Read Online Thrown Off: A Cozy Mystery (Brenna Battle Book 3) by Laney Monday - Free Book Online
Authors: Laney Monday
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germy creatures. I suspected most of them ran around barefoot in the summer. When germs get tracked onto the mat, people can get all kinds of nasty rashes and infections. The last thing I wanted was a ringworm breakout—or worse, staph. Ringworm is an itchy fungus that’s pretty common among kids. They can even get it from their pets. Usually, it’s not a really big deal, just itchy and unsightly. But in a sport with so much skin contact, with faces often touching the mat, it can get out of control fast. As for staph, that could be very serious. Either one could shut us down and discourage any potential customers from joining in the future.
Someone rapped on the glass doors. My eyes automatically went to the sign in the window. It was still flipped to closed . Who would be here so early? I looked at the doors. Oh, it was Will. In uniform. I put down the sprayer and waved. He held up a cup from Espresso on the Bay and smiled. I don’t know what warmed my heart more, the dimples or the thought of that delicious cup of coffee. I grabbed my keys from the desk and strode to the door.
“Good morning,” he said.
“Good morning. What’s going on?” I held the door open for him. He had a coffee in each hand.
“Just stopped by for a minute. Half an hour before your kids come, right?”
“Right.”
“Cold or hot?” Will said. In his right hand was something icy and topped with whipped cream and caramel drizzles. In his right, something steamy.
Hot , I wanted to say. You are definitely hot .
“I didn’t know which way to go. It’s early, but it’s going to be a warm day.”
Hmm. The cold coffee did make me think of the freezer a little bit, but that caramel and whipped cream looked really good, and it was already warming up in here. “Cold,” I decided. “Thanks, Will.”
“You’re welcome.” He took a sip of the hot coffee.
“I’m sorry…about the way I’ve been acting lately.”
“Don’t worry about it. There’s a lot going on. You’re working a lot. With kids. And I know you liked Millie.”
“It’s been hard. But that’s no excuse for being a jerk.” I dipped the straw through the hole in the whipped cream dome, scooped out a blob of caramel, and sampled it. Scrumptious. “So, how’s the investigation going?” I dared to ask.
“What investigation?” He blinked at me innocently, and I knew he was kidding.
“The one I texted you about. Thanks for answering, by the way,” I said sarcastically.
“You’re welcome.” He took another drink, then said, “Glenda deleted the picture.”
“She what!” I put my hand in front of my face just in time to shield him from the whipped cream spraying out of my mouth. I swallowed. “Sorry. How could she delete the picture?”
“She was very apologetic. She said it was a new camera and she hadn’t quite figured out ‘this digital thing’ yet.”
“I thought she was a bird-watcher/photographer.”
Will held up his pointer finger and put on a stern, teacherly expression. “Don’t forget ghost-watcher. Very important. But unfortunately the photography part is a new hobby for our newly retired Glenda and our Still-Working-and-on-Vacation, Dang-It! Ford.”
I couldn’t help laughing. So, Ford had given Will the same impression he’d given me. But poor Millie. Will suspected foul play too. At least he must think it was a possibility. And the best evidence available had been destroyed. “So, now what?”
“Well, before they left town, Glenda gave me a description of what she captured in the photo, and what she thinks she saw. And I need to interview anyone else who might’ve seen that picture before it was destroyed.”
“Ah. So that’s why you’re here in that handsome uniform, officer.”
I didn’t flirt much. I really wasn’t sure how to do it, after years and years of sending the don’t mess with me message to men from Rome to Tokyo. But that had just slipped right out. Will Riggins had all kinds of strange effects
Someone rapped on the glass doors. My eyes automatically went to the sign in the window. It was still flipped to closed . Who would be here so early? I looked at the doors. Oh, it was Will. In uniform. I put down the sprayer and waved. He held up a cup from Espresso on the Bay and smiled. I don’t know what warmed my heart more, the dimples or the thought of that delicious cup of coffee. I grabbed my keys from the desk and strode to the door.
“Good morning,” he said.
“Good morning. What’s going on?” I held the door open for him. He had a coffee in each hand.
“Just stopped by for a minute. Half an hour before your kids come, right?”
“Right.”
“Cold or hot?” Will said. In his right hand was something icy and topped with whipped cream and caramel drizzles. In his right, something steamy.
Hot , I wanted to say. You are definitely hot .
“I didn’t know which way to go. It’s early, but it’s going to be a warm day.”
Hmm. The cold coffee did make me think of the freezer a little bit, but that caramel and whipped cream looked really good, and it was already warming up in here. “Cold,” I decided. “Thanks, Will.”
“You’re welcome.” He took a sip of the hot coffee.
“I’m sorry…about the way I’ve been acting lately.”
“Don’t worry about it. There’s a lot going on. You’re working a lot. With kids. And I know you liked Millie.”
“It’s been hard. But that’s no excuse for being a jerk.” I dipped the straw through the hole in the whipped cream dome, scooped out a blob of caramel, and sampled it. Scrumptious. “So, how’s the investigation going?” I dared to ask.
“What investigation?” He blinked at me innocently, and I knew he was kidding.
“The one I texted you about. Thanks for answering, by the way,” I said sarcastically.
“You’re welcome.” He took another drink, then said, “Glenda deleted the picture.”
“She what!” I put my hand in front of my face just in time to shield him from the whipped cream spraying out of my mouth. I swallowed. “Sorry. How could she delete the picture?”
“She was very apologetic. She said it was a new camera and she hadn’t quite figured out ‘this digital thing’ yet.”
“I thought she was a bird-watcher/photographer.”
Will held up his pointer finger and put on a stern, teacherly expression. “Don’t forget ghost-watcher. Very important. But unfortunately the photography part is a new hobby for our newly retired Glenda and our Still-Working-and-on-Vacation, Dang-It! Ford.”
I couldn’t help laughing. So, Ford had given Will the same impression he’d given me. But poor Millie. Will suspected foul play too. At least he must think it was a possibility. And the best evidence available had been destroyed. “So, now what?”
“Well, before they left town, Glenda gave me a description of what she captured in the photo, and what she thinks she saw. And I need to interview anyone else who might’ve seen that picture before it was destroyed.”
“Ah. So that’s why you’re here in that handsome uniform, officer.”
I didn’t flirt much. I really wasn’t sure how to do it, after years and years of sending the don’t mess with me message to men from Rome to Tokyo. But that had just slipped right out. Will Riggins had all kinds of strange effects
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