Death Wore Brown Shorts (Happy Holloway Mystery Book 1) by Audrey Claire Page A

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    “I was in a hotel, but I’ve moved to Paul’s place. Might as well use it since I paid the bill for the month.”
    “That’s thirty minutes from here. I’ll call you when I’m sure she’s in, and you can meet me there.”
    Flynn agreed and took his leave. At the door, Annie cautioned him.
    “Please, be careful.”
    “I took a defensive driving class once. That’s how I got away with just this arm when my car was totaled. Don’t worry.”
    “You’re only human.”
    He grinned and strode to the small car she assumed was a rental then backed out of the drive and rode away. Annie hoped whoever had come after him wouldn’t try again.

Chapter Thirteen
    S tacy squealed like a schoolgirl and linked her arm through Annie’s. “Oh goodie, Annie, you’ve found a beau. I knew Flynn was just the man for you the moment I saw him.”
    Annie pressed a finger to her lips. “Will you shush, Stacy? He’ll hear you. Flynn is not my ‘beau.’ We’re just working together to find out what happened to his cousin. That’s all.”
    Stacy’s eyes insisted on sparkling. “That’s where it all starts. Then love blossoms, and before you know it, you’re picking out patterns together.”
    “What patterns?”
    Stacy’s cheeks pinked, and she ducked her head closer to Annie’s. She made small walking gestures in the air with the forefinger and middle finger of each hand. “Baby patterns.”
    Annie’s eye twitched. “Stacy, please stick to reality, sweetheart.”
    “Oh poo, you ruin my fun, Annie. Well, come on in and sit down. Or we can go out on the back porch. I spend more time out there now that I’ve screened it in. It was worth the investment getting it done. Let me tell you.”
    “Don’t you have to go to work?” Annie watched as Flynn checked something on the body of the rental car. Her stomach tightened thinking he had been attacked again, but he flicked a leaf away. She guessed he missed fussing over his sports car.
    “I took the day off,” Stacy said. “So sleepy this morning for some reason.”
    “Yes, I wonder why,” Annie commented. The inflection in Annie’s tone slipped right on by Stacy as she ushered them into the house.
    Annie scanned the interior of Stacy’s home, but she didn’t spot anything resembling the cardboard box. She wondered if Evie hid it in a cupboard or if Stacy herself had stumbled onto the box.
    Annie met Flynn’s eyes in an unspoken question. Should they ask? He shook his head in a slight movement, and Annie grabbed a seat when Stacy offered.
    “How about some bacon and eggs?” Stacy said. “I haven’t eaten yet, but I have scones and cream, or biscuits if you prefer.”
    Annie’s stomach growled. She’d grabbed a bowl of instant oatmeal. Time of year never mattered to her when it came to what she craved. “No thanks, Stacy, but I was wondering if you’ve seen anything strange around the neighborhood lately.”
    “Strange how?” Stacy furrowed her brow. “You mean like people we don’t know lurking about?”
    Annie thought about it. The killer might have come from somewhere else. There were no guarantees one of her friends or the people she had known for years were involved. “It could be strangers, like you said, movement at night. After all, poor Paul was attacked at night, and it happened on your block. Have you noticed anything unexplained, Stacy?”
    The glass she held shattered on the floor at Stacy’s feet. Her fingers trembled, and she buried them in her dress. “Oh crud muffin.”
    Flynn looked at Annie, but she kept her gaze on Stacy. “Are you okay, Stacy?”
    “I’m fine. Let me get the broom to sweep this up. Mind your step.”
    Flynn jumped to his feet. “I’ll grab the broom for you. This way, right?”
    “No, don’t bother,” Stacy tried.
    He kept walking and called over his shoulder, “Annie, you can help her to gather the bigger pieces of glass.”
    Annie knew what he was doing. Surely, Evie didn’t walk all the way through