Fourth of July Fatality (Holidays Can Be Murder #2)

By Kelly Hashway

The Fourth of July is supposed to be about celebrating independence, but for Dr. Sydney Warner, it means being a key witness to a murder during the town fireworks display.

But Sydney didn’t see the shooter because, like everyone else at the event, she was looking up at the fireworks. Nevertheless, she gets roped into solving yet another murder since her boyfriend, reporter Nolan Lange, knew the victim. But did anyone in town like the self-proclaimed paparazzo who was blackmailing everyone who’s reputation he hadn’t already ruined by submitting incriminating photos to the newspaper?

Can Sydney find a killer that the rest of the town is happy to let walk for getting rid of a mutual enemy?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Kelly Hashway
• Release date: Jun 20, 2022
• ISBN: 9781005558093

Kelly Hashway

Kelly Hashway fully admits to being one of the most accident-prone people on the planet, but luckily she gets to write about female sleuths who are much more coordinated than she is. Maybe it was growing up watching Murder, She Wrote that instilled a love of mystery, but she spends her days writing cozy mysteries. Kelly’s also a sucker for first love, which is why she writes romance under the pen name Ashelyn Drake. When she’s not writing, Kelly works as an editor and also as Mom, which she believes is a job title that deserves to be capitalized.

Book preview

Chapter one

The Fourth of July is a day for celebrating independence. Every year during the week of the Fourth of July, there’s a psychology conference in my town of Swan Creek, and I, Dr. Sydney Warner, attend. My patients are never as excited about this week as I am since it means they can only reach me by phone instead of our usual in-office sessions. But I try to impress upon them the importance of appreciating and celebrating their own independence. I believe all of my patients hold the answers they come to me seeking. A lot of what I do involves listening and guiding them onto the right path, but the answers are always inside them somewhere.

But, Doc, Thomas Moss says through the phone, popping his gum. What if you’re in a panel when I need to talk to you? His gum pops again, louder this time. It’s his coping mechanism. He chews louder the more agitated he becomes.

Thomas, what did you do last year when I went to this conference? I ask, bringing my empty tea mug to the sink and rinsing it out.

I called you when I had a problem, he says in a quiet voice.

Did you? Or did you try to work through it yourself using those breathing exercises I gave you?

I can’t get the breathing right, he protests, popping his gum yet again.

Try taking the gum out of your mouth. You don’t need it. Not when you’re doing the breathing exercises.

My boss hates my gum chewing.

I know he does. That’s another reason why you should practice the breathing exercises. It will help you not need to chew the gum at work. Try it now on the phone with me. I wait, knowing it will take him a good thirty seconds to convince himself to even try this. Finally, the gum popping stops. Then I hear the long inhale of air. Good. Count in your head. Focus on the numbers. Having something concrete to focus on helps Thomas ground himself and remain calm. When you get to ten, exhale.

There’s an overdramatic whoosh of air on the other end, which is Thomas’s way of protesting the process, but I also know he’ll stick with it when he realizes it’s working.

Good. Now do it again. I move to the bedroom to finish getting ready for my evening.

Thomas goes through the process two more times with little to no guidance from me.

See that? You did the last one all on your own, I commend him.

You’ll have your phone on you, though, right? His tone is still uncertain.

Yes, I will, but you need to promise to do your breathing exercises before you call me. Deal?

He hesitates, and I hear him inhale, hold, and finally exhale. Then he says, Deal.

Great job, Thomas. I know you’re going to be fine. I only meet him once a week on Tuesday mornings, which means it’s just one session we’ll be missing while I’m away.

We say goodnight, and I get ready for my date. I’ve been seeing Nolan Lange since February. He actually grew up here in Swan Creek, but he only recently moved home and took a job with the Swan Creek Gazette. His older brother, Detective Andrew Lange, has always wanted to be an only child and has resented Nolan since the day he was born. Their relationship is extremely strained, and as I get closer to Nolan, it bothers me more and more that Drew can’t see that Nolan doesn’t deserve his contempt. Drew was an only child for ten years before Nolan came along, and he’s spent every moment since then letting Nolan know he wishes he still was an only child. The situation is heartbreaking.

I’m almost ready for my date when my phone rings. Autumn Young, my best friend, and her husband, Aaron, are meeting Nolan and me at the park for the fireworks. It’s the first time I’ll be going back to the park after my Valentine date was murdered there. I’d say five months is about time to get past that event, especially since I discovered he wasn’t at all the person I thought he was. Thankfully, my days of online dating are over now that Nolan is back in my life.

