Never Buried: A Leigh Koslow Mystery Read Online Free PDF Page B

realize this embalmed body thing has been unsettling. But you're sounding a bit over the edge. Is something else going on?"
    Leigh remembered why she liked Maura so much. She was one perceptive human—a trait that undoubtedly served her well as a policewoman. Leigh's temper cooled. "Yeah," she said, more quietly. "I lost my job."
    "Geez, Leigh," Maura sympathized. "I'm sorry. Did you see it coming?"
    "I should have." The offer of an empathizing ear proved too tempting to pass up, and before Leigh knew it, she had vented a few years' worth of job frustrations. When she noticed several other phones ringing in the background at the station, her cheeks reddened. "Thanks for listening, but I don't want to hold you up."
    "No problem," Maura answered, with ill-disguised relief. "I'll let you know if I hear any more about the case, but I doubt I will. The detectives will contact you themselves. My butt is back on traffic duty."
    Leigh thanked Maura and hung up. To hell with disoriented corpses. She had résumés to write.
     

Chapter 4
     
    Leigh unrolled the Thursday morning Pittsburgh Post with great expectations, her little-used optimistic side in full swing. First, she was going to be a celebrity. Second, she was going to find a new job.
    The mood didn't last long. "Body Found in Avalon" held not a hint of sensationalism; in fact, it was downright dry. Leigh cursed the lackluster reporter who had interviewed her the day before. A journalistic purist—what were the odds? To add insult to injury, he had spelled her name "Lee," which was unforgivable.
    The classifieds were no better. Not only were no advertising agencies dying for copywriters, but the only reference to a journalism degree came next to the words "salaries to 14K."
    She tossed down the paper and tore the wrapper off her fourth low-fat granola bar. Coffee. I need coffee . She was about to search for some when Cara joined her in the breakfast nook.
    "Morning," Leigh said, sounding more cheerful than she felt. Cara looked awful. Her normally perfect hair hung limply over her shoulders, several renegade strands sticking out in odd directions. Her eyes were red-tinged and her lids puffy.
    "Yeah, I guess," she groaned, shuffling over to open the refrigerator. "Did you and Maura eat all those donuts?"
    Leigh sniffed. "You, Maura, I, and half the coroner's office finished them by noon, yes." She rose. "You can have some breakfast bars if you want," she said, holding out the box. "They're sweet."
    Cara looked at the box skeptically, but pulled out a bar and sat down. Leigh poured two glasses of orange juice and joined her. "Bad night?"
    Cara glanced up in surprise. "Why do you say that?"
    Leigh smiled slyly. "Um, gee, I'm just psychic I guess."
    Cara looked at her hair out of the corner of her eyes and tried to smooth it down. "You were out at your mom's house pretty late last night," Leigh continued. "Did she make that great lasagna?"
    Cara nibbled at the breakfast bar with distaste. "If she'd been making lasagna I would have invited you. Actually, she served chicken salad—it was a Ballasta Basket party. I thought the guests would never leave."
    Leigh gave thanks for being spared the invite. Her aunt's chicken salad was second to none, but not even lasagna could make her spend an evening with thirty Martha Stewart fanatics cooing over Ballasta baskets.
    "But even after I got back," Cara continued, "I didn't go straight to bed. Something Mrs. Rhodis said made me want to look around the bookshelves in the study."
    This statement begged several questions, but Leigh decided to take first things first. "Mrs. Rhodis?" she asked. "That's the older woman who lives next door, right? I didn't know she knew your mom."
    "She didn't," Cara answered. "I invited her. She was fussing over my Ballasta laundry basket the other day, and she's a neat lady. She hangs her clothes out on the line too. She has a dryer, but we both think there's nothing like that fresh smell—"
    Leigh's efforts