Free Red Hot Deadly Peppers by Paige Shelton Page A

were there, potentially facing danger, I was glad for the shotgun, but I didn’t think I could ever shoot a couple teenagers no matter how threatening they were.
    “They’re kids, Nera. Maybe we can talk them out of being stupid. We don’t know that they killed anyone. We still don’t know if Graham or Jimmy were killed. Susan looks bad, but I think she’ll be okay.”
    I couldn’t tell if my words were making a difference or not, though she seemed to hear what I was saying.
    Finally, she looked at me. “I’m not going to shoot anyone unless I have to, Becca. You should stay here in the truck, though. I can’t wait any longer. Harry might need my help.” And then she was out of the truck and moving toward the garage and the shed, holding the shotgun in front of her.
    I didn’t have anyone I could call. Sam, Ian, my family, they were all in South Carolina. Even with all the crazy situations I’d gotten myself into, I’d been able to make a call and be assured that someone might come help me or at least find my body.
    Before Nera could get far, I was out of the truck, too, and running to catch up.
    She looked at me quickly. “Stay behind me at least.”
    I nodded and stayed to her side but back a little.
    We turned the corner of the garage only to find the shed door wide open but no one in sight.
    We moved closer to the shed and peered in. Still no one.
    “Ner . . .” Harry’s voice yelled from behind us.
    I turned and jumped at the same time. I saw that Harry’s hands were tied around his back, and Cole was holding onto one of his arms. Brad punched Harry in the jaw, which propelled his head backward, but he recovered his composure quickly. Harry’s cowboy hat was noticeably missing.
    Nera turned and aimed the gun at the three of them.
    Don’t pull the trigger, don’t pull the trigger
, I thought.
    “Come on, boys.” I jumped forward. “You haven’t done anything too terrible yet. Don’t hurt Harry. Let him go.”
    No one moved—really. People looked at each other, but for a suspiciously long time, no one moved.
    Finally, Nera spoke. “Becca, go over there and untie Harry. Cole, Brad, step away.”
    The boys did as instructed, but what should have caught my attention was that they smiled while doing it.
    I moved to Harry, but just as I reached for the rope behind his back, Nera spoke again. “Stop, Becca. Stop.”
    I turned toward her, but she was no longer alone. The two boys were now standing beside her, both with their arms crossed in front of their chests.
    “It was Nera,” Harry said to me. “She killed Jimmy. She killed Graham.”
    “What?” I said too adamantly. I really didn’t want to believe what I was hearing. “No!”
    “It’s what I suspected when you found Graham’s body, but I’m pretty sure she’s proving it now,” Harry continued.
    “For pepper juice? That seems so . . .” I wanted to say “ridiculous,” but it probably wasn’t wise to insult the person with the gun.
    Nera laughed. “Sorry, Becca. I didn’t think you’d ever find out. I didn’t think anyone would figure it out. I didn’t plan for Graham to die today, but the opportunity presented itself, so I took it.”
    “How’d you kill him?” Harry asked.
    “Put crushed-up pecans in his juice drink. He was early to the trading post, and it was sitting right there. I had to take the opportunity. He was alone. I put the pecans in the drink and swiped his epi injectors. I knew he’d be alone for a long time. I thought someone would eventually find him dead on the ground. I can’t explain why he was sitting up. Sorry about that, Becca.”
    “And you killed your uncle, too?” I said. I still wasn’t scared. I was not yet ready to believe what I was hearing.
    “Sure. I suffocated him. I knew tradition would dictate that he be buried quickly.”
    “But you pushed Harry and the police to look into his death.”
    “I did. Isn’t that what a concerned relative should do? I knew nothing would ever