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

sharp to be bamboozled twice.” He hesitated, then added, “And so am I.”
    It was my turn to be quiet for a few seconds. “Clark,” I ventured, “do you know why Dev is gathering us up for dinner tomorrow night?”
    The hemming and hawing on the other end of the phone was more than sound—it was solid and touchable.
    “He’s retiring from police work, isn’t he?” I added when the stall continued.
    “Yes,” Clark admitted. “He is. It’s something he’s been discussing with me on and off for a few months. He wanted another cop’s perspective on life after the badge, but he asked me not to say anything. He wants to retire and enjoy life. He’s only sixty, but he’s been on the job for close to forty years. He got into it right out of school. How did you find out?”
    “Andrea Fehring told me today at the Long Beach police station. Apparently Dev just announced it at work, and the news traveled fast among other cops.” I smiled to myself. Dev worked hard and was one of the best people I’d ever met. He deserved to retire and enjoy his life. “Do you know yet what he’s going to do with his time?”
    “I’ll let him tell you that at dinner,” Clark said. He took a deep breath. “Okay, sis, I’m going to run and pack for my trip. I want to be on the road before dawn. Will you be at work tomorrow or is it one of your days off?”
    “I’ll be going in for a bit. Steele’s off on his honeymoon and wants me to keep a lid on things in his absence, although Jill’s perfectly capable of that herself.”
    “That’s right,” Clark said with a chuckle. “Mike Steele got married this past weekend. How was it?”
    “Lovely, just like his bride. The ceremony and reception were tasteful, elegant, and intimate—and, like Steele, not a hair or rose petal out of place.” I laughed. “I can’t wait to see you tomorrow, Clark. Call me as soon as you get into town.”
    “Will do, sis. And you keep your corpse count down to just this one, okay? At least until I get there.”

four
    Before leaving the bedroom, I changed out of my still-damp jeans and panties into dry, comfy yoga pants. The food was already on the table, along with plates and utensils. Greg was pouring iced tea for us while he brewed Mom a cup of decaf coffee. Mom was still on the sofa poring over her iPad.
    “Clark will be here tomorrow,” I told Greg. “He’s going to dinner with us and Dev.”
    “Yeah, your mother just told me he was coming,” Greg said, putting down the iced tea pitcher.
    “He sent me a text while we were at the police station,” Mom called from the sofa. “He asked if I wanted to go to dinner with you all, but I declined. I have plans tomorrow night.”
    Greg and I exchanged glances. My mother seemed to have a very busy social life, but we were only privy to part of it. Sometimes she did things with Greg’s parents and sometimes with friends from her retirement community. For all we knew, the rest of the time she was a CIA operative. “What’s up tomorrow night, Mom?” I asked.
    “Me and a few of the girls are going to one of those Indian casinos tomorrow,” she explained, not looking up from her tablet. “We’re even staying overnight. It’s one of those bus trips for old people designed to rob us of our social security money. They’re running a special for a two-day, one-night trip. Should be fun.”
    I looked at Greg and shook my head. He just grinned. “Fun to be robbed or fun to spend time with friends?” I asked her.
    “I’m not much of a gambler,” my mother said, still keeping most of her focus on what she was doing, “and sometimes those old biddies get on my nerves, but I love to people watch at the casino. And there’s always some great food and entertainment. I’ve been on these trips before.”
    “You have?” I asked. This was news to me.
    “Sure,” she answered. “They’re usually on Tuesdays or Wednesdays, when the casinos aren’t as busy, but this one was for Thursday