Read Online Freezer I'll Shoot (A Vintage Kitchen Mystery) by Victoria Hamilton - Free Book Online
Authors: Victoria Hamilton
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leaves are all beautiful colors. And Hoppy loves it; he has more freedom here.” Her smile died. “Usually, anyway. When I don’t have plumbers and dead bodies.”
“Look, speaking of that . . .” He took her elbow and guided her to a chair.
It reminded her of Garnet’s steely hand on her elbow, and she wondered about that. His grip had been positively ironfisted, the clutch of a worried man. If his sister’s words truly had nothing to do with the murder, why was he so worried about Jaymie overhearing and misunderstanding? And why hadn’t he just explained what she meant?
“You need to give a statement, of course, but I don’t think it’s appropriate that I take it,” Zack said.
“Why not?” she asked, looking up at him. He turned away and stared out the back window at the scene below.
He shrugged and eased some tension out of his shoulders by flexing them. “Because when you give it, I’ll be in it. We walked back here last night and I asked you to go to dinner with me. That makes me a part of your last twenty-four hours.” He turned back and regarded her solemnly. “I’ve been through this before,” he said, his tone hard, “and I won’t let it happen again. Ever. I won’t let my objectivity be put in question.”
She was taken aback by his harshness, but nodded. So, what Bernie had told her was very likely true; he was gun-shy after being fired for involvement with a witness. “It doesn’t really matter who I give my statement to.”
He watched her eyes, and she could see he was torn. “Okay, then,” he said. “I have to tell my chief everything, but maybe I’ll leave it up to him to decide who questions you.”
So now it was not a definite “no” that he would take her statement. In a way she hoped it
was
someone else, because she hated having to lie, and not telling him what she had overheard Ruby say felt like a lie by omission. It would be far easier if it were a stranger she was talking to.
Confused by his wavering, she said, “I don’t care, Zack. I just want to do it and get it over with. I’m hoping to go back over to the mainland.” She was weary to the bone. Hoppy pawed at her lap and she picked him up, cradling him in her arms. “Look, I have to call my plumbers and tell them not to come today to finish the leaching bed. At least, I’m assuming we won’t be able to finish the work right now?”
He nodded. “I think the body will probably, given the circumstances, be here for a few hours more. Tell them tomorrow, and I think you’ll be safe.” He headed for the door, slipping his muddy shoes back on. “Just sit tight, and I’ll find out about the statement.”
She set Hoppy down and made a pot of coffee, needing the jolt of caffeine.
The phone rang and it was Valetta, town gossip and Jaymie’s best friend. “Jaymie, I heard you killed someone in your backyard, a burglar or something. What’s going on?”
The Queensville telegraph was working as wonkily as usual; some of the facts, plus speculation, plus gossip, plus a wild bit of imagination, all heaped together, whipped into a frenzy, and baked until piping, crazy hot. She explained, in unadorned terms, that she had found the body of Urban Dobrinskie in her backyard. “And now, if you don’t mind, I’d better call my mom before she gets the same whacky message and believes it!”
Valetta’s laugh cackled across the river. “Okay, but are you coming in today? We have some basket returns,” she said, mentioning the vintage picnic basket rental business Jaymie operated with the Emporium, where Valetta worked as a pharmacist.
“I hope so. I have to wait here until I give my statement to the police.”
“That’s becoming a bad habit,” she said.
“I know.” Jaymie spotted Zack and a tired-looking older man coming to her back porch. “I’ve got to go. Looks like the cops are coming.”
Zack deferred to the older man, who rapped peremptorily on her back door and stepped in without waiting
“Look, speaking of that . . .” He took her elbow and guided her to a chair.
It reminded her of Garnet’s steely hand on her elbow, and she wondered about that. His grip had been positively ironfisted, the clutch of a worried man. If his sister’s words truly had nothing to do with the murder, why was he so worried about Jaymie overhearing and misunderstanding? And why hadn’t he just explained what she meant?
“You need to give a statement, of course, but I don’t think it’s appropriate that I take it,” Zack said.
“Why not?” she asked, looking up at him. He turned away and stared out the back window at the scene below.
He shrugged and eased some tension out of his shoulders by flexing them. “Because when you give it, I’ll be in it. We walked back here last night and I asked you to go to dinner with me. That makes me a part of your last twenty-four hours.” He turned back and regarded her solemnly. “I’ve been through this before,” he said, his tone hard, “and I won’t let it happen again. Ever. I won’t let my objectivity be put in question.”
She was taken aback by his harshness, but nodded. So, what Bernie had told her was very likely true; he was gun-shy after being fired for involvement with a witness. “It doesn’t really matter who I give my statement to.”
He watched her eyes, and she could see he was torn. “Okay, then,” he said. “I have to tell my chief everything, but maybe I’ll leave it up to him to decide who questions you.”
So now it was not a definite “no” that he would take her statement. In a way she hoped it
was
someone else, because she hated having to lie, and not telling him what she had overheard Ruby say felt like a lie by omission. It would be far easier if it were a stranger she was talking to.
Confused by his wavering, she said, “I don’t care, Zack. I just want to do it and get it over with. I’m hoping to go back over to the mainland.” She was weary to the bone. Hoppy pawed at her lap and she picked him up, cradling him in her arms. “Look, I have to call my plumbers and tell them not to come today to finish the leaching bed. At least, I’m assuming we won’t be able to finish the work right now?”
He nodded. “I think the body will probably, given the circumstances, be here for a few hours more. Tell them tomorrow, and I think you’ll be safe.” He headed for the door, slipping his muddy shoes back on. “Just sit tight, and I’ll find out about the statement.”
She set Hoppy down and made a pot of coffee, needing the jolt of caffeine.
The phone rang and it was Valetta, town gossip and Jaymie’s best friend. “Jaymie, I heard you killed someone in your backyard, a burglar or something. What’s going on?”
The Queensville telegraph was working as wonkily as usual; some of the facts, plus speculation, plus gossip, plus a wild bit of imagination, all heaped together, whipped into a frenzy, and baked until piping, crazy hot. She explained, in unadorned terms, that she had found the body of Urban Dobrinskie in her backyard. “And now, if you don’t mind, I’d better call my mom before she gets the same whacky message and believes it!”
Valetta’s laugh cackled across the river. “Okay, but are you coming in today? We have some basket returns,” she said, mentioning the vintage picnic basket rental business Jaymie operated with the Emporium, where Valetta worked as a pharmacist.
“I hope so. I have to wait here until I give my statement to the police.”
“That’s becoming a bad habit,” she said.
“I know.” Jaymie spotted Zack and a tired-looking older man coming to her back porch. “I’ve got to go. Looks like the cops are coming.”
Zack deferred to the older man, who rapped peremptorily on her back door and stepped in without waiting
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