Deadly Readings by Laura Bradford

Author:Laura Bradford
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Mysteries & Thrillers
Publisher: Beyond the Page Publishing
Published: 2015-10-06T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Sixteen

Tuesday, June 22

12:00 p.m.

Elise deliberately chose a table near the back of the diner that would enable her to observe Daniel Johnson when he arrived. Sam had painted an interesting image of the developer in her mind and she was curious to see how the reality would match it.

“What can I get you, hon?”

She looked up to see an attractive waitress with teased blonde hair, a pink tank top, and a tight denim skirt. The woman smiled at Elise, purple gum visible from time to time through the gap between her top front teeth.

“I’m waiting for someone, but I’ll take a glass of water when you get a chance,” Elise said.

“Comin’ right up.” The woman leaned across the table and lowered her voice. “You’ve got the best seat in the house for people watchin’ if you’re into that kind of thing.”

Was she ever. She nodded and smiled at the waitress.

The first person to walk through the door was a woman in her forties with a briefcase in one hand and a book in the other. She was dressed impeccably in a designer suit. Elise didn’t need to think long. Lawyer. Single. Doesn’t let anyone push her around.

She sat up straighter in the booth and eagerly waited for the next patron. Her observation skills had always been pretty good, and she enjoyed honing that ability whenever time permitted. At the very least, it was an opportunity to be creative.

An elderly man was the next to come in to the diner. He was in his sixties and seemed to know the name of everyone in the restaurant. He was easy. Retired. Bored at home, so he found a second family at the corner diner.

“Here you go.” The waitress placed a tall glass of water on the table in front of Elise. “It’s fun, ain’t it?”

“What’s fun?” she asked distractedly.

“Trying to figure people out. I can kill me a whole day just tryin’ to guess what makes ’em tick,” the woman said as she snapped her gum. “The people that come through here—especially during the summer months—can be a real hoot sometimes.”

“I try to figure out what they do for a living.”

“Me too. I think everybody likes to guess. They just don’t like to admit it. Well, I gotta go take another order. In the meantime, my name is Fran. Give a holler if you need anything before your friend shows up.”

Elise reached for her water glass when the waitress left. The cold liquid felt good on the hot summer day.

The door opened again. This time it was a guy who looked like he’d be more comfortable at a blackjack table with a cigar hanging out of his mouth and a thick gold chain around his neck. She’d always heard New Jersey was a haven for mobsters.

He picked some lint off his pinstripe suit and unbuttoned one more button on his shirt. She was right about the gold chain.

In one hand the man held a large tube, in the other a briefcase. He pulled Fran aside and whispered something in her ear.

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