Witches and Whatnots: An Izzy Cooper Novel Read Online Free PDF Page A

In fact, being this close to Halloween, it was probably good for business.
    Fortunately, I found a little booth tucked away at the back of the café. It was nice and secluded, which meant I could have a good chat with Josie.
    Wendy, one of the new waitresses, came over to take my order. “Hey, Izzy. What will it be this morning?”
    “I want a coffee with two creams, and a Cove Breakfast Muffin.”
    The waitress scribbled something on her order pad. “Good choice. I love the way they cook the bacon right into the muffin. I’ll be right back with your coffee.”
    “Hey … is Josie around?”
    She looked up from her order pad. “I think she’s in back doing inventory.”
    “Can you tell her I would like to talk with her … if she doesn’t mind? It’s kind of official.” I figured I better add that last little bit so Josie wouldn’t come up with some kind of excuse to keep from talking to me.
    “Sure.” Wendy nodded before disappearing to the kitchen.
    Several minutes later Josie made an appearance, carrying a tray with my coffee and breakfast.
    Josie wasn’t a bad looking woman. True, she was a little old fashion in her pastel pink waitress uniform, and her auburn hair in a ponytail, but still not unattractive. I would never understand what she’d seen in Charlie.
    It must be that vampire magnetism. Nothing else explained it.
    Smiling, she set my coffee and breakfast in front of me. “Wendy mentioned you wanted to talk.”
    Nodding, I motioned to the bench on the other side of the table. “Do you have a few minutes to sit?”
    Jodie’s perky ponytail bobbed when she nodded. “Is this about Charlie?”
    “I’m sorry, but it is. I hate to bug you about this right now.”
    “It’s okay.” She waved away my words with a swish of her hand. “I just overreacted last time. I’m sorry.”
    While listening to her explanation for running out on our last conversation, I took a couple swallows of my go juice, also known as coffee.
    I knew I had to play this different than last time, so I drew on my non- narcissistic side. I knew I had to have one somewhere.
    “No, not at all. I apologize that I wasn’t a little more sensitive. I guess I didn’t realize how close you and Charlie were.”
    “It’s okay. We didn’t talk about our relationship much. He figured people wouldn’t understand.”
    My curiosity got the best of me and I couldn’t help it. I had to ask. “But how does it feel knowing that your lover was a sadistic murderer?”
    As soon as I saw her eyes widen, I expected her to dash away, but she surprised me. “I had no clue what he was doing. You have to believe me.”
    I kind of believed her, and kind of not. It didn’t matter since busting Josie on an accomplice to murder charge, wasn’t why I was having breakfast at the Ripper Café. I figured if she wasn’t going to officially change the name, I could at least think about the place as the Ripper Café.
    Reaching over, I placed my hand on hers. “Josie, I guess I believe you. My mouth just gets away from me sometimes.”
    She cast her eyes down to the table. “If I would have known, I would have told someone. I swear.”
    “What I’d really like to know is if he ever mentioned where he was from, and how he came to be here?”
    Josie began fidgeting with the salt shaker. “Well he said he was from London, and wanted a change of scenery, so he came here. He never really said how he got here, but I would guess he would have had to have gotten here in the normal way.”
    She was holding something back. My bullshit meter was going crazy. “Are you sure there’s nothing else you can tell me about him … anything that might help us find my grandmother?”
    I wasn’t above using a little guilt to prod someone into talking.
    Leaning closer, she whispered, “I think he might have been a vampire.”
    My eyes widened in mock surprise. “You think?”
    “He liked to bite me when I was half asleep. I think he believed I wouldn’t remember,