Chair Massage & Chaos (A Cozy Spa Mystery Book 5) Read online

  Chair Massage & Chaos

  Jenn Cowan

  JRC Press

  Copyright © 2018 Jenn Cowan

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, organizations, places, events, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual person’s, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of author.

  The author acknowledges the trademark status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction. The publication/use of these trademarks in not associated with or sponsored by the trademark owners.

  Created with Vellum

  Contents

  Prologue

  Three Days Earlier

  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

  New Year’s Day

  Epilogue

  A Note from the Author

  About the Author

  Other Books by the Author:

  Prologue

  “Cat, what did you do?”

  She stares at me with wide green eyes. Tears streak down her crimson cheeks. Her red hair’s hanging over her face and her entire body’s shaking. The knife drops from her hand and clatters to the floor. Blood flies off it and onto her black boots and dress. “I-I,” she clamps her mouth shut then rushes from the room and toward the bathroom.

  I can hear her gagging then heaving in the bathroom. I’m torn between rushing to help her and checking on the girl lying on the spa floor.

  Three Days Earlier

  1

  Cat reaches up to fix some of the fresh pine garlands hanging from the windows and knocks over the oil diffuser emitting peppermint. “Oops, sorry.” She blushes, her cheeks turning the color of her hair as she rights it.

  I wave her off and fix an ornament on the tree in the corner. Christmas music plays softly from the speakers above me and I can almost hear Josh’s deep voice singing along except it isn’t.

  Christmas time is different this year. Usually, he helps me put up the tree, hang the lights and decorate the spa, but this year it’s Cat. Don’t get me wrong, she’s a huge help. I don’t know what I would have done without her these past two months. She brings me a lot of joy and is a wonderful addition to the spa.

  “Are you ready for the Hot Chocolate festival tonight?” Cat tucks a strand of red hair behind her ear.

  “Hmm. I guess.” I force a smile, but I’m sure it looks fake. The Hot Chocolate festival happens every Thursday before Christmas. Each business serves a different type of hot chocolate while everyone else walks around enjoying the lights and sipping on various hot cocoas. Of course, there’s a contest to see who makes the best cocoa.

  “I’m going to check on the cocoa. We have to beat Regina this year. She can’t win three years in a row. If I didn’t know her, I’d put money on her slipping extra votes in the jar.” She winks at me. “Not this year though, with you giving free chair massages to everyone and my secret ingredient, we’ll definitely win.” Cat claps her hands together then skips back to the break room.

  I smile after her. Thankful, I’m not alone in the spa getting ready for this event. I thought about not participating this year. Without Josh, it didn’t feel right, but Cat insisted and I couldn’t deny her. She’s here every day, even if she doesn’t have to be, to help out. I’ve thought about hiring a full-time receptionist, but I’m waiting until after the New Year. Hopefully, we’ll still be open. There’s no sense in hiring anyone new if the spa’s going to close.

  Sally’s out of jail and she and Dr. Gregory got married over Thanksgiving. He’s officially back in Chicago and they’re taking care of the old Mayor.

  Sally sent me financials on the spa and what it’ll cost to buy it. I have to admit, I choked on my chamomile tea when I saw the figure. It was more than I thought it would be. Josh assures me we’ll have the money and to let Sally know we’ll purchase it. So, now it’s just a waiting game. A very long one.

  I sigh and fix the tinsel on the tree.

  “Any word from Josh lately?”

  I jump, not realizing that Cat had come back into the room.

  “Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you.”

  “No worries. I’m off in another world.” I turn to face her and notice a blue mug in her hand with the word Escape on the front. It’s definitely something I’m thinking about doing. Maybe once Josh gets back. We can take a trip somewhere warm. I glance out at the snow trickling down from the sky. I’m so over the snow. I sigh then say, “Nothing. No word from him.” My heart aches hearing his name, but I force a smile. It’s been almost a month since I last heard from him. Celeste was headed to Mexico and Josh and his PI were hot on her trail…at least they were when I last spoke to him.

  “Here.” She places the mug in my hands. “I want you to be the first to try it.”

  I blow on the steaming brown liquid then gingerly take a sip. It burns my tongue, but I can still catch the chocolate and is it orange I’m tasting? “Did you add orange juice to this?”

  Cat makes a face like I asked if she put maple syrup on salad or something. “Not orange juice. Orange Zest. It’s a hint of orange, but not enough to take away from the chocolate flavor. What do you think?”

  I take another sip to give her my honest opinion. As much as I like to say that I’m not looking forward to this event, I still want to win. Chalk it up to my competitive side and the fact that I’ll love taking the mug trophy from Regina. It’s sitting behind her front counter and she’s bragging about how it’ll be there for another year. “Mmm. It’s interesting.”

  “A good interesting or a bad interesting?” Cat gives me an unsure look.

  “Good.” I take another sip. “It grows on you. I definitely give you points for trying something different and it’s really good.”

