Loose Ends

By Rae Davies

What you don’t know can’t hurt you....At least that’s what they say...
But when unknown to Lucy, her parents sneak into town, more than Lucy’s feelings get hurt. Her mother is obsessed with winning a beef cookoff and meddling in Lucy’s love life. To make matters worse, one of her mother’s competitors turns up dead, and, of course, her mother finds the body. Once again, Lucy is caught in the middle of a murder investigation and this one just might be the end of her and her mother... Can Lucy keep her mother out of trouble, save their relationship, and keep things on an even keel with Peter? Or is Lucy's family more than Peter wants to deal with...? You won’t want to miss this fun-filled family reunion. Get Loose Ends today!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Rae Davies
• Release date: Sep 20, 2020
• ISBN: 9781005525484

Rae Davies

Rae Davies is the USA Today Best-selling Author of the Dusty Deals Mystery Series.She also, under the name Lori Devoti, writes in numerous other genres including paranormal romance, urban fantasy, and young adult fiction.Rae/Lori is a past winner of the Romantic Times Reviewers Choice Award and a member of Novelists Inc., a prestigious group for professional writers. She lives near Madison, Wisconsin with her husband and children as well as two dogs. She teaches the craft and business of writing through the University of Wisconsin's Continuing Studies program, both in person and online, and blogs about writing at www.HowToWriteShop.com.Like Lucy, Rae/Lori loves antiques, Montana and malamutes. (Although don't tell her husky or aussie/pug mix that last part.)Learn more about both personas by visiting Rae's web site at http://raedavies.com or Lori's web site at http://www.loridevoti.comWhile you are there, don't forget to sign up for her newsletter for information on what is coming next from both Lori and Rae.Like Rae's page on Facebook! https://www.facebook.com/RaeDaviesAuthor

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Loose Ends

Book 6 in the Dusty Deals Mystery Series

By Rae Davies

Published by

Copyright Rae Davies & Lori Devoti, 2020

Smashwords Edition

Cover Design: Scout Devoti

This book is set in the real city of Helena, Montana. However, this is a work of fiction and all people, places of business, and events are fictional. Any similarity to anyone, thing or place is purely coincidence.

This book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book, or a portion thereof, in any form. This book may not be resold or uploaded for distribution to others.

If you notice any typos or formatting issues with this book, the author would appreciate being notified.

Email her at [e-mail]

Dusty Deals Mystery Series

Loose Screw

Cut Loose

Loosey Goosey

Let Loose

Lucy and the Valentine Verdict (a Dusty Deals Novella)

Loose Lips

Chapter 1

What you don’t know can’t hurt you.

Unless what you don’t know is that your mother who was supposed to arrive in a month was actually in town right now.

It was a day like any other. I’d spent the day before at an auction where, thanks to a mystery phone bidder with more money than bidding sense, I’d netted a big fat nothing. Then, this morning, my Alaskan malamute, Kiska, had found something dead in my backyard, chewed on it a bit and rolled around in it a lot. Enough of both that he and now I, after twenty minutes trying to wrestle him away from the thing, reeked of death and dog puke.

My hair hadn’t been washed for two days and my legs which were fully exposed in my cutoff sweatpants hadn’t been shaved since first snow, seven months earlier.

It was eleven in the morning on a Sunday, and no one was around. In other words, a completely safe time for me to leave my mountain home in my sorry condition and sneak into town for some quick-shop chicken, a jug of dog shampoo, and a scratch off lottery ticket.

The last was an afterthought, but I was due a win. A big win. Enough that next auction I could be the more-money-than-sense bidder.

Today was almost certainly the day for that to happen.

I was standing in the parking lot shared by the quick shop, the feed store (where I got most of my malamute supplies) and one of Helena’s numerous casinos. With the shampoo clamped between my thighs, I took a chomp out of a chicken leg and peered down at the scratched-off ticket.

Loser.

Of course.

I turned to return to my car and ran directly into a couple dressed as full-on Montana tourist as you could get, from the tips of the woman’s bright pink cowboy boots to her matching fanny pack to her white straw cowboy hat. Added to all of that was a Jackalope T, and I knew instantly what I was dealing with: someone who had spent an hour or three too long in Wall Drug.

Then I saw her face.

Chicken, shampoo, and ticket fell to the ground.

Mother?

As in Mother… my mother. I looked at the man with her. My dad.

Both of them in town a month before they were supposed to be and not word one to me about it.

I crossed my arms over my chest and tried to look disapproving. No hurt... I switched my face… no…

My mother grabbed me and pulled me into a gigantic bear hug. Lucy! Mike, look, it’s Lucy!

My face settled on an expression of its own, somewhere between shock and alarm I guessed. She was talking about me as if we were old high school friends who lived in the same town but somehow just hadn’t managed to get together in a while.

My father at least had the good sense to look embarrassed. He mumbled something about it being good to see me, and where was my dog, and something that might have been a review of the current weather. It was hard to tell. His lips barely moved, and the sound dropped from low and gravely to inaudible before he shuffled back a few steps and let my mother swoop back in.

Lucy! she exclaimed again. I realized then that I had her. She felt bad… as she should.

