A Dead End (A Saints & Strangers Cozy Mystery Book 1) by Keeley Bates Read Free Book Online

amusing.”
    “Dr. Nina is with her now.”
    Kit started. “Is she ill?”
    Huntley patted her back. “I forget you’ve been away. No, Dr. Nina is the local vet. She comes by once a week, barring any emergencies, to check on the menagerie. Jade is in kidney failure so Dr. Nina is here to change the drip.”
    Kit’s nose wrinkled. “Which one is Jade?”
    “That hairball with eyes called a Maine Coon. Terrible temper but your mother is overly fond of her.”
    Kit found it incredible that her mother doled out her particular brand of patient love to every stray animal within the Westdale town limits.
    She located her mother in one of the lesser-used parlor rooms. The room was much altered since Kit’s last visit. It looked like a makeshift animal hospital now.
    “Katherine, welcome home,” Heloise said, one hand placed protectively on Jade’s back. “Dr. Nina, this is my daughter.”
    “It’s only temporary,” Kit warned. “As soon as the police have finished, I’m going back.”
    Heloise smiled. “Well, you’ve timed it just right. It’s almost gin o’clock.”
    Dr. Nina closed her bag. “And that’s my cue to leave. Nice to meet you, Katherine. I’m sure we’ll see each other again soon.”
    “I’ll escort her out,” Huntley offered.
    “Then fetch my popsicles,” Heloise ordered.
    Did she say popsicles? They were a bit beneath Heloise’s culinary snobbery.
    As if reading her mind, Heloise added, “They’re cucumber and gin with white currants.”
    Ah, gin-based popsicles. Now that made more sense.
    “Are you sure it won’t spoil my dinner?” Kit asked.
    “Oh Katherine, you’re such a card. No amount of gin could possibly spoil a meal.”
     
    They enjoyed their gin-based popsicles on the veranda overlooking a courtyard garden. Kit begrudgingly accepted the fact that her mother’s experiment had paid off. The popsicle was both decadent and delicious.
    “There’s a Pilgrim Society meeting next week that you should attend,” Heloise said, managing to appear elegant as she licked the icy concoction. “If nothing else, it’s a good way to meet eligible bachelors.”
    “You mean appropriate bachelors,” Kit corrected her. “If they’re in the Pilgrim Society, then they’ve already been vetted. Right, Mother?”
    Heloise sucked her popsicle thoughtfully. “You say it as though there’s something wrong with it.”
    Kit focused on the nearby butterfly in an effort to control her temper. “I don’t need to meet any Westdale men stamped with your approval.”
    “Katherine, you really need to consider your age. A woman’s childbearing years are fleeting.”
    “Then maybe you should’ve been more ambitious in your youth.” She clucked her tongue disapprovingly. “Imagine the number of little Pilgrims you could have produced.”
    Kit caught the brief look of anger that flashed in her mother’s clear blue eyes.
    “Alas, you, Katherine darling, are my legacy.” She finished off her popsicle and set the stick on a nearby cloth napkin. “Now you understand why it’s so important that you accept the mantle of responsibility that comes with the Winthrop Wilder names.”
    Kit shrugged. “Do I?”
    Huntley stepped onto the veranda, dabbing his forehead with a spotted handkerchief. “My sincere apologies for my tardiness, ladies. Crispin called about the next Pilgrim Society meeting and you know how that boy can talk.”
    That boy was Crispin Winthrop — Kit’s first cousin who ran the local newspaper, the Westdale Gazette.
    “Indeed, I do,” Heloise replied as Huntley took a seat on the settee. “If you attend the meeting, next week, it might be a good opportunity to say hello to your family.”
    “Or I can swing by the paper,” Kit suggested. “His office is right next to campus.” Check and mate, she thought to herself.
    “So tell me about school,” Heloise suggested.
    “Not much to tell. We’re still doing orientation,” Kit replied.
    “Let me know if you have any