Winter Watch by Klumpers Anita;

Author:Klumpers, Anita;
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Christian Fiction, inspirational fiction, Clean and Wholesome Novels, Religion and Spirituality
Publisher: Pelican Book Group
Published: 2019-07-18T16:00:00+00:00

TWELVE

Claudia hurried through her shower and pulled on her clothes. The night before, she had told Ann she wouldn’t mind a simple breakfast of cold cereal and toast, but the offer was waved away.

“It would throw me off my groove. I’ve been making inn-style breakfasts for so long now I don’t dare break routine. You’ll be on your own for lunch, but please make free use of the leftovers.”

Peter wasn’t up yet and neither was Philip. Bud stood by the dining room table talking to a woman he’d introduced as Tabitha, editor of the weekly paper. She looked directly at Claudia’s scar for a split second before extending a hand.

“Welcome to Sodom and Gomorrah,” she said. “We haven’t had this much crime in Barley since Prohibition. What a field day for a newspaper.” Tabitha was kissing distance from six feet tall. Her brown hair, losing the battle to gray, snaked to below her waist in a scrawny braid. She wore a full patchwork peasant skirt, a fisherman knit turtleneck sweater and—Claudia had to look twice—plastic wraps over a pair of very high-heeled cowboy boots. She looked like someone who would have danced in the rain at Woodstock several decades earlier. Her face had the lines and rough skin of a chain smoker, and her sea-green eyes were rimmed with inch-long sable lashes.

When Bud told her breakfast included spinach quiche, blueberry muffins and a secret recipe Waldorf salad, Tabitha folded herself onto a chair. On cue, Ann pushed out of the kitchen with a tray.

Claudia experienced a stab of guilt. “I’m supposed to be helping today!”

“Not with breakfast,” came Ann’s unruffled response. “That I like to do on my own. Never fear, I’ll work you into a lather soon enough.”

She sat next to Bud and told Claudia they were waiting for Tabitha to fill them in on details of Roi’s murder.

“Ira is the truck driver who delivers the newsprint. He’s sweet on Tabitha.” Ann ignored the editor’s snort. “He was there when Lem made the arrest. Tabitha knows we’re up before dawn so she came from collecting the newsprint and calming down Ira in hopes of breakfast. I told her I’d feed her in exchange for giving us the scoop. We don’t know any more than you yet.”

They all looked expectantly at the editor. She snorted again. “You don’t really believe I’m telling you anything until I’ve eaten, do you?” And they had to wait for her to have two helpings of everything.

“This story better be good,” Ann said, peering into the empty quiche plate, “because it looks as though I’ll need to make another entire breakfast for Peter and Philip. You know, my paying guest and my blood child.”

Tabitha had the grace to look ashamed and Ann patted her powerful hand.

“I’m teasing. Philip can practically eat one of these quiches by himself. I have another one ready to pop in the oven.”

Over coffee and muffins Tabitha told them what she knew.

“About three this morning, Ira parked his truck off that little dead end road east of town to nap, update his log, and um—heed the call of nature.

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