Corpses & Conmen (Rosewood Place Mysteries Book 2) Read Online Free PDF

catching up on some work, you know how it is.”
    Marie stared at him blankly. “Do you believe in fate, Mr. Reynolds?” She leaned in closer to him, peering into his eyes as though she was peering at a bug under a microscope.
    Rob pulled back. “Uh, not really,” he replied, preparing to get out of the chair.
    “Hey, I brought a bottle!”
    Rob and Marie both turned their heads at the same time to see Kizzy stumbling onto the deck in the near-dark. She carried an open bottle of wine that she grasped with both hands. “Oops--nearly dropped it,” she giggled.
    Annie followed the young woman with a flashlight. “I’m so sorry, guys. These lights should have come on, but for some reason they haven’t. I didn’t want you all sitting here in the dark.” She shone her flashlight along the railing of the deck at the back where several strands of lights were strung. A quick wave of her flashlight revealed the end of the lights and the plug, which should have been plugged into a small electrical outlet on one of the deck posts.
    “Here,” Rob offered, jumping out of his seat. “Let me help.” He plugged the lights in while Annie held the flashlight, and the entire deck suddenly lit up with a gentle glow.
    “That’s better,” Annie said loudly. Then, she whispered to Rob, “Keep an eye on Kizzy. That girl is going to have one heck of a hangover in the morning.” She waved to the women, then headed back up to the veranda, her flashlight cutting a darting path as she walked.
    Rob abandoned his chair and headed for one of the empty tables. Marie and Kizzy both followed him. Great , he thought, but he smiled the practiced greeting of a seasoned news anchor.
    “So, Rob, what’s it like being on television?” Kizzy poured herself another glass of wine and took a small sip. “You know, I’ve always wanted to be on TV.”
    Rob could feel his cheeks glowing in the low light. He hated being asked about his job. It wasn’t that he was ashamed of covering community events, he just imagined that he’d be doing more hard-hitting stories four years into his career at the local news station. “Oh, it’s not that big of a deal, really, “ he replied.
    “You are very modest, I can tell that about you,” Marie intoned. “Your aura is practically buzzing--it’s very powerful,” she cooed. She reached into her purse and pulled out a small pot of what looked like lip balm. She opened it up and applied it liberally to her lips, then offered the pot to Kizzy, who declined the offer.
    “What’s my aura like?” Kizzy asked, the last two words running together slightly.
    Marie cocked her head to one side and squinted. “It’s a little green right now, dear. I think you’d better lay off the wine a little bit.”
    Kizzy hiccuped slightly, then pushed her glass away. “Oh, maybe you’re right. I don’t usually drink like this,” she apologized, “but I’ve had such a crappy week. First I lost my job at the dinner theater down in Myrtle Beach, and then my ex comes blowing back into town, looking for money from me. Talk about a mess--I must seem such a loser to you two.”
    Marie didn’t answer but patted Kizzy’s arm in solidarity. “Well, you can’t win them all.” She glanced from Kizzy to Rob, then puckered her lips as though she’d tasted something bitter. “If you’ll excuse me, I believe I heard Annie say something about a library. I do believe I’ll go pick something out for some bedtime reading.”
    She didn’t wait for a response, but sashayed off into the thickening darkness with her heavy purse slung over her shoulder. “Boy, everyone else seems to be real early birds, don’t you think? I usually never go to bed before midnight,” admitted Kizzy.
    “Yeah, I guess we’re just night owls,” grinned Rob. He glanced at his phone. “It’s not even nine-thirty,” he added, stifling a yawn.
    Kizzy laughed out loud at him and he blushed again. “Well, I would be a night owl if my job didn’t