The Firework Frenzy: A Cozy Mystery

Book 17: A Tess and Tilly Cozy Mystery

by Kathi Daley

Genres: Friendship; Animal Cozy Mysteries; Cozy Mystery; Female Sleuths

Synopsis

If you love small towns, endearing relationships, animals, and a touch of murder, you will love this mystery series set in the small town of White Eagle Montana.

In book 17 of the series, Tess and the entire gang who work and volunteer at the local wild and domestic animal rescue and rehabilitation facility, are up in arms when they find out that the annual fireworks show has been moved to a small lake nestled in the center of a large meadow not all that far from the shelter. Tess tries to explain how setting off explosives of any sort near the shelter will stress out all the animals in their care. She argues that the firework display should be moved back to the larger lake south of town where it has always been held. It seems however that the new president of the local chamber of commerce has his own reasons for moving the show and refuses to cooperate. When the unpleasant man shows up dead hours after Tess publicly threatens him, Tess finds herself in the hot seat. As crazy as it is that anyone would believe she would actually carry through with her threats, it seems the only way to really clear her name is to find the real killer.

Meanwhile, Tess's mom is planning a huge Fourth of July party to be held at Tess and Tony's house on the lake. Tess's sister-in-law Bree is pregnant to unable to help with the planning of the event as she normally would, which means that Tess will need to shoulder double the workload. And if being accused of murder and having a party to plan isn't enough, mom is insisting that Tess invite Uncle Garret, who as far as Tess is concerned, is the very last man on earth who should be included.

 

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Release date: June 25, 2024

Publisher: Kathi Daley Books

Print pages: 171

Sample

Chapter 1

“Tess Marconi?”
“Yes. I’m Tess Marconi,” I answered as a tall man wearing a dark-colored uniform entered
the room where I was being held for questioning.
The man paused, set a file on the table, then crossed his arms and looked down at me. He
didn’t speak right away, which I suspected was a tactic to make me feel uncomfortable, as if,
given the situation, I could ever be comfortable. I knew from experience that when you were
being interrogated, it was best not to jump in with an explanation when a question had not been
asked, yet I had to fight the urge to begin blabbing. Deciding I needed a distraction, I found a
black smudge on the light gray wall and focused all my attention there.
“My name is Deputy Hutchinson.” the man finally broke the silence. He looked at the petite
woman standing next to him. “This is my partner, Deputy Gray. Do you know why you’re here?”
I redirected my attention away from the black smudge and tried to the best of my ability to
look the man in the eye. “Mike, I mean Officer Thomas, told me you wanted to talk to me about
Wilton Arlington. Apparently, he’s dead.” I took a deep breath. “Murdered, actually.” I
swallowed, closed my eyes, and tried to calm my racing heart. “I guess I’m a person of interest,
given our recent scuffle, but I promise you that I did not kill that man.”
Deputy Hutchinson sat in the chair across the table from where I’d been seated and asked to
wait. I wasn’t surprised that I was a suspect in the murder of the man who’d become a thorn in
my side ever since my husband, Tony Marconi, and I had returned from our trip to Ashton Falls,
where Tony had partnered with a tech genius, Zak Zimmerman, on an innovative project that was
sure to make both men a lot of money. When I was asked to make the trip to Kalispell for the

