Boxed Set: Darling Valley Cozy Mystery Series featuring amateur female sleuth Olivia M. Granville by Cassie Page

Author:Cassie Page [Page, Cassie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2014-06-28T00:00:00+00:00

Olivia headed down the hill towards the flats of Darling Valley to the more modest neighborhood where she lived. She had major guilt pangs about having left Tuesday on her own while she attended to these meetings, but she couldn’t help it. She’d make it up to her with some fun the rest of the day. Her friend was champing at the bit for her return. She was quite sure of that. But first she had one more stop.

Chapter Nine: Win One For The Gipper

9:1

Olivia chose the diner Cody had introduced her to out near the lake for her meeting with Roger Greentree, the spokesperson for the protesters. Without a conference room or comfortable office space, she normally she held casual business meetings at The Salted Caramel. But she realized that the trendy café could offend protesters who might have minimum wage jobs. This diner catered to a working class clientele. She figured the atmosphere would put a representative of Native American interests at ease.

She arrived early to ensure they had a quiet table near the back where the rowdy biker crowd that sometimes frequented the diner would not disturb them.

“Black coffee and a menu,” she said when the waitress asked for her order.

She slid the menu to the place setting opposite her, sending the message that Roger could order a meal if he wished, on her.

Several minutes later Roger Greentree arrived, recognizable as a tribe elder by his grey ponytail and beaded headband. She offered her brightest smile as he strode towards her. As the small table made standing awkward, she merely extended her hand. “So nice to meet you Mr. Greentree.”

The man slapped a manila file folder on the table and pulled out the vacant chair. No smile, no hello, no returned handshake. Olivia kept her smile beaming, inwardly reminding herself that she did not know tribal customs and perhaps shaking a woman’s hand was forbidden.

She edged the menu towards Greentree. “Please, whatever you like. You’re my guest.”

Greentree sneered at her. “Guest? Do you think we’re having a party, Miss Granville? This is a business meeting. I’m not your guest.”

The man’s attitude caught Olivia flat-footed. She hadn’t expected such hostility. She had to mend fences or this protest would get ugly. “I didn’t mean to offend you, I was merely trying to be hospitable.”

Greentree stared around at their corner of the diner. “Is that what you call this place? Hospitable? Why are we meeting in this greasy spoon, sitting in the back where no one can see us? You trying to hide us? Afraid the press might come sniffing when they hear a good story? You really think I’d eat the garbage they serve here?”

Olivia’s back was up. She hated being misinterpreted, but she had to bite her tongue to keep from snapping back in self-defense. “I just thought it would be convenient. Centrally located.”

“Is that so? I’m surprised you were able to find your way to the wrong side of the tracks. I doubt this is your usual haunt, Miss Granville.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.