Goody Goody Gunshots Read online

  “Well, that was a pretty stupid idea. Don’t you think you should’ve let him get it before you killed him?” I asked.

  Okay, I was being a bit sassy with the murderer, but I couldn’t help myself. His logic was completely illogical.

  “We had just had a confrontation. He was going to tell the police that I was trying to steal his money, and I was going to stop him from doing that. And now I’m going to have to stop you because I know that’s what you want to do.”

  “You don’t know anything about me,” I said.

  “And obviously you knew nothing about me before hiring me to work here. That was a stupid move.”

  Now he was really making me mad. It was one thing to point a gun at me and threaten to kill me. But calling me stupid? I wasn’t going to stand for that. Maybe I was stupid, but I wasn’t going to let someone call me that to my face. “So you and Joy thought you could just come in here and find the cash that Mr. Sutherland had hidden in the shop?”

  “That was the plan, yes,” he said.

  They had killed Mr. Sutherland before he could get the cash and fly away to his tropical paradise. Now Hunter was going to kill me before my business ever got off the ground. Where was the detective? He would be too late once he got here. Hunter would be gone, and they’d find me dead in the kitchen. That was when I remembered Hunter wouldn’t stop with just killing me. He would go after Mary Jane and Grandma Honey too. They had witnessed everything that went on at the shop. How could I stop him doing that?

  Plus, I wasn’t going to just stand here and let him kill me without at least somewhat of a fight. I was tougher than he thought. He didn’t know who he was messing with. Reese Sweet didn’t put up with anything from anyone.

  My only chance of getting away from him was to get that gun out of his hand. How would I do that? By causing a distraction so that I could lunge and attack him? Maybe then I could get away from him? Hunter wasn’t a big guy. He wasn’t that much bigger than me, although I was small. Maybe I could take him. Grandma Honey had taught me how to throw some good punches.

  There was only one thing I could do and that was distract him. So as silly as it might seem, I pretended that I saw someone walk up behind him. Whether or not he would fall for it, I didn’t know. My guess was there was about a ten percent chance that he would believe me.

  When he whipped around to see who was behind him, I couldn’t believe it. He’d actually fallen for it. This was my chance to do something. The first thing that I thought of was to grab the gumballs on the counter right next to me. I grabbed a handful and tossed them on the floor. They scattered like marbles,

  Now I had to hope that he stepped on one. He turned back around and immediately stepped on one. It was too late to save himself. His arms pinwheeled as he tried to remain upright. It was no use though. He fell backwards and landed right on his rear with a loud thud. He looked at me in stunned silence, as if he couldn’t believe what I had just done. He’d better believe it. Now I had to get the gun away from him.

  It had slipped from his hand and slid away from him across the floor. My whole body shook. Our eyes locked for a moment and he knew what I was planning. He was trying to get up, but the gumballs made that extremely difficult. My only problem now was that I hit the gumballs too. I fell forward and landed on the floor. Now we were both trying to get up and reach the gun first. I was closest though, so I thought I had the upper hand.

  Just a bit more and I would have the gun. Well, at least I would be there first to reach the thing. I crawled across the floor until I finally reached forward and grabbed the weapon. I had no idea what I would do now, but I supposed just aiming it at him would be enough. He didn’t need to know that I had never used one before. Now that it was in my hands, I spun around and aimed. I was still on the floor, but I had it pointed right at him.

  “Don’t move. Don’t go any further or I will let you have it, and if you don’t think I’m serious then try me, buddy.” Now the fury raged inside me. The effect of the adrenaline, I supposed.

  I managed to get to my feet and still had the gun aimed at him. His eyes were wide, as if he was shocked that I had been able to pull this off. To be honest, I was a bit surprised myself. It didn’t matter how shocked we were. All that mattered was that I had done it, and now I was in control. I just didn’t know how long I could remain this way before things turned against me.

