Summer Reading is Killing Me (Phee Jefferson Book 2) (18 page)

I heard the sound of sirens in the distance. So
did Tessa. “Time for you to learn the value of silence. I’ve already planned
the headline. “Boyfriend’s Murderous Mayhem at Miller’s Cove.” Jay killed
Elody
, then in a fit of rage, he shoots the Senator and an
innocent bystander. In a final twist, he turns the gun on himself. The papers
will eat it up. I’ll be the first reporter on the scene. The scoop will
guarantee me a weekly column and a big salary.” She leveled the gun at me ready
to fire. I closed my eyes and waited for the end.

“I don’t think so.” There was a loud
thwap
and the sound of something falling. I opened
one eye and saw Anthony standing over Tessa’s body, a flashlight raised above
his head. He must have struck her and knocked her out. I sank to the ground.

“Thank goodness. I saw my life flash before my
eyes. It was so boring I almost fell asleep,” I joked in relief.

“You’re lucky I was reading in my room and heard
everything. I guess she figured the Senator was by himself,” Anthony said.

“Jay’s on the deck with the Senator!” I warned.

Anthony kicked Tessa’s gun away from her hand and
rolled her over. He felt for a pulse on her neck. “She’s out cold, but just in
case, grab her gun and make sure she stays put.” He reached down to his ankle
holster, pulled out a gun, and went into the cabin.

“Holy cow!
Phee’s
got a
gun!” Juliet squealed. “I saw and heard everything. She pulled that gun out,
and I froze like a deer in the headlights. You could’ve been killed. Some cop
I’d make. First sign of danger and I’m useless.”

“It’s okay. I would’ve probably done the same
thing. Thank goodness Anthony was here. Otherwise, I’d be waking up tomorrow at
the pearly gates instead of in my nice, comfy bed.”

The door to the cabin swung open and Anthony
pushed Jay out in front of him. Jay stumbled and fell to the ground. Senator
Campbell followed behind with a thunderous look on his face. Jay attempted to
get up, but the Senator walked forward and punched him. “That’s for laying a
hand on my daughter, you worthless piece of gutter trash!”

“Whoa! The Senator’s B.A.!” Juliet exclaimed.

“You ladies didn’t see a thing. He hurt himself
when he fell,” Senator Campbell instructed.

“Yes, sir,” Juliet and I said in unison.

Two patrol cars pulled up. Sheriff Dawes stepped
out of one and Clint and Lu jumped out of the other. Anthony walked up to me
and slipped the gun gently from my grasp. He leaned forward and whispered in my
ear, “Let me handle this. I’ll tell them you and your sister stopped by to pick
up a CD of my band I promised you. You stumbled upon Tessa breaking into the
cabin and the rest is history. I won’t reveal your, uh, interesting attire.” He
looked at me and smiled.

“Okay,” I whispered back. I glanced up and saw
Clint cast an inquiring gaze in Anthony’s direction. I met his eyes, and he
scowled.

“Dang it,
Phee
! I can’t
believe you got yourself mixed up in this mess. You could have been hurt,”
Clint said trying to control his anger.

“I’m sorry. I don’t believe we’ve met,” Anthony
stepped forward and held out his hand. “I’m Anthony
Ziegfried
,
the Senator’s aide. It’s my fault
Phee
got dragged
into this mess. I promised her a copy of a music CD we listened to the other
evening. She stopped by to pick it up. She and Juliet were innocent bystanders
who merely stumbled upon a crime. If not for
Phee’s
quick thinking, Tessa Brewer would have escaped and gotten away with
Elody’s
murder. You should thank your lucky stars you have
a brave, beautiful woman like her.”

“I, um, I sure am lucky. You’re the Senator’s
lap…aide,” Clint stuttered, clearly off kilter with Anthony’s smooth
explanation. “I’m sorry,
Phee
. I got a call from some
woman saying you and Juliet were in danger and the Senator’s house was being
robbed. I was terrified I wouldn’t get here in time.” He pulled me to him and
hugged me close. “I’m glad you’re okay.”

Senator Campbell cleared his throat and said,
“I’ve got to say that
Phee
was extremely brave. I
wish more people got involved rather than looking the other way. Neighbors
looking out for neighbors. It’s the way it used to be and should be again.”

“You’re right, Senator,” Sheriff Dawes stepped
forward. “I taught these two girls everything they know. In fact, I’ve been
thinking Miller’s Cove should have a neighborhood watch program. Who better to
lead it then
Phee
and Juliet.”

