Mint Chip Murder: A Donut Hole Cozy Mystery - Book 6 Read Online Free PDF

a
client?”
     
    “That’s what I wondered.  But she
never did.  Well, I guess Lana will have to find another hairstylist to yell at
now.”  Lisa’s face was suddenly sad.  She clamped her lips together, and
Heather saw tears in her eyes.
     
    “I didn’t mean to upset you,” Heather
said.  “I’m sorry.  I hope things work out, either here, or wherever you decide
to work next.”
     
    Lisa nodded, barely looking at her. 
     
    “I’m sorry for your loss,” Heather
said.  Lisa sniffled and turned away. 
     
    Heather walked quietly to the front
door of Shear Beauty and let herself out. 

Chapter 4
    When Heather made it back to Donut
Delights, she’d been gone much longer than she’d anticipated.  “Sorry I was
gone so long,” she said as she hurried in through the back door.
     
    “No problem,” Jung said, hooking a
thumb back over his shoulder towards the dining room.  “You have a visitor.”
     
    Heather stepped forward, craning her
neck so she could see into the dining room.  She spotted Ryan sitting at a
table near the window, leaning toward…Eva? 
     
    At that moment, her favorite customer
looked up and smiled.  Heather saw her say something to Ryan, and then Ryan
turned and caught sight of her. 
     
    Wait a minute.  Was that a guilty look
on his face?  Why would he feel guilty about sitting and chatting with an
elderly woman whose friendship he knew Heather enjoyed?
     
    But the guilty look was gone, replaced
by the smile she loved so much.  Ryan stood up and met her at the counter. 
“Hey, Beautiful.  I was hoping you’d be back soon.  I only have a minute left
before I have to get back to work.”
     
    “Hey, yourself,” she said.  “Busy
day?”
     
    “Yep.  Would you mind bagging up a
couple donuts for me to take with me?”
     
    “A cop eating donuts?” Heather teased. 
“Who ever would have thought?”
     
    “It’s something they teach us in the
academy,” Ryan said.
     
    “Donuts 101.”
     
    Heather laughed.  “What flavors do you
want?”
     
    “Whatever’s good today.”
     
    She glanced down her nose at him,
which was harder to do since he was several inches taller than she was. 
“Everything’s good,” she said. 
     
    “Of course it is,” Ryan said.  “My
bad.  Just give me two of whatever you recommend.”
     
    “Any new developments you can tell me
about?” she asked, carefully placing a Southern Pecan Pie donut in a bag.
     
    “Make it two of those,” Ryan said.
     
    “Those look great.”
     
    “Okay,” she said.
     
    “As for what I can tell you, I can say
that we’re waiting on autopsy results for answers to some questions.  Can’t say
much more than that.”
     
    “Did you know about Lana Sturmer having
an argument with Kelly?”
     
    “We know.  The question is, how do you
know?”
     
    “I drove by Shear Beauty, and Lisa was
there,” she answered.
     
    “I asked her if the shop was going to
stay open.  I was curious on Amy’s behalf.  Amy’s gotten her hair done there
for years.  Once Lisa found out I knew Amy, we got to talking about the murder,
and she told me.”
     
    “Just be careful,” Ryan said.  “We
need room to do our jobs.  And I don’t want you to get hurt.”
     
    “I wasn’t trying to do your job,”
Heather said.  “I was there, we were talking, and I asked a few questions.”
     
    “I know,” Ryan said with a sigh.
     
     “I know.”
     
    “Is there something wrong with what I
did?”  A frown creased Heather’s forehead.
     
    “I’m not sure this is the place to be
having this discussion,” Ryan said.
     
    “Then let’s go have it in my office.”
     
    “Right now?”
     
    “Right now.”
     
    Ryan walked around the end of the counter
and followed her to her office.  She closed the door behind them, and they both
sat down.  She plunked the bag with his donuts onto the desk next to him.  “So
what’s going on?” she asked.
     
    He leaned forward, forearms on