Strangled Eggs and Ham by Maddie Day

Author:Maddie Day
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Kensington
Published: 2019-04-14T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 27

By noon, the place was hopping. I’d never been gladder that Danna had ordered triple the number of hot dogs she’d thought we would need, because they were flying off the grill. Labor Day wasn’t until nine days from now, but folks seemed eager to get a head start on the holiday, murder or no murder. The cake was proving super popular, too.

Turner left at noon as agreed, and I realized how much I had come to rely on a fully staffed restaurant. Ever since I’d hired Turner, none of the three of us had gone home completely exhausted, at least not on a normal basis. Today was clearly not going to be normal.

At twelve thirty, Wanda slid into a just-vacated two-top. A couple had been browsing the cookware shelves, but they hadn’t said they want to eat, too, so I let Wanda have the table. On occasion, people did come in solely to shop. Danna hurried over and bused the table, wiping it down before resetting it for one.

I carried the coffee pot to Wanda. I knew her preferences.

She leaned back and inhaled audibly. “I could smell them frankfurters all the way over in Nashville, Robbie. Nothing like your basic hot dog to take the edge off.”

I laughed. “Glad to serve.” I poured her coffee.

“Thanks.”

I peered at her. Something was different about her appearance. But what?

Ah. “Hey, you cut your hair.” I’d met her last fall, and every time I’d seen her since, except once, she’d worn her strawberry blond locks pulled back into a severe bun. Now she wore it in a straight bob, parted at the side, falling just below her ears. It was a much softer look for her and flattered her big green eyes. Wait. Was she wearing eye makeup, too? I felt a little like my world was one of those snow globes that had been shaken up and rearranged, despite it being eighty degrees outside. Plain Wanda was kind of a staple around here. Good for her for changing it up. “It’s a really nice style,” I added. “Seriously. I approve.” It was a brand-new cut, too. It hadn’t been like that when she was in a few days ago.

She blushed but pretended she hadn’t. She shook her head a little and cleared her throat. “Thanks. You’re busy here today, aren’t you? Must be good for the old bottom line.” Today she wore her tan uniform, complete with the deputy sheriff’s badge on her full chest. Wanda was not a slender woman. At least the sheriff’s office seemed to offer a women’s uniform option, so a curvy figure like Wanda’s didn’t have to fit into the straight lines of a man’s uniform, as had been the case when Wanda was an officer with the South Lick police.

“Looks like a working lunch, so I won’t offer you a margarita.” I tried to keep a straight face.

Wanda knew as well as I did that I never served hard liquor, and not even beer or wine during the hours I was open, unless someone brought their own.

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