Read Online Death Before Diamonds (Sky High Pies Cozy Mysteries Book 10) by Mary Maxwell - Free Book Online

then!”

CHAPTER
12
     
     
    The last table from lunch was
lingering over slices of lemon meringue pie and steaming cups of coffee when
Harper popped into the kitchen to tell me that Dina Kincaid was on the phone.
After delivering the message, she went back out to start resetting the dining
room for the next day.
    “You’re pretty popular today,”
Julia quipped. “Or are you in trouble with the law again?”
    “Maybe she’s calling for my
professional input,” I said. “She might want a second opinion about a case
they’re working on.”
    Julia rolled her eyes. “Or maybe Trent
asked her to place another order for Ooey Gooey Butter Cake.”
    “What do you mean another order? What happened to the one he picked up yesterday?”
    She laughed. “From what I heard
this morning, Deputy Chief Walsh got the munchies late last night when they
were waiting for some important results to come back from the crime lab.”
    “And what?” I smiled. “They all ate
a couple of slices apiece?”
    Julia shook her head. “Trent took
care of the whole thing.”
    “Who told you that?” I asked.
“Tyler Armstrong?”
    “Nope.”
    “Amanda Crane?”
    She smiled. “I’d like to plead the
Fifth, Katie. I shouldn’t have said anything in the first place.”
    “Don’t sweat it,” I said. “Your
secret is safe with me.”
    “It’s kind of a compliment to your
grandmother’s recipe,” Julia said. “I mean, have you ever heard of anyone
eating an entire Ooey Gooey Butter Cake in one sitting?”
    “I have actually.”
    “Oh,” she said. “Who was it?”
    “Who do you think?”
    “Deputy Chief Walsh?”
    I laughed. “Yep! When we were in
high school, Trent came by to see if I was helping Nana Reed in the kitchen. I
was still at soccer practice, so he sat down to wait. She offered him a slice of
Ooey Gooey Butter Cake and went into the dining room to help my mother move
tables around. By the time she got back to the kitchen, he’d polished off the entire
thing by himself!”
    We were laughing about Trent’s
insatiable appetite when Harper called to me through the pass window again.
    “Are you going to talk to Dina?”
she asked. “Or should I—”
    “Oh, I’m sorry! Jules and I got to
talking.”
    “You don’t say?” Harper made a
face. “That’s something that’s never, ever happened before.”
    “Is she still on hold?” I asked.
    “Line two,” Harper said before returning
to the dining room.
    “Be right back, Jules,” I shouted
over my shoulder as I raced for the phone in my office. “This won’t take but a
second or two!”
    By the time I picked up the
receiver and punched the blinking button, Dina had put the call on hold from
her end. I listened to a recording about traffic safety. Then another about seat
belt safety. And then a third one covering recent changes to the speed limit on
three major roadways in the area. By the time the traffic safety message
started again, I was wondering how much longer I could stay on hold when I
heard a soft click and then Dina’s voice.
    “Sorry, Katie! I had another call about
a pressing matter.”
    “That’s okay, detective. How’s your
day going?”
    “It’s fine,” she said. “How about
yours?”
    “Pretty typical, so far. Julia’s
cooking, I’m making progress on special orders and Harper’s keeping things
under control in the dining room.”
    “That’s great,” she said. “I’m
calling because Trent wanted me to pass along some info on that license plate
you gave him the other day.”
    “Thank you,” I said. “And please
give my thanks to Trent as well. What did he find out?”
    “Well, the plate you asked about—the
one from Pennsylvania?”
    “Yes?”
    “That car was reported stolen from
an apartment complex in Denver about three days ago,” Dina said. “Trent got a
hit when he checked the database. I guess he also called the PD down there to
confirm the report and see if they had anything more on the situation.”
    “Did