Ginny Gold - Early Bird Café 03 - Dead and Berried Read Online Free PDF Page A

just got processed about your dogs.” He turned to Kori. “Ibis too. Did you guys know Dan?”
    Both women shook their heads. “We ran into him yesterday afternoon when we were taking the dogs on a walk around Thrush Lake. When we got away from the beaches we let them off the leash because we didn’t see anyone for a while. The dogs wanted to play with him and he wanted nothing to do with them. Nothing happened. They didn’t do anything to him. And we apologized and leashed them again,” Kori explained. She’d worried that there would be a complaint like he’d threatened yesterday.
    Zach nodded, seeming to understand their side of the story. “That’s not what the complaint said.”
    Kori looked to Nora and she thought they had the same fear—he’d lied in his complaint and now there was no way to get him to tell the truth.
    “Are you sure there were no bites?” Zach asked.
    Kori and Nora nodded. “He didn’t say anything about a bite and the dogs were so happy to see him. I can’t imagine them biting him, even if they’d been provoked. You know these dogs, they wouldn’t hurt anyone,” Nora said.
    “I know. But we’re looking into a murder and we can’t leave any page unturned. Thanks for your help. I know if we have more questions we can count on you to answer them …”
    Zach seemed to be waiting for a response so they both nodded their consent.
    “Kori, are you heading back to the festival?” he asked.
    She glanced at the clock and realized she had to leave now if she was going to take only an hour off for lunch. “Yeah. You want a ride or are you going back to the office?”
    “I’d love a ride. Detective Silver, you can handle everything for a little while?”
    “Yes, sir.”
    Lani was the first to turn and go. Kori scarfed down the rest of her lunch and put her dishes in the sink. “What are you going to do about your booth at the festival?” Kori asked Nora through a mouthful of food, licking her fingers between words.
    “I’ll be there later this afternoon. I can’t believe I’ve already missed half a day. This is always such a great weekend to get off the farm and into the community instead of people always coming to me.”
    “Great, I’ll see you there then. My phone’s always on if you need anything.”
    Kori and Zach walked out the front door and Kori called Ibis. She came running from behind the barn where the police tape could still be seen around the corner and leapt into the car’s back seat, mud and all.
    In the car, Kori was itching to ask Zach more questions about Dan Roche and the crime scene. She tried her best to hold her tongue but couldn’t sit through a silent car ride. “Do you really think Nora could have killed Dan over a complaint about our dogs?” she finally asked.
    Zach’s look almost made Kori regret asking. “You know I don’t think Nora’s guilty. But he was behind her barn.”
    “Do you think he was killed there? Wouldn’t Nora have heard something?”
    “We don’t know yet. But my gut tells me that his body was moved and carefully positioned on her property with the strawberries.”
    “So you don’t even think he was poisoned?” Kori asked, surprised.
    “No, I think he was. But why leave them there then?”

CHAPTER 4
     
    Kori nearly walked straight into Holly Barton as she rushed back to her booth.
    “Hey Kori. Everything okay? You’re moving like there’s a fire,” Holly said, forcing Kori to pause and acknowledge her mistake.
    She and Zach had parted ways at her car so he could survey the area and make sure the security was tight.
    “Sorry about that Holly. How are the pony rides going?” Holly owned Meadowlark Dairy, where Kori bought all of her milk, yogurt and most of her cheeses for the café. Holly had eventually expanded to reach a broader audience and had horses, ponies, cows, goats and sheep. Holly worked all summer long at events where pony rides or petting zoos were requested and her husband took care of the