  I crossed the kitchen floor with the gun still pointed at him. “Don’t make a move or I’ll let you have it. Do you understand me?”

  He nodded and held his hands up. He managed to get to his feet, so he was standing with his back against the rear exit. I moved over to the other door so that if I needed to get out of the kitchen for some reason I would stand a chance of that happening.

  “You won’t use that on me,” he said. “You’re too weak. Why don’t you just put the gun down?”

  “Yeah, you’d like that, wouldn’t you? What makes you think I wouldn’t use this? I am not putting up with anything out of you. You came here to steal from Mr. Sutherland, and then murdered him. I’m not going to let you make me your next victim.”

  The more I talked the more confidence I gained. I didn’t want him to think that I was scared. I continued to point the gun at him without my hands shaking now. We were just staring at each other. What would we do now? I couldn’t stand here forever. Plus, my arms were going to get tired quickly. I just needed to call the detective and let him know what happened.

  With one hand I pulled out my phone from my pocket, while holding the gun with the other hand. I touched the screen and redialed his number. Unfortunately, the detective didn’t answer the phone. That was bad news for me, but I left a message.

  “I’ve got him. I’m holding him at gunpoint. Can you come to the shop right away? I need a little help.”

  Hunter laughed. I glared at him.

  “I spoke with your girlfriend,” I said. This was my way of taunting him. “She said you had something she wants back.”

  Hate filled his eyes. “She bought me the gun. I guess she wants it back because she’s afraid she’ll be accused of the murder.”

  “You’re a great boyfriend,” I said sarcastically.

  Now what? Maybe I should dial 911? That way the police would come right away. Yes, that was the best thing to do. I didn’t want Grandma Honey and Mary Jane to return and get mixed up in the middle of this situation. I was pretty confident that there was nothing to fear though. I had complete control of the situation, right? I had a gun and he had to do what I said. It would just be a matter of time now before the police showed up and this would all be behind us. I had solved this crime and I could get back to life as usual. No looking over my shoulder and worrying if the killer would pop up. Based on the look in Hunter’s eyes though, I knew that if he had the gun I would definitely be a goner. Lucky for me, he didn’t have it.

  Hunter was standing in front of the back door. I hoped that he didn’t try to make a run for it. What would I do then? It wasn’t like I would shoot him. He could just leave if he wanted to, and then the police would have to track him down. He was staring at me and I wondered if he was reading my thoughts. It seemed as if he was, as crazy as it sounded. Maybe he was thinking the same thing. I wouldn’t use the gun. Was I weak? No. One move toward me and I’d be forced to use that gun on him. I didn’t want to have to do that.

  Without warning the door burst open, smacking me on the back, and I fell forward onto the floor. The gun flew from my hand and slid across the floor, practically landing in Hunter’s hands. He reached for it immediately, and I knew that I was a goner. Who in the heck had burst through the door? I managed to look over my shoulder. Heath was right behind me. He stared at us with wide eyes.

  “Get up from the floor and both of you put your hands up,” Hunter demanded.

  Why would Heath do that? Why wouldn’t he at least knock or call out before he came through the door? If he’d called out I would’ve been able to tell him that I had Hunter corne
red in here. Surely he hadn’t done this on purpose.

  “What’s going on back here, Reese?” Heath asked.

  “Well, to summarize, Hunter has the gun. He killed Mr. Sutherland and now he’s going to kill us. He’s looking for money and I told him I don’t have the money.”

  “Buddy, this is crazy. We don’t have any money and we don’t know what you’re doing. Why don’t you just take on off and get out of here?” Heath asked.

  “Yeah, that’s what I’ll do,” Hunter said sarcastically. “No, she has the money and she knows where it is.”

  “I don’t know where the money is,” I said. “How many more times can I tell you that?”

  “I’m not leaving here until I find that money, so if you really don’t know where it is, then we’re going to look for it. Everyone start looking.” He gestured with the gun.

  “What are you going to do?” I asked.

