Alibis & Angels by Olivia Matthews

Author:Olivia Matthews
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Kensington
Published: 2018-12-14T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter 18

Running late. Sorry. On my way.

Sister Lou read Shari’s text on her cellular phone while standing just inside the Briar Coast Café Friday afternoon.

That’s fine. Drive safely. Sister Lou sent her four-word reply to Shari, then slipped her phone back into her large purse.

Her mind wandered as she waited for her friend to join her for lunch. As usual, the customer order line moved at a brisk pace. Sister Lou enjoyed the café’s tempting aromas of hearty soups, fresh breads, well-seasoned meats, and sweet pastries. Her stomach grumbled in a low but long protest, chastising her for waiting so long between meals.

“You’re Sister Lou, right?” The male voice beside her held more than a hint of urgency.

Sister Lou interrupted her contemplation of the café’s baked goods display. Giving up the treats for Lent didn’t mean she couldn’t look at them.

The young man at her side focused on her with intense brown eyes from a height about half a foot above her. He seemed young, perhaps in his mid-twenties, but his manner seemed even younger. His black Burberry cashmere winter coat and gold Movado wristwatch were signs of an attentive and well-to-do family. He’d made every effort to hair-gel his unruly brown curls into conformity, but a few strands had reasserted themselves.

“May I help you?” Sister Lou gave him her complete attention and a curious smile.

The stranger offered Sister Lou his right hand. It was soft to the touch and swallowed her fingers like a mitten. “I’m Harold Beckett. I’m a reporter with the Telegraph.”

Shari wasn’t very chatty about her coworkers, but Sister Lou made a point of noting their bylines. Harold’s name wasn’t familiar. Perhaps he was new to the paper. “How do you do, Mister Beckett?”

“Call me Harold, and you’re Lou?”

Sister Lou’s smile remained intact. “It’s Sister Lou.”

Harold seemed startled by Sister Lou’s response, but he rallied. “What a coincidence running into you here, right?” He shot a quick glance at the window behind her, which offered a view of the café’s parking lot. “I mean, I’ve read a lot about you and your investigations.”

“Have you?” Sister Lou wasn’t comfortable with the attention given to her amateur investigations. I’ll ask Shari to keep my name out of future articles.

“I have a proposal for you.” Harold stepped around to stand in front of Sister Lou. He looked behind her before meeting her gaze again. “You work with Shari on the murder investigations, and you can continue that.”

“Thank you.” Sister Lou regarded Harold with amusement. He probably doesn’t realize how obnoxious he sounds.

“Sure. Sure. Briar Coast doesn’t have that many murders anyway. But you can help me with other investigations like robberies or assaults.” Harold’s attention bounced from Sister Lou to the window and back. “What do you think?”

Sister Lou turned to scan the parking lot through the café’s side window. She had a pretty good idea of who Harold had been looking for. She turned back, sensing the young man’s growing discomfort. “Are you expecting someone?”

“What? No!” His denial was too vehement.

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