MULTIPLE MOTIVES (The Kate Huntington mystery series Book 1) Read Online Free PDF Page A

maternal grandfather, while his father had taught him the importance of a good pub.
    When Mac’s parents had died in a car accident five years ago, he’d taken over the corner bar they’d operated for decades and turned it into a full-blown restaurant. Mac’s Place offered an eclectic blend of Greek cuisine, Irish bonhomie and the Chesapeake Bay region’s passion for seafood. Most Wednesdays, when Kate got off early, she and Rob met here for lunch.
    Mac wasn’t exactly your typical restauranteur. He was only forty but his weathered skin and gruff manner made him seem older. His scruffy appearance was in sharp contrast to his military-style buzz cut, a leftover from the decade he’d spent in the Army. He was short and wiry, the only fat on his body the beginnings of a paunch that indicated he shared his father’s love of beer.
    Rob appeared next to the booth. “You trying to horn in on my date, Mac?”
    Mac grinned at him as he slid out of the bench. “What’ll it be, folks?”
    Kate had no need to consult a menu. “Crab cake sandwich and a Greek salad.”
    “Same for me, but with fries. Did Kate tell you Liz is coming home tomorrow?” Rob’s tone was downright exuberant.
    Mac flashed him another grin. “Yup. Give her a peck on the cheek for me.” He headed for the kitchen to place their orders.
    Kate was relieved to see Rob in better spirits today. “How’s Liz going to manage? Can she get around yet?”
    He sobered slightly. “Actually, no. She’ll be in a wheelchair for at least a month. I’ve hired a home health aide to stay with her during the day, and take her to her physical therapy sessions.”
    They discussed mutual cases until their food arrived. Rob stole the pickle slices off her plate to add to his own. She swiped one of his seasoned fries, lightly sprinkled with Old Bay seasoning. While they ate, she regaled him with stories of the staff meeting that morning at the counseling center. It had been established in the early 1970’s with the moniker of Victim Services of Maryland. Now the staff was trying to come up with a catchier name–one that would get away from the connotations of a victim as weak and helpless. The term had long since been replaced in the trauma recovery field by survivor .
    When the check arrived, Rob pulled a twenty-dollar bill out of his wallet to match the one Kate put on the table. She hid a smile. He’d finally stopped arguing about splitting the check.
    “My favorite suggestion,” she picked up the conversation again as they headed for the door, “was Violence Recovery Unlimited. And then someone got totally silly and suggested that since we’re primarily in the business of helping people find the guts to stand up for themselves, how about Guts R Us.”
    Their chuckles were abruptly cut off when they reached her car parked in front of the restaurant. The right front tire was flat.
    Holy crap! Kate felt her mood deflate as well.
    They stood at a loss for a moment, long enough to catch Mac’s attention through the big plate-glass window of the restaurant. He came outside, and the two men argued good-naturedly about who was going to change the tire. Mac won when he pointed out that Rob would ruin his expensive suit, while he had a change of clothes stashed in his office for those occasions when a kitchen mishap dumped grease or other unmentionables on him.
    Their friendly banter cheered Kate up some. She grinned at Mac’s back. Since he considered T-shirts with obnoxious sayings on them as appropriate work attire, she figured the unmentionables would have to be pretty bad before he’d change his clothes.
    Rob was razzing him about the proper way to change a tire when both men suddenly grew quiet.
    “What? What’s wrong?” Their backs were blocking her view of the tire.
    Rob crouched down to get a closer look. “Shit! Your tire’s been slashed, Kate.”
    ~~~~~~~~
    She was still a bit shook that evening as she told Eddie about the mutilated tire. They were