Read Online Ginny Gold - Early Bird Café 03 - Dead and Berried by Ginny Gold - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Ginny Gold
Tags: Mystery: Cozy - Café
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the seat next to him.
“I could really get used to this,” he said through his first mouthful of muffin.
“Be my guest,” she teased back.
He leaned over and kissed her, making her blush even without an audience.
Kori debated in her head about whether or not to tell him about seeing Stanley last night at Nora’s house. She finally decided that if she wanted any information about the official investigation she’d have to offer what she knew. “I saw Stanley Roche last night.”
Zach looked up from his muffin. “Oh yeah?” He didn’t press for details.
“At Nora’s,” she continued. “He wanted to see where she’d found the body. He told us Dan was allergic to strawberries.”
Zach nodded slowly. “And he wasn’t poisoned. AJ had been a prime suspect because we thought it was rat poison, but he was actually out of town Friday night and Dan wasn’t poisoned.”
Kori dropped her spoon and her mouth fell open. Muffin spilled onto the counter and she jumped up to get a towel to clean it up before any other customers came in. She considered what Zach’s news meant for her suspect list, motives and alibis.
Before she had a chance to talk about it more with him, a family of six came in and she had to get back to work. Zach finished his muffin and coffee, gave her another discrete kiss on the cheek and left.
Kori wanted nothing more than to call Nora, but the morning rush had started and she wouldn’t be able to talk to her until after one.
***
At exactly one o’clock there was no one in The Early Bird Café, including Kori and Ibis. She’d managed to close five minutes early after the final family had left. She didn’t take a chance on having someone else walk in before turning the sign back to closed, closing the door and locking it.
She headed straight to her car and brought Ibis to Nora’s. She had things to talk about and Ibis needed some exercise.
Milo and Otis were the first to notice the car and came running in greeting, Nora following them from behind the barn. Her knees were muddy and she was still wearing her gardening gloves, so she’d clearly been working in her large garden.
Kori walked toward her with purpose. She’d been bursting since her breakfast with Zach to tell Nora about Dan’s non-poisoning. Now she finally had her chance.
“What’s going on?” Nora asked when she was close enough to see Kori. Nora’s face was twisted into an expression of concern.
“We have to talk. We thought AJ might have been guilty because he had access to rat poison. But Dan wasn’t poisoned and he was out of town Friday night. We thought last night that the strawberries might have been placed there to throw off the detectives. Well, it worked.”
Nora looked confused. “What do you mean?”
They were still standing outside and Kori looked around to make sure no one else was within earshot. “I saw Zach this morning and I told him about seeing Stanley last night and that Dan was allergic to strawberries. He already seemed to know that. And then he told me Dan wasn’t poisoned.”
“So how was he killed then?”
“I don’t know. But AJ isn’t guilty. That leaves Stanley, Holly and Arnold Greene.”
CHAPTER 9
Kori and Nora found themselves in an all too familiar setting—Nora’s kit chen with Kori’s measly list of suspects and a pen. “Let’s start with Stanley,” Kori suggested, pen poised over the paper as Nora washed dishes. “Alibi and motive?”
“Well, I hate to admit it but he doesn’t seem to have an alibi.” Kori could hear pain in Nora’s voice as she admitted what Kori already knew to be true. She made a note of his lack of alibi and avoidance of offering information on her paper.
“Motive?” Kori asked.
“None that I know of. I don’t know why he would have wanted to have Dan dead. He said their parents were on their way, so they are still alive—no inheritance to steal from Dan. I don’t know.”
“Okay. What about Arnold?”
“Well, we
“I could really get used to this,” he said through his first mouthful of muffin.
“Be my guest,” she teased back.
He leaned over and kissed her, making her blush even without an audience.
Kori debated in her head about whether or not to tell him about seeing Stanley last night at Nora’s house. She finally decided that if she wanted any information about the official investigation she’d have to offer what she knew. “I saw Stanley Roche last night.”
Zach looked up from his muffin. “Oh yeah?” He didn’t press for details.
“At Nora’s,” she continued. “He wanted to see where she’d found the body. He told us Dan was allergic to strawberries.”
Zach nodded slowly. “And he wasn’t poisoned. AJ had been a prime suspect because we thought it was rat poison, but he was actually out of town Friday night and Dan wasn’t poisoned.”
Kori dropped her spoon and her mouth fell open. Muffin spilled onto the counter and she jumped up to get a towel to clean it up before any other customers came in. She considered what Zach’s news meant for her suspect list, motives and alibis.
Before she had a chance to talk about it more with him, a family of six came in and she had to get back to work. Zach finished his muffin and coffee, gave her another discrete kiss on the cheek and left.
Kori wanted nothing more than to call Nora, but the morning rush had started and she wouldn’t be able to talk to her until after one.
***
At exactly one o’clock there was no one in The Early Bird Café, including Kori and Ibis. She’d managed to close five minutes early after the final family had left. She didn’t take a chance on having someone else walk in before turning the sign back to closed, closing the door and locking it.
She headed straight to her car and brought Ibis to Nora’s. She had things to talk about and Ibis needed some exercise.
Milo and Otis were the first to notice the car and came running in greeting, Nora following them from behind the barn. Her knees were muddy and she was still wearing her gardening gloves, so she’d clearly been working in her large garden.
Kori walked toward her with purpose. She’d been bursting since her breakfast with Zach to tell Nora about Dan’s non-poisoning. Now she finally had her chance.
“What’s going on?” Nora asked when she was close enough to see Kori. Nora’s face was twisted into an expression of concern.
“We have to talk. We thought AJ might have been guilty because he had access to rat poison. But Dan wasn’t poisoned and he was out of town Friday night. We thought last night that the strawberries might have been placed there to throw off the detectives. Well, it worked.”
Nora looked confused. “What do you mean?”
They were still standing outside and Kori looked around to make sure no one else was within earshot. “I saw Zach this morning and I told him about seeing Stanley last night and that Dan was allergic to strawberries. He already seemed to know that. And then he told me Dan wasn’t poisoned.”
“So how was he killed then?”
“I don’t know. But AJ isn’t guilty. That leaves Stanley, Holly and Arnold Greene.”
CHAPTER 9
Kori and Nora found themselves in an all too familiar setting—Nora’s kit chen with Kori’s measly list of suspects and a pen. “Let’s start with Stanley,” Kori suggested, pen poised over the paper as Nora washed dishes. “Alibi and motive?”
“Well, I hate to admit it but he doesn’t seem to have an alibi.” Kori could hear pain in Nora’s voice as she admitted what Kori already knew to be true. She made a note of his lack of alibi and avoidance of offering information on her paper.
“Motive?” Kori asked.
“None that I know of. I don’t know why he would have wanted to have Dan dead. He said their parents were on their way, so they are still alive—no inheritance to steal from Dan. I don’t know.”
“Okay. What about Arnold?”
“Well, we
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