Authors: Lynn Emery
Tags: #'murder mystery, #southern mystery, #female sleuth mystery series, #louisiana mystery, #cozy crime mystery, #mystery amateur sleuths'
Pretty Dangerous
~~~~~~~~~~
All names, characters, stories, and incidents
featured in this novel are imaginary. They are not inspired by any
individual person, incidents or events known or unknown to the
author. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is
coincidental.
Copyright 2015 Margaret Emery Hubbard
ISBN: 978-0-9965272-0-0
Smashwords Edition
This eBook is licensed for your personal
enjoyment only. This eBook may not be re-sold or given away to
other people. If you would like to share this book with another
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and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work
of this author.
~~~~~~~~~~
The Story So Far
In Best Enemies Willa Crown inherited her
soon-to-be ex-husband’s business a lot of trouble. Jack Crown had a
lot of secrets to unravel, not the least of which is who murdered
him. Plus there is the missing cash that might be laundered drug
money. His mistress, MiMi Landry, and Willa’s sister, stripper Jazz
Vaughn, become unlikely amateur sleuths trying to figure whodunit.
They’ll catch the murderer, if they don’t kill each other
first.
In Devilish Details Jazz Vaughn has her own
nightclub and a lot of enemies. Her ex-boss is out to get her. A
crazy gang member thinks she has all that missing cash; and he
wants it bad enough to kill Jazz to get his hands on it. The city
wants to shut down her club. Jazz calls on her pals Willa and MiMi,
who manage to be useful when they’re not bickering. What’s a woman
to do? Get help from a sexy homicide detective, a collection of her
shady friends, and come out swinging.
That brings us to book 3, Pretty Dangerous.
So where’s the money? Read on to find out!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
MiMi strolled into the stuffy visiting room
of Najayo Prison in San Cristobal, Dominican Republic. She gave the
female guard a quick smile. The woman stared back at her with a
bored expression. MiMi almost had her usual upper-class hip swaying
confident stride. Almost. She tugged at the green prison t-shirt
she wore over borrowed cheap blue jeans. Her hair pulled back into
a pony-tail against the heat, she got tearful when she spotted her
friends. Willa and Jazz waited wearing twin anxious expressions.
When MiMi glanced over her shoulder at the guard, the woman nodded
and gestured. At the signal, a second male guard let Willa and Jazz
enter the room. Once they were all seated, both guards wandered
off.
“I’m so glad to see y’all,” MiMi blurted out.
She leaned over and hugged Willa around the neck, and then Jazz.
“Now tell me you’re going to get me out of here. Preferably
today.”
“How are you holding up?” Willa grabbed
MiMi’s right hand. Her maternal instinct turned up on high as she
examined MiMi with a critical eye.
“Shit, girl. We ain’t visiting her at the
hospital. How the hell you think she’s doin’? Foreign prison’s are
like the worse place you can be and, ouch,” Jazz stopped abruptly
and rubbed her shin. “Do that again, Willa, and they gonna lock me
up for beating you.”
“I’ve been living this nightmare for three
hellish weeks, so I don’t need a reminder,” MiMi said through tight
lips. Then she swiped away tears as fast as they fell. “They don’t
care if you’re innocent or guilty. It’s all the same to these
people.”
“I told you not to chase after Jack’s stolen
stash. Your late ‘fiancé’ would probably be in jail if somebody
hadn’t killed him over that dirty cash,” Willa smoothly switched
from concerned mama to “I told you so” mama.
“He was your ex-husband. What does that say
about you?” MiMi shot back with heat.
“That I had the good sense to divorce him,”
Willa replied mildly.
“Yeah, pretty sure they frown on laundered
drug money over here as much as in the states,” Jazz said softly as
she glanced around.
“Wonderful, Jazz. Give them another reason to
give me a life sentence,” MiMi hissed back.
“Calm down. This place ain’t advanced enough
to have listening devices around.” Jazz waved a hand as if she knew
all about Caribbean prison facilities.
“How comforting.” MiMi lowered her head to
the rough table top.
Willa glared at Jazz. “I’m starting to wish
I’d left you at home.”
“Hey, I’m doin’ you a favor cause I speak
Spanish. I’d just as soon be back in Baton Rouge runnin’ my
business. Okay?” Jazz snapped her gum as she sat back in the
chair.
“Mama Ruby and Aunt Ametrine are looking
after your club just fine. You might even do better with them
helping,” Willa said.
“For all I know your church lady aunt is
having Bible study in my place by now,” Jazz snapped.
“You might show a little gratitude for all
they’re doing for you. And by the way...”
MiMi sat straight. “Hey, stop working out
your family issues. I’m stuck in a prison and you’re here to get me
out. Focus!”
“How you gonna come here with your boo
carrying weed anyway? That was stupid,” Jazz mumbled.
“I didn’t know he was going to buy drugs.
Anyway, Roddy thought the authorities didn’t bother much about
marijuana, just the hard stuff,” MiMi whispered. She checked to
make sure the guards weren’t around.
“Yeah, Mr. Genius got that one real wrong.
The local lawyer your parents hired said the Dominican Republic
doesn’t have the same view as other Caribbean governments about
marijuana,” Willa said.
“You’ve met with him already? Please tell me
he’s close to getting me released.” MiMi squeezed Willa’s hand
hard.
Willa winced as she worked her had free and
rubbed it. “Mr. Columba is on it, but you know the police and
courts are not happy when foreigners assume they can break the law.
