Melissa Bourbon Ramirez - Lola Cruz 01 - Living the Vida Lola Read Online Free PDF

water. So much for Manny’s
always be prepared
mantra.
    “Are you all right, Dolores?”
    I seethed. Sadie. Oh, if only I could meet her alone in a dark alley.
    I jerked my shoulder from her icy touch, but she sat down next to me. Reilly stared at her computer, her body completely frozen. Wise girl.
    Sadie was dressed in black slacks and a green collared shirt with a Laughlin’s Grocer emblem sewn on the front. Her shorthair was brushed back and clipped with a silver barrette just past the forehead, and she wore a pair of wire-framed glasses. I cocked an eyebrow at her, holding in my laugh. “Nice outfit.”
    Her left eye pinched. “I’d take the Diggs case right away from you if…”
    “If what? Manny gave it to me.”
    Her pencil-thin eyebrows arched toward her forehead. “His mistake.”
    “No, his decision.”
    She flipped a ruffle on the V-neck of my blouse with her red-painted fingernails. “This is not appropriate dress for the workplace, Dolores.”
    My jaw went slack. I’d had just about enough of Sadie Metcalf. “Who died and made you the clothes police?”
    “Food, while you’re working around a case file and evidence? Not good.” Her voice rose. “There should be rules around here.”
    Before I knew what was happening, her hand shot out like a claw and knocked over my carton. Tofu cubes and thick brown sauce oozed onto the table.
    “Shit!” I jumped up before it spilled onto my lap. “What’s your problem?”
    But I couldn’t wait for her answer. I raced to the bathroom for paper towels, hurrying back to mop up the mess.
    When I looked up, Sadie was sashaying toward the lobby, Emily’s notebook clenched in her hand. “I’ll help you out with this,” she said to me over her shoulder.
    No. Way. I didn’t know if knocking over my food container had been an accident or a planned distraction, but either way, Sadie was diabolical.
    Throwing down the soggy paper towel, I charged after her. “You cannot take my evidence!” I grabbed her arm and whirled her.
    “What’s going on?”
    It was Manny. I released my grip and stepped back. He looked from Sadie to me and back. His dark eyes narrowed. “Well?”
    I reached for the notebook that Sadie held against her chest. She gripped it tight, scowling at Manny. He held his hand out and gave her a piercing look. Their eyes locked for a long second; then she gave a bitter snort and slapped it onto his open palm.
    Wagging an acrylic fingernail at him, she said, “Do I need to remind you, I have every right to—”
    “Not another word.” Manny’s eyes turned to slits.
    I shrank back toward the little artificial plant, wishing I could disappear and leave them to their fight. Miraculously, Sadie shut her mouth.
    Manny’s jaw pulsed as he flipped through the notebook, stopping at a page here and there, glancing at Jack Callaghan’s card stapled to one of the pages. My stomach clenched. This was my case. I was following up on the clues. Especially that one, I thought, realizing that I wanted to call the man.
    Sadie piped up with a commentary, her voice measured. “It’s a compilation of notes, doodles, lists, and who knows what else—”
    “Which is why I was studying it.” I felt the wrinkles etching into my face. Working in this wacko place was going to make me age prematurely—and I was way too young for anti-wrinkle cream. “Don’t you have some
robbers
to catch at the
grocery store
?”
    I could see her struggling to keep her tongue under control. Manny and I both brought out the worst in Sadie Metcalf. “As a matter of fact, I do.” She ran her fingernails lightly up his arm. “But we need to talk later, Manny,” she said with mock sweetness. Then she sidestepped him, glared at me, and plowed out the door.
    Manny face was rigid as he watched her.
    “Cabróna,”
I muttered as the door swung closed.
    He turned and frowned at me. “Dolores.”
    I jabbed my finger toward the parking lot. “She had no