The Wrong Side of Murder (A Nikki Bryant Cozy Mystery Book 2) by Lauren Carr

Author:Lauren Carr [Carr, Lauren]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: cozy mystery, cozy mystery with animals, Cozy Mystery with Dogs, cozy mystery with pets, Mystery, mystery book, murder mystery, female protagonist, Female sleuth, woman detective, Woman Protagonist, woman sleuth, Amateur sleuth, amatuer sleuth, cold case
Publisher: Acorn Book Services
Published: 2022-07-20T16:00:00+00:00

“Pepper and Eric are trying to railroad Andrea Keyes into jail—”

“Hospital,” Tanya corrected her. “Their lawyer is asking for a plea deal where she’ll be committed to a psychiatric hospital.”

“But she didn’t do it.” Nikki slapped her hand down on the top of Ryan’s desk in a gesture for him to agree with her. “Tell her.”

“She didn’t do it,” he said without looking up from his peanut butter and jelly sandwich. A pint of nonfat milk with a straw in it rested at the corner of the paper towel he used as a placemat. It was his lunch, which he was eating at three o’clock in the afternoon.

Tanya had her arms folded across her chest. “Did you find her DNA on the belt used to strangle Jodi and hang her up?”

“Of course, he did,” Nikki said. “It was her belt. It went with her bathrobe.”

“I wasn’t asking you.”

“Of course, I did. It was her belt. It went with her bathrobe,” Ryan said before taking a sip of his milk. “We also found epidermal DNA and sweat that belonged to an unidentified male. He’s not in the system.”

“Have you talked to Andrea?” Before the sheriff could answer, Nikki continued, “Have you asked her about what happened that night? Did you ask her if anyone else was there? What time did she pass out? Does she remember when she came to? Maybe she heard something and thought it was a dream.”

Tanya tapped the gold sheriff’s badge pinned to her chest. “Do you know why I’m wearing this, Nikki? Because the folks of our county have enough faith in my abilities to elect me sheriff. I know the right questions to ask. Yes, I talked to Andrea Keyes this morning—as best I could with her lawyer there.”

“And what did Andrea say?”

“I don’t remember.”

Nikki cocked her head. “Didn’t you write her answers down?”

“Yes, but I didn’t have to. The questions that her lawyer allowed her to answer were easy enough to remember. All she remembers is fighting with Jodi. She remembers picking up a paring knife and swinging it at her—cutting her arm. Jodi got mad. Called her nuts. She went up to her room. Andrea took a bottle of vodka and went into the living room, and sat down to watch television. The next thing she remembers is you waking her up.”

“She blacked out.” His sandwich finished; Ryan sat back in his chair to finish his milk.

Nikki wasn’t ready to give up. “Did Andrea say anything else when you talked to her?”

Tanya uttered a heavy sigh. “Listen. We have a murder. Only one other person was on the scene. She does not remember not doing it. Her lawyer is offering a guilty plea for manslaughter in exchange for a sentence recommendation that she be committed to a mental institution. If the prosecutor accepts the deal, it will save taxpayers a bunch of money. He wants to know why he should not accept it.”

Nikki slumped. “Because I don’t think Andrea did it.” Struck with an idea, she turned back to Ryan.

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