Wake up to Murder: a Ricki Rydell Mystery, #2 by Laura DiNunno

Author:Laura DiNunno
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: cozy mystery, amateur sleuth, female detective, strong female character, talk show, dog, woman sleuth
Publisher: Red Collar Books
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Fourteen

When I got up from my desk to answer the door, I never expected to see Marty standing on my front porch. Hair greasy, clothes wrinkled, full beard, looking like he hadn’t slept or taken a shower in days. Hands stuffed in his pockets, he stared at his feet.

My heart shattered into a million little pieces, imagining what he must have been going through. “Come in.”

Marty’s eyes were bloodshot, the bags underneath more prominent than ever.

“How about some breakfast? Coffee is ready.”

Marty only nodded and headed toward the kitchen like he had been in my house just the day before instead of two years ago. He automatically went to the cupboard where I kept the coffee mugs, almost as if knowing I wouldn’t bother changing the kitchen around.

“Scrambled eggs, toast? I have some turkey bacon in the freezer. It’s gross, but you can have it if you want it.”

“That’ll be fine.” His voice was low and gravelly. “I can throw it in the microwave so you don’t have to cook it on the stove. I know how you hate the smell of grease.”

“No, I can do it. You sit and drink your coffee.” I got busy trying to rip slices of frozen turkey bacon apart before giving up in frustration. I put the frozen mass on a plate and plopped it in the microwave.

Marty was hurting and in need of someone to talk to, but what could I say to him that wouldn’t make him feel worse? I wanted to be empathetic without being trite. In certain circumstances, every word was the wrong word. This was one of those circumstances. “How are you holding up?”

There was a dead silence in the kitchen for what felt like the longest time. Thankfully, Rumpus woke up from his nap upstairs and bounded into the room, sniffing Marty like he was a long-lost member of the pack. “Hey, boy. Long time no see.”

The unanswered question hung in the air like the horrible smell of the turkey bacon searing in the microwave. I would let him call the shots, steer the conversation in the direction he wanted to go, needed to go. There wasn’t enough empathy or imagination in the world that could help me understand what he must have been going through. I could keep quiet and listen or talk about dumb things. I chose talking about dumb things. It was better than the silence that felt like an uninvited guest sitting at the table.

“Do you want ketchup? I know you like salsa on your eggs, but I don’t have any. If I do, it probably has mold on it.” I took the turkey bacon out of the microwave when it dinged, eyeing the shriveled, greasy mess before passing it off to Marty. “I’ll get the toast.”

“You don’t have to do this, you know. I appreciate it, though. It’s the first hot meal I’ve had in days.”

“You of all people should know you can’t go into a Rydell house without getting your face stuffed with something.

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