The Crêpes of Wrath: A Pancake House Mystery Read Online Free PDF Page A

called out as I drew closer to him.
    He turned in my direction and ambled up to meet me, his hands in the pockets of jeans that needed a good cycle through a washing machine. I guessed him to be in his early twenties. His messy brown hair flopped over his forehead and he regarded me with hooded brown eyes.
    “Can I help you with something?” I asked.
    He shrugged lazily. “Nah.”
    “This is private property.”
    “Chill out. I’m not doing any harm.”
    I so wasn’t in the mood to deal with a rude trespasser. “Please leave,” I said in a terse voice.
    He didn’t move. “You know the owner or something?”
    “Yes. I’m related to him. Who are you?”
    “Daryl.” He didn’t offer any further information.
    I didn’t like the way he stared at me. His eyes were so blank that they were far more chilling than the March sea breeze.
    “Do you have a reason for being here, Daryl?” My annoyance was about to bubble over, overshadowing the spike of fear that had troubled me seconds earlier.
    He shrugged again. “Just taking a shortcut back to the road.”
    That didn’t explain why he was hanging around the workshop rather than following the driveway out to Wildwood Road.
    “I’d appreciate it if you’d leave.”
    He seemed unmoved by my words. “ ’Kay, sure. Whatever.”
    Without a flicker of any emotion on his face, he sauntered off toward the road. I stood and waited, watching until he’d left the property. Only once I was sure he was gone did I turn around and head back to the house.
    As I crossed over the sparse grass, I noted the presence of Jimmy’s green truck parked next to my little blue hatchback. It hadn’t moved in the two weeks since I’d arrived. So how had Jimmy managed to get all the way to the opposite end of the cove?
    Before I could consider that question any further, I spotted Brett heading up the beach toward me. I paused, waiting for him to approach.
    “Are you okay?” he asked when he met me at the steps leading up to the back porch.
    “Yes,” I said, although I didn’t know if that was true. The shock of finding Jimmy dead hadn’t yet worn off, and Daryl had only made things worse by creeping me out with his staring. “Do you know a guy named Daryl? Not quite six feet tall, a little on the skinny side, brown hair?”
    “Sounds like Daryl Willis. Why?”
    I climbed the stairs to the porch. “I found him hanging around Jimmy’s workshop. It was a bit weird.” I sank into a porch chair.
    Brett sat in the chair next to me. “Did he say what he was doing?”
    “He said he was taking a shortcut to the road, but I’m not sure I believe him.”
    “Did he give you any trouble?”
    “Not really. But I hope he doesn’t come back.”
    “If he causes any problems, let me know and I’ll have a word with him. Or with Michael.”
    “Michael?”
    “Michael Downes. Do you know him?”
    “I met him this morning at The Flip Side,” I said.
    “Daryl and his girlfriend, Tina, rent a room from him. Daryl seems to view Michael as an older brother of sorts.”
    I nodded, but I was too distracted to fully register his words. I could hear a car approaching the house.
    “That’ll be Ray,” Brett said, getting to his feet.
    I stood up too and rubbed my arms. Even with my hoodie on, the weather wasn’t quite warm enough for sitting outside. As I heard a car door shut with a thud, I shifted my eyes to Brett. He stared out at the ocean, his face serious.
    A sudden rush of gratitude flooded my chest as I watched him. I touched his wrist to get his attention.
    When his blue eyes met mine, I offered up a weak smile. “Thank you. For checking on Jimmy, for sticking around. I’m sorry this wasn’t a better reunion.”
    His smile, like my own, was tinged with sadness. “Not great circumstances, but I’m still glad I came by when I did.”
    “So am I.”
    He held my gaze for a moment longer and then nodded at his uncle, who was now climbing the short flight of stairs to the porch.