Firework Fiasco
by
Kathi Daley
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 2018 by Katherine Daley
Version 1.0
All rights reserved, including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form.
I want to thank the very talented Jessica Fischer for the cover art.
I so appreciate Bruce Curran, who is always ready and willing to answer my cyber questions; Jayme Maness for helping out with the book clubs; and Peggy Hyndman for helping sleuth out those pesky typos.
And, of course, thanks to the readers and bloggers in my life, who make doing what I do possible.
Thank you to Randy Ladenheim-Gil for the editing.
And finally, I want to thank my husband Ken for allowing me time to write by taking care of everything else.
Books by Kathi Daley
Come for the murder, stay for the romance.
Zoe Donovan Cozy Mystery:
Halloween Hijinks
The Trouble With Turkeys
Christmas Crazy
Cupid’s Curse
Big Bunny Bump-off
Beach Blanket Barbie
Maui Madness
Derby Divas
Haunted Hamlet
Turkeys, Tuxes, and Tabbies
Christmas Cozy
Alaskan Alliance
Matrimony Meltdown
Soul Surrender
Heavenly Honeymoon
Hopscotch Homicide
Ghostly Graveyard
Santa Sleuth
Shamrock Shenanigans
Kitten Kaboodle
Costume Catastrophe
Candy Cane Caper
Holiday Hangover
Easter Escapade
Camp Carter
Trick or Treason
Reindeer Roundup
Hippity Hoppity Homicide
Firework Fiasco
Henderson House – August 2018
Zimmerman Academy The New Normal
Ashton Falls Cozy Cookbook
Tj Jensen Paradise Lake Mysteries by Henery Press:
Pumpkins in Paradise
Snowmen in Paradise
Bikinis in Paradise
Christmas in Paradise
Puppies in Paradise
Halloween in Paradise
Treasure in Paradise
Fireworks in Paradise
Beaches in Paradise – July 2018
Whales and Tails Cozy Mystery:
Romeow and Juliet
The Mad Catter
Grimm’s Furry Tail
Much Ado About Felines
Legend of Tabby Hollow
Cat of Christmas Past
A Tale of Two Tabbies
The Great Catsby
Count Catula
The Cat of Christmas Present
A Winter’s Tail
The Taming of the Tabby
Frankencat
The Cat of Christmas Future
Farewell to Felines
A Whisker in Time – September 2018
Writers’ Retreat Southern Seashore Mystery:
First Case
Second Look
Third Strike
Fourth Victim
Fifth Night
Sixth Cabin
Seventh Chapter – August 2018
Rescue Alaska Paranormal Mystery:
Finding Justice
Finding Answers
Finding Courage - September 2018
A Tess and Tilly Mystery:
The Christmas Letter
The Valentine Mystery
The Mother’s Day Mishap
The Halloween House – July 2018
Haunting by the Sea:
Homecoming by the Sea
Secrets by the Sea – June 2018
Sand and Sea Hawaiian Mystery:
Murder at Dolphin Bay
Murder at Sunrise Beach
Murder at the Witching Hour
Murder at Christmas
Murder at Turtle Cove
Murder at Water’s Edge
Murder at Midnight
Seacliff High Mystery:
The Secret
The Curse
The Relic
The Conspiracy
The Grudge
The Shadow
The Haunting
Road to Christmas Romance:
Road to Christmas Past
Table of Contents
Books by Kathi Daley
Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Coming next from Kathi Daley Books
Kathi’s Favorite Summer Recipes
Easy Picnic Potato Salad
Strawberry Jell-O Salad
Hobo Packs for the grill or campfire
Fudge Sundae Pie
Mocha Ice Cream Pie
Strawberry Angel Cake
Strawberry Champagne Cheesecake
Books by Kathi Daley
Chapter 1
Thursday, July 5
“Elvis is dead.”
I raised a brow and took a moment to consider whether my husband, Zak Zimmerman’s honorary grandmother, Nona might have been hitting the bottle earlier than usual today. “Yes, I know. He’s actually been dead for quite some time.”
“Not that Elvis.” Nona groaned in frustration. “A different Elvis. My Elvis didn’t die on the bathroom floor, but on the bed I’d shared with him after I realized I’d had a bit too much of the juice to safely drive the bike back to your place.”
By bike, I knew Nona meant her pink Harley, which she tended to drive like a woman with a death wish, and by juice, I knew she meant the whiskey she seemed to consider a food group. I wasn’t sure I even wanted to know the details at this point, but Nona was Zak’s grandmother, and she appeared to be honestly rattled, so I took a deep breath and jumped in. “Maybe you should sit down and tell me everything. Start at the beginning.”
Nona looked around the reception area of Zoe’s Zoo, the wild and domestic rescue and rehabilitation center I own and help operate with my manager, Jeremy Fisher, who was out on paternity leave. “Sit where?”
“Charlie will show you to my office while I let Aspen know what we’re doing.”
