Horse Drawn Homicide: A Senoia Cozy Mystery Read online

  Horse Drawn Homicide

  A Senoia Cozy Mystery

  Susan Harper

  Fairfield Publishing

  Contents

  Copyright

  Message to Readers

  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

  Thank You!

  Copyright © 2017 Fairfield Publishing

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Except for review quotes, this book may not be reproduced, in whole or in part, without the written consent of the author.

  This story is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to actual people, places, or events is purely coincidental.

  Message to Readers

  Thank you so much for buying my book. I am excited to share my stories with you and hope that you are just as thrilled to read them.

  If you would like to know about all my new releases and have the opportunity to get free books, make sure you sign up for our Cozy Mystery Newsletter.

  FairfieldPublishing.com/cozy-newsletter

  Chapter 1

  The plane touched down in Atlanta nearly an hour early; it was a rare occasion to actually be early to the Atlanta airport, so Felicity Overton was quite surprised. Now she stood at baggage claim alongside her new boyfriend, Brian, watching as the belt circled around and around in anticipation of their luggage. “There’s my suitcase!” she said, and Brian snagged it off the conveyer for her in one quick swoop.

  “All right, an hour early!” he said as he sat her luggage down and checked his watch. “Which means our ride won’t be here for another hour. I say we check out one of those restaurants they have up here and grab ourselves a bite to eat. I am starving, and all I’ve eaten today is airport food.”

  Felicity smiled and nodded, allowing him to lead the way; she had never eaten at the airport before, so she was not quite sure what to expect. She had just spent the past two weeks in Washington D.C. with Brian’s family for Thanksgiving, and it had been a wonderful experience. They had only been dating for a few months, so she felt like this was a rather aggressive step forward in their relationship. A part of her wondered if perhaps they were moving too quickly, but at the same time, she had been overwhelmingly flattered by the invitation. And his family! She had adored them, and she felt as though they had all liked her as well. She had especially gotten along with Brian’s mother; the woman had been just lovely.

  Brian got them a table at the nice restaurant, and they were able to leave their bags in a cubby area near the restaurant’s exit. Once they were seated, Brian kindly ordered them some wine to enjoy with dinner. He had an adorable smile, and there was something about him that demanded attention and respect. It’s probably the suit, Felicity thought with a smirk. There was something about a man in a suit that always made her linger.

  “So you realize it’s been three months now, right?” he said with a wink.

  “No, it hasn’t,” she argued. Surely not, she thought as she counted back the days in her head. She had kept the relationship a secret from her friends for so long that she had not even realized how long it had truly been. “Interesting, I suppose you’re right. You’re referring to our run-in at the Atlanta courthouse?”

  “Honestly, I’m so glad you came in to protest that ticket.” He smiled. “You were quite…persistent with that judge, weren’t you?”

  “Yes, I was! The officer wrote the ticket long before my meter ran out,” she said. “That was ridiculous! I took a picture with my phone of the ticket next to the unexpired meter. The judge threw it right out. Why were you at the courthouse that day again?”

  “Defending a teenager for aggravated assault,” he said. “Got the kid a reduced sentence, and he’s going to be getting out soon for good behavior. Nice kid who made a bad decision is what it boiled down to.”

  “I don’t know how you handle a job like that,” Felicity admitted.

  “I see people when they’re at their lowest,” Brian said. “You deal with people when they’re most stressed. I mean, wedding planning?” He laughed and shook his head.

  “I’ve told you I’m not a wedding planner, well, usually. We do a lot more than just weddings. We did that awesome raid party in Senoia, some reunions, fundraisers, and we do a lot of events for the city of Senoia too. Not just weddings!”

  “I have to say I’m impressed that you managed to nab that city planner job,” Brian said, casually flipping open a menu. “That couldn’t have been easy to get, I’m sure.”

  “A little easier than expected,” Felicity admitted. “I had helped Wanda, the current city planner that Jefferson and I are training under, with an event once, before we got a building on Main Street. Then the same week my shop in downtown Senoia opened, she shows up saying she’s going to be retiring next year and that she needs to start training someone new. She put in a good word to the city about Overton’s Events, and now Jefferson and I are the new official event planners for the city. Wanda’s been doing a great job training me on the annual events that the city does. The next big one we have coming up is the Light Up Senoia event. It’s going to be a blast! Animals, vendors, and of course, a Santa and Mrs. Claus. I always loved the event as a guest, and I can’t wait to put my own touch on it this year.”

  “You know what? I think I’m going to have to come check it out. I haven’t been to any of your events before,” Brian said. “Yes, I think that is exactly what I’m going to do. I want to see my girl in action.”

  “Your girl?” Felicity quipped, but she smiled.

  He smiled back and reached across the table, touching her hand. “I like to think so,” he said just as the server arrived to take their order.

