Cold Hollow (Cold Hollow Mysteries Book 1) (9 page)

Sophia jogged to a store called Second Hand Delights and raced through the clothing racks. Then she hit the shoe aisle, and within fifteen minutes she left with a huge bag brimming with clothes for the boys. As she crossed the street, she noticed Nazar standing tall at his office window, smiling down at her. She didn’t see a single tooth in his head. When she hit the sidewalk, she dropped the big bag, raised her right hand, and displayed her middle finger. After she flipped him off, she grabbed the bag and reentered her bakery muttering, “Fucking toothless wonder!” She immediately started thinking about changing his nickname.

Nazar stood at his office window and laughed aloud. Oh, how he loved feisty ones. They made the win so much sweeter.

Sophia walked to the back of the store and shuffled through the items in the bag. She handed clean shirts and pants to each boy, along with nearly new sneakers.

The boys’ mouths fell open at the amount of new clothes they received, and they smiled. Donnie looked up at her and said, “Thank you, ma’am. I swear I’ll work it off. Oh! Mama said to tell you that my brother Daryl has no filter on his mouth, so he should work in back doing dishes and such. She says I’m the charmer. I’m the entertainer in the family and would do real good out front waiting on tables.”

Sophia glanced at Myrna to see her stifling laughter. Myrna pointed at Donnie. “He’s right. He
is
the entertainer.”

Daryl pinched his face up. “That’s just because
I
have imagination and see leprechauns that no one else sees! Mama thinks I’m nuts, but I ain’t.”

Sophia bent down to him, “You see leprechauns?”

He nodded and grinned. “He’s little and leaves coins that fall out of his pot of gold each morning. I find them in the yard.”

“Is that how you can afford to have the oatmeal-raisin cookies and milk here each morning?”

He puffed his little chest and put his hands on his hips. “Yup, and I give the rest of the coins to Mama so as to help since Pa died.”

Sophia smiled. “Well, I believe you Daryl. It’s a mystery that may one day be solved. I think it’s nice that both of you are helping your mother.”

Donnie spoke again, “Mama says that now that we’re out of her hair, she could work for you by doing the laundry and ironing for the bakery once a week if you want. She says she won’t charge much.”

“I’ll think about that. But right now, I need the two of you to go and get presentable for the customers.” They did as she requested, and Donnie continued to badger his brother about the leprechaun on their way back to the washroom.

As Myrna began lifting sheets of pastry for the display case, she whispered to Sophia. “That family is poor and needs help. I know you were coerced into taking them on, but can we give them a chance?”

Sophia smiled. “Yes. I have no problem with the children. What I don’t care for is how Nazar handles the people of this town—as if they’re under scrutiny and must do as he commands. I don’t like it one bit. This town needs a new leader.”

Myrna blushed and took the trays to the display case in a hurry. She spoke no more about it.

***

Sophia leaned over the prep table as she watched the Borges boys plow down their meal and nibble on their oatmeal cookies for dessert. As predicted, they pulled out the raisins and left them to one side on a clean napkin. When they were done and had downed their milk, Sophia asked, “Why do you do that? Why do you prefer oatmeal-raisin cookies, but pull the raisins out instead of eating them?”

The boys looked at each other and back at Sophia. It was Donnie who spoke. “My baby sister likes raisins, but we can’t afford them. So we take them home to her each day as a surprise.” He seemed to remember something and yanked on his apron pocket. He pulled out all of his tips, and Sophia gasped. He unscrewed the tip jar and plopped all the money inside.

“Wow! You did well today!”

Donnie smiled and gave a terse nod of his head. “Yup, I did. I sang to customers as I delivered their orders. They liked it. Does that pay you back for our clothes today?”

Sophia estimated the child had made about twenty dollars total. It wasn’t quite enough, but she pretended it was. He was elated, as was his brother Daryl. When she reminded them that they would be paid each Friday, they said they were never leaving her side. Sophia rolled her eyes and stared at Myrna, who was laughing.

Myrna rubbed her hand over Donnie’s head and said, “This rascal also plays a banjo like nobody’s business. His Pa was an expert and taught his son well.”

Daryl pointed at his chest. “I’m the dancer.”

Sophia wanted to anger Nazar, so she said, “How about we let both of you entertain the customers each Friday for one hour. That’s our busiest day of the week, and I think that they would enjoy a little entertainment, don’t you?”

Donnie stuck out his hand to seal the deal, and Sophia shook it. She then shook Daryl’s, and he looked at her with a serious expression. “I’ll get right on making the poster announcing our gig.”