I kicked the bucket of chicken behind me and went back to sad. When did you get here? I asked, looking around as if the answer might be written somewhere nearby, like the casino marquee. Wait… Were you… I glanced at the casino’s door.

Oh, well, you know… your father does love his video poker.

My father grunted. My mother gave him a quelling look.

And they have a very affordable breakfast, she added.

I frowned. I wasn’t sure where to go from here. I had been somewhat dreading my parents’ visit, but now, realizing that they had snuck into town and not told me…

I can’t believe you snuck into town and didn’t tell me! The voice that left my body was two octaves higher than it should have been, and I could feel my lower lip trembling.

Now, Lucy… My mother patted me on the shoulder. We didn’t sneak in. We just got here… yest—

My father’s grunt cut her off.

A couple of days ago… and it really was last minute.

It’s a twenty-two-hour drive.

Yes, but you know your father, he doesn’t like to stop, and we couldn’t call from the car.

I didn’t realize it was against the law to use a cell phone when riding shotgun, I muttered.

She ignored my response for the most part. Her face did fold briefly into a frown before she obviously remembered that I was the injured party here and she was the one in the wrong.

She smoothed her face and patted my arm. So, what are you doing out and about? Bit early for you, isn’t it?

Only my mother could combine a move toward reconciliation with a fresh slam. But she was my mother. I sighed. I needed… supplies.

Her gaze clocked from lottery tickets to dog shampoo to chicken. To her credit, she clicked back to the tickets. Your grandfather had good luck with those. Didn’t he, Mike?

My father, sensing a shift from tension to normalcy, heaved out a breath. You get any winners?

Dad commiserated with me over my lack of luck. He’d been losing at video poker it seemed too.

"That’s why we had to get back here bright and early," my mother added, obviously forgetting that she was admitting to choosing video poker over her daughter.

Let it go, Lucy.

And I did because… well… what did I have to gain from keeping the fight going?

So, where are you staying? I asked. The fact that they had found somewhere else to stay, someplace that surely charged money, was the biggest shock in all of this. My dad was cheap. How much did they want to avoid me that he’d agreed to pay for a hotel room somewhere?

A flicker of hurt rose up in my chest. I gritted my teeth and forced my lips into a smile while I waited on my mother’s answer.

StayHappy Suites. They have a pool and kitchenettes which is perfect because— My mother’s eyes gleamed. I’m a finalist!

Finalist? I had zero idea what she was talking about. I was beginning to feel like I was speaking with strangers. I knew we lived a long distance apart now, but it wasn’t like I didn’t call. And my mother lived on FriendTime.

In the Montana Beef Rancher's beef cooking contest!

Montana…

I entered months ago. She cocked her head and gave me that don’t-you-follow-my-posts look.

I could feel the worm of shame turning. Oh, yeah, I knew that. I didn’t.

She humphed, and I knew she didn’t believe me, but luckily her excitement over her finalist position swept past my failings as a daughter. She leaned in and whispered, Don’t tell anyone, but it was your father’s recipe. His venison pizza.

My dad was a hunter. He loved venison. Was obsessed with it, actually. But… Venison? I thought it was the Beef Rancher’s contest.

She flapped a hand at me. Tiny detail. I’ll use beef in the cook-off, of course.

So, have you actually…?

My dad shaking his head answered my question. My mother hadn’t actually made her dish, beef or otherwise. She’d just stolen a recipe from my dad and sent it in.

Oh.

It’ll be good, she declared and looked at my father. He nodded. Then raised his brows at me.

A winner! she added.

Anyway, she continued, the finalists all got a week-long stay at the StayHappy Suites, and we got a couple of extra days… She looked at my father again, this time in a keep-your-mouth-closed way. Which told me my mother had somehow scammed the Beef Ranchers into giving her extra time at the hotel. Not that I imagined my father was judging her too harshly for it. He was all about a freebie, but she obviously didn’t want me to know. Which was fine. I was ready to be done with the conversation, to go home, eat my chicken, and sit on my couch with the one person I knew loved me more than anything, my dog.

Okay, not more than anything… there were chew bones and cookies and… Forget it, I wanted to go home and eat chicken. Alone.

So… well…you need to come out…

She grabbed my arm. Yes, yes. We want to see your place, of course, and Kiska… And Peter? Is Peter going to be around?

My police detective boyfriend wasn’t, at least for the next couple of days. Lucky for him, he was at some kind of statewide meeting in Great Falls right now.

I told her as much.

Her face fell.

I sighed. I knew I should be happy that my mother was looking forward to meeting Peter. Both of my parents were going to love him. More, I hazarded to guess than they did me… In the general he’s-a-great-person, Lucy is a work-in-progress kind of way.

I did have the shared genetics thing going for me though. That was hard to top.

I let all of that go too, pasted on a smile, and agreed to meet them for dinner that night with tentative plans of them stopping by my antique shop, Dusty Deals, before.

When they could fit it into their busy schedule, what with the video poker and all.

Bad Lucy.

I smiled again and gave them both hug that turned a little tighter and heartfelt on my part than I’d intended.

