6 Mistletoe, Makeup and Murder Read online

  “A date?” he countered with a bit of jealousy in his tone. “What are you talking about?”

  “Mmhm, there's a bottle of wine and a long lovely evening awaiting me,” Bekki replied, teasing him mercilessly.

  “Bekki,” she could hear the frown in his voice. “Would this date happen to be a relative?”

  “Wow, you are a good detective, too,” Bekki laughed as she settled into the front seat of her car. “You've got me. I'm going to spend the evening with my mom, she seems a little lonely.”

  “I think that's wonderful,” he said, and then paused for a moment before continuing. “Maybe you could talk to her about moving in…”

  “Nick,” Bekki warned as she started the car. “I'm not discussing that with my mother.”

  “Well, I mean it is their house, technically,” he pointed out awkwardly.

  “Listen, I think we need to talk about it a little more before involving my parents,” she laughed and shook her head.

  “Okay, let's do that,” he pushed gently. Nick had been mentioning how nice it would be to wake up together, and that since they spent so much time in each others’ homes, there was no reason not to blend their homes together. Bekki knew he was gently trying to push their relationship forward, but she was a little nervous. She trusted Nick, but she wondered how their relationship might change when they were actually living together.

  “We will,” she finally assured him. “After your case is closed, and I have my evening with my mom.”

  “I'll hold you to that,” his tone was stern but playful.

  “Get back to work,” she smiled, and then added just before she intended to hang up. “I love you.”

  “I love you too, Bekki,” he replied and Bekki sighed as she hung up the phone. Hearing those words was the best part of her day.

  Chapter Two

  When Bekki arrived at her parents’ house her mom really did have wine glasses ready. Her father, Robert, was out with his guy friends for the night to do some bowling, so it was just Bekki and Marie. When Bekki sat down on the couch cross-legged beside her mom, Marie sighed with admiration.

  “You get more beautiful every year, Bekki,” she said with genuine affection. Bekki glanced away shyly as a few strands of her dark waves tumbled against her cheeks. She shared her hair and eye color with her mother, they both had raven locks and dark blue eyes.

  “So do you, Ma,” she said and gave her mother a gentle hug.

  “True,” her mother said with the plucky confidence that Bekki was used to. “But, the truth is, neither of us is getting any younger,” she said as she topped up Bekki's glass of wine. Bekki stared at her mother with surprise.

  “Mama, what are you saying?” she asked hesitantly.

  “I think it's time, Bekki,” her mother said and looked her daughter straight in the eyes. “Nick is a great man Bekki, and I can tell you're in love with him. I knew you were in love with him when the two of you were just kids.”

  “Ma,” Bekki hesitated and shook her head. “You know I love Nick, but I don't want to rush things.”

  “Well sweetie, we can't always fight the progression of life,” her mother said and took a long swallow of her wine before putting the glass down on the coffee table. “Trust me, I'm not trying to push you into anything, I just hate to think that whole mess with Trevor has left you reluctant to move forward.”

  “I really don't want to discuss this,” Bekki said with a sigh. She wasn't in the mood to rehash old wounds or discuss her fears about the future. She wanted to enjoy a nice evening with her mother.

  “Okay, okay,” Marie finally relented. “But tell me this, are you going to invite him to Christmas brunch?” she asked hopefully.

  Bekki laughed a little at the mention of that. She hadn't been home for Christmas brunch in a few years and last year when she was home her parents had been traveling. It was a meal that was very special to her mother, as it was a tradition that ran in her family.

  “Yes, I will,” Bekki assured her. “I'm looking forward to it myself. Can I help you with anything?”

  “No, everything's already bought, and I just have a little preparation to do. I was thinking, maybe you should invite Sammy, and that new boyfriend of hers along too, what do you think?” Marie suggested.

  “I think that would be perfect,” Bekki replied. She relished the idea of spending the special meal with the people she cared about the most. It was just one more thing for her to be happy about. By the end of their night together Bekki and her mother had brunch planned out, and they were laughing so loudly by the time her father walked in that he had to shush them.

