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

accident. You said his legs were up in the air?”
     
    “Yes, he was face first in the tub of apples and his legs were pointing straight up at the sky.” I explained.
     
    “How tall was the tub?” Nubbin asked.
     
    I thought about it for a moment. “It was an old claw foot tub. It was probably about this tall.” I used my hand to show him that the tub reached the top of my leg.
     
    “So, how tall was he?” Nubbin asked.
     
    “Not that much taller than me. He was probably five feet four or five.” I said.
     
    Nubbin looked around again, thinking. “It was a claw foot?”
     
    “Yes.”
     
    “Who moved it?” Nubbin asked, looking around the property, over the stalks of corn.
     
    I shrugged. I had no idea who had moved it. I figured it had to have been the police.
     
    “Maybe the police took it for evidence.” I said.
     
    Nubbin sighed. “Do you know how much a claw foot weighs and how much room that would take up in an evidence room? They wouldn't take the tub. It would be too much work. The tub wasn't the weapon, was it?”
     
    I shrugged, confused by where he was going with this. “I don't know. He died in it.”
     
    “How did he die?” Nubbin asked, but didn't wait for an answer. “He was drowned in a tub of apples. They didn't take the apples into custody, right? They didn't take the water. Why would they take the tub? Do you get my meaning?”
     
    I shook my head, indicating that I still didn't follow.
     
    “Did Ruby have that tub placed there or was it already there when she rented the property?” Nubbin asked.
     
    I shrugged again. “I really don't know. I never asked.”
     
    “What I'm saying is, if that tub has always been there, maybe someone knew that and knew how they would kill Stanley. Or maybe, they didn't and saw it as an opportunity and used it. But, now, the question is, why was the tub moved?” Nubbin smiled from ear to ear. I couldn't take my eyes off him. I'd never seen him smile like that.
     
    I hated to burst his bubble, but I thought I knew why the tub would have been removed. “Someone was murdered in that tub, so the owners would have had it moved.”
     
    Nubbin nodded, a broader smile on his face. “Now, you're getting it. Who is the owner?”
     
    As far as I knew, the Anderson family had left the house in trust to the town of Lake Villa. It had been declared a historical site and was managed by the town.
     
    “Ruby said something about one of the family members still being around, but I think the town owns it.” I answered.
     
    “I think you need to find out for sure because whoever it is, had the tub removed for a reason. First, you need to find out when it was placed there and for how long.” Nubbin said proudly, like he'd solved the case.
     
    There was rustling behind us. I jumped and spun around to see.
     
    “What's going on here?” A police officer emerged from between the stalks, his gun pointed right at Nubbin.
     
    I screamed.
     
    Nubbin put his hands straight up in the air, cane and all.
     
    “I told you there was someone in here!” A woman's voice said.
     
    I couldn't see her behind the officer.
     
    “Put the camera down.” The officer ordered.
     
    “We were just...”
     
    “Put the camera down, Mercy. Didn't you hear him?” The woman stepped forward, so I could see her face.
     
    “Charlene, what are you doing here again?” I asked.
     
    She laughed, nodding to the police officer. “I was out for my nighttime run and heard voices coming from here, so I called the police. What are you doing here? This place is so morbid and creepy.”
     
    “Then, why are you running past it in the middle of the night, toots?” Nubbin asked.

Chapter Nine
                  “Well, what did you think was going to happen? You are snooping around all over their crime scene – in the middle of the night, no less – with a camera! Why can't you just leave well enough alone? You're lucky they didn't arrest the two of you!”