Fortune Cookie A Culinary Mystery by Josi S. Kilpack

Author:Josi S. Kilpack
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Tags: Mystery, Culinary Mystery Series, Fiction
Publisher: Shadow Mountain
Published: 2014-03-04T06:00:00+00:00

Chapter 20

Is this woman seriously hitting on my fiancé right in front of me? Sadie thought before trying to focus on the fact that Shasta was the new tenant moving in.

Pete laughed, and Sadie turned to him in surprise until realizing that he had likely decided to play along with the flirtation. In terms of the investigation, Sadie could see it was probably the right move, but that didn’t mean she liked it.

“Careful, Shasta,” Pete said playfully. “I might call your bluff.”

“Oh, I’m not bluffing.”

Sadie cleared her throat, casting a reproachful look at Pete, who raised one eyebrow at her as though in challenge. He didn’t have to play along that well.

“So, um, you’ve wanted this apartment for a while?” Sadie asked, her head tingling for multiple reasons.

“The first and second floor only have one-bedroom apartments, but the top floor has this one—the only two-bedroom—and number six is a studio.” Shasta waved her hand through the air for what seemed to be no particular reason other than to keep Pete and Sadie’s attention. “I moved in just a year or so after Wendy did, with the promise that as soon as she moved out I would have first dibs on this place. I had no idea I’d have to wait this long. Her type rarely stays in one place very long, you know.”

“Her type?” Pete asked before Sadie could say it herself.

Shasta gave another knowing smile. “Bohemian.”

“What do you mean by that, exactly?” Pete folded his arms across his chest before leaning against the counter. Was it just Sadie’s imagination or was he holding his shoulders a little higher than usual? He cocked his head slightly to the side and had a casual look of curiosity on his face. Sadie looked between him and Shasta, who was walking toward him and looking very pleased by his attention.

“She was flighty but had lived well enough to want nice things. I know she’d relied on men for her security, but upon losing her looks she was being forced to settle down and stake a claim. I felt sure she’d spend whatever money she’d managed to squirrel away soon enough and, without a new sugar daddy, she’d have to scramble over the bridge to Sausalito for something more affordable.” She said “affordable” under her breath, like it was a dirty word. She twirled her hand through the air again. “But like I said, she surprised all of us. I couldn’t believe Stephen didn’t force her out with increases in rent, but then I learned about the addendum to her contract. What a fool he made himself out to be with that.”

“A rental addendum?” Pete said. “What kind?”

“Oh, it is so ridiculous.” Shasta rolled her eyes and scratched her dog’s head again. Sadie felt sure the dog was medicated; it was too tranquil. “He agreed to raise her rent only one-half a percent a year, regardless of how long she stayed in the apartment.” She let out a disgusted sigh and shook her head before eyeing the kitchen with a disapproving expression.

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