Truffles and Tragedy: A Down South Cafe Mystery Book, #6 by Gayle Leeson

Author:Gayle Leeson
Format: epub

Chapter Fifteen

O

n Thursday morning, I popped out of bed like a slice of bread in a toaster as soon as my alarm sounded. I’d slept better than I’d expected, but I had plans I was eager to implement today. I hurried into the kitchen, fed the pets, and texted Jackie as I waited for my coffee to brew.

Rather than texting me back, Jackie called me.

“How are you?” I asked.

“Tired, frustrated, angry...worried.”

“Me, too. We’re gonna get you out of this, Jack. I promise.”

“I don’t know why this is happening to me,” she said.

“Hopefully, Billy can help you this morning.” I didn’t know what else to say. I was afraid there wasn’t much Billy Hancock could do, other than recommend a good criminal attorney, but I wanted to offer Jackie some optimism. “And don’t worry about coming in today. Scott, Luis, and I can handle the traffic; and if it happens to get really busy, we can always—”

“I’ll be there after meeting with Billy,” she interrupted. “If I don’t work, I’ll go out of my mind. Not that I’m not heading in that direction anyway. I keep turning it over and over in my head—who’s out to get me?”

“The real question is who had a grudge against both you and Professor Treadway?” Of course, their enemy had killed Treadway, but what the murderer was doing to Jackie might be considered almost as bad. Ending a life versus ruining one... I squeezed my eyes shut. “I’m going to the college to do some snooping after work.”

“Amy, you can’t fix this.”

“We don’t know that,” I said. “And I have to at least try.”

She sighed. “I love you but getting me out of trouble isn’t your responsibility.”

“If I was the one falsely accused of murder, you’d be moving heaven and earth to prove I was innocent. I’m only doing what you would do.”

“All right. But I’m going with you,” she said.

“We’ll work it all out after your meeting with Billy.” I wasn’t sure I wanted Jackie going with me to the school. If people saw us together, they might be reluctant to talk with me. I needed people to be as honest and unfettered with their opinions and observations as possible.

After speaking with Jackie, I drank some coffee and then got ready for work. I considered calling Ryan. He worked day shift today, and I knew he’d be awake soon. But I didn’t know what to say. Things had been awkward between us yesterday after the police had found cyanide in Jackie’s apartment. I didn’t want our relationship to be strained, but I didn’t know how I could remedy it until Professor Treadway’s murderer had been caught.

WHEN SCOTT CAME INTO the café, I was in the kitchen chopping green peppers. He joined me and put on an apron, gloves, and a hairnet.

“How can I help?” he asked.

“You can wake me up from this nightmare with Jackie,” I said. “Or, failing that, you could slice some red peppers.”

“Nightmare?” Luis asked, coming into the kitchen and hanging his jacket on the hook by the back door.

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