Read Online All Fudged Up (A Candy-Coated Mystery) by Nancy CoCo - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Nancy CoCo
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Wentworth gifted me with a puppy,” I said and fingered the ribbons.
“Oh, you have a puppy in the basket? Can I see?”
I shrugged. “Sure.”
She opened the basket and peered in. “Ooh,” she cooed. “He’s sleeping.”
I glanced in the basket to see that the dog was indeed sleeping. Something I wished I could be doing as well. “It’s a girl,” I said. “And she loves green.” I pointedly pulled all the green ribbons off the board. “And purple.” I picked up the entire board. “I’ll just buy them all.”
“Oh.” Mary had the good grace to blush. “Right. They’re fifty cents each.”
“Who benefits?” I asked and tilted my head.
“The proceeds go to the senior center,” Mary said. “That will be forty-five dollars and fifty cents.”
“Fine.” I handed her my debit card. “I’m glad it’s for a good cause.”
“Oh, it is.” Mary looked at me. “Did you really hit Joe Jessop over the head with a baseball bat?”
I rolled my eyes. “No, I didn’t touch Mr. Jessop. I opened my utility-closet door and found him. Dead.”
“Huh.” She handed me my receipt and a paper sack. “How did he get in your closet?”
“I have no idea.” I gathered up my stuff. “Hopefully Officer Manning will figure it out and I won’t be seeing any more purple ribbons.”
“If it helps any we were almost out,” Mary called after me as I took my basket full of puppy and my bag full of supplies and headed out to the power office.
The pup woke up, pushing the top of the basket open with her nose. Two black button eyes looked at me with curiosity. “We’re going to get power turned back on at the McMurphy,” I told her. That seemed enough and the basket top closed. “I’m going to have to find you a name,” I muttered.
I walked into the power office with yesterday’s number ticket in hand. They were up to 155. I sat down with a sigh. There were only two people besides me inside. As soon as the clerk saw me she got on the phone. The manager came out of his office. He was about six foot tall with dark hair and a wrinkled suit. His potbelly looked odd on his thin frame. It was almost as if he were wearing a baby belly prosthetic.
“Miss McMurphy?” he asked and brushed his hair out of his face.
“Yes.” I stood.
“I’m Adam Early. How can I help you?”
All right, I’ll play along. “The power has been turned off to the McMurphy,” I said. “I came in last week and changed the account out of my grandfather’s name and into mine. When I called yesterday I was told that there was no proof I had done so. I was told I had to come down and bring my paperwork.” I waved the paper under his nose. I bit my lip to keep from telling him that I didn’t appreciate waiting what seemed like forever the day before only to be told to come back today.
He looked over my papers. “I see.” I waited as patiently as possible while he studied the words off the document.
“I presume you brought in your grandfather’s death certificate?”
What? “Yes, the first time I came in I brought in his death certificate. He was Liam McMurphy. Didn’t you go to his funeral service?”
He turned five shades of red and adjusted his collar. “Of course, of course. Follow me.” He took me back behind the big desk to his office.
I stuck out my tongue at the receptionist as I went by. Mr. Early ushered me into his glass-walled office and closed the door. “Please have a seat. This all seems to be a bit of a misunderstanding,” he said as he walked around to his desk and sat down. He put the paper on his desk and clasped his hands in front of me. “It seems that when you first changed the account my employee who helped you did not check your credit rating.”
“I was not told that my credit rating mattered.” My back was poker straight, my chin high.
“I’m afraid it does, Miss McMurphy.” He turned to his computer. “According to our records your credit score is quite low.”
“I have
“Oh, you have a puppy in the basket? Can I see?”
I shrugged. “Sure.”
She opened the basket and peered in. “Ooh,” she cooed. “He’s sleeping.”
I glanced in the basket to see that the dog was indeed sleeping. Something I wished I could be doing as well. “It’s a girl,” I said. “And she loves green.” I pointedly pulled all the green ribbons off the board. “And purple.” I picked up the entire board. “I’ll just buy them all.”
“Oh.” Mary had the good grace to blush. “Right. They’re fifty cents each.”
“Who benefits?” I asked and tilted my head.
“The proceeds go to the senior center,” Mary said. “That will be forty-five dollars and fifty cents.”
“Fine.” I handed her my debit card. “I’m glad it’s for a good cause.”
“Oh, it is.” Mary looked at me. “Did you really hit Joe Jessop over the head with a baseball bat?”
I rolled my eyes. “No, I didn’t touch Mr. Jessop. I opened my utility-closet door and found him. Dead.”
“Huh.” She handed me my receipt and a paper sack. “How did he get in your closet?”
“I have no idea.” I gathered up my stuff. “Hopefully Officer Manning will figure it out and I won’t be seeing any more purple ribbons.”
“If it helps any we were almost out,” Mary called after me as I took my basket full of puppy and my bag full of supplies and headed out to the power office.
The pup woke up, pushing the top of the basket open with her nose. Two black button eyes looked at me with curiosity. “We’re going to get power turned back on at the McMurphy,” I told her. That seemed enough and the basket top closed. “I’m going to have to find you a name,” I muttered.
I walked into the power office with yesterday’s number ticket in hand. They were up to 155. I sat down with a sigh. There were only two people besides me inside. As soon as the clerk saw me she got on the phone. The manager came out of his office. He was about six foot tall with dark hair and a wrinkled suit. His potbelly looked odd on his thin frame. It was almost as if he were wearing a baby belly prosthetic.
“Miss McMurphy?” he asked and brushed his hair out of his face.
“Yes.” I stood.
“I’m Adam Early. How can I help you?”
All right, I’ll play along. “The power has been turned off to the McMurphy,” I said. “I came in last week and changed the account out of my grandfather’s name and into mine. When I called yesterday I was told that there was no proof I had done so. I was told I had to come down and bring my paperwork.” I waved the paper under his nose. I bit my lip to keep from telling him that I didn’t appreciate waiting what seemed like forever the day before only to be told to come back today.
He looked over my papers. “I see.” I waited as patiently as possible while he studied the words off the document.
“I presume you brought in your grandfather’s death certificate?”
What? “Yes, the first time I came in I brought in his death certificate. He was Liam McMurphy. Didn’t you go to his funeral service?”
He turned five shades of red and adjusted his collar. “Of course, of course. Follow me.” He took me back behind the big desk to his office.
I stuck out my tongue at the receptionist as I went by. Mr. Early ushered me into his glass-walled office and closed the door. “Please have a seat. This all seems to be a bit of a misunderstanding,” he said as he walked around to his desk and sat down. He put the paper on his desk and clasped his hands in front of me. “It seems that when you first changed the account my employee who helped you did not check your credit rating.”
“I was not told that my credit rating mattered.” My back was poker straight, my chin high.
“I’m afraid it does, Miss McMurphy.” He turned to his computer. “According to our records your credit score is quite low.”
“I have
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