A Dead End (A Saints & Strangers Cozy Mystery Book 1) Read Online Free PDF Page A

tall, olive-skinned man in a light gray suit step into the living room. His hair was dark and wavy, the kind that begged a girl to run her fingers through it.
    “Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou,” Officer Harley said.
    “Gee, I never heard that one before,” Mr. Tall, Dark and Handsome replied.
    “Detective Moretti.” Chief Riley greeted him with a firm handshake.
    “I knew it was serious when you called,” Detective Moretti said, eyeing the skeleton.
    “Romeo, do you know who this is?” Harley asked, gesturing to Kit.
    “The unsuspecting homeowner?” Romeo ventured.
    “Besides that,” Jamison chimed in.
    Romeo gave Kit a cursory glance. “No, should I?”
    “ Fool’s Gold ,” Harley prompted. “Detective Ellie Gold. I got your bling right here.” Kit recognized a diehard fan when she heard one. He mimicked Kit’s delivery perfectly.
    Romeo’s mouth quirked. “Sounds like an interesting show.”
    “Interesting?” Harley scoffed. “It was required viewing in our house. We don’t watch it anymore.”
    “I don’t watch TV period,” Romeo said.
    “I told you he’s a weirdo,” Harley told Jamison. “He probably only watches Rocky DVDs.” He turned to Kit. “We were supremely pissed when you got killed off, by the way. I even signed the petition to bring you back.”
    Kit managed a smile. “Thanks.”
    “Why’d they kill you off?” Romeo asked, seemingly intrigued. “Salary dispute?”
    “More like a personality dispute,” she replied vaguely.
    Romeo suppressed a grin.
    “Could I interrupt this breaking entertainment news and get back to our murder victim?” Chief Riley said. “I think it goes without saying that Ernie Ludwig needs our attention more than Miss Wilder does.”
    “That’s the name of our vic?” Romeo asked.
    “He’s the former owner of this house,” Harley said. “He disappeared last year and the house went into foreclosure. I guess the bank didn’t empty the house completely after all.”
    “Rumor had it that he ran off because he owed a lot of money,” Jamison added. “Guess he didn’t get very far.”
    Kit listened to the exchange with interest. The entire scene felt comfortably familiar — it was almost like being back on set. As far as she knew, Ernie owed money to the bank. It was unlikely that the bank would send thugs to remind Ernie of his debts. So that meant that Ernie owed money to other people besides the bank or that his death was unrelated to his debts. She thought of her neighbor, Peregrine Monroe, and wondered whether she was the type of woman who would kill a man over a messy yard. Kit decided there was only one way to find out.
     
    Kit wandered the bucolic grounds of Westdale College, killing time before first-year orientation. She had fond memories of the campus. Despite the extensive grounds at Greyabbey, her father had often brought her here to play catch or attend the lecture of a notable visiting professor. He wanted her to expand her horizons and not get so comfortable in life that she became complacent. Well, he’d be happy with her progress on that score.
    She settled on a bench in front of Warren Fountain, enjoying the tickle of a breeze on the nape of her neck. The day was warm and humid, typical for late August. She’d pulled her hair back into a slick ponytail in an effort to beat the heat but also blend in. During her brief time back in Westdale, she noticed that the classic ponytail was alive and thriving here.
    The fountain was built in the style of an in-ground pool with a large, abstract sculpture shooting out of the middle. Kit thought it resembled an alien tree, silver and sparkling in the sunlight.
    Kit watched two girls chatting and laughing as they walked toward Plymouth Hall. Their blond ponytails swatted each other as they bounced their way past the fountain. Kit thought the girl on the left was perilously close to the edge. She opened her mouth to call out, but then snapped it shut. The girl wasn’t blind;