Chilled in Chattanooga (A Trixie Montgomery Cozy Mystery Book 4) Read Online Free PDF Page B

conspiratorially. All right, Missy, tell us all about the murder.”
    I agonized over how much to tell Nana. I knew she’d want to get involved when she found out what happened. I started to relay my story when Jenny, our waitress, approached.
    “Ready to order?” We weren’t, but we opened our menus and hurriedly picked out what we wanted. We decided on the $7.99 menu. Nana opted for a bowl of Brunswick stew and half a turkey sandwich. Dee Dee ordered a barbeque sandwich and I chose the brisket sliders. As soon as Jenny left, I started to tell my story again when a phone shrilled. We scrounged through our pocketbooks in unison. I was the winner.
    I read the caller I.D. with trepidation. “Harv?”

CHAPTER EIGHT

    “Y ou’ve got that right, Kiddo.” A booming voice emanated from the phone. “What’s going on in the town of Chattanooga? How’s the article coming?”
    “Whoa, Harv. Look, I can’t talk right now; I’m in a restaurant. I’ll call you back as soon as I can.” I pictured my boss at his desk sucking on a cherry Tootsie Pop. After a scare with his ticker, he’d traded in his ever-present cigars for the sweet treat. I rarely saw Harv at the office without the new vice.
    “Okay, but don’t take too long. I want an update of that murder story you’re working on. Just because you’re at a writer’s conference doesn’t mean you can slack up on your work.” I’d found early on that Harv was a sheep in wolf’s clothing. His size alone could be intimidating, let alone his booming voice. But underneath the gruff exterior was a heart of gold. He gave this rookie a chance when no one else would. Yes, he expected my best, but I knew he’d look out for me.
    “I promise I’ll call you later.” I knew when Harv found out I’d discovered a dead body he would jump on the story like a dog on a biscuit. We said our goodbyes and I hung up. With the help of another server, Jenny brought out our food and placed it on the table. The next few minutes were quiet, except for the licking of fingers and the smacking of lips.
    When we’d eaten enough to satiate our appetites, Nana probed me again about my harrowing experience. “Spill the beans, Missy.”
    I took a long swig of sweet tea, then wiped my mouth. “Oh, Nana, it was terrible. I got hungry during the night, so I ventured downstairs to find a snack. I noticed what looked like a sash hanging out of the deep freeze. Of course, I opened it. You know what they say…”
    “Nothing more than a corps-ical in the middle of the night?” Nana quipped. Her snark broke the tension. Heads turned as laughter rang from our table.
    Her gallows humor actually helped me recall the details with more clarity. “Anyway, I opened the lid and there was Annie Henderson surrounded by ice cream and frozen vegetables.”
    “Oh, Trixie,” Dee Dee leaned over and hugged me, “how awful for you. I’m sorry I wasn’t there to comfort you. What happened after you found the body?” Dee Dee poised her fork ready to take another bite of potato salad while I explained.
    “Detective Bianca Sams showed up, as well as her assistant Sergeant Gary Sargent.” Grins broke out on Nana and Dee Dee. “Before y’all say anything, I know it’s a funny name, but be careful. She’s very protective of her Sergeant Sargent.” I stifled a giggle.
    “Anyway, she questioned some of us and the sergeant questioned the others. The process seemed routine until Detective Sams asked me to wait after the others had left.”
    “What did she want with you, Trixie?” Nana tried to scrape more stew from an empty bowl.
    Nana wasn’t the only one with a healthy appetite. I finished off my sliders, and wondered how I could eat at a time like this. But no matter how dire the circumstances in our life, we still had to eat.
    “She said that the house staff, Ladonna, heard Annie and me arguing. We weren’t though. Annie was talking and she got louder and louder – it wasn’t arguing. I guess it