Charlie was my Tibetan terrier. He came to the Zoo with me pretty much every time I was in, so when I told him to take Nona to the office, he knew just where to go. Once Nona and Charlie had gone down the hallway, I started back to the wild animal wing, where my newest employee, Aspen Wood, was cleaning the large pen where we kept the orphaned and injured bear cubs we were rehabilitating.
“Did I hear Nona’s bike roll up?” Aspen asked.
“You did. She seems to have a problem she needs to discuss, so we’ll be in my office. I’ll leave a note telling anyone who comes in to ring the bell. I shouldn’t have a problem hearing it and responding, but you might want to keep an ear out as well.”
“No problem. In fact, once I’m finished here, I’ll head up to the front and work on the flyers for the adoption clinic next month.”
“Thanks, Aspen. You’ve been a real trooper, making sure everything is covered while both Jeremy and Tiffany are off for an e
xtended period.”
Aspen smiled. “It’s not a problem, really. I love working here. Most of the time, there’s nowhere I’d rather be.”
I’d been very lucky to run into Aspen when I did. I’d first met her a couple of years ago, during an investigation regarding the death of a kitten mill owner. Aspen was an extremely vocal local activist who’d had run-ins with the deceased on more than one occasion, making her one of the top suspects in the woman’s murder. While things had worked out in the end, I’d spent quite a lot of time looking into Aspen’s activities as well as her past. What I’d found was a gentle soul who really cared about the animals she championed.
Once I left the note, I headed to my office, where Nona was chatting with Charlie. Sweet thing that he is, Charlie appeared to be listening to Nona’s tale of too much whiskey, too much fun, and a dead Elvis she had no idea how to deal with.
“Okay, I should be able to give you my full attention now.” I took the chair behind my desk. “I need you to tell me what happened from the time you left the group last evening until now.”
Nona nodded. “Okay. I’ll tell you what I can. I should warn you, though, that things are pretty blurry after a certain point.”
“Just do the best you can.”
Nona lifted her head of white hair and looked me in the eye before she began. “As you know, I attended the annual Fourth of July fireworks celebration with you and the family last night. Afterward, you all decided to go home to put the kids to bed, but I was feeling pretty wound up after the festivities, so I decided to head over to my favorite bar for a drink or two. It was at the bar that I met Elvis.”
I held up my hand. “Let me stop you right there. Was this guy named Elvis or did he look like Elvis?”
“I have no idea what the guy’s real name was or what he looked like when he wasn’t in costume. He was in town with eleven other Elvis impersonators for the contest Dirk Pendleton is running.”
I seemed to remember something about Hollywood heartthrob and part-time Ashton Falls resident Dirk Pendleton opening a casino in Reno. I was pretty sure he planned to go with a fifties and sixties theme and name the place Shake Rattle and Roll. I’d also heard he was lining up impersonators of all the greats of the eras, including Elvis Presley. He’d been holding competitions around the country to choose these impersonators as a publicity stunt. “Let me guess. Dirk Pendleton is holding his competition for the official Elvis impersonator for Shake Rattle and Roll here in Ashton Falls.”
Nona nodded, confirming what I should already have known. Usually I was in the middle of whatever was going on in town, but I’d been so busy lately, I hadn’t been paying a lot of attention to the local news.
“Why our little town? The competitions for the other impersonators have been held in large metropolitan areas.”
“I don’t know for certain, but maybe he wanted to hold at least one of the competitions in his sometime hometown. Do you really think this line of questioning is important? I did just tell you the man I spent the night with was deader than a doornail when I woke up this morning. Seems to me that would be the talking point we’d want to pursue.”
Nona had a point. “Of course. Go on with your story.”
“So anyway, I went to my usual bar and was drinking my usual whiskey when this bunch of men all dressed exactly like Elvis walked in. I didn’t pay them much attention at first, but then one of them, dressed in a blue sequined outfit, came over to the bar where I was sitting and asked if he could buy me a drink. Never one to turn down a free drink, I agreed. At first, I found the costume ridiculous, but the longer I talked with the guy, the easier it was for me to let my imagination take over. At some point I let myself believe it was the real Elvis, and when he suggested we move to a table where we could get to know each other, I agreed. I excused myself to use the ladies’ room shortly after we moved to a table. When I came out my Elvis was chatting with another one, who happened to be wearing white leather from head to foot. The man in white, who I learned was dumber than a chicken without a head and was referred to as Elvis #7, invited my Elvis, who was Elvis #3, to a party on the beach. I was really in to the whole vibe of the evening, so I agreed to go.”
I waited as Nona paused before continuing. It amazed me that she had so much energy for a woman of her age. Heck, she could outparty a woman of any age. It had been a long time since I’d pulled an all-nighter.