Juliet grinned with excitement at the prospect of
sanctioned crime fighting. I groaned as I realized the sheriff had just fueled
Juliet’s crime-fighting obsession. Pretty soon everyone in town would be
wearing pink masks bedazzled with their initial.

CHAPTER THIRTY seven

I dropped Juliet off at her apartment close to
midnight. Jay protested his innocence, but Anthony told the sheriff everything
Tessa confessed while holding me at gunpoint. Once Jay found out Tessa had set
him up to take the fall for Tessa’s murder, he sang like a choir boy. Sheriff
Dawes even let Juliet slap the cuffs on Jay. After we promised to come down to
the station first thing in the morning, the sheriff told us to go home and get
some rest. Exhaustion from the late hour and the emotional drain of being held
at gunpoint caught up with me. I struggled to keep my eyes open the few miles to
my house. I pulled into my driveway. Clint’s truck pulled in behind me. I
dragged myself up the steps, and he followed me inside.

“
Phee
, I know you think
I’m a jerk, but I just want to keep you safe. That’s my job. Not just as a cop,
but as your boyfriend,” Clint said as we both fell onto the couch exhausted.

“I’m too tired to talk about this right now, but
you and I do need to talk. I’m not the same lily-livered girl you fell in love with
last year. I’ve changed. I’m tired of being the nice, predictable girl next
door.”

“What’s wrong with being the girl next door?”
Clint asked, concern in his eyes. “I like you just the way you are.”

“It’s not like I plan to go out and commit bank
robberies and dye my hair pink, but sometimes I want to walk on the edge. Live
a little dangerously. Stop being scared to stand up for myself. I don’t know.
I’m saying I want more out of life than going to work then coming home to read
a book until I fall asleep,” I confessed.

“I can understand that, I guess,” Clint said
slowly. “The only thing I ask is that you be honest with me about what you’re
doing. Don’t think I didn’t see that pink bedazzled mask lying on the ground at
the Senator’s place. I recognized Juliet’s handiwork.”

I gave Clint an incredulous look. Despite my
exhaustion, I felt a quick bite of anger at his use of the word honest. “I
think we both need to be honest with each other, don’t you?”

“What are you talking about?” Clint looked
puzzled. “I don’t hold things back from you.”

“Really?” I snapped. I sat up and faced him. “How
come we never talk about your past or our relationship? Do you realize that all
this time I thought both your parents were dead? You keep everything bottled up
and hidden from me. Clearly, you aren’t in this relationship for the long
haul.”

“Wait a minute. I told you when we started seeing
each other that I wanted to take it one day at a time. I made no promises. I
thought you understood that.”

“Well, things change. I need to know that we’re
going somewhere and I’m not spinning my wheels waiting for you to want
something real. I want a family one day. Something concrete and real, not just
a fantasy left over from my teenage dreams.”

Clint wouldn’t meet my eyes. He stared at the wall
in front of him, his face a hardened mask of steel. “I love you,
Phee
. I love you so much it scares me. I never wanted to
care this much about one person, but there’s something about you that grabs at
my very soul.” He slammed his fist down on the arm of the couch. “Damn it! I
swore that I would never be stupid enough to fall in love, but that ship’s
sailed and here we are. You need to realize and accept that I don’t ever want a
family. I wouldn’t be a good husband or a good father. I don’t talk about my
parents because if you knew the whole story, you’d never look at me the same
way again and I couldn’t bear it. I’m damaged goods,
Phee
.”

I reached out my hand to grab his, but he pulled
away. “I need to go. We’re both tired and upset. I need some space and some
time to think. I love you,
Phee
, but you’ve got to
give me some breathing room.” He stood up and walked out the front door.

Stunned, I leaned back and rested my head on the
couch, tears streaming down my face. What could be so horrible that I wouldn’t
love him? Had I made a mistake pushing Clint to open up to me? Maybe Clint’s
past would be the one mystery I couldn’t solve.

The End

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Amy Lilly grew up in the small town of
Cedaredge, Colorado where she spent her free time reading Nancy Drew mysteries
and using her Junior Detective Kit to solve mysteries on her family farm. Amy
earned a B.A. in English from the University of Iowa and her M.L.S. from SUNY
at Buffalo. She spends her free time raising goats, chickens, a herd of
well-fed cats and two hyperactive Jack Russell Terriers. She is married with
two sons and two beautiful, smart granddaughters.

Phee Jefferson Series

Death
is Long Overdue

Summer
REading is Killing Me

Permanently
deleted (Winter 2015)

Stand Alone Titles

The
Romance Report (Fall 2015)