The Cat in the Hamper: The Sam Sunday Mystery Series

By Anna Christine Boulier and AC Boulier

Sam Sunday, a recent paraplegic, needs an in-home nurse AGAIN. He's never been able to keep one long, the previous nurse lasted only four days due to Sam's grumpy attitude.

Reginald Lowes needs this nursing job desperately, but no one wants to hire a nurse with tattoos and a mohawk. He knows Mr. Sunday is the only one who can keep him from being homeless, all because he was able to beat Sam Sunday at a chess game. Much to the man's surprise.

Sam's cat, JB is "catnapped" by his neighbor - Ivy Coleman, known as Poison Ivy, as a result of her constant calls to the HOA reporting her neighbors. The unlikely pair discover her body and Reggie comes to the attention of the police, prejudiced by his tough exterior.

Sam is forced to solve the crime when Reggie Lowes is accused because of his looks. He is determined no one is getting rid of his nurse until he beats the man at chess.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Anna Christine Boulier
• Release date: Jun 14, 2021
• ISBN: 9781950816064

Anna Christine Boulier

Anna Christine Boulier has been a writer/storyteller since she begged her mother to learn to read before she entered first grade- to the bane of her first grade teacher. Since then she has written short stories and had characters that lived in her head for years. In May of 2013, God gave her a story and she wrote it in six weeks. Once the first book lived on paper she couldn’t stop. She currently has three books written with more on the way. She grew up in Cartersville and except for a brief stint in Atlanta for college, she’s been there ever since. If you meet her, she can tell you more, because it’s a story! Writing is not full time, she pays the bills with a full time job that helps her stay creative. Writing is my testimony- Grace my story! It isn’t just a tagline, but a way of life.

Book preview

Books by Author

The Grace Series

as Anna Christine Boulier

Restoring Grace

Accepting Grace

Trusting Grace

Renewed by Grace

Healing Grace

––––––––

The Sam Sunday Mystery Series

as A.C. Boulier

The Cat in the Hamper

This book is dedicated to

the wonderful ladies of the Hope*Writers 2020 Mastermind. Each one of those special women encouraged, cheered, helped, listened, and motivated me to write this first cozy mystery novel.

This novel would not exist without each and every one of them. I wish I could thank each of you individually with big hugs and thanks.

Acknowledgements

A great big thank you to my Beta Readers: Anne Boulier, Erin Boulier, Diane Gaseway, Shane Ingram, Elaine Junge, Katie Kibbe, and Michelle Steele.

Thank you to several people who helped me with technical information. Thank you to Shane Ingram for helping with my endless questions of police procedure. I would also like to thank Stephanie Adams and Louise Parrott for help with medical information.

I also would like to thank my mother for her understanding and love since the book I bought to research poisons came the Friday before Mother’s Day.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart

and lean not on your own understanding;

in all your ways submit to Him,

and he will make your paths straight.

Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV

Prologue

Beep. Beep. Beep.

Sam wasn’t sure if the constant mechanical noises or the low murmur of whispering woke him. He just knew he was awake but couldn’t move a muscle. Where am I and why am I unable to lift my arms or legs?

Doctor Everett to the OR. Doctor Everett to the OR.

I’m in the hospital, but why? It was impossible to open his eyes. Struggling, but unable to move, he focused on the last thing he remembered. Sophie! Sophie and I were on the way to dinner to celebrate our anniversary. Where’s my wife?

When did the doctors say he will wake up?

Sam recognized the voice of his niece, Jill. He stilled his mind as he listened to the muted conversation that had woken him.

It could be anytime. The doctor said surgery went well, but it’s going to be a long recovery.

That’s my sister, Jessica, the know it all. It must be bad if both she and her daughter are here. I must have been out for a long time, because Jill lives up north.

He’s paralyzed from the waist down and will have to learn how to do everything differently now.

I don’t care about me, what about Sophie? What about my wife?

The rest of the family will be here in a few days. Flight delays because of all the storms we’ve been having are making it difficult for the ones out west and up north to get here, Jessica said. If they had left when I said, they would be here already.

Jill muttered something Sam couldn’t hear and then said a bit louder, We’ll have to make plans about how to move him around. I don’t think anyone will want him to stay with them for too long.

Jessica sighed. Yes, but he won’t be able to travel to any other family members until all of the surgeries and rehab have been completed. That will be more than six months. Once he’s able to leave the hospital, he can live in the mother-in-law suite at my home. We’ll hire a nurse; I’m not waiting on him hand and foot.

Six months!

Stop talking about me and tell me about my wife!

You know, Mom, Uncle Daniel won’t be able to have him stay in Colorado because he lives in that little house provided by the college, professor housing.

