A Killer Vacation: A Cozy Mystery (Lost in Alaska Book 2) by Leigh Mayberry

Author:Leigh Mayberry [Mayberry, Leigh]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2020-01-25T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter Sixteen

Barbara McKenzie worked at the post office. It was the busiest post office on the North Slope. Kinguyakkii catered to outlining villages, serving as a hub for parcels and letters. Unlike other towns and cities in the United States, couriers didn’t go to people’s houses; people came to the mail.

Located inside the warehouse-sized community office building on Tundra Way, the majority of space for the post office had space for package handling and little else. People paid a little more for shipping living in Alaska, the same for Hawaii. Packages usually didn’t arrive the next day. Sometimes it took a few more weeks to come, either by cargo plane or barges, depending on the product.

Lines for packages were out the door most of the time. Meghan arrived with Riley after hours. The main corridor for the business had walls of postal boxes; more than three thousand boxes ran along the front of the building. Other companies inside the structure used the second floor, the stairwell at the opposite end from the lobby.

Riley shadowed Meghan because she felt guilty for not spending any time with the young man since she hired him. She knew he was capable, just needed fine-tuning.

“Have you worked on the on-line law enforcement courses?” she asked.

“Yes, Ma’am,” he answered respectfully.

She regarded his uniform with its untucked shirt. Something she had to remind Oliver about at least once a week. “Tuck in your shirt, Riley. You’re not working at a fast-food restaurant.”

“Yes, Ma’am.” Quickly, he shoved his hand into the belt around his waist, drawing in the polo shirt he wore with the embroidery police badge.

Meghan went to the thick wood door near the out-going mail drop boxes. She hit the buzzer; waited a few seconds, hit it again. After what felt like a minute, Meghan pressed the button with her thumb and held it. Riley had a look on his face that suggested Meghan was breaking the law.

“We’re closed, damn it!” The voice sounded high and feminine. Meghan continued to hold the buzzer until the hatch in the heavy door swung open. “What the hell—Oh, Chief Sheppard,” the woman said. “What can I do for you?”

Meghan didn’t know the postmistress’ name. The woman knew everyone in town, even without a face to face meeting. She handled mail from the city and five outlying villages that passed through the back doors for processing. She smiled and said, “I need to speak with Barbara McKenzie.”

The woman narrowed her eyes. She came from several generations of indigenous people in the area. She wasn’t someone to mince words. “Are you planning on arresting her? If you are, I’ll need to call in more help for tomorrow.”

Meghan presented a pleasant smile. “I wasn’t intending on arresting her. Should I?”

The woman chuckled as the small hatch closed on the door. “I knew I liked you. She’ll be right out.”

“Are you going to arrest her?” Riley whispered.

“I wasn’t thinking about it. Stand there, look tough, and listen to how I speak to a suspect.

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