All Natural Murder by Staci McLaughlin Read Free Book Online

through the activity brochures spread out on the side table.
    I went down the hall and hung a left into the office. While I waited for the computer to boot up, I read the book spines in the bookcase by the door. Esther was always adding new titles to her eclectic collection. I spotted Learn Mandarin in Minutes , the latest purchase, and wondered how long it would be until she was speaking Chinese. Of course, she’d purchased a book on learning hip-hop a while back, and I had yet to hear her rap a single verse.
    After checking e-mail, I typed up the spa’s daily blog. When the farm had first opened and I’d started the blog, I’d heard nary a peep in reply, leading me to believe that no one ever read the thing. But then a few comments started to trickle in, and now I had a steady group of readers, some former guests, others random people. I tried to put in extra effort now that I knew my posts weren’t merely disappearing into cyberspace.
    With the hot weather, I’d focused the week’s topics on staying cool, keeping pets comfortable, and eating rehydrating foods. I’d use today’s entry to describe how to read sunblock labels, verifying both UVA and UVB information.
    I worked steadily for twenty minutes, while occasional sounds drifted in the open door. Based on the clink of silverware on dishes, Zennia was prepping breakfast, the one meal of the day when the food she prepared was what most folks would consider normal. Homemade granola, yogurt parfaits, and omelets from eggs produced by the farm’s chickens were all part of her repertoire.
    I read through my blog one last time, posted it to the spa site, and headed down the hall to see if Zennia needed help.
    Today, she wore a yellow tank sundress, the light cotton material brushing the floor, the tips of her Birkenstocks peeking out as she moved.
    She was slicing peaches on a cutting board and paused to wave the knife at me. “There you are. You know, you sped out of here so fast yesterday that you didn’t get to try my new recipe for natto.”
    “What’s natto?” I asked a little fearfully. I never knew what to expect from Zennia’s cooking.
    “It’s made from soybeans that have been fermented with special bacteria that provide lots of healthy probiotics for your digestive system.”
    Finally, a benefit to Ashlee being taken downtown for questioning. I’d avoided natto. “Gee, Zennia, sorry about that. Family emergency and all.”
    She pointed over her shoulder at the fridge. “Don’t worry. I saved you a bowl. It’s there whenever you’re hungry.”
    With a bowl of natto waiting for me, I might never be hungry again.
    Zennia set the knife on the cutting board and wiped her hands on a dish towel. “I heard about Ashlee being involved in that man’s murder. How is she holding up?”
    For a moment, I wondered how Zennia had already heard, but then I remembered her nephew worked for the sheriff’s department. Besides that, in a town of only five thousand residents, everyone had most likely heard about Bobby Joe by now. And everyone knew Ashlee was his girlfriend.
    “She’s doing okay,” I said. “But she wasn’t really involved with his death. I mean, she was home long before someone killed him.”
    Zennia hung the dish towel back up. “Of course Ashlee had nothing to do with his death. Everyone knows she’s sweet as agave nectar.”
    “Thank you, I appreciate you saying that.” At least I could count on Zennia’s support. I could only imagine what the other residents of Blossom Valley were saying.
    “If you’re not busy this morning, Esther mentioned that Heather’s home taking care of a sick child, so she might need help with the rooms.”
    “Okay, I’ll check with her.” I hadn’t seen Esther in the house this morning, but maybe she was out on the grounds somewhere. The farm had acres of woods and trails, a hot springs, vegetable gardens, and the guest cabins, and I often went hours without seeing my boss. I headed out the back