Sophia  chuckled. “You do that, Daryl.”

Donnie asked, “What about Mama working a bit for ya?”

She nodded. “Each Friday take the laundry bag home to your Mama.”

She watched the boys slide off their stools and scoot out of the store. The women pulled their recipes and implements out for the following morning, emptied the register, and left for the day. They were both exhausted.

***

The following morning, Sophia awoke when her cell phone began ringing. It was on her bedside table; she shuffled to the side of the bed and sat up. She noticed her alarm clock’s digital display was no longer lit up, and it had not gone off. She fumbled in the dark for her phone and hit the button. When she said hello, she found it was Myrna at the other end. She was at the bakery and was concerned about Sophia’s whereabouts. “I’m sorry, Myrna. It seems we lost power and my alarm didn’t go off. Is there power at the bakery?”

“Yes. The whole town has power. Did the line to your home break or something?”

Sophia grimaced and said, “I didn’t hear anything, but I’ll have Angus check it out. I’ll be at the bakery in a half hour. Thanks for waking me up.”

She clicked her phone off and nudged Angus, who was huddled under their comforter. It was unusually chilly in the house. She shivered and hit the list of her emergency numbers in her phone. She called the power company, only to get a recorded message stating that all power would be restored as soon as possible.

She sighed and nudged Angus again. She muttered through a clenched jaw, “Nazar is at it again. He obviously did not like the fact that I told him off.”

Angus rubbed the sleep from his eyes and yawned. “He’s a big boy. He’ll get over it.”

Sophia sighed, “We don’t have power, but the rest of the town does. I think he did it.”

Angus sat up and stretched. “It’ll come on soon. Did you call the power company?”

“Yes. I got a recorded message.”

He nodded. “That means they’re on top of it, honey. Now give me a kiss.”

She smirked, leaned over to him, and kissed him good morning. She slipped out of bed and dragged her tired body downstairs to the kitchen. She had a nagging feeling that Nazar was behind their loss of power that morning.

She made her way into the kitchen and grabbed a muffin and a glass of juice to start her day.

***

Nazar sat at the monitors in his office and focused on the Barner home. He grinned when he saw they had no lights or power in the house. He watched Sophia stagger into her kitchen and grab something to eat and drink. He rubbed his hands together and spun his chair away from the monitors, wearing a filthy grin.

CHAPTER 8

Hugo walked slowly—slower than he had ever walked in his life. When he bent to pick some vegetables from his fenced-in garden, he nearly screamed in pain, but bit his lower lip instead. The salve he had made and diligently applied to his back, ass, and thighs was working, but the skin was stiff and stubborn. It reminded him that he still needed more time to heal. He sighed as he carried his meager basket of food inside his small cabin. He wanted to take more aspirin, but didn’t dare do it on an empty stomach. He had caught another rabbit the night before and it was roasting in the fireplace as he entered the cabin.

After washing the vegetables, he went to his small cutting board and began chopping them and putting them in a pot. He added water and some spices and placed the pot on a hook he had attached to the fireplace. He pushed the hook and set the pot over the flames. His meal would be ready within the hour. He wanted to sit down, but he cringed at the thought. The only position he was comfortable in was lying on his stomach or standing up. When he thought about it, it was helping him to move around more, and he was starting to feel stronger each day. As he watched the flames lick at the rabbit meat, he planned his revenge. He knew what he was going to do to the owner of the tavern, but he had yet to decide how to get even with Ranger Bullock or Nazar. Each day he had slowly tracked the ranger’s routine throughout the forest, but he still came up empty. It would come to him. Good ideas often came to Hugo Morrissey once he relaxed.

***

Fall arrived; the children went to school, and Angus returned to work. His days of working from home were over. Sophia hated it, but it was part of the agreement with the advertising department for the ski resorts. At the beginning of the season, he came home in time for supper. However, once the winter storms hit, he would often stay overnight at the resort or come home too late to partake in movie night with the children. He was often inundated with work on the weekends, which were the busiest time for the resorts.

Myrna and Tom stopped coming on Friday evenings altogether, and only came for game night if Angus was home. Sophia felt out of place if he was not by her side and felt like a third wheel with the happy couple. She wanted Myrna to be happy and spend as much alone time with Dr. Tom as she could.

Tourists were pouring into town to see the lush foliage turn bright orange, red, and yellow. The townsfolk called them “leaf-peepers.” They would pick apples at Artie’s orchards and gobble up Mr. Dumont’s maple syrup. Sometimes they even went pumpkin picking at the Carlisle farm. The air had turned crisp and called for sweaters and, oftentimes, scarves.

