla.  “A least for now.”

“So,” said Mona.  “The first dead guy’s name was William Carter.  Who’s the second guy?”

“According to his identification, he was John Mason,” said Dickie.  “We’re searching to see if there’s any connection between them, schools, military, jobs, friends, neighborhood.  That kind of thing.”

“If you arrest anyone, let Charlie smell him, or her,” said Carla.  “I bet he would know who did it.”

“That’s not a bad idea,” agreed Mona.

“At the moment, there are no suspects. But I’ll keep it in mind.”

“Did you find out who the people in the photograph were?” asked Carla.

“The dead guy is the one on the right and I’m guessing the second dead guy is the one they just took away. The woman might be his sibling, but I don’t really know, at this point,” said Dickie.  “We’re working on it”

“Feels wrong,” said Carla.  “They looked too happy to be sibs. And they don’t look alike in any way at all.”

“I’ll ask Jack to stay here tonight.  Make coffee.  He drinks a lot of it,” sighed Dickey.

“You mean Jack of Diamonds?” said Carla, grinning.

“His name is Jack Diamond.  He is not now, nor has he ever been, a playing card. You know how he hates that.”

“If he didn’t hate it, no one would tease him,” said Mona, logically.

“Whatever,” said Dickie.

“Maybe we could have a person who talks to ghosts come here and try to talk to contact the dead guys,” said Carla.  “She could ask them who their killers were.”

“I’m leaving,” sighed, Dickie.  “See you in the morning.”

A fluffy white cat jumped down from a branch in the Oak tree and looked at the two women.

“She saw everything,” said Carla.  “I just know it.”

The cat smiled, licked her shoulder, and meowed softly.

“Pretty cat,” said Mona.

“Meep,” said the cat.

“You and I don’t speak cat,” said Carla, matter-of-factly.  “Fortunately, I know someone who does.”

 

 

A Little Mystery…Usually hurts someone… Chapter THREE

“The ladies at table three need more tea and cookies,” said Mona, when Carla came back inside.

“On it,” she said.

The day continued as usual.  Eventually the body was removed, but the yellow tape remained in place.  Finally, when the last crumpet was eaten and the door was closed for the night, Mona and Carla sat down and talked about Dickie and their entire day.

“I asked him to kiss me.”

Mona choked on her tea and couldn’t catch her breath.  Once she was able to inhale properly, she started laughing.  “I wish I could have seen his face.”

“He had his back to me, or I’d tell you what he looked like.”

“You shouldn’t tease him like that.”

“Why not?  He spend half his life at my house playing video games with my brother.  There was always a place set at the table for him.  I thought eventually my parent were going to adopt him and just get it over with.”

Mona nodded.  “I’m surprised they didn’t.  He turned out okay because of your family.  You know that, don’t you?”

“I do.  That’s why I get to tease him whenever I want.  He’s family.”

“Don’t tease him when he’s on the job.  He’ll look bad in front of his co-workers.”

“Co-workers?  You mean the guys who played basketball in the park and somehow turned into cops?”

“That’s exactly who I mean.”

“I could tease all of those guys.”

“No doubt, but don’t.”

“I’m going to take the garbage out and head home,” said Carla.  “I might stop by the dead guy’s place.”

“DO NOT STOP BY THE DEAD GUY’S PLACE!!”

“That’s what Dickie said,” she laughed, picking up the garbage bag.  “See you tomorrow.”

“DON’T STOP AT THE DEAD GUY’S PLACE,” yelled Mona…again.

“Hey,” said Carla, coming back inside a few minutes later.  “There’s a dead guy out back.”

“We already did that today,” said Mona, putting the cash into the safe.

“No, this is a different dead guy.”

Dickie looked tired, when he walked in.  “How did you get another dead guy in your yard?”

“Hey, don’t look at me,” said Mona.  “I don’t even know how we got the first one.”

“Do you think their blood will hurt, the Oak tree?” asked Carla.

Dickie and Mona looked at her.

“What?  That’s a reasonable question,” she said.  “It’s a nice old tree.  I don’t want anything bad to happen to it.”

“She’s right,” said Mona.  “I’ll look it up later.”

“If there’s anything missing from this body, don’t look at me,” huffed Carla.  “You were very ungrateful last time I tried to help, so you’re on your own.”