I did mis them and love them. Pains in my backside that they might be.

~~~

Once back at my house, I ate my chicken or what was left of it. I’d binge eaten a big portion on the drive home. I packed up the remaining pieces and poured the bits of crunchy crust that had fallen to the bottom of the bucket into Kiska’s bowl which was sitting outside until he got his bath.

He appreciated my offering, for the three seconds it took him to inhale it. Then he stared at me for more.

Yeah. No. We had work to do and having him gorge himself on fatty food and suffer the aftermaths of such a move were not in my plan.

Two hours later, he was bathed, I was showered, and we were both on our way to Dusty Deals.

It was Sunday, our slowest day. So slow, that over the winter, I’d considered closing that day each week, but I never got around to it and now summer/tourist season was upon us.

When Kiska and I arrived, my part-time employee, Betty, was sitting at the computer, working on what looked to be an ad campaign for someone with a lot bigger advertising budget than I had. Betty was a lover all things jazz, from music to lingo to fashion. She was also a fantastic artist and spent downtime at the shop on various freelance projects.

I unhooked Kiska from his leash and leaned over her shoulder to look. Are those billboards?

She swept her bright pink feather boa over her shoulder and nodded. Three of them. For Ethel’s latest cause.

Ethel Monroe was an eccentric octogenarian who was known for her charitable works and her previous endeavors in snowmobile theft.

For… marijuana?

Medical, Betty clarified. She tapped the mouse a couple of times.

Is that legal here?

Betty nodded. But it’s limited. Ethel wants to educate people and then try to expand the law more.

So, she isn’t selling it?

Not as far as I know…

I took a step back. If she was, I didn’t want to know. Ethel and her crew had already roped me into one of their borderline illegal escapades. Now, with my parents here, was not the time for me to be sucked into another one.

Speaking of… Guess who I ran into this morning? I asked.

Without looking up from the computer, Betty replied, Your parents?

What? How’d you know?

She spun on her chair to look at me. She outed herself on FriendTime. Tagged the shop in a selfie.

Turning back to the computer, she clicked on the mouse until a new window opened and picture of my mother wearing a cowboy hat and holding what appeared to be a frozen steak popped up.

She’s a finalist in a beef cook-off.

I know.

Does your brother?

I hadn’t thought about Ben. I don’t know that he’s anti-beef. I think that was more HA!’s thing. My brother had visited me a while back and gotten involved with an anti-everything-tasty group. And he’s moved on. From HA! that is.

Good to know. She moved to close the window.

Wait. I leaned in, squinting. What’s her shirt say.

Oh. A few more clicks and Betty had switched from my mother’s page to a FriendTime event. Gotta Beef? was emblazoned across the construction-worker yellow shirt in 300-point type. That’s the name of the cook-off, Betty said.

Nice. I sighed.

How’d the auction go? Betty asked, mercifully changing the subject.

I reached down to rub one of Kiska’s ears. Horrible. There was a phone bidder again. And the things they were bidding on were totally random. Nothing of any real value.

Auctioneers frequently took phone bids, but usually only for highly collectible or valuable items. And the last two auctions that I’d gone to everything that I’d thought might go at a bargain price had, instead, been bid up by some mystery phone bidder. I listed off a few of the things that had gone high: some depression glass, a box lot that included dog figurine collectibles and a china elephant family, and the box of vases the family had wanted.

I really wanted the dogs, I lamented. Not because they were worth a lot, but… I didn’t have to say it. Betty knew… dogs.

Do you think it’s a shill? she asked.

A shill was someone who bid things up with no intention of actually buying the item. I shook my head. "No, because the bidder actually gets whatever the item is. Every. Single. Time.

"It was an estate sale auction, and they even outbid family. Even on a box of dime store vases. No resale value on them at all. The deceased woman’s daughter wanted them to give to her daughters."

Betty clucked her tongue. That’s a real bringdown.

Yeah… The family had divided more valuable items up between the children but left the household goods and less valuable things for auction. I explained this to Betty and wondered out loud if, after losing the vases and probably some other things with sentimental value, they regretted that.

Betty gave her boa an annoyed whisk. Is there any pattern at all?

It has been the same auction service both times, but there haven’t been any other antique auctions in a month or so… So, that could just be because of that and not a connection the auction service at all.

What about what the phone bidder buys? You mentioned a couple of china things, but also rocks… Betty made a face.

Was there a pattern in what they bought? I considered this. I hadn’t thought there was, but now that I thought about it… Breadbox, I said.

Betty arched a brow in question.

They never buy anything bigger than a breadbox.

To sell online? Betty suggested.

I nodded. Maybe. Ugh. It was annoying enough to be competing with other antique dealers, but an online seller with no idea of the real value of things? That was even worse.

After a little more chitchat, I left Betty to work on Ethel’s billboards and put myself to work on my office computer checking various online sites for any of the merchandise that the phone bidder had purchased yesterday.

After coming up empty on my search, I set about organizing the shop. I’m not sure why. I knew it was a lost cause. Still, it kept me busy until the bell over the front door dinged and my parents strolled inside.

We did introductions. My mother knew Betty from FriendTime, but my father kept off social media, then we stood awkwardly