Boone handle the Seymour mess and find the killer so she wouldn’t worry about the two of us.”
“You think she bought it?”
“I gave her my best
sweet little girl
look and lied my heart out.” I kissed KiKi on the cheek then lost sight of her rounding the corner. Hard to believe no one followed in hot pursuit. Then again, the black-suit-and-black-tie brigade had their hands full with cleaning up Scumbucket and dealing with the fainted-dead-away faction that was sure to accompany such a social nightmare.
I took off my hat and wig and unstuffed my upper dimensions. Pulling my dress down over my now 32Bs, I tightened the belt for a long black dress appearance; at least that was the plan. My hair was always a disaster so nothing new there. I wadded up the undercover outfits and wedged them into one of the bushes, as I heard the sounds of sirens approaching. Taking two calming breaths, I squared my shoulders, stepped into the open and right into the path of Walker Boone.
Chapter Seven
“W HAT the heck were you doing in there?” Boone asked. Tonight he wore jeans, a navy jacket, and a really pissed-off expression. He herded me back into the magnolias, the uproar emanating from Eternal Slumber not subsiding one little bit. Two ambulances screeched to the curb, and Boone jabbed a finger in their direction. “What happened to you butting out and me handling things?”
“How’d you know I was here?”
“
Foxtrot
’s parked up the street, Seymour’s wearing a plant on his head, and the EMTs have landed. Doesn’t take Einstein to connect the dots.”
“Who’s Dozer?”
Boone gritted his teeth and muttered something colorful, a few capillaries popping in his eyes. “Seymour rubbed shoulders with some unpleasant people, and Dozer’s one of them. You sniffing around in his life guarantees to make yours a short one. Keep that in mind and go sell some hats and dresses and stay out of the way.”
At first I felt really guilty for lying to Boone about not getting involved in investigating Seymour’s murder when I knew all along I would, but the go-sell-hats crack was instant absolution. “I have leads, you know. Good ones, and I’m not sitting on the sidelines and twiddling my thumbs when I can help my own mother.”
“You call adventures from the crypt help?” Boone ran his hand over his hair; the sound of gurney wheels rattling on the sidewalk drifted our way. “No one’s going to talk because God knows where the disastrous duo will strike next and cause a scene. You have everyone diving for cover, and people don’t want to get involved. Your mother’s worried you’ll get hurt trying to clear her, and she’s got enough on her mind without you adding to it.”
“How will Mamma find out? You gonna go all Mr. Goodie-Two-Shoes and tattle on me like we’re in kindergarten?”
Boone stilled, his stance relaxed, a slow smile creasing his face. “Goodie-two-shoes?”
“Trust me, it wasn’t a compliment.”
“I’m not the only one who knows you’re stirring up trouble, Blondie. There’s a whole city out there tuned into the kudzu vine, and you’ve got top billing these days.”
A spark of devil lit his black-as-night eyes, and he tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. My stomach got all squishy, and it had nothing to do with the tucking and everything to do with the devil. Boone on the warpath was one thing; Boone scheming and conniving and aiming it all at me was a whole other matter. “What?”
“Your mother won’t be trying any cases with all these allegations hanging over her head, and we both know her campaign’s in the toilet. She needs something to keep her busy, occupy her time in a meaningful manner.”
“Volunteer work at the hospital?”
“I was thinking more like helping you at the Fox. You’re screwing up my life. I’m returning the favor. Having Judge Gloria Summerside around will keep you and KiKi off the streets and out of my hair.”
“You wouldn’t”
The grin
“You think she bought it?”
“I gave her my best
sweet little girl
look and lied my heart out.” I kissed KiKi on the cheek then lost sight of her rounding the corner. Hard to believe no one followed in hot pursuit. Then again, the black-suit-and-black-tie brigade had their hands full with cleaning up Scumbucket and dealing with the fainted-dead-away faction that was sure to accompany such a social nightmare.
I took off my hat and wig and unstuffed my upper dimensions. Pulling my dress down over my now 32Bs, I tightened the belt for a long black dress appearance; at least that was the plan. My hair was always a disaster so nothing new there. I wadded up the undercover outfits and wedged them into one of the bushes, as I heard the sounds of sirens approaching. Taking two calming breaths, I squared my shoulders, stepped into the open and right into the path of Walker Boone.
Chapter Seven
“W HAT the heck were you doing in there?” Boone asked. Tonight he wore jeans, a navy jacket, and a really pissed-off expression. He herded me back into the magnolias, the uproar emanating from Eternal Slumber not subsiding one little bit. Two ambulances screeched to the curb, and Boone jabbed a finger in their direction. “What happened to you butting out and me handling things?”
“How’d you know I was here?”
“
Foxtrot
’s parked up the street, Seymour’s wearing a plant on his head, and the EMTs have landed. Doesn’t take Einstein to connect the dots.”
“Who’s Dozer?”
Boone gritted his teeth and muttered something colorful, a few capillaries popping in his eyes. “Seymour rubbed shoulders with some unpleasant people, and Dozer’s one of them. You sniffing around in his life guarantees to make yours a short one. Keep that in mind and go sell some hats and dresses and stay out of the way.”
At first I felt really guilty for lying to Boone about not getting involved in investigating Seymour’s murder when I knew all along I would, but the go-sell-hats crack was instant absolution. “I have leads, you know. Good ones, and I’m not sitting on the sidelines and twiddling my thumbs when I can help my own mother.”
“You call adventures from the crypt help?” Boone ran his hand over his hair; the sound of gurney wheels rattling on the sidewalk drifted our way. “No one’s going to talk because God knows where the disastrous duo will strike next and cause a scene. You have everyone diving for cover, and people don’t want to get involved. Your mother’s worried you’ll get hurt trying to clear her, and she’s got enough on her mind without you adding to it.”
“How will Mamma find out? You gonna go all Mr. Goodie-Two-Shoes and tattle on me like we’re in kindergarten?”
Boone stilled, his stance relaxed, a slow smile creasing his face. “Goodie-two-shoes?”
“Trust me, it wasn’t a compliment.”
“I’m not the only one who knows you’re stirring up trouble, Blondie. There’s a whole city out there tuned into the kudzu vine, and you’ve got top billing these days.”
A spark of devil lit his black-as-night eyes, and he tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. My stomach got all squishy, and it had nothing to do with the tucking and everything to do with the devil. Boone on the warpath was one thing; Boone scheming and conniving and aiming it all at me was a whole other matter. “What?”
“Your mother won’t be trying any cases with all these allegations hanging over her head, and we both know her campaign’s in the toilet. She needs something to keep her busy, occupy her time in a meaningful manner.”
“Volunteer work at the hospital?”
“I was thinking more like helping you at the Fox. You’re screwing up my life. I’m returning the favor. Having Judge Gloria Summerside around will keep you and KiKi off the streets and out of my hair.”
“You wouldn’t”
The grin
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