The Full Cup of Murder: Cozy Murder Mystery (Full Cup Mysteries Book 1) (7 page)

“So what are we going to do from here?” Reese asked. He still did not talk to me. “We have that huge shipment coming in in four days. With all of the heat we certainly need to figure something out.”

“Yes, “Riley smiled. “Therefore, we just created a huge distraction. He looked at me. “Everyone, especially, Jason, will be so busy looking for her we will be able to pull this off. Then we can go to our other destinations and we will not have to deal with this small town again!”

“…and her?” Reese looked at me. The three of them looked at me and I could just tell this was not going to go in my favor.

“Well her usefulness will be over. No witnesses, so we will have to do what we need to do.” He left the room. I looked at horror at Shanna.

“Shanna, how can you even be a part of this?” I cried. She walked up close to me and slapped me hard. She leaned close to my face.

“I have never liked you Alison! Your perfect bar, your perfect friends your perfect life!” She pulled away and looked down at me with pure hate. “It will all end soon.” She left as well. Reese just looked at me and followed them shutting the door. My mind could not even process what was going on. My body ached like crazy. I was due for my meds. One of them was to keep my lung inflated and it was very important for me to have them or my lung would start deflating and within days I could die as the air was being denied access to my lungs. The door was opened again and Reese came in with my bag and a glass of water. I was surprised to see my meds, a change of clothing and some of my other personal belongings.

“You need to get on your phone and call Jason. You are to tell him that you needed time away and you will be back when you are ready. No other explanations and that way they will look twice as hard for you.” I shook my head. “Alison, you will do it otherwise you will die now.” He handed me my phone. It had over a hundred missed calls. I knew Jason was looking for me.

“Alison!” He cried into the phone. “Where are you?”

“I…” I hesitated and then I felt Reese put his hand near my throat. “I am fine hun. I just need some time away. I…” Reese grabbed the phone and hung up. “Reese…” He turned around and punched me so hard I thought I was going to be knocked out of the chair. He picked me up and threw me on the floor. He started towards me. I had a really sick feeling he was going to take advantage of me. I tried to curl up to defend myself somehow but the pain and lack of strength was not my friends. I felt him on me tearing off my clothing. I finally could not fight any longer and as he did what he wanted to do with me all I could do was pretend I was not there. He finished his business, got up, and left me lying on the floor. I cried myself to sleep. I felt someone lifting me up, putting me back in the chair, and covering me up with a blanket. I was being forced to take my meds. I could not bring myself to be fully aware with what was going on because the pain in my body between my accident injuries and Reese doing what he wanted with me was making me dizzy and delirious. I finally woke up completely and found myself lying in a different room on a twin bed. There were bars on the only small window and I knew the door was locked without even checking. There was a small table with a tray of cold food on it. I sat up and looked around. My body was so sore and I was not even sure what to do at this point. The door opened and it was Shanna.

“Good morning Alison.” She spat at me. She looked around the room with disdain. She sat on the edge of the bed.

“Shanna, what is happening now?”

“Well I am supposed to sit with you I guess. Like I even like being around with you.” She looked at me. “Even when I had to pretend to be your friend it took everything I could to even be around you.” I just looked at her. “When they brought Reese into the picture I just knew he would be your type. Pure looking. Innocent. How do you like him now?” She asked with a smirk. I turned away. I would never let Shanna know how much this whole entire thing was affecting me. She stood up and walked around the small room. “Get dressed she ordered. I started to dress. “I guess the deal may go down sooner than we thought. “She looked at me. “This will soon be over.” I dressed slowly with Shanna in my ear telling me to hurry up. I was struggling as my movement was still pretty hindered. She didn’t offer to help and honestly I wasn’t even sure I wanted her to even touch me. I followed her into another room. No one was there but us and I was glad for that. Every window had its shade pulled down so it was pretty dark in here. “Start cleaning up!” She ordered as she pulled out her cell phone and walked to the adjoining open kitchen. As I started picking up glasses and bottles, I heard her talking. “Well how long do we have to keep her alive?” I looked at the front door. It did have a lock but it was just a little button push lock so I knew I could unlock the door fast but could I run fast enough to escape? She came back in and did not look very happy at all. “Finish up cleaning. I have to go use the bathroom.” She walked out. This was my chance. I slowly crept up to the door. I opened it and looked out. All I could see was woods for miles. A lake and a small dirt road. I could hear the water running in the bathroom. This was my chance. I ran out the door. I did not even look back. I chose to take the woods as if I took the road, Reese or Riley could drive up it at anytime. I realized I had not grabbed the cell phone on the table or my meds but I knew I had to run. The woods were pretty thick. I kept tripping over roots and running into branches. My body was so sore. I had no idea where I was but I just kept running. I heard Shanna calling for me off in the distance.