Well then, he’ll have to figure something out. Jessica sniffed. We will all have to share this burden. It’s the Christian thing to do. Thank God we’ve got a big family and can shuffle him around. I plan on making it clear to the rest of the family they will have to share the burden of Sam’s disability. He’s not living with me the rest of his life.

Jill slammed a book closed. You just had to promise.

I had to, Jessica snapped. She looked at me with those big green eyes filled with tears and I was undone. No one could ever say no to Sophie Sunday. She was a sweet woman. Sniffles, it was a moment before she continued. I’ll never know why she married my baby brother. They were complete opposites. Sophie was bright, sunny, sweet, and loving, while Sam is just, he’s...

A mean old grump!

Jill!

Sam felt tears welling up in his eyes.

He’s only been fifty for about two months. As the baby in the family, he was big surprise for all of us. We spoiled him quite a bit; I mean at eighteen, I only thought about marrying your father when Sam was born. Samson wasn’t planned, but he’s not really old.

Just a mean grump then?

Hush.

The two women were quiet and Sam feared what they would say next. Not about him, but Sophie. He had a bad feeling.

Will Sam be able to attend Sophie’s funeral?

I don’t know. Jessica sniffled. It depends on what the doctor says, but we can’t delay it forever.

Sam shut out the rest of their conversation. He had heard all he needed to know. Sophie’s gone. Dead. Sitting up in Heaven, talking to Jesus while I’m down here, apparently paralyzed for the rest of my life.

Tears flowed down his cheeks. I didn’t even get to say goodbye, Lord. Why Sophie? What will I do without my other half? Why did you let me live and take her? It should have been me! I insisted we go out to eat. She wanted to stay home and cook a nice dinner, but NO, I wanted to go out. Spend an evening looking at her in candlelight, holding her in my arms as we danced to soft music.

He didn’t notice when a nurse came in and upped his pain medication, sending him into a deep slumber. She saw the tears on his cheeks and assumed he felt physical pain. His last thoughts before drifting off were filled with him picturing his lovely wife, knowing he’d never see her smile at him again.

Chapter One

Eight Months Later

Sam? Are you still in here? A pair of big green eyes peered around the door frame. Erica, Sam’s teenage grandniece, grinned at her uncle bent over the table working on a puzzle. I know you’re hiding from Mom and Grams but the interview should be starting as soon as the nurse arrives.

I’m here, Erica. I’m NOT hiding, Sam mumbled to himself, flipping the puzzle piece in his hand repeatedly. I’m a grown man and I don’t hide.

As Erica stepped through the door, she smiled down at the calico cat, called JB, who immediately wrapped around her ankles. Picking up the kitty, Erica looked up at her favorite uncle and grinned. Sam... you don’t want Mom and Grams to pick your new nurse, do you? That’s how you ended up with Ms. Jefferson.

Of course not! He growled while putting the piece of the puzzle in place, slamming his fist on the mangled mess because he had been twisting it.

As she watched her uncle continue to place pieces at a rapid speed, she remembered the many hours she spent with him putting together puzzles. Right now, he worked on a two-thousand-piece waterfall which took up the large dining table he had in the middle of the room. It would only be him and his nurse sharing the apartment, but he had to have room for his grand-sized puzzles. She had helped him this afternoon until her mother made her dust the living room for the potential new nurse.

He didn’t look up at her but asked in a softer tone, How many am I interviewing this time?

Erica stroked JB’s fur. Only one. It seems no one else was willing to come. You’ve scared off a lot of nurses and the agency had trouble finding someone willing to apply for the job. Erica sighed. Nurses talk you know.

Watching him frown, Erica prayed this new nurse would work out for her uncle. Lord, Sam needs a miracle.

Setting the cat down on her favorite dining chair to sleep, Erica leaned over the scarred wooden table and put a few pieces in place. I know it’s hard, Sam.

Sam muttered, I don’t like people.

Erica grinned. You like the cats, JB and Nancy. You always say they act more human than feline. Looking at Nancy asleep in the cat tree, she petted JB, the more affectionate of the two. And then there’s always me.

Sam hid a grin, knowing he’d been gruff with her, twisted in his chair to face her. I guess I should go meet this new nurse. Leaning back, he grabbed the sides of his wheelchair and propelled himself toward the formal living room in his sister’s house. She can’t be any worse than the last one.

Erica followed him after one last scratch behind JB’s ears. She knew his gruffness was an act and it was only his worry about the nursing situation that had him barking at her. Since the car accident eight months ago left him a paraplegic, he was extra annoyed with people. Aunt Sophie had always been able to tame his grumpiness, but ever since she died, Sam just hadn’t been the same. Usually, he isn’t short tempered with me, but then his last nurse did quit after only four days. Lord, please let this new nurse be the right one.

SAM!

Erica jumped at her grandmother’s angry shout. Moving past Sam, she pushed open the large, heavy doors to the formal living room and winked at her uncle as he bellowed back, Coming, Jessica. Hold your horses. I’m an invalid as you keep reminding me.