Those were his exact words.”
“But I didn’t break the law, and you know
that.” MiMi pounded a fist on the table.
“Girl, you picked a high-classed loser.
Again.” Jazz moved away sharply to avoid another kick or slap from
Willa.
“No, she’s right. Who doesn’t know it’s
dangerous to be caught with drugs in a foreign country?” MiMi
groaned and rubbed her forehead to ward off another stress
headache.
Roderick Jefferson worked in the family owned
commercial real estate and construction company—when he wasn’t
driving between Baton Rouge and other cities to parties or
nightclubs that is. Still, at least MiMi’s parents approved of him.
Well, they liked that at least four generations of his family had
money.
MiMi snorted. “My only consolation is that
his butt is sitting in the men’s prison.”
“Ahem.” Jazz snapped her gum loudly.
MiMi glanced at her. She put a hand over her
heart when Jazz and Willa exchanged a look. “Did something happen
to Roddy? Oh Lord, I’m sorry about what I said. I hope they haven’t
hurt him.”
“Nah, he’s fine,” Jazz muttered.
“And uh, he out of prison and...” Willa
glanced at Jazz. Her sister wouldn’t return her gaze, instead
staring off in another direction.
“What?” MiMi demanded.
“Roderick’s father has local connections.
He’s already had one court hearing.” Willa’s voice trailed off when
MiMi hissed at her.
“Don’t tell me Roderick has been released. Do
not tell me that!” MiMi sprang to her feet.
A guard appeared at the door to stare at them
through the bars. He snapped a series of questions in Spanish and
Jazz walked over to answer him. After a few seconds of
conversation, Jazz came back to the table. She waved to the man who
stood watching the three women. His expression showed they were
testing the limits with him.
“I told him we’d brought some distressing
news from home. I explained you had never been in jail before. He
understands.” Jazz looked over her shoulder. She waved at him again
and the man nodded.
“Look, don’t give them any excuses to make
this worse. Breathe deep,” Willa whispered.
MiMi struggled to keep from screaming her
response. Instead she took Willa’s advice, inhaled and exhaled
several times. Then she sat down again. “What else?”
“The lawyer representing you said that was
unusual, but not unheard of,” Willa winced under MiMi’s hard stare.
“The good news is, that might help at your hearing. Plus the weed
dealer has disappeared, so no witness.”
“Let’s hope so, cause these people don’t play
when it comes to crime. See, for at least the last ten or fifteen
years, the government has been determined to crack down on drugs
especially.” Jazz nodded when MiMi and Jazz both gaped at her.
“Miss International Affairs,” Willa blurted
out.
“Hey, I did some homework. Like you should
have done before you sashayed your ass down here with Roddy boy,”
Jazz retorted as she stabbed a forefinger at MiMi.
“We came for a relaxing, fun getaway. All I
looked up was beaches and shopping,” MiMi protested.
“Riii-ght. Except you didn’t mention to him
you were looking for your former man’s missing money. You could
have easily gotten Roderick in big trouble. Which by the way could
be what happened.” Jazz crossed her arms.
Willa turned to Jazz. “Damn, I hadn’t thought
of that angle. If she was running around asking questions, somebody
could have set them up.”
“Hell yeah, a perfect way to get rid of her.
It’s not like MiMi can tell the authorities why she’s really here.”
Jazz shrugged.
“Exactly, and send a strong message not to
mess with these people,” Willa added.
“Okay, y’all are really stretching. There is
no grand conspiracy. Roddy decided to get high and was careless.
I’ll choke him when I get out of here, but my daddy is first on the
list.”
“Mr. Landry paid for the lawyer, so you
know.” Willa stopped talking.
“He took his sweet time.” MiMi swallowed
against the acid sensation in her throat. Awkward silence hung
between them for a few seconds. Her father had given them a choice,
pay for the bond or the lawyer. Not both.
“At least you got a daddy with money. Me? I’d
be rotting in here for years. Well, maybe I could get a friend to
help me out.” Jazz gave a sultry chuckle.
Willa rolled her eyes at her sister. “Your
sister is taking good care of Sage, one less thing you have to
worry about.”
MiMi blinked as tears formed at the thought
of her sweet two-year-old. Sage would be three in a few months.
“How was she when you saw her?”
“Adrienne says she’s fine. She loves her
cousin.” Willa’s expression brightened as it always did on the
subject of kids.
“Brayden loves being the big brother, has
since the minute he laid eyes on her.” MiMi smiled as she dabbed
tears away with the tissue Willa handed her. “I hope Adrienne isn’t
being too difficult. I know how she is.”
Willa cleared her throat. “No, it’s
fine.”
MiMi nodded, but then realized Willa hadn’t
answered her question. “When was the last time you saw Sage, Willa?
And don’t tap dance.”
“Ha, she knows you,” Jazz put in. At the dark
look Willa gave her, she pressed her lips closed.
“Adrienne’s been busy with the kids, and her
husband has been out of town so everything is on her. Your mama was
sick with the flu a couple of weeks ago, so she helped take care of
her,” Willa said.
“She shouldn’t have exposed herself like that
with my baby in the house,” MiMi said with a frown.
“Oh, no. She was careful to visit her once
Mrs. Landry wasn’t contagious.” Willa fidgeted with her purse,
realized MiMi was staring at her and stopped.
“Mother has a housekeeper. Adrienne didn’t
need to take care of her.” MiMi crossed her arms. “Adrienne won’t
let you see Sage.”