think I wanted to throw up. No, I wanted to faint.
“Put your head between your knees.” Grandma was beside me. Her sharp tone of voice
combined with her palm on the back of my head had me doing exactly what she said.
I had to admit, staring at the black-and-white tile floor was a bit more calming than
looking at Candy. Her delight at my distress was unnerving.
“I thought we were friends, Candy,” I muttered to the floor.
“We are friends, honey.” Candy came around the counter and squatted down to peer at
me. “That’s why I came here before the chief did.”
I turned my head in uncertainty. “You came to warn me?”
“Good friends hide the body, honey, remember?” Her gaze took on a warm and concerned
look. I wasn’t sure if I should believe it.
“I don’t have anything to hide,” I insisted.
“Don’t talk to her,” Grandma chided. “She might be your friend, but she’s also a reporter.
Everything you say is on the record.”
“Is it?” I sat up and narrowed my eyes at them both. Grandma nodded and did a half
wink. Candy tried to look innocent. Good lord, they both wanted the story.
I covered my face with my hands. Crap.
The door opened, jingling the bells. I peeked between my fingers to see John and the
nurses come in. Thank God, customers. Yes! The crime scene tape wasn’t stopping people
from shopping. I glanced at the sign I’d made to tell people to go around back and
shrugged. Too late now, I thought and ignored the echo of Officer Emry’s warning that
people crossing the crime scene tape could get me into trouble with the law. At this
point, what’s a little more trouble?
“Hi guys, what can I get you?”
“Oh, I’ll take a blueberry muffin and a coffee,” Kay said. Today she wore light blue
scrubs and a navy blue jacket
“Make mine a pumpkin muffin and coffee,” Judy said. She had on matching scrubs but
a pale pink sweater instead of a jacket.
“Customers,” I hissed and waved Candy and Grandma out from behind the counter. I filled
the nurses’ orders and went to bag them when Kay spoke up.
“Oh, we don’t need them in a bag.” She tilted her head and batted her brown eyes at
me.
“No?” I wrinkled my forehead.
“We don’t want them to go. . . .” Judy stated.
I felt confused, but went ahead and took out plates and ceramic coffee mugs. “Don’t
you have to work today?” I placed their muffins on the plates and handed them off.
I mean, they had their uniforms on, why wear them if they didn’t have to work?
“Oh, yes, we have to work, but we got permission to hang around.” Judy pulled her
muffin-filled plate and cup and saucer toward her.
“You got permission?” I rang up the bill. My thoughts whirling. “Why?”
“We’re here to see them serve the warrant.” Kay and Judy sent each other looks as
they reached into their purses and paid. “Everyone at work wants to know what happens
when the police come.”
Crap. Really? They walked off and settled into a nearby table facing the door.
“Gawkers should have to buy more than a muffin and coffee to get the good seats,”
Grandma muttered from her seat on the stool near the coffee bar. I sent her a look.
She returned it with a smile.
“John?” I asked, waiting for him to change his usual order and goggle at me and the
cops like everyone else.
“Make mine the usual,” he said. “Sarah’s waiting.” He leaned against the counter and
seemed uninterested in gossip.
I blew out a breath. “Thank you.” One sane person in the whole town . . .
The doorbell jangled again and I jumped.
It wasn’t the police. It was half the town coming in for coffee and a pastry. Crap.
The crime scene was trampled. I glanced at the sign and wondered if it wasn’t too
late to put it up and lock the door before Officer Emry got here.
CHAPTER 10
A pparently humiliation was profitable, too.
My small shop was standing room only. I’d refilled
“Put your head between your knees.” Grandma was beside me. Her sharp tone of voice
combined with her palm on the back of my head had me doing exactly what she said.
I had to admit, staring at the black-and-white tile floor was a bit more calming than
looking at Candy. Her delight at my distress was unnerving.
“I thought we were friends, Candy,” I muttered to the floor.
“We are friends, honey.” Candy came around the counter and squatted down to peer at
me. “That’s why I came here before the chief did.”
I turned my head in uncertainty. “You came to warn me?”
“Good friends hide the body, honey, remember?” Her gaze took on a warm and concerned
look. I wasn’t sure if I should believe it.
“I don’t have anything to hide,” I insisted.
“Don’t talk to her,” Grandma chided. “She might be your friend, but she’s also a reporter.
Everything you say is on the record.”
“Is it?” I sat up and narrowed my eyes at them both. Grandma nodded and did a half
wink. Candy tried to look innocent. Good lord, they both wanted the story.
I covered my face with my hands. Crap.
The door opened, jingling the bells. I peeked between my fingers to see John and the
nurses come in. Thank God, customers. Yes! The crime scene tape wasn’t stopping people
from shopping. I glanced at the sign I’d made to tell people to go around back and
shrugged. Too late now, I thought and ignored the echo of Officer Emry’s warning that
people crossing the crime scene tape could get me into trouble with the law. At this
point, what’s a little more trouble?
“Hi guys, what can I get you?”
“Oh, I’ll take a blueberry muffin and a coffee,” Kay said. Today she wore light blue
scrubs and a navy blue jacket
“Make mine a pumpkin muffin and coffee,” Judy said. She had on matching scrubs but
a pale pink sweater instead of a jacket.
“Customers,” I hissed and waved Candy and Grandma out from behind the counter. I filled
the nurses’ orders and went to bag them when Kay spoke up.
“Oh, we don’t need them in a bag.” She tilted her head and batted her brown eyes at
me.
“No?” I wrinkled my forehead.
“We don’t want them to go. . . .” Judy stated.
I felt confused, but went ahead and took out plates and ceramic coffee mugs. “Don’t
you have to work today?” I placed their muffins on the plates and handed them off.
I mean, they had their uniforms on, why wear them if they didn’t have to work?
“Oh, yes, we have to work, but we got permission to hang around.” Judy pulled her
muffin-filled plate and cup and saucer toward her.
“You got permission?” I rang up the bill. My thoughts whirling. “Why?”
“We’re here to see them serve the warrant.” Kay and Judy sent each other looks as
they reached into their purses and paid. “Everyone at work wants to know what happens
when the police come.”
Crap. Really? They walked off and settled into a nearby table facing the door.
“Gawkers should have to buy more than a muffin and coffee to get the good seats,”
Grandma muttered from her seat on the stool near the coffee bar. I sent her a look.
She returned it with a smile.
“John?” I asked, waiting for him to change his usual order and goggle at me and the
cops like everyone else.
“Make mine the usual,” he said. “Sarah’s waiting.” He leaned against the counter and
seemed uninterested in gossip.
I blew out a breath. “Thank you.” One sane person in the whole town . . .
The doorbell jangled again and I jumped.
It wasn’t the police. It was half the town coming in for coffee and a pastry. Crap.
The crime scene was trampled. I glanced at the sign and wondered if it wasn’t too
late to put it up and lock the door before Officer Emry got here.
CHAPTER 10
A pparently humiliation was profitable, too.
My small shop was standing room only. I’d refilled
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