Murdered by Words: Midwest Cozy Mystery Series Read online

  MURDERED BY WORDS

  By

  Dianne Harman

  (A Midwest Cozy Mystery - Book 1)

  Copyright © 2016 Dianne Harman

  www.dianneharman.com

  All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book, or portions thereof, in any form without written permission except for the use of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales, is entirely coincidental.

  Website, Interior & Cover design by Vivek Rajan Vivek

  Paperback ISBN: 978-1530741250

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  First let me say, I am so grateful to have you as a reader. You’re the reason my books have climbed to the top of the charts. Thank you, thank you, thank you! This book is the first in the Midwest Cozy Mystery Series. I hope you enjoy it as much as you’ve enjoyed the books in my other three cozy mystery series, Cedar Bay, Liz Lucas, and High Desert. I grew up in the Midwest, and while this book is fiction, and the characters don’t exist in real life, I think there’s a lot of the Midwest in it.

  As always, I’m indebted to the two people I rely on to make my books so popular. First there is Vivek, who patiently formats my books for both print and digital, as well as designing wonderfully inventive book covers. I sent him an email that I was totally frustrated with what the cover of this book should look like, and within hours I received the beautiful cover that adorns this book. He has some sort of a sixth sense that seems to read my mind, and he’s always able to create appropriate, and I think, beautiful covers. The second person is my best friend, my husband Tom. He’s very careful to make sure that my books are as error free as possible, particularly as to time and characters. Thanks to both of you!

  And as I usually do, I need to thank my dog, Kelly, (named after Kelly of Kelly’s Koffee Shop, the first in the Cedar Bay Cozy Mystery Series), for becoming mature enough that I can now write while she amuses herself without getting into trouble. Thanks, Kelly!

  Lastly, you may wonder why a Rottweiler and a West Highland Terrier play an important role in this book. Why those breeds? Truth be told, I don’t have a clue! I’ve just always liked them, and as I wrote this book, I became enamored with Jazz and Rudy! I think you will be too.

  Free Paperbacks

  I'm giving away seven free autographed paperbacks. Find out more at www.dianneharman.com/freepaperback.html

  Table of Contents

  PROLOGUE

  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

  CHAPTER 15

  CHAPTER 16

  CHAPTER 17

  CHAPTER 18

  CHAPTER 19

  CHAPTER 20

  CHAPTER 21

  CHAPTER 22

  CHAPTER 23

  CHAPTER 24

  Recipes!

  ABOUT DIANNE

  PROLOGUE

  It was a beautiful clear Midwest winter day in the small town of Lindsay, Kansas. Nancy didn’t know it would be the last day of her life. She was planning on spending a few hours editing the final draft of Kat’s latest book, The Country Club Cover-Up.

  She was busily searching her office for the draft manuscript of the book when the doorbell rang. Looking at her watch, she thought Kat must have misunderstood what time she was supposed to come by the house or had decided to come early. She yelled down the hall, “Come in. The door’s unlocked.” She looked up from her desk and said “Oh, I was expecting someone else.” They were the last words Nancy Jennings ever spoke.

  CHAPTER 1

  Katherine Denham, who went by the name of Kat, made a mental list of what was on her agenda for the day. While she was thinking about what to do first, she idly petted Jazz, her West Highland Terrier. The fluffy dog looked up adoringly at her, his big black eyes a vivid contrast to the whiteness of his coat. Wherever Kat went, Jazz usually went too. She’d even gotten a large tote bag, so she could carry the dog with her when she ran errands. Jazz didn’t like to stay home, so the tote bag was perfect for the little dog. She was glad Jazz was small for her breed and only weighed ten pounds.

  She had an appointment at Susie’s Salon at ten, and as she walked by the mirror hanging on the wall outside her office, she saw a few grey hairs starting to show. Glad I’m going to get those taken care of today.

  Susie was a master at making Kat’s dark blond hair look natural, but a few more days of growth, and Kat knew it would be very apparent to everyone she wasn’t a natural blond but more of a bottle blond. She stopped and took a long look at herself in the mirror, wondering what others saw when they looked at her. The years had been kind to her face and body. Dark blue eyes looked back at her from a face which had its share of both laugh and life lines, but at fifty, she thought that was to be expected. Gravity had rearranged parts of her body a bit, but from the looks and smiles she got from men, she knew she still had a look that appealed to a number of them. The ringing of her cell phone pulled her out of her reverie.

  “Hi, Lacie,” she said to her daughter when she saw her name pop up on her cell phone screen. “How was the exam this morning?”

  “Much easier than I thought it would be. Logic is just not my thing. With help from Austin and a couple of his fraternity brothers over at the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity house I was able to get through it. The Pikes have a huge file drawer down in the basement of their house with copies of all the previous tests my logic professor has given for the past five years. It was a big help to see what his previous test questions were.

  “Actually, I think I might have the best grades this semester I’ve had since I’ve been in college. Of course, almost anything would be better than the minimum C average I had the first semester I was here at the university. At least it allowed me to get initiated into the sorority. I didn’t want to embarrass you by not having the grade average required for initiation, and I was pretty close to doing that.”

