A Drizzle of Deception: A Cozy Mystery (Caesars Creek Mystery Series Book 10) by Constance Barker Read Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Constance Barker
Paige said, “Sorry.”
Lincoln flashed us a bright smile and turned around on the stool. “I see I’m not the only one who likes their peanut butter pie. It’s the best around.”
I picked up my empty plate. “We agree.”
“Are you ladies from Caesars Creek?”
I nodded. “Yes, I’m Tara Beckley and this is Paige Murphy and her daughter Sammi.”
“Nice to meet you all…I’m Lincoln Hodges.”
“Are you staying at the old home place right now?” Paige had no trouble diving right into the nitty-gritty.
“Yes I am. I kind of like the solitude during the cool months.”
“Tara here owns the Frozen Scoop…if you like ice cream.” I think Sammi wanted Lincoln to notice her and that’s all she could come up with.
Lincoln looked at me with an odd face. “Oh really. I’ve been meaning to stop in there some time. It always appears busy with customers.”
“We do a pretty good business.”
“I noticed Jeb Lawson in there the other day.”
Paige and I perked up. “Oh, you know Jeb?” I asked.
“He and my grandfather knew one another, back when they were younger.”
“I didn’t know that,” I answered. “But then Jeb knows almost everyone in town.”
Lincoln nodded. “Well it was nice meeting you all.”
We answered in kind, grabbed our ticket, and paid for our food up at the front register. We glanced back at Lincoln who was sipping a cup of coffee and waiting for Patty to bring him his meal. Outside was the black Hummer Sammi spoke of and that I had seen pulling away from my shoppe in quite the hurry the other day.
I started the car. “Do we know anymore than we did before about Lincoln?”
Sammi buckled her seat belt. “He’s really cute.”
Paige turned around to look at her daughter. “I think you already knew that.” Then she turned to look at me. “Did you think it strange that he brought up Jeb?”
It did seem odd, especially since I wondered if it was his Labrador retrievers entering Jeb’s property. “It could have been a coincidence.”
Paige shook her head. “I don’t believe in coincidences.”
Neither did I.
“You girls want to go on a reconnaissance mission?” I asked.
Paige buckled up. “Where to?”
“The Hodges estate.”
“Ohhh, that sounds like fun.” I knew Sammi would be onboard.
“What about tripping their security system?” There she was, my practical Paige.
“I’m not talking about breaking and entering.” Well, not exactly.
Chapter Eleven
The automatic front gate at the entrance to the circular driveway of the Hodges estate was locked. We knew where Lincoln was, at the diner, but it might not be long before he came home so we had to work fast. I parked down about half a mile and off the shoulder of the road. Lincoln would be coming from the other direction so he shouldn’t pass my car. Paige and Sammi got out of the car while I grabbed a flashlight out of the glove box.
“What the heck are we looking for?” I could tell Paige was already regretting her decision to spy on Lincoln.
I shone the flashlight down the road. “Anything out of the ordinary. But mainly I want to see if he owns three Labradors…the ones that have been visiting Jeb. Lizzy said he’d mentioned them to her so I want to see if they’re the same dogs.”
“What if they attack us?”
“Well, since they’re labs, the only thing they’ll be attacking us with are their tongues and tails.”
Paige blanched. “Let‘s just hope they haven‘t been licking their butts with those tongues.”
As we walked closer to the edge of the Hodges property, we heard barking coming from the rear. We ambled alongside the tall pine trees towards the rear of the house. After rounding the last pine tree we saw the kennels and the dogs inside. Three yellow labs barked and wagged their tails at us.
“Okay, there are
Lincoln flashed us a bright smile and turned around on the stool. “I see I’m not the only one who likes their peanut butter pie. It’s the best around.”
I picked up my empty plate. “We agree.”
“Are you ladies from Caesars Creek?”
I nodded. “Yes, I’m Tara Beckley and this is Paige Murphy and her daughter Sammi.”
“Nice to meet you all…I’m Lincoln Hodges.”
“Are you staying at the old home place right now?” Paige had no trouble diving right into the nitty-gritty.
“Yes I am. I kind of like the solitude during the cool months.”
“Tara here owns the Frozen Scoop…if you like ice cream.” I think Sammi wanted Lincoln to notice her and that’s all she could come up with.
Lincoln looked at me with an odd face. “Oh really. I’ve been meaning to stop in there some time. It always appears busy with customers.”
“We do a pretty good business.”
“I noticed Jeb Lawson in there the other day.”
Paige and I perked up. “Oh, you know Jeb?” I asked.
“He and my grandfather knew one another, back when they were younger.”
“I didn’t know that,” I answered. “But then Jeb knows almost everyone in town.”
Lincoln nodded. “Well it was nice meeting you all.”
We answered in kind, grabbed our ticket, and paid for our food up at the front register. We glanced back at Lincoln who was sipping a cup of coffee and waiting for Patty to bring him his meal. Outside was the black Hummer Sammi spoke of and that I had seen pulling away from my shoppe in quite the hurry the other day.
I started the car. “Do we know anymore than we did before about Lincoln?”
Sammi buckled her seat belt. “He’s really cute.”
Paige turned around to look at her daughter. “I think you already knew that.” Then she turned to look at me. “Did you think it strange that he brought up Jeb?”
It did seem odd, especially since I wondered if it was his Labrador retrievers entering Jeb’s property. “It could have been a coincidence.”
Paige shook her head. “I don’t believe in coincidences.”
Neither did I.
“You girls want to go on a reconnaissance mission?” I asked.
Paige buckled up. “Where to?”
“The Hodges estate.”
“Ohhh, that sounds like fun.” I knew Sammi would be onboard.
“What about tripping their security system?” There she was, my practical Paige.
“I’m not talking about breaking and entering.” Well, not exactly.
Chapter Eleven
The automatic front gate at the entrance to the circular driveway of the Hodges estate was locked. We knew where Lincoln was, at the diner, but it might not be long before he came home so we had to work fast. I parked down about half a mile and off the shoulder of the road. Lincoln would be coming from the other direction so he shouldn’t pass my car. Paige and Sammi got out of the car while I grabbed a flashlight out of the glove box.
“What the heck are we looking for?” I could tell Paige was already regretting her decision to spy on Lincoln.
I shone the flashlight down the road. “Anything out of the ordinary. But mainly I want to see if he owns three Labradors…the ones that have been visiting Jeb. Lizzy said he’d mentioned them to her so I want to see if they’re the same dogs.”
“What if they attack us?”
“Well, since they’re labs, the only thing they’ll be attacking us with are their tongues and tails.”
Paige blanched. “Let‘s just hope they haven‘t been licking their butts with those tongues.”
As we walked closer to the edge of the Hodges property, we heard barking coming from the rear. We ambled alongside the tall pine trees towards the rear of the house. After rounding the last pine tree we saw the kennels and the dogs inside. Three yellow labs barked and wagged their tails at us.
“Okay, there are
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