Read Online Shay O'Hanlon Caper 03 - Pickle in the Middle Murder by Jessie Chandler. - Free Book Online

of M, and one of the highly unusual brainiacs who also possessed a healthy dose of common sense. She was similar to Kate in her ability to anticipate the wants and needs of her customers, me included. I adored her.
    Kate was behind the cash register finishing up with a customer. She was a dear friend and fantastic business partner. We’d done college together and, after parting ways for a few years, we reconnected and opened the Rabbit Hole. Neither one of us was particularly good at following established, expected paths. The café suited us both.
    Today, green hair sprouted from Kate’s head like spring grass on a misshapen bowling ball.
    “Nice hair,” I said.
    “Thanks. I was going to do Rock Star Red, but I want to hold onto summer a little longer.” Kate’s short locks sported varying shades of every color under the sun. I wasn’t sure what her true hair color actually was anymore.
    “Nice.”
    “What brings you in this early?”
    I wasn’t typically a morning person, although being in this line of business meant I saw plenty of sunrises. However, on my off days, it was rare to see me in before noon, if I showed up at all.
    “I’m dropping Mopey and Dopey off for visitation.”
    Kate’s gaze settled on Dawg as he wandered from one customer to another. “Okay. Dopey’s working the crowd. Where’s Mopey?”
    We both glanced around, and then Kate pointed. I followed the direction her finger indicated. Bogey was flopped upside down on the rug in front of the fireplace, eyes shut, huge lips splayed out on either side of his head. A toddler was snuggled up beside him.
    I leaned a hip against the counter and grumbled, “He’s doing what I only wish I could be doing.”
    “Aren’t you Little Miss Freaking Sunshine.” She tilted her head and studied my face. “You look stressed. How’d you like the Renaissance? Late night?”
    I wished it were a crazy fun night with JT that had me dragging.
    “It was … ” I squinted, trying to think of a succinct way of giving her the rundown. “Interesting.”
    “Oh?”
    “Well, it was kind of cool, actually, until we got to the part where I found a dead man in one of the privies.”
    Kate eyes widened and she gasped. Literally. “Oh no. You’re kidding.”
    “Dead serious—no pun intended. And it gets worse.”
    “Anna!” Kate barked.
    Anna popped over to the register. “What’s up?”
    Kate fumbled to untie her apron. “I have to talk to Shay a minute. Can you—”
    “Get outta here,” Anna told Kate and passed me a large hazelnut latte and a plate bearing my sweet roll fix. A fork protruded from the sticky mess.
    I trailed Kate into the kitchen.
    She whirled on me as soon as I crossed the threshold. “What on earth happened?”
    I stabbed a hunk of roll and popped it in my mouth. My taste buds did a happy dance despite the circumstances. “They arrested JT for murder,” I said as I chewed.
    “No fucking way.” Kate’s eyebrows rose so quickly they almost flew off her forehead.
    “Fucking way.” I picked up my cup and slurped the foam from the top of my latte. “She’s down at the Scott County Jail.”
    “Oh my god. Oh. My. God.” At one time, Kate had designs on JT, before JT and I got together. She’d been a good sport, though, and now she and JT had become pretty good friends.
    “It was so strange. Horrible. The cop that arrested her … ” I trailed off and stuffed my face some more.
    Kate widened her eyes at me.
    “Sorry,” I said after I swallowed. “He and JT were oil and water. I’ve never seen her like that. With another cop, no less.”
    “Well, how would you react if you were getting arrested for murder? Why did they think she did it?”
    I related the rest of the story, ending just as I drained the last of my cooled latte into my mouth.
    “How is it that you always manage to attract the strangest shit ever?”
    That was the question of the decade.
    I said, “I haven’t been able to get a hold of Coop. I wonder if