“Anyway,” Nona went on, “we all headed down to the beach. One of the Elvises, I think Elvis #11, had a keg, and another had a cooler of rum punch. A couple of the guys had brought illegal fireworks and were shooting them off over the water. There was a huge bonfire going on, and everyone seemed to be having a good time. At least until my Elvis, Elvis #3, tried to set off some sort of rocket-looking thing, got lined up wrong, and ended up shooting directly toward one of the other Elvises. This, of course, started a war of sorts, in which the Elvises divided into two teams and began shooting these rockets at one another.” Nona chuckled. “With all those wigs and all those fancy duds to catch fire, it was a tragedy waiting to happen.”
“Not to mention the risk of a forest fire,” I added. “There’s a reason fireworks other than the show put on by the town are illegal in Ashton Falls.”
Nona nodded. “Yeah, I guess there’s that as well.”
“So back to your involvement with Elvis #3…” I said persuasively.
“The rocket war got pretty heated, and the next thing I knew fists were flying and the Elvises all started punching one another. My Elvis didn’t want to ruin his very expensive costume, so he suggested we take the party somewhere else. He didn’t have a car, so he rode with me on my hog. I’m still not sure how I ended up back at his room, but he had plenty of whiskey, and we were having a good time, so I didn’t resist the idea when he suggested it. I didn’t intend to spend the entire night with the guy, but it got late and I started to feel dizzy, so I decided it wasn’t a good idea to drive. At some point I guess I passed out. When I woke up this morning Elvis was lying on top of the covers fully clothed, the same as me. Unlike me, however, Elvis was dead.”
“So, are we thinking the guy had partied a bit too much, bringing on a heart attack?”
Nona shook her head. “No, not a heart attack. Someone stuck a big ol’ knife in his chest.”
“A knife?” I asked. “He was stabbed in the chest with a knife?”
Nona frowned at me. “You need to learn to pay more attention when folks are talking. I just said the man had a knife in his chest.”
“And you have no idea how it got there?”
Nona shook her head once again. “Not a clue. I’ll admit it was kind of odd that a man could have been stabbed to death on the opposite side of the bed from where I was sleeping without me waking up.”
My brows furrowed. “Odd isn’t exactly the word I’d use. Are you sure you don’t remember hearing or seeing anyone come in?”
“I’m sure. The last thing I remember was Elvis turning on the television. I decided to lay down for just a minute to see if the dizziness would go away. The next thing I knew, it was morning and Elvis was dead.”
Okay, Zoe. Don’t freak out. I’m sure this isn’t as bad as it sounds. Just take a deep breath and try to figure out what to do next. “So, what exactly does the sheriff think happened?”
Nona shrugged. “As far as I know, he doesn’t know a thing about any of this.”
“You didn’t call 911 when you realized Elvis had been murdered?”
“’Course not. The fuzz are going to think I did it. When I woke up and saw Elvis I came straight over here. I didn’t touch anything or talk to anyone. You have to help me. No one is going to believe I slept right through a murder.”
Nona made another good point. Even if she’d drunk a lot you’d think a man being stabbed to death would be a noisy enough event to wake even the drunkest individual. “Okay. Let’s go over to the motel where you left Elvis. We’ll assess the situation and then call Salinger. He’ll know what
to do.”
“Sheriff Salinger isn’t in town.”
I frowned. “What do you mean, he isn’t in town?”
“I got pulled over for going fifty in a twenty-five. I guess I might have said some disrespectful things to the young’un, who didn’t look old enough to shave, let alone be a cop. Guess he took offense, because he threatened to arrest me for reckless driving. I tried to tell the punk that I was good friends with Sherriff Salinger and that if he just called him, he’d vouch for me, but the kid told me Salinger was off finding himself and he was filling in.”
Oh, that wasn’t good. Not good at all. Sherriff Salinger and I had become good friends after a rocky start years ago. I’d helped him out and he’d helped me. He knew Nona, quirks and all, and most likely would have given her the benefit of the doubt. But some new deputy just starting out and most likely looking for that one case that would help to put his name on the map? A dead Elvis found lying on the bed next to a Harley-riding, free-loving, heavy-drinking grandma would be just the thing a young deputy would love to sink his claws in to. Add to the mix the fact that the very popular Dirk Pendleton was the one sponsoring the contest and you had just the sort of news item that made it to national platforms. There was no doubt about it: If what Nona said was true, we were going to have to deal with the specifics of the situation very carefully indeed.
******
The Nickelodeon was a midrange motel with a decent reputation smack dab in the middle of town. Nona had left the Do Not Disturb sign on the door so the maid wouldn’t think the room was empty and wander in. She’d kept the key so we’d be able to get back in when we arrived. I felt my stomach knot as Nona opened the door. If Nona had been a witness to a death, even an unconscious one, we needed to tell someone what we knew.
“Well, that’s odd,” Nona said.
I entered the room behind her. It was empty. I mean, completely empty. And it had been cleaned. There was no visible evidence that anyone had ever been there. “Are you sure this is the right room?”