Barnyard Murder: A Cozy Mystery (Strawberry Shores Mystery Book 2) by Mak K. Han Page B
Authors: Mak K. Han
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you're about to meet a swell guy to go jitterbugging.”
Emily frowned. “I look classy. You look like a groupie for a washed-up eighties hair band.”
“At least the eighties are recent.”
“No more recent than the 50s. The difference is, I look good and you look trashy!”
Alex and Emily launched full into a fight about clothing styles. While they sorted things out, I picked Alex's list off the table. Sure enough, nine of the questions had been marked correct, three were incorrect.
It didn't make much a difference to me. I didn't have any plans on using my psychic powers. I'd used them about six months back to help solve a murder, but that was a one-off kind of thing. The odds of me being involved in another murder were slim to none.
So I thought.
Chapter 2
Susan and I left the library at five fifteen. We left a little later than usual because Miss Tilwell had heard that Doreen Reusch and Amanda Jax were feuding, and she figured the best place to get verification was from the library where Doreen was known to frequent—so Miss Tilwell had spent half an hour grilling Susan and me about Doreen's goings-ons.
We turned and locked the doors. Susan still didn't have a car, so we'd taken up walking to work together. We started up the path.
“What's on your mind for the evening?” she asked me.
I rolled my eyes. “Alex and Emily are having a business competition. Alex has decided that Emily and I are going to model her clothes. Emily's jealous, so she's ramping up cupcake-production. So tonight it's going to be a lot of trying on clothes that are too small and eating cupcakes.”
“That'll be great for your complexion.”
“Tell me about it,” I said.
We kept walking. As we crossed the road out in front of the library, Susan stopped in front of the burnt-out barn.
“Is everything all right?” I asked.
Susan shook her head. “No, everything's fine. It's just, I've gotten so used to this barn here, it's going to be strange to see it go.” She pointed up the road. “Let's keep going.”
I paused for a moment to survey the burnt-out barn. It was sort of an eyesore. I'd noticed it when I first moved to Strawberry Shores but hadn't paid much attention since; come to think of it, I was surprised the Coalition for a Beautiful Strawberry Shores had let it stay standing. “What's going to happen to it?”
“Frederick Ferdinand died last week,” Susan explained. “He owned the property. The barn burned down back in the seventies but he refused to tear it down.”
“Frederick Ferdinand?” I asked.
“He is—er, was—a hermit that lived up on Sprout Street. I never met him, but I've heard he was nasty.”
“Come now,” I chided. “It's in poor taste to speak ill of the dead.”
Susan cringed. “Sorry, but it's true. I've never heard a good thing about him. Anyway, now that he's out of the picture, the CBSS hired Tim Hayfield to tear down the barn.”
I looked at the barn. There wasn't much left to tear down; it was mostly the shell of a building overgrown with weeds and vines. A large tree stood next to it. Most of the tree was warped and dead – it looked like it had been hurt by the fire. “What about that tree?” I asked.
Susan shrugged. “Probably the tree too. Dana wants the whole lot cleared.” Before I could ask, Susan explained. “Dana Jones. She runs the CBSS.”
“Sounds exciting. When are they going to clear the lot?”
“It's hard to say,” Susan said. “It's supposed to be cleared tomorrow. Tim Hayfield is bringing in all sorts of construction equipment.”
“Cool,” I said. “Maybe I'll come watch. I think Emily and Alex have the day off, too.”
Susan laughed. “Good luck. As I understand, Jeannie Frederick is in town, and she and Dana are fighting over the estate.”
I furrowed my brow. “How is there a fight? If Jeannie is inheriting the property, shouldn't she have the last say about what happens to it?”
Susan shook her head. “Not in Strawberry
Emily frowned. “I look classy. You look like a groupie for a washed-up eighties hair band.”
“At least the eighties are recent.”
“No more recent than the 50s. The difference is, I look good and you look trashy!”
Alex and Emily launched full into a fight about clothing styles. While they sorted things out, I picked Alex's list off the table. Sure enough, nine of the questions had been marked correct, three were incorrect.
It didn't make much a difference to me. I didn't have any plans on using my psychic powers. I'd used them about six months back to help solve a murder, but that was a one-off kind of thing. The odds of me being involved in another murder were slim to none.
So I thought.
Chapter 2
Susan and I left the library at five fifteen. We left a little later than usual because Miss Tilwell had heard that Doreen Reusch and Amanda Jax were feuding, and she figured the best place to get verification was from the library where Doreen was known to frequent—so Miss Tilwell had spent half an hour grilling Susan and me about Doreen's goings-ons.
We turned and locked the doors. Susan still didn't have a car, so we'd taken up walking to work together. We started up the path.
“What's on your mind for the evening?” she asked me.
I rolled my eyes. “Alex and Emily are having a business competition. Alex has decided that Emily and I are going to model her clothes. Emily's jealous, so she's ramping up cupcake-production. So tonight it's going to be a lot of trying on clothes that are too small and eating cupcakes.”
“That'll be great for your complexion.”
“Tell me about it,” I said.
We kept walking. As we crossed the road out in front of the library, Susan stopped in front of the burnt-out barn.
“Is everything all right?” I asked.
Susan shook her head. “No, everything's fine. It's just, I've gotten so used to this barn here, it's going to be strange to see it go.” She pointed up the road. “Let's keep going.”
I paused for a moment to survey the burnt-out barn. It was sort of an eyesore. I'd noticed it when I first moved to Strawberry Shores but hadn't paid much attention since; come to think of it, I was surprised the Coalition for a Beautiful Strawberry Shores had let it stay standing. “What's going to happen to it?”
“Frederick Ferdinand died last week,” Susan explained. “He owned the property. The barn burned down back in the seventies but he refused to tear it down.”
“Frederick Ferdinand?” I asked.
“He is—er, was—a hermit that lived up on Sprout Street. I never met him, but I've heard he was nasty.”
“Come now,” I chided. “It's in poor taste to speak ill of the dead.”
Susan cringed. “Sorry, but it's true. I've never heard a good thing about him. Anyway, now that he's out of the picture, the CBSS hired Tim Hayfield to tear down the barn.”
I looked at the barn. There wasn't much left to tear down; it was mostly the shell of a building overgrown with weeds and vines. A large tree stood next to it. Most of the tree was warped and dead – it looked like it had been hurt by the fire. “What about that tree?” I asked.
Susan shrugged. “Probably the tree too. Dana wants the whole lot cleared.” Before I could ask, Susan explained. “Dana Jones. She runs the CBSS.”
“Sounds exciting. When are they going to clear the lot?”
“It's hard to say,” Susan said. “It's supposed to be cleared tomorrow. Tim Hayfield is bringing in all sorts of construction equipment.”
“Cool,” I said. “Maybe I'll come watch. I think Emily and Alex have the day off, too.”
Susan laughed. “Good luck. As I understand, Jeannie Frederick is in town, and she and Dana are fighting over the estate.”
I furrowed my brow. “How is there a fight? If Jeannie is inheriting the property, shouldn't she have the last say about what happens to it?”
Susan shook her head. “Not in Strawberry
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