Shiraz and Slaughter: Wine Valley Mystery Book 6 by Sandra Woffington

Author:Sandra Woffington [Woffington, Sandra]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Red Summit Publishers
Published: 2019-09-17T16:00:00+00:00

Max hopped into his car. He’d missed three more calls from Chief Goldsby and two from Captain Jayda Banks. He listened to the last message. Captain Banks used a strong tone, firm and unquestioning but not a shout. “Detective King, you are ordered to return to the station as soon as you get this. The chief and I require an immediate update.”

Jayda Banks had moved from lieutenant—and Max’s trainee and partner—to captain after she and Max solved the Seashell Strangler case, and the station moved from Stagecoach Street to the new civic center one block up. Max’s father, David King, had started an after-school explorer program, where he met Jayda, and he encouraged her to join the force. She made captain by thirty-seven after fifteen years on the force, an honor she’d earned and Max supported.

Max relayed the information to Joy. He read between the lines. He suspected that Chief Goldsby had hovered over her shoulder as Captain Banks made the call. The warning came through loud and clear: “immediate update.” That signaled trouble.

“Head to Belle’s,” suggested Joy. “Call Captain Banks from there. We need time to talk this over.”

“And eat,” reminded Max. “I’m not facing Goldsby on an empty stomach.”

“Why, it lowers the heave-meter not to eat?”

“You know Goldsby. There’s never a way to lower the heave-meter.”

Max drove down the block and pulled into the parking lot of Belle’s Burgers and Brew, his, and now Joy’s, home-away-from-home. Max considered Belle a surrogate grandmother.

As soon as Max and Joy climbed the two steps to the porch and sat down at a table with bench seats, Belle rushed up to greet them. She always asked the same question, wanting to keep a pulse on her town. Last time, they’d told her about Javier’s death.

“Murder or mayhem?” asked Belle.

Instead of an answer, Max said, “Have a seat, Belle.”

“Uh, oh.” Belle slid into the seat beside Joy.

“Remember the activist that sat with us Saturday morning?” Max didn’t wait for an answer. “She’s dead.”

Belle shook her head. “I’m sorry to hear that. She had a right to protest, Max. Is it related to the guy at the meat-packing plant?”

“We’re working on that, Belle,” said Joy. “We spoke to Glen Mullins too. Thanks for that lead. He was quite informative.”

Belle laughed, gruff and hearty. “He talked your ear off, didn’t he?”

Max nodded. “Yeah, he did.”

Belle rose to her feet. “Rustler Burger or Bronco Bacon, Max?”

“We’ve got an important meeting this afternoon, so I’ll need the Cowboy Kicker today. Bring on the jalapeños. And a chocolate shake.”

Joy said, “And I have a new appreciation for your untainted, freshly ground meat. I’ll have the Sissy Burger and a side salad with blue cheese dressing instead of roasted vegetables and an iced tea.” The sissy burger had no bun, just a patty, tomatoes and lettuce.

Belle said, “I’ll add a side salad and give you the veggies too. No extra charge.” Belle ran off to turn in their orders.

Max called Captain Banks and left a message saying they had just sat down for a late lunch and they’d be back to the station by three.

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