Read Online Digging for Dirt (Heavenly Highland Inn Cozy Mystery Book 9) by Cindy Bell - Free Book Online

“How do you know that he’s a criminal?”
    “I can read, can’t I?” She laughed. She signed the receipt that Vicky handed her. “In fact I read all about the way he covered up his criminal activity. We don’t need more liars in positions of power, now do we?”
    Vicky thought that she was being very harsh. But she knew that there were many people who were very passionate about the politicians they supported. She had no idea that Roman was such a controversial figure, but that would not have stopped him from being able to stay at the inn. Sarah and Vicky agreed that it wasn’t their place to judge a guest.
    “Well, I’m sorry that we couldn’t continue to accommodate you.” Vicky handed them a business card. “If you’d like to stay with us in the future, please feel free to contact us at any time.”
    “Hmph, I don’t see that happening.” The woman marched away from the front desk. Her husband trailed quietly after her. Vicky looked at them with dismay as she watched them go.
    As she finished typing their reason for leaving in the records on the computer, her cell phone began to ring. She reached into her pocket and pulled it out. She could see that it was Mitchell calling. She smiled at the thought of hearing his voice.
    “Hello?”
    “Vicky, I’ve got something I have to tell you.” Mitchell rushed forward without even greeting her. Vicky knew instantly that it must be serious.
    “What is it?” She listened closely.
    “I just spoke with the coroner.” Mitchell’s voice was weighted with concern.
    “What is it?” she asked again. “Not natural causes I guess?”
    “No. It’s worse than that. Freida was poisoned.”
    “Oh no! That’s horrible.” Vicky grimaced as she wondered who would do such a terrible thing. “I guess the police will have to investigate. How was she poisoned?”
    “Vicky, Freida was killed by ingesting poisonous berries.” Mitchell paused a moment as the revelation sunk in. “They were in the fruit basket.”
    “No,” Vicky said with disbelief. “How terrible!”
    “Do you know where the fruit came from?”
    “No idea, I found the basket on the front desk.” Vicky sighed with dread as she realized that the fruit basket she had asked Monica to deliver to the room had killed Freida. “Monica delivered it. I asked her to.”
    “That’s strange!” Mitchell exclaimed. “The card that came with the basket said ‘With Compliments from the Management of the Heavenly Highland Inn. Sorry for any inconvenience caused by the disruption to dinner service.’”
    “That’s impossible,” Vicky gasped. “We never arranged any fruit baskets for the guests.”
    “Maybe Sarah…”
    “No,” Vicky cut him off. “The basket was delivered to the inn. It had a room number and the address of the inn on the delivery slip.”
    “Where’s the delivery slip?” Mitchell asked.
    “We would have thrown it out already.”
    “I’ll get the officers to see if they can find it in the trash.”
    “I’ll double check the trash can, but I’m sure it’s been emptied, the trash was collected this morning.” Vicky cringed.
    “So, you have no idea who the basket of fruit came from?”
    “No,” Vicky said slowly. “I’ll try to find out, though.” Her heart began to pound harder.
    “You need to leave this to the police! You can expect that there is going to be a thorough investigation. Someone put those berries in the fruit basket. I’m sure it was an accident. But it’s led to someone’s death so we are going to have to find out what happened.”
    “I understand,” Vicky murmured. She could barely catch enough of a breath to speak at a normal level. Finding Freida dead was shocking enough, but to find out that she was poisoned by fruit apparently given to her as a gift from the inn was very upsetting, not to mention confusing.
    “I’ll update you as much as I can, Vicky. Just be careful what you say and to whom, until all of this is settled. Okay?” She could