Sophia adjusted the hours of the bakery to accommodate the townsfolk and the visitors alike. Daryl and Donnie performed each Friday, and they were a smash hit. They received an abundance of tips, making their lives a little easier.

Her children were excelling at school and flying through assignments. Of course, there were only twenty children in the school, so they received a great deal of attention from the teacher. Daryl and Donnie didn’t go to school. They did their classwork and homework assignments after work. Sophia felt bad about this, but knew it was the only way their family would survive.

When the Thanksgiving holiday hit, Sophia was relieved to have two days off with her husband and children. The bakery had been wiped clean of all its pies, cakes, and delights before the big day, and Sophia needed a break. Angus had taken the four-day weekend off because after that, the ski resorts would be bursting and he would have little time to spend with any of them.

She planned a huge holiday buffet and invited Dr. Tom and Myrna over. They played games, watched comedies, and ate all day long.

They spent Friday together as a family and had a movie marathon. Sophia had to work over the weekend and often times, she spied Angus and the children slip into various stores along Main Street. She presumed they were doing some early Christmas shopping.

Saturday evening, in bed, Angus rolled over onto his side and whispered, “Come to the bathroom.”

Sophia pinched his arm in jest and giggled. “I already took a shower, and I don’t have to pee.”

He got out of bed and went to her side. He held out his hand; she grasped it and begrudgingly followed him into the bathroom. The instant they entered, he shut the door and turned the hot water tap on full blast in the shower until the room began to fog up. Sophia whispered, “What are you doing?”

He looked around the room and leaned into her neck. He whispered back, “I think the house has cameras and is bugged. Don’t panic. Don’t let on that anything is out of the ordinary.” He briefly pulled away to see his wife’s eyes go wide and her head shake.

He leaned back in and continued, “I heard something at work last Wednesday. One of the board of directors was in town for a meeting, and I heard Nazar’s name come up. I wasn’t invited to the board meeting, but I found it odd. The man acted as though he was great friends with Nazar. I think that there’s something wrong with this town. I don’t like Nazar, and I don’t trust him. Why would he have anything to do with the ski resorts?” He continued, “Since we arrived at this town, I’ve noticed what I first assumed were security cameras in every single shop, even the post office. I saw some on homes too, but imagined it was some type of home security device. I didn’t want to alarm you, but wanted to make sure I wasn’t being paranoid. You know how I notice everything, honey. Not only that, but why do people constantly whisper in this town when they are indoors?”

Sophia whispered back, “They don’t whisper in the front of the bakery, but maybe some of the camera’s have listening devices on them too?” She swallowed. “I can’t stand Nazar either and don’t trust him. Did you know that animal taxed me extra and forced me to get an entertainment license because Daryl and Donnie perform at the bakery for an hour each Friday?”

Angus held her shoulders in his strong hands. “No. I didn’t know that. I do know that he is an asshole. I want to do something, but I don’t want you to know anything about it. From now on, I am going to leave you notes in your purse. Check it daily.”

“What about the possibility of bugs? What about the cameras?”

“I’ll scour our house and get rid of any bugs and cameras that I can find, but I’m not a detective. I have no idea where to look. I’ll stick with the notes. Once you read them, burn them.”

They shut the water off and Sophia found her hair filled with moisture again. She threw a towel over her head and wiped it down as they returned to their bed for the night. When they were under the covers, her hand found his and she squeezed it. “Whatever you do, be careful.”

He rolled over and kissed her. “I love you, honey.”

Sophia could not sleep that night. She stared at the ceiling and tried to imagine what her husband was going to do. She knew he would not tell her until it was already done. That way, she could plead innocence. He was keeping her a bystander. She did not know if she loved the idea or hated it. She did not want him in danger, but she had trusted him all these years and would continue to do so. She felt his strong right arm wrap around her, and she finally fell asleep to the sound of his beating heart as she lay with her head against his warm chest.

The following morning, Sophia woke to an empty house. She slid out of bed and into her slippers. Shuffling to the staircase, she made her way to the kitchen. She found a note from Angus stating he had taken the children out for an early hike. He wanted her to sleep and promised to have supper waiting for her when she returned home from the bakery. She turned and poured herself a mug of lukewarm coffee, toasted a muffin, and sat at the kitchen island enjoying a meager breakfast. She stared at the fireplace mantle and the massive stag head hanging above it. She felt like the thing was always staring at her. She frowned at it and muttered, “Fuck you, Norman.”