  “The neighbors will hear,” he said, hiding a grin himself.

  “So let them,” Marie said with a shrug. “Bekki is home for Christmas, I don't think there could be a better gift.”

  “Me neither,” Bekki's father admitted as he gave his daughter a hug. When he caught the scent of wine on her breath he shook his head. “Guess you'll be spending the night here.”

  Bekki started to protest, but one stern look from her father made her decide not to. He didn't often interfere with her choices, but he was very protective of her.

  “Okay Dad,” she reluctantly agreed. “But only if you promise to make pancakes.”

  “Well, it's not breakfast unless it's pancakes,” he reminded her with a gleam in his eyes. Bekki headed for her old room, her steps a little unsteady. She was exhausted, not just because of the wine, but because she was excited. It was the first holiday season in a long time that she felt as if everything was just the way it should be in her life. She couldn't wait to share the warmth of the special day with Nick, her family, and friends. Her old room wasn't the same as it had been when she was a teenager, her mother had turned it into an arts and crafts room, but there was still a bed in there. She always thought it was silly that her parents made sure there was a bed in her room, but she was beginning to understand why. They wanted her to know she always had a place in their lives and in their home.

  As Bekki settled into bed that night she felt a pang of nostalgia. It was wonderful to be home, but she was all grown up now. It felt different to be sleeping upstairs, listening to her parents puttering about as they got ready for bed. She began to wonder what it would be like to have a family of her own. As she drifted off to sleep, she was certain that there was only one person she wanted to putter around with when she was older, and that was Nick.

  ***

  When Bekki woke up the next morning she heard her father in the kitchen. He really was making his famous banana pancakes. As she joined him in the kitchen he smiled at her.

  “Nice to be able to serve you breakfast again,” he said with a chuckle. Bekki's mother was still sleeping, so Bekki lowered her voice.

  “Is mama really doing Christmas brunch? She said she didn't want any help, do you think she can do it all on her own?” she asked with some concern.

  “Your ma could do Christmas brunch in her sleep,” he laughed. “I know you have to get to the salon, so I have your plate ready to go. Sit and eat, and I'll pack some extras for Sammy.”

  Bekki grinned at the plate her father set in front of her. It had at least five pancakes on it, and plenty of syrup. He had always respected her healthy appetite. Once she and her father had finished their breakfast she took the plates to the sink and washed them up quickly. She heard her father switch on the news in the next room. That was the signal that it was time for his morning catnap. Bekki was fairly certain her father had never actually watched the morning news. She slipped out of the house, taking the container of pancakes along with her.

  After parking near the salon, Bekki headed to Angela's to grab some coffee to go with the pancakes. It wasn't so busy that morning, which was a relief, and she was able to get in and out. She shivered a little in the cold air as she started heading for the salon. She noticed John standing outside the dry cleaners again.

  “Shouldn't he be open?” John asked when she walked slowly past.


  “He should,” Bekki agreed and then frowned. Larry's had opened like clockwork since the business had moved into town. “Maybe he's under the weather,” Bekki suggested. “It's getting colder each day.”

  “Maybe,” John said with obvious frustration. Bekki tried to cheer him up with a warm smile.

  “I'm sure he'll be in soon.”

  “I hope so,” John sighed and walked in the other direction. Bekki couldn't shake the fact that John seemed remarkably annoyed at the wait for his jacket. Then again, if it was one of his few good ones, she could understand. As she reached the salon she heard the sound of a car pulling up behind her. When she spun around she found that it was Morris' police cruiser.

  “Morning Bekki,” Sammy said giddily as she waved goodbye to Morris who pulled away.

  “Wow, looks like your romantic evening went well,” Bekki laughed as she let them both into the salon.

  “It did,” Sammy sighed dreamily. “How did your night go?”

  “I actually spent it with my mom,” Bekki explained as she began getting the salon ready for the day. “She asked me to invite you and Morris to Christmas brunch,” Bekki added as she flipped the lights on in the salon and adjusted the heat.