“You are going to die out there you little fool!” She screamed. “Alison!” I knew she was probably right but better to die to the elements of nature then to have my life at the hands of people who I thought were just common towns people. I also heard Reese and Riley screaming and yelling at Shanna. I just kept running as fast as I could. After what seemed like hours, I broke out of the woods into a field. I could see a farmhouse across the field so I headed towards it. I slowed down, as I got closer because I was not even sure where I was. Who was in this house? As far as I knew this could be all Malanta property and I could just be putting myself into the hands of a relative of someone I knew who had plans to kill me any way. I was so tired though. I cautiously walked up to the property line and looked at the house. I saw a young woman walk out. She was probably in her teens. She saw me and stopped. I walked closer.

“Are you ok ma’am?” She came running over to me. Relieved I passed out and fell to the ground. I woke up in a beautiful bed in a very bright room filled with gorgeous farmhouse antiques. The window was open about an inch. The girl who had come over to me and an older woman came in with trays full of food.

“Are you ok?” The girl asked when she realized I was awake.

“Where am I?” I asked.

“My name is Racheal Fisken and this is my Grandmother, Helen.”

“We have some nice hot food.” Helen set the tray down. “You must eat dear. We will talk as you eat.”

“I need to get to…I have no idea where we are.”

“Where are we?”

“We are in Redwood.” I actually was not far from home but definitely in Malanta Family zone.

“Are you a part of the Malanta family?” I asked cautiously.

“Oh hardly.” Helen laughed.

“Gram and I have lived here forever. I came to live with her when my parents died.” Racheal told me.

“I need to get to town. I only live thirty miles from here.” I did not dare get into it too much as I figured the less these two knew about me the safer they were in case they came looking for me. I sat up. It was a bit difficult but I did it.

“You must rest!” Helen said. “Whatever it is, it can wait.” She ordered. I was tired.

“Do you have a phone?” I asked.

“Yes. “Racheal left the room and came back with a cell phone. I was so happy. I dialed Jason’s number.

“Alison!” He cried into the phone when he realized it was me.

“Come get me Jason.” I told him where I was. After filling him in on everything, we hung up. Help was coming. I walked out of the room and started down the stairs. It was definitely an old farmhouse. Bright in some areas and dark in others. As I made my way down the stairs, I heard voices. It sounded like they had some guests and where in the kitchen. When I walked into the kitchen, I came to a complete stop. Sitting at the table looking at me was Riley. Behind him stood Shanna, Reese and two other men. I then saw Helen and Racheal sitting in two chairs bound and gagged. My heart leapt into my throat.

“Well hello, Alison.” Riley smiled. He reached into his pocket and pulled out my medication. I sat down and Reese immediately stood behind me so I could not get up. Shanna came over and slapped me in the face.

“You fool!” She yelled.

“Ok, Shanna.” Riley smirked. “The deal is going down in about an hour. Then we are off to a warm country.” He stood up. He turned to Shanna and Reese. “I am sure Jason and his buddies are on their way to save their little Princess. You two cannot mess this up again. Keep all three of them still and quiet. I will call you when the deal goes down and then…” He looked at us. “Then, take care of them! I am so done with this small town nonsense.” He took one last look at us. “Alison, just so you know. None of this was ever personal.” He left.

