The Nanaimo bar Christmas Mystery by Jo-Ann Carson

Author:Jo-Ann Carson [Carson, Jo-Ann]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: JRT Publications

Chapter 11

To Love or Not to Love

Anna considered her options. She could spend the day struggling with her feelings for the men in her life, or she could use it to solve a murder. Her morning visitors had exhausted her emotionally. Dealing with death would be easier than trying to sort out her confused heart. She smiled at Winston. “I think it’s time to investigate Leslie and Bo.”

Winston poked her leg with his adorable, pointy nose.

“Later,” she said.

Where could she find out about the lovers? “If I got my hair trimmed, I could hear all the local gossip, but I already blew my hair budget on the two-hundred-dollar updo.” She tucked a loose strand of her hair behind her ear.

Winston poked a second time.

“Later,” Anna repeated. “I’ll take you to play with your pack later.”

He whined.

“If I roam the local cafés, I might pick up a bit of news,” She winced. “But I need more than a Tim Bit of information to choke this murderer.” She laughed at her own joke. “Where should I go?”

Winston poked her a third time.

“I know. I’ll go to the dog park.” Someone always knows something there. “Thanks Winston.”

Her miniature poodle trotted to the door and picked up his leash. The temperature outside had dropped to freezing, so Anna put his bright red Christmas coat on him. It made him look like one of Santa’s helpers in a Hallmark Christmas romance. Well, either that, or an extra for a Grinch movie. Anna took his photo and sang the Twelve Days of Christmas all the way to the park. Winston howled.

The storm had turned the park into a mud pit. Only three of the regulars huddled under the shelter to watch their dogs run and play in the field. Rain fell as partial snow creating a mess of slush on the ground and a damp chill that bit into Anna’s bones as she walked over to join the other humans.

What Anna loved about the dog park was that the owners were as diverse as their pets. But they shared a deep love for dogs. Not even the worst winter storm in years could stop them from bringing their pups to the field for fun time with their pack.

Roger and Charlie with their long-haired, wiener dog, Cooper, and Sarah with her Mexican rescue, Rascal, stood with coffees in their hands chatting.

Anna guessed Roger and Charlie to be in their late fifties. Roger was a tall, strikingly handsome man with a well-kept beard who always wore a brown felt fedora and tailored pants. When Roger’s investment in noodle stocks soared, he and Charlie retired from their government jobs in Victoria and moved to Nanaimo to be closer to Roger’s father who lived in a senior’s care home. They spent their days crafting beer, wine, and sourdough bread. Charlie, his partner of twenty years, wore jeans, a rain jacket, and a navy-blue toque. He always had a joke ready for the group.

As Anna approached them, Sarah broke out in nervous laughter.

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.