interview, I was initially surprised to find out that the sheriff was involved, but given the fact that
the lead officer for my hometown of White Eagle, Montana, was my brother, Mike Thomas, I
supposed I could see why there might be a certain logic in having someone other than Mike, or
either of his two assistants interview me.
Hutchinson opened a file and then nodded toward Deputy Gray. This seemed to be her cue to
leave the room since that was exactly what she did.
“According to this report sent to us by Officer Thomas at the time he solicited our assistance,
multiple witnesses have come forward claiming to have heard you threaten to harm Mr.
Arlington. In fact, three witnesses are willing to state that you said, and I quote, ‘If you continue
with your plans and even one animal is injured due to your total disregard for the health and
wellbeing of our wild and domestic friends, I’ll make sure you rue the day you ever met me.’
End quote. Would you say that the witnesses we’ve spoken to have accurately described what
was said four days ago?”
“Well, yes, but I didn’t mean I was going to kill the man.” I couldn’t believe that Mike had
shared the details of my rant with the sheriff. It really did make me look guilty. Of course, Mike
did say that the only way to avoid accusations of preferential treatment was to run the
investigation by the book. “I simply meant that if Arlington was the going to be the sort of man
who would be willing to threaten the health and wellbeing of the wild and domestic animals we
house at the animal shelter, then he wasn’t the sort of man who should be in a position of power
and I would use my influence as a lifelong resident of White Eagle to run the guy out of town, or
at least to have him removed as president of the local Chamber of Commerce.” I took a deep
breath and blew it out slowly. “Look, I’m not a cold-blooded killer, but I am a passionate woman
who cares deeply for the dogs, cats, and wild animals entrusted to our care. When Arlington
announced that he planned to move the annual Fourth of July fireworks show from the isolated
lake south of town to a small forested lake nestled at the edge of a large meadow not all that far
from the animal shelter, I guess I went a little crazy. I will admit that my emotions have been
elevated lately, making me even more expressive than usual, but the only thing that I’ve done to
this point was attempt to sit down with the man and rationally explain how much harm moving
the fireworks show would do to the animals we house. I politely asked him to move the show
back to the original location, and when he refused, I went off on a rant.” I swallowed. “I guess I
said some things I shouldn’t have, but I was upset and spoke without thinking about the
consequences of my words.”
Deputy Hutchinson opened a file and took out a piece of paper. “Is it true that you and other
members of your group picketed in front of Arlington’s real estate office the day after your talk
with Arlington turned into a rant?”
“It’s true,” I admitted. “I guess I was just high on emotion and said some things I shouldn’t
have.”
“I understand that you’re expecting.”
Where had that come from? Talk about an abrupt segue. I crossed my arms over the top of
my sunny yellow top. “Do I show?”
“No. Not at all. I would never have known if your husband hadn’t mentioned it.”
“He mentioned it?”

He nodded. “I think he was trying to give me a reason to go easy on you.”
“I see. You aren’t going to put the details of my impending motherhood in the report you give
to my brother, are you?”
“Is that a problem?”
Of course, it was a problem. Was this man as clueless as he appeared to be? “Not that it’s any
of your business, but Tony and I decided to wait to tell our families.” I ran a hand over my
stomach. It was true that I’d developed a slight bump, but I’d been wearing baggy tops, and Tony
had assured me that no one could tell there was a bump beneath the top.
“Don’t worry. You aren’t showing. If your husband hadn’t mentioned your impending
motherhood, I wouldn’t have known, although now that I do know, I guess that does help to
explain your irrational behavior.”
“I can assure you I haven’t been acting irrationally,” I shot back.
He raised a brow and then picked his folder up. He pulled a file out and then showed me a
photo of a small group of White Eagle residents, led by yours truly, picketing outside Arlington’s
real estate office on Tuesday of this past week. That photo was followed by a photo of me
wearing the t-shirt I’d worn the same day that showed a cartoon man holding a box of fireworks
with a colorful explosion where his head should be. The caption just said: Fireworks Kill.
Fireworks stored in Arlington’s home went off later that same day, killing the man.
I suppressed a groan. “I guess I may have let my emotions get the better of me, but I didn’t
kill the man.” I paused and looked at the file the man had been thumbing through. “I don’t
suppose you have anything in there that might be considered real evidence.”
“The man died in a house fire. The fire investigator determined that the fire was started by
fireworks stored within the home. You’ve been going around town wearing a t-shirt that suggests
that you might end up dead if you play with fireworks.”
“It was a joke.” My heart began to pound. “A very, very bad joke, but a joke nonetheless.”
“The explosion occurred at four thirty-seven this past Tuesday, not quite three hours after
your protest was broken up and everyone was sent home.”
“Yes, I know.” I closed my eyes and shook my head as if trying to wake up from a bad
dream.
“Can you account for your whereabouts on Tuesday at four thirty-seven?”
“After Mike broke up the protest, I was wound up, so I decided to head home, and once I
arrived, I took a nap.”
“Were you alone?”
“I was. Tony had gone off somewhere with our other dogs, Titan and Kody, so it was just
Tilly and me.”
“Tilly?”
“My dog.”
“So you don’t have an alibi.”

