Read Online Kernel of Truth by Kristi Abbott - Free Book Online Page A

weak and tasted a little like it had been boiled. I set it down and pushed it away.
    â€œNo. I don’t arrest people for being too friendly. I do arrest them for having a large wad of cash that appears to be about the same amount that would have been taken from Coco’s register and several trays of truffles hidden in their home.” He placed both hands palms down on the table and took a deep breath.
    I sat back. That was a lot of reasons to arrest Jasper. I’d always thought of Jasper as addled, but harmless. Sure, he was a big guy, but I’d never felt threatened by him. I shivered thinking of how I’d encouraged him to come by my shopafter hours to pick up the leftover popcorn. “Did he say why he did it? Why he hurt Coco?”
    â€œNope. In fact, he says he didn’t do it.” Dan took a sip of his coffee and didn’t grimace at all. Did the man have no taste buds?
    â€œDid he say why he had all that stuff, then?” I asked.
    â€œOf course he did. He said that someone had left the money and candy on his doorstep during the night. He said Coco’s place was fine when he went into the alley. He walked up onto her porch because sometimes she leaves treats for him, too.”
    We all did. Jasper was sort of a town responsibility we all shared, like snow removal and lighthouse upkeep. “What time did he come through?”
    â€œHe said it was around nine thirty. We’re checking to see if anybody saw him.” Dan drank some more coffee as if it were a totally acceptable beverage.
    I thought about it for a second. “Could he be telling the truth?”
    Dan ran his hands back through his hair. “If he was telling the truth, I’m not sure why he felt compelled to smack Huerta in the back of the head with a frying pan and make a run for it.”
    â€œHe did WHAT?” I squawked.
    Megan picked that moment to come back over and take our orders. I somehow doubted it was coincidental. I ordered the grilled cheese and curly fries. Dan got a burger. Megan lingered long enough that I realized she wanted to hear about Jasper’s arrest as much as I did. News travels fast in a small town. When she finally left, I whispered, “He hit Huerta in the head with a frying pan? Is Huerta okay?”
    Dan snorted. “Huerta’s head must be made out of granite. He did one of those cartoon
doing-doing-doing
faces forabout three seconds, shook his head and took off after Jasper like he was still playing nose tackle for the Grand Lake Otters. Jasper did not stand a chance.”
    Jasper wouldn’t. Jasper shambled. He did not run or even walk with purpose and determination. He stooped over with his long matted gray hair around his face like he was hiding inside his tent of dirty, baggy clothes. I didn’t think I’d ever seen him in anything that wasn’t mud colored. “And what was Jasper doing in the kitchen while you were questioning him?”
    Dan looked confused for a second. “Oh. You think we were in the kitchen because he had a frying pan. Nope. He pulled that sucker out from underneath the couch. I’m telling you, we should have gotten shots before we went into that shack.”
    Our food came and I stared at it. Why had I thought I’d be able to eat? Dan was already tearing into his burger. I picked at a fry. “Why would he have let you and Huerta into his house with the money and the chocolate lying around?”
    Dan shrugged and took another bite of burger. “He acted like he didn’t even know anything bad had happened to Coco. It was after we told him there’d been a break-in and that Coco was dead that he pulled out the frying pan. I’m just glad that we can put this to bed. I wasn’t crazy about the idea of a murderer roaming the streets of Grand Lake on my watch.”
    â€œMe, neither.” Apparently someone capable of murdering Coco had been wandering the streets of Grand Lake for pretty