Read Online When Magic Is Murder (Sky High Pies Cozy Mysteries Book 4) by Mary Maxwell - Free Book Online

obvious I wasn’t going to
budge. In the end, we agreed to meet in the morning at Sky High.
    “Maybe I’ll even break my diet,”
Connie joked, “and have a slice of your grandmother’s Pecan Caramel Crumble
Cake.” She giggled. “That’s one of the best goodies I’ve ever tasted, Katie. I
actually think your Nana Reed was a culinary wizard!”
    I thanked her for the kind words.
Then I promised to make a fresh Crumble Cake first thing in the morning. “In
the meantime,” I added, “try to get some sleep, okay? Maybe a glass of warm
milk and some of those deep breathing exercises you told me about last week.”
    She actually managed a faint laugh.
“I don’t think I can even close my eyes,” she said softly. “But I’ll do my
best, Katie.”
    “See you tomorrow, okay?”
    But she hung up without another
word, leaving me to juggle dozens of perplexing questions as I got ready for
bed and turned out the light.

CHAPTER
12
     
     
    The next morning at nine-thirty, as
I measured flour for a batch of Mini Chocolate Pecan Pies, Harper tiptoed into
the kitchen with a wary look on her face.
    “Miss Reed?”
    I put down the measuring cup.
“What’s with the formality, Miss Anderson?” I asked. “Are we on a hidden camera
show that I don’t know about?”
    She rolled her shoulders. “I’m
sorry to interrupt, but…” She looked down at the order pad in her hands.
“There’s a fairly grumpy police detective in the dining room.”
    “Male or female?” I asked.
    She giggled.
    “Uh-oh,” I hesitated. “Is it more
like animal, vegetable or—”
    “It’s Dina Kincaid,” Harper said in
a no-nonsense tone. “What did you do to get on her bad side?”
    “How do you know she’s upset with
me?” I asked innocently. “Maybe she woke up on the wrong side of the bed.”
    Harper’s mouth wriggled into a
frown. “Hmmm, she hasn’t even been to bed yet. She told me the crime scene at
the Lodge kept her up all night.”
    I thanked Harper for letting me
know Dina was in the dining room. Then I took off my apron, smoothed my hair
and walked into the front of the café. I saw Dina, scowling at her phone as she
angrily swiped the screen. I also saw Reverend Tuttle sitting alone in the
corner, quietly enjoying a stack of Cinnamon Mocha Chocolate Chip Pancakes. I
made a mental note to stop and ask him after my chat with Dina about the
redhead at Uncommon Grounds.
    “You can drop the act,” the tired
detective smirked when I sat across from her at a small table near the front
windows. “It’s not working.”
    “What’re you talking about?” I
tried to sound innocent and carefree even though I knew the answer to my own
question. “What’d I do now?”
    “It’s the cheery grin,” she said
with a slight nod. “Along with the bright-eyed and bushy-tailed pretense. I
know you had a call from Connie Larson last night about her cousin. I’m here
this morning so we can have a little chat.”
    I did my best to look even more
bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. Then I said, “Fire away, Detective Kincaid!”
    She groaned. “This isn’t a
joke, Katie.”
    “Do you hear me laughing?” I
stopped smiling and leaned forward in my chair. “I’m just surprised to see you
in person. I figured you’d call to read me the riot act.”
    “You know what?” Dina said,
sounding dog-tired. “Can you just tell me what you know?”
    “About Jasper?”
    She nodded; glowering through
drowsy eyes while her lips formed an impatient pout.
    “I don’t know much,” I said.
“Connie called late last night to ask me for help proving that he didn’t have
anything to do with John Doe’s death.”
    “That part I know,” Dina said. “I
went by the Lodge earlier. Connie and I had a nice heart-to-heart about what it
means to be honest.”
    “Did she lie to you?”
    Dina made a face. “I’m asking the
questions here, Katie. When did she tell you about Jasper’s felony conviction
and time in prison?”
    “Last night.”
    Her