Read Online Sweet Friend of Mine (A Sweet Cove Mystery Book 8) by J A Whiting - Free Book Online
Authors: J A Whiting
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don’t have to wait for our house to be finished before we get married.”
Angie smiled. “So that’s why Tom is doing such a good job rebuilding the carriage house.” Angie measured and mixed the ingredients for the cookies while Jenna and Mr. Finch sipped their tea and read the newspaper. When Angie slipped the first cookie sheet into the oven, Finch put his section of the paper down on the table and faced the two sisters.
“What are your thoughts on the case?” Finch asked.
Angie folded her arms across her chest and leaned against the kitchen island. “A few days have passed since Ryan went missing.”
Jenna took the empty mugs to the sink and rinsed them before putting them into the dishwasher. “It’s not a good sign, but it’s not hopeless.”
The front doorbell rang.
“Is Ellie expecting new guests?” Angie wiped her hands on a dish towel.
“I don’t think so.”
“I’ll go.” Angie walked down the hall and into the foyer. A vase of flowers sat in the center of the dark wood table in the middle of the space. A cream, cranberry, and green area rug covered part of the gleaming wood floors. Angie opened the door to find Henry Whitaker standing on the front porch, his shoulders scrunched up against the cold. The tip of his nose was as red as a beet.
“Henry. Come in.”
“Sorry to bother you. Do you have a minute to talk?” Henry eyed the beautifully furnished foyer and dining room off to the right. “You own this place?”
Angie nodded and took the young man’s coat. “My sisters and I live here.”
“You have more than one sister?”
“I have three.”
Jenna and Mr. Finch came to see who rang the bell. Angie introduced them and then gestured to the living room. “Would you like to sit down?”
The four people took seats. Euclid and Circe sat across the room staring at the visitor. Euclid had a scowl on his face. Henry looked sheepish and he took a glance at Jenna and Finch.
Angie noticed Henry’s hesitation. “It’s okay. Jenna and Mr. Finch know everything that’s been going on. Both Jenna and Mr. Finch consult for the Sweet Cove police department.”
Henry seemed to relax just a little. “I’m worried about Ryan. I thought he’d turn up by now.”
Euclid hissed.
Trying to ignore the cat, Angie nodded, deliberately staying quiet in the hope that Henry would say more about his concerns.
“You think he might have taken off and didn’t tell anyone?” Henry’s expression was hopeful.
“It’s possible.” Angie wasn’t sure if it was probable though. Ryan would have had to have some means of transportation and his car was left at the bottom of the embankment.
“I hope so.” Henry looked down at his hands. “I hope that’s what happened. Maybe Ryan’s just gone off somewhere and he’ll be back soon.” Some beads of sweat formed on Henry’s forehead.
Angie asked, “Did you want to ask me something else about Ryan?”
Henry swallowed and looked at Angie with wide eyes. “No, well yes, I wanted to tell you something.”
Angie looked at Henry in an encouraging way.
“You asked if we drank that night.” Henry took quick looks at Jenna and Mr. Finch. “I wasn’t truthful. We had a couple of beers. They were in my car. We sat out in the pub parking lot.” Henry hurriedly added, “We’re both almost twenty-one. We didn’t get drunk or anything. We were both fine to drive. I just wanted you to know. I don’t know. It probably won’t help to know, but with Ryan still missing I wanted to be upfront about things.”
The fur on Euclid’s back rose up.
“Why not tell Chief Martin?” Jenna asked.
Henry lifted his skinny hand and gave it a slight wave towards Angie. “I wanted to talk to you. I didn’t want to get into trouble with the police for drinking.” He gave a shrug. “I suppose you’ll have to tell the chief, but I just didn’t want to be the one to do that.”
“I understand. Thanks for telling me.” Angie nodded and then decided to
Angie smiled. “So that’s why Tom is doing such a good job rebuilding the carriage house.” Angie measured and mixed the ingredients for the cookies while Jenna and Mr. Finch sipped their tea and read the newspaper. When Angie slipped the first cookie sheet into the oven, Finch put his section of the paper down on the table and faced the two sisters.
“What are your thoughts on the case?” Finch asked.
Angie folded her arms across her chest and leaned against the kitchen island. “A few days have passed since Ryan went missing.”
Jenna took the empty mugs to the sink and rinsed them before putting them into the dishwasher. “It’s not a good sign, but it’s not hopeless.”
The front doorbell rang.
“Is Ellie expecting new guests?” Angie wiped her hands on a dish towel.
“I don’t think so.”
“I’ll go.” Angie walked down the hall and into the foyer. A vase of flowers sat in the center of the dark wood table in the middle of the space. A cream, cranberry, and green area rug covered part of the gleaming wood floors. Angie opened the door to find Henry Whitaker standing on the front porch, his shoulders scrunched up against the cold. The tip of his nose was as red as a beet.
“Henry. Come in.”
“Sorry to bother you. Do you have a minute to talk?” Henry eyed the beautifully furnished foyer and dining room off to the right. “You own this place?”
Angie nodded and took the young man’s coat. “My sisters and I live here.”
“You have more than one sister?”
“I have three.”
Jenna and Mr. Finch came to see who rang the bell. Angie introduced them and then gestured to the living room. “Would you like to sit down?”
The four people took seats. Euclid and Circe sat across the room staring at the visitor. Euclid had a scowl on his face. Henry looked sheepish and he took a glance at Jenna and Finch.
Angie noticed Henry’s hesitation. “It’s okay. Jenna and Mr. Finch know everything that’s been going on. Both Jenna and Mr. Finch consult for the Sweet Cove police department.”
Henry seemed to relax just a little. “I’m worried about Ryan. I thought he’d turn up by now.”
Euclid hissed.
Trying to ignore the cat, Angie nodded, deliberately staying quiet in the hope that Henry would say more about his concerns.
“You think he might have taken off and didn’t tell anyone?” Henry’s expression was hopeful.
“It’s possible.” Angie wasn’t sure if it was probable though. Ryan would have had to have some means of transportation and his car was left at the bottom of the embankment.
“I hope so.” Henry looked down at his hands. “I hope that’s what happened. Maybe Ryan’s just gone off somewhere and he’ll be back soon.” Some beads of sweat formed on Henry’s forehead.
Angie asked, “Did you want to ask me something else about Ryan?”
Henry swallowed and looked at Angie with wide eyes. “No, well yes, I wanted to tell you something.”
Angie looked at Henry in an encouraging way.
“You asked if we drank that night.” Henry took quick looks at Jenna and Mr. Finch. “I wasn’t truthful. We had a couple of beers. They were in my car. We sat out in the pub parking lot.” Henry hurriedly added, “We’re both almost twenty-one. We didn’t get drunk or anything. We were both fine to drive. I just wanted you to know. I don’t know. It probably won’t help to know, but with Ryan still missing I wanted to be upfront about things.”
The fur on Euclid’s back rose up.
“Why not tell Chief Martin?” Jenna asked.
Henry lifted his skinny hand and gave it a slight wave towards Angie. “I wanted to talk to you. I didn’t want to get into trouble with the police for drinking.” He gave a shrug. “I suppose you’ll have to tell the chief, but I just didn’t want to be the one to do that.”
“I understand. Thanks for telling me.” Angie nodded and then decided to
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