A Spoonful of Murder Read Online Free PDF

familiar. They were crystal clear, even though the two figures were at the end of the block. It was Sophie and Sage. They must have come from the Pub. She couldn’t imagine where else—every other business was long closed. They still hadn’t seen her. She didn’t want Sophie to know she had overheard her argument with Sage. Sophie would not take it well. Before she could cross to the other side of the street, the figures turned toward her, walking briskly in her direction. She had hesitated too long. If she crossed now, it would be obvious she was trying to avoid them. Sophie recognized her first. Her head cocked, as if unsure how much Lucky had heard.
    “Here you are again! You seem to be everywhere these days, Lucky. Always lurking.”
    Sage’s hand was on Sophie’s shoulder. Lucky noticed that he squeezed it slightly, as if to silence her. Sophie wriggled her shoulder free from Sage’s grasp. His expression was tight and closed down.
    “Hello, Sophie—Sage.”
    “Hey, boss,” Sage replied.
    Sophie skirted around Lucky, dragging Sage by the hand. “See you around,” she shot over her shoulder at Lucky. They continued walking toward an SUV parked at the corner. Lucky turned away and hurried back to Maple Street and her apartment, chagrined that she hadn’t managed to avoid yet another confrontation with Sophie.
    What were they arguing about? Who was the “she” Sophie had mentioned? What was it Sage said?
She had it in for me?
Could he have been talking about her—Lucky? No, that couldn’t be. They must be talking about someone else, because Sophie had replied,
Why would she say that about you?
Lucky had certainly never spoken about Sage to Sophie.
    Lucky breathed a sigh of relief when she reached the entrance to her building. Sophie’s friendship had been so important to her when they were young. An only child, she had never felt able to fit in with other kids. She envied her classmates who lived in big, noisy families. It was Sophie, outgoing and brash, who befriended her and made her feel one of the crowd. Sophie’s behavior now didn’t surprise her at all. There was nothing new about it, but it was disheartening to be away for so many years and return to find that Sophie still harbored the same old animosity toward her. Was it so terrible that she had yearned for something different and taken a chance? She shrugged off the feeling. If Sophie couldn’t let go, so be it. She had every right to be walking the streets at midnight if she felt like it—even in her pajamas. It was just that Sophie—and Sage too—could be so intimidating. She suspected neither of them liked her very much at all.

Chapter 7

    L UCKY PICKED UP two soup and bread bowl orders from the kitchen hatch and placed them on the service area at the end of the counter. Janie grabbed the plates and whisked them to her waiting customers. Lucky glanced down at her hands. A few stubborn speckles of paint remained on her fingernails from the night before. She quickly washed her hands at the small sink behind the counter, scrubbing with a stiff brush until her hands were completely clean. When she turned back, Elias was seated on a stool, smiling in her direction. She hadn’t seen him arrive. Her heart beat a little faster. Several days had elapsed since she had slipped on the ice in front of the Clinic. Every day since then she had wondered when she might see him again. Today he wore a dark green jacket. A soft plaid scarf hung around his neck. Lucky smiled in response and nervously pushed a stray lock of hair behind her ear. This was the second time Elias had caught her unaware, although this was a far less embarrassing situation.
    Cecily, sipping tea at the counter, glanced up sharply and then craned her neck to look at Elias. Lucky was sure Cecily had picked up on her nervousness. She cursed herself forhaving a complexion that betrayed every emotion. She took a deep breath and approached him.
    “What can I get you?”
    “How ’bout