“It’s okay, Mary, we don’t have any other choice.” Suzie reached over and squeezed her hand. “We have to get out of here!”
“I can’t.” Mary shuddered at the thought and blared the horn. Maybe the loud noise would be enough to startle Carlene into giving up.
Carlene raised the gun, pointed at the windshield, and stared straight at Mary as she began to pull the trigger.
“Now, Mary!” Suzie shrieked as she leaned across the interior of the vehicle in an attempt to protect her friend.
A gunshot rang out, glass shattered, and shrieks filled the air. Suzie had her body curled around Mary’s as she began to register that the shrieks were not screams but sirens.
“Mary, are you okay?” Suzie lifted her head enough to gaze at her.
“Yes, I think so.” Mary looked up as well. “The windshield, it’s not broken.”
“No, the side mirror is.” Suzie looked towards it, then past it, to Carlene on the ground. The gun was a few feet away from her, her leg had obviously been shot.
Wes ran towards Carlene, with Jason only a few steps behind.
Jason and Wes handcuffed Carlene, who writhed on the ground. They quickly handed Carlene over to the uniforms and turned to Suzie and Mary.
“How did you know, Wes? How did you find us?” Mary asked.
“It wasn’t me.” Wes looked at her, his eyes wide with determination and a trace of fear. “I finally managed to track down Brody and I picked him up. He told me everything, that he had nothing to do with the murder, that it was all Carlene. Apparently, he worked it out after the murder. He said that Carlene got the bruise the night before the murder, she fell and hit her head. When he found out that she said she had been hit over the head, he knew that she had done it. That she had murdered Graham and pretended to be attacked herself. He was worried about turning her in. She’s ruthless. Then we tried to reach you both, but there was no answer. I called Paul to see if you were with him, and he told me you were due to meet with Carlene at the garage to pick up the SUV.” He stared at her for a long moment. “Mary, are you okay?”
“Yes, I’m okay.” Mary took a deep breath. “Thanks to you, and Jason, and Paul, and Suzie.” She realized how lucky she was to have so many people who cared about her. “Carlene killed Graham, and she tried to kill Marlin, and she was going to kill both of us.”
“Yes.” Wes narrowed his eyes.
“That was terrifying, but we’re okay, Mary.” Suzie looked into Mary’s eyes.
“Yes, we are.” Mary straightened up as medics arrived to tend to Carlene.
Suzie could still see the barrel of the gun pointed through the windshield at Mary. As she turned to face her friend, she found Mary with her arms open, ready to hug her. Suzie wrapped her arms around her and squeezed.
“Remember how we were going to be more careful?”
“I remember.” Mary laughed. “We’ve got to work on that.”
“Yes, we do.” Suzie smiled at her, relieved that they were both safe. Graham’s murderer had been found, and justice would be served.
The End
***
Thank you very much for reading Racing and Robberies. I hope you enjoyed it. You can sign up for my cozy mystery newsletter to be notified of my latest releases so you don’t miss out on the special new release price at
http://www.cindybellbooks.com
Also by Cindy Bell
Wagging Tail Cozy Mysteries
Murder at Pawprint Creek (Prequel)
Murdern at Pooch Park
Dune House Cozy Mysteries
Seaside Secrets
Boats and Bad Guys
Treasured History
Hidden Hideaways
Dodgy Dealings
Suspects and Surprises
Ruffled Feathers
A Fishy Discovery
Danger in the Depths
Celebrities and Chaos
Pups, Pilots and Peril
Tides, Trails and Trouble
Sage Gardens Cozy Mysteries
Birthdays Can Be Deadly
Money Can Be Deadly
Trust Can Be Deadly
Ties Can Be Deadly
Rocks Can Be Deadly
Jewelry Can Be Deadly
Numbers Can Be Deadly
Memories Can Be Deadly
Paintings Can Be Deadly
Snow Can Be Deadly
Tea Can Be Deadly
Chocolate Centered Cozy Mysteries
The Sweet Smell of Murder
A Deadly Delicious Delivery
A Bitter Sweet Murder
A Treacherous Tasty Trail
Luscious Pastry at a Lethal Party
Fudge Films and Felonies
Custom-Made Murder
Skydiving, Soufflés and Sabotage
Christmas Chocolates and Crimes
Hot Chocolate and Homicide
Chocolate Caramels and Conmen
Picnics, Pies and Lies
Donut Truck Cozy Mysteries
Deadly Deals and Donuts
Fatal Festive Donuts
Bunny Donuts and a Body
Bekki the Beautician Cozy Mysteries
Hairspray and Homicide
A Dyed Blonde and a Dead Body
Mascara and Murder
Pageant and Poison
Conditioner and a Corpse
Mistletoe, Makeup and Murder
Hairpin, Hair Dryer and Homicide
Blush, a Bride and a Body
Shampoo and a Stiff
Cosmetics, a Cruise and a Killer
Lipstick, a Long Iron and Lifeless
Camping, Concealer and Criminals
Treated and Dyed
A Wrinkle-Free Murder
A Macaron Patisserie Cozy Mystery Series
Sifting for Suspects
Recipes and Revenge
Mansions, Macarons and Murder
Nuts About Nuts Cozy Mysteries
A Tough Case to Crack
A Seed of Doubt
Roasted Penuts and Peril
Heavenly Highland Inn Cozy Mysteries
Murdering the Roses
Dead in the Daisies
Killing the Carnations
Drowning the Daffodils
Suffocating the Sunflowers
Books, Bullets and Blooms
A Deadly Serious Gardening Contest
A Bridal Bouquet and a Body
Digging for Dirt
Wendy the Wedding Planner Cozy Mysteries
Matrimony, Money and Murder
Chefs, Ceremonies and Crimes
Knives and Nuptials
Mice, Marriage and Murder
About the Author
Cindy Bell is a USA Today and Wall Street Journal Bestselling Author. She is the author of the cozy mystery series Wagging Tail, Donut Truck, Dune House, Sage Gardens, Chocolate Centered, Macaron Patisserie, Nuts about Nuts, Bekki the Beautician, Heavenly Highland Inn and Wendy the Wedding Planner.
Cindy has always loved reading, but it is only recently that she has discovered her passion for writing romantic cozy mysteries. She loves walking along the beach thinking of the next adventure her characters can embark on.
You can sign up for her newsletter so you are notified of her latest releases at http://www.cindybellbooks.com.