  “Honey, that’s great news. I’m sure that will make your sorority happy. Still glad you pledged the Pi Beta Phi sorority?”

  “Very much so. I've made a lot of good friends, but it does take up a lot of my time. I’m required to go to a lot of events, and there are also house meetings and all kinds of other stuff.”

  “Although I would have loved for you to have stayed home for a year or so and be a townie, I think it was a very good decision on your part when you opted to live in the sorority house. Jazz and I miss you, and the house still seems empty without you, but we're pretty much used to it by now.”

  “So how was the big golf dinner at the country club last night? Did you have fun with the new District Attorney? What do you have going on today?” Lacie asked.

  “I have to go to Susie’s for my regular hair appointment, then I’m meeting Bev at the country club for lunch. After that I have a meeting with Nancy to go over her edits of my latest book, and yes, I had a very good time last night. I’ll tell you all about it when I see you.”

  “Mom, I wish you’d give up writing the kinds of books you write. I know you said you make a lot of money writing them and believe me, I'm glad you're using a pen name so your true identity remains anonymous, but what if someone
finds out you’re the one who wrote them? After all, your books aren’t exactly G-rated, they’re more like X-rated.”

  Kat laughed and said, “It amazes me how many people buy them. When your father died he left me with the proceeds of a nice life insurance policy, but neither of us expected him to die at such a young age. I’m learning it takes quite a few dollars to maintain us in the manner to which we’ve become accustomed, and if my writing helps to put bread on the table, so be it. One of these days I’ll write a book you can tell your friends about, but for now I'll stick with the steamy romance novels my fans have grown to expect from me.”

  “Mom, what would happen if people found out that the author of the books you write is a middle-aged woman living in a small Kansas college town who went to church almost every Sunday?”

  “I have no idea, and I have no intention of finding out. Who would have thought women who live on farms or ranches could have such great sex with cowboys, military men who have just returned from overseas duty, or any other man who comes sniffing around, if you know what I mean?”

  “Mom...”

  “Gotta go, sweetheart, or I’ll be late for my appointment with Susie, and you know how she feels about customers who are late.”

  “Tell me about it. Last time I got my hair cut I was late, and she really let me know about it! Have a good day, and I’ll call you in a day or so.”

  “Thanks for calling, Lacie. I love you.”

  “Love you too, Mom.”

  CHAPTER 2

  Kat put Jazz in her tote bag and said a silent prayer to the gods who determined how much a dog was going to weigh. At ten pounds Jazz was small for her breed and looked like a stuffed animal toy. The only thing that told someone she was for real were her big intelligent saucer-like black eyes. She looked at Kat as they walked out the door as if to say, “Where to now?”

  Ten minutes later, Kat pulled into the parking lot of Susie’s Salon, popular with the local women who were always anxious to gossip and find out the latest rumor about what was happening in the small college town of Lindsay, Kansas. Kat loved the town with its old red brick buildings and houses. The tree-lined streets showcased many majestic old elm trees. When her husband, Greg, had been the head of the English Literature Department at the university, they’d lived a block away from the campus, so he could walk to work. After his untimely death in an auto accident, Kat and her daughter, Lacie, had moved to the other side of town. The house they'd shared with Greg held too many memories, and it was too painful to stay in the house. Greg’s death had occurred over two years earlier, and Kat knew in her heart it was time to get out and make new friends. Lacie had encouraged her to accept the male invitations that had begun to come her way, but she’d been resistant.

  She thought back to the party at the country club. She hadn't wanted to go to Nancy Jennings’ holiday party, but several of her friends insisted she attend. They told her she was becoming a hermit, and that's the last thing Greg would have wanted her to be. Privately she wished she'd dropped out of the club after Greg had died, but even though Lacie was almost twenty-one, she still loved to play tennis and the club was known in that part of the state as having one of the best tennis programs for young people. Kat knew Lacie had benefited greatly from the time she’d spent in the program. Lacie was another one who felt she should attend the holiday party.

  The club had been decorated for Christmas with several large pine trees that were displayed in the long hall that separated the pro shop from the dining room and bar. Brightly colored ornaments and white twinkling lights played against the green trees, each of which was surrounded by numerous large potted red poinsettias. Kat helped herself to some of the appetizers the club was known for and accepted a glass of wine from a waiter. She looked around and saw her editor, and now close friend, Nancy Jennings, waving for her to come join the group she was with. She walked over to the group and recognized several long-time members of the club.

  Nancy’s husband, Carl Jennings, stood next to Kat and when Nancy was deep in a conversation with a woman Kat didn't recognize, he turned to Kat and said, “I know Nancy is your editor, but I don't like her reading and editing the type of trash you write. That sex stuff is pretty sick,” he angrily hissed. “Might give Nancy some ideas, and she might wonder if our sex life could be better. Just wanted to let you know I'm going to tell her you need to look for another editor, that, or I’ll tell everyone I know that Sexy Cissy is really Katherine Denham.” Kat looked back at him in shocked silence and couldn’t think of anything to say in response to his veiled threat.

