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

you wait, Vicky. The inventory should have been done yesterday, but with everything that happened I didn’t have the chance to complete it. The delivery driver put the food away for me yesterday because I had to leave suddenly to turn off the water when the sprinkler broke. He had the best intentions, but he put it away in the wrong places of course.” He sighed. “Now, everything is taking longer than usual and I’m running behind and I would hate to have to start all over again.” He looked at her with a flustered expression.
    “I understand.” Vicky nodded. “Henry, I have to tell you something. I want you to understand that I am in no way accusing you, but we need to prepare for an investigation.”
    Henry narrowed his eyes as he tried to figure out what she meant. “What are you talking about, Vicky?”
    “Did you organize a fruit basket for Freida’s room by any chance?” Vicky asked gently.
    “No,” Henry said as he shook his head. “Why?”
    “It looks like Freida didn’t die of natural causes. She had fruit delivered to her room with a card saying it was from the inn. There were poisonous berries in the fruit basket.” Vicky frowned.
    “Well, they didn’t come from this kitchen, we don’t have any berries here,” Henry said defensively. “They aren’t in season at the moment.”
    “Okay,” Vicky said. “Where would someone get a fruit basket around here?”
    “The first place that comes to mind in Highland is the grocers, but they could have come from anywhere.”
    “I know.” Vicky sighed. “But it’s the best place to start. No one organized the basket at the inn so…”
    “Well, that’s good to know.” A police officer walked into the kitchen just as Vicky was finishing her statement. Vicky presumed he must be one of the new officers in Highland because she hadn’t met him before. “I would like to ask some questions about…”
    “We don’t have any statements to make at this time,” Vicky blurted out before thinking. She didn’t want to give a statement when it looked like the inn could have been negligent by sending the poisonous berries to the room.
    The officer looked at Vicky with disdain. “I’m assuming that your tune will change when your husband gets here.”
    Vicky narrowed her eyes. “Not necessarily.”
    “Right, well we need to investigate this thoroughly,” he said. “If that means I need to shut down the inn to do that, I will,” he threatened.
    Vicky was stunned by his rude demeanor. She read his name tag.
    “Officer Barlett, is it?” She raised an eyebrow. “I wonder if your supervisor is aware of the way you treat people?”
    “He’s very aware of the way I treat people who refuse to cooperate with an investigation.” Officer Barlett straightened his shoulders. “Now, would you like to give me a statement about those berries?”
    “Excuse me, Sir, but that is no way to talk…” Henry began to say. Vicky interrupted him.
    “No, Henry, let him be.” She gestured to the officer. “Are we done here?”
    Officer Barlett glowered at her but nodded. “For the moment.” He turned and walked away.
    “Thank you for your support, Henry,” Vicky said.
    “Let’s just hope this is sorted out soon.”
    “I hope so,” Vicky replied as she turned and walked out of the kitchen.

    * * *
    V icky was troubled as she went to find Sarah. She knew that she should have been a little kinder to the officer, especially since Mitchell would likely hear about it, but she was on the defensive, and she was very worried about the future of the inn.
    Sarah was just hanging up her phone behind the front desk. She turned to face Vicky with a stricken look.
    “Our lawyer says not to say a word.” Sarah blinked back tears. “Vicky, I don’t think that we’re going to get out of this one. We’re going to have to start thinking about what we’re going to do.”
    “Sarah, try not to stress too much,” Vicky urged. She hated to see her sister so worried,