Nozy Cat 2: Hope Jones Cozy Mystery Series, #2

By Lyn Key

Hope Jones runs the Brontë Bookshop in the small town of Sweet Springs tucked away in the rolling, green hills of the Virginia piedmont. Her best friend Peggy Sue Roswell assists Hope along with her smart, spirited fifteen-year-old daughter Stacey. Their tuxedo cat Nozy Cat is the bookshop mascot. Hope decides to get to bottom of the hit-and-run fatality of her husband J.D. from four year ago, which Sergeant Trogg and the police have ruled as a murder. The possible murder suspects include J.D.'s boss Dirk Sisler and his older brother Vince Jones. Fortunately, Hope can rely on the clever, resourceful Nozy Cat when she gets busy applying her sleuthing skills to identify who killed J.D. The Hope Jones Cozy Mystery Series offers mystery fans a clean read and traditional whodunit with loads of good-natured humor and a dose of the paranormal.

• Language: English
• Publisher: ECL Press
• Release date: Oct 22, 2017
• ISBN: 9781386375616

Book preview

LICENSE STATEMENT

Copyright © 2017 by Ed Lynskey and ECL Press. All Rights Reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior written consent of the author.

This e-Book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This e-Book may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then you should return to the vendor of your choice and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Front cover credit: Public domain photograph courtesy of MIphoto and the morgueFile.com.

Other Books by Ed Lynskey

Isabel and Alma Trumbo Cozy Mystery Series

Quiet Anchorage

The Cashmere Shroud

The Ladybug Song

The Amber Top Hat

Sweet Betsy

Murder in a One Hearse Town

Heirloom

Piper Robins Cozy Mystery Series

The Corpse Wore Gingham

Fur the Win

Hope Jones Cozy Mystery Series (as Lyn Key)

Nozy Cat 1

Nozy Cat 2

Private Investigator Frank Johnson Mystery Series

Out of Town a Few Days (short story collection)

Pelham Fell Here

The Dirt-Brown Derby

The Blue Cheer

Troglodytes

The Zinc Zoo

After the Big Noise

Other Novels

Lake Charles

The Quetzal Motel

Ask the Dice

Blood Diamonds

Topaz Moon

Outside the Wire

Skin in the Game

Other Short Story Collection

Smoking on Mount Rushmore

Chapter 1

Hope had gone for almost four years without knowing who killed the man she’d loved and married. Anybody who stepped into the Brontë Bookshop, which she operated with her best friend Peggy Sue Roswell, might know something useful. However, for whatever reason, the person hadn’t passed on the piece of information to the Sweet Springs police.

Then the second big change altered in Hope’s life. She and Peggy Sue had traced their family roots back to the good witches practicing their benign craft in the seventeenth century. Their timely discovery helped to explain the weird direction their lives took after Hope adopted a rescue shelter tuxedo feline. Nozy Cat wore a yellow collar with little red stars printed on it. Perhaps the collar gave him the magical verbal powers unlike any other cat possessed.

I’m hungry as a church mouse, Hope. Do you have anything to eat?

Hope looked down at His Whiskery Lordship swishing his black tail back and forth at her. He’d tucked a blue paper napkin into his collar. When did you wake up? she asked.

Naptime is finished which brings me to chowtime.

How can you be so hungry? You last chowed down two hours ago.

Not to state the obvious, but my tummy is much smaller than yours is.

Hope patted Nozy Cat on the head. I’ll just do a quickie vacuum job while no customers are browsing in the bookshop. Then I’ll rustle up some chow for you in the back room.

Oh no, I’m not falling for that glib line. You never do a quickie vacuum job. When you go on one of your housekeeping binges, it’s lookout or get run over. You say I’m compulsive with taking my tongue baths, but you’re a neatnik on steroids.

Hope smiled with a nod. Our bookshop motto should be cleanliness is next to godliness. 

Why did I hear you prowling around last night? You stubbed your toes on the furniture. By the way, what’s a mother trucker?

Never mind what I said. Our house is roomy enough for a restless insomniac and her curious feline.

Is the fourth anniversary of J.D.’s hit-and-run death coming up troubling you?

I’m run through the wringer every year at this time. Can you give me a hint of who drove the hit-and-run vehicle?

Nozy Cat’s marble blue eyes gleamed at her, their fierce intensity a marvel to behold.

Sad to say, your cat doesn’t come equipped with psychic powers.Hope sighed. Can you see how daunting my task is to identify his murderer?

Of course it is since his murder case has grown cold as the salmon fillets on ice at the fish counter.

His killer may’ve died or moved away from Sweet Springs by now.