Hey, Autumn, I answer the call.

We’re just about ready to leave. Where do you and Nolan want to meet? In the parking lot, at the entrance…? She lets the question hang.

Nolan isn’t here yet, so why don’t you guys find a good spot, and I’ll call you when we get there so we can meet up with you?

Sounds like a plan. See you soon. She ends the call just as the doorbell rings.

I answer the door with a smile, which only grows when I see Nolan’s outfit. He’s wearing a red, white, and blue top hat with streamers coming out of the top of it.

You love it, right? He gestures to his hat. Don’t worry. Yours is in the car.

You got me one, too? I ask, swallowing hard as I try to come up with a reason not to wear the gaudy gift from my boyfriend of a few months.

You should see your face right now. He shoves his hands into the pockets of his jeans. I almost want to keep playing along just to watch you squirm.

I press a hand to my chest. You’re only kidding. Oh, thank goodness.

Were you contemplating the best way to break up with me without totally crushing my spirit on a holiday?

What? No. I wouldn’t break up with you over something like this. I’d merely suggest we don’t go out in public together much. I wink to let him know I’m only teasing.

Good recovery.

I lock up the house and follow him to his car. Autumn and Aaron are meeting us there. They got a head start, so they’ll find a good place for us to set up. They’re bringing a big picnic blanket for us to sit on and watch the fireworks. I’ve never actually been to the display the town puts on each year, but Nolan has to write a story about it for the Gazette, so I figured it might be fun to finally check it out.

Are you all packed for the convention? he asks me.

Yeah, it still seems silly for them to put me up in a hotel room when I live right here in town, but they said it’s better that I’m on the premises with everyone else, and they pay for rooms for all the speakers each year anyway. It’s some package deal they have worked out with the convention center.

Will you be busy around the clock? he asks.

No, it’s nothing like that. They mostly like the presenters to be around for meals and drinks in the evening. I’m not attending many sessions as a guest this year.

Do you usually? He turns to look at me.

Yeah, I do.

So, what’s different this year?

Well, they rotate topics each year. There aren’t many new ones this time around, and there’s this really attractive reporter I’m sort of seeing. I want to make sure I have time for him, too.

A reporter you say? Anyone I know?

Maybe. He’s still kind of new in town, though.

Well, I’ve been back for five months, so I know my way around pretty well if he needs me to show him the ropes.

That could be awkward. You two look a lot alike. It might be like you’re looking in a mirror.

Impressive, he says. I wasn’t sure how you’d keep the ruse going after I offered to show him around.

I have a pretty creative imagination, I say with a smile.

Wow, Nolan says as we approach the park. This place is packed. I’m not sure we’ll find a parking spot. He drives straight past all the rows of parking and onto the lawn.

I grab the handle above my door. What are you doing? This car isn’t exactly made for off roading.

He parks near a large tree and pulls a reporter’s parking tag from the glove compartment in front of me. I’ve never used this. Seems like a good time. He smiles as he puts the badge in his front window.

As we get out of the car, I call Autumn. Hey, we’re here. Where are you guys?

We got a great spot. We’re right by the lake.

There’s a manmade lake at the edge of the park. That’s where they do the fireworks for safety reasons. I point the way for Nolan, and we head in that direction.

We brought snacks and drinks, too, Autumn says.

I spot her standing up among the crowd of people sitting on blankets and in lawn chairs. Apparently, it’s a rule that you have to be seated to watch the display. Nolan flashes his reporter’s badge to get us inside without paying the admissions fee. Not that I’d mind paying, but I know he loves to wave that badge around. It’s something he has in common with his police detective brother. The big difference is Nolan isn’t a jerk about it, and Drew uses his to assert his authority over people who don’t like him. Not that I’m sure anyone likes Drew other than his wife, Annabelle, who is so sweet I’m not at all certain how they got together to begin with.

Have you heard from Annabelle? I ask Nolan.

He shakes his head. I heard from the rumor mill that she quit her job, though. I thought that was odd since she told us the reason she didn’t have kids was so she could have a career.

That does seem strange, but I know next to nothing about Annabelle Lange, so I’m not going to speculate why she decided to stop working. I’m not even sure what it was she did for a living. I just hope Drew didn’t push for her to quit.

Hey, you two, Autumn says, giving me a hug.

