Wine, Dine and Christmas Crimes Maria Swan (read e book txt) đ
- Author: Maria Swan
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âAbout time you showed up,â she said. âGet yourself some coffee. Time to catch up with what Iâve been missing.â
That was what I had been waiting for, permission to spill the beans. I started with the encounter by the front lobby of The Nest the night of Kayâs party. We paused briefly to share a banana muffin. Then I jumped to a different subject, showing off the pics of my Christmas tree. The photos originally intended for Brenda, just sat there, on my silent phone.
âYou trust your former aunt when she says Double Wide wasnât at the party?â
I nodded, munching quietly. âHey, we need to stop calling him Double Wide. Seems like everyone knows I put nicknames on people.â
âOh, like who?â
âKassandra, like the perfume widow from across my streetâAdam and Eve, you remember them, the two cops from homicideâand letâs not forget Red Bandana.â Saying his name got me all flustered, and I impulsively looked at the Christmas pics again.
âAh. I got it...the connection, did he give you that fancy French-looking tree?â
âHe? He who? And what makes the tree French?â Kassandra had a way of bringing out the bitch in me in under five minutes. âAnyway, do you think there is even a slight chance of Kay coming in today?â
She shook her head and stretched to scratch her leg just above the cast.
âIs it very itchy?â I asked.
âNot as bad as last week. As for Kay, she called just before you showed up and told me she was flying east to see some relatives. Hold her calls. She would clear the impromptu time off with Sunny, our supreme chief, and had no idea when she will be back.â
I choked on a piece of muffin, and Kassadra seized the opportunity to slap my back with all her might.
âHey, what the hell was that for?â I coughed again.
âThatâs for not telling me the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.â
âKassandra, I donât know what medication youâre on, but thatâs not very nice.â I got up, grabbed my mug still half full, and headed toward my assigned cubicle in the empty bullpen.
I didnât buy Kayâs vacation for one minute. It had to be connected to DoubleâI mean, Dale Wolfâs arrest. I wondered how come I missed all that. Kassandra wasnât the type to watch the news. She had Netflix and some other pay-per-view stuff. She didnât much care about reality. Sort of explained her love affair with Tarot cards. I clicked on the power button of my ancient computer, courtesy of Desert Homes management, and in doing so I bumped my cell, and the pic of the Christmas tree lit up. That was my cue, I called Tristan.
âFiat...â His voice stirred new and old emotions. I found myself swallowing air.
âWhere did you find the pink car?â
He laughed, a soft, intimate laugh. âIt found me, itâs one of the kind. Just like you.â
âI loveâit.â Said my mouth, I love you screamed my soul. This was a mistake, I should have met him for coffee or something. On neutral territory. In a public place. My emotions were taking over, not a good sign, and I couldnât blame anyone but myself.
âAre you still there?â he asked. âWhy so quiet?â
âIâm at the office.â Breathe, Monica, breathe. âKassandra is back to work finally. I missed her, but she canât get around without a cane. Anyway, we are the only ones here. I had hoped to run into Kay Lewis.â Why was I babbling about people and things he probably didnât care to hear about anyway?
âFiat, letâs go to dinner, you and me.â Silence, a strange kind of silence. Full of meanings. âSomewhere quiet, and talk.â
âTalk?â Something in my throatâhard to breathe. I wasnât prepared for any âtalk.â Would I ever be? âWhen?â I heard myself saying.
âYou decide. Wait, any evening but tomorrow. Itâs Wednesday, and the farrier is coming over to take a look at Tache. I never know how long it will take. But please, donât make me wait a month?â I sensed a smile in his voice.
âThursday? I can meet you at seven oâclock. Where do youââ
âThursday at seven is perfect. Iâll pick you up. No mind changing allowed. Deal?â
âHuh, I guess so. When did you get to be so bossy?â I joked.
âIt took a lot of practice, but I wasnât taking no for an answer.â
From the corner of my eye I could see Kassandra waving me over from her desk.
âI wonât change my mind, I promise. Got to go, Kassandra is acting like she needs help. Thanks again for the Christmas tree. It may sound corny, butâwellâit lights up a lot more than my living room.â Again, emotions rising...saved by Kassandraâs annoying gesturing.
âWhatâs going on? Did I miss something?â
She was still munching on something, wiped her mouth with the back of her sleeve and pointed to her computer screen which, by the way, was the latest edition from Dell.
I scooted over to her side of the desk. âWhat? Youâre watching the news on your computer?â
âHey, Iâm a subscriber to Arizona Central. Why are you acting so shocked? Heâs out.â
âWho? Out of where?â
âThe murderer, ok, the alleged murdered. Wait, wait...there look at him, he looks like heâs coming from a Christmas gala.â She made a funny noise with her lips like she wanted to spit on Dale Wolf. Very juvenile if you asked me. âThe dude next to him is his lawyer who probably got a big fat bonus for getting him out before his pants lost their crease.â
âWhy are you so angry at him? Have you ever met him in person?â
âDoes sitting next to him on a bar stool count?â Kassandra was on a roll.
âWhat bar? How come I wasnât there?â
âIt was some civil duty kind of crap. A mingling event put up by our friendly Chamber of Commerce, and Sunny didnât give me much choice.
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