Read Online Days of Wine and Roquefort (Cheese Shop Mystery) by Avery Aames - Free Book Online Page B

I needed to learn more moves, but to date, I had protected myself pretty darned well. On the other hand, did I want to test fate?
    “Why don’t I stay the night?” Matthew offered.
    “No, Meredith and the girls need you.”
    “Charlotte,” Urso said, “why don’t you go to your grandparents’ house?”
    “Oh, for Pete’s sake.” I didn’t mean to sound so exasperated, but both men were acting like I was a child. “I’ll see if Lavender and Lace has an available room. Will that satisfy you both? Rags will be thrilled to have some playtime with Lois’s precocious Shih Tzu.” I didn’t want to put out my grandparents, nor did I want to be fussed over.
    As I started to leave the garage, a thought flew into my mind. I slapped my thigh. “U-ey, I just remembered something. When I entered, I smelled a marshy odor. It was probably the mud on Noelle’s shoes, but the mud looks dry right now, so you can’t really pick up the scent.”
    Urso crouched beside Noelle and inspected the undersides of her shoes. “Do you know where she might have been?”
    “She mentioned taking a hike. Maybe she went to Kindred Creek.”
    “At night?”
    “I warned her that it was too dark, but she seemed set on the idea. She wanted to explore Providence before she settled into her new job. She’d called it a quest. Maybe Boyd Hellman caught sight of her on her outing and followed her back here.”
    Urso shook his head. “But there isn’t a second set of muddy footprints. Is this guy smart enough to have removed his dirty boots?”
    • • •
     
    By the time Urso and his deputies left, I felt drained, and to be honest, no matter what kind of bravado I had put on earlier, I didn’t feel like sleeping alone in my house. Humbled and shivering, I gathered up Rags and headed to Lavender and Lace. With all the comings and goings at my place, I was surprised that a crowd hadn’t collected on the street by the B&B to gossip.
    Guests sat on the porch having tea and scones. Lois kept space heaters turned on through the winter.
    “Welcome, Charlotte.” Lois passed across the front door threshold. Agatha, her Shih Tzu, scampered alongside. “I’m so glad you called.”
    I hadn’t; Urso had, to guarantee that a room was available. Talk about a lack of trust. I said, “I don’t mean to be an inconvenience.”
    “Nonsense, we always like company, don’t you know.” Lois knotted the belt of her lavender sweater, tucked a loose hair behind her ear, and then nuzzled Rags’s neck. “There are lots of people in town for Thanksgiving holidays. Why, I have more grandparent guests than I can count. They’re all in to see the play at the theater. However, I have a few rooms empty. I always keep at least one . . .” She paused. Had she meant to add that she kept one room ready for her husband, should he reappear? A whisper of sadness filled her eyes, but she pushed it aside. “Tea?”
    “I’d love some.”
    I entered the great room and instantly felt calmer. A fire crackled in the fireplace. Many guests had cozied up to the fire. Others played board games or chatted at the various groupings of chairs and sofas. I settled into a corduroy chair—lavender in color, of course; Lois had a passion for purple—and seconds later Lois returned with a Haviland Rose china set and a plate of homemade raisin cinnamon scones with a side of clotted cream. Locally, Lois was famous for her scones. I set Rags on the floor, and he immediately grappled with Agatha. The dog yipped, and the two tore off toward the kitchen. “Play nice,” I called.
    “Don’t worry about them,” Lois said. “Two peas in a pod. I swear your cat is a dog.” She nodded toward the scones, beaming with pride. “These are freshly made and piping hot from the oven. I’m planning to make a batch of gluten-free scones for your niece.”
    “How sweet of you.”
    “I miss seeing the girls running around the yard. All that lovely energy.” After setting my tea to