Read Online Flipped For Murder by Maddie Day - Free Book Online Page A

that worried look again.
    â€œDo you have any idea who might have killed Stella?”
    â€œWho, me? Not a clue.” He cleared his throat and glanced into my cart. “So, did you find what you needed? Looks like you got you a cat.”
    â€œJust acquired one. Or he adopted me, I guess is more accurate.”
    A fond smile spread across Don’s face and he finally stopped frowning. “I have three.” He proceeded to tell me about each of his cats, their names, their habits. “Why, I gived your mom a little bitty kitten long, long ago. She took that guy on her drive cross-country when she moved out California way.”
    â€œButch? You gave Mom our cat, Butch?” I was astonished.
    â€œIf that’s what she went ahead and named him, why, then, yes, I did. So did you give this cat who adopted you a name yet?”
    â€œI named him Birdy, because he almost chirps when he purrs.”
    â€œWell, he’s yours now. You know what they say, once you name a stray, you ain’t never going to get rid of him.”
    â€œSo far, that’s not a problem. He seems very swee—” I stopped speaking when Don turned his head sharply to the right.
    â€œRoy,” he said in a voice that would have put honey to shame. “Let me express my condolences on the death of your mother.” Hand outstretched, Don approached a man a few years younger than me who looked like he didn’t exercise much.
    So this was Stella’s son. Inconveniently named Roy Rogers. Well, maybe he was more typical of his generation than I was, and had no idea who the old TV singing cowboy was.
    Roy shook Don’s hand without really putting himself into it. “Thanks, Don.”
    Whoa. The guy I’d heard on the other side of the partition earlier. He looked over at me and squinted, running his left hand through hair so greasy it made him wipe his hand on his dark blue work pants.
    â€œThis the girl who robbed me of my store?” Roy asked Don.
    Don held up both hands facing Roy. “Hold on a chicken-picking minute, Roy. She didn’t rob nobody.” He beckoned me over. “Kinda funny, that. Robbie here didn’t rob nobody.” He gave a grim little chuckle that neither Roy nor I joined him in. “Robbie Jordan, Roy Rogers. The late Stella’s only son.”
    I took a deep breath. “Nice to meet you, Roy. And I’m so sorry about your mother’s passing.”
    Roy snorted. “As if.”
    Don gave Roy a look. “Now, Roy, Robbie there lost her very own mother only last year. Haven’t we talked about being nice?” He took Roy by the elbow and steered him away.
    I watched them head toward Don’s office. What was with the “haven’t we talked about being nice?” Don’s tone was that of an adult to a child. Curious. I approached the cash register and paid Barb for my purchases.
    â€œHow’s the store going, now’s you’re open?” she asked with a big smile.
    â€œGood, so far, thanks.”
    She leaned toward me. “Heared the sad news about Stella, may she rest in peace.” She shook her head. “She was a tough customer, bless her heart. Hope they catch whoever did it, though. Don’t much like a killer running around loose.”
    â€œI’m with you on that. Say, Barb, you don’t know if anyone has reported a lost cat, do you?” I figured if anyone knew about Birdy, Barb would. She had a finger on everything that happened in town. “Little black-and-white guy?”
    â€œNot as I’ve heared. Nobody’s put up a poster here, anywho.” She gestured with her head to the large community bulletin board near the door. “Let you know if I hear tell anything.”
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    I approached Kowalski’s Country Store on my bike an hour later. It was such a beautiful fall day, sunny and crisp, that I’d decided to ride to Nashville and take myself out to a second