“Again,” said Dickie, looking at Mona, “why do you still hang out with her?  She’s insane.”

“Oh, come on, you know you love her.”

“I didn’t say I didn’t love her.  I said she’s insane.”

“I am not insane,” said Carla.  “That was a mean thing to say and I used to split my popsicles with you when we were little.  I’m just different that you two.  That doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong with me.”

“She’s right,” said Mona.  “There’s nothing wrong with her.”

Dickie nodded.  “She did split all her popsicles with me.”

“I know,” smiled Mona.  “So did I.”

A dog sat outside the back door.

“Hi Charlie,” said Mona,  letting him in.  The black lab leaned against her as she scratched his hears.  “How was your day?”

“I bet he knows things about the dead guys,” said Carla,  kissing the dog’s face. “Don’t you baby.”

Charlie barked and went to the door.  Everyone looked at him.

“What can it hurt?” said Mona.

They all got up and followed Charlie into the yard.

 

 

 

A Little Mystery Usually hurts Someone…Chapter TWO

Mona and Carla watched the cops walk around, taking notes, talking to each other and generally doing their job, from the open back door.  A cop broke away from the others and walked toward them.  He climbed the four stairs to the tiny back porch and stared at them.

“Hi, Dickie,” said Mona, opening the door.

“That’s officer Martin, to you.  I’m on duty.  It doesn’t matter that we’ve known each other forever, show some respect.”

“You want me to call you Officer Martin?”

He nodded.

“Not in a million years,” she said. “So what did you find out?”

“Probably a robbery.  His wallet’s gone and so is his watch.  There’s a tan line on his wrist.”

“Those things aren’t missing,” said Mona.  “Carla took them for safe keeping, so anyone who found the body wouldn’t be able to steal them.”

Carla placed the items in Dickie’s open hand.

“I should arrest you,” he said, glaring at her.

“Why?  For doing something nice?” said Carla, folding her arms across her chest.

“For contaminating evidence.”

“I was being helpful.”

“You were stealing.”

“Excuse me,” said Mona, “but how was he killed?”

“That’s police business.”

“I’ll tell my mother to never make brownies for you again.”

“I should have moved out of this neighborhood,” he sighed.  “Moved to a place where no one knew me and I wouldn’t have to put up with this garbage all the time.”

“So?” said Mona. “Until you find the place where no one knows you, tell me what’s going on.”

“He was stabbed to death.”

“Maybe a wizard did it,” said Carla.  “There’s a wizard listed in the Chicago phone book, you know.”

“Why do you still hang around with her?” asked Dickie, staring at Mona  “What’s wrong with you?”

“I just asked myself that very question about twenty minutes ago,” said Mona.

“Well, now we have EVIDENCE to show that it probably wasn’t robbery,” he said.  “At least not a robbery by someone we DON’T know,” he growled.  “Carla.  Sit down, I need a statement from you.”

“I’ll go see if the customers need anything,” said Mona, walking away.

“So?  Tell me exactly what happened, from the beginning,” said Dickie, tapping his notebook with his pen.

“Okay, sure,” she said.  “I woke up about seven and got up…”

Dickie stopped tapping and held up his hand.  “Not that beginning, the beginning from when you first saw the body.”

“Oh. That beginning. Well, I was going to come in the back way, so I could wash my hands and get my apron and I saw what looked like someone’s laundry, laying on the grass by the big Oak tree.  I though, who would throw laundry on the ground like that.  Anyway, I went over there and saw that it was a dead guy.  I secured the scene for you guys, taking his watch and wallet, as I said, then I went in and told Mona.  She called you right after that.”

“You didn’t see anyone?  Hear anything?  Notice anything that was different?”

Carla closed her eyes and pursed her lips.  “Mrs. Jordan was outside next door, working in her garden.  I could hear her, but she couldn’t have seen anything because the fence is way to high.”

“Are you sure it was her?”

“Ummmm,” she said, eyes still closed.  “No.  I couldn’t see her either.  I just heard someone and thought it was her, but it could have been anyone.”

Dickie nodded.  “What else?”

“Ooooh oooh, I smelled something like perfume, or aftershave, but that smell is gone now.”

“Did you secure the scene by taking anything else?”

“No.”

“You messed up the footprints.”

“It hasn’t rained in ages and there were no footprints.”

“Not for you to say.”

“Who can say it, then?”