  “I’m going to watch you look and make sure that there’s no funny business.”

  We had no choice but to pretend to look. In reality, I knew where the money was. However, maybe we had missed some of the cash. If I found just a little bit money perhaps that would get him to leave. Maybe he’d go away without killing us. How much money did I have in my purse? Oh, yeah, ten bucks. That wouldn’t make a dent in his thirst for riches. Heath and I began searching through drawers, cabinets, and jars, anywhere that we could for the money.

  Hunter still stood in front of the back door, so I couldn’t get out that way. Also, if I tried to run for the other door he would shoot me. Therefore, I was trapped in the kitchen indefinitely. At least until I could find more money. How much longer would I have to deal with this madness and how could I get out of here?

  All of a sudden, just as it had happened before, the door burst open from the other side of the room, smacking Hunter on the back. He fell forward onto the floor. The gun flew from his hand. With one swift movement I reached out and grabbed the weapon.

  “Get up and put your hands up,” I demanded.

  “Oh, my heavens, what’s going on in here?” Grandma Honey asked.

  Mary Jane stood behind Grandma Honey. Her mouth gaped open as she stood in stunned silence. They both looked stunned. Hunter had his hands up as I’d told him. I wasn’t going to let him get away this time. Grandma Honey and Mary Jane stared Hunter up and down as they stepped around him and into the room.

  “He’s looking for the money. I told him it’s not here.”

  “I know it is,” he said.

  “No, it’s not here because I found it already and Grandma Honey got rid of it,” I said.

  The look on his face was pure rage. His face turned completely red. I felt smug now that I had the gun again. Maybe I shouldn’t have talked to him and told him anything, but it felt good after what he’d done to us. And especially what he’d done to Mr. Sutherland.

  Sirens sounded from outside the shop. Thank goodness they were here. I wasn’t sure how much more of the stress I could handle.

  “I think the police are here,” I said.

  Mary Jane and Grandma Honey scooted around Hunter. They glared at him again.

  Grandma Honey placed her hands on her hips. “How dare you do this.”

  “I’ll get the police,” Mary Jane said as she hurried out the door to retrieve the police.

  Hunter continued to stare at me, avoiding eye contact with Grandma Honey. A few seconds later the detective entered the kitchen. He had his gun drawn as he hurried over to Hunter. “Place your hands behind your back.”

  Once he had Hunter in handcuffs, the detective asked, “What happened here?”

  “We found money that Mr. Sutherland had hidden back here in the kitchen. Apparently, Hunter killed Mr. Sutherland in order to get the money for himself,” I said.

  “That didn’t work out as planned, did it?” Grandma Honey asked in a smug voice.

  “He wasn’t in this by himself though. There was a woman who worked with him. Her name is Joy and we have to find her,” I said.

  “You know you can put the gun down now?” the detective asked.

  “Oh, right.” I handed him the gun. “Let me get the card that Joy gave me.”

  “She gave you her business card? Not a smart criminal, is she?” he asked.

  “Right? She could have at least used a fake name,” I said as I retrieved the card from my bag.

  Chapter 26

  I was happy to see the police escort Hunter out in handcuffs. He glared at me on the way out. That sent a shiver down my spine, but at least I knew he couldn’t get to me. Now we just had to figure out the puzzle of why the money was left in the candy shop. Why didn’t Mr. Sutherland take the money when he sold me the building? Perhaps he had forgotten about it, but that was a lot of money to forget about. Maybe he was coming for it the day he was murdered.

  I still wanted an explanation of how Hunter knew the money was here in the first place. I had a feeling it had a lot to do with Joy since apparently, she had some kind of connection to Mr. Sutherland. Obviously Mr. Sutherland didn’t like Joy or he would’ve let her buy the building. I hoped I got all these answers soon. The top priority for the police right now was to find Joy. Undoubtedly she held all of the answers. She could be out of the country for all we knew. Especially if she thought the police were coming after her. Would Joy come back to the candy shop for me? She might not even realize that Hunter was caught and come back to find him. I wouldn’t feel safe until I knew that she was behind bars as well. She needed to be in handcuffs just like Hunter.

