Lethal Lasagna Read Online Free PDF Page B

I don’t think you’re awake.”
    “Well, then if this is a dream, I’m going to hang up.” I pulled the phone away.
    Her voice screamed through the phone lines. “No! We need you here.”
    “Where is here?” I grumbled, putting the phone back up to my ear.
    A heavy sigh sounded. “Mrs. Parker, this is Mrs. Harvey from church. You volunteered to help out at the annual yard sale.”
    “Oh, no!” I threw the covers off and fairly jumped out of bed. “I am so sorry. I’ll be there as soon as possible.”
    After a quick shower and an apology to Sprocket in which I promised to make our walk longer this evening, I hurried off to the church.
    “What took you so long to get here?” My friend, Gloria Fielding, asked as I rushed to her side.
    “I forgot. Well, I didn’t forget. I just didn’t remember it was this weekend.” I reminded myself of that guy on the old sitcom that couldn’t remember anything, well, not anything. He remembered some things but they didn’t really make sense. What was his name? Hummm...The show was Green Acres.
    Gloria handed me a roll of masking tape and a black marker. “Mrs. Harvey is really upset.”
    “Yeah, she called me.” Mr. Haney? No, he was the guy who charged Oliver for everything.
    “She didn’t!” Gloria gasped. “I’m so sorry. I tried to stall her.”
    Gloria is a sweet lady who loves everyone. She has olive colored eyes, red hair and a crooked smile. I’d have to say she is the closest friend I had next to Mitzi. This thought startled me. With Mitzi gone, I guess that made Gloria my new best friend. Tears filled my eyes.
    “What’s wrong, honey? Did Mrs. Harvey hurt your feelings?”
    “No.”
    Gloria stared me in the eyes and whispered dramatically. “Are you sure? Cause if she did, I’ll hold her and you can punch.”
    That one always made me laugh. “Thanks, I’m fine. Just a little weepy this week.”
    “I’m glad you made it, Mrs. Parker. And in such a good mood, too.” Mrs. Harvey passed on by. Her gray hair stuck out in the back. I almost giggled. Amazed that my emotions were on a rollercoaster ride this morning, I shook my head. What was wrong with me?
    “Ignore her, Claire. I think her skirts have been starched too much,” Gloria whispered.
    I giggled. “That’s not nice, Gloria.”
    “Yeah, I’m sorry.” Gloria went back to marking dishes but a happy twinkle filled her eyes.
    After several moments of her marking plates and me pricing cups, she asked. “What have you been up to lately?”
    A smile touched my lips. “Well, yesterday I went to my first creative writing class.”
    “That sounds like fun.”
    “You have no idea.” I sighed, thinking of Brandon.
    Gloria laid down her black marker. “Okay, give girl.”
    Give girl? What were we teenagers? I almost laughed out loud. Only the expression on her face screamed she was very serious. “There’s nothing to ‘give’ I just enjoyed the lesson. That’s all.”
    “Uh, huh, maybe I’ll take up creative writing next week.” Gloria loaded the dishes back into a half full cardboard box.
    The thought of telling her no entered my mind. Gloria is fifty-five years old and she still has the cutest figure. And her eyes and red hair catch more attention from men than sticky strips catch flies.
    Maybe reverse psychology would work on her. “Great. It meets Monday, Wednesday and Friday afternoons at one. Oh, and you don’t get class credit for the class, but you can attend as long as you wear a visitors badge.” I added the cups to her box.
    “If you don’t get credit, why are you taking the class?” Gloria handed me a box of magazines to price. “Put twenty five cents on all of these, please.”
    Busted, I thought. She pulled a pile of books toward herself. As she started marking, I answered. “I’m looking for Mitzi’s murderer.”
    The unladylike snort that exploded from her nose turned more than just my head. Gloria slapped a hand over her mouth. “You’re joking,” She