  Cat grins and claps her hands together. “We’re going to win for sure.”

  I smile at her enthusiasm. Her strategy to keep me from being sad over Josh is to distract me, lately it’s been about hot chocolate. When she feels like that doesn’t work, she runs out and grabs me a veggie pizza. She’s a sweetheart. I just wish I could do something for her.

  Losing her mother earlier this year and this being the first Christmas without her, I know she has to be hurting. She’s putting on a brave face, but she’s not fooling anyone, especially not her aunt Regina or her dad. They’re constantly popping in with her favorite treats or silly questions about her Christmas wish list.

  I turn back to the tree and fix another ornament that’s about to fall off the tree. I found the perfect gift for Cat so she has something to remember her mother by, but I have to admit it was tough. April wasn’t my favorite person so I couldn’t bring myself to buy an angel ornament. April was no angel, but I think I got something I hope Cat will like.

  The door to the spa blows open, bringing in a light dusting of snow. I step back from the tree and rub my hands up my arms to ward off the
cold. The temperature’s hovering in the twenties and shows no sign of rising before the festival.

  Travis stomps his boots on the mat and pulls a knitted black ski hat off his head, causing his red hair to stick up in all directions. His leather bomber jacket has snow on the shoulders so he brushes it off then rubs his gloved hands together and steps forward. His green eyes land on Cat for a moment as if he’s trying to read her mind then he turns his gaze to me. From the look on his face, I can tell he doesn’t have good news.

  I grip my elbows and hold my breath.

  His eyes slide back to Cat. “Hey, honey. Can I have a minute with Autumn, please?”

  Cat’s eyes flick back and forth between us. “What’s wrong?”

  Travis runs a hand over his scruffy chin. It’s a day old at most and barely noticeable. The perks of having red hair, I guess. “I have some news for Autumn.”

  “News? About Josh?” Cat sidles up to my side and wraps an arm around me as if to protect me from whatever it is that her dad is going to tell me.

  “It is,” he sighs and locks eyes with me.

  My heart kicks up, but I know the news can’t be good if he’s asking Cat to give us some privacy. I pat her hand. “Why don’t you grab your dad some of your yummy hot cocoa? We could use another opinion.”

  Cat hesitates then reluctantly trudges back to the break room.

  “Why don’t we sit down?” Travis motions to the leather couch.

  I shake my head. “What is it Travis? Is Josh ok?”

  Travis rubs the back of his neck, a move he does when he’s nervous.

  This must really be bad. My mind starts to run wild with possibilities. Celeste has kidnapped Josh and is holding him hostage or Josh is being held by the border patrol in Mexico because he forgot his passport.

  “There’s been an explosion.”

  I sway and almost take out the tree before Travis steadies me and leads me over to the couch. I slump down and try to fill my lungs with air. When I finally catch my breath, I cough out, “An explosion?”

  Travis nods. “Celeste was on a boat in the Gulf of Mexico. Josh and his PI rented a boat to go after her. According to the coast guard, the boats collided…”

  My head starts to spin, but I keep my wits about me somehow and push for answers, “Collided, then they both exploded?”

  “Yes.”

  “They found Josh though, right? Is he hurt? Which hospital is he in?” I move to stand up, but Travis pulls me back down.

  He gulps and takes my hand. “Autumn, they found Celeste. She’s dead.”

  “Dead?” The air leaves my lungs and I feel woozy. I should feel relief. This woman killed her own twin, stole her identity and swindled numerous men out of thousands of dollars and Josh out of millions. She’s taken Josh away from me for months and for a little while I thought I lost my best friend. You would think I’d be ecstatic to hear of her demise, but I’m not. She was still a human being. Yes, she made mistakes, but she should have paid for those in prison, not in death. When Travis doesn’t say anything else, I ask, “They found Josh and his PI, right?”

  He gulps. “They found the PI…he’s dead.”

  My stomach begins to churn and I think I might be sick. How can this be happening? Josh must be so upset.

  Travis squeezes my hand. “Autumn.”

  I glance down at our hands then up at his face. It’s pale and haunted. “What?” I blink. My mind refusing to acknowledge any possibility of something happening to Josh. “Josh is okay, right? Should I book a flight?”

  “Autumn.” Travis gulps then says nothing. He stares at our clasped hands.

  “Travis, what is it? You’re freaking me out. Where’s Josh?”

  He sighs. “We don’t know.”

  My breath catches in my throat. “What do you mean you don’t know?”

  “The coast guard hasn’t been able to locate him. His body.”

  “His body?” I yank my hands away from Travis and scream at him, “Josh is NOT DEAD! He probably swam to shore. He’s a strong swimmer. They need to check the beach or with other boaters. Maybe someone picked him up and brought him to the hospital. Did they check with the hospitals?” Tears are falling from my eyes even though my brain is refusing to accept anything other than the fact that Josh isn’t dead. I can feel it. He’s alive. If he were dead, I would know it. Feel it. We’re connected. There’s no way he’s gone. Hurt, maybe, but not dead.