  Mary Jane and Grandma Honey were occupied with talking with the police. Detective Monroe was also busy with other officers. Now it was just Heath and me standing together.

  “How are you holding up?” he asked.

  “All right, considering the circumstances.”

  He nodded. “That’s understandable. You know, I was thinking now that all of this is over maybe I could take you out for dinner tonight. So you can relax and take your mind off what happened.”

  I got the feeling he was trying to be completely casual about this invitation. Had Heath just asked me out on a date? My stomach danced. When he flashed that smile at me again how could I say no?

  “Sure, that would be nice,” I said.

  “Great. How about I pick you up at seven thirty?”

  “I’ll be ready,” I said.

  “I know this great Italian place.”

  “That sounds perfect,” I said.

  When I felt someone staring I peeked toward the back of the room. The detective looking over at us. I wondered if he knew we were planning a romantic dinner.

  “Okay, I guess I better get back to the office now that all the excitement is over,” Heath said.

  “I hope the excitement is over.”

  He smiled and walked over to the door. “I’ll see you tonight.”

  Before stepping outside, he looked back and waved. Once Heath was gone I looked around my shop and wondered if I would get it all back now. It seemed so surreal that Hunter had been working here. All that time the killer had been right here. He was the one who we’d watched walk across the room and hover over the body. The thought sent a chill down my spine. How much business had I lost due to the fact that my store was a crime scene?

  When I looked toward the back of the shop my eyes met with the detective’s. He smiled and then headed over toward me.

  “We’re all finished up here, so we’ll be leaving now,” he said.

  It hit me that this was probably the last time I would see him. There would be no need to call him now. I would see him then, but that seemed like a long way away. The fact of the matter was that I wanted to see him again. I liked talking to him, but I also liked spending time with the dentist too. Now I was torn. I hadn’t had a date with either one yet. Plus, the detective hadn’t asked me out.

  “We’re looking for Joy,” he said, breaking me from my musing.

  I nodded. “That’s good news. I hope you find her soon because I’ll s
till be looking over my shoulder.”

  “Can I give you a ride home?” he asked.

  “Thanks, but I drove my car,” I said, motioning toward the street.

  The detective stared at me for a long moment, then he said, “Well, if you need anything else please don’t hesitate to call me.”

  “What will happen to Hunter now?” I asked.

  “Obviously he’ll be going to jail and there will be a trial, which I hope will see him behind bars for very long time.”

  “I hope forever. What if they don’t find Joy?” I asked.

  What I wanted to know really was if she would be looking for me. But if I came out and asked it then it might make it even more real, so I just kept the thought to myself. I wondered if he was thinking it too and if he would mention it.

  “Don’t worry, we’ll find her, and she’ll be in jail for a long time too.”

  “I think the video evidence of them exchanging money will be enough to convict her,” I said.

  “Yes, that was some pretty solid detective work,” he said.

  “Thank you,” I said.

  “You definitely made my job easier.”

  I couldn’t hold back a smile. “You’re welcome. It’s probably the energy I get from all this candy,” I said with a wink.

  “What does the dentist think about this candy store next to his place?” the detective asked.

  So he was interested in what the dentist said. Maybe I was reading too much into that.

  “I’m sure he doesn’t like it,” I said, trying to be a bit vague.

  “Perhaps if you hand out floss with each purchase.” He laughed, but the gorgeous sound soon faded.

  We stood in silence for a moment.

  “I just wanted to thank you for everything,” I said.

  “Just doing my job,” he said. “Well, I suppose I’ll get out of here.”

  I wanted to say more, but what would I say? He headed toward the door and I walked with him. Was this it for us?

  He turned to face me. “I’ll call if I have any upsets.”