  “Christmas brunch!” Sammy squealed with delight. “Oh, I can't wait. It's been so long. Do you know that your mom didn't even do it while you were in New York?”

  Bekki stared at Sammy with surprise. “She didn't? I didn't know that,” she felt a little sad at the revelation.

  “I'm really looking forward to it,” Sammy said with a smile. “The holiday season is right on top of us, and we're standing around here gabbing. We have plenty of 'dos to do and plenty of decorations to plan,” she grinned.

  “You're absolutely right,” Bekki said with renewed determination to make sure this was the best holiday ever. “I'm going into the back to pull out the Christmas lights, we'll get a head start.”

  Sammy took care of a few customers while Bekki did most of the decorating of the salon. By the time she had hung the lights, tinsel, mistletoe, and garland, she was really feeling festive. She decided that she would do something special for her mother at brunch. When closing time came the salon was the only shop twinkling on the street, but Bekki knew that by the next night the rest of the shops would join in as well.

  Bekki decided to walk down to Angela's and see if she could have a special dessert made for Christmas brunch. Angela’s always stayed open a little later in the evening as she hosted poetry readings in the small coffee shop. On her way to Angela's she noticed that the front door of Larry's cleaners was partially open. She decided to stop in and see if John had been able to get his jacket. If not she could pick it up for him so that he would be able to get it even if the cleaners closed before he made it there. As she nudged open the door she detected that chemical scent she was familiar with, but it was laced with something else. Gunpowder? Blood? She couldn't quite place it, but it made her heart start pounding much faster.

  “Bekki! Get out of here!” Larry shouted quickly as he came barreling towards her from behind the counter. He was moving fast, but Bekki still managed to observe a few daunting details about him. He had a gun in his right hand and blood splattered across his clothes.

  “Larry?” Bekki gasped as she stumbled backwards towards the door, feeling both fearful and protective at the same time. “Are you okay? Are you hurt?”

  “I'm okay, it's not my blood,” Larry sighed as his disturbing words hung in the air between them. Larry grimaced and then shook his head slowly as Bekki began dialing the police. “But this guy was trying to rob me! He was going to kill me!”

  “What guy?” Bekki asked after she had emergency personnel on the way. “Is he still here?” She searched the shop for any sign of the criminal.

  “He's in the back,” Larry admitted in a whisper. “It all happened so fast. I didn't have any choice, Bekki, he was going to kill me.”

  Bekki left Larry at the front door of the cleaners. She walked towards the desk that separated the front of the cleaners from the back. As she peered over it what she saw caused a strangled scream. The man staring straight up at the ceiling, his body lifeless, was John.

  Chapter Three

  Her scream was drowned out by the screeching of tires, the wailing of sirens, and the slamming of car doors. But it was echoing in her mind. When she felt Nick's hand on her shoulder, she wasn't even sure if she had stopped screaming. She wasn't expecting to find John dead. She had just spoken to him earlier in the day. Why would he rob the place? Why would Larry kill him?

  “Bekki this is a crime scene, I need to get you outside,” Nick said as he stared deeply into her dazed eyes. Bekki nodded though the movement was almost imperceptible. Once she was outside amidst all the flashing lights, her eyes sought Larry. He was standing with a few officers, speaking quietly to them. Morris was one of them. He looked up at Bekki with a slight frown. He knew what she had walked into had not been easy to witness. Nick pulled off his thin leather jacket and laid it around the sweater on Bekki's shoulders. He rubbed her upper arms gently, more to draw her attention than to warm her up.

  “Are you going to be okay?” he asked her with concern.

  “Yes,” Bekki nodded and glanced again towards Larry. She could hear the spiel he was giving the officers.

  “I was in the back, when this guy burst in, he demanded all of my money,” Larry said hastily. “He said he had a gun. I had my gun in my drawer, and I pulled it out. I told him to leave or I would shoot him. He said he wasn't leaving without the money, and started to run towards me. So I…” his voice shook a little. “I shot him,” he finally confessed. “But it was self-defense,” he insisted with wide pleading eyes. “If only he didn't charge at me like that,” he shuddered as if the memory haunted him.

