Literally Murder (A Pepper Brooks Cozy Mystery Book 2) Read online

  That had been one of the reasons I'd picked this class as well. I wasn't about to read more Steinbeck than was necessary, so the fact I could choose to focus on Hemingway made this class sound bearable.

  Glancing up, I realized Reuben was still staring at me. Was his eye twitching? I bared my teeth, wondering if his animal instincts might kick in and see it as a threat instead of an invitation to talk more.

  Luckily, he seemed to calm down after that, and went on to pull out something from his own bag. I tried to get back to reading, but a furious scratching made me slide my gaze back over to Rueben after a minute or two.

  I watched, wide eyed, as Reuben scratched words like Bumby, Hemingstein, Champ, Oinbones, Wemedge, and Hem across the cover of a light blue folder.

  He was going over and over each one, retracing until they became bold versions of the scratchy originals. The behavior struck me as about fifty percent thirteen-year-old fangirl and fifty percent serial murderer. He was only missing a few hearts—or bloody knives—to sway either side to a majority. I felt a shiver dance down my spine.

  Dr. Evensworth strode into the room, towering over us and bringing to mind Max Vandenburg's Standover Man from The Book Thief. Evensworth was a Standover Man if I'd ever met one and I was glad to be in the back row, even if it meant sitting next to Reuben.

  "I'm going to assume you all read through your syllabus, so I won't be wasting class time to go over that. Email me any questions you may have. Your assignments are outlined in there as well. You will not get any reminders from me beyond that, so stay on top of your work." Clearing his throat, he got to business. "We'll been discussing the theme of the loss of innocence in American literature these first few weeks. Today we're going to focus on the idea of disillusionment which goes along with that. Can anyone give me an example from their chosen text?"

  I chewed on my bottom lip. The only way I was going to get on Evensworth's good side, or at least get off his bad one, was to show him I could see the reason he loved these American authors so much. My hand rose slowly. I clenched my fingers into a fist before letting them shoot toward the ceiling, too.

  "Ms. Brooks?" My name held the same tone as if someone had just forced him to say, "Comic books are literature."

  "Well, I'm thinking of Jake Barnes from The Sun Also Rises. He lost his innocence in the war and then had to assimilate into everyday life. He feels lost to me, disillusioned beyond repair almost. And Lady Brett Ashley, too. Her time as a nurse in the war has left her just as jaded. Especially now that she's forced to watch the men around her continue to suffer from wounds she doesn't know how to help heal."

  Most of the class had turned around as they listened, nodding along with my analysis. Despite their evident approval, Evensworth's normally clenched face took on a disgusted sneer.

  Turning to check with Rueben, I caught him gazing at me dreamily. Good thing his folder was already covered in crazy ramblings. By the look in his eyes, my name might've been scratched on there with hearts surrounding it if he'd had an inch of space.

  Evensworth snorted and didn't even grace my comment with a response. "Anyone else?"

  My shoulders pulled tight around me for a moment and I tried to disappear. After having falsely—and very publicly—accused the man of murder last fall, he'd changed his normally icy attitude toward me to unfiltered disdain. Maybe even "Papa Hemmy" wasn't going to be able to help me out of this predicament.

  The rest of Evensworth's class didn't go much better, unfortunately.

  But settling into my normal front row seat in my next class with Dr. Ferguson felt downright blissful. Fergie cemented herself as my favorite professor as she wafted into the room, a flowing yellow silk tank top and a floral scarf trailing behind her.

  "What a beautiful day for some poetry," she said in her high, operatic voice.

  I smiled.

  She led us through over an hour of poetic analysis; the difficult work forcing me to push aside my frustration with Evensworth. After I packed up my books at the end of class, bony fingers closed over my arm when I stood to leave.

  "Pepper, darling." Fergie's blue eyes narrowed as she peered at me. "Forgive me, but I wanted to let you know that I'm being forced to attend a lunch event with the other department heads, so I won't be able to dine with you today." She eyed me and then added, "Maybe you should take your lunch outside, get some fresh air and some sun."

