Read Online One Cuppa Brew: Book 1 in The Thyme for Tea Series by J. Louise Powell - Free Book Online
Authors: J. Louise Powell
Tags: Fiction
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the young man’s request. Besides, she had a feeling Alice was the killer here, and these two were just bodyguards of some type. All she would have done was made them angry and hastened Alice’s interrogation.
Just before the tall man made it to the door it burst open and Julie rushed in, “Pastor, they took the bait, but the timetable is off! They will be here early!” She stopped suddenly, as she realized they weren’t alone.
“Get out! Get Andy!” Pastor yelled, but it was too late. The taller man had quickly assessed what was happening and grabbed Julie with one arm, locking the door with the other.
To everyone’s surprise Julie then spun and ducked, kicking the man in the groin as she broke free. She brought a gun out of her purse and said calmly “No one move”.
Alice began chuckling, “So our sweet little Iris has a rescuer. It’s really too bad that we will just have to kill you too.” She gestured towards the shorter man, “Go take her gun so we can get on with this.”
The young woman waved the gun at him, “Get on with what exactly? What have you done? What do you want?”
Still seated comfortably on the couch, the tennis playing killer chuckled, “I’m here for the baseball cards that must have been left with Iris. The two I wanted weren’t on Cindy when I killed her, so she must have gotten rid of them first. I already browsed the books, but I had no luck. Based on Iris’s loves, I was guessing they would be hidden in the religious section somewhere. But then I saw the way she looked at her tea when my acquaintances joined me, so maybe I was wrong.”
Pastor felt a twinge of guilt. It hadn’t even occurred to her to hide the cards in the religion books. Funny that Alice, who refused to call her by her nickname, would think of that. But then again, those books were probably the last places Pastor would hide something. Maybe in the mystery section… She shook her head. Now was not the time. She, and now Julie, were in a tough situation, though Julie seemed to be taking it in stride. And she was speaking again.
“Baseball cards, Alice? You mean the ones you killed Lois Bell to get?” Julie asked.
“That wasn’t Lois Bell and you know it! Aren’t you her daughter? Clever, using your mother’s name like that when you took the cards to be appraised. Besides, I would have killed Cindy anyhow; she was trying to get the cards before I could for Sam. He loves paraphernalia like that. It was supposed to be our six-month anniversary gift. That floozy was his ex, and she knew he would love it as well. She was just trying to win him back. But he is all MINE.”
The rough-looking young man that had requested the tea tilted his head and said something under his breath. To Pastor it sounded suspiciously like he said, “Was that enough?” He nodded at Julie and came forward to take the gun from her. “You can open the front and let Jason and the others in now,” he said as he trained the gun on Alice. “Mom, you can put down the tray, no need to waste the tea.” Lastly, making eye contact with Alice, he said “And you are about to be arrested for the murder of Cindy Smith and the attempted murders of Lois Bell and Bill West in New Jersey. If you ever use hired help, maybe you should consider spending enough for the professionals. Luckily for us, this guy wasn’t very good at his job.”
Pastor set the tea down gently, still in shock, “Andy?” she asked, her eyes going wide. “What, how did you? Things were supposed to happen tomorrow. What about our plan, the decoys...” she was muttering as she took a seat on the sectional.
A group of officers, led by Jason, filed into the room and took away the tall man and Alice. Andy rushed to his mother to help her sit down. “William called again a couple of hours later. While William was driving to Atlantic City, Sean called to tell him a pawn shop in Trenton had been ransacked, and asked if he knew anything about it. So William decided to
Just before the tall man made it to the door it burst open and Julie rushed in, “Pastor, they took the bait, but the timetable is off! They will be here early!” She stopped suddenly, as she realized they weren’t alone.
“Get out! Get Andy!” Pastor yelled, but it was too late. The taller man had quickly assessed what was happening and grabbed Julie with one arm, locking the door with the other.
To everyone’s surprise Julie then spun and ducked, kicking the man in the groin as she broke free. She brought a gun out of her purse and said calmly “No one move”.
Alice began chuckling, “So our sweet little Iris has a rescuer. It’s really too bad that we will just have to kill you too.” She gestured towards the shorter man, “Go take her gun so we can get on with this.”
The young woman waved the gun at him, “Get on with what exactly? What have you done? What do you want?”
Still seated comfortably on the couch, the tennis playing killer chuckled, “I’m here for the baseball cards that must have been left with Iris. The two I wanted weren’t on Cindy when I killed her, so she must have gotten rid of them first. I already browsed the books, but I had no luck. Based on Iris’s loves, I was guessing they would be hidden in the religious section somewhere. But then I saw the way she looked at her tea when my acquaintances joined me, so maybe I was wrong.”
Pastor felt a twinge of guilt. It hadn’t even occurred to her to hide the cards in the religion books. Funny that Alice, who refused to call her by her nickname, would think of that. But then again, those books were probably the last places Pastor would hide something. Maybe in the mystery section… She shook her head. Now was not the time. She, and now Julie, were in a tough situation, though Julie seemed to be taking it in stride. And she was speaking again.
“Baseball cards, Alice? You mean the ones you killed Lois Bell to get?” Julie asked.
“That wasn’t Lois Bell and you know it! Aren’t you her daughter? Clever, using your mother’s name like that when you took the cards to be appraised. Besides, I would have killed Cindy anyhow; she was trying to get the cards before I could for Sam. He loves paraphernalia like that. It was supposed to be our six-month anniversary gift. That floozy was his ex, and she knew he would love it as well. She was just trying to win him back. But he is all MINE.”
The rough-looking young man that had requested the tea tilted his head and said something under his breath. To Pastor it sounded suspiciously like he said, “Was that enough?” He nodded at Julie and came forward to take the gun from her. “You can open the front and let Jason and the others in now,” he said as he trained the gun on Alice. “Mom, you can put down the tray, no need to waste the tea.” Lastly, making eye contact with Alice, he said “And you are about to be arrested for the murder of Cindy Smith and the attempted murders of Lois Bell and Bill West in New Jersey. If you ever use hired help, maybe you should consider spending enough for the professionals. Luckily for us, this guy wasn’t very good at his job.”
Pastor set the tea down gently, still in shock, “Andy?” she asked, her eyes going wide. “What, how did you? Things were supposed to happen tomorrow. What about our plan, the decoys...” she was muttering as she took a seat on the sectional.
A group of officers, led by Jason, filed into the room and took away the tall man and Alice. Andy rushed to his mother to help her sit down. “William called again a couple of hours later. While William was driving to Atlantic City, Sean called to tell him a pawn shop in Trenton had been ransacked, and asked if he knew anything about it. So William decided to
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