Read Online From Newsprint to Footprints: A River's Edge Cozy Mystery (River's Edge Cozy Mysteries Book 1) by Elaine Orr - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Elaine Orr
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and I'll up my line of credit so you can order what you need yourself."
Fair enough. I had no intention of avoiding people, but the idea of ordering more mulch was sort of vomit-inducing at the moment.
I had just put my work gloves back on when my mobile phone buzzed.
Good. Sheriff Gallagher. "Hey, sheriff, did you find Hal's car?"
Gallagher sounded somber. "That's not why I'm calling, Melanie. There's an IDI agent who wants to talk to you again. Now, you don't have to take my advice, but since your parents aren't here to give you a kick in the butt, I want you to think about being real good-mannered to him."
"Which one is it?" I asked, not really caring.
"Not even sure. You mind your p's and q's, hear?"
I thanked the sheriff and hung up. It hadn't made sense to badger him about the car just now. I'd have to do that later. Then I realized Gallagher hadn't said if I should come to his office, so I assumed the IDI agent would call me.
I was wrong. Agent Masters pulled into Syl's driveway. Granger's cruiser was behind him, but only Masters got out. He dangled a pair of handcuffs as he slammed his car door.
"Really? You honest to God think you have a reason to arrest me?"
I heard Syl's screen door open, but didn't look toward him.
"I don't need to arrest you to put you in these. I just need to think you might try to get away."
Masters looked like a man who had slept little and maybe had a bothersome prostate. I pulled out my phone, pushed my brother's speed dial number, and was already talking as Masters walked toward me. "Ambrose, there's an IDI agent here who's trying to intimidate me. Could you have Ken Brownberg meet me… Agent Masters, where is it you're taking me in handcuffs?"
Ambrose's voice carried without the phone on speaker, but I pushed the speakerphone button anyway. "Melanie, where are you? Ken will come to you and escort you. Where the hell is the guy wantin' to take you?"
Masters was beet red, and by this time Syl was on the porch. I saw him glance at the handcuffs and then at Masters.
"Meet my brother Ambrose, Agent Masters." I wiggled my phone at him. "Where should he send our family lawyer?"
"Why does she need a lawyer?" Syl asked.
"Melanie?" Ambrose was at a lower decibel level, but his anger was clear. "Where are you?"
"I'm at the old Silverstone place, where I'm working."
"Tell him I'll drive you down," Syl said.
I wanted to say I'd drive myself, but Mr. IDI would probably pull me over on the way and make me ride with him. Or think of a reason to give me a ticket and arrest me.
Masters' voice held controlled fury. "Mr. Seaton, this really isn't your concern."
"The hell it isn't." Syl held Masters' gaze as he walked down the steps. "A dead body shows up on my property, and you want to haul my employee's ass somewhere to question her when she clearly could not have put Hal Morris in that pile of crap?"
"I don't think it was fertilizer mulch," I said.
Explosion time. "The Department of Investigation can question anyone it believes connected to any crime, especially murder. Now, Mr. Seaton…"
"How many other people will be at your party in handcuffs?" Syl asked, using a mocking tone.
"Melanie?" Ambrose sounded almost frantic. "I've got Sheriff Gallagher on the other line. He thinks this IDI man is taking you to his office. Is that right?"
I raised an eyebrow in Masters' direction.
He almost spat the words as he glared at me. "That's correct. You be there in ten minutes."
I've never seen someone literally turn on one heel. He banged his car door and drove to the end of the driveway to turn around, where he almost front-ended Granger's cruiser, which apparently wasn't backing toward the road as fast as it should. Master's didn't bother to slow down as he pulled out of the driveway.
Ambrose was talking to someone, probably Ken Brownberg, but I couldn't hear what they said.
As Masters sped away, Syl looked at me. "That the brother you forgot to call the other day?"
I nodded.
"I
Fair enough. I had no intention of avoiding people, but the idea of ordering more mulch was sort of vomit-inducing at the moment.
I had just put my work gloves back on when my mobile phone buzzed.
Good. Sheriff Gallagher. "Hey, sheriff, did you find Hal's car?"
Gallagher sounded somber. "That's not why I'm calling, Melanie. There's an IDI agent who wants to talk to you again. Now, you don't have to take my advice, but since your parents aren't here to give you a kick in the butt, I want you to think about being real good-mannered to him."
"Which one is it?" I asked, not really caring.
"Not even sure. You mind your p's and q's, hear?"
I thanked the sheriff and hung up. It hadn't made sense to badger him about the car just now. I'd have to do that later. Then I realized Gallagher hadn't said if I should come to his office, so I assumed the IDI agent would call me.
I was wrong. Agent Masters pulled into Syl's driveway. Granger's cruiser was behind him, but only Masters got out. He dangled a pair of handcuffs as he slammed his car door.
"Really? You honest to God think you have a reason to arrest me?"
I heard Syl's screen door open, but didn't look toward him.
"I don't need to arrest you to put you in these. I just need to think you might try to get away."
Masters looked like a man who had slept little and maybe had a bothersome prostate. I pulled out my phone, pushed my brother's speed dial number, and was already talking as Masters walked toward me. "Ambrose, there's an IDI agent here who's trying to intimidate me. Could you have Ken Brownberg meet me… Agent Masters, where is it you're taking me in handcuffs?"
Ambrose's voice carried without the phone on speaker, but I pushed the speakerphone button anyway. "Melanie, where are you? Ken will come to you and escort you. Where the hell is the guy wantin' to take you?"
Masters was beet red, and by this time Syl was on the porch. I saw him glance at the handcuffs and then at Masters.
"Meet my brother Ambrose, Agent Masters." I wiggled my phone at him. "Where should he send our family lawyer?"
"Why does she need a lawyer?" Syl asked.
"Melanie?" Ambrose was at a lower decibel level, but his anger was clear. "Where are you?"
"I'm at the old Silverstone place, where I'm working."
"Tell him I'll drive you down," Syl said.
I wanted to say I'd drive myself, but Mr. IDI would probably pull me over on the way and make me ride with him. Or think of a reason to give me a ticket and arrest me.
Masters' voice held controlled fury. "Mr. Seaton, this really isn't your concern."
"The hell it isn't." Syl held Masters' gaze as he walked down the steps. "A dead body shows up on my property, and you want to haul my employee's ass somewhere to question her when she clearly could not have put Hal Morris in that pile of crap?"
"I don't think it was fertilizer mulch," I said.
Explosion time. "The Department of Investigation can question anyone it believes connected to any crime, especially murder. Now, Mr. Seaton…"
"How many other people will be at your party in handcuffs?" Syl asked, using a mocking tone.
"Melanie?" Ambrose sounded almost frantic. "I've got Sheriff Gallagher on the other line. He thinks this IDI man is taking you to his office. Is that right?"
I raised an eyebrow in Masters' direction.
He almost spat the words as he glared at me. "That's correct. You be there in ten minutes."
I've never seen someone literally turn on one heel. He banged his car door and drove to the end of the driveway to turn around, where he almost front-ended Granger's cruiser, which apparently wasn't backing toward the road as fast as it should. Master's didn't bother to slow down as he pulled out of the driveway.
Ambrose was talking to someone, probably Ken Brownberg, but I couldn't hear what they said.
As Masters sped away, Syl looked at me. "That the brother you forgot to call the other day?"
I nodded.
"I
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