Deadly Neighbors

Spyglass Lane Mysteries presents:

A River Valley Mystery

Book One

Deadly Neighbors

By

Cynthia Hickey

Copyright 2012

Spyglass Lane Mysteries

Smashwords Edition

Discover other Spyglass Lane titles at
SpyglassLaneMysteries.com
.

Published in association with MacGregor Literary Inc., Portland, Oregon.

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 Biblica. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

Chapter One

Hearing voices when no one is with you is not a good thing, even when you’re thirty-four years old. Some people call it women’s intuition. Regardless, I heard a distinct voice inside my head and not for the first time in my life. At that moment, the phantom whisper clearly told me not to take the last glazed, jelly-filled doughnut.

“What are you doing?” Lynn, my best friend and
virtual sandpaper, entered the store and reached for the pastry.

“I was about to eat that
and was afraid of the repercussions. I went shopping last week for a bathing suit and it was not a pretty sight.” Images of misshapen dough rose to mind.

“Oh.” Her hand fell to her side
, and she stepped back like the doughnut would bite her.

The store door swung open
, a bell jangling a pretty tinkle, and Sharon Weiss, my current nemesis, sailed into Gifts from Country Heaven, snagged the pastry from the plate, and shoved it between puffer-fish lips. The product of this year’s latest bit of collagen injections. The summer before she’d had liposuction and, to be honest, after seeing the cute clothes she wore, the thought occurred to me to get the procedure for myself. She could eat all the sweet stuff she wanted and have it sucked back out.

“
Do you have those handkerchief dolls I ordered? I’ve got an errand to run right now, but if you could have your daughter bring them by my house in. . .” She glanced at her watch, a gold piece outlined with diamonds, and made sure to turn it so I could see every bit of its finery. “About an hour? I need them for my women’s breakfast in the morning. They’re door prizes. Did y’all hear about Anderson’s sister?” My eyes followed the last of the jelly-filled delight to her mouth. “Missing.”

“What?” My attention jerked from her
brightly-painted mouth to her heavily mascara-covered, false-eyelashed eyes. The lids seemed to droop with the weight.

“Mis
-sing.” Sharon enunciated so my slow brain could catch up.

“Where did she go?”

Mouth stuffed with temptation, Sharon threw her hands in the air as if to say, “Duh.” She swallowed then leaned forward, her glittering eyes focused on me. “She wouldn’t be missing, Marsha, if people knew where she was.”

“I understand that.” I planted my fists on
hips, too round in my opinion, and stared her down. My mother said I had curves in all the right places, and that men didn’t like stick figures for marriage partners. They wanted someone soft and cuddly to warm their bed. God paid mothers to compliment their daughters, didn’t He? Maybe He put an extra jewel in their crown if they built up their children’s self-esteem? Besides, I didn’t have anyone waiting in the wings to marry me anytime soon, anyway, so why give up on the good stuff. Like food. “When someone goes missing, you usually begin looking for them at the last place they were seen.”

“Right.
Since when did you become so criminally savvy?”

“I watch a lot of crime scene television.”

“Whatever.” Sharon drummed Scarlett-colored manicured nails against the countertop. “When you have a chance, get a load of the new high school football coach. Really hot. I met him this summer at the city pool.” She winked. “I’d just bought a new swimsuit. Red and sizzling. Now, I’ve got to figure out how to get him to ask me to dinner.”

“I
bet.” I glared at her back as she sashayed out the door. “Have you ever met anyone more interested in men, looks, or gossip? And maybe Lindsey doesn’t want to spend a half-hour out of a summer afternoon to deliver anything to Sharon.”

“Oh, stop. You know you’re going to tell her to.
Sharon sends a lot of business to this store. From here
and
surrounding towns.” Lynn clapped a hand on my shoulder and leaned closer. “And, we’re gossiping about her right now. Here’s a secret, I like men too.” She stared intensely at me. “I’ve seen the coach. He’ll stop your heart, Marsha. Prepare yourself. Gotta go. See you later.”

I grimaced.
What did she mean “stop my heart?” How could Lynn leave out such valuable information? I’d seen good-looking men before and not one of them put me at a risk for a heart attack.

I
glanced out the store window. Lindsey swept the sidewalk with all the enthusiasm of a child on punishment. She wouldn’t be happy about making a delivery to Sharon. Why I did the extra work for the woman, who felt like a burr in my bobby sock, was a mystery. Oh, well. Customer service brought the people back day after day. That and the free coffee and pastries. I headed to the storeroom to grab the miniature dolls.

The bell over the front door jingled, and w
ith arms loaded, I stepped behind the counter and caught a glimpse of the man who entered the store. The wrapped dolls fell to the floor. I ducked behind the counter.
Please, don’t see me
. My heart leaped into my throat and beat with all the power of a marching band.

Duane Steele
, the last person I expected to see waltz into my shop, stared into the display case above my head. Maybe he hadn’t recognized me. Ten years had passed after all. I stalled, remaining crouched on the floor.

