Guns, Wives and Chocolate by Sally Berneathy

Author:Sally Berneathy
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: cat, amateur sleuth, female sleuth, chocolate, comedy mystery, mystery cozy, mystery cats, mystery comedy, comedy humor
Publisher: Sally Berneathy

Chapter Twelve

Grace stood a few feet away, eyes and mouth wide.

I stopped. My heart was racing, and my eyes and mouth were probably as wide as hers.

“Lindsay! You scared me! I thought somebody was breaking in.”

I wasn’t going to admit she had scared me too. “I’m sorry. I was worried. I didn’t know you were out of jail.”

She flushed and turned toward a grungy couple sitting on the sofa.

“Lindsay,” she said, “come in and meet my in-laws.”

“Your…in-laws?”

“Chuck’s parents.”

The wealthy folks from Oklahoma?

In that truck?

“This is Edwina and Leon Mayfield.” With her bright hair pulled back in a ponytail, no makeup, and a big smile, Grace looked like a child on Christmas morning.

The couple on the sofa, not so much. I did not feel a warm welcome emanating from them.

They rose slowly to their feet.

Faded overalls hung loosely on the man’s tall, lanky frame. His overgrown dark blond hair and beard could provide shelter to any number of creatures. I was glad Henry wasn’t with me. He might get fleas.

The woman was short and squatty. With her shapeless brown dress and morose expression, she resembled a toad wearing a slightly askew blond wig.

“Lindsay’s my neighbor and my best friend,” Grace said proudly.

I’d graduated from her friend to her best friend. More responsibility. More secrets.

Leon’s beard moved. Could be smiling. Could be snarling. Could be the residents having a workout. “Anybody who’s a friend of our daughter is our friend.”

Their daughter? Oh, puke.

I closed the door behind me. “Pleased to meet you,” I lied.

Was I being unfair?

One cannot judge others by their appearance. If they lived in the country and drove regularly on dirt or gravel roads, an old truck made sense.

But Mr. Mayfield could surely afford a razor, and shouldn’t Mrs. Mayfield have been able to buy a better wig? Bless her heart, maybe she didn’t realize how bad it looked.

“I was just going to get drinks for everybody.” Grace fluttered. “I know you want Coke, Lindsay.”

“Me too.” Until he spoke, I hadn’t noticed Rickie huddled on the far corner of the sofa.

Mrs. Mayfield patted his head.

Rickie cringed.

For once, I was with him.

“All right, Coke for everybody!” Grace started toward the kitchen.

“Let me help you with that,” I said.

“I don’t need any help.”

“Yes, you do.” I followed her into the kitchen. “Those people out there are Chuck’s wealthy parents?”

She beamed. “They want me to call them Mom and Dad.”

Mom and Dad. They’d played the family card. Grace was putty in their grimy hands.

“They’re not really your in-laws. I’m pretty sure your marriage to Chuck wasn’t legal.”

Her bright expression dimmed.

I have a knack for saying the wrong thing. It’s a talent. Takes up the brain space where some people store their musical ability. “I mean, you and Chuck had a spiritual bond but that doesn’t make those people out there your family.”

She took five glasses from the cabinet. “They didn’t know I was in jail.” She kept her gaze averted from mine.

Some friend I was. I burst in the door saying the wrong thing then compounded it with my remark about her marriage not being legal.

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.