Murder at the Tremont House (A Blue Plate Cafe Mystery) Read Online Free PDF

was incredulous.
    “ Let’s just say it was within my jurisdiction. Actually a hostage situation for a while. And I didn’t have any backup. All I had was a megaphone. And, by the way, it was damn cold out at two in the morning.”
    “ Sorry. Did it come out all right?” I knew he wouldn’t give details, and yet I was about to jump out of my skin with curiosity.
    “ Got a guest in my pokey until I can get him to Canton. Charges will be disorderly conduct, threatening an officer, resisting arrest. Can’t get the wife to press charges, but I sure as hell can.”
    “ What started it, or can’t you say?”
    “ If he’s indicted, it will be public. Until then I can’t say much, sure can’t identify the family. But it had to do with alcohol and suspicions of infidelity. And there was a child there, a young child. She saw it all.”
    An unpleasant thought jumped into my mind. “Wait till Sara Jo gets hold of this. It’ll be a big part of her article. We’ll look like, oh, I don’t know—poor white trash.”
    “ That’s the least of my worries,” he said rather curtly. “I’m worried about that child, and the mother who won’t press charges, and the jerk who’s in my jail. I don’t want this happening in my town. Maybe our lady reporter won’t find out about it. I’m certainly not going to tell her.” His look challenged me, as though to say, “Are you?”
    I just shook my head. “She’ll find out, mark my words.” I had that sense of foreboding again. I guess I would have been distressed at this incident, common in Dallas but not Wheeler, no matter what. But once again, Sara Jo’s presence complicated it. All I said was, “Ready for your sticky bun?”
    Pushing away from the stool, he said, “Naw, not now. Maybe later.”
    “ Wait. I have to talk to you about something else. I’m leaving town.”
    His startled look for a moment was like a deer caught in the headlights. Then he repeated, ever so carefully, “Leaving town?”
    “ Oh, not for long. Just for a couple of days. I want to see some friends in Dallas, take care of some business”—no need to tell him I’d be looking for both Sara Jo Cavanaugh and Joanie Millican, because he’d just tell me to keep my nose out of business that didn’t involve me. Well, maybe Joanie didn’t involve me. My interest was compassionate, but Sara Jo surely did involve me and my town. “I’ll be back Friday morning. Leaving today.”
    He looked long and hard at me. “Friends like David Clinkscales? Tell him hello for me. We may need his expertise with Sara Jo sometime.”
    I gave him his level look back and smiled. “Our thoughts run alike. I plan to tell him all about her. Plus let him by me a fancy lunch.”
    He smiled, finally. “What is it they say? ‘You go, girl.’ Have a good time, Kate. I think probably leaving town for a short time will be good for you. Anything I can do?”
    “ Nope. Marj will handle the café, and Tom and the kids will take care of Huggles. I’m taking the cat with me. I think I’ve got it all covered. And you know how to reach me.”
    “ I do. Drive safe. Be careful in the big city.” And then, right there in the café he leaned over and brushed his lips gently across mine. “I’ll miss you, so hurry back.”

     
     
    Cha pter Four
     
     
    Other than Rick ’s words, “I’ll miss you,” and the gentle touch of his lips echoing through my mind, I drove out of Wheeler in good spirits. Wynona was not in nearly as good a frame of mind. She yowled and cried piteously before finally resigning herself to this ordeal and taking a nap. It was mid-afternoon when I arrived in Dallas, and I went straight to Cindy’s apartment, to which I had long had a key. I was at home enough to dump my things in the guest room, get Wynona situated, and settle down with a glass of nice chardonnay she’d left chilling. I sat in front of the computer and did a search for southwestern boutiques in Dallas. A decade ago that would have