Read Online Permanently Booked by Lisa Q. Mathews - Free Book Online Page A

sports and solving crimes. That was progress.
    “I’m doing some film reviewing, too,” she added.
    “Oh yeah, that’s right,” he said. “Your dad’s that Hollywood bigwig, right?”
    Okay, now that was really annoying. He didn’t have to sound so snotty about it. She’d never told him about Syd. He’d found out himself, when he was checking out her background when she was a suspect in that other case. “Sort of,” she muttered.
    Why did she care what this guy thought of her anyway?
    “Okay, so let’s get back to business here,” Detective Donovan said. “Why don’t you start by telling me exactly when and how you found Mrs. Caldwell?”
    Summer told him all the details she could remember, starting from her and Dorothy bringing the books down to the library, to the elevator ride with Trixie Quattrochi and her gun, to the weird warning about The Snake, and learning about Lorella’s possible professor boyfriend from her old neighbor. Dorothy had to have told him the exact same story, but the detective was taking notes anyway, on his phone. “Did you find Trixie and Ray yet?” she asked.
    Detective Donovan ran a hand through his dark brush cut. “No, but we will. And we’ll be speaking with this Professor Bell also.”
    “I bet Trixie and Ray weren’t really going to Montana,” Summer said. “I mean, she made such a big deal about it, she was probably lying. You know, to throw people off. That way, everyone would look for her in the wrong place.”
    “Possibly,” Detective Donovan said. “But in any case, I’d like to ask you and Mrs. Westin to refrain from pursuing any possible suspects on your own. We appreciate your efforts, but that’s our job. Got it?”
    Well, he sure wasn’t very grateful. She and Dorothy were trying to help, and they’d already made more progress on the case than the Milano PD. “Mm-hmm,” she said.
    “No, seriously. We don’t want anyone getting hurt.” He smiled again. “Hey, I don’t want you getting hurt, okay?”
    Summer hugged her knees under the towel. “Okay.” No point in ticking him off. He’d be really happy when she and Dorothy solved the case. Maybe he’d get to take a few days off and go out on that boat of his. He might even take her with him.
    “Hi, guys!”
    The pool gate swung shut behind Jennifer with a clang as she crossed the pool area toward them, carrying a paper plate covered with aluminum foil.
    Summer sighed. Just when she and the detective were finally making some progress. She had to hand it to Jennifer, the girl always had great timing. Like Radar O’Reilly in those old M * A * S * H * reruns, who always knew what people wanted before they did.
    So those had to be cookies. Yum.
    “I thought you might not have had any time to grab lunch today, Detective, so I brought you a hot prime rib sandwich from the dining room.” Jennifer placed the plate on the little wrought-iron table between the lounge chairs and removed the foil. “It’s okay if you don’t want to eat it now. I had it packed to go, just in case.”
    Detective Donovan’s face lit up like the Christmas tree on the Third Avenue Promenade back home in Santa Monica. “Thank you, Jennifer. This is really nice of you. I’ve had nothing but coffee all day.”
    Jennifer beamed as he unrolled the cloth napkin with the silverware she’d also thought to bring, and dug in.
    “Um, I didn’t realize you were here, too, Summer, or I would have brought more.”
    “That’s okay.” Jennifer looked really nice again, Summer noticed. She was still wearing her pencil skirt, but she’d ditched the blazer and undone a button or two on her starched blouse. Oh, and the little scarf was gone, too. One paisley silk corner was sticking out of the Resident Services director’s factory-store purse.
    She had to be off duty now. And obviously, the girl had a ginormous crush on Shane Donovan. Well, she, Summer, was no boyfriend stealer. Time to go.
    Detective Donovan paused midfeast.