Blues, Butterflies & Murder by Loulou Harrington

Author:Loulou Harrington [Harrington, Loulou]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Mystery, Myrtle Grove Garden Club Mystery, Book 5
Amazon: B07HQ2BRR9
Goodreads: 42078854
Publisher: Loulou Harrington
Published: 2018-09-25T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eighteen

“You sound like my mother. Don’t be so dramatic,” Jesse said.

Before Joe could respond, Frank Haney rapped on the open door and stepped just inside.

“Yes, Frank, what is it?” Joe asked.

Jesse turned in her seat to see a tense Deputy Haney shift his weight nervously and snap to attention. “That Bingham fellow…he been in here yet?”

“No.” Joe’s answer came out slowly. “He was with you. Have you misplaced him?”

Jesse glanced over Frank’s shoulder into an office filled with desks and empty chairs, except for the one occupied by her mother. Todd Angeles was gone. Deputies Collier and Murphy were just entering from the hallway that came from the interrogation rooms, the evidence room and the doorway that led to Arnie Holt’s sanctum of the recently deceased.

No one else was visible.

“I left him with Arnie while I, uh…” Frank glanced toward Jesse. “I stepped away for a minute. I told him I’d be back to bring him up here to you. And when I got back, Arnie said Bingham had gone into the hallway to wait for me.”

“He didn’t come back through here,” Joe said. “I would have seen him.”

“He must have left the back way.” Frank’s scowl grew thunderous. “Want me to go find him?”

Joe stood. “We have no reason to hold him. You might step outside and see if he just ducked out for a quick smoke. And I think I’ll go talk to Arnie to see if he noticed anything out of the ordinary.”

Frank whirled and charged across the room and out the door like a bull moose on a mission. Jesse rose, wondering if she should drop in on Lindsey or take a chance on tracking down the missing Kevin Bingham. It would be very interesting to know why he had left the sheriff’s offices in such a hurry.

Joe fell into step beside her. His hand brushed the outside edge of hers as he leaned in and asked, “What are your plans for dinner?”

She stopped and turned toward him. “I haven’t given dinner any thought.”

“How about if I pick up a pizza and stop by your place in about an hour? You can tell me your suspicions over hot pizza and a glass of red wine.”

Jesse couldn’t help smiling at the image he conjured. “And will you tell me what you find out from Arnie?”

“Of course.”

“Sounds like a deal to me.”

“What kind of wine?”

The brush of his hand was warm against hers, and she was having trouble concentrating. “Pinot. Merlot. Shiraz. I’m easy. Whatever looks good to you.”

“In the interest of full disclosure, I’m more of a beer guy, but I’ll see what I can find.”

As Sophia rose from her chair, he nodded in greeting and continued toward the hallway leading to Arnie’s area. Sophia fell into step with Jesse, and the two of them went the opposite direction to the exit door.

“That looked very interesting,” Sophia whispered.

Jesse held the door open for her mother to pass through. “We’re meeting for dinner in an hour,” she whispered back as Sophia went by her.

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