Free M&M Surprise Murder: A Donut Hole Cozy Mystery - Book 17 by Susan Gillard Page A

rocked
from side-to-side.
    “Someone tried to break into my
place,” Jung replied. “I heard this weird noise at the back of the building,
like metal or glass or, I don’t know how to describe it. Went to look and the
trash can was tipped over.”
    Heather heaved a sigh of relief.
“You're just jumpy. It was probably a cat or a dog.”
    “Rats?” Amy suggested, then
fake-gagged.
    “No,” Jung said. “No, boss, I’m
serious. I went down there and checked it out. I found blood shards of an arrow
in the trash can next to the one that’d been thrown over. And now, shoot. Hold
on a sec.”
    Jung’s voice disappeared. Scratches
and crackles replaced it. A muffled shout.
    “Someone hanging around outside the
window. Just saw them there. A woman. She ran off before I could get a good
look at her,” Jung said.
    Heather puffed out her cheeks and
exhaled. “All right. All right, it’s okay.”
    “Sounds like a cheer from that Bring
It On movie. Do you remember that?” Amy whispered.
    Heather shushed her. “Jung, lock
yourself in and stay away from the windows and doors for heaven’s sake. I
believe that person is armed and dangerous. I’ll call Ryan and have him send
over a car.”
    “Thanks, boss, you’re the best.”
    And then he hung up. No panicking or
unnecessary questions. Pure acceptance of the facts. Another pragmatic person.
    Heather pulled the phone from her ear
and dialed Ryan’s number, next.
    “Wait, what’s going on?” Amy asked.
    Heather waved her question away again,
and Amy stuck out her tongue, then rested her forehead on her arms instead.
    “Shepherd,” Ryan said, in his work
voice grunt.
    “Honey, it’s me. I’ve got a problem.”
    “Who’s being attacked this time?” Ryan
asked, and chuckled.
    It would’ve been a funny joke at any
other time. “Jung,” Heather replied. “HE just called to tell me that someone
left a bloodied arrow in his trash. I’d bet anything it’s carbon.”
    “I’m on my way.”
    “Ryan, it’s Jessica Laverne. I’m sure
of it. She stole the arrows from her coach. Hardy, and used them to kill Kyle
Henson and attack Leticia.” Maybe the woman thought she could pin it all on
Jung.
    “All right. I’m on it.”
    “Be careful,” Heather replied. The
other end of the line went dead.
    Amy’s mouth hung open. “She’s at
Jung’s place?”
    “I can’t be certain. Ryan’s on his way
there now to make sure.”
    “So, what are we going to do?” Amy
asked, then narrowed her eyes at Heather. “I can tell from the expression on
your face that ‘eating donuts’ is not the answer.”
    “We’re going to Hillside High. To the
small practice field behind the locker room.” Heather circled to her side of
the car, opened the door, then got in.
    Amy lowered herself back into her seat
and rubbed her eyes with the heels of her palms. “Do I want to know why?”
    “Because if Jessica isn’t at Jung’s
house anymore, that’s where she’s going to go.”
    “How do you know?”
    Heather started the engine of her car,
then zipped on her seat belt and clicked it into place. “Because Jessica is
stuck in the past. She has been since 2009. That past is about to come back to
punish her for all she’s done.”
    “Oh boy. That sounds like a Christmas
vacation,” Amy said and clapped her hands. “I can barely contain myself.”
    “You’re going to have to,” Heather
said, then pulled out into the road, her gaze fixed on the macadam.
    “Why’s that?”
    “Because you’re on Taser duty.”

Chapter 19
    Heather stood on the edge of the
yellowing field and stared at the solitary target at the other end. Arrows
littered the grass around it. Not a single bulls-eye. Arrows everywhere but in
the target.
    Shoot, there weren’t even holes in the
thing.
    She tucked her arms behind her back
and clasped her hands together.
    “You can come out now, Jinx,” she
said, softly.
    Footsteps slapped on the wooden
bleachers behind Heather, then thumped to the grass.