Read Online Nipped in the Bud by Susan Sleeman - Free Book Online

police chief, Mitch Lawson, and I aren’t the best of friends. In high school he bragged that he could jump off a railroad trestle. I kind of called him on it. He jumped and blew out his knee. Didn’t get to play ball most of his senior year. Seems like that’s making it easier for him to think I’m guilty.”
    Adam chewed and flipped open his binder. “We can deal with that. Won’t be the first angry officer I’ve run across. For now, let’s focus on today’s events. Why don’t you start by replaying what happened with Picklemann ?”
    “Well,” I said as I tore off a bite of pizza. “It was really pretty simple.” I explained every little detail of our encounter, including my closing threat.
    Adam looked up from his pad, now decorated with copious notes. “Your departing shot at the man certainly speaks to a motive. Still, Bud was the only witness to your threat, so the police won’t have that bit of information to use against you.”
    I swallowed a bite that felt like a lump of the thick clay soil found in Serendipity. “Not exactly. Ernie Hansen overheard me when he was picking up pop cans from the weekend.”
    “So all he heard was the threat at the end?”
    “I don’t know. My employee, Hazel, told me about him.” I turned to Lisa, whose face readily displayed her anxiety. “You’re always one of the first to hear what’s going on. Anyone talking about the rest of my conversation with Bud?”
    She shook her head. “Not yet, but if Ernie was listening, it’ll be all over town soon.”
    “I’ll talk to him tomorrow.” Adam jotted a note on his pad then looked up. “So what did you do after Picklemann left?”
    “I put the tools inside the fence and secured the opening. Then I walked to my shop, The Garden Gate.”
    “Any idea what time you got there?”
    “I looked at my watch when Bud came to the park. That was ten thirty. By the time we finished arguing, I cleaned up the tools, and got back to the shop, it’d be close to eleven.”
    “Anyone at The Garden Gate who can verify your whereabouts?”
    At the thought of my alibi, I laughed. “Only Mr. T.”
    Lisa and Perry smiled. They knew Mr. T.
    Confused, Adam glanced at us. “Think this Mr. T will be willing to testify if it comes to that?”
    “Well, sure, but you better let me tell you about him before you put any stock in what he has to say.” I explained Mr. T’s feathered heritage.
    Instead of acting like a stiff lawyer, Adam laughed. A lawyer with a sense of humor. This guy was special. What that meant for my case, who knew? At least I would enjoy getting to know him in the process.
    “So,” he paused and gave me a silly grin, “any people that could provide an alibi?”
    I thought through my day. The people I didn’t see. I had no alibi. Why didn’t I think of that before? A surge of panic rushed in. “I guess it depends on when Bud was killed.”
    Adam swiveled on his stool to face Perry. “Any way you could find out the time of death?”
    “I could call Lawson, I suppose,” Perry said. “But I doubt he even knows yet. This is a small town. Our police force isn’t used to this kind of investigation.”
    “Why don’t you call anyway?” Adam asked. “They might have preliminary findings, and we’ll all rest easier tonight if Paige has an alibi.”
    “I’ll see what I can find out.” Cell in hand, Perry pushed off his stool and walked toward the family room.
    “Okay.” Adam looked at his notes again. “Other than Mr. T, who did you see after leaving the park?”
    I ran the day through my filter again. “I suppose someone could have seen me. The only person that talked to me was my employee, Hazel, outside my apartment around
one o’clock
.” I told him about the mess in the alley, my communication with Ned, and the trip to wash my shirt.
    Adam set his pen on the pad and stretched. His eyes were wary. “This isn’t good, Paige. Hazel can only give you an alibi for the time she saw you. If you’re right