  Felicity’s stomach fluttered slightly. She really liked Brian. He was well-educated, committed to his work like her, and quite charming—not to mention very handsome. There really wasn’t anything she had found to not like about him, and that was something she was very good at in relationships. She thought back to her high school relationship with Jack Hudson, the old football start whose leg injury lost him his scholarship; that relationship had been rocky, and it had ended badly. Even though she and Jack were now friends, the out of control breakup had left some pretty hefty scars. She had always been hesitant to get serious with anyone after that, but she felt like she could do that with Brian. Even if it meant breaking Jefferson’s heart.

  Dinner was exquisite, and the company even grander. They laughed and joked about their trip, especially about Brian’s mother who had been convinced they would be getting hitched by the end of the year. “I can’t believe the number of lawyers you have in your family,” Felicity said as she pushed her now empty plate to the side.

  “My grandfather started it all, what can I say?” Brian said proudly. “All of his sons became lawyers, and my sister and I both went into law. She’ll be taking the bar exam this year; I guarantee she’s going to beat my score by a long shot. She’s always been smarter than me. She’ll be the first female lawyer in the family, and I guarantee she’ll be the most successful. She’s got drive my grandfather would be envious of.”

  After Brian paid the bill, the two of them slipped out of the restaurant and headed outside to wait for their ride. “So who’s picking us up?” Brian asked.

  “Jefferson,” she said and checked the time on her phone. “He should be here any minute.”

  “That was nice of him to offer to drive us,”
Brian said. “A cab all the way back to Senoia would be really pricy. I hate taxis.”

  They both jumped suddenly; the car next to them on the curb laid on its horn. The window rolled down, and Felicity saw Veronica staring back at her. “Hello, dearies!” Veronica exclaimed, hopping out of the car and giving Felicity an exaggerated hug. “Ooh, look at you in that suit! Yummy!” She winked at Brian.

  “Veronica? What are you doing up here? I thought Jefferson was picking us up?” Felicity asked.

  Veronica, the most dramatic of her friends, waved a finger in her face. “Tisk, tisk! My dear Felicity, you must learn to answer your phone! Shame on you!”

  “What?” Felicity questioned and then frowned, recalling she had ignored Jefferson’s phone call twice yesterday. “Oh no, what did I miss?”

  Veronica was dying to reveal some big surprise; it was hard to miss Veronica’s tell-tale signs. She shifted back and forth, one hand rested in a fist on her stomach like she had to hold herself to keep from exploding, and her smile stretched across the entirety of her face. “Monte asked Dawn to marry him!” she exploded.

  Felicity smiled and let loose an excited shriek. Monte and Dawn had been part of their group of friends since it had first formed back in college, and they had only just started dating a few months back. “What!” Felicity squealed.

  A car behind Veronica honked at them and the driver made a rather crude gesture in their direction. “Okay, okay, let’s go, you two!” she said, waving them along.

  Felicity and Brian climbed into the back of Veronica’s car after loading up their luggage, and she zipped out of the airport parking lot. “So why are you here, Veronica?” Felicity asked.

  Veronica sighed, shaking her head. “Felicity, if you had answered your phone, you would know that Monte and Dawn are having an engagement party tonight and Overton’s Events is throwing it, which means Jefferson is throwing it since your little butt decided to leave for D.C. for two weeks.”

  “Oh no! Poor Jefferson!” Felicity exclaimed.

  “I’m sure he’s doing fine,” Brian assured her.

  “Fine? Are you kidding! When Monte sees what he and Dawn have thrown together, he’s going to love it!” Veronica laughed. “Dawn decided she wanted to basically do a Monte-themed engagement party. We all know the wedding is all about the bride, so she wanted to do a little nod to Monte tonight. The party is at the Brooks ballpark where he used to play as a kid, and the theme is all music inspired. It looks amazing; he was just doing the final touches when I left to come get you two. Ugh! The party starts in two hours!”

  “Oh, geez!” Felicity exclaimed. “I wish I had answered my phone! This is so last minute!” She turned to Brian. “Do you have plans tonight, Brian? Want to be my date?”

  “My plans were to try to sneak my way into hanging out with you again anyway,” he said. “A party sounds nice.”

  “Oh, I’ve got to change!” Felicity exclaimed.

  “Oh, baby doll, you know I’m on it,” Veronica said. She reached over to the passenger’s seat and held up a lovely dress, swerving the car slightly as she did so. “And it looks like your man is not going to need the outfit I snagged him… although I don’t think it would have fit… yeah, definitely not.”

  “Veronica, that dress is gorgeous!” Felicity said and reached for it so that she could examine it more closely. “Shoes?” she asked.

  “Got them in the floorboard up here, but trust me, you don’t want to put them on yet. Ouch!” Veronica laughed. “Oh, you should have seen the proposal!”

  “Wait, you were there?” Felicity asked.

  “Yeah, we all were,” Veronica said. “So sweet. Roses. Wine. Music. Dancing. He took her to this masquerade party up in Atlanta, and we all wore masks so she wouldn’t know we were there. Both of their families were there hidden in the crowd; like, for real, half the building was full of people they knew. It was great!”

  “I’m sorry I missed it,” Felicity said, feeling a pang of guilt for being in D.C. during this magical moment her friends had shared.

