The Garden Club Murder by Amy Patricia Meade

Author:Amy Patricia Meade [Amy Patricia Meade]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Severn House Publishers
Published: 2019-03-26T16:00:00+00:00

FOURTEEN

Tish arrived at Cookin’ the Books both exhausted and meditative, but her mood promptly lifted at the sight of Kayla Okensholt and Charlotte Ballantyne standing outside the café, laughing and smiling while playing with a highly animated, tail-wagging Biscuit.

Tish brought the car to a stop at the end of the parking lot and, tossing her car keys in her handbag, strode across the gravel-lined area to greet them. ‘Hi, ladies. Is Biscuit behaving for you?’

‘Oh my gosh, Aunt Tish, he’s the sweetest little dog,’ Kayla exclaimed as she threw her arms around Tish’s torso. ‘He’s like the best medicine ever.’

‘Good.’ Tish returned the hug and planted a kiss on top of the girl’s auburn head. With her arm still around Kayla’s shoulders, she turned her attention to the raven-haired girl with the pixie haircut. ‘Charlotte, I can’t thank you enough for helping out here today. You’re a real lifesaver.’

‘No problem. When it was quiet, Celestine taught me a pretty awesome piping technique. I’m going to use it on my dad’s birthday cake next month.’

‘Celestine is a cake goddess, isn’t she?’ Tish acknowledged as she bent down to give Biscuit a pat on the head. Since she’d last seen the dog, his collar and kitchen twine had been replaced by a fluorescent yellow harness and a retractable leash, which was being controlled by Charlotte. ‘Someone’s moved up in the world.’

‘Schuyler thought Biscuit needed to be wearing something more visible in case we need to walk him at night,’ Kayla explained.

Tish stood up. ‘And the leash?’

‘It retracts so we won’t trip over it.’

Schuyler Thompson had clearly thought of every eventuality. ‘Ah, fancy.’

‘You should see Biscuit’s new bed,’ Charlotte said. ‘Kayla and I might not be able to find him to walk him in the morning.’

Kayla, prompted by Charlotte’s comment about the morning, asked, ‘Oh, yeah, is it OK if Charlotte stays over tonight?’

‘As long as it’s OK with your mom and Charlotte’s dad, it’s fine with me.’

‘I called my dad. He’s cool with it,’ Charlotte confirmed.

‘Mom is, too. Charlotte and I are sharing a giant sleeping bag in her room,’ Kayla explained. ‘By the way, Gregory’s here. He brought his friend, Anthony.’

‘That’s great news,’ Tish exclaimed. ‘I’m so relieved your mother managed to get him to come.’

‘More than that, he’s staying the night. Anthony, too. They’ll be on the pullout sofa in the living room, if that’s OK.’

Tish was ecstatic to have Mary Jo and her children united under one roof, although the puzzle of how six people and one dog might comfortably share a two-bedroom apartment with one bathroom was a conundrum even the logistical masterminds at the CIA or MI5 would struggle to resolve. ‘That’s … wonderful. Absolutely wonderful. How is your mother?’

‘Meh. She tried to call my dad and invite him to dinner tonight, but it turned into a shouting match. Gregory and I both tried texting him afterward to get him to come to dinner, but he never replied.’

‘I’m sorry, honey. It’s a tough time right now, for everyone, but your father loves you.

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