Even if, you shouldn’t let that deter you from sleuthing. Do you have any new clues to get you started?

Smiling ruefully, Hope shook her head. I can’t even buy a clue, and I’m too broke even if I could. The police report doesn’t say a lot.

I remember you reading it to me. Call up Sergeant Trogg—what a corny name, eh?—and tell him you’d like to reopen J.D.’s homicide case. Just tell him Nozy Cat sent you.

Hope’s gloomy spirits perked up as she smiled. That’s not a half bad idea. Maybe, just maybe, with a bit of luck, I can get more satisfaction this time.

J.D.’s jogging puzzles me. When I mosey over to the feed dish, I feel as if I’ve achieved a major feat.

J.D. had his doctor’s orders. With a bad heart, he needed to get lots of cardiovascular exercise.

Doctors are necessary evils at best, and I get the heebie-jeebies over going on my vet trips.

Nozy Cat sneezed before he sniffled and wiped his wet nose on his forepaw.

Bless you, Hope said. Are you coming down with a kitty cold?

I’ve self-diagnosed it as a feline allergy.

Hearing that is news to me. What’s a cat like you allergic to around here?

I’ve narrowed it down to either human hair or printers’ ink.

Are you saying people or books cause you to sneeze and sniffle?

Rest assured I believe my allergy is only a temporary one.

I thought I heard somebody chatting back here, a different lady’s voice said. Is this a private conversation, or can I get in on it, too?

Hope smiled back at Peggy Sue, short, blonde, and brown-eyed. She’d gone on a new fad diet and claimed she lost three pounds. After taking a closer look, Hope saw little or no difference, but she’d never say anything.

Nozy Cat and I were discussing J.D.’s hit-and-run fatality.

Oh. Peggy Sue’s smile disappeared as she arched her eyebrows. Is there a new development? Have the police made any headway?

Sergeant Trogg has done nothing. Hope says she might have to grab the bull by the horns and solve his murder herself, or J.D.’s case will remain a cold one.

Peggy Sue frowned. Is solving his murder even possible now?

I haven’t said anything to you, but I haven’t been sleeping worth a row of beans, Hope replied. I need to know what happened to J.D. in order to gain a little peace of mind.

You and Stace deserve to know the full story, Peggy Sue said. Stacey was Hope’s high-spirited daughter who was almost sixteen.

Nozy Cat looked at Peggy Sue. Did you think to bring a can of sardines in your purse? I hate to be a furry nag, but I can’t think clearly when I’m running on near empty.

I’m going to buy you some cat food to keep here in the back room, Peggy Sue replied.

Be sure to also pick up a combination safe and secure my cat food cans inside it so nobody steals my lunch.

Your cat food is secure, Peggy Sue said. None of us is likely to eat it by mistake.

You can never be too careful, especially if you’re a black cat.

Nozy Cat wants me to contact Sergeant Trogg, Hope said.

Then what are you waiting for? Peggy Sue said.

Should I call him right this minute? Hope asked.

Peggy Sue nodded. I expect vacuuming the carpets will keep until later. Just tell him you have a new interest in clearing J.D.’s murder mystery.   

Point out to Trogg how it’s his job, and he’ll have to tear himself away from the espresso machine and pastries tray.

Hope put on a brave smile. You’ve convinced me. Now, are you both ready to play sleuth with me again?

August is our slowest period at the bookshop, Peggy Sue replied. We’ll spend the downtime squaring away J.D.’s unsolved murder, and we’ll be all set to peddle books again after Labor Day.

I sure do like the confident way you talk, Hope said. Can I hear an amen from the feline corner?

Yeah okay, amen and hallelujah to that. Happy now? Well, I’m not.

I’ll have to run out and pick up your cat food, Hope said.

On the other hand, I could go catch another rat for my lunch.

Rat? Hope made a yucky face while shuddering. Do we have rats in the bookshop?

Nozy Cat is such a kidder, Peggy Sue replied. The only rat is the craven one who sideswiped J.D. and left him for dead on the street.

Chapter 2

Sergeant Trogg was an old-school police detective who wore a dress jacket and necktie even while he was off-duty. Gruff and direct, he’d been on the job for as long as Hope could remember. They’d formed a successful team where they’d solved a previous murder together. In sharp contrast to Hope, Nozy Cat didn’t like Sergeant Trogg. End of story. 

Why is your cat staring up at me like a museum piece? Sergeant Trogg asked.

Hope chuckled. He’s just looking at you and means nothing by it. That’s what cats do in case you didn’t know.

Actually, I’m casting a magic spell on Trogg to grow a pair of—

Thanks for meeting with me on short notice, Hope said.