“Carla.  Is there anything else you can remember?”

“You might be right about it not being Mrs. Jordan in the yard.  I’m only saying that because if she hears anyone, she always shouts HELLO.  And she didn’t.”

Dickie continued to take notes.  “Did you wipe off the watch and wallet?”

“Just the face of the watch and I might have touched his Driver’s License and credit cards and the picture of the two men and the dark haired woman.  Other than that, no.  I don’t see what you’re so worried about.  The person who killed the guy never touched those things, that person just wanted him dead.  You should get a police dog down here.  One who talks.”

“Okay, we’re done for now,” he said, standing up.

“Will you keep us informed?”

“No.”

“Why not?”

“It’s police business, not yours.”

“I know where he lives and I’m going there after work.  Do you want to come with?”

“Do you want to sit in a jail cell until this case is closed?”

“No.  Your food is terrible and your blankets are not at all soft enough.”

“I swear, Carla.  If you go there I will arrest you.”

“Okay,” she said, smiling at him and patting his arm.  “Gimme a kiss,” she laughed, standing on tip toes.

Dickey turned and started to walk away when he heard her say, “Your loss. You’d really like kissing me.”

 

 

 

 

A little mystery…usually hurts someone. A short story. Chapter ONE

“There’s a dead guy out back,” said Carla.

“What do you mean, a dead guy?” asked Mona.  “Dead how?”

“A guy who’s dead.  No idea why he’s that way.”

“Are you sure?”

“Seriously?” said Carla.  “Am I sure?  Have I ever told you there was a dead guy out back before?”

“Good point.”

“I have a lot of good points,” she said, sticking her chest out.

“Not as good as when you were twenty.”

“Hey, you don’t have to be mean,” she laughed.  “But when I was twenty, I was so hot!”

“About the dead guy.”

“What about him?”

“Did you call the police?” asked Mona, already knowing the answer.

“I thought about it but I just serve the customers tea, you’re supposed to do all the rest.”

“Fine.  I’ll be right back.”

Mona walked through through the door leading to her office in the back room.  She pushed a stack of cat Tarot Cards over and sat on the desk.

“Hey,” she said.  “We have a dead guy behind our shop.”

She listened for a moment then said, “Oh, I’m Mona from Tea and Other Stuff, on Montrose and Crystal.  No, I haven’t seen the body, my co worker found him.  Do you want me to go and look?  Great, see you guys soon.  Come around the back so you don’t scare the customers, okay?  Thanks.  You’re Jimi, right?  I thought I recognized your voice.  Of course no one here touched the body.  Gross and then some.  Yuk!  Okay, bye.”

“What did he say?” asked Carla from the doorway.

“Be here soon.  I told him you didn’t touch anything.  I mean you didn’t, did you?”

“Mmmmm, nothing important.  Just a few things,” she said, looking down.

“You are unbelievable.  What did you take?”

Carla shrugged.  “Well, it’s not like he needed anything anymore, right?  I mean he IS dead, after all.”

“Not the point.”

Carla held out her arm.

“You took his watch and you’re wearing it?” said Mona, horrified.

Carla nodded and took a wallet from her apron pocket.

“Oh My Great Gingersnaps,” said Mona, covering her face with her hands.  “You’re going to have to tell the pig…I mean cops when they get here.  Anything else?”

Carla shook her head.  “I don’t see what the big deal is.  Like I said, the guy’s dead.”

“You’re like an active grave robber,” sighed Mona.  “You took EVIDENCE.”

“Oh.  Yeah.  I didn’t think of it that way.  Do you think they’ll let me keep the watch?”

“NO! THEY WON’T LET YOU KEEP THE WATCH YOU CRAZY PERSON.  And they are not going to be happy that you touched everything.”

“He has brown eyes and his name is William Carter.  At least that’s what his Driver’s License says.  I know where he lives too.  Nice neighborhood.  Wonder what he was doing around here.”

The cops were suddenly in the yard, standing around the dead body.

“He’s dead alright,” said cop number one.

Another cop started cordoning off the area with yellow crime tape.

“If only we had a talking cat or dog,” said Carla, “like in all those cozy mysteries my mother reads.  I’m sure that would be a big help.”

Mona stared at her.  “How have we been friends since first grade?  How?  Explain that to me.”

Carla shrugged.  “Beats me.  You’re kind of weird.”