Read Online Organized for Murder by Ritter Ames - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Ritter Ames
Tags: Mystery
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DAY:
Need to get in touch with Jane—ship enters Port of Miami, Sat. a.m.
Trade info with Meg—find out what she learned at lunch.
Take meat out of freezer to make cheeseburger potatoes for dinner.
Call Keith—see if he'll be home during his afternoon break to talk.
Find Tiffany
MOST IMPORTANT—Take girls for ice cream or my name is Mud!
*
Despite Hazelton's tiny, bucolic aesthetics, lunchtime along Main Street was always a busy place, with steady, brisk trade. A tour bus stood in the parking lot of Molly's Café, its passengers offloaded for food and a stretch. A nearby auction meant droves of antique hunters prowled the shops. Kate wasn't sure which direction to head after leaving Mrs. Baxter's but felt she needed to find someplace that seemed normal.
Like the Book Nook.
Saree Modine was a Jamaican transplant by way of a New Orleans marriage. She'd arrived in Hazelton after her husband, Marcel, a professor of art history, gained a position at nearby Bennington College. Her bookstore and coffee bar, as eclectic as her life's journey, boasted cheerful ambiance, comfy chairs, offbeat inventory, and the best hot drinks in town. Kate found it instantly charming, and the special kinship the women shared for why they'd moved to the area created another bonus. When Kate asked how the couple adapted to the Vermont climate, a blush had colored the young woman's café au lait cheekbones, and Saree had said with a giggle, "We be newlyweds forever, we keep livin' here, no? Nothin' better for stayin' warm than keepin' those sheets dancin' these cold northern nights." Kate vowed then and there to spend all her free time in the shop with the upbeat, curly-haired sprite.
The van's clock read nearly one o'clock, and Kate looked forward to more than a haven from conflicting thoughts and theories. She hoped a bite of lunch and cup of caffeine might settle her stomach as well.
In the store entry, a poster on an easel displayed a smiling shot of Kate. She grinned and read the announcement for "A Night with an Organizational Expert." Months earlier Saree had asked her to speak on spring cleaning and clutter-busting and scheduled the event at what had seemed far into the future.
But the future is a few days away!
Though Kate had faithfully prepared, writing succinct notes on index cards, it was a bit of a shock to realize her fifteen minutes of fame were fast approaching. More jitters to abate. She turned toward the café section of the shop.
Three couples lingered over their meals, but another pair showed signs of leaving. Kate dropped her purse at the table in the far corner and ordered a cup of green tea with mango and a vegetarian muffaletta from the young man at the counter. She planned on splitting the decadent sandwich into thirds, and taking two parts home for the girls to eat over the weekend. While her twins would live on pizza, hotdogs, and hamburgers if given the chance, they never failed to eat anything from Saree's. Kate intended to put the huge sandwich's good nutrition to excellent use.
Said storekeeper, wrapped in a dress of swirling kaleidoscopic colors, stood at the main register ringing up a book sale, but she headed to Kate's table as soon as her happy customer jingled out the door.
"Ah, Kate McKenzie." Saree flashed a smile. "Did you see your sign?"
"I did, Saree. It made me feel truly professional."
Saree laughed. "You are that, chickie." She checked back over her shoulder, then added, "I believe I join you a moment."
"Tea and company." Kate nodded, and Saree's calm embraced her. She'd been right to come here. "Yes, please join me."
Bringing back a java brew smelling of cinnamon, Saree cocked an eyebrow and asked, "What troubles your soul, chickie?"
Kate reviewed her options. Once again divulge the whole sad tale to someone else before she told it all to Keith? Or shrug off her friend's concern and claim overwork and motherhood? A split second later she decided the latter wasn't an option.
Need to get in touch with Jane—ship enters Port of Miami, Sat. a.m.
Trade info with Meg—find out what she learned at lunch.
Take meat out of freezer to make cheeseburger potatoes for dinner.
Call Keith—see if he'll be home during his afternoon break to talk.
Find Tiffany
MOST IMPORTANT—Take girls for ice cream or my name is Mud!
*
Despite Hazelton's tiny, bucolic aesthetics, lunchtime along Main Street was always a busy place, with steady, brisk trade. A tour bus stood in the parking lot of Molly's Café, its passengers offloaded for food and a stretch. A nearby auction meant droves of antique hunters prowled the shops. Kate wasn't sure which direction to head after leaving Mrs. Baxter's but felt she needed to find someplace that seemed normal.
Like the Book Nook.
Saree Modine was a Jamaican transplant by way of a New Orleans marriage. She'd arrived in Hazelton after her husband, Marcel, a professor of art history, gained a position at nearby Bennington College. Her bookstore and coffee bar, as eclectic as her life's journey, boasted cheerful ambiance, comfy chairs, offbeat inventory, and the best hot drinks in town. Kate found it instantly charming, and the special kinship the women shared for why they'd moved to the area created another bonus. When Kate asked how the couple adapted to the Vermont climate, a blush had colored the young woman's café au lait cheekbones, and Saree had said with a giggle, "We be newlyweds forever, we keep livin' here, no? Nothin' better for stayin' warm than keepin' those sheets dancin' these cold northern nights." Kate vowed then and there to spend all her free time in the shop with the upbeat, curly-haired sprite.
The van's clock read nearly one o'clock, and Kate looked forward to more than a haven from conflicting thoughts and theories. She hoped a bite of lunch and cup of caffeine might settle her stomach as well.
In the store entry, a poster on an easel displayed a smiling shot of Kate. She grinned and read the announcement for "A Night with an Organizational Expert." Months earlier Saree had asked her to speak on spring cleaning and clutter-busting and scheduled the event at what had seemed far into the future.
But the future is a few days away!
Though Kate had faithfully prepared, writing succinct notes on index cards, it was a bit of a shock to realize her fifteen minutes of fame were fast approaching. More jitters to abate. She turned toward the café section of the shop.
Three couples lingered over their meals, but another pair showed signs of leaving. Kate dropped her purse at the table in the far corner and ordered a cup of green tea with mango and a vegetarian muffaletta from the young man at the counter. She planned on splitting the decadent sandwich into thirds, and taking two parts home for the girls to eat over the weekend. While her twins would live on pizza, hotdogs, and hamburgers if given the chance, they never failed to eat anything from Saree's. Kate intended to put the huge sandwich's good nutrition to excellent use.
Said storekeeper, wrapped in a dress of swirling kaleidoscopic colors, stood at the main register ringing up a book sale, but she headed to Kate's table as soon as her happy customer jingled out the door.
"Ah, Kate McKenzie." Saree flashed a smile. "Did you see your sign?"
"I did, Saree. It made me feel truly professional."
Saree laughed. "You are that, chickie." She checked back over her shoulder, then added, "I believe I join you a moment."
"Tea and company." Kate nodded, and Saree's calm embraced her. She'd been right to come here. "Yes, please join me."
Bringing back a java brew smelling of cinnamon, Saree cocked an eyebrow and asked, "What troubles your soul, chickie?"
Kate reviewed her options. Once again divulge the whole sad tale to someone else before she told it all to Keith? Or shrug off her friend's concern and claim overwork and motherhood? A split second later she decided the latter wasn't an option.
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