Bloodstone by Barbra Annino

as I put the receiver to my ear and said, sweet as sugar, “Hello? Martha? Yeah, she’ll have to call you back.” Then I slammed the phone down.
    I filled my lungs with air and said, “Now, I would like some assistance, please.”
    Her bottom lip quivered, but the chair was coming to a halt. She looked at me in horror. “Gus!” she shouted over her shoulder. She didn’t take her eyes off me.
    Gus strolled up to the desk then, took one look at me and bolted.
    “Gus! You little weasel! Get back here!” I shouted.
    Miss Bouffant swiveled her head from side to side, not sure what to do.
    “I’m going in,” I said to her.
    She nodded.
    I swung through the little gate and ran around the corner full throttle. Unfortunately, I smashed into Leo and bounced off him like a bullet off Superman’s chest.
    “Jesus! Are you okay?” He asked, bending down to help me. “I heard Stella calling Gus. Thought something was wrong.”
    “Thank you.” I stood, stepped away from him. “Why isn’t he at the B&B right now anyway collecting evidence or at least getting in the way of someone else collecting evidence?”
    “I asked the Sheriff’s department to partner on this one. The county medical examiner would have to process the body anyway since the coroner passed away.”
    Leo must have seen that I was upset, because he didn’t offer a lecture on my choice to leave Birdie’s house after a guest had permanently checked out. He also didn’t ask how I escaped a man twice my size. With handcuffs.
    “Your grandmother is down the hall. She’s just finishing up her statement. Come on.” Leo put a hand on my back, guiding me through a long corridor.
    “Don’t touch me.”
    He dropped his arm.
    “You didn’t have to come down here, Stacy. You know she’s in good hands.”
    I knew she had a big mouth.
    I said, “She should have a lawyer.”
    “For what? She isn’t accused of anything, and from what John told me, my guess is the guy got in a bar fight, got a little blood on his shirt, passed out at the kitchen table this morning and had a heart attack. He was still tipping the drinks when we left. I saw the stunt he pulled yesterday with that knife through the neck, so my guess is he was still at it this morning.”
    “You think so?”
    Leo gave me a warm smile and nodded. “Birdie insisted on coming down here to personally tell me everything she knows. Probably to keep me away from you.”
    I don’t know how it happened, but an irrational bitch took possession of my mouth. “Well can you blame her?”
    Leo turned to me, his upper lip curved in that way it does when he’s confused. “What exactly is your problem? You broke it off with me, remember?”
    The bitch wasn’t backing down. Now she had control over my hands. She wagged a finger at Leo. “And YOU just couldn’t wait to climb aboard that silicon-stuffed herpes ride could you?”
    “What the hell are you talking about? YOU are the one who shacked up with your old boy toy about five minutes after you dumped me!”
    “ENOUGH!”
    We both turned to face Birdie. I hadn’t realized we had made it all the way down the hallway. Crap, did she hear that last part about shacking up with Chance?
    She relaxed her face, straightened out her blouse and gave us both ‘the look.’ “I should think that two grown adults who claim to have cared for one another at some point could have a civilized conversation without getting into a shouting match.”
    Oh, please. The woman has been divorced for thirty years and still uses my grandfather as her personal tongue sharpener.
    “Sorry,” Leo grumbled.
    “Suck-up,” I mumbled.
    Birdie cleared her throat.
    “I mean, sorry,” I said.
    “Better. Now come on, I don’t have all day.” She held the door open and we both entered the room.
    Leo pulled a chair out for me and I sat down. He took a seat across from me and Birdie settled in the chair next to me.
    Leo glanced down at the paperwork, read through it. “Mrs.