A Body to Spare (The Odelia Grey Mysteries) Read Online Free PDF Page A

you’re not sticking your nose where it doesn’t belong?”
    “My nose is clean and is minding its own business, thank you very much.”
    “At least for the past few months.” Clark snorted. “I’m proud of you, sis. You made it through Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years without a corpse, although you were damn close to Thanksgiving with that last one. Too bad you couldn’t have made it to Easter.”
    “Not funny, Clark. You and everyone else seem to think I do this for laughs or out of boredom. Well, I don’t.”
    There was a short silence from Clark’s end, except for the occasional huffs and puffs and grumbles. Clark is in his early sixties and can come off grumpy and snappish, but he’s solid as granite. He lives outside of Phoenix, Arizona, in a swanky fifty-five-plus community and oversees security for the company everyone believes is linked up the food chain to Willie.
    “Tell you what, sis,” Clark finally said. “Let me check around on my end and see if the name rings any bells with either of your underground friends.”
    “You know how to get in touch with Elaine?” I asked, my mouth falling open.
    “Not really, but I might be able to find people who know people who do. One thing I’m pretty sure of, though: I doubt she did this. It’s too flamboyant. Hitmen work behind the scenes, in the shadows. They don’t wave flags to get attention.”
    “That’s what I told Seth.”
    “Is Seth Washington representing you?” Clark asked with surprise. “He’s not a criminal attorney, is he?”
    “No, but I don’t think I’ll need one. He helped me through the questioning. He’s done that before.”
    “Well, if things heat up, don’t hesitate to get yourself a good criminal attorney,” Clark advised. “I think the world of Seth and Mike Steele. Both of them are top-notch guys and attorneys who would go to the ends of the earth to protect you, but neither have the expertise to help you if this gets messier and deeper on your end.”
    “Seth already said that,” I told my brother. “He already has someone lined up, should we need him.”
    “Good,” Clark said with relief. “In the meantime, keep Mom out of it. I’ve already told her in a text that she’s not to post anything about this on her blog or on Facebook or Twitter. Damn social networking,” he groused. “Why can’t she just knit or watch talk shows like most women her age? Having this splashed across the net just might be what the perps are hoping will happen.”
    Clark had been right earlier. In spite of the situation’s gravity, there was an underlying current of the ridiculous to it—a gallows humor that hung over it like a noose shown via shadow puppets on the wall. “Don’t worry,” I told him. “Seth gave her a very kind but forceful lecture on the subject before we left the police station. And if that doesn’t work, I’ll beat it into her.”
    He laughed. “I’ll be out there tomorrow. We can beat her together.”
    “You’re coming to California tomorrow?” With great speed, I searched my memory but couldn’t remember Clark telling us about this trip. “I hope you’re not coming here because of this. We have it under control, Clark.”
    “Nope, it’s a last-minute trip,” he explained. “Dev asked if I’d come out and go to dinner with him and you guys tomorrow night. At first I wasn’t sure I could make it, but today my calendar cleared up a bit so I’m driving over bright and early. I’ll be in town for a couple of days unless something crops up at work.”
    “Are you staying with us or with Mom?”
    “Frankly, I’d prefer staying with you and Greg, but Mom would be hurt if I do that. Besides, if I stay with her I can keep an eye on her shenanigans until her interest in this latest corpse dies out.”
    “Why don’t you take her back to Arizona with you like you did before?” I suggested. “Just until this blows over.”
    “She’d never fall for that ploy again, Odelia. She’s too