Killing America's Sweetheart: A Natalie Miller Mystery Read Online Free PDF Page B

said goodnight and headed home, only after promising to keep my mom in the loop if I heard anything new about the Gold murder.
    When we finally arrived home, I poured a little dog chow in Honey’s bowl (I don’t want a malnourished dog) and put my jammies on. I lay in bed and turned on the TV. I wasn’t in the mood for Lifetime or forensic stories. I needed something light and funny. I checked my DVR and saw I still had a few episodes of Park and Recreation and Brooklyn 99 waiting to be viewed. So, I settled in and watched two of my favorite shows before falling asleep.
     
     
    Chapter Eight
    I was scheduled to work the closing shift again. In fact I mostly work closing, since everyone else has family and kids, and I only have Honey. It really angers me that dogs are not considered children by your employer. If she could talk, I’m pretty sure Honey would want me home by 7P.M. for bath and story time. Whatever, a girl can dream. Tonight I was working with Debbie and our greasy store manager Eric Morris. He was a pig in every sense of the word. Not only did he look like one with wide nostrils and a round fat face, but his skin was a strange shiny pink shade and he was practically hairless. He wasn’t too tall for a man, probably about 5’8 or 5’9, but he was solid and chunky. Eric also acted like a pig, meaning he went after anything with tits and ass. I felt especially bad for Debbie because she had to share an office with him. But I had a feeling she could hold her own.
    “It looks like you’re doing well tonight Natalie,” Eric replied leaning close to me, while he put the change next to my till. I was running low on quarters and pennies.
    “Where’s Debbie? I thought she normally brought out the money?” I asked feeling uncomfortable as he was invading my personal space.
    “She went to lunch, but she’ll be back in a few minutes and then I’ll be able to go home,” he said leering to o long and hard at my chest.
    “Well, have a good night,” was all I could think of in terms of a reply and turned around willing a customer to come to me. What can I say? I don’t like the guy and he creeps me out.
    Pig man finally took a hint as I could feel him backing off and return to the office. Just then a customer began approaching. I was grateful for the reprieve until I saw who it was. Emma Phillips, Zack’s girlfriend.
    “You’re working late tonight,” she said flashing me her perfectly crafted veneers.
    I looked at the clock and saw that it was a little past 9 p.m.
    “I still have a few hours left actually. What brings you here? This isn’t your normal store. Don’t you usually shop at Golden Nuggett?” I asked.
    Golden Nuggett was the classy supermarket, where practically everything was organic, free range and expensive as fuck.
    “I do, but Zack told me you guys had his sport drinks on sale, so I came in to get them for him,” she said grimacing as she put all ten of the drinks on the conveyer belt. She looked as if she was afraid she was going to catch a disease by just being in the store. Guess she wasn’t used to slumming it.
    “He does like these drinks. He goes through them a lot, especially after working out,” I replied holding one as I scanned it.
    Emma gave me a dirty look.
    “He comes in after the gym to buy them,” I added, so she didn’t get the wrong idea. Oh, who was I kidding, I was trying to piss her off.
    “Didn’t you and Matt belong to the gym too?” she asked as she moved up to the POS machine.
    “Yeah, but not anymore. Obviously,” I replied coolly.
    “Oh, that’s right. He’s still a member, except he goes with Carrie now,” she added with a smug smile on her face.
    As if she just remembered Matt and I were divorced. I stared at her and for the first time I saw just how unattractive she really was.  There was only so much Instagram filters could do for someone. A plastic surgeon may be able to make her look “fresher”, but up close she looked haggard and old