***

Nazar sat at his office desk, observing the monitors in town, and guffawed. The Barner woman had just said “Fuck you” to the stag head in their home. He soon stifled his laughter and wondered if she knew there was a hidden monitor installed in the head. He wiped his mind clean of that thought. She was a troublesome citizen, that was for sure, but he didn’t think she was
that
smart.

After shutting down the monitors, he reviewed a stack of files sitting on his desk. His town was running as smooth as silk, and if that didn’t please the powers that be, then tough. They had arrived that weekend for their annual inspection, and Nazar hated it. He had to pander to their whims and present the necessary documents to keep his operation running. He scanned the files and separated them into two piles. He then turned his chair around and stared at the shops across the street. He took particular interest in one. His grip on the arms of his chair grew fierce. He would be damned if he would let one bakery bitch ruin his long-running program.

Perhaps the experiment of allowing outsiders to move into his town had been the wrong choice. He didn’t think so, but he would ask the board members. They were gathering again that evening at the town’s best restaurant and would leave on Monday morning. He had secured their lodgings ahead of time and made the much-needed reservations at the appropriate restaurants. They only had two in town that would meet the needs of the board members, so it hadn’t been that big of a task.

***

After a long day at the bakery, Sophia was setting the table for supper. She had heated up the meal that Angus had prepared ahead of time and placed it on the table. Her family needed no prodding. They sat and dug into their meals with vigor.

She smiled at her children. “How was hiking this morning?”

Her son answered, “It was great! We saw a lot of deer today! One almost ate an apple out of my hand!” He shrugged and shook his head. “But it didn’t, so I cut off a thick wedge and put it on the ground for him.” He looked at his mother with an ear-to-ear grin. “So…he gobbled it right up!”

She asked, “He didn’t run away from you?”

He shook his little head. “Nope. Dad says I’m an animal charmer. All animals like me.”

Sophia looked at Angus and smiled. “I think your father is right. He’s always right.”

Layla didn’t say much. She just kept staring at Angus throughout the meal. She was being unusually quiet. Sophia reached out and squeezed her arm. “Honey? Did you have a good time?”

She looked at Angus before answering, but smiled at Sophia. “I sure did. It was an interesting nature hike.” She glanced back at her father and put her head down.

Sophia sat back and felt a headache brewing. She rubbed her temples and took some deep breaths as she tried to relax. She knew her husband had told Layla not to speak too much inside the house. They must have had a discussion on the trails today, and Sophia didn’t know if she wanted to know what it was.

She noticed Angus kept looking at his watch. As soon as it was dusk, he washed, changed his clothes, and left by the front door. He said nothing to Sophia or the children. He merely pointed at Sophia’s purse and blew her and the children a kiss.

Sophia went to her purse and quickly read the note. When she was done, she threw it in the fireplace, added some logs, and struck a match. Liam was playing on the floor, and Layla was reading one of her books. Sophia flipped the television on and went to the kitchen to clean up the dishes. Angus had assured her he would not be long and would be back to spend some quality time with his family.

***

Angus hunched behind the bushes of the town hall and waited. He had parked his vehicle three blocks away and walked the side streets until he reached the town hall. The sky was dark, and the stars were out. It had become significantly colder, and his breath came out in smoky plumes as he walked. He was dressed in black and sufficiently camouflaged. When he saw Nazar exit the building with a few executive types, he moved to the back of the building. There was a door there, and he dug in his pocket and removed his lock picks. He rubbed his hands together to warm them up and went to work. His father had been a locksmith and had taught his son well. He knew the type of lock on the back door. It was hefty and well-made, but not impenetrable.

It took him approximately ten minutes to get the bolts to slide back, and when they did he slithered inside a darkened town hall. The stairs to Nazar’s office were directly on his left, and he took them two at a time. He moved silently down the hallway of the second floor and spotted Nazar’s living quarters and office at the end of the hallway. He picked that lock with ease and went inside the office. The moon was starting to shine into the large window behind Nazar’s desk, so Angus wondered if he would even need the penlight he had brought with him.

He gently sat in Nazar’s chair and noticed a bank of monitors to his right. He contemplated turning them on but decided against it. The glow of the monitors would be seen from the street if someone was out walking. Their presence just solidified his feelings of being watched. He glanced at two stacks of files sitting atop the desk. He saw official seals on them, and his curiosity took a turn. He began flipping through the files at lightning speed. What he found was monstrous.

Most of the town’s inhabitants were prison parolees. They were supposedly rehabilitated, but some were exhibiting past behaviors. Some paroled inmates had married of their own accord, or been paired up by Nazar after arriving in the town.