Read Online A Burned Out Baker: Classic Diner Mystery #7 (The Classic Diner Mysteries) by Jessica Beck - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Jessica Beck
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not accusing you of anything. I’m just telling you what’s going on so you’ll be aware of it.”
“I appreciate that,” Moose said. “Do you know who’s behind this?”
“He’s on the town council,” she said with a nod. “Do I really have to say his name?”
“It’s Kenny Starnes, isn’t it?” Moose asked. “Don’t bother confirming it. It all makes perfect sense. That man is a blight on this town, and I wish that he’d never been elected.”
I knew that Kenny Starnes and my grandfather had been in one argument or another for the last thirty years, and I doubted either man could remember what their original disagreement had been about. All I knew was that they intensely disliked each other, and I prayed for the councilman’s safety every day. If anything ever happened to him, Moose would be the first suspect on everyone’s list, including the sheriff’s.
“Anyway, I just thought you should know,” the judge said, and then she stood. As we joined her, she asked me, “What do I owe you?”
“It’s on the house,” I said. “Thanks for stopping by.”
“Thank you, Victoria.” The judge turned to Moose, and she was clearly about to say something. At the last second she must have changed her mind, because she left without another word.
I knew why a second later when my grandmother came out of the kitchen.
Much to his credit, instead of trying to run away, my grandfather headed straight toward her. As they spoke, I wondered how this new development would impact our case. If the sheriff was going to bring in outside talent, we didn’t have much time. I doubted that a state police inspector would grant us the latitude that the sheriff had in the past. In fact, I wondered if we’d get any more preferential treatment ever again.
I don’t know what Moose said to Martha, but he came over to me a minute later.
“So how are things on the home front?” I asked him.
“We’re getting there,” he said.
“Are you ready to tackle Susan Proctor now?” I asked him. “I don’t have to remind you that time is of the essence.”
“I know it is, but there’s something else we have to do first, something even more important than our investigation.”
I was eager to hear what that might be. “What’s that?” I asked him.
“We need to speak to the sheriff and clear this up before things get any uglier than they are right now. Any objections to that plan?”
“Not a one,” I said. “Let’s go see if we can find Sheriff Croft and straighten this mess out.”
Chapter 7
“Sheriff, we need to talk,” Moose said after we’d walked into the police station. The sheriff was standing by the front door, and it was clear that he was on his way out.
“I don’t have time to chat, Moose,” the sheriff said as he tried to brush past us.
“Is it an emergency? Because if it’s not, this is important. I wouldn’t bother you otherwise.” Moose hadn’t budged, and I doubted that many men in the county would have had the daring to block our sheriff’s way when he was intent on getting past.
The sheriff stared hard at Moose for a few seconds, and I didn’t like the expression on his face at all. Finally, he said, “Outside. You can have one minute and one minute only, so you’d better make every second of it count.”
We all walked outside together, and though I hadn’t been invited to join this particular conversation, there was no way that I was going to miss it, either.
“The clock’s ticking,” the sheriff said once we were all outside.
“Edgar, I don’t want your job.”
Sheriff Croft looked hard at Moose again after my grandfather spoke. I knew that the sheriff wasn’t all that used to being called by his first name, particularly when he was in uniform, and I was just as certain that my grandfather had done it on purpose to get his attention.
“That’s not what I heard,” the sheriff said. “Either way, it doesn’t matter to me. Moose, you’re free to do whatever
“I appreciate that,” Moose said. “Do you know who’s behind this?”
“He’s on the town council,” she said with a nod. “Do I really have to say his name?”
“It’s Kenny Starnes, isn’t it?” Moose asked. “Don’t bother confirming it. It all makes perfect sense. That man is a blight on this town, and I wish that he’d never been elected.”
I knew that Kenny Starnes and my grandfather had been in one argument or another for the last thirty years, and I doubted either man could remember what their original disagreement had been about. All I knew was that they intensely disliked each other, and I prayed for the councilman’s safety every day. If anything ever happened to him, Moose would be the first suspect on everyone’s list, including the sheriff’s.
“Anyway, I just thought you should know,” the judge said, and then she stood. As we joined her, she asked me, “What do I owe you?”
“It’s on the house,” I said. “Thanks for stopping by.”
“Thank you, Victoria.” The judge turned to Moose, and she was clearly about to say something. At the last second she must have changed her mind, because she left without another word.
I knew why a second later when my grandmother came out of the kitchen.
Much to his credit, instead of trying to run away, my grandfather headed straight toward her. As they spoke, I wondered how this new development would impact our case. If the sheriff was going to bring in outside talent, we didn’t have much time. I doubted that a state police inspector would grant us the latitude that the sheriff had in the past. In fact, I wondered if we’d get any more preferential treatment ever again.
I don’t know what Moose said to Martha, but he came over to me a minute later.
“So how are things on the home front?” I asked him.
“We’re getting there,” he said.
“Are you ready to tackle Susan Proctor now?” I asked him. “I don’t have to remind you that time is of the essence.”
“I know it is, but there’s something else we have to do first, something even more important than our investigation.”
I was eager to hear what that might be. “What’s that?” I asked him.
“We need to speak to the sheriff and clear this up before things get any uglier than they are right now. Any objections to that plan?”
“Not a one,” I said. “Let’s go see if we can find Sheriff Croft and straighten this mess out.”
Chapter 7
“Sheriff, we need to talk,” Moose said after we’d walked into the police station. The sheriff was standing by the front door, and it was clear that he was on his way out.
“I don’t have time to chat, Moose,” the sheriff said as he tried to brush past us.
“Is it an emergency? Because if it’s not, this is important. I wouldn’t bother you otherwise.” Moose hadn’t budged, and I doubted that many men in the county would have had the daring to block our sheriff’s way when he was intent on getting past.
The sheriff stared hard at Moose for a few seconds, and I didn’t like the expression on his face at all. Finally, he said, “Outside. You can have one minute and one minute only, so you’d better make every second of it count.”
We all walked outside together, and though I hadn’t been invited to join this particular conversation, there was no way that I was going to miss it, either.
“The clock’s ticking,” the sheriff said once we were all outside.
“Edgar, I don’t want your job.”
Sheriff Croft looked hard at Moose again after my grandfather spoke. I knew that the sheriff wasn’t all that used to being called by his first name, particularly when he was in uniform, and I was just as certain that my grandfather had done it on purpose to get his attention.
“That’s not what I heard,” the sheriff said. “Either way, it doesn’t matter to me. Moose, you’re free to do whatever
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