The Hibiscus Heist Read online

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright

  Lily List Mystery Series

  Dedication

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Notes from C. L. Bauer

  Coming Soon

  About C.L. Bauer

  Other Titles

  The Hibiscus Heist

  A LILY LIST MYSTERY

  C. L. BAUER

  The Hibiscus Heist Copyright © 2019 by C.L. Bauer.

  All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

  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 persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely

  coincidental.

  For information contact:

  www.clbauer.com

  www.corrugatedsky.com

  Cover and interior design by Michelle Schad

  ISBN: 978-1-950903-02-3

  First Edition: May 2019

  The Lily List

  Mystery Series

  Available Now

  The Poppy Drop

  The Hibiscus Heist

  Coming Soon

  The Tulip Terror

  The Sweat Pea Secret

  Dedication

  Don’t ever wait on a dream because sometimes it really is just around the bend. Thanks to Corrugated Sky Publishing for taking a chance on a new writer; my family who supports me and seems to like my writing (or they are the best actors in the world); my friends who come through for me; and the authors who have inspired me and answered my questions when I needed my hand held.

  Prologue

  Lily’s Flower Shop opened on the boulevard in 1939. Immigrants, Ida and Edgar Faust, named their business after their only child, Lily Emilia.

  By the time Lily was old enough to manage the shop, she was in love with flowers, and at times in love with love. Weddings made her sigh; the dresses made her envious. She had never tried one on, but she was only nineteen. She had her entire life ahead of her. There’d be time enough for happily-ever-after.

  Within five years, the savvy young business woman had become the premier wedding florist in Kansas City, Missouri. Her love of weddings was only rivaled by her dedication to work. She’d work countless hours to get the look just right. Her sales grew with her popularity, and Lily’s legacy was born.

  One day, a tall, dangerous man entered Lily’s shop. He was easy on the eyes and hard on a girl’s heart. He’d been sent by one of their mutual friends. As soon as he shook her hand, Victor Schmidt stole Lily Faust’s attention. She hadn’t expected that anyone would one day come through that door and make her think about her life, and what she wanted her future to look like. He did the unthinkable a few months later, at least Lily hadn’t thought about it, and asked her to marry him. She could finally try on wedding dresses, but fear replaced her joy.

  “Vic, if we marry, I can’t lose the shop. It’s my parent’s legacy for me.”

  Victor Schmidt was a hard-headed man. He wasn’t used to hearing the word “no”, and that’s exactly what he thought he was hearing from the woman he loved. “I’m not asking you to do anything with the shop. What’s in that brain of yours? What is really going on? You don’t seem happy. In fact, I’m beginning to think you love this place more than you could ever love me.”

  Lily shook her head in protest. “No, just differently,” she muttered. She lowered her eyes, not in humiliation, but in fear.

  Vic’s temper could get the better of him, and today was no exception. His fist pounded on the counter above Lily’s desk. “You can’t walk away from this place, not even for me. You don’t put me first. It will always be this client, or that bride who will have your full attention.” Even as he was yelling, Vic watched Lily scribbling a note on the desk. “Look at you. You can’t even give me your undivided attention to say yes to my marriage proposal.”

  Lily Faust looked up quickly. She could do two things at one time. She’d remembered the plant for the McGee family needed to be delivered by five this evening.

  “I do love you, Vic, but sometimes I just don’t think I measure up to your standards. I’m never enough. You want me to have my hair a certain way. You don’t like the silk hose I wear on Saturday nights. You always pick the club we go to, or the restaurant we eat at.” Of course, she never did change her hair or the hose. She usually enjoyed wherever they went together. He’d pout or make a comment. His critiques didn’t ruin their time together, but they gnawed at Lily. She was a confident, successful business owner. There weren’t many women like her in the city. Her only doubts were driven by her association with the man she loved.

  Under the facade of Lily’s success, was a woman sleepless at night. She wondered if she’d ever be surrounded by a husband and children. She also wondered if the necessity of happiness was only available through marriage. Lily also wondered why Vic loved her. He said he saw something in her. They were good together as a couple always laughing and having the best of times. But what would happen when the good times disappeared? Could they handle it together? As she looked into his eyes, she stopped doubting for one brief minute.

  “Vic, should I have to leave my little shop? Why can’t I love you and still have my work? We can have a good life here, together.”

  Victor Schmidt examined the woman standing in front of him. She was nothing, and she was everything he wanted. She wasn’t his type; he liked a woman who always said yes to him and never debated his decisions. Lily debated and did the opposite of his suggestion. She never took orders from him. She was independent. She didn’t need him, but she wanted him, at least on a few occasions when she wanted him to stay just a little longer.

