Juliet & Dead Romeo by CJ Love

Author:CJ Love
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: amateur sleuth, female sleuth, cozy mystery, humorous stories, mystery series, romantic mysteries, shakespearean themes
Publisher: Columbine Publishing Group, LLC

“Wisely and slow; they stumble that run fast.”

Chapter 19

Juliet ran.

At first, she couldn’t get her bearings. And then she saw the trees. The church was beyond the narrow woods. Yes, the church. She needed to get to the church.

“I’ll kill you,” Johnny screamed again.

Juliet didn’t look back; she just ran for the trees. She was nearly there. Footsteps came at her, more on the right side than from behind. She veered to her left, off-course, and past the first tree.

Something substantial hit her shoulder—iron fingers dug into her muscles.

Juliet screamed, jerked away, and stumbled. Her fingertips on the ground kept her balance. Upright again, she bolted deeper into the band of birch and maple trees.

Johnny let out a curse, and he closed the distance.

She scampered across the forest floor like a terrified squirrel. She tripped, caught her hand on the rough bark of a tree, and then took off again, this time in a zigzag pattern.

His heavy breathing fell behind.

Adrenaline pushed her ever faster, left, right, left … around another tree. Wild-eyed, she tried to find her bearings. Where was the church, the road? There it was, stonework, the steeple, on her right side.

Juliet shot in that direction.

The trees opened up to a stretch of field, all uphill, and toward the back side of Father Larry’s garden. The sunflowers and blue blossoms stood tall like sentries to ward off evil from the churchyard.

Rhythmic pounding came closer. Johnny was out of the woods and gaining on Juliet. Panic pushed her heart past her ribcage. She bolted for all she was worth.

Heavy breaths came closer, closer … he was nearly on top of her. Someone darted past Juliet, from her other side.

Johnny let out a loud haaaa as someone took him to the ground.

Juliet spun around, gasping for oxygen. Black fabric floated over the top of Johnny.

It was the priest.

Larry’s head bobbed above the cassock and then shot to the side as Johnny threw him off. Both men scrambled to their feet. Grass and dirt covered them both. The priest’s collar had popped off at one end and jutted toward the other man like an accusing finger.

Jackrabbit fast, Johnny punched Larry in the face. Larry let out a grunt and spun around. He fell forward, hands out.

Johnny fell on him. With both fists, he pummeled Larry on the head and neck.

Juliet searched for something, anything, to hit Johnny with. There was nothing, not even a stick.

Johnny grabbed Larry’s head and shoved it into the ground, over and over.

Shaking with rage, Juliet didn’t allow herself too much time to think it through; she ran toward them. She rammed her entire body weight into Johnny. It was as if she’d hit a wall. The man might as well be made of concrete. Her shoulder and hip hurt, and she fell into the patchy grass.

Johnny fell too. Then he got to his knees, put his hands on the ground, and started to get to his feet. Larry was up and, with hands clasped together, he hit the man with a swing that could’ve belted his head off his shoulders and into the outfield.

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