The Painted Lobster Murders (Cozy Craft Mystery Book 2) by Millie Ravensworth

Author:Millie Ravensworth [Ravensworth, Millie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Pigeon Park Press
Published: 2023-02-17T00:00:00+00:00

24

When Izzy got to the shop on Friday morning, Aubrey was waiting outside.

“Come to paint our lobster?” she said.

He nodded his head energetically. “Paint a lobster, then paint a house. All in a day’s work.”

Only then did Izzy realise the shop door was still locked. Monty was on the other side, mouth open, tongue lolling, his breath making a misty circle on the glass.

“Penny not let you in?” she said as she unlocked.

Monty did capering circles around them as they entered.

“Penny!” Izzy called and wondered if — gosh! — she had spent the night somewhere else.

“Coming, coming,” said Penny, noisily descending the stairs. Penny emerged into the shop with her top in a skewwhiff corkscrew around her waist.

She looked blearily at Aubrey.

“Are the paints here?” she asked.

“On the way,” said Izzy, as she checked her phone. “Definitely here this morning it says.”

Penny groaned and stared at the ceiling.

“Bad night?” suggested Aubrey.

“Or very good night,” suggested Izzy.

Penny smacked dry lips. “Is there a thing where free wine gets you drunk quicker?”

“I think free wine gets drunk quicker generally,” said Izzy. “How drunk you get is still down to you.”

Penny, hungover, tried to focus on her own phone. “Fliss is coming round in an hour! If we can’t start on the lobster right now, we’ve lost this commission. She won’t want it if she can’t have it for the car show.”

Izzy went back into the tracking app. “I can see the delivery person is in the town. Maybe I can go and get to them early?”

Penny looked aghast. “You plan to go and accost the delivery driver at a different stop and persuade them to hand over a parcel?”

“Yes?” Izzy was confused. Why was Penny making it sound bad? “I’ll hop on my bike and see where they are on the tracker.”

“You do realise that you’ll be like a highwayman, skidding in front of their van on your mad bike? I don’t know whether you’ll give them a heart attack or have them calling the police!” Penny said.

“A moment ago you were fretting about getting this paint in time. I am trying to fix things!” Izzy said.

“Is it Parv, the delivery guy?” asked Aubrey.

“The name of the delivery person is —” Izzy consulted her phone “—Parv. How did you know that?”

Aubrey shrugged. “He’s the local driver for the cheap courier.”

“You assume we use the cheap courier,” said Penny.

“I mean for small parcels, like when people buy things off eBay. I’ll give him a call,” said Aubrey.

“I don’t think I can handle this,” said Penny. “I need a coffee.”

Izzy made a big inclusive gesture. “You could go get us all a coffee, couldn’t you? Take Monty for a walk at the same time.”

Penny squinted at the already sunny day. “Go outside?”

“Fresh air will do you the world of good.”

Groaning like a reluctant zombie, Penny put a lead on Monty and took him out.

Within five minutes of Penny’s departure, Aubrey had managed to get Parv on the phone and, five further minutes later, was out in front of the shop, fist bumping the courier as he jumped out of his van.

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