Murder in Marietta (A Trixie Montgomery Cozy Mystery Book 2) by Deborah Malone

taken fifteen or twenty minutes, but we hit a modern day traffic jam from all the tourists.
    As I drove, the day turned from sunny to cloudy in a matter of minutes. I could smell the rain before it started. Raindrops drizzled down the windshield, and I hit the wiper button. Nana and Dee Dee talked about Dora’s therapy. I used this time to ponder the events of the past few days. What a mess we’d fallen into.
    Not only had I offered to help Doc, I had an article due soon. Harv expected a manuscript on the Marietta History Museum and the resident ghosts when I returned home. I needed to focus on work more.
    Dee Dee disrupted my thoughts. “Is that it?”
    “Yep.” I whipped into the parking lot. Only a few spaces remained. A good sign.
    “Didn’t they misspell Country Cousins?”
    “It’s catchier this way, Nana. Come on, y’all. Let’s check this place out.” Dee Dee had the door open before I came to a complete stop.
    The building, a log cabin, was a little bit of nostalgia in the middle of suburbia. As we entered, I noticed old timey signs hanging on the walls. Antiques decorated every corner of the quaint restaurant. The hostess, all of 5’2” and a good 150-160 pounds, showed us to a table in the back corner.
    “Hello girls. My name is Velma. How y’all doin’ today?”
    Dee Dee shot her a sad look with her puppy dog eyes. “Well Velma, we’re doing pretty well, considering we’re starving.”
    “Shoot, I guess you’ve come to the right place. Let me tell you about our special of the day.” She took a pencil from behind her ear and licked the end. Yuck. She poised it over her pad. “Today we got meatloaf and two vegetables for $4.95. Of course, that includes dessert. Ruth, my cousin and the cook, whipped up a batch of her special bread pudding this morning.” Velma rattled off more specials without as much as a pause.
    “The meatloaf!” three voices told Velma in unison. While we waited on our food, she brought us sweet tea served in quart jars, a slice of lemon hooked on the rim.
    Ice clinking back into her tea glass, Dee Dee smacked her lips. “That’s the ticket. Trixie, we should go over to the Gone with the Wind Museum after we finish eating and pick out our dresses if we’re going to the ball tonight.”
    Nana jumped on this like a flea on a dog. “What ball are you talking about?”
    Oh boy, Dee Dee let the cat out of the bag. There was no way out of this but to tell Nana about the fundraiser.
    “The Marietta History Museum is giving a Civil War period gala tonight, and Doc wants us to attend so we can meet some of the Board members. The Gone with the Wind Museum is graciously providing dresses for attendees.” I took a refreshing sip of cold, sweet tea. “Why don’t you spend the night with Dora while we go to the ball?”
    She stared at me like I’d grown two heads. “Are you crazy?” She scrunched up her face. “You are not going to leave me out of this. You know, me and Scarlett have a lot in common.” She clapped her hands. “Oh, this is so exciting.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

    V elma muttered as she approached our table. “I told her so, but nooo she wouldn’t listen.” She shook her head. “Girls, sorry to have to tell you this, but we’re out of meatloaf.” We issued a collective groan.
    “Ruth never takes my advice. She’s Ms. Know It All. I told her she didn’t make enough meatloaf. It’s always a crowd pleaser, so it wouldn’t hurt to have more than enough. But no, she doesn’t want to have too many left overs,” Velma spouted. She put her hands on her hips and took a determined stance.
    “That’s all right Velma,” Dee Dee tried to cut her off before she continued her tirade. “What choices do you have available?”
    “Let me think.” She flicked her pencil on her chin. “We have plenty of steak and gravy or fried chicken. I’ll let you have either one for the same price of $4.95.”
    I chose the steak and gravy. Dee Dee and Nana went for the