Monkey Business & Murder: A Bed & Breakfast Cozy Mystery by Peyton Stone

Author:Peyton Stone [Stone, Peyton]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Peyton Stone Books
Published: 2023-06-05T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Thirteen

“Your paintings are fine,” Meihui said. “I don’t get what the fuss is all about. They always turn out wonderful. Are you sure you won’t let me see this one?”

Avery shook her head, her head bowed as she continued mopping the kitchen while Meihui wiped down the counters. “I don’t let anyone look at my paintings until they are ready,” she said. “And this one is nowhere near ready.” It was so far from complete, in fact, that she was half-tempted to throw the entire thing in the garbage can outside. After tearing it to shreds, of course.

“You’re no fun,” Meihui said, not really meaning it. The young woman wrinkled her nose as she opened the trash can. “The bin’s almost overflowing,” she said.

“Great, then you can take it out when you’re done cleaning the counters.”

Meihui looked almost aghast at the statement. “I hate trash,” she said. “It’s so gross and… trashy.”

“It takes two minutes,” Avery said, a little irritated. She didn’t have time to humor Meihui today. Her mind kept going back to hers and Grim’s visit to the police station, where a petrified Grim stuttered and mumbled her way through the story that she had told Avery and apologized at least ten times for not telling them sooner. Chris had listened with reassuring sympathy, and by the time the travel agent had finished her story, color had returned to her cheeks, and she was speaking more evenly.

“I appreciate your honesty and coming to talk to us,” he had told Grim. “You don’t need to worry. You’re not in trouble.”

The last of Grim’s tension had eased at the words and she sagged into the chair. They stayed for a while longer answering a few more questions until Chris let them go and Grim all but scurried out of the police station and back home.

“I’ll talk to James,” Meihui said, pulling Avery from her memories. “He owes me a favor, anyway.”

“Just as long as it gets done,” Avery said, trying and failing not to give a tired sigh.

Meihui slipped out of the kitchen to find James, but immediately returned to poke her head back through the door.

“Mr. Manning is here to see you,” she said.

Avery leaned the mop against the wall and stepped gingerly across the freshly-mopped surface (far more cautiously than Meihui had, at the very least). Her hands felt dry and still reeked of cleaner when she entered the foyer and saw Toby leaning against the wall. He sat up straight when she came in.

“Hi, Toby,” she said cheerily. “Looking to book another getaway already?”

“I wish,” Toby said, chuckling. “Our youngest, Sam, just entered the terrible twos, and Bea and I have to watch him non-stop. He’s already figured out how to open half the childproof locks in the house and is terrorizing Baxter. Thank God that dog’s a saint about it. No, I wanted to ask if you’d seen Bea’s earrings. They’re teardrop emeralds and one of the first things I ever bought her, so they have sentimental value, and she can’t find them anywhere.

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