A Mouthful of Murder: A Frosted Love Cozy Mystery Book 4 (Frosted Love Mysteries) Read Online Free PDF Page B

circumstances.”
    “Yeah,
I figured I’d better call and warn you so that you didn’t have to see this.”
    “You’re
the best, Ben. When the Wildlife Control guys get there, you make sure that
they double and triple check every inch of that shop. If I find so much as one
little baby snake in my store, I will not be responsible for my actions,” she
warned.
    “Yes
ma’am, I figured that. I’ll let you know when it’s safe to come down, and Ms.
G., we need to talk about what’s going on around here.”
    “You’re
absolutely right, Ben. I value your opinion. We’ll talk later today. Be careful
out there,” Missy said, concerned.
    “I
will, Ms. G., thanks.”
     
     

Chapter
10
     
    The
drive to Dellville was over all too soon for Missy, who was reluctant to enter
her shop after having it overrun with reptiles. She loved creatures of all
types, but for some reason, snakes inspired an irrational fear in her that
seemed impossible to overcome. She knew that if she encountered one of the
skinny, slithering critters, her reaction would be profound and embarrassing.
She parked her car and got out, looking carefully at the ground before stepping
out, and bravely opened the back door, continually scanning every inch of the
floor as she moved through the kitchen. Ben was just finishing up scouring the
glass cases in the front of the shop, and the image of snakes crawling through
the display space that flashed through Missy’s mind sent shivers up and down
her spine.
    “Ben,
you are a saint,” Missy declared, more thankful than ever for his steady and
unwavering loyalty.
    “At
the moment, I’m a bit too smelly to be considered for sainthood,” he joked,
throwing a wad of paper towels into a sack that he dragged along beside him. He
pulled off his rubber gloves and took the bag to the dumpster in the back.
Missy made coffee while she waited for him to come back in and wash his hands.
The shop smelled fresh and clean and showed no signs whatsoever of the creepy,
crawly condition that it had been in when Ben arrived. Sitting in the sunlit
eating area, it was hard to believe that the strange event had ever happened.
    “Well,
we lost a day of sales, but it looks like everything is taken care of and ready
to go for tomorrow,” Ben observed, sitting down across from his boss.
    Missy
rubbed her temples. “This just keeps getting weirder and weirder, Ben.”
    “Yeah,
it does,” he agreed, standing and moving to the kitchen to pour their coffee
when he heard the burbling of the brewer stop. “Don’t you think that all of
this stuff is being done on purpose?” he asked, setting down a mug in front of
her and sipping from his own.
    “Well,
clearly it’s on purpose, there’s been too much going on to be passed off as
mere coincidence, but why? Why would someone do this?” Her question wasn’t
rhetorical, she valued Ben’s opinion. He was a grad student in Criminal Justice
and had an insight into both criminals and the justice system that she did not.
    “Let’s
just take a look at events…Ms. G., you’ve had nothing but trouble ever since
you bought this place. It makes me wonder if it’s haunted by the Donut Man’s
ghost or something, I mean, he did die here you know,” Ben said in
exasperation.
    “Well,
thanks for that extremely scientific analysis, Ben,” Missy teased. “But I’ll
remind you that I did not get where I am today by being a shrinking violet who
runs at the first sign of trouble.”
    “I
know, I get that, and I’m not saying to give up, but I’m worried about you. A
severed finger? A heaping helping of snakes? These events have gone from being
symbolically threatening to actually threatening, and I’m guessing that if
Detective Dufus Johnson doesn’t catch whoever is doing it, that things will
continue to escalate.”
    “Speaking
of the dear detective, how did it go when he showed up?”
    Ben
shook his head in disgust. “He didn’t get here until after Wildlife Control had
already