I took a deep breath and then answered. “No, I guess I don’t.”
“How long was Tony gone?”
“I guess about four or five hours, but I’m really not sure since I’m unsure when he left home.
I do know he’d left by the time I arrived.”
“And what time did you get home?”
“I got home around two.”
“And what time did Tony get home?”
“I guess around five-thirty.”
“So, given the timeline, it’s at least possible that you set the fire and still had time to make it
home before Tony arrived.”
“Yes,” I answered. “I guess it is possible, but that isn’t what happened. After Mike broke up
our protest, Tilly and I headed home, and once we arrived, we went upstairs to my bedroom and
took a nap. We slept for about two hours, and after we got up, we went outside and sat on the
deck while we waited for Tony.”
The man just looked at me. He didn’t speak, and his expression was guarded.
“Look,” I continued. “I know how it appears. I will admit that I picketed the man’s real estate
office hours before he died, and previously, I went around telling everyone that Arlington was a
monster who only cared about what he wanted and didn’t care a bit about the animals housed at
the animal shelter. That, by the way, was true, but what wasn’t true was that the guy deserved to
get blown up by his own explosives. I will admit to being verbally aggressive in my campaign to
get the fireworks show moved back to the original location away from the animal shelter, but
once again, I want to assure you that I did not kill that man.”
Suddenly, a wave of nausea gripped me. That had been happening a lot lately. My hand flew
to my mouth. “I need to use the ladies’ room.”
“Just a few more questions.”
My stomach wasn’t going to wait for a few more questions, so I got up and hurried toward
the corner of the room where I left my lunch.
Deputy Gray, who must have been watching, hurried into the room with a box of Kleenex ®
and a glass of water. “You poor thing,” she said. She looked at Deputy Hutchinson. “Go and find
a mop.”
He left, and then Deputy Gray led me back to the table.
“I’m sorry,” I said.
“Don’t be. You told the man you needed to use the ladies’ room, and he denied your request,
so that’s on him. Can I get you anything else? A mint?”
“A mint would be perfect.”
She stepped out of the room and returned in under a minute, carrying ginger ale, a pack of
breath mints, and a damp washcloth, which I gratefully accepted.
“How far along are you?” she asked.

“Four months.”
“You really aren’t showing at all. I was huge by four months.”
I put my hand on my stomach. “I actually am showing, but just a little. Right now, I can hide
my pregnancy with the right clothing, but I suspect those days are close to ending.”
“Have you told anyone?”
“No. Not yet. Tony knows, of course, and our friends, Zak and Zoe Zimmerman, know, but
they don’t live in White Eagle and won’t tell anyone. Tony and I were out of town when I found
out that I was expecting, and we decided to wait until we were home to make an announcement,
but we’ve been home for three weeks and still haven’t gotten around to bringing anyone in on
our secret.” I frowned. “I’m honestly not sure why.”
Deputy Gray reached out a hand and patted my knee. “You just take your time and do things
in a way that feels right to you. This is your pregnancy and your timetable. Don’t let anyone else
tell you there is a right or a wrong way to do things.”
“Thank you.” I took a long drink of the ginger ale and then looked toward the two-way
mirror. “Do you think Deputy Hutchinson plans to mention that I’m expecting a baby in his
report?”
She shot me a look of apology. “Probably. If you want to be the one to tell your brother, I
suppose you might want to do so sooner rather than later.”
I supposed that filling Mike and his wife, Bree, in was inevitable. I’m not even sure why I
hadn’t done so before this. Bree was expecting baby number two in October and was dealing
with her own pregnancy issues. I knew that she’d be thrilled that we would both have infants
within months of each other and would offer me the support I needed to get through these first
difficult months, so not bringing her in on the secret really made no sense. Of course, there was
my mother to consider. She would likely go completely overboard with plans for another
grandbaby, and I wasn’t sure I was ready to deal with that.
“So what’s going to happen now?” I asked Deputy Gray. “Am I going to be arrested?”
“No. We aren’t going to arrest you. We really just wanted to talk to you.” She leaned in close.
“If you know anything that you think might help us figure out who could have decided to set off
the fireworks inside Mr. Arlington’s home, it would be best to tell me before Deputy Hutchinson
returns.”
Ah, good cop, bad cop. Classic.
“I really don’t know who killed the man. Have you considered that the whole thing was an
accident? I mean, the guy did have fireworks stored inside his home. I suppose it’s possible that
the sun might have shone through a window, reflected off a mirror, or another shiny object,
which might have become hot enough to cause a flame.”
“We did consider the idea that the fireworks might have ignited due to a situation such as the
one you’ve just described, but we have additional evidence that suggests that the fireworks were
ignited by using a fuse.”
“A fuse? Inside the man’s home?”

