Read Online A Zen For Murder (Mooseamuck Island Cozy Mystery Series Book 1) by Leighann Dobbs - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Leighann Dobbs
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obstinate Norma can be. I hope she doesn’t do something stupid and get herself arrested.”
“That’s exactly what I was thinking,” Claire said. “That’s why we need to figure out who did this before Zambuco jumps to any conclusions. That’s why I came here, actually—to see what you knew.”
“We don’t know anything, really,” Hazel said. “We were just telling Dom that our weekly visit with Zoila was uneventful.”
Velma looked regretful. “Unfortunately, we don’t have any clues as to who killed her.”
Claire turned to Dom. “So you are looking into this.”
He nodded slightly. “And apparently, you are as well.”
“Yeah, kind of like old times.” Old times she’d rather not relive.
“Almost,” Dom said. “Except this time, we don’t have to work together.”
It was true. When they were on the job as paid consultants, they didn’t have a choice. But now, they didn’t have to join forces. Although Claire knew they would get the job done faster—and probably better—together. It was just so annoying to have to put up with Dom’s insistence on only considering hard, cold facts when she knew her assessment of the human factor was accurate.
Claire sighed and plopped down into the chair Zambuco had just vacated. She might regret this, but she could really use Dom’s help. If Norma was going to be as tight-lipped with Zambuco as she had been with Claire, he might misunderstand and take that to mean she was guilty. Teaming up with Dom offered the best chance to find the killer fast … before Zambuco could gather evidence against Norma.
“But we could work together if we wanted.” Claire looked at Dom out of the corner of her eye.
“We could,” Dom said cautiously. “But as I recall, you used to get very irritated with me.”
“And you with me.” Claire bit into a ginger-snap, swirling the spicy-sweet taste around in her mouth. “But maybe for the good of finding the murderer, we could try to work together again.”
“Well, we did catch quite a few bad guys back in the day,” Dom said proudly, over the rim of his lemonade glass
Claire noticed a familiar flicker in his eyes—a spark of light from deep within. The same spark she used to see when they were on a case. Back then, his eyes would light up with excitement. She remembered how that light had been extinguished when his wife got sick. Now, it was back and Claire felt her heart soar for him. She realized this case was about much more than just finding a murderer for him … and maybe it was for her, too.
“So what do you say? Can we work together?” Claire stuck her hand out.
Dom regarded her hand cautiously, then nodded and extended his own for a firm shake. “Yes, I think we can.”
Velma and Hattie, who had been following the conversation, silently picked up their lemonade glasses and held them out so the four could clink rims.
“Here’s to the two of you finding the killer so we can all sleep at night!” Hazel said.
“Here! Here!” Velma added.
Claire’s stomach twisted as she clinked glasses with the others. Would she and Dom be able to work together to convince Zambuco Norma wasn’t the killer and set him on the path toward the real murderer? Claire sure hoped so, because from where she was sitting, if she didn’t know Norma the way she did, she’d be putting her at the top of the suspect list, just like Zambuco was probably doing right now.
Chapter Eleven
Dom loved sitting at the docks down in Crab Cove and watching the boats glide in and out of the small harbor. Right now, however, his attention was on Claire, who sat beside him recounting how she had witnessed the fight between Norma and Zoila that morning.
“So that’s why you were leaning over your railing like that?” Dom snapped a pistachio out of its shell and popped it into his mouth.
Claire’s brow creased. “You saw me?”
“Yes, I was on my patio. Could hardly miss you leaning over like that. I wasn’t
“That’s exactly what I was thinking,” Claire said. “That’s why we need to figure out who did this before Zambuco jumps to any conclusions. That’s why I came here, actually—to see what you knew.”
“We don’t know anything, really,” Hazel said. “We were just telling Dom that our weekly visit with Zoila was uneventful.”
Velma looked regretful. “Unfortunately, we don’t have any clues as to who killed her.”
Claire turned to Dom. “So you are looking into this.”
He nodded slightly. “And apparently, you are as well.”
“Yeah, kind of like old times.” Old times she’d rather not relive.
“Almost,” Dom said. “Except this time, we don’t have to work together.”
It was true. When they were on the job as paid consultants, they didn’t have a choice. But now, they didn’t have to join forces. Although Claire knew they would get the job done faster—and probably better—together. It was just so annoying to have to put up with Dom’s insistence on only considering hard, cold facts when she knew her assessment of the human factor was accurate.
Claire sighed and plopped down into the chair Zambuco had just vacated. She might regret this, but she could really use Dom’s help. If Norma was going to be as tight-lipped with Zambuco as she had been with Claire, he might misunderstand and take that to mean she was guilty. Teaming up with Dom offered the best chance to find the killer fast … before Zambuco could gather evidence against Norma.
“But we could work together if we wanted.” Claire looked at Dom out of the corner of her eye.
“We could,” Dom said cautiously. “But as I recall, you used to get very irritated with me.”
“And you with me.” Claire bit into a ginger-snap, swirling the spicy-sweet taste around in her mouth. “But maybe for the good of finding the murderer, we could try to work together again.”
“Well, we did catch quite a few bad guys back in the day,” Dom said proudly, over the rim of his lemonade glass
Claire noticed a familiar flicker in his eyes—a spark of light from deep within. The same spark she used to see when they were on a case. Back then, his eyes would light up with excitement. She remembered how that light had been extinguished when his wife got sick. Now, it was back and Claire felt her heart soar for him. She realized this case was about much more than just finding a murderer for him … and maybe it was for her, too.
“So what do you say? Can we work together?” Claire stuck her hand out.
Dom regarded her hand cautiously, then nodded and extended his own for a firm shake. “Yes, I think we can.”
Velma and Hattie, who had been following the conversation, silently picked up their lemonade glasses and held them out so the four could clink rims.
“Here’s to the two of you finding the killer so we can all sleep at night!” Hazel said.
“Here! Here!” Velma added.
Claire’s stomach twisted as she clinked glasses with the others. Would she and Dom be able to work together to convince Zambuco Norma wasn’t the killer and set him on the path toward the real murderer? Claire sure hoped so, because from where she was sitting, if she didn’t know Norma the way she did, she’d be putting her at the top of the suspect list, just like Zambuco was probably doing right now.
Chapter Eleven
Dom loved sitting at the docks down in Crab Cove and watching the boats glide in and out of the small harbor. Right now, however, his attention was on Claire, who sat beside him recounting how she had witnessed the fight between Norma and Zoila that morning.
“So that’s why you were leaning over your railing like that?” Dom snapped a pistachio out of its shell and popped it into his mouth.
Claire’s brow creased. “You saw me?”
“Yes, I was on my patio. Could hardly miss you leaning over like that. I wasn’t
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