Caught: A Collection of Short Mysteries: Mahoney and Me Mystery Series

By Mary Lee Tiernan

A collection of short mysteries based on the Mahoney and Me Mystery Series. The collection include stories about animals, ghosts, attacks on police, and more.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Mary Lee Tiernan
• Release date: Jun 18, 2023
• ISBN: 9798223158523

Mary Lee Tiernan

I was born in New York, but the lure of open spaces brought me west, and I now call Arizona home. Throughout my professional life as an educator and newspaper editor, my passion has always been writing. My other passion is exploring all the West has to offer, and I am often RVing down the road with my cat Charlie.

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Caught: A Collection of Short Mysteries

Mary Lee Tiernan

Copyright © 2020 by Mary Lee Tiernan

All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be copied or reproduced in any format without the prior written consent of the author, except in the case of brief quotations used in reviews.

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents or events are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any similarity to actual events or persons, past or present, is coincidental.

Table of Contents

Blowing in the Wind

btrdais

Blame the Ghost

Tethered

Puppy Love

Unwelcome Surprise

Want to Play Sleuth?

In a Dog’s World

What’s next?

Blowing in the Wind

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I snapped the suitcase on the bed shut and was about to call to Mahoney to come get it when I heard his cell phone ring. Noooo, I mumbled and sank down on the bed next to the suitcase. I could only hear snatches of his conversation as they drifted down the hallway from the living room, but all of them related to police work. When I heard about fifteen minutes, I sighed in resignation and popped open the latches on the suitcase.

Mahoney is a detective with the Cedar Falls PD. His scheduled hours are Monday through Friday, 9 to 5. Unfortunately, no one told the criminals that. He often comes home late or has to work on weekends, especially if he catches a new case. Recently, he had tracked down a serial killer. He worked for a month straight, often late into the night, without a day off. We were about to embark on a week’s vacation to spend some long-overdue time together and to give him a little R&R. But I knew what those phone calls usually meant, especially when he gives the caller a timeframe.

I opened the suitcase and lifted the blouse folded on the top and walked over to the closet to hang it back up. Time off, indeed. You’d think the PD could get along for a week without him. I heard Mahoney’s footsteps in the hallway. They stopped at the doorway. Instead of looking at him, I walked back to the suitcase, grabbed a pair of slacks, and returned them to the closet.

What’re you doing? he asked. I thought you’d already decided what to bring.

I had. I looked over at him. He was leaning all six feet of himself against the door frame. A lock of dark hair fell across his forehead. But I know what those unexpected phone calls and ‘about fifteen minutes’ mean.

He crossed his arms over his chest. And you thought I was going to give up our vacation just like that? he asked snapping his fingers.

My shoulders sagged, and I turned away from him and fingered a sweater in the suitcase. How many times have our plans been ruined by a phone call just like that one?

He came up behind me and wrapped his arms around me so I couldn’t unpack any more clothes. Oh ye of little faith, he said, nuzzling my ear. That was Bert. He asked me when we were leaving.

I squirmed against his arms and managed to turn around and face him. No ‘Sorry, I have to go in’?

Nope. But maybe I should have said an hour if you’re going to unpack that suitcase.

I’m ready, I’m ready, I said. I broke free of his embrace, ran to the closet, grabbed the blouse and slacks I’d just hung up, stuffed them into the suitcase, and slammed it shut. There, I said. It’s all ready to take to the car.

Are we really going to enjoy a week free of crime? I asked as he backed the car down the driveway.

Mahoney glanced over at me and grinned. You’re the trouble magnet, he said. If a madman isn’t stalking you or you don’t hear someone being murdered in the woods or ...

Enough, I said. He was referring to past cases in which I’d played a role. Let’s just think about walks on the shoreline or kayaking on the lake.

Done.

Several hours later we drove into the small town of Gainsville.

I think I’ll stop for gas, Mahoney said. I need to stretch my legs. And maybe lunch after that?

Sure, I agreed. And I’ll toss that bag of garbage into a dumpster if they have one. We’d stuck the bag into the car to drop it into the garbage pail at the end of our driveway but had forgotten to do so.

Mahoney pulled up to a pump at the next gas station. I spied a dumpster on the far side of the station and opened the car door. The wind ripped it from my grasp.

Whoa, I said, I wasn’t expecting that. I didn’t realize it had gotten that windy.

Why don’t you stay in the car? I’ll dump the garbage after I get gas.

It’s okay, I said. I’ll do it. I need to stretch my legs, too.

Mahoney was already pumping gas by the time I wrestled the garbage bag out of the car. I struggled with the bag, not because it was big or heavy, but because the wind blew me sideways. When I reached the far side of the station, however, the wall of the building blocked the wind. I threw the bag into the dumpster and braced myself as I rounded the corner of the gas station on the way back because I knew the wind was about to assail me again. As I stepped out from the protection of the wall, a plastic bottle rattled past my feet and a plastic bag hit me in the chest. I brushed the bag away, and it flew skyward. Only then did I notice a black SUV idling directly in front of the office door with its driver’s door flung open.

