Designed to Death (A Faith Hunter Scrap This Mystery) by Christina Freeburn

to have to explain this visit to Ted.
    “I know you’re in there.”
    So?
    “Or maybe I don’t...” she trailed off.
    Whatever she planned on saying next, I wasn’t going to like it. There was too much glee in her voice. Darlene wasn’t known for her helpfulness and thoughtfulness toward others. She was the biggest pain in pretty much everyone in Eden’s derrière, except for those residents who listed the Hooligans in that particular spot.
    “You could be a prowler.” Darlene tapped on the door. “Or the murderer returning to the scene of the crime.”
    Yeah right. If she believed that she wouldn’t be knocking on the door begging to be let in.
    “I think I should—”
    My patience left right along with common sense. I walked over to the door so Darlene could hear me better. “You’re right. I’m in here. You can leave now.”
    “Not a chance. You’re up to something.” She banged on the door. “Let me in.”
    “I’m working.”
    “On a Sunday. At eight o’clock at night. And your car isn’t parked here. Sounds suspicious to me. Maybe you’re not Faith.”
    I snorted. “Right. You know it’s me. That’s not going to work.”
    “I know, I know. But will the police believe I’m calling to annoy you or because something is up?”
    “If you call them, you’re going to have to explain to them why you’re here.”
    “And so will you.” Triumph echoed in her voice.
    Okay, she had me there. I didn’t want to explain my presence here anymore than she wanted to explain hers.
    Ugh! I was going to have to let her in. I opened the door a crack. “Fine. But keep it down.”
    Darlene squeezed inside. “What did you find?”
    She wasted no time. “Nothing yet. What did you find?”
    “Why do you think I’m here looking for something?”
    “Because you don’t work here. How did you plan on getting inside?”
    “Who says I wanted to come inside?”
    I rolled my eyes. “Whatever. How about we stop the games and just agree to get on with what we both had planned to do? Find whatever Belinda came here to look for.”
    She heaved out a huge sigh and stuck out her hand. “Deal.”
    We shook.
    “Let’s split up.” I flipped the lights on, glad we had thick blinds to block any light from showing through the slats. “Chances are someone is going to notice your car and call the police.”
    “Don’t worry.” Darlene headed into the main part of the store. “I parked my car by yours.”
    “Like we’re not going to have to explain that.”
    “I have one.” Darlene threw a know-it-all grin at me over her shoulder. “I broke down and I called you to pick me up.”
    “And why would I do that?” I might as well find out from her, because I couldn’t come up with a good reason.
    “Because you wanted to know why I was here in the middle of the night.”
    In a weird way, it made total sense. “Okay. The second question would be why were you here in the middle of the night. Detective Roget is going to ask. I can guarantee you he’d be the one showing up.”
    “I’m sure you can.”
    I frowned. I didn’t like that smug, high-pitched tone she used. Then again, there wasn’t much I did like when it came to Darlene.
    “I’ll search around the table Belinda used and also check the class kits left behind. You can look on the tables the students used and also on the floor.”
    “Why do I have to crawl around?” Darlene smacked her hands onto her hips. She tapped her foot, the toe of her black leather boots making a soft clicking sound on the linoleum.
    “I know what I put in the class kits, including Belinda’s, so if anything extra is in there I’d know.”
    “What if Belinda came to put something back rather than take something?”
    Interesting theory. “I’d know that also. Stop arguing and look. Someone is going to be knocking on that back door soon.”
    “Aren’t you the bossy one?” Darlene tugged up the hem of her pants and slowly knelt on the ground.
    I refrained from answering