Read Online Close Knit Killer by Maggie Sefton - Free Book Online

He wielded the spatula again, scooping up the scrambled eggs and expertly
     sliding them onto a plate all in one smooth movement.
    “Well, that’s something,” Kelly said, noticing Hal Nelson enter the café. “I’ll let
     you get back to work, Eduardo. I’ll be in the shop until this breakfast rush dies
     down.”
    Eduardo gave her a thumbs-up and a grin as he buttered Pete’s signature whole wheat
     toast, placing the slices beside the scrambled eggs and bacon.
    Kelly walked toward the front of the café, where Nelson stood. Julie had already spotted
     the dangling coffee mug in his hand and was in the process of refilling it.
    “Hi, Hal. I see it didn’t take you long to discover Eduardo’s strong coffee,” she
     said, raising her own mug.
    “Morning, Kelly,” he greeted with a smile. “You’re right about the coffee. I have
     to admit, it’s some of the best. Strong and black.”
    “I think Eduardo’s secret is the nails and shoelaces he throws in when we’re not looking.”
     She took a sip while Nelson laughed. “How’s that remodeling going?”
    “Pretty good. We’ve got the rotten beams replaced and any other pieces that needed
     replacing. And we’ve only lost a few places on the original stucco, which isn’t too
     bad. We’re going to keep working on the interior today. Put in some insulation and
     the drywall tomorrow.”
    “Wow, you two are moving right along.” Kelly couldn’t help adding, “I’m so glad to
     see Malcolm doing as well as he is. Jayleen stopped in yesterday, and I got to hear
     more about his background.”
    “Thanks, miss,” Nelson said as Julie handed him his mug. “I appreciate that.” He handed
     her some bills. “Yeah, Malcolm has had it kind of rough. Some people can handle those
     rough spells life throws in better than others. Some folks get beaten down.” He looked
     away as he took a sip, then blew on the hot liquid.
    “Jayleen told me some of what happened to Malcolm to send him on that downward trajectory,
     so to speak. It sounds like everything kind of piled up on him. Losing his job, his
     career, his home, even his wife . . .” Kelly wagged her head. “I don’t think there’s
     many of us who wouldn’t be dropped to our knees by all that onslaught.”
    Nelson gave her a wry smile. “You’re right about that, Kelly. That’s kind of the reason
     I got involved with the Mission’s program a few years back. I wanted a way to help
     some people who’ve been knocked down learn how to get back up again. Give them some
     work to do, and get them on a path to feel good about themselves again.”
    Kelly looked at Hal Nelson, sizing him up anew. “That’s really admirable of you, Hal.
     Not many people would make the effort during these bad economic times to help other
     people find a job. Jayleen mentioned you have your own construction company to run.
     How do you manage all that?”
    “Well, I’ve got two good people who work for me. One’s an older guy, Dutch, who’s
     been supervising construction crews for a lifetime. So he and the other guy, George,
     can handle anything. I try to split my time between sites when I’m doing a Mission
     job, but it’s a challenge.”
    Remembering yesterday afternoon’s visitor, Kelly said, “By the way, I spoke with that
     man who stopped by the shop yesterday afternoon looking for you. We chatted for a
     few minutes before you drove up. Rizzoli was his name.”
    “Yeah, Rizzoli.” Nelson nodded. “He wanted to see this parcel of land I’ve got up
     in Poudre Canyon. I thought I’d give Jennifer a heads-up. She listed it for me last
     year, but nothing was selling then, so it’s been sitting.”
    “Well, Jennifer is a personal friend, but I’ve also used her as an agent, so I know
     how good she is. Poudre Canyon is one of my favorite places. I almost bought some
     land up there a few years ago, but . . . it wasn’t meant to be, I guess. I let someone
     else buy it.”
    Nelson