A piece of paper hit me in the face blocking my view, but the wind also carried the voice of a man shouting, Give me the bag of money. Now come over here and get down next to this guy. One false move and I shoot.

A robbery! And I bet Mahoney was the guy in the office with the gas station attendant. As soon as the robber exited the office, there I would be, in full view. I grabbed the paper blinding me and ducked into the first of two garage bays. Both were empty, but tires stacked between the two bays offered a hiding place. I quickly squatted down behind the tires and held my breath fearing I’d hear a gunshot. A crack between two of the stacks allowed me to see out, but I hoped it was narrow enough that the robber wouldn’t see me.

He didn’t even look. He beelined for the open car door and jumped in. Tires squealed as he pulled away.

I jumped up and ran to the office yelling, Mahoney. Had he been hurt? He must have had the same worry about me because we crashed into each other in the open doorway. Mahoney is a good six inches taller than me and solid muscle from his daily workouts. He remained stable, but the crash threw me off balance. He steadied me and then backed up with his hands on my shoulders. His blue eyes registered concern.

Are you okay? he asked.

I’m fine. He didn’t even see me. I was worried about you.

Our attention then shifted to the attendant still sitting on the floor.

Is he gone? the attendant asked.

He’s gone, Mahoney said. You can get up now.

The attendant stood up slowly. I could see his hands shaking. He was only a kid, probably still in high school.

You’re here by yourself? Mahoney asked.

Just for a little bit. Pete and Sal went to tow a car. They’ll be back in ... There was no need for him to finish as we heard, then saw, a tow truck pull into the station. Mahoney stood up, strode over to the counter, picked up the phone, and called 911.

It wasn’t long before the station was abuzz with activity. Pete and Sal parked the tow truck and wandered into the office. Their casual demeanor changed instantly when they discovered what had happened. I was glad to see that their main concern was for Jeff, their young employee.

A police cruiser pulled into the station with lights flashing and sirens blaring. When they realized they were indeed dealing with a robbery, they called for backup and more police arrived, including a detective in an unmarked car. Once again, we told our stories.

Mahoney had gone into the office to pay for the gas when the robber pulled up and entered the office with his gun drawn, demanding money. He made Mahoney sit down on the floor with his hands behind his head while Jeff emptied the money from the cash register into a paper bag. When asked to describe the robber, all Jeff could say was that he wore a hoodie and had a gun. His attention had been centered on that deadly threat to the exclusion of almost everything else.

Since Mahoney is a detective himself and much more observant than the average person, he supplied more details. The robber was about 5’10" and weighed around 150 pounds. He wore jeans, pointed dark brown cowboy boots, and a dark blue hoodie pulled down low on his face, although wisps of blond hair escaped from underneath it. A pair of dark wraparound sunglasses hid his eyes and a good portion of his face except for a pointed chin. Stubble indicated that he hadn’t shaved in a day or so. His black SUV was 4 or 5 years old and dirty. Mahoney had jumped up as soon as the robber left to catch the license plate number, but the SUV didn’t have a plate.

Probably took it off for the robbery, Mahoney said. He was young, 20s, I’d guess, and very nervous. The gun was a 9mm revolver. He couldn’t hold the gun steady, was waving it around too much, which is why I didn’t intervene. Guys like that are more prone to shoot for no reason.

Detective Hernandez nodded in agreement and then immediately put out an APB on the car. He asked me for my story, but I couldn’t add any details about the robbery itself. He then asked us to meet him at the police station to give our statements before we left town.

Mind if we stop for lunch first? Mahoney asked. We were going to do that after we gassed up.

Go ahead, Detective Hernandez said. It’ll give me a chance to get organized. He suggested the Bread Basket, a small family-run German restaurant, and then gave us directions to the restaurant and to the police station.

So much for our week free of crime, I said as Mahoney drove to the restaurant. By the time we finish giving our statements, we could have already been at the Lakeside Inn.

Told you that you’re a trouble magnet.

I swatted his arm. I didn’t do anything.

You didn’t have to. Trouble just follows you around like a puppy dog. He reached over and patted my leg. But you’ll be happy to know I love you anyway, despite the trauma you cause.

Oh, bah.

And now your reputation is on the line.

What?

You always help solve the crimes you’re involved in with that mystery writer’s mind of yours. Don’t know how you’re going to manage solving this one, but I have faith.

Any further banter stopped because we’d pulled into the restaurant’s parking lot.

It’s not very attractive, I said looking at the plain white cinder block building.

Hernandez said that. But the locals rave about the food.

I shrugged. Okay, let’s give it a try.

Detective Hernandez turned out to be