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

Madge clomps behind me and grumbles, “You used to be a whole lot more fun. You’re wound a bit tight these days.”

She isn’t wrong. Not much is going right in my life now, and I might be taking it out on her.

“I’m sorry.” I hang my purse on the back of my chair and take a seat. “I’m nervous about meeting Brittany’s mother later. And worried about my father. Let’s see if we can find out anything to help get him off the hook.”

“Sounds like a plan.” Madge picks up a menu and studies it. “I’m tempted by the fish and chips, but my hips are telling me I better stick to the boring grilled salmon salad.”

I smile. “How about we split the fish and chips? Then we can be bad and good at the same time.”

“Logical.” Madge slaps her menu down just as our server approaches with treats for Cooper. “Well, hi, Dean. Sorry for the interruption.” Madge’s grin turns enormous.

“No worries.” He sets the water dish and treats beside Cooper. “I’m glad Bob found you. Have we decided what we’re having today, ladies?” He turns to me and shines that megawatt grin.

It’s impossible to resist matching his big smile. “We’d like to split number fifteen, please, and we’d both like iced tea to drink.”

“Great choice. I caught the fish myself this morning.” Dean slaps his order pad shut. “Be right back with your drinks.” He turns and walks away.

Madge leans across the table and whispers, “He said he caught the fish. Do you think he’s the head chef here?”

“Doubt it.” I place our menus back into their stand and straighten the salt and pepper shakers. “It’s tough to cook and serve at the same time.”

“Makes sense.” Madge searches for Dean again. “Here, he comes. What’s the interrogation plan?” Madge’s eyes twinkle with their usual mischief.

“Leave that to me, smitten kitten.”

Madge tries to look offended but gives up. “I may be married, but I’m not dead.”

“Clearly.” I glance up at Dean as he puts our glasses in front of us. “Thank you. Can I ask you a question?” I pull out my cell and find Pattie’s picture. “Does she look familiar to you? She comes here often on Saturdays with a guy I think is her business partner. I’m trying to find them for an event.”

Dean wipes his hands on the towel at his waist and then takes the phone. “Oh, sure. Pattie.” Dean sighs. “She always offers to cut my hair for free. Thinks it’s too long.”

His recognition fills me with joy. “Did you happen to see her and her friend last Saturday?”

“Nope.” He hands my phone back. “But my sister might have. We help our parents out around here on the weekends during the slower winter months.”

That would explain why Dean caught the fish. It must be a family-owned restaurant. “Is your sister here today?”

Dean nods. “I’ll send Nat out with your fish.” Dean turns and talks to the family at the table next to ours.

Madge takes a drink of her tea. “Very smooth. You just jumped right in there. He didn’t even question it.”

“Dylan taught me that.” I squeeze some lemon into my glass and stir. “He said if you ask a question like you have a right to know, people who aren’t guilty rarely ask why.”

“Huh.” Madge frowns. “I’ll have to try that next time. Speaking of Dylan, he looked like he hadn’t slept a wink last ni—”

I hold my hand up to cut her off. “It’s just going to make me sad to think about him right now. That he broke up with me makes me worry even more that he might have something on my dad.” I still don’t understand why he felt we had to be completely shut off. We could’ve just agreed to avoid talking about police business, as far as I’m concerned.

“Sure. I get it.” Madge drinks some more tea and then pets Cooper. “But you know he’s annoyingly by the book. It’s what makes him the best sheriff we’ve ever had.”

“Yeah, you’re right. I’m probably overreacting.”

Madge smiles. “Or just missing him.”

That too.

Before I can respond, a woman who is an even prettier version of Dean appears at our table. It must be Nat. “Hi, ladies. Fish and chips for two?”

Madge nods. “Thank you. This looks amazing!” She takes the extra dish and starts splitting the entrée.

Nat glances at me. “Dean said you had a question about Pattie?”

“Yes. I wonder if she and her friend have been here recently? I hear they come on the weekends often.”

Nat nods her head. “But I wouldn’t expect them this weekend. They’re here every other weekend. Dean always asks me to take Pattie’s table for him.”

Madge stops mid fish pass. “Why?”

Nat grins. “She makes him uncomfortable, always telling him he should model to make extra money for college. I think it’s funny how she gets under his skin. But then, I’m Dean’s evil twin, so I take great joy in his pain.”

“Naturally.” Still chuckling, I ask, “Can you tell me what Pattie’s partner looks like so I’ll recognize him if we see him around? We’ve only met Pattie.”

Nat shrugs. “Pretty average. Brown hair, middle-aged, dad gut, wears dad golf clothes, tips pretty well.”

Darn it. That could be anyone. But he’s not bald, so it’s not my uncle, Pattie is seeing. And no one famous enough for Nat to recognize, so that wouldn’t be a reason to keep him a secret. Being married still fits.

Madge slides my plate in front of me. “Nat, do you get the impression that Pattie and what’s his name are dating? We aren’t sure we want to work with a couple.”

Nat blinks at Madge. “What work do you do?”

Madge sputters, “We’re…ah…sex therapists.” Her face turns three shades of red.

“And you don’t work with couples?” Confusion crinkles Nat’s face.

“She’s joking.” I kick Madge’s leg under the table. “I’m a chef, and Madge helps me out