Read Online A Decadent Way to Die by G.A. McKevett - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: G.A. McKevett
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and milk, and Dirk can ask him if he’s on parole or—”
“Oh, God … I’m doomed.” Tammy put her hands over her face.
The oven timer went off and the phone rang simultaneously. Savannah jumped up and ran to the stove. Tammy hurried to the counter and grabbed the phone.
“Moonlight Magnolia Detective Agency,” she said in her breathiest, most sultry tone.
Once Savannah had suggested that she sounded more like she was answering the phone on a Talk-Dirty-to-Me-Because-I’m-A-Loser-with-No-Love-Life line. Tammy had taken the gentle criticism to heart … for one day. Then it was back to her usual, wannabe Marilyn Monroe.
As Savannah pulled the cookie sheet from the oven, she heard Tammy say, “Oh, hi, Eileen. Yes, she’s just taking your cookies out right now. Let me get her for you.”
Savannah glanced over at Dirk and saw her own anxious anticipation on his face.
She took the phone from Tammy. “Hey, girl. What’s shakin’ over there?”
“You were right.”
Savannah had to admit, as a general rule, those words were sweet to hear—even when spoken by Eileen in that gravelly, deep voice. But this time, Savannah would have preferred to hear that she was mistaken.
It wasn’t always a blessing … being right.
“What did you find?” she asked, nodding to Dirk.
He sat up straight in his chair.
“We found,” Eileen said, “Zolpedone in the cocoa, just like you suspected.”
“How much?”
“Well, let me explain it like this: If you were to use the entire container of cocoa to make one cup of hot chocolate—impossible, obviously—you’d consume enough to kill a horse. But the amount you’d use for one nightly mug full … it would be the equivalent of a triple dose. Certainly not a healthy amount, but probably not fatal.”
“Which would explain why it didn’t kill her, just knocked her out for hours,” Savannah mused. “Anything else?”
“That’s all we found. The sugar, vanilla, and half-and-half were uncontaminated.”
“Thank you, Eileen. I owe you.” She looked over at the golden brown cookies cooling on the baking sheet. “In fact, your bribery payment just came out of the oven.”
“Don’t worry about it,” Eileen replied. “I love your cookies, but, considering our results, I’m sure you have more important things to do. Like saving that lady’s life.”
“You’re a gem, Eileen.”
“Good luck.”
“Thank you.”
Savannah hung up the phone and turned to Dirk and Tammy. “The sleep-aid medication was in the cocoa.”
“I gathered,” Dirk said. “And that makes it official—attempted murder.”
“Who would want to kill an elderly woman who makes dolls?” Tammy said. “That’s sorta like trying to murder Mrs. Claus.”
Savannah nodded. “And they’re not only mean, but a bit on the stupid side. At the very least, we know our would-be killer isn’t much of a cook. They had no clue how much cocoa it takes to make a cup of hot chocolate. And that’s probably what saved Helene Strauss’s life.”
The doorbell rang, and Tammy jumped like someone had touched her backside with a live wire.
“Oh! I’ll bet that’s him!” she said, racing out of the kitchen and through the living room to the front door.
“Wow,” Savannah said to Dirk. “He must be something pretty special to get a rise like that out of her.”
Dirk grunted. “Men. We’re scum buckets—every last one of us. And nobody knows that better than us guys. If you women knew half of what we’re up to, you’d kill us all in our sleep.”
Savannah stared at him a moment, then slowly nodded. “Oookay. Good to know.”
A couple of moments later, Tammy walked into the kitchen holding the hand of an extremely tall, blond stud muffin with a blinding white smile, bright blue eyes, and muscles that rippled inside his snug, designer polo shirt when he reached out to shake Savannah’s hand.
“Hi,” he said, teeth flashing, eyes sparkling. “I’m Chad.”
He squeezed Savannah’s hand so hard that she
“Oh, God … I’m doomed.” Tammy put her hands over her face.
The oven timer went off and the phone rang simultaneously. Savannah jumped up and ran to the stove. Tammy hurried to the counter and grabbed the phone.
“Moonlight Magnolia Detective Agency,” she said in her breathiest, most sultry tone.
Once Savannah had suggested that she sounded more like she was answering the phone on a Talk-Dirty-to-Me-Because-I’m-A-Loser-with-No-Love-Life line. Tammy had taken the gentle criticism to heart … for one day. Then it was back to her usual, wannabe Marilyn Monroe.
As Savannah pulled the cookie sheet from the oven, she heard Tammy say, “Oh, hi, Eileen. Yes, she’s just taking your cookies out right now. Let me get her for you.”
Savannah glanced over at Dirk and saw her own anxious anticipation on his face.
She took the phone from Tammy. “Hey, girl. What’s shakin’ over there?”
“You were right.”
Savannah had to admit, as a general rule, those words were sweet to hear—even when spoken by Eileen in that gravelly, deep voice. But this time, Savannah would have preferred to hear that she was mistaken.
It wasn’t always a blessing … being right.
“What did you find?” she asked, nodding to Dirk.
He sat up straight in his chair.
“We found,” Eileen said, “Zolpedone in the cocoa, just like you suspected.”
“How much?”
“Well, let me explain it like this: If you were to use the entire container of cocoa to make one cup of hot chocolate—impossible, obviously—you’d consume enough to kill a horse. But the amount you’d use for one nightly mug full … it would be the equivalent of a triple dose. Certainly not a healthy amount, but probably not fatal.”
“Which would explain why it didn’t kill her, just knocked her out for hours,” Savannah mused. “Anything else?”
“That’s all we found. The sugar, vanilla, and half-and-half were uncontaminated.”
“Thank you, Eileen. I owe you.” She looked over at the golden brown cookies cooling on the baking sheet. “In fact, your bribery payment just came out of the oven.”
“Don’t worry about it,” Eileen replied. “I love your cookies, but, considering our results, I’m sure you have more important things to do. Like saving that lady’s life.”
“You’re a gem, Eileen.”
“Good luck.”
“Thank you.”
Savannah hung up the phone and turned to Dirk and Tammy. “The sleep-aid medication was in the cocoa.”
“I gathered,” Dirk said. “And that makes it official—attempted murder.”
“Who would want to kill an elderly woman who makes dolls?” Tammy said. “That’s sorta like trying to murder Mrs. Claus.”
Savannah nodded. “And they’re not only mean, but a bit on the stupid side. At the very least, we know our would-be killer isn’t much of a cook. They had no clue how much cocoa it takes to make a cup of hot chocolate. And that’s probably what saved Helene Strauss’s life.”
The doorbell rang, and Tammy jumped like someone had touched her backside with a live wire.
“Oh! I’ll bet that’s him!” she said, racing out of the kitchen and through the living room to the front door.
“Wow,” Savannah said to Dirk. “He must be something pretty special to get a rise like that out of her.”
Dirk grunted. “Men. We’re scum buckets—every last one of us. And nobody knows that better than us guys. If you women knew half of what we’re up to, you’d kill us all in our sleep.”
Savannah stared at him a moment, then slowly nodded. “Oookay. Good to know.”
A couple of moments later, Tammy walked into the kitchen holding the hand of an extremely tall, blond stud muffin with a blinding white smile, bright blue eyes, and muscles that rippled inside his snug, designer polo shirt when he reached out to shake Savannah’s hand.
“Hi,” he said, teeth flashing, eyes sparkling. “I’m Chad.”
He squeezed Savannah’s hand so hard that she
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