Murder on the Fairgrounds: A Tall Pines Cozy Mystery by Avery Kent

Author:Avery Kent [Kent, Avery]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: anonymous
Published: 2024-08-30T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 18

“Well, if Eli was going to blackmail Eleanor, and he did have evidence she did something wrong, especially on a big case that could wind up with a retrial, that could be a good motive,” Rosemary surmised.

Ashley nodded. “I’d like to know if Evan actually heard all of that and if he, in fact, left with her,” Ashley added as she pulled open the truck door and climbed inside.

“So, let’s head over to Gabby’s and ask,” Rosemary suggested. “I hear Radcliffe and Kline have a standing breakfast order, one that a certain assistant usually collects.”

“Brilliant idea. I could do with a coffee myself,” Ashley remarked. She started the engine and edged the truck away from the office building.

Gabby’s café wasn’t too far down the street from the offices of Radcliffe and Kline, yet it seemed worlds away. While the offices were on the outskirts, modern-looking, with an abundance of sleek, grey steel-framed glass windows, the café was in the heart of Tall Pines. Here the shops were the kind that small, sleepy towns were known for. Rustic, wooden-framed windows, with the fronts dominated by canopies over many of them. Above the street-level shops were red brick second stories, mostly converted into apartments.

Ashley pulled the truck up outside of Gabby’s place and stepped out. The café was the odd building in town because it was double fronted. The space above it was mostly used for storage, though Gabby kept the windows clean and dust free inside and out. The family had always owned the large house that backed onto the row of shops as far back as Ashley could remember, but the space above the café caught her eye this morning.

“Wondering again why Carlos doesn’t take over that space?” Rosemary asked.

Ashley shook her head. “Nope, I know why he doesn’t.” Rosemary glanced at her.

“Come on, the house is his home. He’s always lived there, and with Gabby and Isabella back in it and Maria still there, the whole family can be under one roof,” Ashley explained.

“Yeah, but he may want to strike out on his own down the line for various reasons, and I’m just saying, there’s an apartment, right there…” Rosemary suggested, not very subtly.

Ashley’s face reddened. “Let’s not talk about this right now because I see a Radcliffe and Kline assistant at the counter right now.” Ashley adeptly changed the subject, as she pushed open the door to the café and stepped inside.

Gabby smiled at them from the counter. “Good morning, guys. I’ll just be a second. Grab a seat, and I’ll get us some coffee,” Gabby offered.

“Thanks,” Rosemary called.

“H, Evan.” Ashley waved at Evan by the counter.

“Hi,” he replied.

“Would you like to join us while you wait for your order?” Ashley asked.

Evan hesitated, glancing at Gabby. Ashley winked at her, and Gabby smiled. “Go ahead,” she said, raising a hand to Evan. “It’s going to be a few minutes yet; the pastries are running a little late this morning.”

Evan made a joke about “marathon running pastries” and then wandered over to the little booth by the window Rosemary and Ashley had taken over.

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.