“The fireworks weren’t actually inside the house. They were kept in a windowless storage
shed attached to the main structure but accessed from the home’s exterior. The investigator
assigned to determine the point of origin and cause of the fire found what remained of a fuse that
ran from the house toward the forest beyond the home. At this point, it appears that someone
intentionally set off the fireworks.”
“Why would anyone intentionally create such a huge explosion?”
Deputy Gray looked up as Deputy Hutchinson returned to the room. Deputy Gray was the
one who answered, but I could feel Deputy Hutchinson watching my face.
“I can’t be sure why the person did things the way he or she did,” Deputy Gray began, “but it
does seem at least possible that the use of fireworks as the murder weapon was both symbolic
and intentional.”
Okay. This wasn’t good. If I didn’t know for a fact that I had not killed that man, even I
would suspect me. “I’ve told you what I know. Am I free to go?” I asked.
Gray looked at Hutchinson, who nodded. I’d be willing to bet a week’s pay that Deputy
Hutchinson had been in the other room, watching from behind the two-way mirror the entire time
Deputy Gray and I spoke. There was no way it had taken him this long to find a mop.
“You’re free to go,” Deputy Gray said. “And thank you for taking the time out of your busy
day to come in.”
“I didn’t get the impression that this interview was optional, but you’re welcome.”
“If you think of anything else, please do call me,” Deputy Gray said, handing me her card
before standing up to walk me out.
Tony was waiting for me in the front office. I was never so happy to see anyone as I was to
see him standing there waiting to take me home.
“Let’s get out of here,” I said as Tony put his arm around my shoulders and led me to his
truck.
Once Tony had loaded me into the truck and made sure I was buckled up tight, I started to
cry.
“What is it?” he asked. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. It’s just my stupid hormones and maybe a delayed reaction to stress. Let’s get out
of here. The sooner I’m safely home with the animals, the happier I’ll be.”
Tony pulled away from the curb. “Do you want to talk about it?”
“Not really.”
“Okay, I’ll drive and let you process, but if you need to talk, I’m ready to listen.”
I nodded, and just as he promised he would, Tony drove toward White Eagle without making
a sound.
Once we arrived at our mountain home on the lake, the shakiness I’d been experiencing
began to subside. Tilly, who I imagined sensed my distress, glued herself to my side while my
cats, Tang and Tinder, said hello and then returned to what they’d been doing.

