Read Online The Chocolate Frog Frame-Up by JoAnna Carl - Free Book Online

covered.”
    “You mean all that stuff Hershel said at the post office . . . ?”
    “Yeah. Hershel was right. Vernacular architecture is considered worth preservation. An unusual business structure like the Root Beer Barrel would definitely be included. That’s the one of the main reasons that section of Lake Shore Drive hasn’t been redeveloped since the road fell in.”
    Joe turned to Patsy. “Believe me, I did not allow the old Barrel to deteriorate on purpose.”
    “I didn’t think you did, Joe,” Patsy said. “You only became the owner last fall, right?”
    “I’m not really the owner at all. The owner is Clementine’s estate. I’m just the executor. The estate acquired the property as settlement for a debt. But it was of limited value, because the ordinance required that the old Root Beer Barrel be preserved. I admit I gave a loud ‘hurrah’ when the storm blew the thing down. But I didn’t help it along.”
    We all stood silently, contemplating the fate of the old Root Beer Barrel. Then Chief Jones spoke. “At the time, nobody suggested that the Barrel had any help coming down. I don’t know how we could figure out what happened to it now, three or four months after it happened. I’ll talk to Trey and some of the other experts. But as Patsy says, it probably doesn’t matter at this point.”
    The circling boats had left by then. Patsy and Frank drove off in their SUV, and Jerry Cherry and the chief began to load up some equipment. The trees all around were closing in on me. I moved a little closer to Joe.
    He spoke to me quietly. “I guess I need to get you home.”
    “Do you?”
    “Our romantic evening is completely shot.”
    “I guess so. At least we had a good dinner.” I led Joe inside the shop, out of sight of the chief and Jerry Cherry. “May I have a goodnight hug?”
    Joe obliged. He expanded the hug to include a kiss. And another kiss.
    “I guess we don’t have to take a boat ride,” I said.
    Another pause. “We could go by the shop,” I suggested. “The break room ought to be deserted. I could make coffee.”
    “Well, it would make an awful nice interlude before I go to jail,” Joe said. “Could I have a double fudge bonbon?”
    “ ‘Layers of milk and dark chocolate fudge with dark chocolate coating.’ You could have two.”
    “Yum, yum. I’ll have to lock up.”
    “I could help you.”
    Joe and I went back down the dock, and he fastened the sedan in its proper place, locking its mooring chain. Chief Jones and Jerry called out good-byes, promising to be back early in the morning.
    Joe followed the chief to Jerry’s car. “If I’m not around, and you need to get into the shop, there’s a key in a magnetic case behind the drain pipe at the corner of the building.” He pointed to the corner he meant.
    We waved, and the Warner Pier police car drove away. Joe and I watched as their lights disappeared behind the trees that surrounded the shop. Then we got in Joe’s truck, alone at last. I moved over to the center of the truck, and Joe put his arms around me. We sat there several minutes, fully occupied with each other. The windows of the truck were rolled up. It was really dark.
    Then I gasped. “Oh!”
    “What’s wrong?”
    “I left my tote bag in the sedan.”
    Joe nibbled my ear. “I guess you need it.”
    “I guess so.”
    He nibbled again. “I’ll get it for you.”
    “Thanks. I’ll be waiting.”
    Joe fished a large, square flashlight out from under the seat of the pickup, then got out of the truck. He closed the door. I could hear his footsteps crunching over the gravel and could see the beam from his flashlight bouncing over the ground as he walked around the side of the shop. Then the light disappeared, but I could still see it reflected overhead on those scary trees. The sound of Joe’s footsteps faded away, and all I could hear was the night insects.
    Then a voice hissed out of the darkness. “Miss McKinney! Miss McKinney!”
    Someone rapped on