Sergeant Trogg went on competing with Nozy Cat in the stare-down, which no mortal can win against a feline. Hope snapped her fingers in front of Sergeant Trogg’s face. He broke off his stare, looked at Hope, and blinked several times before he refocused on why he’d come. They sat on a redwood bench in the town park where the late afternoon shadows engulfed them. Nozy Cat had squirmed to wedge himself between them since he didn’t want to miss anything they said.

Mrs. Jones, we’ve exhausted all of our leads, and we have nowhere else to go, Sergeant Trogg said.

Shall I restart casting my magic spell, Hope?

I’m afraid we’ll need more than your magic spell, Hope murmured to Nozy Cat. She looked at Sergeant Trogg. Stace wonders about her father. She mentions him all the time, so I want to get to the bottom of his murder.

Sergeant Trogg gave a helpless shrug. I can’t act unless you give me new information to reopen J.D.’s homicide investigation. I have more recent priorities, and I can’t spend my time delving into his cold case. That’s how we do things.

Hope locked eyes with Sergeant Trogg. Are you suggesting I should find this new information? she asked.

Sergeant Trogg scratched his gray throat stubble. Everything we speak of here is off the record. If I were you, I’d take a closer look at the folks who saw and knew J.D. Did any of them harbor a grudge against him or dislike him for any reason?

J.D. got along with everybody, and he made no enemies, Hope replied. You interviewed J.D.’s circle of acquaintances. Looking back at them today, did anybody raise a red flag?

One person did slightly but not enough to warrant any follow-up investigation, Sergeant Trogg replied. J.D.’s old boss Dirk Sisler seemed a little uptight and evasive when I questioned him.

That’s hard to believe, Hope said. I thought Dirk and J.D. had a good working relationship.

We have to begin our sleuthing somewhere, and Dirk is our starting point.

How should I approach Dirk? Hope asked after glancing at Nozy Cat. What types of questions should I be asking him?

Try to get Dirk talking about the good old days with J.D., Sergeant Trogg replied. Did they see each other socially after work? What jobs had they been working on when J.D. died? What did he talk about while they were at work? You get the idea. Be sure to jot down your notes on your conversation. We may need to refer to them later.

Once the ball gets rolling, things may break quickly like they did the last time, Hope said.

Sergeant Trogg sighed. I remember how our first murder case went. I feel blessed you haven’t found and reported anymore dead bodies in your bookshop.

I want you available in case I get into any trouble while poking and prying into J.D.’s unsolved murder, Hope said.

You’re just gathering clues and shouldn’t encounter any trouble, Sergeant Trogg said. You can always depend on your tomcat with his freaky blue eyes to scare away the plug uglies. He chuckled while he leered at Nozy Cat.

That does it! Stand aside, Hope. Sergeant Chuckles and I are set to mix it up. I’ve taken as much lip as one tomcat can tolerate from the likes of him. 

Hope reached over and plucked up the feisty Nozy Cat before he could mix it up with Sergeant Trogg. You should be reachable all the time, she said.

I gave you my smart phone number, Sergeant Trogg said. If you need me, feel free to use it. I’m practically married to the job, so I’ll always be around to respond when I get your call.

Nozy Cat was kicking his stubby legs while in Hope’s grasp. Put me back down, Hope. I’m going to teach the smart aleck cop a lesson he won’t soon forget. Let me have at him. Put up your dukes, Trogg!

Smiling at Nozy Cat’s bravado, Hope hugged him tighter and whispered into his pointy ear. Lighten up, Nozy Cat. We’ve got lots of work to do, and you have to bury the hatchet with Sergeant Trogg.

I’m putting him at the top of my you-know-what list. That’s right, Hope. We cats keep them just as you people do.

Did you think to question J.D.’s older brother Vince? Hope asked.

I never put Vince Jones on my interview list, Sergeant Trogg replied. Was he in town at the time J.D. died? As I recall, I determined Vince wasn’t here.

We didn’t keep up with Vince’s comings and goings, Hope replied. If he was in Sweet Springs that day, he didn’t tell anybody I know.

Why did Vince leave town? Sergeant Trogg asked.

His father had all but disowned him, Hope replied. His mother kept in regular touch with him and gave him money, too. They’ve both passed away now, and we buried them in the town cemetery.

I’ll bet the money in my pocket Vince’s next stop was at the liquor store, Sergeant Trogg said. Did Vince and J.D. get along?

Like most brothers, they had their differences, Hope replied. Did any of their quarrels rise to the level of murder? Having never met Vince, I can’t really form an opinion about him.

"To recap, you’ll do a little fact-finding before reporting back to me what