Death Before Diamonds (Sky High Pies Cozy Mysteries Book 10) Read Online Free PDF

plug it
into the system after I get back.”
    “That would be awesome,” I said.
“What’s on the menu for dinner?”
    “It’s not dinner, Katie. I haven’t
even had lunch yet.”
    “That might be part of your
problem,” I said. “One of the best ways to lose weight is eating small meals
throughout the day at regular intervals to help regulate your metabolism.”
    “Small meals?”
    “Yep. There are tons of great menu
ideas online.”
    “I’ll be sure and get right on
that,” he said, “as soon as I return from McDonald’s with my teeny, tiny Double
Quarter Pounder.”
    “What about the doctor’s orders?”
    He grunted. “Soon, Katie. I’ll
start the new diet real soon.”

CHAPTER
6
     
     
    After finishing a few more notes
about the Sky High cooking class, I sent Rex Greer’s license plate number to Trent.
Then I drove over to Simply Chic to ask Pearl White about the fuchsia tights
that the woman was wearing in the background of Theo’s selfie.
    When I pulled up and parked at the
curb, the boutique’s front windows were completely dark. Pearl usually stayed
open until seven during the week, so I was a little confused until I saw the
bright beam of a flashlight darting around the shadowy interior. I grabbed my
purse, scrambled out of the car and hurried across the sidewalk.
    “Pearl?” I called after slowly
opening the front door. “Is everything okay?”
    I heard something crash to the
floor followed by a flock of muffled words.
    “Is that you, Katie?”
    Instead of Pearl’s lilting Irish brogue,
the voice I heard belonged to Blanche Speltzer, the oldest living resident of
Crescent Creek. The 80-year-old firecracker and retired history teacher was one
of my favorite people in the entire world. She was sassy, intelligent,
thoughtful and incredibly sweet.
    “Blanche?” I said after spotting a
silhouette against the back wall.
    “Yes, sweetheart,” she replied.
“Did you come to our rescue?”
    Before I could answer, I heard Pearl
somewhere in the distance.
    “I can’t find the thingy with the
fuses!” she yelled. “Do you think we should call the police?”
    “How about a private detective?”
Blanche shouted. “Will that help?”
    I moved slowly through the gloom,
holding one hand out in front as I inched toward the sound of the town’s most
skillful chatterbox. While I tiptoed around a table piled with bulky sweaters,
Blanche’s flashlight suddenly looped up from the floor and into my eyes.
    “There you are!” she said
cheerfully. “You’ve got impeccable timing, Katie! Pearl and I have been
wandering around in this blackout for the past twenty minutes.”
    “Can you lower that a little?” I asked.
“I can’t see where I’m going.”
    “Oh, you bet, doll!” She giggled
softly. “I just wanted to make sure that it was you.”
    “It’s me alright,” I said. “What
happened?”
    Blanche’s cheery laugh erupted again.
“Oh, Katie! I’m so embarrassed that I can’t even imagine telling you the
story!”
    I moved closer, gliding along the
glass-topped display cabinets that ran from the front of the shop to the
changing rooms in the rear.
    “I’m guessing that maybe someone
blew a fuse,” I said. “Is that about the gist of it?”
    “More or less,” she said.
    “Did Pearl plug in something that
overloaded the circuits?”
    Blanche snickered. “No, it was me.
I was showing her my new glue gun. I think that was the guilty culprit!”
    “And why did you have a glue gun?”
I asked.
    “Because I’m starting a clothing
line, Katie! It’s called Bedazzled by Blanche! And I wanted to show Pearl my
technique for applying crystals. It was supposed to be a quick demo, not the
start of a national emergency.”
    “I’m sure she’ll—”
    The overhead lights suddenly
flashed and blinked before resuming a bright, steady glow.
    “And there you go!” I said. “Let
there be light!”
    Blanche was perched on a stool
behind the cash register. She held the flashlight in