  Fergie and I had lunch in her office together most days, but it seemed like today I was on my own. At that, she twirled around and then blew a kiss over her shoulder. "Toodle-oo, darling."

  I sighed, smiling slightly, I knew just where to go. Lunch in hand, I headed toward the willow I knew was dipping its leafy fingers into the quiet waters of the creek. A smile crept over my features as I saw the peaceful spot come into view.

  Crossing the bridge, I picked my way down the hillside to the bench which sat in the shadow of the great willow. My eyes closed out of instinct and I let the babbling sound of the water become a sweet narrative, lulling me into the satisfied state of someone listening to a great story. The ever-moving water carried the fresh smells of a constant breeze and the leaves rustled quietly as the wind wafted through them.

  I reached in my bag and pulled out my sandwich and the book of Hemingway's short stories. A book in one hand and a sandwich in the other. Who could ask for better? Letting out a contented sigh, I took a bite and looked around.

  But then I froze.

  The un-chewed piece of bread, meat, and cheese sat on my tongue. My eyes had caught on something in the water almost hidden under the bridge to my right. I spit the bite of sandwich out and set the rest down next to me on the bench.

  Blinking, I felt my heart rate spike.

  No. This wasn't real.

  But as my eyes adjusted again, it became increasingly clear this was no joke. The green fabric of her shirt almost, almost blended into the tall grasses growing along the water's edge. The porcelain skin and blond, flowing hair did not blend, however. I stood and took tentative steps closer to the body bobbing face down at the waters edge.

  "Excuse me." I stopped a few feet away, voice shaking almost as much as my hands as I said, "Miss, are you—did you fall in?"

  I'm not sure why I even asked the question. The prickling feeling on the backs of my arms told me everything I needed to know. Swallowing, I tried to get rid of the metallic taste coating my tongue.

  No movement, no response. Oh god. No. Not again.

  I remembered back to the last time I'd found a body and how much Alex and his father, Detective Valdez, had chastised me for moving it. But this was different. What if this girl wasn't dead? What if I could save her?

  "Help!" I called out, my voice breaking in a way that spoke more to my heart than my vocal chords. My eyes searched the surrounding area, frantic.

  Hearing and seeing no one, I bit my lip. I couldn't leave her there. I just couldn't. I stepped as gingerly as I could around the body, trying not to destroy the scene. For some reason, the sharp smell of licorice permeated the air around me. Or was I going crazy? There was a heaviness to her which didn't bode well, but I pulled her out and turned her over.

  Letting go so quickly I almost dropped her, I scooted away.

  I knew that face. Katie Landin.

  Heat flushed up my face and neck. I turned around and heaved forward. Not having actually eaten any of my lunch, it was my breakfast I emptied on the bank of the creek.

  3

  I dialed 911 with trembling fingers. After giving the dispatcher the details, I put my phone in my back pocket.

  Katie? This couldn't be happening.

  Another wave of nausea rose in me as I remembered giving her the nickname of Crazy Katie during our freshman year. Ugh, I really did need to cut it out with the nicknames.

  I paced a few feet away from her body. As much as I wanted to try CPR or something, anything, there was a pallor to her skin which told me nothing would help her now—that and the reddish-blue marks marr
ing her neck.

  Unlike the last time I'd found a body, there wasn't any question whether or not this was a suicide. Someone had wanted Katie dead.

  Also unlike last time, there wasn't a soul anywhere near me. No one really came back here behind the science building unless they knew about this spot. I gulped, wishing so badly for someone else to walk by. Please.

  I spent the minutes waiting for the police standing under the willow tree. My right foot tapped out the worst of my anxious energy while tears pooled in my eyes, streaming down my face, as I watched her lie there in a blur of green and blue.

  When the medics showed up, there was a frenzy of movement which almost surpassed that of my racing heart. I stood aside, wrapping my arms tightly around myself until Alex showed up and took over. He found one of those gray wool blankets and burrito-ed me into it, hugging me to him, tight. His pulse pounded against my skin as I tucked my head into the safe space under his chin.