  The silence was deafening between them. Lily and Vic stood only a foot away from each other and their destiny. Finally, his heart won out.

  “Lily, I love you and I’ll take you any way I can get you. I want a wife, a family, but I want to travel and see the world with you. If you keep working,” he paused to look around the shop and Lily’s world, “and just stay within these walls, I’m not sure how that is going to work for the two of us. We will figure it out, won’t we?”

  The inches evaporated between them as Lily placed her arms around her man’s neck. “We will work it out. We can, as long as we do it together.” She stood back, out of his embrace. She extended her right hand. “Partners?”

  Vic had never begun a love affair with a handshake. But he’d never been in love with a woman like Lily. “Partners. Now, let’s get married.”

  Lily returned to his arms. “Are you sure? You might find someone better suited to your likes and dislikes.
”

  Vic kissed her gently on the lips. “Nah, besides where’s the fun in always having a woman agree with you and always knowing how it’s all going to turn out?”

  “That’s the spirit, Vic Schmidt. It’s good of you to take one for the team.” She returned his kiss, deepening the intensity. Her dream of a man who loved her was finally coming true for Lily. Her eyes were wide open, but if she thought about all the uncertainty she would bolt like a wild stallion.

  Years later, another Lily, Vic’s niece and current owner of the little flower shop on the boulevard, was at a crossroads in her life. She was in love with a handsome man, possibly unattainable. He lived his life in the shadows, and Lily lived hers in a delightful flower shop. He was dangerous; she was safe. He was thousands of miles away, and she was in her own little world. He took down the bad guys in an ever-increasingly dark world; she made brides happy and delivered flowers all day.

  They were committed to their separate lives, but to have a life together wouldn’t someone have to change? Wouldn’t someone have to uproot everything to form a new life, complete with leaving behind everyone and everything they knew? The day Lily Schmidt heard the handsome man say three little words might be the demise of who she was, what she did, and the life she knew. Would she take that chance on just three little words? After all, he was extremely nice to look at.

  Chapter One

  Thunder and lightning woke Lily overnight. She rolled over and returned to sleep immediately. Lily Schmidt loved a good storm, complete with the uneven sounds of the rain intensifying. That’s all you heard once the storm really built. She knew in the morning the fresh smell of the wet earth would greet her as she stepped outside her front door. It was the best sleep in the world, especially after her weekend of work. Her little shop supplied flowers for four weddings, one on Friday night, two on Saturday, and one on Sunday. Her helper, Abby, had even volunteered to come in on her usual Monday off. They would need the time to clean and get ready for this next weekend’s three weddings.

  Lily slept past her first alarm, hitting it soundly with her open palm. Nope, not waking up. Ten minutes later the second one finally woke her. She opened her eyes slowly to the sun flowing in through her window. She loved her little house. It was comfy and well-loved. Well, as loved as she could make it in the whirlwind world that was her life recently. She was more grateful it was located less than two miles from the shop.

  The storm had delivered a beautiful morning, even for a Monday. She showered and dressed. She’d grab a coffee at the corner café, but she’d eat a protein bar in the car. Since knowing Devlin Pierce, she was trying to eat healthier and even had begun to exercise a little. How could you not do that when you were dating a former Special Forces officer? She hated exercising; she loved eating. She could be competitive at eating, maybe even professional if she practiced! To his credit, Dev hadn’t said one word about BMI or the perfect weight or why was she eating that enchilada and drinking that wine. But she wanted to be more. She should want to be more for herself, but she found she wanted to do it for him. He was so forgiving of her many foibles and behaviors. She wanted to try to do better, to be better. Besides, a little exercise wouldn’t kill her, would it?

  She headed for the garage and remembered she’d left the car outside. She locked the front door, car and house keys in hand, and turned to the sidewalk. Lily blinked twice to see an empty driveway. She looked in the neighbors’ drives on either side of hers, but nothing looked different. Maybe she had moved the car into the garage automatically? She had been exhausted when she had arrived home last night. She could be wrong.

  Lily unlocked the front door and moved through the house to the garage. She opened the door off the kitchen and flipped on the light. She saw an empty garage. No car in the garage; no car in the driveway. What the heck?

  She grabbed her cell phone to call Abby. Maybe her assistant of almost three years now could tell her where her car was residing.

  “Abby, it’s Lily. I know this will sound weird but I did drive home last night, right? I mean, I didn’t leave my car at the shop, did I?”

  Abby laughed out loud. “No, silly. You took off from the shop in front of me. Have you lost your car?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “Hit the button on the key and maybe you’ll hear its little horn.” Abby was still giggling.

  Sure, why not. Lily hit the button. Nothing. She walked toward the front door and opened it. She hit the button again. And again. There was no horn from anywhere in the neighborhood.

