Aretha Moon and the Dead Hairdresser: Aretha Moon Book 2 (Aretha Moon Mysteries) Linda Ross (books for students to read TXT) 📖

that part.  I dug into the pizza and ate more than half of it.  Then I went back to the popcorn.  “I’m eating for two,” I told Jimmy.  “Me and John Candy.”

Jimmy sighed and turned down the volume on the movie.  “Why don’t we do something?  Do you have any cards?”

“Somewhere,” I said.  “The only thing I have right now is that puzzle that Eileen gave me.”

“Maybe you should work on that,” he suggested.  “Some people need something to do after they’ve had weed.”

“Okay.”  I brought the puzzle over and dumped it out on the coffee table.  “Let’s put this sucker together.”

“Aretha, aren’t you going to look at the picture so you know what it’s supposed to look like?”

I turned over the box top and saw a meadow with butterflies and flowers.  Exactly what I would expect Eileen to buy.

“Whatever,” I said, turning the box top face down again.  I went to work on the puzzle while Jimmy watched the movie.  It got pretty frustrating when pieces wouldn’t fit, and when I reached my limit I got up and got a pair of scissors.  I was going to show that puzzle it couldn’t mess with me, even if I had eaten weed brownies.

Nancy had settled down for the night after sharing some pizza, and she was snoring in the armchair.

I trimmed one puzzle piece after another until they fit together.  I hated jigsaw puzzles, but I was discovering that this new method of doing them wasn’t half bad.

By the time the movie was over I had finished the puzzle, and it was starting to get dark outside.  I was suddenly feeling sleepy.  Jimmy stretched, then looked down at the puzzle and did a double take.  About half the pieces were still wrong side up so they were devoid of color, and since I had trimmed pieces to fit there were no straight edges to the puzzle.  It sort of looked like the state of California.

“I don’t think this is what your sister had in mind,” Jimmy said.

“Well, she can blow it out her ear,” I said around a yawn.

A smile played at the corners of Jimmy’s mouth.  “Simmer down, champ.  You’ve done a commendable job putting it together.”

“You got that right.”  I looked at Jimmy’s face and sucked in my breath.  His eyes were so blue, and with the touch of gray at his temples he was devastatingly handsome.

“You know,” he said, “you’re kind of cute when you’re high on weed.”

“Bet you say that to all the perps.”

“Only the ones I like.”  His smile grew and he reached out to trail a finger down the side of my face.  His hand went lower and skimmed the top of my breasts, making me suck in my breath again.  His other hand started at my knee and slowly stroked up my leg.  Oh, Lordy.

He pushed my robe up until my thighs came into view, and his hand stroked the inside of them.

I groaned.  “My thighs are too fat,” I blurted out, afraid he would notice that at any moment.

“Your thighs are just right,” he said softly.  “Why are you always worried about being too fat?”

“Because that’s what I am, a fat worrier.”

“Would I do this to someone who’s too fat?” he asked, kissing me lightly around my mouth before brushing his lips across mine again and again.  I groaned, and he deepened the kiss.  “I shouldn’t be doing this,” he said in a husky voice.

“Because I’m too fat?”

“Because you’re still high.  I’m taking unfair advantage.”

“Don’t let me stop you,” I advised him, grabbing the front of his T-shirt and pulling him against me.   “Take some more advantage.  Take all the advantage you want.”

Jimmy smiled.  “Maybe just a little.”  And he went back to kissing.  It was blissful.  I’m not sure what happened next, but I think I went to sleep.  I know.  Perfect timing, right?

Cold light was coming in the bedroom window when I woke up the next morning.  I had a headache, and I was too tired to move a muscle.  I glanced down and saw I was still in my robe, and there was a blanket over me.  I was ready to go back to sleep.

“Time to get up, honey,” Jimmy said, sitting down on the edge of the bed.  I opened one eye, and he held out a cold can of Diet Coke.  “Just to get your engine started.”

I sat up, winced, and took the can.  “What day is it?”

“It’s Tuesday, and we both have to go to work.”

“Why don’t we pretend it’s Saturday?”

“Because it’s Tuesday.  Come on.  I made you some French toast.  And bacon.”

I sniffed the air.  Bacon was too tempting, and I pushed back the blanket.

I shuffled out to the kitchen just as someone knocked on the door.  I figured it must be Eileen, and she’d seen Jimmy’s car at the house.  I unlocked the door and threw it open unceremoniously, ready to snarl at her.  But it was a skinny young police officer standing there looking embarrassed.

“Uh, is Jim here?” he asked nervously.

I stood aside, and Jimmy stepped into view with a cup of coffee in his hand.  “What is it, Leonard?”

“Sorry to bother you, Jim, but we’ve had an incident, and I thought you’d want to check it out.  I tried your phone, but. . .”

“Sorry about that.  I turned it off last night.  Okay, give me a minute.”  Not appearing the least bothered by being caught in my house with me in a bathrobe, he put down the coffee.  “Aretha, get dressed so I can drop you at your office.  Bring your French toast with you.  I already let Nancy out.”

I scurried to dress as quickly as I could, and I heard Jimmy talking in low tones to the officer at the door.  I