Halloween Hiccups: A Mercy Mares Cozy Mystery Novella by Ava Mallory Read Free Book Online Page A

I confused it, coloring it would slow down the inevitable.
     
    “What's wrong with my hair, Nubbin, and why are we discussing it now?” I asked, feigning insult.
     
    He moved over to the spot where the tub of apples had been. I could still see the indentation in the ground.
     
    With his cane, Nubbin made a circular motion, following the pattern on the ground. “Is this where they offed him?”
     
    I stopped cold, remembering the scene. Stanley, all five foot five inches of him, was feet up in a tub. The sight was surreal. There was nothing particularly grotesque about it. He looked as if he simply slipped into the tub with his feet up.
     
    “Yes, that's where the tub was.” I said in a low voice. I may not have liked Stanley much or at all, but he still deserved respect.
     
    “Now what?” Nubbin asked, checking his watch as if he had somewhere more important to be, like his bed. It was well after midnight and neither one of us were much for pulling all nighters.
     
    I cleared my throat, taking a moment to get my nerve up. “Well, let me get my camera ready.”
     
    “Hurry it up before someone calls the police and they haul us right on out of here.” Nubbin warned me.
     
    I fumbled around to get my camera ready. I hadn't used a camcorder in years. The only recordings that were ever done on it were for events or functions that Diana or Ruby would force me to attend. The camera actually belonged to Diana, but now with all the fancy gadgets available in the world, she had no use for this anymore.
     
    “What are you waiting for, Subaru? We're not getting any younger here.” Nubbin groaned, making me more nervous.
     
    Taking deep breaths, I willed my heart rate and my shaking hands to cooperate. I didn't know what the goal was here other than to get some footage of the grounds and see if maybe I could determine how someone could have gotten in here, had time to kill a man and get out without Ruby noticing. I figured it wouldn't be too hard to figure out because Ruby wasn't much taller than me, so she would have been at a great disadvantage. I could barely see through the stalks of corn now, let alone see over them.
     
    “I got it. This shouldn't take too long.” I said.
     
    Nubbin stood quietly... well, as quiet as was possible for a man, who breathed heavily and moaned and groaned about everything under the sun.
     
    I filmed the spot where Stanley was found and filmed the area around it, making sure to capture the stalks and the house in the distance behind us. There had to be something that would help me figure out how whoever did this got in and out of here without being noticed. From what I could tell, there was only one entrance into the property. That was up the steep front steps and in the front door.
     
    “There has to be a back entrance.” I whispered.
     
    “What?” Nubbin's voice scared me.
     
    “Nubbin, lower your voice. Are you trying to kill me?” I asked.
     
    “Well, quit talking so low and maybe I won't have to ask you anything.” Nubbin said.
     
    Stay calm, Mercy. It was your bright idea to bring him out here with you , I thought.
     
    I pointed the camera in every direction I could. I don't know what I was filming exactly because it was so dark, but I hoped that once I got home and took a look at the footage something would stand out and help me figure out what had happened here.
     
    “Excuse me for asking, smarty pants, but don't you think the police would have done this already?” Nubbin asked.
     
    I nodded, but he couldn't see me.
     
    “Yes, I hope they did, but because this hits so close to home, I need to see for myself. What if it had been Ruby, who had gotten killed? I wouldn't be able to live with myself. I left her here alone because...” I stopped, not yet willing to admit my real issue.
     
    Nubbin reached out, touching my shoulder. “It wasn't Ruby. You shouldn't even be thinking about that. Someone either wanted your little friend dead or it was a freak