Read Online MYSTERY: BRITISH MYSTERY: Missing Hearts (Amateur Sleuth Suspense Thriller) (Cozy Crime Detective Short Stories) by S. Y. Robins - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: S. Y. Robins
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a laugh that was mostly sniffle. “I don’t suppose you’d go tell the police that. Give me an alibi or something.”
“I wish I could,” Audrey said, but she didn’t look up. “But I was home, remember?”
For a moment, all Emmeline could feel was blinding rage. Audrey was choosing her own story over Emmeline’s, when she could easily have said she was in the back hallway—and for all Emmeline knew, maybe Audrey had been there. She was just opening her mouth to say that Audrey had better go, when she caught sight of the woman’s face again. Audrey looked wretched, guilty and tortured and…
And for some reason, Emmeline wasn’t sure anymore what she thought.
“I know,” she said. “Lucky you had a headache, huh?”
“Not for Mr. Pike,” Audrey muttered.
Emmeline looked up sharply, but the woman’s face was utterly still all of a sudden.
“What?” Emmeline asked softly.
“I didn’t say anything.” Audrey smiled and picked up her purse. “Thanks for talking. Be safe.” She left so quickly Emmeline didn’t even have a chance to say goodbye, her untouched scone still sitting on its plate.
4
E mmeline closed the shop without sweeping the floor or wiping down the tables. She very nearly speeded on the way home, keeping her gauge hovering perfectly over the 35 while clenching the steering wheel so tightly she thought it might break. The last thing she needed was to get caught breaking a law right now, but she could hardly think for all the new information tumbling around in her head.
She had to tell someone. Like Nick. She admitted to herself, blushing a little, that when she’d heard Audrey’s voice say hello, Nick had been the first one she wanted to tell. You’ll never guess who came to the shop… And that last comment!
Emmeline knew, deep down, that Nick didn’t think she was guilty—but she’d felt about two inches high since he walked out of the kitchen to ask what was going on, and found her with the policemen. Even the bacon and pancakes had tasted like nothing after that, although she’d made all the proper yummy noises. She had to tell him this.
Luckily for her, he was even waiting on the porch when she arrived, sitting on the fake wicker furniture they never used, one leg jiggling with impatience.
“You’ll never guess what happened,” he burst out, as Emmeline came up the steps.
“I was going to say that to you.”
“Oh, did something happen at work?” Nick waved his hand. “Not important. Listen. I’ve totally cracked the case.”
“I thought you wrote really important literary stuff, not mysteries.” Emmeline grinned as Nick grabbed her hand and pulled her inside. “Okay, so what is it?” She was not thinking about how gorgeous his mouth was. Not at all. She was not thinking about standing up on tip toe to kiss him.
“Okay, so.” Nick drew her into the living room and looked out the windows. “I was grocery shopping and I heard two little old ladies talking. God bless little old ladies, they know everything about everyone and they love to gossip.”
“So?” His energy was infectious, and she’d already been twitchy. Emmeline was fairly bouncing on her feet. “Tell me!”
“Well…” He was clearly enjoying drawing this out. “You know how the policemen asked you about the prize money?”
“Yes?”
“Well, I know who could really have used it.” He looked enormously pleased with himself.
“Nick, tell !” She was laughing.
“It turns out the mayor and his wife are having money troubles,” Nick announced. “Or at least, one dear little old lady saw them go into the financial advisor’s office looking worried, and another dear little old lady saw them come out looking devastated. And—what?”
Emmeline was poking him in the arm.
“James Pike was a financial advisor!” She burst out. “He was their financial advisor! I think. Was that what you were going to say?”
“No, I was going to say that the little old ladies were talking
“I wish I could,” Audrey said, but she didn’t look up. “But I was home, remember?”
For a moment, all Emmeline could feel was blinding rage. Audrey was choosing her own story over Emmeline’s, when she could easily have said she was in the back hallway—and for all Emmeline knew, maybe Audrey had been there. She was just opening her mouth to say that Audrey had better go, when she caught sight of the woman’s face again. Audrey looked wretched, guilty and tortured and…
And for some reason, Emmeline wasn’t sure anymore what she thought.
“I know,” she said. “Lucky you had a headache, huh?”
“Not for Mr. Pike,” Audrey muttered.
Emmeline looked up sharply, but the woman’s face was utterly still all of a sudden.
“What?” Emmeline asked softly.
“I didn’t say anything.” Audrey smiled and picked up her purse. “Thanks for talking. Be safe.” She left so quickly Emmeline didn’t even have a chance to say goodbye, her untouched scone still sitting on its plate.
4
E mmeline closed the shop without sweeping the floor or wiping down the tables. She very nearly speeded on the way home, keeping her gauge hovering perfectly over the 35 while clenching the steering wheel so tightly she thought it might break. The last thing she needed was to get caught breaking a law right now, but she could hardly think for all the new information tumbling around in her head.
She had to tell someone. Like Nick. She admitted to herself, blushing a little, that when she’d heard Audrey’s voice say hello, Nick had been the first one she wanted to tell. You’ll never guess who came to the shop… And that last comment!
Emmeline knew, deep down, that Nick didn’t think she was guilty—but she’d felt about two inches high since he walked out of the kitchen to ask what was going on, and found her with the policemen. Even the bacon and pancakes had tasted like nothing after that, although she’d made all the proper yummy noises. She had to tell him this.
Luckily for her, he was even waiting on the porch when she arrived, sitting on the fake wicker furniture they never used, one leg jiggling with impatience.
“You’ll never guess what happened,” he burst out, as Emmeline came up the steps.
“I was going to say that to you.”
“Oh, did something happen at work?” Nick waved his hand. “Not important. Listen. I’ve totally cracked the case.”
“I thought you wrote really important literary stuff, not mysteries.” Emmeline grinned as Nick grabbed her hand and pulled her inside. “Okay, so what is it?” She was not thinking about how gorgeous his mouth was. Not at all. She was not thinking about standing up on tip toe to kiss him.
“Okay, so.” Nick drew her into the living room and looked out the windows. “I was grocery shopping and I heard two little old ladies talking. God bless little old ladies, they know everything about everyone and they love to gossip.”
“So?” His energy was infectious, and she’d already been twitchy. Emmeline was fairly bouncing on her feet. “Tell me!”
“Well…” He was clearly enjoying drawing this out. “You know how the policemen asked you about the prize money?”
“Yes?”
“Well, I know who could really have used it.” He looked enormously pleased with himself.
“Nick, tell !” She was laughing.
“It turns out the mayor and his wife are having money troubles,” Nick announced. “Or at least, one dear little old lady saw them go into the financial advisor’s office looking worried, and another dear little old lady saw them come out looking devastated. And—what?”
Emmeline was poking him in the arm.
“James Pike was a financial advisor!” She burst out. “He was their financial advisor! I think. Was that what you were going to say?”
“No, I was going to say that the little old ladies were talking
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