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Authors: Cynthia Hickey

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“Sure he does. Harvey Coons. They were pals in school.” Aunt Eunice took a chocolate hot air balloon out of the refrigerator and handed it to a customer. “Harvey never did much with his life. Had a father who drank too much. A mother who took off when he was eight. But Roy and him stayed friends. Why?”

“I saw him at the first aid tent. Ginger broke his foot.” I gnawed my lower lip before continuing. “He said Uncle Roy asked him to look out for me. Then he gave me a warning. Said not to do anyone any favors. Said there’s something fishy about me being asked to walk Ginger, and about the lion ending up at our place. It is weird that they asked me to walk Ginger, but I figured, with Sally in the truck following, it was no big deal. Do you think there could have been an ulterior motive?”

Aunt Eunice turned to face me. “Like what?”

“Like maybe Ginger was supposed to kill me?”

 

 

 

Chapter Sixteen

 

Aunt Eunice slumped against the counter. “I thought Big Sally seemed like such a nice woman, too.”

“Maybe it wasn’t her idea. Someone could have suggested it to her. She isn’t the brightest star in the sky and with her weight, it is difficult to get around. Probably seemed like a good idea. Some people are too trusting.” Like me, for instance. “We were lucky Ginger liked me.”

“You mean you were lucky.”

“Gee, thanks.” My body sagged from exhaustion. “After last night, all I want to do is go to bed. I had a hard time sleeping on that bench.”

“I didn’t have any trouble at all. But my back is paining me something awful.” She placed both hands on her lower back and arched.

“Let’s close up and go home. Get a nap.”

“Sounds like a great idea.” I locked the refrigerator, grabbed my purse, then followed Aunt Eunice to my car. My eyes were gritty from lack of sleep, and I was grateful I had only a mile to drive.

Once in bed, snuggled beneath a thick quilt, I lay flat on my back and stared unblinkingly at the ceiling. A breeze outside cast shadows through the branches of a tree, and I watched the changing patterns on the plaster over my bed. Never good at taking naps, the bright sunlight streaming through the windows sent sleep to the farthest recesses of my mind. Images of Joe’s face clicked across my thoughts like the spool of an old-time movie reel.

A sigh rose from deep within me. The hurt of what I perceived to be betrayal threatened to fester within me. But sleep wouldn’t come without forgiveness. Hurt feelings or not, I’d have to forgive Joe for doing his job. The thought galled me.

I flounced onto my side. The quilt stifled me, and I tossed it to the foot of the bed. When rest continued to elude me, I rose, got dressed, and headed back outside.

Behind the wheel of my car, I blinked against the gritty feeling behind my eyelids. There had to be something better than facing Joe at the station. All those officers staring. Smirking behind their desks. I shuddered and closed my eyes. My head fell back against the headrest.

A rap on the window caused my eyes to shoot open, and a squeak escaped me. Joe peered in.

I pushed the window button and rolled it down. “You scared me half to death, Joe.”

“Why are you sleeping in the car?” He was out of uniform.
Thank You, God, I didn’t go to the station
.

“I’m not sleeping. I was on my way to see you.” I shoved the door open. He jumped back.

“Thought I’d save you the trip.” His gaze flickered toward his truck. Ethan grinned from the passenger side. My man knew me so well.

Although I felt manipulated, something that normally caused my hackles to rise, I was too tired to put up a fight. “Y’all come on in. There’s coffee left.”

They followed me inside without speaking and took seats at the kitchen table. “Since Ethan got you here, Joe, did he happen to tell you why you needed to come?”

“Said you had something you wanted to tell me.” Joe twirled an empty mug between his hands. “I figured it had to be important, so I came over on my day off. I’m taking April to the movies later, so I don’t have a lot of time.”

God, You aren’t going to make this easy on me, are You?
I lifted the coffeepot and poured the aromatic liquid into our mugs.

Joe lifted his mug to his lips, and I blurted out what I wanted to say. “I forgive you for arresting me.”