“Can I get you anything else?” Tony asked after he settled me on a padded lounge chair on
the patio with a tall glass of herbal iced tea, a small pillow, a throw blanket, even though it
wasn’t cold, and a book I’d already read and wouldn’t likely read again.
“I have everything I need,” I said to the man I loved beyond all else. I set the book aside. “I
think I’m just going to close my eyes and try to relax.”
“I know I asked you this before, but are you ready to talk about it?” he asked.
“I do want to talk to you about it, but not yet. Is there any of that cobbler left from dinner last
night?”
“There is.”
“I’ll take a piece. And maybe add a small scoop of ice cream on the side.”
Once Tony had dashed toward the house, I allowed the remaining unshed tears I’d been
suppressing to flow freely. I understood why Tony was worried about me. Given the
circumstances involving my possible arrest, he’d worry about me no matter my state, but ever
since we’d taken the home pregnancy test and confirmed our impending parenthood, he’d been
treating me like a fragile flower. At first, that bothered me, but Zoe, who had been through it
twice before, counseled me to relax and enjoy the pampering. Zoe admitted that when she was
pregnant with the couple’s first child, she, too, had been annoyed by the hovering but decided to
stop fighting it. Zoe also shared that once she learned to let her husband cater to her every whim,
she realized she actually enjoyed it quite a bit.
After Tony brought me my cobbler, he sat on the lounge chair next to the one I was sitting
on. I could tell he wanted to know how my interview had gone and had been patiently waiting
for me to be ready to talk about it. Truth be told, I would have preferred to talk about almost
anything else, but if he’d been the one interviewed by the sheriff’s office, I’d be dying to know
how it went, so I decided not to leave him in suspense.
“The interview went fine,” I said, stabbing at a plump cherry. “As you know, Arlington died
in a house fire after the fireworks he had stored in his home ignited and created a huge explosion.
Also, as you know, I’ve been going around town wearing a t-shirt depicting a cartoon man
holding a box of fireworks as his head is blown off by those fireworks.” I took another bite of the
cobbler. “I know you warned me on more than one occasion that the t-shirt was in poor taste and
that while you understood my duress over the prospect of the community fireworks show being
held so close to the animal shelter, you also thought I might want to take a step back from my
very public displays of outrage.” I stabbed at another cherry. “I guess you were right about that.”
“So, does the deputy you spoke to really think you might have killed that man?”
I took a bite of the ice cream and allowed it to dissolve slowly in my mouth. “Deputy
Hutchinson does consider me to be a person of interest, but the reality is that he has nothing to tie
me to the murder scene. I won’t go so far as to say that I’m off the hook, but now that he’s
interviewed me, I suspect they’ve shuffled my file down toward the bottom of the pile.”
Tony blew out a long breath. “That’s good. I know that there’s no way you could have done
such a thing, and no one who knows you would believe that you could have killed a man, but
there are going to be rumors. I mean, in a roundabout way, you did suggest that the man might
deserve what he got should he actually end up getting blown up by his fireworks show.”

I groaned. “I know. The whole thing was in poor taste. I really don’t know what got into me.
When we got home from Ashton Falls, and I found out that this guy was planning to move the
fireworks show to the lake near the animal shelter, I went crazy. It was like my rage took over,
and I lost control of my common sense.” I took another bite of the cobbler. “While I was sitting
there in the interrogation room, it actually occurred to me that if I was the one investigating the
man’s death, I’d suspect me as well, and with good reason.”
Tony reached over and took my hand in his. “I know you’ve been sensitive to my natural
instinct to hover a bit since we found out about the baby, and I want you to know that I’m not
trying to invade your space, but I do think that it might be best if we hang out here at the house
for a while.”
I took one look at Tony’s face and felt awful. He looked so nervous. Like he was afraid that I
was going to bite his head off for even suggesting a course of action. Had I really been that over-
the-top reactive? I guess maybe I had been.
I smiled. “I think that might be a good idea. At least for a few days.”
A look of relief washed over his face. “Maybe we can start working on the flower boxes. We
usually have them finished by this point in the summer, but between our trip and everything
that’s been going on since we’ve been home, we haven’t even started yet.”
“It would be nice to have them done by the Fourth of July party.”
“Are you sure we shouldn’t just call your mom and cancel the party?”
“The party she’s been planning since February?” I asked.
“I know your mom is really invested in the whole thing, but if we tell her about the baby,
maybe she’ll be so happy that she won’t care.”
“No,” I said decisively. “I’m not ready to tell Mom about the baby yet, but we do need to tell
Mike and Bree. It sounds as if Deputy Hutchinson plans to mention my pregnancy in his report,
which we both know Mike will see.”
Tony hung his head. “I’m sorry that I mentioned it. I know we agreed to wait until you felt
ready, and it wasn’t my secret to tell.”
I squeezed his hand. “It’s fine. I know that by telling him, you hoped the guy would go easy
on me, and maybe he did. And,” I added, “I guess that it really is time to start filling a few
people in. We’ll start with Mike and Bree and take it from there.”
“Maybe we should invite Mike and Bree to dinner,” Tony suggested.
I nodded. “Yeah, it would be a good idea to tell them sooner rather than later. Besides, I need
to ask Mike a few things about Arlington’s murder case.”
“I thought you were going to stay out of it.”
“I said I’d stay home, but I never said I’d stay out of it,” I countered.
Tony just groaned, but he didn’t argue.
“I also need to confirm that Mike, Bree, you, and I have our stories straight regarding Uncle
Garret. Mom is going to be looking for a lie. I honestly suspect that she’s beginning to question

