A Mysterious Mix Up Read online

  WHO MURDERED THE LIBRARIAN?

  While I was in the bathroom, I put my thoughts about Vicky’s murder into order. Porter was the obvious prime suspect. That couldn’t be disputed. He’d gotten to the library before any other potential witnesses, so he had the opportunity. If he truly had dangerous plants in his greenhouse, he had the means. And if he was obsessed with Vicky, as some people believed, he had the motive.

  As Dad liked to say, “if” was the biggest two-letter word in the English language. So, if Porter wasn’t the murderer, who was? Ozzy? It seemed like a stretch to me, but, to him, maybe five thousand dollars was an amount worthy of committing murder.

  My third suspect, Gary Napier, had motive in spades. A few minutes of research at the county assessor’s office would confirm Gary’s claim about the home’s ownership status. If his name was on the deed, that left him in line to receive all the proceeds from the sale of the house.

  As I rinsed off the shampoo, I ruminated over Gary’s means and opportunity. Just because he claimed he came to town after the call with Matt didn’t make it true. What if he was having money problems and saw the house as his way out of debt? Until I established his whereabouts the day of Vicky’s murder, I couldn’t rule him out.

  Matt might not have been willing to completely rule out Brent, but I was. I knew Brent as well as I knew anyone outside my immediate family and Sloane. He said he didn’t do it. I believed him one hundred percent. It was simply a matter of time until Matt confirmed his indisputable innocence.

  That left me with three credible suspects.

  Books by J.C. Kenney

  A LITERAL MESS

  A GENUINE FIX

  A MYSTERIOUS MIX UP

  Published by Kensington Publishing Corporation

  A Mysterious Mix Up

  J.C. Kenney

  LYRICAL UNDERGROUND

  Kensington Publishing Corp.

  www.kensingtonbooks.com

  Contents

  Books by J.C. Kenney

  A Mysterious Mix Up

  Contents

  Copyright

  Dedication

  Acknowledgments

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Copyright

  To the extent that the image or images on the cover of this book depict a person or persons, such person or persons are merely models, and are not intended to portray any character or characters featured in the book.

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons living or dead is entirely coincidental.

  LYRICAL UNDERGROUND BOOKS are published by

  Kensington Publishing Corp.

  119 West 40th Street

  New York, NY 10018

  Copyright © 2020 by J.C. Kenney

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior written consent of the Publisher, excepting brief quotes used in reviews.

  All Kensington titles, imprints, and distributed lines are available at special quantity discounts for bulk purchases for sales promotion, premiums, fund-raising, educational, or institutional use.

  Special book excerpts or customized printings can also be created to fit specific needs. For details, write or phone the office of the Kensington Sales Manager: Kensington Publishing Corp., 119 West 40th Street, New York, NY 10018. Attn. Sales Department. Phone: 1-800-221-2647.

  Lyrical Underground and Lyrical Underground logo Reg. US Pat. & TM Off.

  First Electronic Edition: January 2020

  ISBN-13: 978-1-5161-0858-9 (ebook)

  ISBN-10: 1-5161-0858-2 (ebook)

  First Print Edition: January 2020

  ISBN-13: 978-1-5161-0861-9

  ISBN-10: 1-5161-0861-2

  Printed in the United States of America

  Dedication

  To my father, Jack Cangany. A child of the Great Depression, he went on to fight in the Pacific during World War II, earn his college degree, marry the love of his life, and raise eight kids. He was an example of the Greatest Generation at its finest. Thanks for everything, Dad.

  Acknowledgments

  As always, major thanks go to my agent, Dawn, who’s done so much to help me find my place in the writing world. Thanks also go to my editor, John, for his continued belief in The Allie Cobb Mysteries. Without the support of my wife and sons, I wouldn’t be on this journey, so thank you, Nancy, Seamus, and Aidan. Last, but not least, thank you, reader friends for welcoming Allie, Ursi, Sloane, and the rest of the gang from Rushing Creek into your lives and your hearts. I am eternally grateful.

  Chapter One

  If all the world is truly a stage and we’re the players, I was relieved beyond belief to have my time in the spotlight behind me. I’d been in my old stomping ground of New York City for a national book conference. That meant three days of getting up at five, followed by meetings with editors, authors, and other folks in the book business. That was combined with educational breakout sessions and interspersed with meals and social activities, so my head never hit the pillow until midnight.

  The nonstop schedule included my appearance on two panels. The first was a discussion of women-owned businesses. The second talked about the pros and cons of being your own boss. Those appearances had been as terrifying as they were exhilarating. It was still hard to imagine that little Allie Cobb had become someone whose words came with a sense of authority in the wonderful world of publishing, but it was true and oh so empowering.

  The conference had been a thrilling time, full of seeing old friends and making new ones, but when two days of travel were added, the trip had left my inkwell of energy dry.

  I was ready to be back home again in Indiana.