  Normally, getting to be this close to him would've made me giddy. But today, it was more of an animal necessity. I needed him close to me, needed his arms wrapped around me.

  After a few more minutes, his father approached the scene, clad in his normal classic suit. Detective Valdez knelt next to Katie's body, dark eyes scanning the water and the wet bank. His jaw clenched and that intense gaze settled on me; he knew I'd moved the body—again.

  I cringed, snuggling deeper into Alex's arms, burying my face.

  "I moved her." My words were a muffled groan in his pressed, black uniform. I pulled back to meet Alex's eyes. "I thought I might be able to..." I stopped, unable to finish my sentence.

  Alex seemed to understand. His chest expanded in a big inhale which finished in a sigh. "Don't worry too much about it. A water crime scene is a whole different kind of challenge. Usually there aren't too many clues to go on because they've washed away."

  I sniffed, appreciative of his attempt to make me feel better, and got another whiff of that anise smell. "Is it just me or does it smell like black licorice around here?" I asked, a tense mess as I waited for his answer.

  Alex nodded. "Yeah. That's weird. I noticed that, too."

  We both looked over at the crime scene. I could see the police, who wore plastic booties, looking closely for footprints by the water's edge. I thought about the marks on her neck and shuddered.

  Alex squinted as he looked closer at the body. "Is that...?" he asked, this time his voice betraying him before he could finish his question.

  I nodded. I'd almost forgotten that Alex had met Katie, having been the first person we'd questioned together after Dr. Campbell's murder.

  My stomach rolled as my mind flashed to the copy of The Frond Liv had bought that morning, I realized that Sam Delaney guy had been right. A dead body in Campus Creek would certainly get the attention of the university administrators.

  Alex's father strode over to us a few moments later.

  "Miss Brooks."

  I tried to smile. "Hi, Detective Valdez."

  "You seem to have a penchant for stumbling into crime scenes."

  "I'm sorry, sir." I really was.

  Alex's dad motioned over to the willow tree, his attention turning to his son as his eyebrows rose in a "may I take her?" way. Alex nodded and let go of me, allowing his father to lead me over to the bench.

  My fingers dug into the wool blanket as I watched Alex walk away from me, missing his warmth. He glanced over his shoulder and gave me a reassuring smile before joining his colleagues.

  "Pepper, I need to know everything." The detective sat next to me and pulled out a notepad and pen.

  I nodded, toes scrunching in my sneakers as I recounted my unpleasant discovery.

  "So you recognize her?" He paused, glancing up at me.

  "Yes." My chest ached. "We've had a lot of classes together over the years. She and I were in the same hall during our first dorm assignment freshman year. Her name's Katie Landin."

  He asked all of the standard questions after that, taking notes after each one:

  "When was the last time you saw her?"

  Last quarter. We'd had two classes together. I hadn't seen her during spring break or since.

  "Has she gotten into any fights lately?"

  I didn't think so.

  "Was there anyone who might want to hurt her?"

  Not that I knew of.

  "Why were you here in the first place?"

  Trying to have a peaceful lunch by the creek.

  Oh, the irony.

  Once his father was done with the questions, Alex swooped back in and then bundled me into one of the cop cars waiting nearby. He'd been partnered up with Frank Fitz, Pine Crests most... rotund cop and also the owner of a jovial laugh which could be heard across town. He was in his mid-thirties and his mother owned a quilt shop on Main Street.

  Alex slid into the backseat with me once I'd been buckled in. "Sorry, I can't let you sit up front."

  Frank whistled while he drove, winding away from the campus and onto the streets of Pine Crest. He kept checking in the rearview mirror, watching Alex like he was lining up questions to ask him later. The two hadn't been partners for more than a week at this point and I wondered if they were still trying to figure each other out. Frank was as kind as he was intimidating, a lot like Alex in that way.

  He stayed in the car as Alex walked me to my apartment.

  "You sure you don't want us to drop you at Maggie's?" Alex's forehead crinkled together.

  I shook my head. "Liv will be home soon."

  What time was it even? I hadn't even had the clarity to check the clock in the car on the way here.