  Travis reaches for me. “Autumn.”

  I jump up and step back, almost toppling over the tree again. “No. Get out!” I point to the door. “Josh isn’t dead,” I shout at him, more tears streaming down my cheeks.

  Cat rushes into the room, spilling hot chocolate over the sides of a mug, which says, Chill. Yeah, that’s not happening. “Autumn, what’s wrong?” She glares at her dad. “What did you do to upset her, Dad?”

  The door to the spa breezes open and Regina rushes in with Allison right on her heels. They’re dressed in jeans with black smocks covering their red sweaters. Regina’s short red hair is toned down to a brassy red today. Allison’s long red locks are more auburn and falling loosely down her back.

  Regina engulfs me in a hug. Her vanilla and coconut perfume tickles my nose, but it’s a welcome scent. “Oh, Autumn. I’m so sorry.”

  I’m a stone. I can’t bring myself to hug her back because that would mean Josh is really gone and I don’t believe it. He’s not gone. He’s just not.

  2

  If someone tells me they’re “Sorry for my loss” or “what a great guy Josh was” one more time, I might scream again. Josh is NOT GONE, but every time I tell that to someone, they give me a sad smile and pat my hand like they’re coddling a toddler.

  Somehow, for the last hour, I’ve been giving chair massages on auto pilot. I refuse to go home. Business as usual until further notice. Travis is hovering behind the reception desk with Cat. They’re both watching me like a ticking time bomb or a tower of glasses. I think they’re waiting for me to either explode or fall down. Guess they’re going to have to keep waiting because I’m not going to. Josh is alive. I know it.

  I smile at Allison, who came in to check on me. I force her into the massage chair so I have something to do with my hands.

  Allison sighs when I start to rub her neck. “You have magical hands, Autumn. Thank you. I need it.” She turns her head when I move to her back and glances over at Travis. “Things have been a little tense lately,” she whispers.

  I frown and knead her shoulders with my knuckles. “What do you mean? I thought you and Travis were doing well.” I think back to a few months ago when Travis was talking about getting married for Cat’s sake, which is never a reason to do so.

  Allison shrugs. “I mean. I guess we’re fine. He’s been distant lately. Withdrawn. Working a lot.”

  “Tis the life of a detective, unfortunately,” I reply, kneading deeper into her right shoulder.

  She groans in pleasure. “I know.”

  When she doesn’t elaborate, I press, “Are you happy, Allison?”

  Allison doesn’t respond, maybe she’s contemplating the question.

  I don’t ask any more questions because sometimes it’s better to just give the massage. I’m not a therapist, well I am, but not the kind who’s licensed to solve problems. I do one final sweep of her back before stepping back.

  Allison sits back and studies me for a moment. “Thanks, Autumn. That massage was therapeutic. It helped me see things more clearly. You truly have a gift.” She drops a ten-dollar bill into the donations jar for the food bank.

  Every year the spa picks a charity to sponsor during the month of December and we collect donations. Cat made a big sign and set it next to the massage chair along with a jar asking for donations with every chair massage.

  “Thank you,” she says and gives me a hug then whispers in my ear. “If you believe Josh is still alive then you keep right on believing.” She pulls back and glances at Travis. “Don’t let anyone convince you o
therwise.”

  I’m not sure what to say so I simply nod and begin to clean the massage chair. Her words continue to bounce around in my mind. I do believe Josh is alive and I won’t stop believing it unless there’s proof. After all that’s what sleuths need to solve cases…proof.

  “Autumn!”

  I turn and come face to face with the tear stained cheeks of Josh’s mom. Her silky long dark hair is covered with a gray knit hat and her blue eyes, which are so similar to Josh’s, are shining with tears. She’s wearing jeans and a gray wool coat over her thin frame. “Abby, what are you doing here?”

  She rushes toward me and engulfs me in a hug before breaking down into tears.

  I pat her back then spot Josh’s dad, Brian, looking somber as he steps inside the door. He’s the spitting image of Josh, tall and trim, except his hair is completely gray. There are a few more wrinkles around his blue eyes, which appear tired and glassy. His long dark trench coat hits above his knees and he’s wearing dark slacks. Always the business man.

  “How are you holding up, sweetie?” Abby steps back and studies me with concern in her eyes.

  “Okay,” I choke out, feeling my throat grow tight.

  “Josh would want you to be here. He loved this place.” She glances around the spa.

  I frown. Loved? No, he loves this place. We’re going to buy it together. As soon as they find him in and bring him home. We’ll run it together. Get married. Have dark and red-headed babies with either his blue eyes or my green ones. Of course, I don’t say any of this out loud. What’s the point? No one believes Josh is alive. “What are you doing here?” I ask again.