Sticky Fingered Books by Elaine L. Orr

Author:Elaine L. Orr
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: real estate mystery, couples in love, cozy mysteries with cats, jersey shore mystery, cozy mystery with kids, murder in a daycare center
Publisher: Elaine L. Orr

AFTER DINNER, I SLIPPED into our bedroom and called Ramona. “Just reporting in. I’m afraid George doesn’t seem as miserable as he should.”

“I do miss him. But he hates the smell of nail polish, and I just painted my toes.”

“We haven’t had coffee in more than a week. You busy all day tomorrow?”

“Friday is the day I don’t have any help in the gallery. Why don’t you pick up a salad for us and stop by for lunch?”

“Sounds like a plan, but I may have the kids.”

“They usually behave pretty well. I’ll put a couple pieces of pottery out of reach.”

“Good idea. Right now, I have to go referee before the kids get so riled up they won’t go to sleep.”

I took the kids’ pajamas from their bedroom and headed for the living room where Scoobie was reading to them from “A Child’s Garden of Verses.” The taped-together version of Robert Louis Stevenson’s children’s poetry was the only book he had from his childhood. Others hadn’t survived his mother’s temper tantrums. The kids loved the ornate color pictures.

Leah looked up and yawned. “We aren’t sleepy.”

Scoobie grinned at me. “Yeah, Mom.”

“Careful, or I’ll go for a walk and let you put them to bed.”

“I want to go for a walk,” Lance said.

From the kitchen I heard something hit the floor, but it sounded like a wooden salad bowl.

Scoobie put the book on the couch next to them. “Come on, you two. Mommy and Daddy will help you put your PJs on.”

Baths are too complicated when we have company, so after thorough face and hand washing and minimal bribery, we got them settled by eight o’clock. The second time Lance wanted water I told him he’d have to wear a diaper for the night, and he was too big for diapers. That was the last request.

While Terry did homework in his room upstairs, Scoobie, George and I had hot tea and talked about the murder.

Scoobie listened to us discuss former girlfriends and whether Natalie seemed capable of murder, even if unplanned. Finally, he said, “You guys never talk about whether it could have been a break-in. Someone did get in through a window the other night, right?”

“You’re right. I forgot about that. I mean, I did ask Morehouse about it yesterday, but he blew me off.”

“Break-in? What about a break-in?” George asked.

I described the broken window. “But nothing seemed to have been taken. And Morehouse told me there were no fingerprints.”

“Jeez, Jolie. How come you didn’t mention that? It’s a whole other angle.”

“Same reason Scoobie didn’t,” I said, irritated.

Scoobie grinned. “We aren’t thinking in terms of news stories. And don’t you have any of your own work to do?”

George grabbed a sheet of paper from the message pad near our phone. “Couple boring things. The insurance company I do some work for has me keeping tabs on a guy who claims he has permanent injuries from an accident with their policyholder. They think a lot of his neck and back pain is bogus.

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