Read Online Drop Dead Chocolate by Jessica Beck - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Jessica Beck
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walked over to the Boxcar and found Trish standing up front at the register. Things had been buzzing inside until I showed up, but they’d suddenly gotten awfully quiet when folks realized that I’d walked in.
“Suzanne, are you all right?” Trish asked. She was a dear friend of mine, second only to Grace, and we’d been pals forever. She still wore the same ponytail she’d had all through school, and had somehow managed to stay fit and trim enough to fit into her prom dress, something that I would never be able to do again.
“I’m fine,” I said, loud enough to give the customers eating at the restaurant a chance to hear. “Everything’s good.”
“It’s just terrible about the mayor, isn’t it?”
I had to agree. I hadn’t been a big fan of the man, but he hadn’t deserved to come to an end that way. “Murder is never an easy thing to take, no matter who the victim is.”
“Do they have any idea who might have done it?” Trish asked.
“Not a clue yet,” I said. I looked around the dining room, and most folks had the decency to at least look like they weren’t watching and listening to us.
“If there’s anything I can do—and I mean anything—all you have to do is ask. I’m on your side.” She said it loud enough so that folks all the way over in Union Square could hear it. It meant a lot to me, having Trish’s very public support.
I smiled at her as I said, “Thanks, but I’m good. Any chance I could get a table?”
“I’ve got one right here,” she said, and seated me close to the register. “Is Grace coming, or is she working today?”
As a corporate sales rep for a cosmetics firm, my best friend’s hours were pretty much her own, so it was a legitimate question. “She’s off today, but she and her boyfriend are antiquing.”
Trish hadn’t had much luck finding someone to date over the past few years, so she said with a wistful air, “Peter’s a real looker, isn’t he? I can’t believe he goes shopping with her, too.”
I decided to let that go with a nod.
Trish got it immediately, dropped it on the spot, and then asked, “What can I get for you?”
I was in the mood for something different. “Let’s shake things up today. How about a turkey sandwich on wheat bread with a side of coleslaw and a glass of sweet tea?”
“You’ve got it,” she said.
I was sitting there, trying not to notice that folks were still staring at me, when my phone rang. I was happy for the distraction, and doubly pleased that it was Jake.
“I wasn’t sure you were going to call me back,” I said with a slight laugh. “I had a feeling you were finished with that particular conversation by the way you ended it.”
“Sorry, my boss was on the line. When he calls, I answer.”
“I didn’t know he intimidated you,” I said with a smile.
“He doesn’t, but if I cross him, he has the power to make me write parking tickets instead of investigating murder.”
I got it. Jake loved the excitement of what he did, and if he had to do something far below his detecting abilities, it would drive him crazy. “Was he asking you for an update on the blackmail case? How is it going, by the way?”
“Actually, he called to congratulate me. I solved it this morning,” Jake said matter-of-factly.
“Really? That’s great. Whodunnit?”
“It wasn’t that hard to figure out that it was his mistress,” Jake said. “When the man refused to leave his wife, she decided to give him a little incentive. It wasn’t the crime of the century; the local cops here would have solved it soon enough.”
“Are you getting any time off?” I asked, perhaps a little too eagerly. Having Jake as close as he was and not being able to see him at least for one date would be torture. “I probably don’t even have to say it, but if you have a spare hour or two, I’d love to see you.”
“Be careful what you wish for, Suzanne,” he said, his voice solemn.
“What does that mean?”
I heard Jake take
“Suzanne, are you all right?” Trish asked. She was a dear friend of mine, second only to Grace, and we’d been pals forever. She still wore the same ponytail she’d had all through school, and had somehow managed to stay fit and trim enough to fit into her prom dress, something that I would never be able to do again.
“I’m fine,” I said, loud enough to give the customers eating at the restaurant a chance to hear. “Everything’s good.”
“It’s just terrible about the mayor, isn’t it?”
I had to agree. I hadn’t been a big fan of the man, but he hadn’t deserved to come to an end that way. “Murder is never an easy thing to take, no matter who the victim is.”
“Do they have any idea who might have done it?” Trish asked.
“Not a clue yet,” I said. I looked around the dining room, and most folks had the decency to at least look like they weren’t watching and listening to us.
“If there’s anything I can do—and I mean anything—all you have to do is ask. I’m on your side.” She said it loud enough so that folks all the way over in Union Square could hear it. It meant a lot to me, having Trish’s very public support.
I smiled at her as I said, “Thanks, but I’m good. Any chance I could get a table?”
“I’ve got one right here,” she said, and seated me close to the register. “Is Grace coming, or is she working today?”
As a corporate sales rep for a cosmetics firm, my best friend’s hours were pretty much her own, so it was a legitimate question. “She’s off today, but she and her boyfriend are antiquing.”
Trish hadn’t had much luck finding someone to date over the past few years, so she said with a wistful air, “Peter’s a real looker, isn’t he? I can’t believe he goes shopping with her, too.”
I decided to let that go with a nod.
Trish got it immediately, dropped it on the spot, and then asked, “What can I get for you?”
I was in the mood for something different. “Let’s shake things up today. How about a turkey sandwich on wheat bread with a side of coleslaw and a glass of sweet tea?”
“You’ve got it,” she said.
I was sitting there, trying not to notice that folks were still staring at me, when my phone rang. I was happy for the distraction, and doubly pleased that it was Jake.
“I wasn’t sure you were going to call me back,” I said with a slight laugh. “I had a feeling you were finished with that particular conversation by the way you ended it.”
“Sorry, my boss was on the line. When he calls, I answer.”
“I didn’t know he intimidated you,” I said with a smile.
“He doesn’t, but if I cross him, he has the power to make me write parking tickets instead of investigating murder.”
I got it. Jake loved the excitement of what he did, and if he had to do something far below his detecting abilities, it would drive him crazy. “Was he asking you for an update on the blackmail case? How is it going, by the way?”
“Actually, he called to congratulate me. I solved it this morning,” Jake said matter-of-factly.
“Really? That’s great. Whodunnit?”
“It wasn’t that hard to figure out that it was his mistress,” Jake said. “When the man refused to leave his wife, she decided to give him a little incentive. It wasn’t the crime of the century; the local cops here would have solved it soon enough.”
“Are you getting any time off?” I asked, perhaps a little too eagerly. Having Jake as close as he was and not being able to see him at least for one date would be torture. “I probably don’t even have to say it, but if you have a spare hour or two, I’d love to see you.”
“Be careful what you wish for, Suzanne,” he said, his voice solemn.
“What does that mean?”
I heard Jake take
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