Ghost Sudoku Read Online Free PDF

see, she still has a pretty strong chest.”
    Liza made a rude noise. “That’s just because she can afford expensively engineered lingerie to lift and separate whatever she’s got under that designer slutwear she struts around in.”
    “So I guess she must have put away something from the film business.”
    “No, that was her second career—or actually, her third.” Liza gazed out the window for a moment. “Brandy came back to Killamook, and J.J. got her a job in the Party offices. Not surprising—they’d always been an item at school.”
    “So she married the boss’s son?”
    Liza couldn’t help her malicious smile. “No, but her obvious talents did get some notice from on high. Nowadays, Brandy is Mrs. John Jacob Pauncecombe, Senior—your basic trophy wife.”
    She managed to time that announcement just as Ted brought his spoon to his lips—and just narrowly avoided getting spattered with clam chowder. Shaking his head, Ted dropped the spoon into his bowl. “What do you say we blow this pop stand?”
    “You didn’t finish your soup,” Liza said.
    “And I don’t think I’m going to,” Ted replied. “You were right. The damned stuff tastes like fish-flavored wallpaper paste.”
    They had a coffee and bite to eat in a place with fewer past associations for Liza, and then Ted excused himself. “Got to get back to my motel and go over the BS papers Redbourne gave me.”
    “Business before pleasure, I guess,” Liza said.
    Ted’s lips quirked in a familiar grin. “Maybe you’d change my mind if you paraded around in—what did you call it? Designer slutwear?”
    “In your dreams, Everard.”
    “Ohhhhh, yesssss,” Ted replied in a trembling voice, raising his eyes to the sky.
    Liza smacked him and went to Mrs. Halvorsen’s enormous, Reagan-era Oldsmobile.
    “Looks as if I’ll be here for a while,” Ted called after her. “It will take that much for Redbourne to clear up this particular mess. Will I see you? We’ll stay away from the Killamook tourist traps.”
    “Good plan,” Liza told him as she got into the car. “You’ve got my number.”
    Ted waved and climbed into his official clunker. Each of them pulled onto Broad Street, heading in opposite directions.
    Liza drove to Krista’s Killamook Kennels, the only pet-boarding operation in the area. Mrs. H. had volunteered to visit Rusty every day, feeding and walking him. That had been okay for a long weekend, but Liza thought two weeks of doggie duty was pushing the envelope of neighborly friendship.
    The only drawback was Krista Cronin’s overwhelming sweetness. Liza sometimes wondered if the groomer and kennel owner was a danger to diabetic clients. As soon as she came in the door, Krista began caroling, “Rusty! Rusty! Mommy’s here!”
    That set off an entire chorus of barks, but the loudest came from Rusty. “Mixed-breed” was far too high-toned a description for the lovable mutt who’d wandered into the neighborhood at the same time that Liza had taken up lonely residence in her old family home.
    He’d gotten his name from the color of his coat, suggesting a predominance of Irish setter in his background. As soon as Krista let him out of his cage, he came bounding toward Liza, going into a whole-body wriggle of delight at seeing her. He danced around, barking happily, then leapt up, resting his forepaws on her jean-clad hip.
    Liza patted his head. “Good to see you, too, fella. Ready to go home?”
    Rusty dropped to the floor with a “Woof!” of assent and trotted for the door.
    After a quick exchange with Krista of a check and Rusty’s leash, Liza took off after him. She clipped the leash to Rusty’s collar, they headed down the block, and he climbed into Mrs. Halvorsen’s Oldsmobile, quietly arranging himself on the front seat.
    They drove along the coast back to Maiden’s Bay with the windows down, Rusty popping his head out every once in a while to catch the breeze, then turning back, apparently to make sure Liza