Coffee spewed from his mouth. He lifted a napkin from a basket in the center of the table and wiped his mouth. “Excuse me?”

“I. Forgive. You. For arresting me.” Feeling immensely better, I sipped my coffee.

“For arresting you? You forgive me for doing my job after I warned you countless times?” Joe shook his head. “You beat all, Summer. You really do. I should have done that months ago.”

“For what?” This was not going the way I’d planned.

“The same thing.” Setting his mug on the table, Joe leaned forward. “Look. I know you’re eager to help solve this case. Just like the jewelry theft and murder in July, but you go about it all wrong. You contaminate every crime scene you come in contact with. You consistently put your life in danger, and you won’t leave things alone when I ask you to. This is my job. I happen to be good at it. And I could be better if I wasn’t saving you every waking moment of the day.”

He pushed back his chair and stood. “I’m happy you forgive me. I accept. Now, I’ve got to go.”

I didn’t bother to rise. I pictured me soccer kicking his head across the room. Working on my attitude needed to become a priority. Fine. “I’m sorry for making your job harder. I know having me for a cousin isn’t easy.”

Joe laughed. “No, Summer, it isn’t.” He clapped my shoulder and left.

Nobody asked my permission before burying the diamonds beneath my rosebush a few months ago. Or stashing the money in my tree house. Or breaking into my home. My consent hadn’t been given when Nate kidnapped and almost shot me. No more than I’d asked to find Laid Back Millie’s body.

Maybe out of ignorance I’d touched things I shouldn’t have, not called the police when I should’ve, and been in the wrong place at the wrong time. Again, these things could happen to anyone. Right? Everyone made mistakes. I was in a learning process.

“What’s on your mind?” Ethan scooted his chair close to me and brushed a strand of hair away from my face.

“That didn’t go how I planned.” I stared into my mug at the light-colored liquid. Should have let it perk longer.

“You thought he’d be grateful. That he’d say thank you.”

“Yes. Instead he seemed aggravated.” I leaned my head on Ethan’s shoulder.

“Come on.” He stood and pulled me to my feet. “Let’s go into the living room. We’ll be more comfortable.”

Like a docile puppy, I allowed myself to be led. Ethan lowered me onto the floral-patterned sofa before sitting next to me. He put a pillow in his lap and pulled my head to rest on the chenille fabric. It was heaven against my cheek. My tired body went liquid.

Ethan smoothed my hair, his hand moving from my head to my shoulders in one relaxing movement. “You scare Joe, Summer. You frighten everyone who loves you. The way you get yourself into fixes. Joe may be your cousin, but he cares for you like a brother.” His stomach rose with his deep breath.

“I don’t ask for trouble.”

He chuckled. “Maybe not, but you love it anyway. The attention. The excitement. You caught a bug last July that burrowed under your skin and won’t leave.”

Ethan was right. The thrill I got from getting close to an answer defied description. And I was improving. The clues came faster this time. The answers easier.

Yet something else nagged at me. Tugged, urged me on. There was another reason solving these crimes meant so much. Not to prove I wasn’t stupid, nor to solve a stranger’s murder, but I didn’t know what it was. And asking God why frightened me.

I stared into Ethan’s face. He gave me a crooked smile, melting my heart.

“I’ll quit if you ask. I’ll buy special crime-repelling bug spray. Right now. This instant. All you have to do is ask.”

He leaned forward and kissed me. “I know. And I won’t. Doesn’t do any good, anyway. Just be careful, and don’t break any laws. You put Joe in a tough spot when you do.”

My eyelids grew heavier and closed.

 

I woke to a room cast in shadows. My head still rested in Ethan’s lap, and soft snores issued from his slightly open mouth. Low murmurs drifted from the kitchen. I yawned and sat up to stare through the dim light at Ethan’s face.

The moon’s glow highlighted the stubble on his jaw. To think that someday I’d have complete access to his lips, anytime I wanted, warmed my insides. My gaze shifted to the square of light coming from the kitchen. As protective as Uncle Roy is, it’s a wonder he’d allowed me to sleep with my head in Ethan’s lap.

