Unwanted Business: A Zora Cooper Mystery Novella

By Sylvia Hester

A speed boat. A dead body. An overly friendly dog. Zora can only take so much in her hectic life. What danger has her boss gotten her into now? She needs him to find a way to save her or at least start paying her hazard pay. Either one will be accepted at this time. But things are not what they seem, in more ways then one.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Sylvia Hester
• Release date: Nov 5, 2015
• ISBN: 9781310925146

Sylvia Hester

Sylvia Hester lives in Virginia with her teenage daughter and a very spoiled dog. She has always loved to write and when voices from many books jumped in her head. She decided to put their words to paper. Although "A Complete Stranger" is her first published work, it will not be her last. Sylvia is busy working on her next novel for your enjoyment.

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Unwanted

Business

A Zora Cooper Mystery Novella

By Sylvia Hester

Copyright 2015 Sylvia Hester

Smashwords Edition

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

Thank you for downloading this ebook. This book remains the copyrighted property of the author, and may not be redistributed to others for commercial or non-commercial purposes. If you enjoyed this book, please encourage your friends to download their own copy from their favorite authorized retailer. Thank you for your support.

DEDICATION

To my Daughter, Briana. Let your voice be heard.

CHAPTER 1

A white speed boat topped with an automatic gun skipped along the choppy waters of the Atlantic. The dots of people swimming and playing were oblivious of the danger growing behind them. I leaned over the balcony trying to make out a face, a number, the boat itself but failed.

My phone rang. I jumped snatching my phone off the small table. By the time I turn back around the boat had disappear. A silent curse escaped my lips.

What?

Make the delivery tonight. The phone went dead. I should be used to B hanging up on me.

If all goes well tonight, tomorrow I will sleep in my own bed. This running all over the country isn’t a life a woman with common sense would do but it’s the life I chose. I am good at it. No, I’m damn good at taking care of the unwanted business B place before me.

The job began with me standing at a bus stop sucking on a lollipop, okay not really. I was at the bus stop heading to my dead end job I loathed. I should have left well enough alone but nooooo, nosey me picked up a package left beside the bus bench. The box was wrapped in a brown paper bag with a note taped on top. The only reason I read the note in the first place was to find out who the package belong to. I know by being nosey, I did it to myself.

Zora Cooper, if you are reading this you are now responsible for the delivery of this package. I am watching you from a location where I can view you. Follow the instructions I left you to the T. Once the job is completed I will contact you to deliver your compensation. B

I remembered almost dropping the box when I read my name. How? What? A million questions popped in my head. The first one, how the hell did he know my name? The second, how much am I getting paid? Ever since I started working for B, I never met him once.

While I waited on the phone call from B, I spent my days exploring my surroundings. I wandered onto the pier watching the fishermen bring in their catch of the day. My eyes struggled to pop out of my head. A ping sounded inside my head, the pier has coin operated binoculars.

I ran all the way to the pier praying the white speed boat was still visible in the water. Sweat poured down my body soaking through my tee shirt. My carefully brushed curly ponytail had broken free of its hair tie leaving my hair in a tangled bird nest. I dodge several people when I ran onto the pier. They almost collided with me when they stepped in my way. The binoculars closest to the end of the pier probably gave me the best chance of seeing the speedboat clearly.

I adjusted the binoculars after feeding it the two quarters. I skimmed the waters. Nothing. A few barges dotted the water moving along at a snail’s pace. I turned the knobs on the sides using the barges as my focal point until they came into focus. I groaned, nothing on the barge came in clear. Even if I did spot the speed boat again, I wouldn’t be able to discover anything new.

A chard of metal hit my cheek. My hand automatically went to my face. My eyes grew wide when my fingers revealed droplets of blood. Screams interrupted my shock. Everyone started running as rapid gunfire filled the air. A board exploded inches from my foot sending pieces of wood upward. Is someone firing at me? My scream stuck in my throat. I stood in the middle of the falling bullets trying to remember how to move. I covered my head, I don’t understand why people cover their head. If the bullet is going to strike you, your hand will not stop the fast moving piece of metal from coming through. To be on the safe side, I covered my head and took off for cover.

I joined a couple of people hiding inside the food hut waiting out the noise to quiet. The bullets finally subsided allowing me to catch the motor of a boat rev up. I ran from my secured spot hoping to catch a glimpse of the boat through the binoculars. I elbowed through the thong of people. I had to get to the binoculars before the boat disappeared. That is the only thing running through my head. The only thing which matters.

I sighed with relief, the binoculars still had time on it. My naked eye caught the white speeding blob concealing itself behind one of the barges. I adjusted the knobs on the side until the barge grew clear. I waited.

Do you see them? The ones firing at us? a gruff voice yelled into my ear.

I ignored the annoying man, keeping myself from knocking some distance between us. There it is. The barge moved through the water revealing the boat. The boat cut across the water away from the pier. Two people held their heads downwards pushing the boat to the limit. One at the helm and one near the gun. One white man and one black man.

Move, move, move. Loud voices raised somewhere behind me. I spun around. Cops ran onto the pier.

I found an opening, lowered my head and took off. I couldn’t allow