The Puppy Who Knew Too Much by V. M. Burns

Author:V. M. Burns [Burns, V. M.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Kensington
Published: 2018-10-28T18:47:38+00:00

Chapter 12

If I thought Officer Lewis had looked suspicious the first time I found a dead body, I was mistaken. That look was nothing compared to the side glances he shot my way today. He looked as though he thought I was a serial killer and responsible for every recent murder in the state of Tennessee. Thankfully, I had been in the presence of Red most of the day. I hated to admit it, but having a TBI agent as an alibi was a big help.

Similar to the previous exercise, the police, several crime-scene investigators, and a myriad of other folks showed up. Instead of waiting on a bench outside this time, I sat on the comfortable sofa in the community building, sipping hot tea. After about an hour, Stephanie and the golden retriever showed up, and not long afterward, Dixie arrived. Officer Lewis reluctantly authorized them to wait with me. Red shot me a questioning look, and I held up my cell phone. “Nine-one-one wasn’t the only call I made.”

“Who is it this time?” Stephanie flopped down on the sofa next to me.

“Theodore Livingston.”

Dixie shuddered. “Good Lord.” She dropped into a chair next to the sofa. “How did it happen?”

I shrugged. “Fortunately, Red was there, and he went over and checked his pulse.”

“Red?” She craned her neck to look at the group of law-enforcement officials swarming the pool area. “Which one is he?”

I glanced around. “The one in the jeans with the black turtleneck,” I whispered. “And the scar.”

She took a good, long look and then turned and gave me a thumbs-up. “He’s cute.”

Heat rushed up my neck, and I took a sip of tea. “I barely know the man. He’s only here because he’s a friend of Joe’s, and Joe was concerned about Stephanie.”

Stephanie patted my hand. “Mom, you really are naïve.”

I turned to face her. “What are you talking about?”

“He is a friend of Joe’s, but he’s not exactly concerned about me. He’s spent the entire day with you.”

I thought about that and forced myself not to smile. “You can’t think he’s interested in me?”

Stephanie patted my hand again. “He fixed breakfast, cut the grass, and then spent over an hour walking around the subdivision with you. I haven’t seen him for more than thirty minutes while I ate breakfast.” She laughed. “I think it’s safe to say his interest lies elsewhere.”

I paused and thought about what she’d said.

“Chattanooga certainly looks like it’s going to be good for your love life,” Dixie joked.

“Well, things didn’t work out so well with Freemont Hopewell.”

“I didn’t know you knew Freemont Hopewell.” Red was behind the sofa, and I jumped.

“Oh my God, you scared me.” I turned around. “How long have you been standing there?”

He grinned. “Long enough.”

Dixie stood up and extended her hand. “Hi. I’m Dixie Jefferson, Lilly’s friend.”

“Red Olson.” He shook her hand.

Dixie sat back down, and Red leaned on the arm of the sofa nearest where I was sitting. I tried not to notice, but if the glance that passed between Stephanie and Dixie was any indication, they definitely noticed.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.