Death among the Roses: a Melanie Hart Mystery (Melanie Hart Cozy Mysteries Book 1) by Anna Drake Read Free Book Online

babbling voices filled the room with happy noise.
    “Am I late?” I asked, as I slid into the booth across from Ginger.
    “Nah, more like you’re disgustingly early.”
    I shrugged off my shoulder bag and slid it onto the seat and glanced at my watch. I could hardly believe the time. It was five minutes before we were to meet. “You’re ahead of me. So why are you giving me guff?”
    “Yeah, I know. All being early means is that we’re both compulsive types. Don’t tell anyone.” She lifted her coffee cup and took a quick sip.
    “Have you ordered?”
    She scowled. “Are you kidding? I’m not eating this stuff. It’s carb heaven. I’m fine with coffee. How about you?”
    I felt my tummy emit a low, rumbling growl, and ignored it. “I’ll wait for Julie.”
    Ginger glanced over at the doorway. “Huh, looks like that’s not going to take long.”
    I twisted my head and caught sight of a woman looking to be somewhere in her mid thirties approaching our table. She had large hair, puffy eyes, and a beaten down expression. She also looked like she’d burned both ends of her candle last night.
    So much for waiting tables at Bella’s Place, I thought.
    “Hi,” she said, sliding into the seat beside Ginger. “I hope I haven’t kept you waiting.”
    Ginger grunted. “We’re just grateful you were willing to turn out for us at all. I hope we haven’t shortchanged you on sleep.”
    She shook her head and shot us a smile. “No foul. I pull the late shift at Bella’s. I’m also raising two sons who love to hop out of bed before the sun gets up. My nights are always short.”
    Ginger grunted in apparent sympathy and double checked that we knew each other. I confirmed that, if nothing else, we had seen each other around town.
    “You want breakfast?” Ginger asked.
    “No thanks. I made the boys waffles this morning.”
    My stomach set up another protest, which I did my utmost to ignore. If neither Julie or Ginger were ordering, I’d be darned if I’d scarf down any food in front of them. And I deeply regretted having told Dad I'd catch breakfast out.  He’d been making French toast at the time.
    Our waitress joined us at the table. Julie and I requested two coffees.
    The server gave us a disgusted glance. Then she marched off to fill our request.
    I made a mental note to leave the woman a generous tip. It wasn’t her fault we weren’t eating.
    “So,” Julie said, “what’s this meeting about? It’s not time for another class reunion, is it?”
    Ginger laughed. “Fortunately no. The last one must have aged me ten years. I mean did you see Dolores Bettner?”
    Our last reunion had been our first and had been well attended. I remembered seeing Dolores, too. The sight had been memorable and scary. She must have aged twenty years in the past five.
    “Yeah, that’s a shame,” Julie said. “I can’t believe how young her husband looks.”
    “Anyway, what we’d like to know is,” Ginger continued, “did you work Gary Pepper’s bachelor party?”
    “That was Thursday night, right?” Julie asked, glancing my way.
    “It was.”
    “Nope. I have Thursday nights off. I understand it was well attended though, and I heard that a good time was had by all.”
    Ginger gave Julie a knowing look. “Maybe a little extra good time was had by my friend, Tony Stepich?”
    Julie grimaced. “I wouldn’t know. As I said. I wasn’t there.”
    “You didn’t hear any gossip from those who were working the event?” I asked.
    Julie shook her head. “Candy Collins handled that one almost by herself. She’s off on a vacation. Left Friday morning. So I’ve not heard any details. I know the bar tab was hefty. But that’s all I can say with any certainty.”
    “Will you keep an ear out?” Ginger asked. “Cordelia would appreciate it.”
    “Cordelia?” Julie’s face darkened. “What’s this all about? Is the party tied in somehow to Gary’s murder? I don’t want to get involved in anything dangerous