Bayou Christmas by Riley Blake

Author:Riley Blake
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: cozy mysteries, amateur sleuth, women sleuths, Christmas Cozy, Suspense & Thrillers
Publisher: J&R Fan Fiction
Published: 2018-12-08T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Five

THROBBING PAIN SHOT through my muscles. It didn’t take long to remember what had happened. With my hands tied behind my back, I understood that I was being held against my will. A no-brainer, all things considered.

Someone had attacked me.

I opened my eyes and gained my bearings. Frantically, I searched the room. Someone else was seated across from me but who? I blinked but it was no use. I was trying too hard.

Squeezing my eyes shut again, I retraced my last steps. I was struck from behind and now restrained which meant my cohorts were currently unavailable.

Someone groaned.

“Carter?” I lifted my head and tried to make out the figure in front of me.

“Why couldn’t you just stay asleep?” Carter asked.

“Guess it’s too late to apologize now.”

He was right, of course. If I hadn’t set my alarm with intentions of being an annoyance, we wouldn’t have been in this predicament. We’d be dreaming of sugar plums or at least a piping hot breakfast at Francine’s.

“Who were you expecting, Hun?”

“Agent Pre...Nichols?” I focused on a nearby ottoman. “What are you doing?” I yanked my arms and wiggled my fingers. Secured ropes. Fabulous. “What’s wrong with you?” Anger zipped through my veins. “Untie me!”

Agent Pretty buffed her fingernails with an emery board. She thrust her hand forward and examined her progress. “I’d love to help but...”

“She’s the one who tied us up,” said Carter.

The corrupt agent leapt to her feet. “Now look what you’ve done! You’ve ruined the surprise!”

Carter and I exchanged glances. He shook his head in warning and I wondered if the signal meant that Ida Belle and Gertie weren’t coming to our rescue.

I concentrated on Nichols. “I knew you couldn’t be trusted.”

“Oh? Why’s that?”

“Well besides the fact that you can’t count and have eleven—twelve counting Rudolph—reindeers on display, you can’t carry on a conversation without gushing over fellow agents which means you aren’t really paying attention to the conversations.” I smirked. “My guess is, you don’t have much to add. All of that aside, I was on to you from the beginning.”

I was blindsided, didn’t have a clue.

“If that’s true then Granny Grumps and Mammaw Madness probably cast a light of suspicion in my direction.”

“That’s not all they’ll cast in your direction.” I dropped my head and feigned defeat but it wasn’t easy. Gertie and Ida Belle took turns at the window, making hand signals and mouthing their instructions. My shoulders relaxed as soon as I saw them. The change in body language should’ve been a true tell but Agent Pretty didn’t notice.

“Why are you doing this?” Carter’s biceps flexed and his upper body jerked. He must’ve been able to free one of his hands. As if he understood what I was thinking, he nodded once.

“Care to tell me how I earned a professional frenemy?” I knew why. Money was the root of all evil. When ten million dollars was placed on one’s head, criminals crowded the streets and lurked around every corner.

Nichols knelt in front of me. “Oh darlin’, don’t look so glum.

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