Bound To Be Dead: Cozy Mystery Bookshop Series Book 3 Tamra Baumann (new books to read txt) 📖

“Yes.” Madge raises a finger to make her point. “But the conversation Pattie says she overheard hasn’t been proven. She could have made that up to make the mayor look bad because we all know she can’t stand him.”

“Speaking of that, how does my uncle get reelected mayor all the time if no one likes him?”

Madge laughs. “It’s not about liking him. It’s more about not making him angry. Owning so many buildings and surrounding land means he has a hand in most things. But the real reason is that no one else wants to be mayor. It’s a thankless job that doesn’t pay well. Woo-Woo Beth makes more than the mayor does.”

I didn’t know that. “Maybe if the job paid more, someone else would run against him.”

“Maybe.” Madge slides into a space and yanks on the parking brake. “But it’s really a part-time position, to begin with. One we might need to fill soon if we find out anything useful today.”

I grab Cooper’s leash, and the three of us head up the sidewalk toward The Blue Hippo. “If you ran for mayor, I’d be first in line to vote for you.”

“Oh, no, you don’t. Flattery will get you nowhere with me. Besides, I’m content in my current position, thank you very much.”

“It wasn’t flattery. You’d be a good mayor.” I throw an arm around Madge’s shoulder and give her a squeeze. “On the other hand, you’re far too valuable as the head snoop at the police station. Forget I mentioned it.”

“Already forgotten. Let’s try the B and B first.” Madge hops up the steps of a converted Victorian home and barges through the shiny wood and wavy-glass front door.

I start to follow and then stop. I have Cooper, and he might not be welcome. But it’s just for a few minutes, so we follow behind. “Be a gentleman, Cooper.”

Coop wags his tail and walks right beside me into the small lobby as if he were a puppy school valedictorian. Which he has never attended, but that’s on me, not him.

There’s just one clerk who’s helping a man, so we have to wait. I whisper to Madge, “Should we say our friends said they were staying at a B and B in town, but we can’t remember which one? Then we could give the woman their names.”

“That won’t work. They have privacy rules.” Madge digs out a little black leather wallet and opens it. “Got this on the internet. Looks kinda real, right?”

It looks just like a real police badge. “Isn’t that called impersonating a cop? Which is illegal!” I’m struggling to keep my voice down.

“Not if I don’t say I’m a cop.” Madge throws her elbow into my ribs. “Watch and learn, grasshopper.”

“This isn’t a good—” I’m interrupted by a hard tug on the leash. High-pitch squealing makes Cooper’s body jerk to full alert mode. When a family with three kids appears at the bottom of the stairs, Coop’s manners fly right out the window. He nearly tugs my arm out of the socket in his attempt to join their fun. Cooper loves children, so there’s no stopping my bundle of fur.

The squealing becomes deafening when three little girls start toward my dog at a full run.

“Girls! Stop this instant!” Their mother has to scream to be heard. “You have to ask if it’s okay first. Remember?”

The woman’s stern tone has Cooper stopping in his tracks too. How is it all mothers know how to do this?

In unison, three sets of adorable big brown eyes meet mine, silently asking permission until the oldest kid finally says, “Can we play with your dog? Please?”

“Absolutely.” I let Coop go, and he’s instantly inundated by three sets of loving arms.

I’m watching them play when Madge flies by me.

“Fun’s over, girls. We have to go.” Madge jumps into the pile and fishes out Cooper’s leash. Then she hands the kids a twenty each. “There’s a toy shop three doors down. I bet you can find something fun for yourselves. Bye!”

As the parents and kids all look at the money with perplexed expressions, Madge drags me through the front door. When we’re on the porch, I stop. “What happened in there?”

“Nothing.” Madge looks both ways. “We should hurry, though. The cops could be here any second.” She hops down the front steps and heads for The Blue Hippo.

“Cops?” Coop and I catch up with Madge, and I snag her arm to make her stop. “What did you do?”

Madge holds up her hands. “It works in the movies. You flash a fake badge, discreetly slide the money across the counter, and ask your question. The bribe-ee then takes the cash, stuffs it into their pocket, and spills. It’s all a win-win. No reason to get all bent out of shape. Sheesh.”

I close my eyes and count to five before saying, “Why did you give those kids the money?”

Madge frowns. “To get rid of the evidence, of course.”

That makes zero sense. “Hand over the badge.” I hold out my palm.

Madge huffs out a breath, then slaps the wallet in my hand.

“Thank you.” I’ll toss it in the next trash can I see. “Now how about we do things my way at The Blue Hippo. Please?”

“Fine.” Madge turns and starts stomping away. “I panic a bit, and now I’m the bad guy for giving little kids money?”

Again, that makes no sense except for the panic part. And now I’ve offended her. I feel bad about that. But we still don’t know if we’re going to be arrested, for goodness’ sake!

Madge stops in front of the restaurant and points to the wooden dining deck. “Pattie claims she saw the mayor and Tina eating as she approached the restaurant. So that means they must’ve been sitting near the street, overlooking the ocean.”

I study the deck. “I see what you mean. From down here, there are only a few tables in view. Let’s