Aaron stands up to shake Nolan’s hand before we all get settled onto the picnic blanket.

The four of us get along really well and fall into easy conversation immediately as we eat the cheese and fruit Autumn packed. Next to us is a guy in his mid to late twenties. He’s sitting on a blanket and looking around for someone. The weird thing is that he keeps holding his camera up to his face like he’s using it to scan the crowd better. It’s a nice camera, too. I wouldn’t doubt the man is a photographer. At first, I assume he’s waiting for his date. As the minutes go by, he seems to get more and more agitated. Maybe he’s being stood up. Or maybe someone hired him to take pictures during the fireworks display, and they haven’t shown up to pay him.

How are your patients handling the fact that you’ll be out of the office for a week? Autumn asks me, bringing my attention back to my friends and off the stranger.

Not so well. I was on the phone with one of them before I came here tonight.

I’m sure they’ll be fine, Aaron says. Don’t worry. He knows I always feel guilty for having to cancel my appointments.

I bet Lena’s happy, though, Autumn says.

Lena Stillwater is my only employee. She answers the phone, schedules appointments, and handles just about everything else for me. She takes her vacation this week every year.

Oh, where did she go?

St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands. It’s her favorite island. She brings me back souvenirs each year.

I’m jealous. We haven’t been on vacation since our honeymoon. Autumn gives Aaron a look, but I know she wouldn’t dream of leaving the kids at the youth center to go on a second honeymoon. She loves those kids as if they were her own. She’s ready to start a family, but Aaron wants to wait until they’re more financially secure. They bought their first house a few months ago, so things are moving in the right direction. Aaron doesn’t want to rush it. Autumn, on the other hand, thinks with her heart. She’d be a great mom, and that’s really the only aspect of this situation she’s considering. I can say for sure her child would never be lacking in the feeling loved department.

I can’t remember the last time I went away—probably for this conference last year. It’s hard to take time off when I have people counting on me to be there for our weekly sessions. How are things at the youth center? I ask.

Busy as usual. We’d never manage without Leslie helping us out. The kids are so great, though. I feel like we have this huge family.

Many of the kids who go to the youth center are foster kids and troubled teens. Aaron and Autumn help them get their lives back on track. They’re truly amazing people. That’s exactly how the youth center seems to outsiders, too—like a big family. Are any of the kids here tonight? I ask.

Um, yeah. A few of them should be here somewhere. Autumn tries to look over the crowd, but there are so many people here tonight it’s impossible to pick any one person out among the others.

The fireworks display is about to start, according to the man who steps up to the makeshift stage they’ve assembled in front of the lake. He introduces the mayor, and everyone claps as they watch him make his way to the microphone. Mayor McVay addresses the crowd before the fireworks begin.

I should have prepared myself for how loud the fireworks would be considering I can hear them at my house every year, but I jump when the first one goes off.

Nolan wraps an arm around me. You okay?

Yeah, I wasn’t expecting that. I mean I should have been considering I came here to see fireworks, but they sound like gunshots.

They are very similar sounds. He tugs me closer on the blanket as the fireworks continue.

I stare up at the sky filling with red, white, and blue lights. It’s even more beautiful than it is loud. Out of the corner of my eye, I see the man next to us still searching the crowd. Maybe he was stood up. That would explain why he looks upset.

I return my attention to the sky. The barrage of fireworks that go off at once is deafening but gorgeous. Everyone is clapping and cheering. It takes me a moment to realize someone is screaming amidst the noise. I turn to the left to see the man I was previously watching lying face up on the blanket. His camera is on the blanket beside his hand. My gaze travels to his chest, which doesn’t have any rise or fall motion. What it does have is a bullet hole.

More people are screaming now. Nolan’s arm loosens around my shoulders, and I get to my feet. I’m the closest person to this man, and no one else is attempting to help him.

Syd! Autumn yells, but she makes no move to stop me.

Nolan is at my side, his phone to his ear. I need Detective Lange. Someone’s been shot at the fireworks display at the park, he says into the phone.

I bend down next to the body and check for a pulse. The guy’s eyes are vacant as they stare up at the sky, the colored lights reflecting in them.

People are yelling now, telling them to stop the fireworks.

The mayor rushes over to us. What’s going on? What’s happened? He stops at the blanket and stares down at the man I’m kneeling beside.

I look up at everyone. He’s dead.

Chapter two

What was supposed to be a nice evening with my boyfriend and two friends