A Killer Deal (A Seagrove Cozy Mystery Book 1) Read Online Free PDF Page A

good judge of character,” Sadie said.
     
    “What is he telling you about my character? Am I trustworthy?” he asked. Sadie glanced down at Mr. Bradshaw, who was sitting smartly at her heel. His ears were up, his tail was quivering, but he hadn’t run forward to greet the young professor.
     
    “I’m afraid he hasn’t made up his mind. Perhaps if you were to offer me a seat and give him a gentle pat.”
     
    “Oh, I’m sorry.” His face turned an unbecoming blotchy red. He grabbed a stack of papers off a small red leather armchair and set the papers on the floor.
     
    “Please sit down. I’m afraid students just sit wherever they want, and I’ve lost my ability to interact with polite society.”
     
    “Oh, I’d fight against that if I were you. The ability to make one’s guests feel at ease is very useful.” Sadie sank into the little armchair. It was surprisingly quite comfortable. “I’ve come here to ask you about your disagreement with Mr. Roberts.”
     
    Mr. Bradshaw was still at her heel, Sadie noted. He wasn’t at all sure about this young man’s character. Interesting.
     
    “Mr. Roberts? Oh, you must mean Mr. Rogers. The man that owns the bakery. Is that right?” he asked.
     
    He glanced at his computer monitor and tapped surreptitiously at his keyboard with his right hand. Sadie wasn’t sure if this was considered rude anymore. People were so connected to the internet that it might be normal for his generation.
     
    “The gentleman who owned the Bakery was named Roger Roberts. I know this for a fact because he was my neighbor and breakfast companion for many years. It used to upset him a great deal that people couldn’t be bothered to get his name right.” Sadie looked at Professor Ives severely.
     
    “I know. I’m awful with names. If I get the wrong name stuck in my head I never can get it right after that, no matter how hard I try,” he said.
     
    “Perhaps you need to learn to focus,” Sadie said severely.
     
    He shrugged and Sadie classified him as someone not interested enough in other people to try. She felt sure if he tried to remember Mr. Roberts’s name he would have been able to.
     
    “You said he was your neighbor. What happened to Mr. rog-, er Roberts?” he asked.
     
    “Mr. Roberts was found dead on my back stoop the day before yesterday. You didn’t know?” she asked.
     
    “No. No, I didn’t.”
     
    The red faded from his face and was replaced by a ghastly green tinged white. He was staring at his hands now. Sadie wished he would look up so she could read his face.
     
    “I apologize for being abrupt. Did you know Mr. Roberts well?” She knew he could not possibly have known him well or he would have gotten the name right, but she wanted to hear what he had to say.
     
    “Not well, no. Sometimes in nice weather I plan to meet my classes at the park across the street from the bakery. We’d go in and buy coffee and pastries and carry them over to eat on the grass. He recently started complaining that we were disturbing the traffic flow. We don’t even have traffic in this town.”
     
    “I did hear he wasn’t happy about classes in the park,” Sadie said.
     
    “How did you know about this? Did he tell you?”
     
    “I ran into the college dean at lunch yesterday. He told me,” Sadie said.
     
    Professor Ives grew very still. “He told the dean he didn’t like me holding classes in the park?” he asked.
     
    “He did. But I don’t think you should worry about it. The park is a public place and I very much doubt anyone else was disturbed by it.” Sadie paused to get his attention. “Unless you killed Mr. Roberts, then you should worry,” Sadie said.
     
    “You think I murdered Mr. Rog – Roberts? How can you think that?” he asked. His face had flushed deep red and he looked angry.
     
    “Don’t take it personally, I do not know you, Mr. Ives,” she said. “I don’t know what you are capable of, or what you might do when