Seeing him wink back at her, Erica prayed everything would be okay. She ran upstairs to finish her homework. Once the interview was done, maybe they could work on the puzzle again before her mom took her home. She couldn’t wait until she was old enough to drive and could visit Sam whenever she wanted. He didn’t treat her like a little kid, but as an equal. He listened to her talk about her hopes and dreams, never telling her she couldn’t achieve them, which to her fourteen-year-old heart, made him more lovable than other family members. Even her own parents didn’t realize she had grown into more of an adult than a kid. Mom has my life all planned out, but I want to do my own thing, help people and travel.

Sam maneuvered around the large white sofa and looked up to see his sister and Erica’s mother, Jill, glaring at him. I’m here. He folded his arms, glaring back.

It’s about time. The nurse will be here in five minutes. Do you have the list of questions I typed up? Jessica stood beside the sofa, tapping her foot.

No, I don’t need a list of questions.

I told you when the last nurse left after only four days, we needed to screen them better. Crossing her arms, she raised an eyebrow. I worked on that list for hours, you know.

Jill looked up from the magazine she had been reading. Please, Mother, it had nothing to do with their qualifications, but our dear, sweet Sam acting like a spoiled child who is told he can’t have a new toy. His yelling at the poor woman caused her to have a nervous breakdown. She left in tears and I’m sure she told everyone at the agency to stay far away from him.

Sam turned the wheels of his chair to face his niece. He hated the formal living room and its thick plush white carpet which made turning in his wheelchair difficult. The only room downstairs with carpet, Jessica insisted they do all interviews in the formal living room. The woman was too cranky. Plus, she smelled like mothballs. Who wants to be surrounded day after day by a nurse who smells like an old attic?

Beggars can’t be choosers.

Clenching his fist, Sam started to speak, but Jessica barked, Quiet, you two. You’re acting like children. Smoothing her dress, she muttered to herself, We’ve got to make a good impression, you know. This is the only candidate the agency had left and I refuse to wait on Sam hand and foot.

I can take care of myself.

Jessica didn’t reply but looked out the window. Jill, did you have Brad trim those rose bushes by the garage?

Of course, Mother. Why? Jill’s husband, Brad had come by the house two days ago while his mother-in-law had been grocery shopping.

Poison Ivy’s walking the neighborhood again and she was the one who reported me to the HOA.

I knew it had to be her. Snapping the magazine close, Jill muttered, She’s such a pain. The other day when we drove here in such a hurry after Sam’s nurse quit, we parked twenty-one inches away from the curb. The crazy woman pulled out a pink measuring tape to check the distance and reported us to your HOA! We don’t even live in this neighborhood.

Returning to her tabloid magazine, Jill gripped the pages until her knuckles turned white. She’s a menace and a nosy, old busybody.

Oh, wait. Moving to the window, Jessica pulled back the dark green curtains. I think I hear a car coming up the drive.

Everyone turned and began to move toward the large windows flanking either side of the front door. While Sam wasn’t looking forward to interviewing another nurse, he was intrigued by the noise coming down the road. That’s awfully loud for a car. Someone needs to have their muffler checked.

Oh, Lord, surely not.

Sam pushed his chair forward, trying to see around Jill, unsure of the reason for her comment until he saw the large motorcycle pull into the driveway. Umm, Lord? Realizing he had talked to God for the first time since the accident, his face turned to stone as he watched a young man pull off his helmet. He’s got to be melting. Who wears a long-sleeve dress shirt in April? Even with a breeze coming from St. Augustine Beach, it would still be miserably hot outside.

Mother, he has, Jill stepped back from the window, her hand going to her mouth, she hissed through clenched teeth. He has a mohawk!

Quick, he must be lost. Surely, he’s here to ask for directions. He looks like he should be riding with Hell’s Angels, not driving through our peaceful neighborhood.

Mother, Jill squealed, grabbing her mother’s arm, digging French manicured nails into her skin. You’ve got to stop him; he’s coming up the path! Hurry.

I can’t stop him if you don’t let go. Jessica pried away her daughter’s hand. We’ve got to get him out of here in a hurry, if the neighbors see... Lord, please let Ivy have gone home.

They all watched as the biker pulled a piece of paper from his pocket.

He looks confused. He keeps checking that sheet of paper, Jill whispered, her face pale and drawn.

I’ll just point him in the right direction and it will be settled. Jessica moved toward the marbled foyer, waving back to Jill. Hopefully the neighbors won’t see him, especially Ivy, she’ll tell the whole world.

Opening the door, Jessica called from the entrance, Can I help you, young man?

Yes, is this the residence of Sam Sunday?

Umm, yes?

Great. He pulled a folder out of his saddle bag before he quickly marched