“What time is it?” Ethan’s voice was raspy from sleep.

“I don’t know. My aunt and uncle are in the kitchen. Do you want to join them?”

He gave me a slow, lazy smile. My stomach flipped. “Not really, but we probably should. Before Roy gets his gun.”

I’d much rather remain where I was, secure in Ethan’s love, relishing his touch, but I knew the wise choice of action. Unfolding my legs, I rose and held out my hand. “Let’s join my aunt and uncle. Where it’s safe.”

Aunt Eunice and Uncle Roy sat nursing cups of coffee. My aunt’s gray curls stuck in all directions around her face. Uncle Roy looked glum.

“What’s up?” I reached for the coffeepot.

Uncle Roy sighed. “Your aunt just told me y’all’s suspicions about that elephant. Sure wish I would’ve been here. I would have told you straightaway not to walk it to the fairground. Sometimes you ain’t got a lick of sense.” He raised his head to stare at my face. “You’re too sweet, Summer. Too kind. Easily taken advantage of. The world ain’t a safe place.”

“You would’ve done the same thing, Uncle Roy. Someone needs your help, you’re there. It’s as simple as that.” I lowered myself into a chair and gratefully accepted a mug of coffee from Ethan, this time brewed to perfection.

“What suspicions?” Ethan asked.

“Eunice and Summer seem to think the carnies asked her on purpose to walk that animal. That someone hoped she’d be hurt—or worse.”

Ethan sat in a chair next to me and placed his arm along the back of my chair. “It would have to be a pretty elaborate plan, don’t you think? They’d have to stage the accident.”

“Not if they just took advantage of things when they happened. Saw the opportunity and took it. Animals can be unpredictable. They aren’t all as sweet as our Truly here.” Uncle Roy slurped his drink and scratched behind the dog’s ear with his free hand.

“Still pretty far-fetched. After staging the accident, they’d have to be certain it would be Summer that found Millie’s body. If that was their plan, they wouldn’t want her killed or injured.”

“What if they didn’t want me to find Millie? If I hadn’t walked Ginger, I probably wouldn’t have.” I pushed my coffee away. My stomach churned. Thoughts of my possible demise churned the abdominal acids. Thoughts swirled in a circle, making no sense.

Ethan cocked an eyebrow. “Maybe. But still risky. Animals are unpredictable. There was no guarantee things would work out a certain way.”

Aunt Eunice rose from her chair. “I still say there’s more to this than meets the eye. As soon as that carnival got to town, Summer’s been in one scrape after another. And this time she didn’t go looking for trouble.”

She placed her mug in the sink. Something out the window caught Aunt Eunice’s gaze. She parted the curtains. “But trouble sure did find her.”

 

 

 

Chapter Seventeen

 

Three chairs scraped back in unison. Truly’s ears rose with the screech of wood against linoleum. Ethan, my uncle, and I dashed to the window.

“Who is that?” Uncle Roy asked. “Bigfoot?”

“That, Uncle Roy, is my gorilla friend.” He or she melted into the shadows.

Aunt Eunice stomped to the phone. “I’m calling Joe. A person can’t get any peace around here, what with Bigfoot, gorillas, elephants, and lions.”

I couldn’t help but add, “Oh my.”

“It’s all just scare tactics,” Ethan stated. “It’s the same as my students at school. They square off with someone, jerk their body or head at them, have a stare-down contest. Whatever they think it will take to intimidate the other person.”

“You don’t think I should be worried?” I let the curtain fall back into place.

“I think you should be very worried. That’s why I’ll be camping out on the sofa.” Ethan glared at Uncle Roy, daring him to argue.

I giggled. Last summer the two men had a standoff when Ethan brought in a sleeping bag and spent the night in the front room. Uncle Roy, mindful of my reputation, had forbidden it. Both of them ended up sleeping downstairs.

“Guess I will, too, then. And I’ll be sharing my sleeping bag with my rifle.” Uncle Roy headed upstairs.

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