  He swallowed, causing his Adam's apple to bob down and then back up. "Okay, I'll stop by late—"

  The door to our apartment burst open, interrupting him.

  "Whoa, are you seriously dropping her off in a cop car? In your uniform? Dude!" Carson, Liv's boyfriend, exploded from the apartment, all noise and messy brown hair. He craned his neck to get a better look at the car, but then turned his attention to Alex, punching him in the shoulder. "You're making us normal guys look bad, you know?"

  Carson was here? It must've been later than I thought.

  Liv replaced him in the doorway, holding my dog, Hamburger, in her arms. By the way her eyes lit up as they watched Carson, I doubted he needed to worry about other guys making him look bad. I reached out to pat Hammy and scratch her ears.

  Carson spun around to look at her. "Pretty slick date idea, huh babe?" It seemed that Liv had recruited Carson to the "let's get Pepper and Alex together" team.

  Liv smiled, nodding until her eyes met mine. When they did, her face fell and her head froze, mid nod.

  I looked to Alex, who grimaced and cleared his throat. "We weren't on a date. Unfortunately," he said.

  Stepping forward, Liv grabbed onto my arm. "Is everything okay?"

  My eyes pooled with tears again. I shook my head. "Katie Landin is dead."

  Liv gasped and covered her mouth with her free hand. Carson's smile slid off his face and his blue eyes looked pained. Normally, Alex and Carson couldn't get any more opposite. But in that moment, with their arms crossed and worry clenched tight in their jaws, they almost looked alike.

  "I'm not sure if they've gotten in contact with her family yet, so please don't say anything," Alex said. He glanced back to the police cruiser and then stepped toward me, placing a hand on each shoulder. "I'll stop by later once I'm done with my shift, okay?" His brown eyes held mine for a few seconds.

  "Okay." I sniffed.

  As Alex walked away, Liv bustled me inside and Carson followed.

  "Holy crap, Peps. What happened?" Liv guided me to the couch.

  I told them everything.

  "In Campus Creek?" Liv exhaled the rhetorical question. We both turned to Carson. "Did you read The Frond today?" she asked him.

  He dipped his head in the affirmative. "Sam Delaney. You two heard anything about him?" Carson asked. He sat on the floor, petting Hammy each ti
me she walked by as she serpentined around the room.

  Carson worked in the student services department and used to be the head of student activities, so he was more involved in the goings-on of the university than either Liv or myself. We preferred more of an ostrich-like existence when it came to the school—I had enough on my plate just keeping up with everything in Pine Crest.

  Liv and I shook our heads.

  After pulling in a deep breath, Carson said, "Sam Delaney started out as your run-of-the-mill cause crusader during our freshman year. But failed campaign after failed campaign made the guy go a little nuts." Carson's jaw tightened. "This water quality issue is only his most recent fight, but he's been taking it a little too far, if you ask me. He's been resorting to threats and he even spent a night in jail at the end of last year for jumping one of the university board members on their way out of a facilities meeting."

  Liv crossed her legs under her on the couch. "You think he might have something to do with Katie?" she asked.

  "I'd like to tell you no definitively, but..." Carson shrugged. "I honestly don't know. People are pretty wary of him."

  "It is one heck of a coincidence." My forehead bunched together as I thought. "The same day that article was published."

  Just then, Liv jumped up and ran to the kitchen. She returned a second later with a notepad and a pen.

  "Liv..." My voice was low, coated with warning.

  "What?" she said. "You were the one who cracked the last campus murder. I don't see why we can't take a stab at this one." She began scrawling something across the top of the pad.

  "Yeah, but I need to focus on school right now. Plus, if I want to work here, I can't go around accusing my future colleagues of murder." I craned my neck to see the paper. "What did you write there?"

  Liv said, "Just started a suspect list. You know, helping you so you can figure it out."

  Carson slapped his knee. "Babe, you're like a hot Watson."

  Liv raised her eyebrows at me and opened her hand, palm up. "See? I'm your Watson. Come on, Peps. Do it for Katie."