Death by Tea by Alex Erickson Read Free Book Online Page A

store. Ugly yellow and black police tape was strung across the door. A few gawkers stood on the sidewalk, trying to see past the few policemen still working the scene. It had been hours, yet they were still looking around. I vaguely wondered if the body was inside but quickly buried the thought. I didn’t want to know.
    I hurried past, forcing myself to look straight ahead after my first curious glance. I wasn’t going in to work today; no one who worked there was. I had a sinking feeling we’d be closed for a week or two, or at least until the murder was solved. I only hoped we could weather the storm without going under.
    Stop it, Krissy. You’re not that bad off, and you know it.
    Business might have been picking up lately, but it still felt like we weren’t making enough money. I didn’t know if we were pricing our coffee too low, or if it was something else that was causing the numbers to look so pathetic. Vicki handled the money, so if there was something wrong, I was sure she would have told me by now.
    I found a parking spot and pulled in. I shut off the car and then hurried across the street into a place called Scream for Ice Cream. It wasn’t as bad of a name as a lot of the other stores in town, but it wasn’t great, either. One of these days, a store called Bob’s or something will open up. I don’t care what kind of place it is; if a store opens with a simple name, I’ll be the first in line.
    An electronic ping sounded as I opened the door and stepped inside the ice-cream shop. Vicki was sitting at a table in the middle of the room. As soon as she saw me, she waved me over, smiling as if nothing was wrong. Half the guys in the place were watching her, and half of those didn’t even have anything to eat. It was like she was a sun and every man on the planet had to fight with one another to orbit her. It was disgusting, really.
    â€œHow are you doing?” Vicki asked as I sat down across from her.
    â€œI’m alive,” I said, wincing as I realized how it must have sounded. “Can you believe the police actually questioned me?”
    â€œI believe it.” She nodded her head and shot a glance past my shoulder. I turned to find Officer Buchannan settling into a chair near the wall. He grinned and waved when he saw me looking.
    â€œGreat,” I said, turning back. I wondered how long he’d been following me.
    â€œI already ordered for us, if that’s okay,” Vicki said. “I know you love Rocky Road when things go wrong, and well, I think this whole mess qualifies as a Rocky Road event.”
    As if on cue, a kid who was no more than sixteen came around the counter with two bowls in hand. He set them down in front of us before scurrying back, as if we might bite.
    â€œI don’t know if I can take this,” I said with a sigh. “Everyone keeps looking at me like I killed the guy.”
    â€œDid you?”
    I gasped in shock. “How could you ask that? Of course I didn’t!”
    â€œThen you have nothing to worry about.” Vicki shoved a spoonful of strawberry ice cream into her mouth and smiled.
    I would have felt better if I believed it. I was sure there were more than enough women locked in a prison somewhere who were innocent of the crime they were convicted of. If I couldn’t clear my name, Buchannan would make sure I joined them.
    I leaned forward and lowered my voice. No sense letting Buchannan overhear our conversation if it could be avoided. “Did anything happen last night after I left?”
    Vicki shrugged one delicate shoulder. “The meeting got a little loud and heated, but nothing anyone would kill over. I can hardly believe anyone would kill that poor man. He seemed so nice.”
    â€œWhat about after? Were they still arguing after you locked up?”
    Vicki actually looked embarrassed. “Well, I didn’t actually lock up last night.”
    That surprised me. One of us