  “Hey, they’re just going to be glad you came to the engagement party. They dipped out of that masquerade party thing quick, trust me. You wouldn’t have even gotten to talk to them, I’m sure,” Veronica said and then laughed. “Tonight is going to be the fun, supportive friend’s thing.”

  Felicity smiled and thanked Veronica for her reassurance. Brian reached over and grabbed her by the hand, smiling. “This will be fun. I haven’t really had much of a chance to get to know your friends,” he said.

  “Well… I’m Veronica!” Veronica sang. “And you have an hour or so of a drive to get to know me pretty well.”

  Brian laughed. “Okay, sounds good,” he said and smiled over at Felicity again.

  “Ugh, I hate Atlanta traffic!” Veronica shouted and laid on the horn before zipping around two cars in a dangerous maneuver that made Brian squeeze Felicity’s hand in terror.

  His friendly gaze turned to a wide-eyed look of horror. Felicity laughed. “Don’t worry, I’ve been in the car with her plenty of times. She hasn’t killed me yet. Though she has come close a few times.”

  If Brian can handle Veronica’s crazy driving and exaggerated personality, I think he’ll get along with everyone else just fine, Felicity thought with a giggle. She could see him gripping the arm of the door with his other hand as Veronica zipped in and out of traffic and honked her horn on occasion to let people know she was coming up fast.

  “So…um…Veronica, you work at the NICU at the hospital where Autumn, Monte, and Dawn work, right?” Brian asked.

  “Soon it’s just going to be Autumn and me,” Veronica moaned. “Monte is working on building up a reputation as a DJ, and Dawn is going to school at night to get certified to teach. They decided together they’d rather be broke and happy than have pockets full of cash working a job they both hate.”

  Brian smiled. “That’s good. I think I’m really going to like your friends, Felicity.”

  Chapter 2

  Jefferson and Jack very carefully lifted each side of the cake up and out of the back of the Overton’s Events van. It was not one of the largest cakes that Overton’s Events had ever delivered, but this was the first time Jefferson had planned and prepped an event entirely without any of Felicity’s assistance. He wanted everything to be perfect, and one of the most stressful moments of any event was the cake delivery. There were a thousand things that could go wrong. It could fall in the back of the van. Someone could accidentally brush up against it. They could drop it while transporting it from the van to its location—the most likely of the occurrences. Or, the most obnoxious thing, a kid could decide to take a lick before the guest of honor even arrived. The last seemed the least likely at this particular event since it was an adults-only party, but they were still at a public park, so Jefferson was not taking any chances.

  When Felicity arrived at the party later, he really wanted her to be impressed. Dropping the goofy looking cake that Dawn had helped him design was not in his plans to impress his boss, who also happened to be a woman he adored.

  The cake was four layers, and each layer had it’s own theme that Jefferson had worked tirelessly designing alongside the baker to make Dawn’s ridiculous vision make sense. The bottom layer was all baseball-themed, and there were images designed into it to make it very representative of the Brooks ballpark. As a Brooks native, Monte was sure to adore this section. The next layer up was nursing-themed; Monte and Dawn had met at nursing school. The third layer was covered in music notes and looked like a little DJ station to represent his future career path. Finally, the top tier, was mostly little hearts and a large set of wedding bells. Despite the ridiculousness and incoherent concept Dawn had brought to him, Jefferson and the baker had come up with a design that made the images flow together just perfectly.

  “Dawn’s going to love this,” Jack told him.

  “No talking,” Jefferson grunted in response. He could feel Autumn watching them from the cover
ed picnic area as she finished stringing up the lights. By some miracle, Jefferson and Jack managed to make it from the car to the white tablecloth-covered picnic table. Jefferson breathed a sigh of relief and sat down for a moment once the cake was in place. “Thanks,” Jefferson said to Jack, and the man nodded. Hard to believe I can now call on Jack Hudson for a favor, Jefferson mused. Only a few months back, the two of them had constantly been at odds—mostly over Felicity. Things had gotten better between the two of them after Jefferson had helped Felicity solve Jack’s sister’s murder, but the two of them had practically become friends ever since Felicity had introduced them to Brian right before Thanksgiving. It was as though they had found a common enemy.

  “Okay,” Autumn said as she stepped down from the small stepladder that Jefferson had provided. “Turn on the lights!”

  Jefferson hurried over to a corner of the picnic area and flipped a switch. The entire surrounding area lit up with white Christmas lights. Jack went around to light the tiki torches—a suggestion by Dawn to keep the infamous Brooks ballpark mosquitos away. Jefferson smiled proudly. The picnic tables were all lined with lovely white tablecloths with black music note stitching. One of Monte’s new DJ co-workers was setting up in a corner to provide music for this little get-together. The wine was sitting on ice, and the caterer was finishing setting up the buffet-style dinner they would be having,

  “I have to say, Jefferson, I’m impressed,” Autumn said and clasped his shoulder. “This is your first time running an event completely by yourself without Felicity, right?”