Read Online The Scum of All Fears: Squeaky Clean Mysteries, Book 5 by Christy Barritt - Free Book Online Page B

the box of cereal to take with me, told Riley goodbye, and started down the stairs.
    When I stepped outside, I stopped in my tracks . . . again. Clarice leaned against my van, a fruit cup in hand and trendy oversized glasses already on. I glanced down at my box of sugary cereal and guilt flashed through me. My metabolism wouldn’t keep up with my bad eating habits much longer, I feared. Despite that, I popped another Fruit Loop into my mouth.
    I raised my hands in the air in confusion as I walked toward her. “You’re here . . . again.”
    She nodded and, for a moment, I felt like Reese Witherspoon had stepped off the screen of Legally Blonde and into my life. She wore a bubble gum pink fitted cotton top, white linen pants, and ballet flats. Malibu Barbie’s brunette cousin, anyone?
    “ Of course. This is my job that I’m going to make stick, remember? I know some creepy things have happened, but nothing will persuade me to give up. I’m going to refine my reputation and become someone who has stick-to-itiveness.” She leaned closer, like she wanted to share a secret. “That’s my new word of the week. Isn’t it great?”
    Now of all times she decides this? Why couldn’t she have decided this during her last job? I stopped in front of her, keeping my eyes on her face for a telltale sign that this was all an act.
    “Aren’t you at all worried after the messages we found?”
    She shrugged. “I’m with you today. You won’t let anything happen to me.”
    P erhaps she didn’t know about all of the times I’d almost been killed. Instead of reminding her, I nodded slowly. “The police are going to meet us there.”
    “I hope the officer is cute.” She paused and nodded behind me. “I hope he’s the officer.”
    I glanced back as Riley stepped out of the apartment building. He wore khakis, a striped shirt, and his blue tie flapped behind him. My heart still skipped a beat when I saw him.
    “Actually, he’s not an officer. Clarice, this is my fiancé Riley Thomas. Riley, Clarice.”
    They shook hands.
    Clarice’s lips parted. “He would work well on your reality TV show.”
    “Reality TV show?” Riley asked. A wrinkle formed between his eyebrows.
    I fluttered my hand through the air. “Long story.”
    Clarice turned to me , a new light in her eyes. “I talked to my friend. He wants to do a pilot on you. Maybe put it online first and see what the response is before approaching the networks about it. It could launch his career.”
    I couldn’t care less about launching someone’s career at the moment. “This is a really bad time to talk about anything like that.”
    “You’re right. Of course.” She nodded, but I had a feeling she was unconvinced.
    “Besides, most of reality TV is fabricated .”
    Her eyes widened. “Really?”
    I resisted a sigh and cocked my head to the side instead. “You do realize how serious this situation is, don’t you?”
    “Totally. It’s like Castle .”
    “Not really.”
    “ Law and Order ?”
    “Not so much.”
    “ Monk ?”
    I shook my head. “I’ve got nothing.”
    Riley waved goodbye, sent me one last look of concern, and then climbed into his car. I nodded toward my van. “Let’s get going. Time is money, right?”
    “Of course!”
    “You were just humming that song from Wicked . I think it’s called ‘Something Bad.’ I love that musical,” Clarice announced.
    “I was?” Note to self: Must stop humming inappropriate songs around Clarice.
    “You know what other musical I loved?”
    No, but I was sure she’d tell me.
    “ Little Shop of Horrors ,” Clarice said. “It’s such an odd little story, isn’t it? Suspense, humor and romance. What a combination. But it works, I think.”
    “Sure.”
    “I love the dentist song from that movie. It makes me laugh every time.” She started singing and even threw in jazz hands.
    Was there any aspect of pop culture this woman was not in touch with? I doubted it. It actually made me like Clarice a