Whiskey Rebellion (Romantic Mystery/Comedy) Book 1 (Addison Holmes Mysteries)

sharp pain in the back of my skull.

    I woke up crammed into a tiny box, and I could tell by the strong smell of cedar that it was some kind of keepsake chest like the one my mom used to have.
    My head was pounding and the lack of oxygen wasn’t making it better. I brought my arm up as best I could and touched the lump on the back of my head. The slippery wetness of blood between my fingers escalated my panic.
    I didn’t know if I was still inside the Hyatt mansion, but I could hear John’s voice coming from somewhere. And then I heard the voice of a woman.
    “What the hell are we going to do with her? There are cops sitting down the street watching our every move. They’re not going to let us waltz out with a body and shove it in the trunk,” the woman said.
    “Did you move her car?” John asked.
    “Yeah, I put on one of your dark wigs and took the keys out of her purse. I left the car at the park. I’m so sorry, John. I know this is all my fault, but I just love you so much.”
    “I love you, too, but there has to be a way to get out of this mess. You shouldn’t have followed me to The Foxy Lady. Now three people are dead because of your jealousy.”
    “I did it to protect you. I thought you were starting to love Greg more than me, and when I saw the two of you together at that club I was just so angry. I knew the moment that principal looked at you he realized who you were, even with the disguise. I had to make sure your secret stayed safe. And this wouldn’t even be an issue if Greg had just died like he was supposed to.”
    “I know, babe. You did what you thought you had to. And I did what I had to do to protect both of us , but there was no need for you to be jealous of Greg. He was a distraction. A one-time thing. You’re the one I love.”
    “How could I n ot be jealous? I’m your fiancée. Why would I want to share you with anyone when what we have is so special, so unique?
    “Be that as it may, we have another problem on our hands. How did the Holmes girl get involved in this, and better yet, what are we going to do with her?”
    “That’s my fault,” Fanny said, sounding as if she were near tears. “I hired a detective agency to keep tabs on you. If you’d cheat once then I was sure it was only a matter of time before it happened again.”
    “Wait. You hired a detective agency? Are you nuts?” John yelled. “Detective agencies are good at finding things out, Fanny. No wonder Addison Holmes has been snooping around. She mentioned she just started working for them last week. Even as inept as she is, there were bound to be one or two important details regarding our pastimes that would be impossible for her to miss.”
    “Well you shouldn’t have cheated on me,” Fanny yelled back. “I told you I wasn’t thinking straight. I was upset. That’s what happens when the person you love betrays you. Besides, I told her I changed my mind about the investigation. She was supposed to stop.”
    I groaned from the ache in my head and the fact that John Hyatt and Fanny Kimble were Cracker Jack crazy. From what I could understand John Hyatt dressed up as Loretta Swanson and Fanny Kimble dressed up as Loretta’s main squeeze so they could spice up their sex life. The only problem was that John got a little carried away and used his alter ego to live a second life. One that didn’t include Fanny.
    “Be quiet for a second,” John hissed. “Do you think she’s waking up?”
    I could practically hear them breathing as they leaned over the chest. I was as weak as a kitten and wasn’t sure I’d be able to fight them off. The scrape of the key and the snick of the lock opening rang loud in my ears. I closed my eyes and feigned unconsciousness, while the pulse in the side of my neck beat frantically
    “What should we do with her?” Fanny asked. “Do you think we could get her to promise not to say anything if we let her go?”
    “You know we can’t let her go. She won’t be able to keep it to herself.”
    “But I don’t want to kill her. There have already been too many deaths. And her mother would hound everybody in town until she had a search party gathered and every house searched. Can’t you just bash her over the head hard enough so she gets amnesia?”
    I could hear John sigh in frustration. “You know we have to get rid of her, Fanny. This will be the last time. I swear. We just have to figure out how to get her out of the house without anyone noticing.”
    John hoisted me