Diner Impossible (A Rose Strickland Mystery) Read Online Free PDF Page A

eyes met mine in a head on collision.
    She grabbed the box of chocolates and tucked them in a drawer. When she gestured to the one guest chair, Roxy leaned her shoulder against the wall. So I sat, while Randa laced her fingers on top of the desk.
    “How may I help you, Miss Strickland?” She was struggling to regain some professional demeanor, but the bright red streak smeared around her mouth and the skewed blouse made it hard to forget that her calves had been propped on Officer Long Dong’s shoulders not five minutes before.
    “I’m looking into the death of Delia Cummings,” I said.
    Her expression didn’t change, but her eyes became wary. “Why?”
    “I’m working on behalf of her family.” The lie tumbled from my lips. “I understand the two of you were good friends.” I didn’t drag out my notebook. I waited to see if she would even talk to me. She had no reason to, so in an effort to play the sympathy card, I lowered my eyes and shook my head. “So tragic. They want to know what happened to their daughter. They’re desperate to find the killer, Miss Atherton.”
    I felt a twinge of guilt using Delia’s parents for my own purposes. But if I could find her murderer, they might have some peace. At least that’s what I told myself.
    “Yes, tragic,” Randa echoed. “And Delia was such a sweet girl. She’ll be missed.”
    I studied her, saw the lines radiating from her eyes relax. She thought she could pacify me with bullshit. This was not Randa’s lucky day.
    I shook my head. “Delia Cummings was anything but a sweet girl.”
    Her gaze fluttered to mine. “I don’t know what you mean.”
    “Aw,” Roxy said. “Sure you do.”
    Randa’s lips puckered like she’d just sucked on a Sour Patch Kid. “No. I don’t.”
    I tried for a disarming smile. “May I be frank, Miss Atherton?”
    “I’d rather you just leave.”
    I carried on. “I know Delia was having an affair with a certain high ranking official.” I let that rest for a second. “And I know she was pregnant before she died. She was the police chief’s spy and if Delia didn’t like someone, they didn’t last long around here.”
    “How do you know all that?” With an audible swallow, her gaze flashed from Roxy to me. “If I give you information, I could lose my job. Please, go.”
    “Sure. But if I leave now, I’m going to have to report what I saw here today. You, hitting it during office hours. With a married cop. That would absolutely get you fired.”
    Her chest began rising and falling at a rapid rate. “He’s separated. Besides no one would believe you.” Not very convincing since her voice lilted, making it sound more like a question than a statement.
    Roxy held up her phone and snapped a picture of Randa. “They might after they see your jacked up lipstick and misbuttoned shirt.”
    She sucked in a breath and glanced down. When she raised her head, anger tightened the muscles in her face, causing a small vertical wrinkle to appear between her eyes. “Fine. But I want to see you delete that picture before you leave.”
    “Tell us what we want to know and it won’t be a problem,” I said.
    “You want to know the truth about Delia Cummings?” she asked. “She was an evil bitch. And I’m not sorry she’s dead. She used my relationship with Sam against me. Told me she would get both of us fired if I didn’t give her intel on other people. I hated her.” She reached into her desk and pulled out a half empty box of chocolates. She shoved a nougat in her mouth and scowled as she chewed.
    “Sam’s the cop who just left?” I went ahead and dug out my notebook. My jotting down a few facts was the least of her worries.
    “Yeah. He and his wife still live in the same house, but they’re not having sex. They’re just roommates. It’s a financial arrangement.”
    Sure it was. I mentally crossed my eyes.
    “I’m not like some people who just sleep with their boss and get pregnant and go around getting people