Mysteries Close Silently

Reese bound me up next to Racheal and Helen. I could barely look at either one of them. I felt so bad they got involved into this world of crime and horror. It was my fault. The two of them left the room. I looked over at Racheal who looked so frightened and it looked like Helen was just staying strong for her. It seemed like hours but I knew it was not that long. Suddenly they came in again.

“Let’s go. Get them up.”  Shanna ordered. Riley came over and yanked us up one at a time. We were hustled outside and into the green car that was parked next to the porch.  The two of them jumped into the front and Shanna drove away. We drove towards my town. My heart sank. That meant Jason was driving past us thinking I was still in Redwood. He would never get to us on time. We drove to one of the docks past my bar. We were hustled into one of the boat shacks. Amazingly there was no one on the docks. It was not tourist season but the locals came down all of the time. The men would find some kind of “work” to do on their boats to get them out of the house so they did not go stir crazy or even worse drive their women crazy. They all could be eventually found down the road at my bar. Today the docks were empty.

“The shipment should be here with in an hour Riley said.” Reese told Shanna.

“They said that an hour ago.” Shanna flopped down on the old couch. “I am so over this. Riley has promised me after this no more crime.” She turned and smiled. “I am going to love Costa Rica.”

“Shanna!” Reese yelled looking at us.

“What?” She carelessly waved at us. “Them? They will be dead soon. We will have to worry about nothing as far they go.” She smiled.” I will be so rich and popular finally I will not have to worry about a thing. I will never have to be a slave to someone else’s concept of beauty again!” Reese just looked at her and shook his head. The more I looked at him the more I could not even imagine what I had seen in him. His violation of me earlier totally changed him into something entirely different as far as how I viewed him. “You might as well take their gags off.” She told him. I doubt very highly anyone will hear them down here. Will they Alison?” She was right. Down on the docks the wind blew very hard at times. The wind would carry any screams away.

“Shanna.” I asked.

“What?” She leaned over and looked at me. Her eyes were as cold as steel. I could not believe this was the same hairdresser that smiled day in and day out to all of her clients. The soft-spoken woman who complimented everyone all of the time. Shanna had always had such an innocent look to her but now she was hard. Angry and bitter.

“What has happened to you?”

“What has happened to me?” She yelled. “Are you serious? You want to talk Alison. Do you want to hear Shanna’s sob story? Okay.”

“No.” Reese said. “Not okay. Tired of listening to chatter.” I could tell the two of them were getting pretty tense with the end coming.

“Shut up Reese. I will tell you right now Alison. Not being born into the privileged families of this town, it can be pretty hard to make a living. Oh I got a lot of clients but only because there is nowhere else to go. Day in and day out, I hear of all of the successes of my schoolmates. The same ones who left me out of everything while growing up.”

“Sounds like a poor me story.” Reese inserted. She looked at him.

“Whatever Reese.” She turned around and looked at him. “We know nothing about you. Why don’t you tell us about you.”

“This is not show and tell” Reese stood up angry with her now. I looked over at Racheal and Helen who had not said a word or moved a muscle. I could tell they were extremely frightened. I was worried about Helen. She did not look good. We heard a motor boat off in the distance. “That has to be them. Ok. I will go and meet them. You take them where Riley told you to and let us finally finish this up.” He gagged us all again. Racheal was crying and Helen looked like she was going to pass out. He left us. Shanna pulled a gun out of the backpack she was carrying.

“Ok ladies. Let’s go.” We all got up and went outside to the back of the cabin. I could not even see an escape route. I did look down the dock and saw Reese down at the motor boat that had pulled up alongside it with about five people in it. I saw they were unloading piles and piles of boxes. Shanna poked me with the gun. “Let’s go Alison.” We walked up over the bank and down Hallow’s Path which was a man made path that the town had made years ago so the tourists could walk the water line without having to danger the rocks and dangerous shore line. We came to a clearing. “Stop!” Shanna yelled. “Turn around. I am not a coward. I will not shoot you in the back.” I started to try to go shield Racheal when I heard a shot ring out. I heard people yelling. When I looked up Shanna was laying on the ground and the police where all over the place.