  “Sir, we didn't find a weapon on the man, did you take it off him?” Morris asked calmly.

  “No,” Larry shook his head. “As soon as he went down I started to run, and that's when I ran into Bekki,” he added and glanced suddenly in her direction. Bekki was startled when he looked into her eyes. She could swear there was something dark in his gaze, and it made her clench her teeth. She looked away from Larry and turned back towards the shop as if she was going to walk inside. Before she could, Nick was there to push her gently back.

  “There's nothing for you to see in there,” he said with tenderness but authority in his tone. The paramedics had already come and gone, as there was nothing they could do.

  “Do you believe Larry's story?” Bekki asked as she searched his gaze.

  “Well, his gun is legal, and he had a right to defend himself in his own shop,” Nick pointed out.

  “But, I don’t believe that John would rob him!” Bekki argued forcefully. “I don’t think he would do that!” The conversation drew the attention of Larry who was still speaking to Morris.

  “Are you calling me a liar, Bekki?” Larry asked with hurt in his tone. “This is because I'm new in town, isn't it? I didn't ask to be robbed! I thought this town was a safe place.”

  Bekki opened her mouth to respond but Nick wrapped his arm around her shoulders and turned her away from Larry.

  “Listen, we need to look at all the facts, review all of the forensic information, and then we'll know for sure. Until then, no amateur detective work, okay?” he squeezed her shoulders gently.

  “But Nick…” Bekki began to insist.

  “Bekki,” he locked eyes with her sternly. “This is a very sensitive investigation. We have to make sure that all the evidence is collected properly and that all of the information is processed correctly. I need you to understand, I respect your intellect and instincts, but now is not the time.”

  Bekki sighed and lowered her eyes. She wanted to get back inside, to look at the crime scene, but since the place was swarming with police she knew she would never get in.

  “Bekki?” Nick prompted, looking for a verbal agreement.

  “Yes,” she nodded a little.

&nbs
p; “Good, I'm going to have Morris take you home,” he waved to Morris but Bekki shook her head firmly.

  “I can take my car,” she said quietly and walked away from the scene. Her mind was spinning as she settled into the driver's seat of her car. She didn't want to go home. She wanted to figure out how John had ended up dead. She knew that Nick and the other officers would do a thorough job, she just wanted to be involved.

  ***

  Not long after Bekki arrived at her house her phone began ringing.

  “Bekki, I just heard that John Simmons is dead,” her father's voice rushed forward when she answered. “Is this true? Did you see Nick in town?”

  “Yes Dad, I'm afraid so,” Bekki said softly. Her father not only knew John from around town but he had also bought Bekki’s house through John.

  “How did it happen?” her father gasped.

  “The owner of Larry's Cleaners accused him of trying to rob his store. He says that John threatened him with a gun, and that he killed John in self-defense,” Bekki replied with frustration.

  “That's ridiculous,” her father said firmly. “John would never do that. I hope Nick knows that.”

  “Don't worry Dad,” Bekki said with complete confidence. “Nick is a great detective. He will get to the bottom of this.”

  “I sure hope so,” her father said sadly. “What a terrible thing, and just before Christmas.”

  “I know,” Bekki grimaced as she sat down on the couch. “I'll keep you up to date on any developments.”

  “Thanks Bekki,” her father replied. “Stay safe.”

  “I will, Dad,” she promised and hung up the phone. She didn't realize how tired she was until she sat back against the couch and closed her eyes. She yawned, and gave into the need for a short nap. There was nothing she could do at the moment, she would have to wait to hear the results of Nick's investigation. Still, it troubled her to think that in such a short span of time she had gone from sharing a joke with a man, to discovering him dead. She wondered if there was something she could have noticed, could have done, to prevent the entire scene from unfolding. It was after midnight when she heard a light knock on her door, followed by the key sliding in. Bekki sat up groggily, knowing that it would be Nick, as he and her parents were the only ones who had keys to her house. As she wiped her eyes Nick walked into the living room, his face haggard from the investigation.