  My exhaustion gave way to anticipation as my rideshare driver pointed out a sign indicating we were entering Brown County. In twenty minutes, I’d be safe and sound in my apartment, snuggling with my feline fur baby, Ursula, or Ursi for short.

  Ursi wasn’t the only one I’d be snuggling with, though. A very special house sitter and his faithful canine sidekick were waiting for me, too. The thought made me smile as I checked my hair in the sunshade mirror. I wanted to look good for the house sitter, also known as Brent Richardson, my boyfriend.

  It was dark when the car rolled to a stop in front of my building, the sun having set during the hour-long drive from Indianapolis International Airport. A chilly April breeze knifed through my Cobb Literary Agency fleece as I waited on the sidewalk for the driver to unload my luggage.

  I shivered.

  Not from the cold, though. It was in anticipation of seeing three of my favorite people in the world. Okay, technical
ly, only Brent was a person. The others were my tortoiseshell kitty, Ursi, and Brent’s golden retriever, Sammy. I loved them both like they were my own children, so they might as well have been human.

  As the driver pulled away, I hoisted my bag over my shoulder, grabbed my suitcase, and turned toward the door of my building. To my great pleasure, my very own welcoming committee was waiting for me.

  Grinning from ear to ear, Brent opened the door. With his right hand, he was holding Sammy on a leash. With his left, he had Ursi on her leash.

  “Welcome home, babe!” He gave me a kiss on the lips that made my knees weak.

  I wanted it to last forever, but Sammy nosed himself between us, begging to be petted. Meanwhile, Ursi almost knocked me over by bumping her head against my shin, demanding attention.

  “Hello, young lady.” I picked up my cat and kissed her on the head. “And to you, too, Sammy.” I scratched the dog’s ear as Brent took my luggage.

  “All right, kids. Let’s let Allie get upstairs so she can relax.” He struggled up the steps with my bag, suitcase, and Sammy in tow.

  I chuckled as Ursi and I followed them to my second-floor apartment. It was good to be home.

  Once we were all safely inside the apartment, Brent removed the animals’ harnesses. Sammy went to his bed in the corner of the living room while Ursi sauntered to the kitchen for a drink of water. Evidently, their welcome home efforts were complete.

  Brent, on the other hand, was scurrying around like every inch of his six-five frame was on fire. First, he dashed to the couch and fluffed the cushions. Then he went to the bedroom to drop off my luggage. Next, he took my computer bag and delivered it to my office. Only when I was comfortable, with my feet propped up on the coffee table, did he take a seat.

  “To what do I owe such regal treatment?” I glanced around the apartment.

  It was spotless. The cleanliness called to mind a time when Luke and Rachel, my older brother and sister, had friends over while our parents took me to Chicago for the weekend to celebrate my birthday. Nobody got hurt and nothing got broken, but my siblings’ efforts to eliminate any evidence of the festivities resulted in the first floor of our house being cleaned until it shined like polished silver.

  It had taken Mom and Dad all of about ten seconds after they opened the front door to figure out something was amiss. Mom finally called them out on their misdeed when she found a beer can in the refrigerator’s vegetable crisper.

  Neither Mom nor Dad drank beer.

  The interrogation lasted five minutes. The lecture about making good choices lasted half an hour. The smile on my face at seeing my older sibs get in trouble lasted a week.

  At the moment, I could totally imagine how my mom felt all those years ago.

  “This place looks awfully nice. Did you have a party with a bunch of young ladies and have to clean up?”

  Brent laughed. “I figured you’d appreciate coming home to a clean apartment.” He went to the fridge and returned with a bottle of white wine and two glasses. “Tell me about your trip.”

  “Wow. Where to start.” I took a drink to gather my thoughts. As it danced over my taste buds, the refreshing, semisweet wine had a touch of apple and pear to it. Riesling, my favorite. Brent had all his bases covered tonight.

  He knew I’d been stressing about my two panels, so I started with those. “The room was full, and we got tons of great questions from the audience. After the Be Your Own Boss session, I had two women thank me and say the session was the motivator they needed to strike out on their own.”

  “That’s awesome.” Brent gave me a fist bump. “Gotta be pretty cool to have people tell you things like that. Then again, you’re living proof of no guts, no glory, am I right?”

  “Guess so.” It had been a little over two years since I’d said goodbye to New York City and my job with a well-respected literary agency and returned to my home town of Rushing Creek, Indiana, to assume the reins of my deceased father’s literary agency. I still missed my dad. I always would.

  I took another sip of wine and massaged the back of my neck to release some tension that had taken up residence there during the trip home. Despite my weariness from the long day of travel, I had a great life. And I wouldn’t trade it for anything.

  “It’s amazing people think of me as an expert on anything. But it’s a good way to be amazed. If I can help someone, even in a small way, find a job they enjoy, the effort’s totally worth it.”

  “That’s my girl.” Brent wrapped me up in his long arms.

