Read Online Murderous Muffins by Lois Lavrisa - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Lois Lavrisa
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okay?” Cat asked.
I held my breath for a moment, then went through another measured round of breaths. “I’m just feeling out of control and a bit panicky.”
“Can I help?” José asked. “I can get you some ice water, or if you want, I can have the paramedics take a look at you.”
“No, I’ll be fine,” I said.
An officer stomped into the room. He stood face-to-face with José and poked him in the chest. He stood an inch shorter than José but had a stout, thick build and a blond crew cut. “How is it that you and your buddies seem to always be around a death?”
“We’re lucky?” Cat said. “You’re Officer Ray, right?”
“And you’re Mrs. Thomson,” Ray said to Cat.
“Yes, sir,” Cat answered him.
“And you’re not supposed to be here.” Ray pointed to José.
“I have every right to be here. This might not be my case, but these are my friends.” José squinted. “Do you have a problem with that?”
Ray glared at José. “I have an issue with you.”
“Sounds like a personal matter.” José leaned in to Ray.
Cat let out a small cough. “Why don’t we get back to the matter at hand, um, the deceased man?”
“Yes, please. Poor, sweet Mr. Phong seemed to have had an allergic reaction or something.” My stomach churned as though full of crashing waves.
Ray cleared his throat and moved away from José. “Ms. Gordon, you were the last one with him?”
“Yes, I was.” I nodded.
“And what was he doing?” Officer Ray asked.
“Clutching his neck and stumbling around. His face turned beet red. It looked like he couldn’t breathe. Like there was something stuck in his throat,” I answered.
Officer Ray slanted his head. “What did you do?”
“Since it looked like he was choking, I did the Heimlich on him,” I said.
“Choking on what?” Officer Ray asked.
“I’m not entirely sure, but my muffin plate was empty and outside of his door. So I assumed he ate one and it caught in his throat.” I wrung my hands.
Officer Ray asked, “Did you make the muffins?”
“Why, yes. I make them every single day,” I said.
“And Mr. Phong had had them before?” Ray asked.
I nodded. “Daily for months now.”
Ray narrowed his eyes. “No one else touched them, or makes them, is that correct? You are the only one responsible for them?”
“Why, of course.” My heart raced. Where was he going with this?
Ray narrowed his eyes. “Ms. Gordon, I have to take you into the station to question you about the death of Mr. Hu Phong.”
Chapter Six
Cat volunteered to take care of the house and all my tenants while I was gone. José told me he would do anything that he could to help me out, as much as he could without forfeiting his job.
At the station, Officer Ray put me in a room with a two-way mirror and a rectangular metal table with a few chairs on each side. The whole time, I felt numb, as though in a dreamlike state. Or in this case, a nightmare. The events of the night, as well as lack of sleep and the alcohol I’d had previously, were all taking a toll on me. I felt drained. And very sorrowful. I still couldn’t believe that Mr. Phong was gone.
How could they even think that I would kill someone? On the other hand, I tried to reassure myself that they only had me in for questioning. After all, I was the landlady.
The door creaked open. Officer Ray and another uniformed officer entered.
“Ms. Gordon, this here is Officer Keith Tracy.” Officer Ray thumbed back to the younger dark-haired man behind him.
Officer Tracy looked not much older than Cat’s two eighteen-year-old boys. Perhaps he was fresh out of the police academy.
“We need to get to the bottom of what transpired in your house.” Ray plopped a stack of papers in the middle of the table next to what looked like a digital recording device. He then pulled a chair out. The squeak of the metal on the cement floor echoed off the walls.
Tracy pulled a chair out and sat down adjacent to me. He
I held my breath for a moment, then went through another measured round of breaths. “I’m just feeling out of control and a bit panicky.”
“Can I help?” José asked. “I can get you some ice water, or if you want, I can have the paramedics take a look at you.”
“No, I’ll be fine,” I said.
An officer stomped into the room. He stood face-to-face with José and poked him in the chest. He stood an inch shorter than José but had a stout, thick build and a blond crew cut. “How is it that you and your buddies seem to always be around a death?”
“We’re lucky?” Cat said. “You’re Officer Ray, right?”
“And you’re Mrs. Thomson,” Ray said to Cat.
“Yes, sir,” Cat answered him.
“And you’re not supposed to be here.” Ray pointed to José.
“I have every right to be here. This might not be my case, but these are my friends.” José squinted. “Do you have a problem with that?”
Ray glared at José. “I have an issue with you.”
“Sounds like a personal matter.” José leaned in to Ray.
Cat let out a small cough. “Why don’t we get back to the matter at hand, um, the deceased man?”
“Yes, please. Poor, sweet Mr. Phong seemed to have had an allergic reaction or something.” My stomach churned as though full of crashing waves.
Ray cleared his throat and moved away from José. “Ms. Gordon, you were the last one with him?”
“Yes, I was.” I nodded.
“And what was he doing?” Officer Ray asked.
“Clutching his neck and stumbling around. His face turned beet red. It looked like he couldn’t breathe. Like there was something stuck in his throat,” I answered.
Officer Ray slanted his head. “What did you do?”
“Since it looked like he was choking, I did the Heimlich on him,” I said.
“Choking on what?” Officer Ray asked.
“I’m not entirely sure, but my muffin plate was empty and outside of his door. So I assumed he ate one and it caught in his throat.” I wrung my hands.
Officer Ray asked, “Did you make the muffins?”
“Why, yes. I make them every single day,” I said.
“And Mr. Phong had had them before?” Ray asked.
I nodded. “Daily for months now.”
Ray narrowed his eyes. “No one else touched them, or makes them, is that correct? You are the only one responsible for them?”
“Why, of course.” My heart raced. Where was he going with this?
Ray narrowed his eyes. “Ms. Gordon, I have to take you into the station to question you about the death of Mr. Hu Phong.”
Chapter Six
Cat volunteered to take care of the house and all my tenants while I was gone. José told me he would do anything that he could to help me out, as much as he could without forfeiting his job.
At the station, Officer Ray put me in a room with a two-way mirror and a rectangular metal table with a few chairs on each side. The whole time, I felt numb, as though in a dreamlike state. Or in this case, a nightmare. The events of the night, as well as lack of sleep and the alcohol I’d had previously, were all taking a toll on me. I felt drained. And very sorrowful. I still couldn’t believe that Mr. Phong was gone.
How could they even think that I would kill someone? On the other hand, I tried to reassure myself that they only had me in for questioning. After all, I was the landlady.
The door creaked open. Officer Ray and another uniformed officer entered.
“Ms. Gordon, this here is Officer Keith Tracy.” Officer Ray thumbed back to the younger dark-haired man behind him.
Officer Tracy looked not much older than Cat’s two eighteen-year-old boys. Perhaps he was fresh out of the police academy.
“We need to get to the bottom of what transpired in your house.” Ray plopped a stack of papers in the middle of the table next to what looked like a digital recording device. He then pulled a chair out. The squeak of the metal on the cement floor echoed off the walls.
Tracy pulled a chair out and sat down adjacent to me. He
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