Read Online A Deadly Slice of Lime: A Key West Culinary Cozy - Book 6 by Summer Prescott - Free Book Online Page A

Reggie, you bring your staff and a
couple of Key Lime pies over to the marina for a charter fishing excursion?” he
suggested. “I’ll bring a lunch and we can spend the day on the water to help
you forget about your troubles – sound good?”
    “That
sounds wonderful,” Marilyn nodded gratefully.
    “Alright
then, missy, I’ll see you and your crew in the morning,” he stuck out a
calloused hand for her to shake, and she noticed that he had a bandage across
his palm.
    “Oh
my goodness, what happened?” she asked, noting the bandage.
    Captain
Bob chuckled. “Darlin, when a man makes his living on the sea, it’s a rare day
that he doesn’t have a couple of bumps and scrapes somewhere or another,” he
said, grasping her hand gently before climbing up into his truck.
    “I
bet. Thanks again, Captain Bob,” she waved, and he stuck his hand out the
window in return as he backed out of the parking space.
    **
    Marilyn
was so busy fumbling in her purse for her house keys, that she nearly jumped
out of her skin when Tim Eckels spoke to her from where he was standing in the
shadows of her porch.
    “He
was here again,” he said in a flat voice that gave her chills.
    Too
wary to even be annoyed at her neighbor for startling her, she crossed over to
where Tim stood with arms folded over his chest, looking somber as usual.
    “Who
was here?” she asked, her heart skipping a beat.
    “The
one who followed you. He’s not right,” her neighbor replied. Concern overrode
her sense of irony and she stepped closer.
    “What
was he doing here, Tim? Did you see him do anything?” she looked around as
though Melvin Bland might be hiding in the bushes waiting to attack.
    “He
was in the back. He shouldn’t have been back there,” her neighbor slowly raised
an arm and extended his finger, pointing to the back yard.
    “Can
you show me where you saw him? I’d really appreciate it,” Marilyn said,
glancing nervously toward the back yard. Her neighbor might be odd, but at
least she wouldn’t have to go in the back yard alone.
    Tim
seemed to consider her request for a long moment, then, without saying a word,
he turned and shuffled off toward the back yard, with Marilyn close behind.
When he got to the patio, he stopped and pointed at the kitchen window.
    “He
was there.”
    She
walked over to the window, noticing immediately that the screen on the outside
had been bent as though it had been improperly pried from its frame. Thankfully
she had remembered to lock the windows before she left for the shop. She looked
for clues on the ground underneath the window, but didn’t see anything out of
the ordinary.
    “Was
this the only place that you saw him?” she asked, her gaze still focused on the
window. When she received no reply, she turned around to see Tim disappearing
through the tree line, headed for home.
    Sighing,
Marilyn found the key to the back door on her key ring, and went inside. Flipping
the light switch in the kitchen, she was surprised when the kitchen light
didn’t come on. Feeling an eerie sense of dread, she peered in and noted that
the digital displays for the refrigerator, stove, microwave and dishwasher were
not lit. Switching on the flashlight app from her phone, she hurried across the
kitchen and opened the pantry door, turning left to find the fuse box. Shining
the light across the neat lines of tabs on the fuse box, she was confused when
it didn’t seem that any breakers had been tripped. She flipped the breaker for
the kitchen anyway, and wasn’t surprised when nothing happened. Suddenly
feeling alone and more than a little vulnerable, she hurried from the kitchen
and flipped the light switch on in the dining room. Nothing. She tried the
living room with the same result and gave up, rushing from the house, locking
the door and running to the safety of her car, dialing Bernard Cortland’s
number as soon as she was locked inside.
     

Chapter 16
    Marilyn
knocked on the door to Tiara’s apartment,