Read Online Dead Men Don't Eat Cookies by Virginia Lowell - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Virginia Lowell
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floor and headed toward Spunky’s chair, an antique with a padded seat, located in front of the large front window so the vigilant Yorkie could keep an eye on both the store and the porch. However, Spunky wasn’t there.
“Spunks?” Olivia called. Spunky slid out from behind the heavy front curtain. “Oh, there you are,” Olivia said. “Are the squirrels invading the porch again?” Spunky’s nails tapped on the floor as he scurried toward his breakfast. Once his face disappeared into the bowl, Olivia shifted the edge of the heavy curtain and peered out at the Gingerbread House porch. She saw nothing amiss. She told herself that finding one body on the porch didn’t mean more would follow. She returned to the kitchen, trying to repress her lingering anxiety.
Maddie was back at work piping scallops on her round cut sugar cookies, this time with violet icing. She paused and glanced up as Olivia closed the kitchen door. “Speak,” Maddie said. “Piping this icing design takes no concentration whatsoever.”
“I’ll take your word for it.” Olivia relaxed on a kitchen chair. “I have trouble making perfect scallops time after time. Those cookies look wonderful. Did you tint the dough?”
“Yep,” Maddie said without looking up. “Pale yellow works well with violet, don’t you think?”
Olivia answered with an extended sigh.
“Oh, for heaven’s sake, eat one,” Maddie said. “What’sthe point of running a store filled with everything cookie if you never indulge?”
“Can’t argue with that.” Olivia bit into a cookie and sighed again, this time with pleasure. While she nibbled, she told Maddie about her dinner conversation with Del, minus the personal parts.
Maddie glanced up in midscallop. “You left out the personal parts, didn’t you? Never mind, I’ll let it go this time, but only because I desperately wanted to hear what Del had to say about those bones.” As she spoke, Maddie smoothly completed the interrupted scallop curve and began icing another. “It sounds as if he is taking the bones more seriously than the crime lab is. And yes, I do know the lab is always overwhelmed with more immediate cases . . . which is okay with me because it means we can investigate without too much interference from those pesky professionals.”
“Except Del is a professional, and he certainly sounded interested in this case,” Olivia said. “Although I wouldn’t call Del pesky. He does seem more relaxed than he usually is about our avid curiosity. He didn’t tell me to back off and mind my own business, though he sort of hinted. Of course, his casual attitude could change quickly if this turns out to be a murder. Especially if living, breathing, weapon-toting murder suspects begin to emerge.”
Maddie capped her pastry bag and put it on the kitchen counter. “The cookie decorating is hereby finished for the morning.” She stretched her arms toward the ceiling, then checked the clock above the sink. “It is 7:23 a.m., which gives us at least an hour to begin our investigation. Now, don’t argue, Livie. You can shower later, and I can open the store. Tuesdays are usually slow, anyway.”
“Are you sure you can stand being in the same room with me before I shower?”
“I’ll try, in the interests of the murder investigation.” Maddie gathered up the tiny bottles of gel food coloringshe’d used for the icing. “I’ll simply focus on the lingering aroma of lemon sugar cookies.”
“Such dedication,” Olivia murmured.
“Why don’t you tidy up the kitchen, while I power up the laptop. I have a couple ideas for online searches that might help us.”
“I’ll clean up in a minute,” Olivia said. “First I need to check on Spunky and retrieve his breakfast bowl, which I’m sure is empty and licked clean by now.” When she entered the sales floor and headed toward Spunky’s chair, the little Yorkie opened one eye. He closed it again when he noted the absence of doggy treats in her
“Spunks?” Olivia called. Spunky slid out from behind the heavy front curtain. “Oh, there you are,” Olivia said. “Are the squirrels invading the porch again?” Spunky’s nails tapped on the floor as he scurried toward his breakfast. Once his face disappeared into the bowl, Olivia shifted the edge of the heavy curtain and peered out at the Gingerbread House porch. She saw nothing amiss. She told herself that finding one body on the porch didn’t mean more would follow. She returned to the kitchen, trying to repress her lingering anxiety.
Maddie was back at work piping scallops on her round cut sugar cookies, this time with violet icing. She paused and glanced up as Olivia closed the kitchen door. “Speak,” Maddie said. “Piping this icing design takes no concentration whatsoever.”
“I’ll take your word for it.” Olivia relaxed on a kitchen chair. “I have trouble making perfect scallops time after time. Those cookies look wonderful. Did you tint the dough?”
“Yep,” Maddie said without looking up. “Pale yellow works well with violet, don’t you think?”
Olivia answered with an extended sigh.
“Oh, for heaven’s sake, eat one,” Maddie said. “What’sthe point of running a store filled with everything cookie if you never indulge?”
“Can’t argue with that.” Olivia bit into a cookie and sighed again, this time with pleasure. While she nibbled, she told Maddie about her dinner conversation with Del, minus the personal parts.
Maddie glanced up in midscallop. “You left out the personal parts, didn’t you? Never mind, I’ll let it go this time, but only because I desperately wanted to hear what Del had to say about those bones.” As she spoke, Maddie smoothly completed the interrupted scallop curve and began icing another. “It sounds as if he is taking the bones more seriously than the crime lab is. And yes, I do know the lab is always overwhelmed with more immediate cases . . . which is okay with me because it means we can investigate without too much interference from those pesky professionals.”
“Except Del is a professional, and he certainly sounded interested in this case,” Olivia said. “Although I wouldn’t call Del pesky. He does seem more relaxed than he usually is about our avid curiosity. He didn’t tell me to back off and mind my own business, though he sort of hinted. Of course, his casual attitude could change quickly if this turns out to be a murder. Especially if living, breathing, weapon-toting murder suspects begin to emerge.”
Maddie capped her pastry bag and put it on the kitchen counter. “The cookie decorating is hereby finished for the morning.” She stretched her arms toward the ceiling, then checked the clock above the sink. “It is 7:23 a.m., which gives us at least an hour to begin our investigation. Now, don’t argue, Livie. You can shower later, and I can open the store. Tuesdays are usually slow, anyway.”
“Are you sure you can stand being in the same room with me before I shower?”
“I’ll try, in the interests of the murder investigation.” Maddie gathered up the tiny bottles of gel food coloringshe’d used for the icing. “I’ll simply focus on the lingering aroma of lemon sugar cookies.”
“Such dedication,” Olivia murmured.
“Why don’t you tidy up the kitchen, while I power up the laptop. I have a couple ideas for online searches that might help us.”
“I’ll clean up in a minute,” Olivia said. “First I need to check on Spunky and retrieve his breakfast bowl, which I’m sure is empty and licked clean by now.” When she entered the sales floor and headed toward Spunky’s chair, the little Yorkie opened one eye. He closed it again when he noted the absence of doggy treats in her
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