our story. Although, it would be quite a stretch for her to believe that Uncle Garret is actually
Dad, even if her senses are telling her that’s the case.”
“So does that mean we’re going to stick with the story of Uncle Garret being overseas for his
job?” Tony asked.
“I think that’s the only excuse she might accept. If we simply tell her that Uncle Garret’s
busy that day or he needs to work, she’ll want details, and once she has those, she’ll try to
unravel any argument we come up with. Asking the man to fly home from Europe isn’t a
reasonable request. I’m sure she’ll understand that.”
“And what about Thanksgiving and Christmas? Now that your mom has met Uncle Garret,
she isn’t going to let this go.”
I leaned my head against the pillow and blew out a long breath. “I know, and, at this point,
I’m not sure what to do, but I guess it isn’t just up to us. Mike seems to be invested in the idea of
trying to bring Dad back into our lives, which is a feeling I understand, but I don’t see how that
would work. Even if we tell Mom that Dad’s death was a mistake and that he really is alive, the
reason he faked his death in the first place is still going to exist. Dad faked his death to protect
Mom, Mike, and me from the life he’d chosen, and, as far as I know, nothing has really changed
on that front since he’s still buried deep in that life. The three of us are no longer the only
individuals who might be in danger because of our affiliation with Dad. If someone really
wanted to hurt Dad, then hurting Ella, Mike and Bree’s son once he’s born, or our baby once he
or she is born is a real possibility. I really don’t see a way to resolve this.”
“I guess you make a good point that it would be best if your dad stayed dead,” Tony agreed.
“Of course, for that to really happen, your dad needs to stay away, Mike needs to let him, and we
need to find a way to kill Uncle Garret off so your mom stops trying to make him part of the
family.”
“Trying to figure all of that out is giving me a headache. I agree with your suggestion to
invite Mike and Bree to dinner. Once they’re here, we can share the news that we’re expecting a
baby, and then the four of us can address the Uncle Garret issue. Maybe we can even find a
solution.”
“I’ll call Mike right now,” Tony said. “You just sit here and relax. Is there anything else I can
get for you?”
“No. I’m fine.”
“What time should I tell them to come if, in fact, they’re able to come to dinner?”
“Any time is fine. I was thinking about a nap, but I think I’ll skip it today. In fact, after you
finish inside, come back out, and we’ll start talking about the color schemes for the planter
boxes. I need something ordinary to take my mind off all the non-ordinary things that are
stomping their way through my head.”
“Like your dad?”
“Like my dad, Arlington’s death, and a plan to not only solve his death but to get the
fireworks show moved back to its original location before someone decides that it’s too late to
make a change.”

“There’s time. I’ll go call Mike, and then I’ll grab a notepad and pen and come back out.” He
looked toward the crystal blue lake. “It really is a nice day. I’m going to miss this when we
move.”
“If we move,” I said.
He looked at me. “If we move.” With that, he walked away.
One of the many discussions Tony and I had been having since we’d first decided to start
trying for a baby was our living situation. Being all the way up on the mountain worked for the
two of us since Tony worked from home, and I worked when it suited me, but once we had
children and those children began to go to school, we would need to be closer to town. And not
just for school but for after-school activities, playdates with friends, and all the other social
commitments children seemed to be involved with these days. While I agreed with Tony that it
made sense to live in town to be close to everything, I found myself resisting the idea. I wasn’t
sure why. Before moving in with Tony, I’d been happy in my little cabin, which was located
close to town. If we found the right place, I was pretty sure I’d be happy again. Yet, when I
thought about giving up our lakeside retreat, it made me sad. I supposed it would take some time
for me to get used to all the changes, but I was excited about bringing a mini-Tony or a mini-me
into the world, so maybe once he or she arrived, everything I felt I was losing would simply
cease to matter. ...