Read Online Resorting to Murder (A Darcy Sweet Mystery Book 11) by K.J. Emrick - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: K.J. Emrick
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town to make these things happen."
It sort of felt like listenin g to a campaign speech. Darcy wasn't sure if she should take him seriously or not. He sounded sincere, but so did a lot of politicians. "So the only people you can think of who might want to kill you are the people whose taxes you raised?" she asked. That didn't really narrow down their suspect list.
"Just the business owners, I suppose," Don nie griped. "Some of them, anyway. The municipal departments, like the Fire Department and the Police and the Public Works people, they actually stand to gain a lot by the increase in taxes. Especially if that land use study comes back the way myself and the town council expect. We think we have a good shot at getting a national hotel chain up here. I'm pushing for an arena to host events like concerts and the like. That hasn't been a popular idea, I admit, but we need to have something to generate revenue even in the off season. Once we do that we can reduce taxes again. It's a win-win, but a lot of people don't want to see it that way."
"Right," Darcy said as the pieces came together. "People who might lose their stores and businesses in the meantime don't see it that way, you mean."
People, she added to herself , like Carson Middlemiss.
Chapter Eight
It was early afternoon when Darcy stepped back into the Golden Bear Bookstore. She was alone. Jon had tried to insist on coming with her but she had just as firmly, but gently, insisted she go in by herself. There was a time to play the cop card and there were times that being just an ordinary person could get better results.
"Well hey there," Carson called to her as he looked up from paperwork he was sorting through at the checkout counter. He put his pen aside, sorted the papers together, and shut them into a manila folder. Darcy tried to get a look at what they said but he did it so quickly they were hidden away before she got close enough to see.
She watched him slide the folder across the counter to the side, wondering what could be so important in it t hat he didn't want her to see.
Maybe nothing, she thought. Maybe it was just her suspicions running wild.
And maybe it was something worse.
When she looked up again, Carson was smiling at her from behind his beard. "What brings you back to my humble shop so soon?" he asked.
She'd had this all carefully rehearsed. "I wanted to ask what you thought about maybe signing some of your books before I bring them back with me to Misty Hollow to sell. They might fetch a higher price with an autograph."
His eyes lit up and he tapped his hands against the counter in a fast little rhythm. "That is an excellent idea! What do you think? Five, maybe ten signed copies?"
"Exactly what I was thinking," she agreed readily, nodding her head , glad he bought the cover story. "Since I'm here already, do you want to maybe sign those copies and then give me the box to take now?"
He checked his watch, considering. "Well, it's an hour before quitting time for me. Not likely to get any more customers in today. Sure. Now is good. Stay here, I'll be right back."
Darcy waited until he was gone through the door to the office in the back and then quickly pulled the manila folder closer and opened it. She leafed through the first few pages, financial statements and legal documents. It was all a confusing list of numbers and long paragraphs. It didn't mean much to her until she saw the next page.
The deed to a parcel of property stared back at her. According to the document, it was right up near the Lonely Cub resort where she and Jon and JoEllen were staying. Up on the mountain itself. If she was reading it correctly, Carson owned the property.
A moment of insight caught her in a flash. She flipped back to one of the first pages and sure enough, there was exactly what she remembered. It hadn't made sense to her when she'd first seen it, at first. It did
It sort of felt like listenin g to a campaign speech. Darcy wasn't sure if she should take him seriously or not. He sounded sincere, but so did a lot of politicians. "So the only people you can think of who might want to kill you are the people whose taxes you raised?" she asked. That didn't really narrow down their suspect list.
"Just the business owners, I suppose," Don nie griped. "Some of them, anyway. The municipal departments, like the Fire Department and the Police and the Public Works people, they actually stand to gain a lot by the increase in taxes. Especially if that land use study comes back the way myself and the town council expect. We think we have a good shot at getting a national hotel chain up here. I'm pushing for an arena to host events like concerts and the like. That hasn't been a popular idea, I admit, but we need to have something to generate revenue even in the off season. Once we do that we can reduce taxes again. It's a win-win, but a lot of people don't want to see it that way."
"Right," Darcy said as the pieces came together. "People who might lose their stores and businesses in the meantime don't see it that way, you mean."
People, she added to herself , like Carson Middlemiss.
Chapter Eight
It was early afternoon when Darcy stepped back into the Golden Bear Bookstore. She was alone. Jon had tried to insist on coming with her but she had just as firmly, but gently, insisted she go in by herself. There was a time to play the cop card and there were times that being just an ordinary person could get better results.
"Well hey there," Carson called to her as he looked up from paperwork he was sorting through at the checkout counter. He put his pen aside, sorted the papers together, and shut them into a manila folder. Darcy tried to get a look at what they said but he did it so quickly they were hidden away before she got close enough to see.
She watched him slide the folder across the counter to the side, wondering what could be so important in it t hat he didn't want her to see.
Maybe nothing, she thought. Maybe it was just her suspicions running wild.
And maybe it was something worse.
When she looked up again, Carson was smiling at her from behind his beard. "What brings you back to my humble shop so soon?" he asked.
She'd had this all carefully rehearsed. "I wanted to ask what you thought about maybe signing some of your books before I bring them back with me to Misty Hollow to sell. They might fetch a higher price with an autograph."
His eyes lit up and he tapped his hands against the counter in a fast little rhythm. "That is an excellent idea! What do you think? Five, maybe ten signed copies?"
"Exactly what I was thinking," she agreed readily, nodding her head , glad he bought the cover story. "Since I'm here already, do you want to maybe sign those copies and then give me the box to take now?"
He checked his watch, considering. "Well, it's an hour before quitting time for me. Not likely to get any more customers in today. Sure. Now is good. Stay here, I'll be right back."
Darcy waited until he was gone through the door to the office in the back and then quickly pulled the manila folder closer and opened it. She leafed through the first few pages, financial statements and legal documents. It was all a confusing list of numbers and long paragraphs. It didn't mean much to her until she saw the next page.
The deed to a parcel of property stared back at her. According to the document, it was right up near the Lonely Cub resort where she and Jon and JoEllen were staying. Up on the mountain itself. If she was reading it correctly, Carson owned the property.
A moment of insight caught her in a flash. She flipped back to one of the first pages and sure enough, there was exactly what she remembered. It hadn't made sense to her when she'd first seen it, at first. It did
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