  “Abby, I think my car has been stolen.” Her stomach sank as she uttered the words. Oh Lord, please no. I’m way too busy for something like this to happen.

  Abby was suddenly serious. “Have you called the police? Have you checked with the neighbors?”

  “No and no. I just realized that it really is gone and all the neighbors are at work,” Lily said as her mind went into overdrive. “Speaking of which, we need to get into the shop and get going for this week. We have a couple of deliveries this afternoon and so much to do.”

  “You call the police. I’m on my way to pick you up. Don’t panic.”

  Abby was being sensible. But not panic? Did Abby know her? She was past panic already. Especially after last year when her shop had been involved in a misplaced drug shipment from a cartel, she had been under police protection, and she had watched one of her best friends shot. She’d also met the handsome DEA agent who had walked into her shop and into her heart.

  The police probably had her address in a very special book for very special people. Her phone number was probably on speed dial under the header “special needy people”.

  Lily dialed 9-1-1 and explained the situation to the voice on the other end of the line.

  “We usually don’t send anyone out for just auto theft.”

  “Are you kidding me? Well, I want someone out here.” Lily’s anger was growing. Illegal behavior made her nervous now. For years, she didn’t worry about such things. Her shop and her home were in nice parts of Kansas City, whatever that meant. Apparently, no place was safe. Or, she was on a list for very special people.

  “I’ll see what I can do, ma’am. They’ll be there in a few minutes. You aren’t in any imminent danger, are you?”

  No, not yet. “I’m fine. Just a little out of sorts. I mean you go to your car, to go to work and then it’s not there...” She trailed off. That woman didn’t want to hear what she had to say. “I’ll wait here for the police. Thank you.”

  Abby arrived first, seeing her friend and boss sitting like a sick puppy on the steps of her home. She parked on the street and ran up the yard with open arms.

  “You need a hug.” Abby sat next to her, and Lily fell into her arms. She just couldn’t believe this was happening to her. Drugs, murder, and now grand theft auto. What a life she had!

  A patrol car pulled up behind Abby’s car and two policemen walked toward the women.

  “You had your car stolen?”

  “Yes, officer.”

  The other officer was looking around the edge of the house near the garage.

  “No damage over here.”

  “I’m pretty sure I left the car outside.”

  Both officers shook their heads. “Probably unlocked,” one of them murmured.

  Lily stood up quickly. “No, it was not unlocked. I heard the beep from the alarm as I went into the house.”

  “You’re sure?”

  “Yes.” She answered definitively. Had she heard the beep? Yes, she had. Stop doubting yourself, Lily. You did it out of habit. You know you did.

  “Did you hear anything last night?”

  “No, the storm was too loud. I haven’t checked with my neighbors yet. I know they’re all at work by now.”

  One officer handed her a card. “You’ll need to file a report at the metro station. I’ll write up your paperwork. Contact your insurance company immediately. Talk to your neighbors. Maybe they heard or saw something or someone. Othe
r than that, there isn’t much we can do. There’s no prints or photos to take. Oh, and make a list of everything you had in the car. You’ll need that for your claim.”

  Lily looked around as she held the card in her hand. The neighborhood seemed so quiet, so safe. She felt uneasy and that feeling was forming in her stomach, the feeling when something bad was coming. Someone had come into her driveway and stolen her car. This was last year all over again with all its uncertainty and the danger of invasion. But this time she wouldn’t have her own personal bodyguard.

  The police walked back to their car to prepare what she needed.

  “It’ll be fine,” Abby said as she patted Lily on the back. “Just use the van until everything gets settled. You might get the car back.”

  “I know. But maybe I won’t want it when it does come back.” She pictured some shadowy character driving her car, touching her pre-selected radio stations, picking through her CD collection of The Beatles, Celine Dion and Pink. He’d probably change her mirrors too. The invader and thief would move her seat; it was such a pain to get it just right.

  One of the officers returned with the information. “This will get you the case number.”

  She nodded. “Thanks.” Her voice was quivering on just that one syllable. She was on the brink of something, either ugly tears or a complete breakdown. She wasn’t sure which was going to hit first.

  The officer saw her distress. “Look, I will check to see if we have had any burglaries or car thefts in this area.”

  His partner arrived beside him. “Ms. Schmidt, didn’t you have a detail here last year?”

  Lily tried to regain her confidence. “Yes, officer.”

  “You want to elaborate?”

  Not really, she wanted to say. “Well, it is a long story but I received a drug shipment by accident at my shop. I own a business on the boulevard. Some nasty people were trying to get their drugs back. That’s why the police and the DEA were watching over me.”