“Mars Bars?”

Darn! I cringed. Duane had been the only one with the guts to call me by that despised nickname. “Let me help you.” He moved around the counter and knelt beside me.

Glancing
over, I fell into the darkest blue eyes known to humankind. Like a midnight summer sky. I’d almost forgotten. His biceps bulged as he shifted the wrapped gifts into a pile.

“Duane.” The word rushed from my mouth in a whisper.
Trying again, I spoke louder. “Let me get those.” In my haste to rise, the top of my head collided with his mouth, knocking him backward.

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry.” My foot slipped
on a doll’s dress, and I landed in a heap beside him.

In spite of a bloody lip,
Duane laughed. Clutching his stomach, he rolled to his side. “God help me, woman, you haven’t changed a bit.”

“
Somebody
needs to help you.” I punched his arm, surprised at how quickly I could revert back to snappy teenage remarks and juvenile behavior around him. Using the counter as support, I pulled to my feet.

Duane re-gathered the scattered
dolls and handed them to me. I tossed him a nearby napkin. “Your lip is bleeding.”

He dabbed
his lip. “Wow, it didn’t take long for you to put me in my place. You’ve probably been waiting a long time to clobber me.”

If he only knew
. “What brings you back to River Valley, Duane? I thought you hated this small town.”

He shrugged. “I thought I did
too. Sowed my wild oats and came home. I’m the new high school coach.”

“You are?
” Why didn’t Lynn warn me? What kind of game was she playing? Oh, stop my heart, indeed. I would so get her back for this. “You didn’t say anything about getting a degree when we spoke at Robert’s funeral.” Of course, we’d avoided each other then, but that was beside the point. Suddenly, the dust on the counter screamed to be cleaned, and I grabbed a rag from the pocket of my apron.

Duane placed his hands over mine to still them. “There wasn’t anything to say, Marsha. You’d just become my brother’s widow.
You had a small child.” I glanced into eyes shadowed with pain. “It was too late for me to say anything.”

I yanked free. “It’s never too late.” I wasn’t ready to revisit my prior feelings for Duane.
No matter how much time had passed. Make that present feelings, since his arrival brought everything rushing back.

His sad smile lured me like a lover’s gesture, tugging at the part of me that brought home strays and gave money to
a dirty man on a street corner. I was lost the moment Duane strolled through the door.

My daughter Lindsey barged through the front door and skidded to a stop. Her gaze fell on
my visitor. “Uncle Duane?”

A grin split his face
, and he turned to me. “You’ve told her about me?”

“There’s a picture of you and Robert on our bookshelf.
Plus, she was five when you left. That’s old enough to remember someone who gave her piggy-back rides.” I grabbed a bag and shoved Sharon’s purchase inside. “Lindsey, can you take this to Ms. Weiss, please?”

Lindsey groaned. “She’s a horrible tipper.
Oh, and here’s your sign.”

“Tape it to the window, please.”
I pushed the box into her hands. “I know she isn’t generous, but you’re the delivery gal, at least for now.”

Lindsey
taped the sign in the window and dashed out the door.

“She’s beautiful.” Duane watched her go. “Looks like you
, with Robert’s eyes.”

Your eyes, I almost said, considering the two brothers could
’ve been twins. “She’s a good kid. Smart. I’m lucky.”

Duane put a strong, warm hand on my arm. “I’d like to spend some time with you
and Lindsey. Get to know my niece.”

My heart stopped.
We’d seen plenty of each other before he’d split town. More than I cared for my mother to find out. “We’ll see. Glad to have you back.” I grabbed a broom from around the corner. “Excuse me. I’ve got work to do.”

“Okay.” I didn’t have to look to know his face radiated hurt. What did he think? That he could just two-step back into my life in his cowboy boots and faded jeans
that fit like they were custom made, make my heart stutter, and I’d forgive everything? Not likely.

I shoved the broom across the scuffed wooden floor
with enough force to almost throw my shoulder out of socket. After a moment of hesitation, Duane clomped away and out the door. My shoulders sagged.
I’m not strong enough to resist him again
.

The man I truly loved waltzed back into town w
hile I worked in my mother’s business. I shook my head. Yep, I was a real success story. My gaze roamed the country store, taking in the homey atmosphere and cuddly crafts. We even had a small bakery in one corner where we served pastries and flavored teas and coffees. At least this was something I could do. I was good with people and good with my hands.

The phone rang
. Relieved by the distraction, I grabbed the handset. “Gifts from Country Heaven, how may I help you?”

“I appreciate the
cookies, Marsha. But I didn’t order them, and I’m not paying extra.” Sharon’s nasal tone resonated against my eardrums. “And your quality is definitely slacking. You need to speak with your supplier. That last cookie tasted different. Plus, tell your daughter not to enter my home without me letting her in. I mean I appreciate the delivery, but still. . . I’ve got to go. I feel ill.”

Cookie
s? Entering uninvited?

The line went dead
, leaving me staring at the silent receiver.