  His body heat warmed me and made me feel safe as I told him about the rest of the trip. A lot of my report included meetings with editors, taking pitches from authors, and visiting with colleagues. It would bore most people to death. Not Brent. He gave me his full attention while I spoke.

  “How about you? I hope cleaning out Ursi’s litter box every day wasn’t too much of a hassle.” I snuggled into him, the stubble of his beard tickling my cheek.

  “Nah. It’s actually easier than having to scoop Sammy’s poo when we’re out for a walk.” He pointed at a stack of papers on the coffee table. “By the way, I got through the resumes for your intern. I scheduled interviews with four.”

  “Sweet.” I glanced through the pages Brent handed me. Business continued to be good for the Cobb Literary Agency. So good, in fact, I’d begun to think about getting help. With thirty authors now signed, handling all aspects of agency business, from reading query letters to calculating royalty statements, was becoming a challenge. I wasn’t ready for another agent, but an intern sounded good. I wanted someone in town who loved to read a wide variety of genres, was well versed in grammar, and was willing to work ten to fifteen hours a week. If I could find that person, I’d be set.

  If only.

  “Or maybe not so sweet.” I tossed the documents on the coffee table. “Not the strongest group of candidates, huh?”

  Brent shrugged. “Wanting someone local is limiting your candidate pool. There are a lot of smart, talented people in the area. Just not a lot who meet the qualifications you want.”

  I didn’t want to ruin the good welcome home vibes, so I kissed Brent’s cheek. “You’re right. I set the parameters. I have to live with the results. It’s not like I need someone tomorrow, right?”

  Ursi jumped on my lap and gave me a long, penetrating look. Her unblinking, golden eyes were hypnotic. Evidently satisfied she’d sufficiently punished me for going out of town by ignoring me, she was now ready to have me shower her with undivided attention. I complied by scratching her between the ears.

  “Indeed.” He took a small sip of wine. “I’ve got news. Vicky Napier’s retiring. She’s going to make an official announcement to the library board later this week.”

  The wineglass came to a stop inches from my lips as I tried to make sense of Brent’s words. When they wouldn’t compute, I returned the glass to the table. Sensing trouble, Ursi leapt from my lap and dashed to the bedroom.

  “Are you sure? Mrs. Napier’s too young to retire.” When Brent wouldn’t maintain eye contact, desperation set in. “She can’t retire. When I was a kid, she promised me she’d be the librarian forever. It was a pinkie promise.”

  I grabbed a throw pillow and held it against me in an attempt to ease the sudden aching in my midsection. Mrs. Napier was one of my heroes. Growing up, Luke revered ballplayers. Rachel admired celebrity chefs. As a nerdy bookworm, I looked up to Vicky Napier.

  She was the one I turned to for refuge from the challenges of youth. She was the one who, along with my parents, empowered me to believe in myself and follow my dream of becoming a literary agent.

  To me, the thought of the Rushing Creek Library without Vicky Napier at the helm was like trying to pass off Buffy the Vampire Slayer without Sarah Michelle Gellar as Buffy. It simply made no sense.

  “She admitted it’s sudden, but I guess she deci
ded now was the right time.”

  “She’s in her mid-sixties at most. Did she say if she has plans?”

  Brent swallowed and adjusted his collar, apparently sensing I wasn’t going to like his answer. “She’s moving to Florida as soon as her house sells. She wants to be near her sister.”

  “Wow. I guess it’s too late for me to try to talk her out of it.” I scratched my head. “Well, she’s given this town a lot over the years. She deserves to enjoy retirement.”

  I got to my feet. Instead of being sad at seeing Mrs. Napier go, I’d be happy for all the time I got to spend with her.

  With a spring in my step, I headed for the kitchen. “I know just the thing. I’m going to bake her a batch of cookies. She always loved oatmeal raisin. Then I’ll go with you to the library tomorrow and give them to her.”

  “I’ll help you.” Brent’s footfalls echoed off the hardwood floors. As a large man who wasn’t light on his feet, stealth wasn’t a part of his repertoire. “Besides, there’s something else.”

  The excitement in his voice brought my search for cooking raisins to a halt. As I faced him, his wide eyes made quite a pairing with the voice.

  “By the look of you, it must be good news, so don’t keep me in suspense.”

  He ran his thumb and second finger around his lips. He always did that when he was excited and needed to force himself to slow down.

  “Vicky said she was going to recommend I take her place. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you earlier, but she made me swear I wouldn’t speak a word of this until she talks to the board.”

  “No way.” I left the package of raisins on the counter and threw my arms around him. “Congratulations. That’s better than when Westley and Buttercup rode off into the sunset in The Princess Bride.”

  I gave him a long kiss. “This calls for another glass of wine while you help me bake. What do you say to that, Mr. Richardson, Rushing Creek Librarian to Be?”

  “Allow me to pour, and then I am at your service.”