  A moment later she realized their group had been joined by Blaine Evans, the man who had won the Seton County District Attorney’s race a few weeks earlier. She recognized him from his campaign billboards and the political mail she’d received about him. Carl smiled at him, put his hand out to shake Blaine’s and said, “Congratulations on your election victory, Blaine. I’m Carl Jennings, and a lot of us are very glad you won.”

  “Thanks, but I’d be less than honest if I didn’t tell you I'm really glad the race is over.” He turned to Kat and said, “I don’t think I've had the pleasure of meeting you. I’m Blaine Evans.”

  Carl said, “This is Kat Denham. Her husband died tragically a couple of years ago, and this is the first time she’s been to one of the club parties since then. It’s good to have her back.”

  Kat couldn’t believe the man smiling at her and saying those kind words was the same man who just a few minutes earlier had threatened to expose her if she didn't find a new editor. She’d met Carl and occasionally seen him after she and Nancy became friends, but tonight she was a seeing a side of him she’d never seen before. She and Blaine shook hands, and she was surprised to find she felt somewhat attracted to him, and she sensed the feeling seemed to be mutual. At the end of the evening, he asked if he could walk her to her car. When she’d gotten into her car, he surprised her by saying, “I’m the president of the Men’s Club here at the country club, and every year at this time we have a dinner party and present awards. The event is tomorrow night, and I’d like to invite you to be my date. I know it’s short notice, but I’d really be pleased if you would accept.”

  Everything Lacie and all of her friends had said about it being time caused her to say, “I’d very much like that. What time is it?”

  “Cocktails are at 6:00. Why don’t I pick you up at 5:30? I probably should be here a little early and make sure everything has been taken care of.”

  “Thank you, Blaine. I'll see you tomorrow night.” She wrote down her address and handed it to him.

  Wonder if Carl will tell him what kind of books I write. Oh well, no point in worrying about it. I’m not forcing anyone to read my books. If they enjoy them and it provides an income for Lacie and me, so be it. Anyway, I'd like to think my books are done in good taste!

  CHAPTER 3

  Promptly at 5:30 in the evening on the following day, the doorbell at Kat’s home rang. She opened the door and said to Blaine, “Welcome to my home. I hope you didn’t have any trouble finding it. Please, come in.”

  “Kat, you look beautiful. I’m really glad you can go to the dinner at the country club with me. The people we’ll be sitting with are pretty nice, and I think you’ll enjoy the evening.”

  “I’d offer you a glass of wine, but you said you need to get to the club early to check on things. Does that still hold?” Kat asked.

  “Yes, even though I’d love one, I think we better go. Since I'm the Men’s Club president, it probably wouldn't look good if I arrived late and had alcohol on my breath. I’ll take a rain check.”

  Kat got her purse, locked the door, and walked with him out to his car. As he opened the door for her, she made a mental note that he was a gentleman as well as being attractive. His hair was greying at the temples, and his tan face spoke of time spent outdoors pursuing his sport of choice, golf. He was almost a foot taller than Kat and surprisingly trim for being middle-aged, but what made him so attractiv
e, in Kat’s judgment, was his dazzling smile which lit up his entire face. She smiled back at him as she got in the car, looking forward to the evening ahead.

  “Here we are,” he said, pulling up to the valet stand at the country club. The valet opened Kat’s car door as Blaine handed his car keys to him.

  “Good to see you, Mr. Evans. You're here for the awards dinner, right? I'll have your car ready for you when it’s over. I’ll park it over there, so you won’t have to wait.”

  “Thanks, Scott. I appreciate it. Ready, Kat?”

  They started to walk up the steps when Kat noticed a book on the valet stand. It was one of hers called Montana Madness. “Scott, I hope we’re not keeping you from your book,” she said.

  He blushed and said, “It’s not mine. I mean, I wouldn’t read that kind of a book, but my girlfriend read it and said it was really good. She told me it would really start my motor, if you know what I mean.”

  Blaine placed his hand on Kat’s back and said, “We know what you mean, Scott.” He turned to Kat and said, “I used to look at Playboy magazine when I was his age. I don’t have kids, but I guess some things never change.” Kat willed her face not to turn red and possibly prompt an inquiry from Blaine.

  As soon as they entered the club a burly red-haired man walked over to Blaine. He introduced Kat to Mike Williams, the vice-president of the Men’s Club. Mike shook her hand and started talking to Blaine.

  “You’re at the head table. When everyone’s seated for dinner, just say a few welcoming words and tell them the program will begin during dessert. You’ll introduce the annual club winners for the various categories and give them their trophies. When you’re finished with that, you’ll introduce Jason Wright, the winner of this year’s PGA Master's Tournament. He's scheduled to speak for about twenty minutes. I’ve put a script up at the podium for you and made the print really large, so you shouldn’t have a problem reading it. Don't tell me. I know, your eyesight isn't as good as it once was. Hey, at our age, is anything as good as it once was?” he asked, laughing as he left for the bar.